"Secret Invasion" is a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

storyline that ran through a self-titled eight-issue

limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...

and several tie-in books published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

from April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-term invasion of

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

by the

Skrull The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated fro ...

s, a group of alien

shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...

s who have secretly replaced many superheroes in the

Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...

with impostors over a period of years, prior to the overt invasion. Marvel's promotional tagline for the event was "Who do you trust?". A six-episode television miniseries based on the storyline and produced by

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...

as part of the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

(MCU) is scheduled to be released in 2023 on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

Production and marketing

Writer

Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...

stated in interviews that the motivation for the invasion is the destruction of the Skrull Empire in the 2007 "Annihilation" storyline. Bendis said the Skrulls believe Earth "is religiously and rightfully theirs," and that there are hints as to the plot placed in the limited series '' Secret War'' and the title '' New Avengers'' from the first issue.''New Avengers'' #1 (Jan. 2005). Marvel Comics. The limited series concluded the plot and was, according to Bendis, "a hell of an end." In November 2007, several ongoing titles and mini-series were branded as tie-ins to the main ''Secret Invasion'' storyline, with the tagline: ''Secret Invasion: The Infiltration''. In addition to the core story, the

Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...

titles provided additional plot material and acted as a link between titles. Other Marvel titles also featured variant covers with the characters depicted as Skrulls. Bendis stated that the series would not deal with the origins of the invasion, but is conceived from the following perspective: "If there's a character on the team who's a Skrull, we will rewind from when they got on that team, or from before they got on that team, so when they are infiltrated, how they became who they became and the effects of their actions from their 'point of view' is shown." The Marvel website featured two online-exclusive e-comics for the event, titled ''Secret Invasion Prologue'' (a seven-page comic that reveals the replacement of a previously unknown Skrull agent) and ''Secret Invasion: Home Invasion'' (a MySpace video blog featuring a young teenager named Kinsey Walden and her fears regarding her brother's strange behavior), supported by comic pages by writer Ivan Brandon and artist Nick Postic.

Plot

After the

Kree–Skrull War The "Kree–Skrull War" is a story arc that was written by Roy Thomas, and drawn by Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and John Buscema. The story was originally published in the Marvel Comics comic book title ''Avengers'' #89–97 (June 1971 – March 197 ...

the Earth superheroes

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace a ...

Namor Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc. ...

Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appears in '' Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ...

Professor Charles Xavier Professor X (Charles Francis Xavier) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as the founder and sometimes leader of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writ ...

and

Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...

join as a group called the

Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...

to secretly confront the

Skrulls The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated from ...

. They attack the Skrull Empire, and warn that any future invasion attempts of

would mean further reprisals; however, they are all captured and intensely studied before escaping. An eventual successor to the Skrull throne, Princess

Veranke Veranke is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She serves as the queen of the Skrull Empire. Introduced as Jessica Drew, Veranke is the main antagonist of ''Secret Invasion'', in which she leads he ...

, claims that a prophecy foretold the annihilation of the Skrull homeworld. The current Emperor, Dorrek, exiles her to a prison world for inciting religious extremism. After the destruction of the Skrull Throneworld by the cosmic entity

Galactus Galactus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Formerly a mortal man, Galactus is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of ...

, Veranke becomes Empress by lineage, and guides an invasion of Earth, armed with the knowledge of

superhumans The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...

gained from having studied the Illuminati. The Skrulls capture several superhumans and infiltrate Earth's defenses, with Veranke herself posing as heroine

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional Character (arts), characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and original version is Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Jessica Drew (later impersonated by Veranke), the second ve ...

. Veranke is inconvenienced when there is a breakout of supervillains at the Raft prison, which forces her to join the New Avengers team. After the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Elektra, the leader of the

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

group the

Hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "h ...

, is revealed to be a Skrull named Pagon after dying in battle with the New Avengers. Veranke takes the corpse to Tony Stark (who, at the time, led the pro-registration Mighty Avengers) to sow distrust among the superhero community. She joins the Mighty Avengers, claiming it will throw the Skrulls off balance. Posing as agents of spy organization

S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...

, the Skrulls attempt to mine the metal

vibranium Vibranium () is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in Wakanda, the metal is associated w ...

in the

Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books. Pu ...

and battle the New Avengers before being killed. The Illuminati battle an impostor posing as Black Bolt and two new

Super-Skrull The Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, generally as an enemy of the Fantastic Four, the powers of whom he possessed. The character, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appeared ...

s, possessing all-new powers. The Skrull invasion destabilizes the superhuman community as: # Simultaneous strikes disable the S.H.I.E.L.D.

Helicarrier The Helicarrier is a fictional flying aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as the crucial mobile command center, forward operations platform, and signature capital ship of the fictional int ...

and orbiting base The Peak. # A breakout is instigated at the supervillain holding facility the Raft. # The

Baxter Building The Baxter Building is a fictitious 35-story office building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The building is depicted in Manhattan, and its five upper floors house the Fantastic Four's headquarters. Publication hist ...

(headquarters of the

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...

) is transported to the

Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...

. # Thunderbolt Mountain (headquarters of the Thunderbolts) is attacked. Additionally, the Avengers are attacked by Skrulls posing as heroes in the

, and

Reed Richards Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace and ...

is wounded by the Skrull Criti Noll (who was posing as

Henry Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in ''Tales to ...

) seconds after determining a way to identify the shape shifters. After several battles between Earth's heroes and the Skrulls in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and the Savage Land, Mr. Fantastic manages to develop a device that can detect the aliens. Criminal kingpin the

Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of Academic dress#Hood, academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitori ...

aids the heroes, deciding "no more Earth is bad for business." Veranke regroups with her forces in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in a final battle against the combined Avengers, now aided by

Nick Fury Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury Sr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, he first appeared in ''Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos ...

and his new Commandos,

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...

, Daredevil, Ka-Zar, and super teams such as the

Young Avengers The Young Avengers are the names of two fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first team, created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, features numerous adolescent characters who typically have ...

and the Thunderbolts. Veranke is wounded by the Avenger Hawkeye. Criti Noll activates a

booby trap A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm or surprise a human or another animal. It is triggered by the presence or actions of the victim and sometimes has some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. The trap m ...

placed on the heroine

Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

, although the blast is contained by Thor at the cost of her life. Veranke is then shot and killed by

Norman Osborn Norman Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first ...

(using a weapon he created with intelligence stolen from

Deadpool Deadpool is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (cover-dated Feb. 1991). Initially, Deadp ...

). The last remnants of the Skrull armada are destroyed, with Iron Man locating the missing heroes. S.H.I.E.L.D. is dissolved by executive order of the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

while a last Skrull (posing as the Avengers' butler

Edwin Jarvis Edwin Jarvis is a supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles ''Iron Man'' and ''Avengers (comics), The Avengers''. He is the loyal household butler of the Stark family. Since the 1990s, the character has appeared heavily in media adaptations ...

) flees with the child of hero

Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appeared in ''Alias'' #1 (November 2001) ...

and

Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...

. This Skrull is killed by Bullseye shortly after returning the child. Norman Osborn is placed in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D's replacement,

H.A.M.M.E.R. H.A.M.M.E.R. is a fictional espionage and law enforcement agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The organisation is led by Norman Osborn and was formed in ''Secret Invasion'' #8 to replace S.H.I.E.L.D. The organisat ...

, and forms a secret group consisting of himself,

Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (Jan. 1980), and was created by writer ...

Doctor Doom Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the fi ...

The Hood The Hood (Parker Robbins) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan, and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character was introduced in his own self-titled limited s ...

and

Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...

which commences the " Dark Reign" storyline.

Characters

The Mighty Avengers ''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of '' New Avengers'', the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered ...

(Veranke) * Black Widow *

Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...

* Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) *

Sentry Sentry or The Sentry may refer to: Comics *Sentry (Kree) *Sentry (Curtis Elkins) *Sentry (Robert Reynolds) *Senator Ward (comics) or Sentry Vehicles *Sentry (AUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle used to measure deep-ocean data * E-3 Sentry AWAC ...

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The c ...

The New Avengers *

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...

* Iron Fist *

Ronin (Clint Barton) Ronin is an alias used by multiple characters in the . It was first adopted by Maya Lopez in '' The New Avengers'' #11 (November 2005) by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada. Following this, the Ronin mantle has been taken up by characters s ...

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the list ...

Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

Invisible Woman The Invisible Woman (Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four and was the first female superhero created by Marvel during ...

* Dard'van **

Yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...

(Citri Noll) **

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

Dum Dum Dugan Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most experienced members of Nick Fury's team, known for his mark ...

Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) Captain Marvel (Kree name Mar-Vell, Earth alias Walter Lawson) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and fir ...

** Elektra ** White Queen (Skrull) ** Beast **

Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...

** Hawkeye (Skrull) **

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

** Jewel (Skrull) **

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...

Mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the family Mimidae. They are best known for the habit of some species mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly and in rapid succession. ...

Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally conceived as a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, most of the bearers of the Ms. M ...

Additionally, several variants of the

appear, utilizing the powers of

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...

, Captain America, Iron Man,

Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...

, Electro,

Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charact ...

and the

, among others. Also, several Skrulls are seen impersonating such pop culture figures as

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...

, and

Eric Cartman Eric Theodore Cartman, commonly referred to by his surname Cartman, is a fictional character in the adult animated sitcom '' South Park'', created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. He is voiced by Parker, and is one of the series' four main chara ...

from ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...

''.

Cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, serving the same purpose as an overcoat, protecting the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. Cloaks have been and a ...

Noh-Varr Thunderbolts *

* Swordsman (comics), Swordsman (Andreas von Strucker) * Songbird (comics), Songbird * Karla Sofen, Moonstone (Karla Sofen) * Venom (Mac Gargan) * Bullseye (character), Bullseye * Robbie Baldwin (as Penance) Bucky Barnes, Captain America (Bucky Barnes)

Franklin Richards (comics), Franklin Richards Valeria Richards

* Patriot (comics), Patriot * Wiccan (character), Wiccan * Hulkling * Speed (comics), Speed * Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) *

Fifty State Initiative, The Initiative * Diamondback (Rachel Leighton) * Cassandra Lang, Stature * Gauntlet (Joseph Green), Gauntlet (Joseph Green) * Prodigy (David Alleyne), Prodigy (David Alleyne) * Taskmaster (comics), Taskmaster * Proton (comics), Proton * Crusader (Marvel Comics), Crusader (Z'Reg) * Batwing (Marvel Comics), Batwing * Gorilla Girl * Red 9 * Geiger (comics), Geiger * Melee (comics), Melee * Sunstreak * Annex (comics), Annex Secret Warriors (Team White), Secret Warriors *

* Slingshot (comics), Slingshot * Daisy Johnson, Quake (Daisy Johnson) * Phobos (Marvel Comics), Phobos * Hellfire (J. T. Slade), Hellfire (J.T. Slade) * Stonewall (comics), Stonewall * Druid (comics), Druid (Sebastian Druid) Skrull Kill Krew * Ryder (comics), Ryder * Delroy Garrett, 3-D Man II * Riot (comics), Riot * Catwalk * Dice * Moonstomp The Hood's Criminal Syndicate *

* John King (comics), John King * Wizard (Marvel Comics), Wizard * Wrecking Crew (comics), Wrecking Crew (Marvel Comics) * Madame Masque * Blood Brothers (comics), Blood Brother * Crossfire (comics), Crossfire * Blackout (Marcus Daniels), Blackout (Marcus Daniels) * Griffin (comics), Griffin * Chemistro * Answer (comics), Answer (Aaron Nicholson) * Brothers Grimm * Bushwhacker (comics), Bushwhacker * Shockwave (comics), Shockwave * Scarecrow (comics), Scarecrow * Cutthroat (comics), Cutthroat * Corruptor * Masked Marauder * Scorcher (comics), Scorcher Howard the Duck X-Men * Pixie (comics), Pixie * Nightcrawler (comics), Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) * Cyclops (Marvel Comics), Cyclops * Beast Medusa (comics), Medusa Black Panther (character), Black Panther Sabra (comics), Sabra (Ruth Bat-Seraph) Uatu the Watcher Daredevil

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Cabal (Marvel Comics), Cabal * Norman Osborn * Hood *

* Loki (Marvel Comics), Lady Loki *

Reception

According to Comic Book Roundup, the core series has an average score of 6.9 out of 10, based off 79 critic reviews. Issue #1 was not very well received despite critics noting its "strong introduction to the story, good pacing, and "slick" art style",Review of ''Secret Invasion'' #1
, Comics BulletinReview of ''Secret Invasion'' #1
Comic Book Resources although some concerns were raised over Bendis' dialogue. Sales estimates suggested that around 250,200 copies were sold, more than twice as much as the second highest seller.Sales Estimates for April, 2008 Books
Comic Book Resources, May 20, 2008 The ''Secret Invasion: The Infiltration'' collected volume also topped the trade paperback chart, with an estimated 7,247 sales. The second issue kept the top slot, with estimated sales dropping to 200,344.

Tie-in issues

''Secret Invasion: The Infiltration''

The following issues were released with ''The Infiltration'' banner prior to the launch of the ''Secret Invasion'' series: * ''Avengers: The Initiative Annual'' #1 * ''Captain Marvel (Khn'nr), Captain Marvel'' vol. 6, #4-5 * ''

'' #7 * ''

'' vol. 2, #25-27 * ''New Avengers (comics), The New Avengers'' #38-39 * ''New Avengers (comics), The New Avengers: Illuminati'' #5 * ''Franklin Richards Not-So-Secret Invasion'' * ''Marvel Spotlight Secret Invasion'' * ''Secret Invasion Saga'' * ''Secret Invasion Home Invasion''

''Secret Invasion''

The following issues tie-in to the ''Secret Invasion'' mini-series: * ''Avengers: The Initiative'' #14-19 * ''Black Panther (comics), Black Panther'' vol. 4, #39-41 * ''Captain Britain and MI: 13'' #1-4 * ''

'' (Vol. 4) #1-3 * ''Guardians of the Galaxy (2008 team), Guardians of the Galaxy'' vol. 2, #4-6 * ''Hercules (Marvel Comics), Incredible Hercules'' #116-120 * ''Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #33-35 * ''Marvel Spotlight: Secret Invasion Saga'' #1 * ''

'' #12-20 * ''

'' vol. 2, #28-30 * '' New Avengers'' #40-47 * ''New Warriors'' vol. 4, #14-15 * ''Nova (Richard Rider), Nova'' vol. 4, #16-18 * ''Punisher War Journal'' #24-25 * ''Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man'' #1-3 * ''Secret Invasion: Aftermath Beta Ray Bill: The Green of Eden'' (One-Shot) * ''Secret Invasion: Dark Reign'' (One-Shot) * ''Secret Invasion:

'' #1-3 * ''Secret Invasion: Front Line'' #1-5 * ''Secret Invasion: Inhumans'' #1-4 * ''Secret Invasion: Requiem'' #1 * ''Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers'' #1-3 * ''Secret Invasion:

'' #1-3 * ''Secret Invasion: War Of Kings (One-Shot) * ''Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?'' (One-shot (comics), one-shot) * ''Secret Invasion: X-Men'' #1-4 * ''She-Hulk'' vol. 2, #31-33 * ''Skrulls!'' (one-shot) * '' Thunderbolts'' #122-125 * ''X-Factor Investigations, X-Factor'' vol. 3, #33-34

Collected editions

The stories are collected in trade paperback (comics), volumes:

Sequels

From November 2022 forward, Marvel released a new Secret Invasion title composed of five issue miniseries that serves as a spiritual sequel to the original event and sees new hints from the Skrulls to invade again Earth that will force Maria Hill to put out an alert in the intelligence community to prove that they are ready for another Skrull invasion. After dealing with the various Nick Fury imposters, she alerts the Avengers and assures them that it is unlikely that they have been infiltrated, unfortunately she is wrong. While the world's most clandestine forces move in silence to quell the situation before it gets out of hand, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been left wondering who among them might be an alien infiltrator. Thankfully, Maria Hill is quick to move on to the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes for immediate blood testing. Though her methods are certainly intrusive, to say the least, the Avengers all acquiesce to her demands for a blood sample. This leads to Black Widow being uncovered as a Skrull, which when coupled with the lack of any other failed tests, is enough to calm the rest of the heroes' nerves for the time being. And, in the case of Tony Stark, it is enough to assure him that his fellow Skrulls' plans are going exactly as intended. Upon returning to his lab, Stark is met by another version of himself while revealing the blood bag taped to his arm which he used to pass Hill's test. This is more than enough to make it perfectly clear that Stark has been replaced without anyone else realizing it. It also sets the stage for the latest Skrull invasion to do untold amounts of damage before anyone can stop him, assuming no one figures out the truth anytime soon.

Other versions

Earth-3290

In this reality, Earth surrendered to the Skrulls.

What If?

An issue of ''What If (comics), What If'' revolves around the Secret Invasion with two stories. The first story asks what would happen if the Skrulls won the Secret Invasion and solved mankind's challenges such as freedom. Here, the Skrulls are celebrating their anniversary of taking over

. Some humans have been converted into Skrulls. The Avengers (comics), Avengers Alliance of Freedom (led by

II and consisting of Black Panther (comics), Black Panther, Blue Marvel,

, a heavily alcoholic

, Khn'nr, Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel, Night Thrasher II,

II, Storm (Marvel Comics), Storm,

, Thor (comics), Thor, and

) are considered terrorists to the rest of the world. The Skrull's broadcast is interrupted by a pirate footage of Captain America stating that Earth is really under occupation. Queen Veranke's consort

tells her that it would be best to crush the Avengers Alliance of Freedom in Wakanda where they are currently hiding. Wolverine has brought one last remaining sample of the modified Legacy Virus to use against the Skrulls.

appears before the United Nations and gets approval to invade Wakanda and take down the Avengers Alliance of Freedom. As soon as the virus is ready, the Skrull forces attack Wakanda. The Avengers leap into action to repel them. When the cannon meant to release the vaccine is destroyed, Thor uses his powers to spread it across the globe. But instead of doing what was expected, every Skrull and converted humans perishes. The culprit is in fact Norman Osborn. He explains that this was all an elaborate ruse to get what he wants. Due to Iron Man's alcoholism, Spider-Man helped him infiltrate Wakanda to help them but he did not expect that Norman Osborn would cross the line. Osborn admits that he did create a cure for the virus, so that he could survive and get back at the Skrulls for using him. Enraged, Captain America beheads Osborn with his shield. The Avengers surrender to the UN forces sent to arrest them. Meanwhile, far up on the Moon, Uatu the Watcher can only lament how this alternate Earth turned out. The second story asks what would happen if the Secret Invasion remained secret. Norman Osborn is shown wondering what would happen if he was in charge of national security. Already on this Earth, Captain America has been pardoned for his role in the

and is seen shaking hands with the Red Skull. Hours later, Norman Osborn and the Thunderbolts are dispatched to investigate a situation in the

. They infiltrate a mysterious structure full of duplicates of superhumans. The Thunderbolts attempt to fight through, only for them all to be massacred and Osborn captured. He is brought before Veranke/Spider-Woman. She tells him a little story about how a priest stood up to her and told her that she would die by the hands of Norman Osborn himself. Therefore, the Skrulls had to integrate themselves into human society and eventually fade away. She claims that the prophet became Osborn himself. Though Norman Osborn tries to deny it, Veranke insists that he is and asks that he kiss her true face. Instead, Norman Osborn commits suicide, and reverts him to his Skrull form.

In other media

Television

* The plot of the ''Secret Invasion'' storyline was adapted in the animated series ''The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes''. A newspaper seen at the beginning of the episode "Masters of Evil" includes a headline for a

tenant's recollections of becoming replaced by an alien. Also, in the episode "The Kang Dynasty", Kang the Conqueror references both ''

'' and ''Secret Invasion'' by saying: "Captain America's betrayal is just the beginning... The worst is yet to come." Later, towards the end of episode "Widow's Sting", the captured Madame Hydra is revealed to be a Skrull in disguise. At the end of the episode "A Day Unlike Any Other", after the Avengers return from their battle with

is attacked and replaced by a Skrull who goes on to say "The infiltration has begun" as the Skrull takes Captain America's place. In the season two premiere episode, "The Private War of Doctor Doom",

of the

was also revealed to be a Skrull. However, as of "Welcome to the Kree Empire", only

and

seem aware of the infiltration. In "Who Do You Trust?", it is shown that Veranke is posing as

(mirroring Veranke impersonating

in the original comic). In the episode "Infiltration", the Skrull Invasion begins and Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel is tricked by Skrull Avengers to help attack Wakanda and the Black Panther (comics), Black Panther but the Skrull Avengers are later defeated when Hawkeye and Wasp (comics), the Wasp show up. Veranke also installs a virus in Iron Man's armor. In the episode "Secret Invasion", Nick Fury and Maria Hill save

, Captain America returns to Earth (along with the real heroes and villains who had been revealed to be replaced before), and the Avengers defeat the Super-Skrulls and Thor destroys their backup plan to wipe out humanity. The invasion is thwarted and the Skrulls are put in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. * In December 2020, a

''Secret Invasion (TV series), Secret Invasion'' television show based on the limited comic series was announced as part of the

(MCU). It will star Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos the Untamed, Talos, both reprising their roles from the MCU films and Kingsley Ben-Adir as the series villain while Olivia Colman, Emilia Clarke, Killian Scott, Christopher McDonald and Carmen Ejogo were cast in undisclosed roles.

Video games

* Ubisoft and Marvel Entertainment stated ''Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth'' was influenced by the Secret Invasion. * Secret Invasion is used as the basis for Chapter 10 in the plot of the game ''Marvel Heroes (video game), Marvel Heroes''.

Merchandising

* Marvel HeroClix released a "Secret Invasion"-themed set based on the storyline. The set included Captain Marvel, Dum-Dum Dugan, Yellowjacket, Elektra, Ms. Marvel, Jarvis, and many more. Veranke (as Spider-Woman) and Lyja (as the

) were released as chase figures in their Skrull-only personality.

References

External links

Marvel.com - ''Secret Invasion: Skrull Revelations''
* *
''Secret Invasion: First Strike''
Newsarama
WizardUniverse.com - ''Secret Invasion'' #1 Director’s Commentary

GammaPoweredRadio.com - The entire Marvel: ''Secret Invasion'' Panel from the NYC Comic-Con 2008
{{Brian Michael Bendis Alien invasions in comics Comics by Brian Michael Bendis Comics set in New York City Green Goblin War comics Comics adapted into television series