AS SOME MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE, IT IS APPARENT THAT SOME ALLEGED SPOILERS ABOUT SECRET INVASION #1 HAVE LEAKED ONTO THE 'NET DURING THE PAST DAYS. AT THE MOMENT, WE CANNOT BE AWARE IF THESE SPOILERS ARE INDEED GENUINE, SO FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL MEMBERS AND GUESTS WHO MAY BROWSE THIS THREAD AND PARTICIPATE IN ITS DAY TO DAY DISCUSSIONS, WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING THEM (EVEN IN HIDDEN OR SPOILER TAGS) AT LEAST UNTIL THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE SERIES IS OUT. THANK YOU AND ON TO THE SHOW.

Now that Secret Invasion has been formally announced by Marvel, and with the confirmation that hints and clues for it have been sprinkled throughout a number of books during the past three years, I thought it'd be a good idea to have a thread where we could discuss anything Skrully we might have spotted in some of our books, a sort of compilation of any hints and clues that Bendis, Brevoort and others at Marvel might have thrown out there from 2004 to the present.

To get the ball rolling, so to speak, I decided to take a look at some older books last night, namely, Secret War #5 (which contains the conversation between Hill and the President, which Bendis has said contains clues about Secret Invasion), New Avengers #1-6 and #11-13. I've also decided to transcript any events and conversations that might at first glance seem completely innocent, or just plain weird, but that, knowing what we know now, could perhaps yield some hints as to what exactly will be happening in Secret Invasion.

First up, is the conversation between Hill and the President, which can be found here in its entirety:

SHIELD DOCUMENT 9996369-31231 USPRSDNT
AGENT DATABASE >> AGENT SCREENINGS >> WHITE HOUSE TRANSCRIPT
SECRET CODE: WHITE
SHIELD Presidential Briefing
Subject: SHIELD Director Maria Hill. First meeting with President
Recording date: 4/15/2007
Place: White House Situation Room - West Wing

SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Mister President.
PRESIDENT: Ms. Hill. It is a pleasure to meet you. Finally.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Thank you, sir. Will the secretary be joining us?
PRESIDENT: No. No, I wanted to talk to you man-to-man, as it were.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: Feeling a bit out of your skin lately?
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir. You could say that, sir.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: My first three months in office were like a fever dream.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: I'm here to help you help the world. Whatever you need, whatever's on your mind.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: OK, um...why me sir? Why was I chosen to run SHIELD? There's - as far as I can see - and this isn't humility - there's a dozen people in line to succeed Fury. I have no idea how my name even came into--
PRESIDENT: Those people were Fury loyalists. And I've had enough of that in my lifetime.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: You did a great job in Madripoor. It's a crap detail and you did a great job. We've had our eye on you for a couple of years now.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT: I know a year ago you were courted.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: We thought that Fury was going to go then, but he held on. Bastard always found a way to hold on.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir. Why was that, sir? Why after the situation in Latveria was Fury allowed to continue on?
PRESIDENT: Well, this is it - see, he created a situation that - if we were to let him go or court-martial him, or whatever the thing they call it when we oust one of you guys, that the whole thing would have gone public. So we either had to back him and cover it, or we had to publicly admit that we lost all control of things. It's a tough choice, it makes for sleepless nights. But y'see what I mean? Fury's little tantrum. We couldn't answer the public the hows and the whys. We just couldn't. It's too technical. It was better to sit him back behind his desk and turn the spin machine on. Thankfully most of the world doesn't rightly care what's happening down the street, let alone half the world away in some tiny backwards thingamadoo. Think he kind of knew that - Fury. Which really twists my twister.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: See, I thought that it was just a misunderstanding that--
PRESIDENT: Let's skip all that now. Let's talk about you. This appointment is a serious one. Doesn't get much more serious. One that the UN and world leaders take very seriously. You're serving the world peace now, Director. The world's safety is actually in your hands.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: I'll do everything in my power to--
PRESIDENT: But you're also an American.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: Where are you from, Director?
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Chicago.
PRESIDENT: Chicago!! American through and through.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: I was hoping, Director, though you'll clearly need to keep the world's safety as your primary concern, that being an American citizen, you and I could have a robust relationship.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir. I would like that, sir.
PRESIDENT: Honesty and forthrightness.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: Good, good, I knew I backed the right horse here. Good for you. So, anything you need to discuss here? Anything I can do to help make the transition--
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Well, sir. Yes, actually.
PRESIDENT: Shoot.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Fury's secret war.
PRESIDENT: Nnff. Anything else?
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Sir, why did he do it?
PRESIDENT: I don't know.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: May I ask why you were reluctant to move on the intel he presented you? I'm not pointing fingers. I'm just trying to understand my job.
PRESIDENT: We were going to use the information to put Lucia in her place. We were going to blackmail her with it. You see, that region, for as long as the world has turned, has been oppressed by people like that Victor Von Doom. We finally got his arrogant ass out of there, and it's insane to expect total peace and cooperation. They hate us there. It's in their blood. Give them money to rebuild and they only resent you more. Von Bardas was someone we felt we could ultimately control - or at least overpower. Fury jumped the gun. Was he right or wrong? Can't say. But he's a military man and he broke rank. He broke the law to serve who? Eh. I half-wish Doom was back in there. Him I could deal with. At least you knew where he stood. Now we gotta - or I should say you gotta -find out who knew von Bardas was still alive and clean up the loose ends, the money trail. These idiots in costumes...
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir. Fury thought that--
PRESIDENT: I know what Fury thought. You know what I think? I think Fury's old and tired. And--and all that juice he's been taking to keep himself alive so long, I think it's made him goofy.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir. But Fury is--
PRESIDENT: Missing. Yes, I know.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: How important is it to you that we find him?
PRESIDENT: I'm not going to answer that question, Director. That's your call. But I think - we all think - Fury's gonna stay lost for as long as he wants to stay lost. He kinda, from what I understand, wrote the book on it.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: I tell ya - I more than hope we find him in a bathtub with a face full of bullets and pills. Hope he puts himself out of our misery. As far as this Latverian situation, don't forget, it's one of twelve I have to deal with every day. You understand? There's a bigger picture. There's larger considerations. You figure that out fast, will you do that for me?
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Um, I think so.
PRESIDENT: Good, I'm glad we had this talk. One more thing...
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir?
PRESIDENT: The costumes.
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: The superheroes?
PRESIDENT: I don't like them. Never have, never will. I was half willing to let all this secret war crap out in the open just to bury a few of them. My point is that the less I hear your name and the word "costume" in the same sentence...the happier I'll be. And I speak for the rest of my peers. You get me?
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT: Good girl.
(End transcript)-code fghsth-4534gev
While I can't say I can find anything weird or Skrully about the conversation at first glance, I thought maybe some of you guys might point out some things that I'm missing, and you could benefit from having the conversation transcript readily available.

Moving on, we've also got New Avengers #1-6. Bendis has said that these issues contain some more clues in regards to Secret Invasion. I read the issues, and while I can't say I find anything odd about the first four (other than, perhaps, the person who hired Electro in the first issue, who was completely cloaked in shadow but was more than likely just a regular Savage Land mutate) there are a couple of things that jump out about the following two, namely, these little instances of dialogue:

After the New Avengers are captured by the Savage Land mutates, they find themselves bound (and naked) and facing the leader of the mutates, who is accompanied by Karl Lykos (Sauron). The following exchanges take place:

Captain America: I want to speak to Karl Lykos.
Karl Lykos: Okay. Speak.
Cap: Surrender.
Lykos: Probably not going to do that. So what brings such a motley gang of costumes here to find me?
Cap: Forty-four dangerous criminals, major threats, your fellow inmates, escaped from prison to cover your getaway. SHIELD agents with families lost their lives. Because of you, more innocent people's lives are in danger. And every death is on your head. We're here to avenge them.
Lykos: Forty-four? Well...I didn't know that.
Savage Land Mutate: It's the surface world. I personally don't care for it. They certainly don't care about us...
Lykos: Well, you had to know they were going to come after us for it.
Mutate: Actually, we were told no one would. That was the deal. Seems we were lied to. Again.
Lykos: This is bad.
Mutate: What are they going to do to us that they haven't already done? Rape our land? Enslave you?
Cap: Surrender now!
Lykos: And then what? Who would you be handing me to? Did you even bother to find out why they locked me up in the first place? Do you even know who I am? Do you know my other self - Sauron? Do you know how they forced Sauron to work for them? Because I really think you don't, Captain. Do you even know what Weapon X is? Do you know? Logan, you know. Tell the flag waver what his government does with mutants behind his back. How they send us on missions to murder other mutants who might end up being trouble. And the minute you say no to them - they lock you away.
Wolverine: Wah, wah. Boo hoo.
Lykos: This from you. Kill them now. Kill them and dump their bodies in the other territories. Anyone finds out you held Captain America and Tony Stark like this - there's not enough vibranium in the world that'll buy you out of it.
Mutate: Karl, listen, there's an opportunity here for--
Lykos: No. No experiments. Kill them. Kill them right now. You're just giving SHIELD excuses to wipe out everything you all have built here. You have no plan for this.
Mutate: We have the technology to turn them into mutates and--and we can send them to attack the surface world. It'll send a message.
Lykos: Not really.
Mutate: Karl, you're coming off rather ungrateful. We've gone through great lengths to get you back here.
Anyway, after the New Avengers free themselves, a horde of mutates comes to attack them, but right before they do, the following exchange takes place:

Spider-Man: What was all that about the vibranium and them thinking they could do this without getting in trouble?
Cap: Well, now we know why our friends at SHIELD didn't want our help with this.
Spider-Woman: Come on, you're just going to believe those wackos?
Luke Cage: I hold to a simple philosophy: just assume everyone's a piece of crap and be pleasantly surprised if you find anyone who ain't.
Spider-Woman: Hey, SHIELD doesn't make deals with foreign countries. SHIELD doesn't trade the lives of SHIELD agents in exchange for vibranium. It just doesn't happen. We're a peacekeeping task force. Something like this would be the opposite of peacekeeping. And even if SHIELD did do things like this...the Savage Land is off-limits to all countries. It's a no-zone.
After that, the New Avengers fight the mutates, and Lykos turns into Sauron. He uses his hypnotic powers on the Avengers and says:

I was brought here for a reason!!! I was brought here for--
Before being shot down by the blond Black Widow, who has a bunch of SHIELD agents behind her. She then says:

Black Widow: Guys, I want this entire structure cleared and cleaned in ten minutes. No survivors.
SHIELD agent: Come on, Agent Belova, that's--that's Captain America and--
Black Widow: I don't care if it's Ronald McDonald...no witnesses means no witnesses.
Now, moving on to New Avengers #6, the Avengers fight the Black Widow and the SHIELD agents. Iron Man activates a magnetic power that takes away the agents' weapons, and they get scared and run away. Luke Cage holds the Black Widow while Spider-Woman interrogates her. After Spider-Woman repeatedly asks the Black Widow who she is working for, the Widow replies: "I work for the same people you work for!!" Before the Avengers can press the issue further, Sauron revives and breathes fire on the Widow, who runs away. The Avengers beat Sauron up, and then Iron Man starts receiving some strange readings from a certain direction in the Savage Land.

The Avengers go to investigate, and stumble upon a terrible scene. SHIELD agents forcing people from the Savage Land into labor, mining, loading stuff into trucks, and the like. The following exchange takes place:

Spider-Woman: Oh my God...
Spider-Man: What are they--
Spider-Woman: Vibranium is what they use to make super-powered weapons. Internationally condemned weapons.
Wolverine: And those people, they--
Spider-Woman: Yeah, they're enslaving indigenous people of the Savage Land to mine foreign soil to stockpile reserves of vibranium! I'm right, Cap, right? Is that what this is? They're illegally stockpiling banned weapons materials? Is that what we're looking at?
Luke Cage: This is our government doing this?!!!
Spider-Woman: SHIELD is a world-order, peacekeeping task force. It's for no country and every country.
Luke: Then why would a world orde--?
Spider-Woman: I don't know.
Luke: Who ordered this?
Spider-Woman: I don't know.
Luke: What are we going to do about it?
Captain America: We stop them.
The Avengers start running towards the mess, but before they can do anything about it, the entire thing is destroyed by weapons from the SHIELD helicarrier, floating overhead. The Avengers are picked up by SHIELD, and Cap screams in María Hill's face for killing all the SHIELD agents and Savage Land people that were working on the ground. María Hill explains that SHIELD did an investigation:

María Hill: All roads led SHIELD to this covert faction of our organization poaching vibranium off of foreign soil. This was an act of war!! Immediate retaliation was ordered! What do you think the vibranium was going to be used for? Or sold to?
Spider-Man: You killed innocent--
Hill: It was the appropriate response.
Iron Man: Who was behind this "act of war"?
Hill: We're still investigating.
Luke: Yeah, that investigation should work well, with you having killed everyone involved.
After that, the Avengers gather around to discuss what happened:

Luke: What a load of--
Iron Man: We need to talk fast. There's more to this.
Spider-Man: More??
Iron Man: While we've been running around, I've had my computer systems analyzing all the data from the Raft's files. The prison. The files SHIELD gave us access to...were tampered with. Incomplete. So I plugged what they gave me into Avengers Mansion's old databases. Which obviously they don't know are still up and running...
Cap: And?
Iron Man: As far as I can tell, at least 14 of those prisoners supposedly died years ago. They are legally dead. Yet there they were, locked away in a SHIELD facility prison.
Spider-Woman: Oh no...
Spider-Man: What does that mean?
Iron Man: It means that on top of secretly stockpiling other countries' super-powered weapon reserves before we caught them in the act...
Spider-Woman: Someone in SHIELD is stockpiling powered criminals.
Spider-Man: Who? Exactly who are we talking about?
Cap: We don't know yet.
Spider-Woman: This is bad, Cap. This is so bad.
Luke: Then who do we trust with this information? Should we go to the press?
Spider-Woman: If we do something like that, the real bad guys in this, whoever they are...they retreat. They disappear.
Luke: So what? We need to stop this right now. No games. Right now.
Spider-Woman: That won't stop them.
Luke: They already know we know something.
Cap: You're right.
Iron Man: They know we're the enemy now.
Cap: That's the thing. They know who we are, we don't know who they are. This--this is more than you bargained for, Avengers...I'm sorry. If you want out, knowing this--if you want out, I totally understand.

So...there you have it. All things that seem fishy and/or Skrully about New Avengers #5-6 and the transcript from Secret War #5. Later on I'll also take another look at New Avengers #11-13, see what stands out there. What I'm hoping is, maybe this stuff will help us in all our discussions and theorizing about Secret Invasion. I'm hoping we can use this thread to maybe compile all info and stuff that might seem weird or Skrully after a second glance. This is just a skeleton structure of what this thread can be, I'm hoping we can make more of it.

So thoughts? Opinions? Anything to say about the things that happened in New Avengers, or the Secret War transcript?

EDIT: And now, more New Avengers silliness. Today I'm taking a look at New Avengers #11-13, the Hand/HYDRA storyline. Relevant bits of conversation transcripted:

First, we have a meeting between the Silver Samurai, the Hand and Madame Hydra. As it turns out, the Samurai had been wrongfully imprisoned at the Raft by SHIELD, and the people in charge of the Hand took advantage of the breakout situation to sneak him out of the country. It is Matt Murdock's theory that the Hand is looking to take control of the Japanese underworld, which is in disarray and without a clear leader right now, and they plan to use the Silver Samurai (at least as a figurehead), who has a great reputation and following within the Japanese mobs, to establish their presence as a major player within the Japanese criminal element.

The Samurai is surprised that he's been sneaked out of the country. He didn't expect it. Whilst the Hand is having a ceremony in which they hand the Samurai his costume and weapons, Madame Hydra arrives. The following exchanges take place:

(Words written between <> means the characters are speaking Japanese)

Silver Samurai: <Why were you looking for me? I don't understand.>
Viper: Well, that's because you don't understand how the new world works. SHIELD has fallen apart. It's rotten from the inside. I tell you - as much as I wanted Nick Fury's blood on my hands as he gurgled his last breath...you have to admire the fact that he kept SHIELD together by sheer force of will. Without him...rotten.
Samurai: Madame Hydra.
Viper: That's how you, the Silver Samurai, can be pulled off a private plane and detained without anyone knowing what happened. They're rotten. And HYDRA, my HYDRA, is even worse off. "Cut off one of our heads and two more will grow in its place". Well, it seems that lately that means one head goes this way and the other head goes that way. It sickens me on a profound level. My entire life dedicated to an ideal that is being twisted into itself by selfish amateurs. Now HYDRA has become a group without meaning or purpose. Not being able to adapt itself to the future. That's why I am so very glad to see you again, Kenny.
Viper kisses Harada, who then pushes her away.

Viper: Don't be that way, Ken.
Samurai: I have no idea what is going on here or what you people want from me.
Viper: I know.
Hand ninja: <Sir, my pardons.>
Hand guy: <What is it?>
Ninja: <There's an intruder in the east wing.>
Guy: <Well...take care of it. Bring him here.>
Silver Samurai: <They followed me here from the States.>
The intruder is of course Ronin, aka Maya López, who was spying on the ceremony but was spotted by the Hand. She tries to escape, and is chased by the Hand ninjas across the city. Eventually she makes it into Tony Stark's penthouse in Japan, where the New Avengers are gathered. Ronin informs the Avengers about the ceremony, and then a horde of ninjas arrive. They begin fighting.

Meanwhile, the ceremony continues:

Silver Samurai: Why was I arrested?
Hand guy: You were not arrested.
Viper: You were kidnapped.
Guy: Held against your will.
Samurai: Why?
Guy: My guess is SHIELD was going to figure out a way to use you...and if they couldn't, they were going to kill you.
Samurai: Why me?
Viper: Because anyone trying to use the mighty SHIELD to power broker anything in this world...should be, and obviously was, terrified something just like this conversation taking place. Right here. Your name and your name alone controls the entire Japanese underworld...the only thing stopping you from running it is your willingness to. And I'm telling you, from a base the size of the House of Yashida - from your strong arm over this country - we can build a power base against them. The Hand is the fist - you are the arm--
Samurai: And you're the brain?
Viper: We all are.
Samurai: Who? Who would we be "powering up" to fight?
Viper: HYDRA and SHIELD. More to the point, the people who are really running it.
Samurai: And who is that?
Viper: I'll tell you once I know I can trust you again. You're not exactly oozing trustworthiness here.
Samurai: Because I know that look, Viper. That's the look you make when you play your games.
Viper: It's the face I make when I know I'm right. We're here to save you. The system we were fighting against - SHIELD - and the system we were using to fight against it - HYDRA - are rotting. A new worldwide corporate power struggle for this generation is going to form in its place. And I'm saying you need to reevaluate your place in this world. Because either you step up or they're going to assassinate you. You have to make a life decision here, Kenny.
After that, the conversation is interrupted by a Hand ninja, who informs everyone that the ninjas are chasing Ronin and fighting the Avengers. Viper and the Hand guy order the ninjas to stand down. The ninjas fighting the Avengers leave, and Spider-Woman goes after them. She finds Madame Hydra all by herself in Castle Yashida, and they talk about how HYDRA owns Jessica and all that. The Avengers arrive, and Viper orders Jessica to zap her with her venom blast thingy, and to let her go when she tells her. The Avengers catch up to Jessica, and she makes up excuses for why she left and all that. Then the Silver Samurai and a bunch of Hand ninjas appear out of nowhere.

The Hand is eager to attack the Avengers, but the Samurai doesn't want to. After the Hand guy presses the issue, Harada kills him and a bunch of ninjas. Before everyone can begin fighting again, Iron Man takes out all the ninjas with a repulsor blast. Then Harada and the Avengers start talking about how he was kidnapped by SHIELD:

Captain America: We came here to find out what you were going to do. What had happened--
Silver Samurai: That--I guess that all depends on why I was kidnapped by your government.
Cap: You were not kidnapped by the United States government. There is something wrong with SHIELD, and we're trying to piece it together quickly. It would be a huge help if you told us exactly what happened to you.
Samurai: A month ago, I went to sleep in my private plane and woke up in a dark cell in the Raft prison. I didn't even know I was in New York until the prison riot. I got the hell out of there, only to be instantly picked up by members of the Hand, who told me they were Japanese Secret Service for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, escorting me out of the country. I was brought here, to my ancestral home...so the Hand and HYDRA could take turns rubbing my back - telling me how this is where it will all start for them in this new world power structure. And now here you all are. Hi, Jessica.
Spider-Woman: HYDRA and the Hand together?
Samurai: Madame Hydra there said SHIELD is rotten and so is HYDRA. Is she right?
Spider-Woman: Like the man said, we're still putting it together.
That's the extent of any conversations that might seem a little fishy, or Skrully, in New Avengers #11-13. The Skrulls have apparently taken control of both SHIELD and HYDRA, for whatever reason, and it seems it was them who told the Savage Land mutates to get Sauron out of prison. It's all a matter of why, though. This is what's most glaring right now, I think.

EDIT: The Secret Invasion begins! Preview solicits for April!

SECRET INVASION #1 (of 8)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by GABRIELE DELL'OTTO
Variant cover by STEVE MCNIVEN

SECRET INVASION IS HERE!! Years in the making, months in the teasing...and it all STARTS HERE!!

The shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls has secretly infiltrated every super-powered organization on Earth with one goal...full-scale invasion! In this DOUBLE-SIZED first issue, page after page unveils reveal after reveal and shocking moment after shocking moment! Brian Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu leap off the pages of mega-hit New Avengers and deliver a story that will change the Marvel Universe forever.
THE MARVEL UNIVERSE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!!
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Blank Cover CONVENTION Variant also available!

MIGHTY AVENGERS #12
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by ALEX MALEEV
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!

The Eisner-award-winning team of Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev (NEW AVENGERS ILLUMINATI, HALO: UPRISING) reunite to answer the question that has been on every comic fan's mind for years...WHERE THE HELL HAS NICK FURY BEEN?? Rewinding the clock to Fury's time in SECRET WAR, follow Fury as he puts together the pieces of his life and starts finding clues to a Secret Invasion that makes him TARGET NUMBER ONE. A major Skrull reveal happens in these pages!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

NEW AVENGERS #40
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by JIM CHEUNG
Cover by ALEKSI BRICLOT

SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!

Very special guest artist Jimmy Cheung returns to the pages of New Avengers for this very important tie-in issue. Spinning right off of events in NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1, find out exactly how the Skrull empire was able to infiltrate the Marvel Universe and who instigated the invasion and why.
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

MS. MARVEL #26
Written by Brian Reed
Penciled by Adriana Melo
Cover by GREG HORN

Out–gunned and on the run! With S.H.I.E.L.D. convinced she's a Skrull impostor, Ms. Marvel must fight for her identity and her life against her very own Lightning Strike Force! But when the Strike Force has a Ms. Marvel of their own, even Carol can't be sure she's Carol anymore! SECRET INVASION: The Infiltration continues here from Brian Reed (Captain Marvel) and Adriana Melo (Witchblade).
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

INCREDIBLE HERCULES #116
Written by GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by RAFA SANDOVAL

Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR., KLAUS JANSON & DEAN WHITE
Is Hercules a Skrull? Maybe. But is he an Eternal? Ikaris and Thena certainly think so, and they may just kill Herc to prove it!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #12
Written by DAN SLOTT & CHRISTOS GAGE
Pencils & Cover by STEVE UY
"CHANGING OF THE GUARD"

Daddy's home. IRON MAN comes to Camp Hammond, and he's NOT happy.

The first year of the Initiative comes to a dramatic close as members are laid to rest, drummed out, declared AWOL, or...awarded their full Hero's License. See who graduates and find out what super-teams they'll be assigned to as the NEXT era of the Initiative begins! Plus: as a new 3-D MAN appears, the base is suddenly short one Skrull...but not how you'd think...
Also guest-starring MS. MARVEL!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST #6 (of 6)
Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING
Penciled by TOM RANEY & WELLINTON ALVES
Cover by ALEKSI BRICLOT

This is it: Marvel's rag-tag group of sci-fi heroes vs. Ultron – in a double-sized finale! The surviving warriors face-off on the battlefield, with the fate of the entire Kree Empire – and perhaps the Earth itself – at stake! Who will fall? Who will rise to become a legend? It's an extra helping of adventure, humor, drama and eye-candy that IGN.com calls "one of the best event books of the year."
48 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

SECRET INVASION: THE INFILTRATION TPB
Written by STAN LEE, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, BRIAN REED &
DAN SLOTT
Penciled by JACK KIRBY, JIM CHEUNG, LEINIL YU,
MARK BAGLEY, MICHAEL GAYDOS & DAVID MACK
Cover by LEINIL YU

Retrace the roots of THE INFILTRATION all the way back to the beginning of the Marvel Age of Heroes! First, in FANTASTIC FOUR #2 (1962), it's a close encounter of the Skrull kind as four shape-changing aliens pose as Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Thing and the Human Torch in an attempt to destroy the fledgling Fantastic Four! Then, flash-forward to the present day as the SECRET INVASION stands revealed in the pages of NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI, NEW AVENGERS, MIGHTY AVENGERS and AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE. Conspiracy. Paranoia. Betrayal. Who do you trust?

Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR #2, NEW AVENGERS: ILLUMINATI #1 and #5, NEW AVENGERS #31-32 and #38-39, MIGHTY AVENGERS #7, and AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE ANNUAL #1.
232 PGS./Rated T+ …$19.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-3231-8

And the covers:

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031515219.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031511953.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031516891.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031505032.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031506969.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031510360.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031508766.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/846/846678/marvel-in-march-08-preview-20080121031513422.jpg

EDIT: Two Secret Invasion preview pages!

http://images.comicbookresources.com/previews/marvelcomics/secretinvasion/secretinvasion-1.jpghttp://images.comicbookresources.com/previews/marvelcomics/secretinvasion/secretinvasion-2.jpg
EDIT: Info on some Secret Invasion tie-ins, covers and solicits. (http://comics.ign.com/articles/852/852785p1.html)

EDIT: Cover and solicits for Secret Invasion #2 and assorted tie-ins.

SECRET INVASION #2 (of 8)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by GABRIELE DELL'OTTO
Variant by STEVE MCNIVEN
Sketch Variant by STEVE MCNIVEN
The Invasion is here!! The Marvel Universe is in shambles. The Skrull Empire's plan has birthed itself into perfection. It is hero versus hero!! Resurrections and reunions!! Is Tony Stark a Skrull? And is that actually Captain America leading the heroes into a new era?? EXPECT CHANGE!!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

MIGHTY AVENGERS #13 &14
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by ALEX MALEEV & KHOI PHAM
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
SECRET INVASION TIE-INS!
Where has Nick Fury been and who are the new Howling Commandos? It's the debut of all-new characters and some surprising revelations about some classic ones as Nick starts to put his plan to stop the Invasion together. But will it be enough?
The Eisner award-winning team of Bendis and Maleev bring this very important Secret Invasion issue to life.
32 PGS.(each)/Rated A …$2.99 (each)

NEW AVENGERS #41
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by BILLY TAN
Cover by ALESKI BRICLOT
SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!
The Avengers are trapped in the Savage Land, battling friend and foe. And Spider-Man heads to the one person in the entire place he knows he can trust: Ka-Zar!! But is it really him? This important chapter rewinds the events of the very first New Avengers story and shows how it connects to the Invasion.
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

SECRET INVASION: FANTASTIC FOUR #1 (of 3)
Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA
Penciled by BARRY KITSON
Cover by ALAN DAVIS
"NO ONE GETS BACK ALIVE!"
Part 1 (of 3): "Negative Energy"
The invasion has started, and no one in the MU is safe, not even the First Family of Comicdom! Aware that some of the Earth's most advanced technology and weaponry is housed in the Baxter Building, the Skrulls have neutralized the building--by transporting it and its inhabitants straight to the Negative Zone! With one member of the Fantastic Four M.I.A. and another "replaced," it's up to the remaining family members--not to mention Franklin and Val—to get back to our dimension, Skrulls or no Skrulls. But are any of our heroes who they think they are?
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

INCREDIBLE HERCULES #117
Written by GREG PAK & FRED VAN LENTE
Penciled by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover JOHN ROMITA JR., KLAUS JANSON & DEAN WHITE
SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!
The Greek Goliath gathers the most powerful super-team ever assembled to counter-attack the Skrull gods! Face front, True Believers, and prepare for the pantheon-pounding premiere of... THE GOD SQUAD!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

MS. MARVEL #27
Written by BRIAN REED
Penciled by ANDRES COELHO
Cover by GREG HORN
There is a Skrull in Lightning Storm's midst. There is a secret truth to the life of Ms. Marvel's lover, William Wagner. Something happens between Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man that can never be undone. And an era comes to an explosive end in a pivotal moment in the life of the most important woman in the Marvel Universe.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
And the covers:

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/852/852982/marvels-may-08-first-look-20080218060406727.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/852/852982/marvels-may-08-first-look-20080218060409571.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/852/852982/marvels-may-08-first-look-20080218064945469.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/852/852982/marvels-may-08-first-look-20080218060622112.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/852/852982/marvels-may-08-first-look-20080218060403212.jpg

http://comicsmedia.ign.com/comics/image/article/852/852982/marvels-may-08-first-look-20080218060422789.jpg
EDIT: Cover and solicits for Secret Invasion #3 and assorted tie-ins:

SECRET INVASION # 3
The Story: THE BLOCKBUSTER EVENT continues. Its Avenger versus Avenger. Hero versus hero! Norman Osborn versus Captain
Marvel?? The Initiative versus an army of Super-Skrulls? Is Tony Stark really a- -? And who's that guy with an eye patch coming to save the day?? And, oh man, who did he bring with him?
Cardstock Cover/Rated T+ …$3.99

MARVEL SPOTLIGHT: SECRET INVASION # 1
The Story: The infiltration is complete. The SECRET INVASION has begun. Who do you trust? Among the oldest baddies in the Marvel Universe, the Skrulls have decided that now is the time to strike. As the true extent of this infiltration is revealed, and the identities of the heroes the intergalactic shape-shifters have taken over are brought to light, the suspense will be palpable. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT celebrates this eight-part event by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu with an in-depth account of all things Skrull, featuring insider interviews with the creators involved in SECRET INVASION and its various crossover titles. We'll be criss-crossing Marvel history to tie together all the intrigue and plot twists that will make SECRET INVASION the comics event of the
summer! You can trust us on that. You do trust us, don't you?
Rated T+ …$2.99

SECRET INVASION: RUNAWAYS/YOUNG AVENGERS # 1
The Story: The Skrulls are invading and the Runaways and the Young Avengers both have a Skrull on their team. Coincidence? We think not. You two favorite teen teams come together again as the Marvel U is pushed to the brink.
Rated T+ …$2.99

SECRET INVASION: FANTASTIC FOUR # 2
The Story: Part Two [of Three]: "He's Just Not That Into You"
Trapped in the Negative Zone with Franklin and Val, beseiged by monsters, Ben and Johnny are scrambling to get back home before a cosmic anomoly with the power to consume, well, everything swallows Manhattan. But the team's biggest brain, Reed Richards, is nowhere to be found, and the Skrull who infiltrated the FF isn't just any Skrull, it's Johnny's ex, Lyja. Forget worldwide domination, hell hath no fury like a Skrull scorned...
Rated A …$2.99

SECRET INVASION: WHO DO YOU TRUST? # 1
The Story: SECRET INVASION One-Shot!
Five stories from across the Marvel Universe, illuminating key elements of the SECRET INVASION! Captain Marvel takes a stand! Marvel Boy makes a choice! Wonder Man and the Beast face off! Abigail Brand, Agent of SWORD finds the foe! And the Agents of Atlas enter the fight!
Rated T+ …$3.99

INCREDIBLE HERCULES # 118
The Story: A SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!
The "SACRED INVASION" continues! In order for Hercules and his divine allies to attack the realm of the Skrull gods, they first must pass out of our own Earthly pantheons -- with a fear-fraught voyage through the dimension of NIGHTMARE! What could possibly terrify a god? The Dark Lord of Dreams knows -- and he'll use it to destroy the last, best hope of stopping the Skrull invasion before it even starts!
Rated A …$2.99

MIGHTY AVENGERS # 15
The Story: SECRET INVASION TIE-IN!
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO-----? Rewinding the clock to Avengers Dissassembled we reveal how one of the main players in SECRET INVASION was replaced by a Skrull and what the fallout has been. A major SECRET INVASION chapter is here! Oh, but you want to know exactly who we're talking about right? Spoilers, dude!
Rated A …$2.99

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE # 14
The Story: SECRET INVASION TIE-IN
"We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us!"
During the INFILTRATION, a Skrull at the heart of the Camp Hammond said these words: "It won't be long until we have a Skrull in every state! "Now that Skrull stands revealed and the fate of The Initiative, the United States, and Planet Earth hang in the balance. Plus: Former Avenger, Delroy Garret, assumes the mantle and arsenal of Earth's greatest Skrull-Hunter, THE 3-D MAN. He's here to chew bubblegum and kick some Skrull-@$$. And he's all out of bubblegum.
Rated T+ …$2.99

MS. MARVEL # 28
The Story: The SECRET INVASION is here and the Battle for Manhattan has begun. Earth's heroes have been scattered, New York City is under siege and only one hero is left to stand up for humanity -- Carol Danvers -- going to war. All of the frustrations, drama and insecurities of Ms. Marvel's life lead up to this as she takes on an invading horde of Super-Skrulls...and don’t put money on anyone green getting out alive!
Rated T+ …$2.99

NEW AVENGERS # 42
The Story: SECRET INVASION Tie-In!
THE EMPIRE part 3. For 42 issues readers of New Avengers have wondered, who caused the breakout in New Avengers #1 and why? And how was this the real start of the SECRET INVASION? Find out right here!! Special guest artist Jim Cheung returns to these pages for this shocking story.
Rated A …$2.99

And the covers:

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/SINVASION003.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/MARV_SPOT_SI.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/SINVARUNAYAVEN001.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/SECINVAFF002.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/SECRETTRUST.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/HERC118.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/AVN_THEINT_14.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/MSMARVEL_28.jpg

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/NEWAVENGERS042.jpg
EDIT: Bendis confirms there is going to be a ten page preview of SI #1 in the March 26th issue of EW. (http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?t=145264)

You have done a good thing here, Pablo! I hope to post here often. I'm REALLY looking forward to this event.

excellent first post. Interesting tidbit came out of the latest Word Balloon with Brian Reed
One of the illuminati is a Skrull and will be revealed in the final issue of the mini (issue 5)

You have done a good thing here, Pablo! I hope to post here often. I'm REALLY looking forward to this event.

Thanks buddy.

excellent first post. Interesting tidbit came out of the latest Word Balloon with Brian Reed
One of the illuminati is a Skrull and will be revealed in the final issue of the mini (issue 5)

I think

we can rule out Stark as a Skrull since they made a big deal of showing the Skrulls let Stark escape in Illuminati #1.

Seem like the easiest person to impersonate would be Richards:

-Skrulls have long experience with the FF
-Superior Skrull science makes it easy to fake Richards' smarts
-powers easy to mimic for shapeshifters

However, this would screw up lots of things (Skrull Richards goes to heaven to save Ben?)

Good research there.

For me though, this whole Skrull thing single handedly ended my re-entrance into reading the Marvel universe.

excellent first post. Interesting tidbit came out of the latest Word Balloon with Brian Reed
One of the illuminati is a Skrull and will be revealed in the final issue of the mini (issue 5)

Hmmm...

My bet is either on Namor, Black Bolt or to a lesser extent, Dr. Strange. We already know Tony isn't a Skrull, and Reed probably won't be a Skrull either since Millar is taking over FF and his run is apparently going to be very self contained (then again, maybe Marvel'll have McDuffie deal with any Skrull stuff that might peak its head on FF, as I believe future FF solicits talk about "Reed's true goals during the Civil War or something like that). Namor and Black Bolt don't have their own books, and we don't really see them that often in comparison to other characters. They could very easily have been replaced at any point. As for Dr. Strange, the guy's just been acting weirdly in New Avengers. He seems so ineffectual in comparison to previous appearances in Defenders and the like. Could it perhaps be the result of a Skrull impersonator having trouble replicating Strange's magic? After all, the Skrulls really do seem to dislike practicing magic in general.

Did you include this from the Collective arc?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/daisyj.jpg


das

I think

we can rule out Stark as a Skrull since they made a big deal of showing the Skrulls let Stark escape in Illuminati #1.

Seem like the easiest person to impersonate would be Richards:

-Skrulls have long experience with the FF
-Superior Skrull science makes it easy to fake Richards' smarts
-powers easy to mimic for shapeshifters

However, this would screw up lots of things (Skrull Richards goes to heaven to save Ben?)

Well, it all depends on when the switch was made. We assume it was made in Illuminati #1 (which took place right after the Kree-Skrull War), but really it could have happened at anytime. Personally, I believe it's Xavier. Ever since House of M He's been oddly suspect about things. He can't walk, now he can. He's got powers, no he doesn't, now he does again. However all the stuff about Darwin & Vulcan's second X-Men team came out after House of M, and I doubt the Skrulls knew anything about that. My second guess would be Black Bolt. Why? Because the Kree created the Inhumans, and what better vengeance upon their old enemies than to use the Inhumans to do what he Kree never could, take over Earth. Also because he doesn't speak, it's easy for him to not act too out of character. I mean unless he's around Xavier, Black Bolt can think whatever he likes. Also, he's already waged war on the US in Silent War. What if that was just a dry run for an upcoming battle?

Did you include this from the Collective arc?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/daisyj.jpg


das

Interestingly enough, the Sentry comic book we see in New Avengers #8 is featuring a story that's also called The Alien Agenda. And in that story, the initial splash page features the Sentry fighting the Super Skrull, and the following pages have the Sentry fighting the Void, until their fight is interrupted by something that appears to be a spaceship.

I think Bendis has said that that comic book (which represents the Sentry's memories condensed into comic book form) will be revisited in Mighty Avengers #10 or #11.

That was a badass piece of work. thank you very much

Interestingly enough, the Sentry comic book we see in New Avengers #8 is featuring a story that's also called The Alien Agenda. And in that story, the initial splash page features the Sentry fighting the Super Skrull, and the following pages have the Sentry fighting the Void, until their fight is interrupted by something that appears to be a spaceship.

I think Bendis has said that that comic book (which represents the Sentry's memories condensed into comic book form) will be revisited in Mighty Avengers #10 or #11.

Hmmm.

Ya know...the Sentry totally confuses me. I just can't get my head around his story. It literally gives me headaches. So I just write him off as a pretty, dumb blond, and move on. Isn't that sad? AND I've had people explain it to me. Doesn't help.

I love detective work. I'll go home and snoop around in some books tonight. The one thing that has always stood out to me about the president's convo in SW is that 1. he hates the capes, and 2. he seems to indicate that there is a 'bigger picture'. That caught my attention the very first time I read the book because I couldn't imagine what that bigger picture was...I felt it was a loose end, even after the CW thing.


das

I think

we can rule out Stark as a Skrull since they made a big deal of showing the Skrulls let Stark escape in Illuminati #1.

Seem like the easiest person to impersonate would be Richards:

-Skrulls have long experience with the FF
-Superior Skrull science makes it easy to fake Richards' smarts
-powers easy to mimic for shapeshifters

However, this would screw up lots of things (Skrull Richards goes to heaven to save Ben?)

I think its
Namor. He's been out of the larger picture for a few years now. He has sleeper cells all over the place. He's anti-Stark. He beat the crap out of Marvel boy in Illumiati #4 - basically because he could. Plus, under water would be a great place to hide any sort of base/ secret operation.

woah

Man, anybody get a really creepy vibe from all this?



It's so AWESOME.

WAIT!!!!!!

Are Skrulls' organs in different locations than ours?


das

Fury's a Skrull. He's been playing the New Avengers like puppets since day one.

Calling it now.

I think its
Namor. He's been out of the larger picture for a few years now. He has sleeper cells all over the place. He's anti-Stark. He beat the crap out of Marvel boy in Illumiati #4 - basically because he could. Plus, under water would be a great place to hide any sort of base/ secret operation.

If this is true, then

he's also got Captain America's body

Its obvious from the first arc of New Avengers that the Skrulls are stockpiling vibranium weapons as well as certain powered individuals -the legally dead escapees whom are probably still missing: my theory is the invasion force made a deal with the savage land mutates to free sauron in exchange for vibranium. this at the same time offers the skrulls a chance to capture some of the super criminals imprisoned in the raft and disguise it as an escape, effectively throwing the Avengers and any other investigating bodies off the trail. the tactical goal behind grabbing the legally dead escapees being to either use them as weapons themselves or expiriment and conduct further super-skrull esque research upon them.

Now, this also lends some credibility to Reed and Tony's support of the registration act, as they could be aware of the skrull invasion force, and what better way to smoke out the disguised rogues among their friends than to make everyone comply with a bunch of medical testing and the like. if they don't comply, lock them safely in the negative zone where they can't coordinate with the Skrull invasion force. this would also explain how they convinced Captain Mar-vell to help them since i doubt he would even be bothered by earth legislation were it not of some cosmic significance.

More later when i get back from work and can look over some of my books.

Interestingly enough, the Sentry comic book we see in New Avengers #8 is featuring a story that's also called The Alien Agenda. And in that story, the initial splash page features the Sentry fighting the Super Skrull, and the following pages have the Sentry fighting the Void, until their fight is interrupted by something that appears to be a spaceship.

I think Bendis has said that that comic book (which represents the Sentry's memories condensed into comic book form) will be revisited in Mighty Avengers #10 or #11.

Which could also explain how Bob is pro-registration: He, like stark or richards, knows about the skrull plot, or at least knew of it before his memories went wonky, which would further explain his confliction over the act: he knows its the right thing to do in the name of humanity, he just can't remember why he feels that way.

WAIT!!!!!!

Are Skrulls' organs in different locations than ours?


das

Can't wait for an answer - gotta run. But in Wolverine's CW arc, Wolverine stabs Namor, and Namor says something about him not hitting any vital organs. Just wondering if that was a clue, though not written by Bendis. That's why I wanted to know....


das

Another thing: maybe the registration act was initially conceived by the skrulls as a means to gather intel on Earth's defenses and pacify the element that cannot be controlled by the government. My theory is Tony and Reed and to a lesser extent Bob know of this plot, but are going along with it to turn it against the skrulls from the inside without giving away their foreknowledge of the invasion: souring the operation from within. Think about it-they use it as an opportunity to gather intel on the most likely sleeper-skrull candidates, use registration as a paltry excuse to imprison those whom they deem too risky to be free.

Or 42 could be a way of stockpiling earth's defenses in order to create a Flanking force once the invasion does go overt. They are making sure that the meta's imprisoned therein are kept healthy, unharmed for the most part, and free from further potential skrull tampering/replacement. Either of these would be acceptable explainations for why the Smarter heroes are going along with the boneheaded idea of registration and extradimensional imprisonment. It would also lead to some explaination as to why Tony does a 180 regarding the act in the beginnings of the civil war in ASM.

Can't wait for an answer - gotta run. But in Wolverine's CW arc, Wolverine stabs Namor, and Namor says something about him not hitting any vital organs. Just wondering if that was a clue, though not written by Bendis. That's why I wanted to know....


das
Namor definitely makes the most sense, as he's not featured in any ongoings, hasn't had his mind read recently, and really does have the easiest personality to mimic of any of them.

That first post looks awesome, and I can't wait to read it in more detail when I have more time. It almost makes up for you calling me a Ben ripoff!

Another thing: maybe the registration act was initially conceived by the skrulls as a means to gather intel on Earth's defenses and pacify the element that cannot be controlled by the government. My theory is Tony and Reed and to a lesser extent Bob know of this plot, but are going along with it to turn it against the skrulls from the inside without giving away their foreknowledge of the invasion: souring the operation from within. Think about it-they use it as an opportunity to gather intel on the most likely sleeper-skrull candidates, use registration as a paltry excuse to imprison those whom they deem too risky to be free.

Or 42 could be a way of stockpiling earth's defenses in order to create a Flanking force once the invasion does go overt. They are making sure that the meta's imprisoned therein are kept healthy, unharmed for the most part, and free from further potential skrull tampering/replacement. Either of these would be acceptable explainations for why the Smarter heroes are going along with the boneheaded idea of registration and extradimensional imprisonment.


Or it could be that the Skrull have orchistrated ALL of it. Registration, Civil War, and the rest, just to weaken the one thing that's always stopped them from conquering Earth, the Heroes.

And Tony shouldn't be a Skrull if this was the case. It would make it all the more tragic for him. To be one of the smartest guys on the planet and to fall for this and betraying pretty much all of his friends along the way.

If this is true, then

he's also got Captain America's body

Ooooooh! I so never thought of that.

Or it could be that the Skrull have orchistrated ALL of it. Registration, Civil War, and the rest, just to weaken the one thing that's always stopped them from conquering Earth, the Heroes.

And Tony shouldn't be a Skrull if this was the case. It would make it all the more tragic for him. To be one of the smartest guys on the planet and to fall for this and betraying pretty much all of his friends along the way.

That was my other theory. read above. I think that Registration was the goal of the Skrulls, and Tony is effecitvely going sleeper agent on the Skrulls. It would lend some gravity to his 180 turn regarding his stance on registration.

Or it could be that the Skrull have orchistrated ALL of it. Registration, Civil War, and the rest, just to weaken the one thing that's always stopped them from conquering Earth, the Heroes.

And Tony shouldn't be a Skrull if this was the case. It would make it all the more tragic for him. To be one of the smartest guys on the planet and to fall for this and betraying pretty much all of his friends along the way.

I've always said, since he became the head of SHEILD, he's known what's going on. The Skrulls are the "they" that he refers to in Mighty #1. It would also be nice if finding out about Skrull involvement in the registration act were another one of the reasons he told Cap's corpse that it "wasn't worth it" in The Confession. He now knows everything he fought for was a sham, and for the sake of not blowing whatever resistance SHEILD was preparing, he has to pretend he's none the wiser.

I've always said, since he became the head of SHEILD, he's known what's going on. The Skrulls are the "they" that he refers to in Mighty #1. It would also be nice if finding out about Skrull involvement in the registration act were another one of the reasons he told Cap's corpse that it "wasn't worth it" in The Confession. He now knows everything he fought for was a sham, and for the sake of not blowing whatever resistance SHEILD was preparing, he has to pretend he's none the wiser.

That would be another promising take on it. Would definately layer Tony's character a little more, while at the same time making him seem flawed- he made a mistake, realized it, and effectively will correct it by stopping the skrull invasion.

I'm really not buying the whole 'one of the illuminati is and has been a skrull since they escaped.

I think, they just got all there info on how to best mimic their foes so they could easily slip in when the time was need...basing this off the skull kings last words in illuminati 1

I've always said, since he became the head of SHEILD, he's known what's going on. The Skrulls are the "they" that he refers to in Mighty #1. It would also be nice if finding out about Skrull involvement in the registration act were another one of the reasons he told Cap's corpse that it "wasn't worth it" in The Confession. He now knows everything he fought for was a sham, and for the sake of not blowing whatever resistance SHEILD was preparing, he has to pretend he's none the wiser.

Doesn't the big SHEILD thing behind Tony when he says "they" kind of point to SHEILD? Kind of a subtle way of saying "they" = SHEILD?

Are you saying that the Skrull have infiltrated SHEILD and THEY are the ones who are eating away at it from the inside-out?

Makes sense.

You have done a good thing here, Pablo! I hope to post here often. I'm REALLY looking forward to this event.

Same here, and I usually hate events. I'm hoping for minimum crossovers. It'd be preferrable if it was just the mini and Avengers titles, so Bendis could be writing all of it. What I really dislike is when writers have to interupt their stories to fit into the event.

Are you saying that the Skrull have infiltrated SHEILD and THEY are the ones who are eating away at it from the inside-out?

Makes sense.

Its at least heavily implied in the first New Avengers arc.

That would be another promising take on it. Would definately layer Tony's character a little more, while at the same time making him seem flawed- he made a mistake, realized it, and effectively will correct it by stopping the skrull invasion.

It would also explain why he's acting like such an arse, he's deflecting the heroes hate towards him, so they won't acidently stumble on the invasion and ruin his, if you will, resistance movement. Which is why he needs to find the New Avengers; he has total respect for all of them, and knows they'll figure it out and accidently balls things up.

He may also know for a fact now that one of them is a Skrull.

Doesn't the big SHEILD thing behind Tony when he says "they" kind of point to SHEILD? Kind of a subtle way of saying "they" = SHEILD?

Are you saying that the Skrull have infiltrated SHEILD and THEY are the ones who are eating away at it from the inside-out?

Makes sense.

I've always thought that was too obvious. No more than ever, I'm thinking that was a misdirection.

I just want to add...

In MA #1, I think it is very very clear that Tony knows that something is up. The line about having to get the unregs before "they do" or something to that effect, I forget the exact line.

But yeah, it makes me lean towards the whole "Tony knows, but doesn't know who to trust" rather than "Tony got played"

OOPS - someone already brought up that first part...

It would also explain why he's acting like such an arse, he's deflecting the heroes hate towards him, so they won't acidently stumble on the invasion and ruin his, if you will, resistance movement. Which is why he needs to find the New Avengers; he has total respect for all of them, and knows they'll figure it out and accidently balls things up.

He may also know for a fact now that one of them is a Skrull.


Heh, I like that. I can totally see a panel, after all this is over, of Spidey asking Tony why he was chasing them the whole time if he didn't believe in the Act. And Tony says something to the effect above, and Wolverine just laughs.

It would also explain why he's acting like such an arse, he's deflecting the heroes hate towards him, so they won't acidently stumble on the invasion and ruin his, if you will, resistance movement. Which is why he needs to find the New Avengers; he has total respect for all of them, and knows they'll figure it out and accidently balls things up.

He may also know for a fact now that one of them is a Skrull.

This makes alot of sense, but not in the context of the first issue of OMD: unless he just wants to imprison Spidey (and the rest of the NA's) in order to keep (them) as his ace in the hole, safe from skrull influence and unable to trip up his plans like you say. I would love to see an absolutely awesome and parallel to civil war moment where Tony springs everyone in prison 42 in a final battle durring the end of the invasion! that would be SOOOOOO tight.

I just want to add...

In MA #1, I think it is very very clear that Tony knows that something is up. The line about having to get the unregs before "they do" or something to that effect, I forget the exact line.

But yeah, it makes me lean towards the whole "Tony knows, but doesn't know who to trust" rather than "Tony got played"

OOPS - someone already brought up that first part...

Yeah, i honestly don't beleive Tony got played. He obviously knows something is up in the first NA and MA arcs, and he went from protestor to supporter of the registration act awfully quickly (despite stamford).

This makes alot of sense, but not in the context of the first issue of OMD: unless he just wants to imprison Spidey (and the rest of the NA's) in order to keep (them) as his ace in the hole, safe from skrull influence and unable to trip up his plans like you say. I would love to see an absolutely awesome and parallel to civil war moment where Tony springs everyone in prison 42 in a final battle durring the end of the invasion! that would be SOOOOOO tight.

We're only really sening Tony from the outside looking in in that story, though. For all we know, he may be using the excuse that he wants to arrest Peter in rder to get him alone, tell him, "I didn't have your Aunt shot," and then fill him in.

I just thought of something else. What if the Government is in cahoots of sorts with the Skrulls? President wants them to get rid of heroes, they do, President lets them stay. But the Skrulls have been planning on conquering the planet the whole time.


Becuase, once the heroes are out of the way, who's to stop them?

Heh, I like that. I can totally see a panel, after all this is over, of Spidey asking Tony why he was chasing them the whole time if he didn't believe in the Act. And Tony says something to the effect above, and Wolverine just laughs.

Actually, I can see Logan tring to kill him...

I just thought of something else. What if the Government is in cahoots of sorts with the Skrulls? President wants them to get rid of heroes, they do, President lets them stay. But the Skrulls have been planning on conquering the planet the whole time.


Becuase, once the heroes are out of the way, who's to stop them?

Could be, but I'm sticking with my "Fury Skrull" theory. It would also offer a plausable answer to why Hill was promoted to Chief- she's the only one they're sure isn't a Skrull. "Fury Loyalist" could easily be code for "Potential Skrull."

Actually, I can see Logan tring to kill him...


Hmm. Maybe Luke laughs and then Logan tries to kill him?

Hmm. Maybe Luke laughs and then Logan tries to kill him?

Luke's child is a potential Skrull. He'll probably hate Tony more than all of them.

Could be, but I'm sticking with my "Fury Skrull" theory. It would also offer a plausable answer to why Hill was promoted to Chief- she's the only one they're sure isn't a Skrull. "Fury Loyalist" could easily be code for "Potential Skrull."


I would hate that so much. That would mean that Winter Soldier, Falcon AND Sharon Carter have been working for the Skrulls the whole time in Captain America.


And besides that, Fury is just too badass to be replaced by a Skrull.

I would hate that so much. That would mean that Winter Soldier, Falcon AND Sharon Carter have been working for the Skrulls the whole time in Captain America.


And besides that, Fury is just too badass to be replaced by a Skrull.

I actually think that would be genius. They've all been inadvertadly working for the man that had their friend killed. Epic storytelling.

Luke's child is a potential Skrull. He'll probably hate Tony more than all of them.



Somebody needs to laugh dammit!

Somebody needs to laugh dammit!

How about Tony laughs hysterically, then breaks down in tears?

It's been a long thre years, after all...

How about Tony laughs hysterically, then breaks down in tears?

It's been a long thre years, after all...


While screaming "Samuroid Batch 23!!!", perhaps?

While screaming "Samuroid Batch 23!!!", perhaps?

...

... I don't know what this is referencing. I've a feeling I should...

Nextwave - probably my favorite comic panel of all time.

Thinking of the director of SHIELD having a nervous breakdown, and hysterically crying immediately made me think of that!

(Sorry to pull this off topic)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1048/1175845698_cb0846c2dc.jpg

How about Tony laughs hysterically, then breaks down in tears?

It's been a long thre years, after all...


That'd be creepy.


I don't know. I think Wolverine would have this weird understanding of the "I tried to arrest you to keep you safe and to keep you from fucking up my plans to save everybody" thing and would just laugh his ass off.


Luke WOULD try to kill Tony though.

That'd be creepy.


I don't know. I think Wolverine would have this weird understanding of the "I tried to arrest you to keep you safe and to keep you from fucking up my plans to save everybody" thing and would just laugh his ass off.


Luke WOULD try to kill Tony though.

I suppose Logan could understand in a "Dog Eat Dog" kind of way.

Luke, though...

... Luke may sodomise him.

I am fairly certain that the only person that knows about the Skruls IS Fury. I need to go hom and reread Secret War for all the details, but all Techno powere viallians in the Marvel U were related. They all had a control switch on them. That smacks of an alien race stock piling weapons for later. Especially considering the fact that when added up their indiviual heist never covered the cost of the armors.

Tony has an inkling of what is going on. I think. He knows that there are forces out there that he can not trust. The best way for him to figure out who is bad in his mind is to know who they all are and have control over the whole system. If you dont get inline with his plan he locks you down. This way be you a Skrull or not you cant get in the way.

What if the dead Raft prisoners are really dead adn those that escaped are in fact Skrulls ?

I think the US governemnt is proly corrupt in the executive level.( in the comic book universe too). The president does nto want capes. They will get in the way of their overall plans.

Cindy Sheehan is probably a Skrull as well used to engineer the public towards registration. Notice at first how much she hated Tony. Once he endorsed registration she was all over him like flies on shit. She had found a big name to back the Skrull plan.

I like the idea of Namor being a Skrull...it would put more emphasis into what he said at the end of Fallen Son

I actually think that would be genius. They've all been inadvertadly working for the man that had their friend killed. Epic storytelling.

This i could get behind. Wasn't Nick Fury killed by the Punisher in the 90's? and also he's like 80 years old now, so if that's not a Skrull, who knows what is...

I am fairly certain that the only person that knows about the Skruls IS Fury. I need to go hom and reread Secret War for all the details, but all Techno powere viallians in the Marvel U were related. They all had a control switch on them. That smacks of an alien race stock piling weapons for later. Especially considering the fact that when added up their indiviual heist never covered the cost of the armors.

Tony has an inkling of what is going on. I think. He knows that there are forces out there that he can not trust. The best way for him to figure out who is bad in his mind is to know who they all are and have control over the whole system. If you dont get inline with his plan he locks you down. This way be you a Skrull or not you cant get in the way.

What if the dead Raft prisoners are really dead adn those that escaped are in fact Skrulls ?

I think the US governemnt is proly corrupt in the executive level.( in the comic book universe too). The president does nto want capes. They will get in the way of their overall plans.

Cindy Sheehan is probably a Skrull as well used to engineer the public towards registration. Notice at first how much she hated Tony. Once he endorsed registration she was all over him like flies on shit. She had found a big name to back the Skrull plan.

I like the idea of Namor being a Skrull...it would put more emphasis into what he said at the end of Fallen Son

Good point one and all.

Somehow i can't shake the feeling that Prof X is the Skrull. I mean, if it were any of the others he could read their minds and find out couldn't he? But who would be surprised when there are telepathic blocks on his mind? Hide in plain sight.

This i could get behind. Wasn't Nick Fury killed by the Punisher in the 90's? and also he's like 80 year old now, so if that's not a Skrull, who knows what is...

I was thinking that would have been the perfect place to do the switch.

Sharon has died, as well...

I was thinking that would have been the perfect place to do the switch.

Sharon has died, as well...

Really? very interesting. Can skrulls be hypnotised by Dr. Faust? and then act that guilty about more or less acheiving one of the objectives of the invasion?

This i could get behind. Wasn't Nick Fury killed by the Punisher in the 90's? and also he's like 80 years old now, so if that's not a Skrull, who knows what is...


Fury takes some kind of drug that slows down his aging.

A little extra: in Illuminati #1, before the Illuminati show up before the Skrull king, the king is talking to some of his subjects, and they are explaining to him why the Skrulls lost the Kree/Skrull War. One of the subjects says:

Skrull: I beg you...your--your holiest of holies...the Earth has an unusually high number of unique individuals. A population of what they call homo superior - what we would call genetic atrocities that would be killed at birth...on that disgusting planet they live and function in their different societies. This group, the mutants, grows by the thousands every year. With this situation escalating, along the with the so-called superheroes, and the competition with the Kree...we simply cannot expect to conquer the Earth planet with a frontal attack.

So, some little Secret Invasion foreshadowing there.

A little extra: in Illuminati #1, before the Illuminati show up before the Skrull king, the king is talking to some of his subjects, and they are explaining to him why the Skrulls lost the Kree/Skrull War. One of the subjects says:

Skrull: I beg you...your--your holiest of holies...the Earth has an unusually high number of unique individuals. A population of what they call homo superior - what we would call genetic atrocities that would be killed at birth...on that disgusting planet they live and function in their different societies. This group, the mutants, grows by the thousands every year. With this situation escalating, along the with the so-called superheroes, and the competition with the Kree...we simply cannot expect to conquer the Earth planet with a frontal attack.

So, some little Secret Invasion foreshadowing there.

Yeah, it'd HAVE to be obvious to them by now that their frontal attacks have been and will always be useless. Infiltration and sabotage from within is the best course.

A little extra: in Illuminati #1, before the Illuminati show up before the Skrull king, the king is talking to some of his subjects, and they are explaining to him why the Skrulls lost the Kree/Skrull War. One of the subjects says:

Skrull: I beg you...your--your holiest of holies...the Earth has an unusually high number of unique individuals. A population of what they call homo superior - what we would call genetic atrocities that would be killed at birth...on that disgusting planet they live and function in their different societies. This group, the mutants, grows by the thousands every year. With this situation escalating, along the with the so-called superheroes, and the competition with the Kree...we simply cannot expect to conquer the Earth planet with a frontal attack.

So, some little Secret Invasion foreshadowing there.

Cool.

Consider this, in a storyline in Marvel Premiere #37 [The 3-D Man series, set in 1958] a Skrull, (Diabolik) impersonated then Vice-President Richard M. Nixon.

The "Atlas Avengers" uncovered the plot and exposed him.

But what if that Skrull were just part of a bigger plan that was already underway?

Consider this, in a storyline in Marvel Premiere #37 [The 3-D Man series, set in 1958] a Skrull, (Diabolik) impersonated then Vice-President Richard M. Nixon.

The "Atlas Avengers" uncovered the plot and exposed him.

But what if that Skrull were just part of a bigger plan that was already underway?

:mistrust: :scared:

Did i go back in time?

:mistrust: :scared:

Did i go back in time?
Sorry, did you cover that already?

Sorry, did you cover that already?

No, i'm just kidding. I saw you post it in the other thread to which i responded cool. only to return to this thread to find my response of cool posted before your little clue. it was funny. :D

No, i'm just kidding. I saw you post it in the other thread to which i responded cool. only to return to this thread to find my response of cool posted before your little clue. it was funny. :D

Yeah, I decided to repost my hint here since it was more pertinent to the topic. :)

Yeah, I decided to repost my hint here since it was more pertinent to the topic. :)

Maybe if we get enough crossover the mods'll merge them! hot thread sex!

Ahem. After years of Never-ending big events and cliff hanger after cliff hanger, where shocking new events just lead to more questions, i'm very excited to see where this Secret Invasion thingie goes.

Maria Hill did not exist pre-Bendis, and I have long thought she was a rotten apple. For months I have been convinced that she was some sort of disguise villain. I think the clue in the Secret War exchange is that she had almost become director of S.H.I.E.L.D. a year earlier. The Skrulls have some sort of highly placed agent in the White House. They found out about Maria, and replaced her with one of their own and waited. Or they moved events to get Fury out of there, but in any event Hill is a Skrull.

Maria Hill did not exist pre-Bendis, and I have long thought she was a rotten apple. For months I have been convinced that she was some sort of disguise villain. I think the clue in the Secret War exchange is that she had almost become director of S.H.I.E.L.D. a year earlier. The Skrulls have some sort of highly placed agent in the White House. They found out about Maria, and replaced her with one of their own and waited. Or they moved events to get Fury out of there, but in any event Hill is a Skrull.

That's...that's actually pretty good. I've been wracking my brains trying to find something in that conversation transcript, and for the life of me I just can't. There could definitely be something to what you're saying.

That's...that's actually pretty good. I've been wracking my brains trying to find something in that conversation transcript, and for the life of me I just can't. There could definitely be something to what you're saying.

Plus it makes her being demoted at Shield seem as though Stark knows what he's doing in regards to all this.

I can't shake the feeling that What we've been observing in stark's behavior for the last few years is his levying proxy battles with the Skrulls. I figure that once he injected himself with Extremis, he uncovered a transmission or some peice of techno-evidence that allowed him to uncover the plot. Mix that with his comments to cap about if Cap knew how his new powers worked he would have won, it leads me to beleive he meant that if Cap knew what Tony did they wouldn't have been fighting in the first place or something. Not sure yet, but there is something there....

also, Cap's body returning to his former weakling form after his death as witnessed in Bru's book leads me to beleive something is up there too. Was Cap a Skrull? or was that some other type of Imposter whom was killed?

That's...that's actually pretty good. I've been wracking my brains trying to find something in that conversation transcript, and for the life of me I just can't. There could definitely be something to what you're saying.Now that I give it some more thought, there is something else in that transcript that really doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. Bush is adamant about how much he dislikes and distrusts costumes. How is it then that he put all of his eggs in their basket during the Civil War then and supported something like The Initiative. If anything, the mess that started the Civil War would have steeled his anti hero position. So that makes me think that Bush himself was somehow compromised. Bush and Hill could not both be Skrull because he never would have removed her as Director. So, one could be a Skrull. Bush could have been compromised by some force which is moving covertly against the Skrulls and was able to get Hill out of the way. Why not bust her down even farther though?

I am guessing that they really won't depict a compromised Bush, and what I am really looking at is just inconsistent writing.

Cap's body returning to his former weakling form after his death as witnessed in Bru's book leads me to beleive something is up there too. Was Cap a Skrull? or was that some other type of Imposter whom was killed? Would not a dead Skrull revert to Skrull form?

Now that I give it some more thought, there is something else in that transcript that really doesn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. Bush is adamant about how much he dislikes and distrusts costumes. How is it then that he put all of his eggs in their basket during the Civil War then and supported something like The Initiative. If anything, the mess that started the Civil War would have steeled his anti hero position. So that makes me think that Bush himself was somehow compromised. Bush and Hill could not both be Skrull because he never would have removed her as Director. So, one could be a Skrull. Bush could have been compromised by some force which is moving covertly against the Skrulls and was able to get Hill out of the way. Why not bust her down even farther though?

I am guessing that they really won't depict a compromised Bush, and what I am really looking at is just inconsistent writing.

My guess? Both are Skrulls, but the Skrulls see the value in having Golden boy stark take command of Shield after the Civil War in order to persuade public opinion and ultimately get the people behind him. Easier to take over that way. as far as the anti cape thing goes, maybe they have some kind of secret thunderbolts-esque control mechanism in every new Initiative recruit. They were demonstrated in the Order, where washouts have their powers taken away. the Initiative is one way for the earths defenses to willingly build in an exploitable flaw, rendering them useless.

Would not a dead Skrull revert to Skrull form?

Not sure, it did when wolverine was replaced by a skrull, and the same for electra. Maybe they did an old switcheroo, switched the skrull body with a clone body so Tony wouldn't know what had happened, but since they couldn't recreate the super soldier syrum it was only of cap's "proto" form?

Somebody needs to laugh dammit!

Wolverine laughs WHILE he's killing him. :mrgreen:


(Remember back when Wolverine always smiled or laughed while slaughtering baddies? He doesn't do that anymore, does he?)

das

I think New Avengers has been a great read...but i'm not entirely into "who is a skrull?" as a plot line. I wanna just root for the characters I like. So if Nick Fury or Jessica Jones turn out to be skrulls...

The not knowing if the characters you are reading are the real things bit...it sucks. Always has. It's one thing if its Xorn or something...but having multiple characters possibly be fakes...

I know Bendis has had this all planned out, but if Captain America turns out to have been a skrull, making so much of Bru's run into the crapper...then i'll be just beyond pissed.

You guys seem to have a lot more fun "guessing" than I can. When ever I start to do it, I just get mad

also, Cap's body returning to his former weakling form after his death as witnessed in Bru's book leads me to beleive something is up there too. Was Cap a Skrull? or was that some other type of Imposter whom was killed?
If Steve were a Skrull, then why didn't his body revert back to a Skrull's? No, that was Steve Rogers.

If Steve were a Skrull, then why didn't his body revert back to a Skrull's? No, that was Steve Rogers.
http://www.606studios.com/bendisboard/showthread.php?p=3596809#post3596809

Could be, but I'm sticking with my "Fury Skrull" theory. It would also offer a plausable answer to why Hill was promoted to Chief- she's the only one they're sure isn't a Skrull. "Fury Loyalist" could easily be code for "Potential Skrull."

nope. other way around. fury went underground because he knew of the skrull plot. he hasn't told anyone because he doesn't know who to trust.

Yeah, I bet Fury's going to be leading the assault against the Skrulls in Secret Invasion.

I looked through the Pulse SW tie-in to see if anything jumped out at me. Right now, I just think everyone's a skrull! J. Jameson, Robbie, Ben...

But...

What about [ex-]SHIELD agent Al Mackenzie? Ben said he's a professional liar. He wanted Ben to print the SW story. Mackenzie led them to a bar called the 'Locust' - locust are invaders. He wanted to get Wolverine pissed off so he'd track down Fury and kill him. Yeah, he has reasons to hate Fury because of the Contessa thing, but maybe this guy's really a Skrull who's been looking to take Fury down.


das

this conversation should not even exist.

Dr. Strange is the skrull. its a fact. end of story. and the reason that is true is because Jermaine is NEVER wrong... EVER

this conversation should not even exist.

Dr. Strange is the skrull. its a fact. end of story. and the reason that is true is because Jermaine is NEVER wrong... EVER

Strange does make the most sense. He has a power that none of the others understand, so if it was faked or different no one would probably realize. Strange is the one doing spells to quell everyone's fears, but it could be nothing but a light show and the others wouldn't know the difference.

It was Strange that hid the NA from Tony, Brother Voodoo and the MA a few issues back...maybe using the same methods that could mask Skrullektra from even Wolverine's senses?

He was the one who popped in suddenly at the end of Disassembled explaining everything...and since he is "sorcerer supreme" no one batted an eye at any of his explanations even though they didn't make sense. No such thing as chaos magic? Strange has used it himself in his own book. Strange had no knowledge of Wanda's "kids"? Did he have a part in delivering them?

And disappearing during Civil War? That's convenient.

And now that I think of it...Strange's magic IS different now. Now he just says strange words for spells...he used to call upon "Hoary Hosts" and have glowy sigils around his hands as he cast spells. Could just be artistic license under Bendis...or could be something else.

The only real chink in the armor is Strange's portrayal in WWH currently. Although it could be said that his relative success compared to Black Bolt, Reed and Tony's failure abject failure against the Hulk could also lend creedence to him not being who he seems. But his magic here is much closer to normal than we've seen in the Bendis books with him in it lately.

I looked through the Pulse SW tie-in to see if anything jumped out at me. Right now, I just think everyone's a skrull! J. Jameson, Robbie, Ben...

But...

What about [ex-]SHIELD agent Al Mackenzie? Ben said he's a professional liar. He wanted Ben to print the SW story. Mackenzie led them to a bar called the 'Locust' - locust are invaders. He wanted to get Wolverine pissed off so he'd track down Fury and kill him. Yeah, he has reasons to hate Fury because of the Contessa thing, but maybe this guy's really a Skrull who's been looking to take Fury down.


das

Well after Secret War Logan already wanted to kill Fury. Hell, he killed Fury's LMD.

I don't know if anyone pointed this out, but isn't this bit of dialouge hinting that hill is pretty much a Skrull?

PRESIDENT: Feeling a bit out of your skin lately?
SHIELD COMMANDER MARIA HILL: Yes, sir. You could say that, sir

It's so obvious isn't it?

I'm sure somone pointed it out.

Bowman

this conversation should not even exist.

Dr. Strange is the skrull. its a fact. end of story. and the reason that is true is because Jermaine is NEVER wrong... EVER

Honestly, it's really hard to argue that point. :)

this conversation should not even exist.

Dr. Strange is the skrull. its a fact. end of story. and the reason that is true is because Jermaine is NEVER wrong... EVER
Perhaps, but as nihilance pointed out, Strange's appearances in World War Hulk seem to weaken that idea.

Strange appears to be operating as normal, and even calls upon old Dr. Strange continuity as well.

I think its
Namor. He's been out of the larger picture for a few years now. He has sleeper cells all over the place. He's anti-Stark. He beat the crap out of Marvel boy in Illumiati #4 - basically because he could. Plus, under water would be a great place to hide any sort of base/ secret operation.

Hrm, also..


What better revenge against Reed over the years than to keep sabotaging his marriage?

The sleeper cell thing is an interesting point, although, he did stick up for the Hulk. Whether that's because he was afraid of having them turn on him or some other purpose. Although, it works better for Skrulls if Hulk is off planet, so I don't see that angle for him.


I still think Reed makes the most sense from a storytelling perspective, in terms of maximum drama/mileage from such a revelation.

But that'd put a lot of baggage on Millar's FF too.

But as far as Namor goes..


Wasn't there something about their Ultimate Universe counterparts? How did that clue go?

Can someone summarize John Byrne's take on the character? He became a businessman and all eco-friendly or something, right?

And that led to Iron Fist returning, with the old one being revealed as a Skrull or something?

But as far as Namor goes..


Wasn't there something about their Ultimate Universe counterparts? How did that clue go?

Can someone summarize John Byrne's take on the character? He became a businessman and all eco-friendly or something, right?

And that led to Iron Fist returning, with the old one being revealed as a Skrull or something?


From wiki...
in the South Pacific, father-daughter oceanographers Caleb and Carrie Alexander found a nearly mad Namor and nursed him to health. Caleb had long theorized that Namor's "rage" was due to his half-human half-Atlantean blood chemistry, and he equipped Namor with a monitor to warn when Namor had to seek either air or water. This allowed Namor to control his metabolism for the first time. Determined to continue to preserve the oceans and his people, but without revealing himself, Namor collected sunken treasures to finance his purchase of a corporation he renamed Oracle, Inc., using the Alexanders as proxy buyers. Under the guise of an international businessman, he supported environmental causes. However, Namor was forced to reveal his survival when a terrorist bomb detonated on an Oracle submarine supertanker, threatening New York City. Later, Namor lost his ankle-wings when he released a mutagenic scrambler within the animated garbage-monster Sluj.

While continuing his business endeavors, Namor traveled to the dimension of K'un L'un, where he found the hero Iron Fist, who had been presumed dead for many months. Returning to Earth and investigating the apparent invasion of Earth by the K'un L'un sentient plant race the H'lythri, Namor was forced to fight their captive, the X-Men member Wolverine. The battle was interrupted by the sorcerer Master Khan, who wiped Namor's memory and dumped him in the American Midwest. Namor was "missing" for almost a year, and was known as "Rex," until Namorita tracked him down using a psychic link to him she had recently discovered. Namor did not regain his memory until sometime afterward, when he and the apparently resurrected Princess Fen were captured by Dr. Doom. The ship Doom had used to do so was then magically imprisoned in a bottle by Master Khan, who then assumed Namor's form and sold off much of Oracle's holdings. Namor soon broke the bottle and the spell, and killed Khan.

Namor was then recalled to Atlantis to deal with border attacks by the "Faceless Ones". After Fen attempted to usurp the throne, it was revealed she was actually the witch-queen Artys Gran, who had stolen Fen's body. Namor was killed battling Gran's sorcerer-king husband Suma-Ket, but revived by Father Neptune, the deity worshiped by Atlanteans. In the process, Namor had his wings restored and was given the sacred golden armor of his ancestor, with which he defeated Suma-ket's forces. The real Fen, trapped in Gran's body, died defending her son from a final attack from Socus, the villains' servant. Namor eventually returned to both ruling Atlantis and running Oracle, Inc., but has remained generally out of the surface world. Oracle began funding the charitable super-group Heroes for Hire, with the team using an Oracle facility as its headquarters.

The only real chink in the armor is Strange's portrayal in WWH currently. Although it could be said that his relative success compared to Black Bolt, Reed and Tony's failure abject failure against the Hulk could also lend creedence to him not being who he seems. But his magic here is much closer to normal than we've seen in the Bendis books with him in it lately.

And the whole talking with the Watcher thing and current regret over having not participated in CW.

It's possible, but the Watcher thing just seems out of place for me.

I still think Reed is the best candidate. When he gets the Infinity Gauntlet, the Watcher is disappointed and Prof. X looks strange.

At the time, I thought Reed subconsciously created a challenge for him to solve with the Gauntlet, but if it was a Skrull, then who's to say what they could have done with it? (Yes, the Gauntlet doesn't work, but he tried, right?)

And what gem does Reed have?

POWER
It contains access to all power and energy that ever has or will exist, backs the other gems and boosts their effects. It allows the user to duplicate almost any physical superhuman ability and become invincible, and therefore unbeatable, when using raw power alone.

Which would help mimic powers, in theory. Especially if they try to reverse engineer it.

From wiki...

Hrm.

If Bendis was researching all past Skrull appearances, this is one that would have popped up.

And Iron Fist seemingly came out of nowhere during House of M.. aside from the whole Luke Cage hero worship thing Bendis has, there has to be a reason for bringing Iron Fist back at this time.

So, it's entirely possible Bendis was researching those issues for the Skrull Invasion thing and decided to bring back Rand as a result of checking it out.

Of course, that doesn't have much to do with this thread, but something to consider if anyone wants to go back and read that arc for clues.

Tony can't be the villain or anything but a hero given the proximity of this storyline to the movie's release.

Hrm.

If Bendis was researching all past Skrull appearances, this is one that would have popped up.

And Iron Fist seemingly came out of nowhere during House of M.. aside from the whole Luke Cage hero worship thing Bendis has, there has to be a reason for bringing Iron Fist back at this time.

So, it's entirely possible Bendis was researching those issues for the Skrull Invasion thing and decided to bring back Rand as a result of checking it out.

Of course, that doesn't have much to do with this thread, but something to consider if anyone wants to go back and read that arc for clues.But Bendis did use Rand a little bit in Daredevil. I always had the feeling the he and Power Man will still good friends off-panel, so it didn't feel to me like he'd come completely out of nowhere. Plus a lot of guys turned up in Civil War who hadn't gotten good air time previously.

I think that most characters really lack in sort of center in terms of characterization because of the writing of the last several years. Anyone could be revealed to be a Skrull and we'd be able to look back and say "that is why he acted that way in X.

Digging through old threads, I thought this was ironic.

All the bad guys in Secret War, have a green glow.

And you know how everyone was going on and on about green eyes.


http://img87.exs.cx/img87/5158/sw4p30td.jpg

http://img87.exs.cx/img87/2/sw4p44oo.jpg

http://img87.exs.cx/img87/9735/sw4p51vl.jpg

http://img87.exs.cx/img87/16/sw4p60zw.jpg


It's probably nothing, but it does seem to show that Bendis has been planning things out pretty meticulously over the years. On-going themes, symbolism, etc.

Howard the Duck's new, radically altered appearance leads me to believe that he is a Skrull.

Howard the Duck's new, radically altered appearance leads me to believe that he is a Skrull.

Or maybe Marvel just wants to publish the book without being sued by Disney.

Or maybe Marvel just wants to publish the book without being sued by Disney.

Or maybe he's a Skrull!

Digging through old threads, I thought this was ironic.

All the bad guys in Secret War, have a green glow....

It's probably nothing, but it does seem to show that Bendis has been planning things out pretty meticulously over the years. On-going themes, symbolism, etc.


Or it IS something. If you notice, Hill ALSO is cast in a green light towards the end of the story. I posted this elsewhere:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/hill.jpg


Hmmmm......

das

Or it IS something. If you notice, Hill ALSO is cast in a green light towards the end of the story. I posted this elsewhere:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/hill.jpg


Hmmmm......

das

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/SecretWar/SCWARS005_4.jpg

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/SecretWar/SCWARS005_5.jpg

Who is that supposed to be in the middle? Looks like Black Widow kinda.

I don't have my issues handy.

PS - I take the green glow stuff as being manipulated by Skrulls, not being Skrulls necessarily.

Have Strange's spells had any green hues to them?

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/SecretWar/SCWARS005_4.jpg

http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/SecretWar/SCWARS005_5.jpg

Who is that supposed to be in the middle? Looks like Black Widow kinda.

I don't have my issues handy.

PS - I take the green glow stuff as being manipulated by Skrulls, not being Skrulls necessarily.

Have Strange's spells had any green hues to them?


Just a hologram of Daisy, representing her file.

Tony can't be the villain or anything but a hero given the proximity of this storyline to the movie's release.

That and the fact that Marvel has said that he is not a Skrull. He is the one person we know is not a Skrull.

Who is that supposed to be in the middle? Looks like Black Widow kinda.

I don't have my issues handy.

PS - I take the green glow stuff as being manipulated by Skrulls, not being Skrulls necessarily.

Have Strange's spells had any green hues to them?

I think both the woman seated, and the hologram, are Daisy Johnson (I say *think* because my eyes aren't so good and the hologram is hard to make out). Hill is standing with the male agent.

Ah, I see what you are saying about the green glow. Well...still, it could be a clue. Not sure about Strange's spells. Don't have any books handy, either.


I am curious about a few people. Namor has been mentioned, and I asked earlier - but no one could help me - if Skrull organs are in different locations than humans/Atlanteans. Reason I asked is because, in Wolverine's CW arc, he stabs Namor. Namor gets back up, and ridicules Wolverine for not being able to hit a vital organ. Now...no one knows better than Wolverine where vital organs are...so...if he was trying to kill the guy, he'd know where to strike. But, if Namor is a Skrull, could his vital organs be in different places, thus making an otherwise killing blow by Wolverine quite harmless?

das

I think both the woman seated, and the hologram, are Daisy Johnson (I say *think* because my eyes aren't so good and the hologram is hard to make out). Hill is standing with the male agent.

Ah, I see what you are saying about the green glow. Well...still, it could be a clue. Not sure about Strange's spells. Don't have any books handy, either.


I am curious about a few people. Namor has been mentioned, and I asked earlier - but no one could help me - if Skrull organs are in different locations than humans/Atlanteans. Reason I asked is because, in Wolverine's CW arc, he stabs Namor. Namor gets back up, and ridicules Wolverine for not being able to hit a vital organ. Now...no one knows better than Wolverine where vital organs are...so...if he was trying to kill the guy, he'd know where to strike. But, if Namor is a Skrull, could his vital organs be in different places, thus making an otherwise killing blow by Wolverine quite harmless?

das

Well Namor is half-Atlantean and a mutant...could mean his vital organs are in a different place than a normal human.

I think both the woman seated, and the hologram, are Daisy Johnson (I say *think* because my eyes aren't so good and the hologram is hard to make out). Hill is standing with the male agent.

Ah, I see what you are saying about the green glow. Well...still, it could be a clue. Not sure about Strange's spells. Don't have any books handy, either.


I am curious about a few people. Namor has been mentioned, and I asked earlier - but no one could help me - if Skrull organs are in different locations than humans. Reason I asked is because, in Wolverine's CW arc, he stabs Namor. Namor gets back up, and ridicules Wolverine for not being able to hit a vital organ. Now...no one knows better than Wolverine where vital organs are...so...if he was trying to kill the guy, he'd know where to strike. But, if Namor is a Skrull, could his vital organs be in different places, thus making an otherwise killing blow by Wolverine quite harmless?

das

I am pretty sure that when a Skrull changes shapes the organs change a long with it. If they stay the same they woudl not be able to hide so well. Forget Wolverine not being able to smell them, just check where the heart beat is.

That and the fact that Marvel has said that he is not a Skrull. He is the one person we know is not a Skrull.

Hulk is also on record as not being a Skrull.

Well Namor is half-Atlantean and a mutant...could mean his vital organs are in a different place than a normal human.

And there's the whole wings being on his feet issue :)

His organs aren't the same for definite.

I always thought Wolverine made the most sense, since he's everywhere at once, has some ties with the Hand recently, and the best way to throw off the "scent" so to speak would be to claim he can't smell them. They wouldn't bother going to Daredevil or others if they thought they've evolved past the normal detection methods.

Of course, the main reason against this is that he's already been replaced in the past, so it'd be old ground. But, to be fair, there's also a precedent for it too.

Does anybody have the Millar run on WOlverine avaialbe right now ? The Hand, Elektra, Wolverine, heroes being kidnapped and changed.

Might be a good clue in there somewhere.

I'm still pushing for Strange. And New Avengers #34 didn't do anything to change that. It did place The Oath in firm continuity so I can't write that wonderful story off as just a story in case something is up with the good Doctor.

Strange is the one producing these various tests to prove that everyone is loyal, that everyone is who they say they are. Well I don't know if I trust the guy giving the tests, you know? After issue #34 everyone is feeling much better about their intentions and the fact that they are all genuine. Including the guy giving the test which nobody there can verify is even a legit process. And they're also still a group and not wandering off individually with the knowledge they have. If one were so inclined, even with the Elektra reveal, they could still do some type of damage control on the situation. If only for a little while.

I assume we're looking at Norman Osborn with a magnifying glass as well, right? RIGHT?

And there's the whole wings being on his feet issue :)

His organs aren't the same for definite.

I always thought Wolverine made the most sense, since he's everywhere at once, has some ties with the Hand recently, and the best way to throw off the "scent" so to speak would be to claim he can't smell them. They wouldn't bother going to Daredevil or others if they thought they've evolved past the normal detection methods.

Of course, the main reason against this is that he's already been replaced in the past, so it'd be old ground. But, to be fair, there's also a precedent for it too.

Another problem with this is that Wolverine has a TON of inner dialogue in his books. Now...there might be TWO Wolverine's running around, since both his Origins and Solo books are basically ignoring the fact that he's on the X-Men and NA teams. One thing in this regard is his eye color. Traditionally, I thought his eye color to be blue. They are blue in Astonishing, not sure about NA. However, other books color them brown. Not sure if that's just a colorer's choice, or some kind of clue.

Regarding clues in EotS. Wolverine has a lot of inner dialogue after he's brought back into the hero fold. I doubt he's a skrull....or at least, that version of him, in case there is more than one running around. The main skrully clue from EotS is one we already know now - Elektra. I quoted this in the NA #32, thread, will repost here:

Wolverine: I thought they murdered you and raised you from the dead.

Elektra: They did.

Wolverine: I thought you'd gone over to their side.

Elektra: So did they. But I've been killed and resurrected by the Hand before. Hell holds few surprises for me now.

Wolverine: You mean you planned this?

Elektra: I've been in deep cover for the last two months.

Wolverine: But that Helicarrier you helped to crash killed over two hundred S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Elektra: Very deep cover. Infiltrating the Hand means I've not only taken apart the most dangerous assassins in the world, but I have found the seven secret locations where Hydra's been building their super-weapons. I know where they live, Wolverine.

It might not be anything - but this might have been the first clue that Elektra was a Skrull, if the switch was made back in the EofS arc. If so, there could be others - such as Northstar, who was killed by Wolverine in that arc.


das

And there's the whole wings being on his feet issue :)

His organs aren't the same for definite.

I always thought Wolverine made the most sense, since he's everywhere at once, has some ties with the Hand recently, and the best way to throw off the "scent" so to speak would be to claim he can't smell them. They wouldn't bother going to Daredevil or others if they thought they've evolved past the normal detection methods.

Of course, the main reason against this is that he's already been replaced in the past, so it'd be old ground. But, to be fair, there's also a precedent for it too.

His powers and claws are easily immitated as well.

I assume we're looking at Norman Osborn with a magnifying glass as well, right? RIGHT?

I've heard theories about Norman Osborn being a Skrull ever since he returned from the Clone Saga. Then he'd be revealed as a Skrull, but he would continue antagonizing Spider-Man. That way, everyone wins: Amazing Spider-Man #122 is validated once again, with Osborn being dead, and Spider-Man still has a goblin-ish enemy to fight (the Green Goblin already sort of looks like a Skrull when in costume). I could *almost* get behind that, I think, but I have no idea why a Skrull would go through so much trouble to torment Spider-Man.

Come to think of it, the timing of this Symbiote invasion seems suspect.

Is there any info out there about it, and how it might tie into this?

EDIT:
Would anyone be ok with the symbiotes being retrofit as a failed Skrull experiment? Or as something similar to the Flood in Halo? There was mention of Thunderbolts tying into the Skrull thing, and with Venom on the team, that's one possible angle potentially.

Come to think of it, the timing of this Symbiote invasion seems suspect.

Is there any info out there about it, and how it might tie into this?

I think it's supposed to be an attack by Doctor Doom, or something he was doing that went wrong and it resulted in a symbiote invasion, but I'm not too sure.

I assume we're looking at Norman Osborn with a magnifying glass as well, right? RIGHT?

:thumb:

Other things worth noting:

EDIT: YOUNG Avengers finally gets out of hiatus in time for this. It'll be one to keep an eye out for.

Brian Reed seems instrumental in this as well (Illuminati; Captain Marvel). It may be worth keeping an eye on his books.. Other than Ms. Marvel are there any other books we might be missing?

Also, as the interviews state, a character could have been temporarily replaced. For example, Wolverine may have been borrowed to nudge the X-men in a certain direction and that Skrull moves on having accomplished his goal. Similarly, let's say one imitated Sue, and later Johnny disagrees but comes around to her way of thinking.. that same Skrull could have pretended to be Johnny temporarily to keep plans from failing.

Other things worth noting:

New Avengers finally gets out of hiatus in time for this. It'll be one to keep an eye out for.

Brian Reed seems instrumental in this as well (Illuminati; Captain Marvel). It may be worth keeping an eye on his books.. Other than Ms. Marvel are there any other books we might be missing?

He's doing he YA mini issue that deals with Hulkling.

We also have to consider that not all Skrulls will know who the other Skrulls are in order to keep tighter security.

We also have to consider that not all Skrulls will know who the other Skrulls are in order to keep tighter security.

And there is always the "sleeper agent" factor that Spider-man discuss in the new NA issue. There may be skrulls out there that don't even know they are skrulls until they are activated.

I think it's supposed to be an attack by Doctor Doom, or something he was doing that went wrong and it resulted in a symbiote invasion, but I'm not too sure.

Good point. Ok, let's try this:

Dr. Doom was MIA during Secret War.

Maybe he's aware of the Skrull threat and is doing his own thing to combat it. Eventually, he'll be instrumental in help solve the Skrull crisis.

Let's say he found out about the symbiotes being a failed Skrull experiment, once that was lethal to them so much that they managed to excise their planet of the symbiotes and force them to another planet. Doom, attempts to bring a sample back, but things go awry.

Hrm.. come to think of it, Doom was on Battleworld where the symbiote first appeared. Secret Wars/Secret War. Surely he noticed the new costume. Iron Man even had a sample of the symbiote in his suit from Battleworld.

EDIT: Apparently, Bendis is on record as saying the symbiotes are a result of Doom's time platform. Anyone know how long the symbiote arc is? Will it dovetail into Invasion?

Good point. Ok, let's try this:

Dr. Doom was MIA during Secret War.

Maybe he's aware of the Skrull threat and is doing his own thing to combat it. Eventually, he'll be instrumental in help solve the Skrull crisis.

Let's say he found out about the symbiotes being a failed Skrull experiment, once that was lethal to them so much that they managed to excise their planet of the symbiotes and force them to another planet. Doom, attempts to bring a sample back, but things go awry.

Hrm.. come to think of it, Doom was on Battleworld where the symbiote first appeared. Secret Wars/Secret War. Surely he noticed the new costume. Iron Man even had a sample of the symbiote in his suit from Battleworld.

I theorized a while back that maybe Doom isn't a villain but will be somewhat of a hero when the skrull shit goes down. Perhaps he knows there is skrullery afoot and tired of watching the heroes beat on each other he introduces the symbiote virus in order to bring the heroes together again and flush out the skrulls.

BTW - is all that stuff about the symbiotes being a failed skrull experiment true? I had never heard any of that before. Where did it come from?

Didn't Blackbolt get clowned by the Hulk? That just seems unlikely for someone who can open his mouth and level a city. But I haven't read WWH or Silent War.

But if I was to guess, I'd put my money on Blackbolt or Namor. For me, that image of Strange with the Watcher would be very out of place if Strange turned out to be a Skrull.

I notice that everyone is saying that Fury went away to hide because he didn't know who to trust. But if you knew there was an invasion, why would you relinquish a position of power?

I feel pretty confident in saying that the President is a Skrull. But if he is a Skrull, Maria Hill wouldn't be. Or maybe she's some sort of Sleeper Skrull, because if they were both Skrulls, that transcript would probably be a lot different. Maria wouldn't wonder why she was the Director of Shield. She'd know it was for the Skrull invasion.

I'm interested in seeing how the Young Avengers and Runaways fit into this as well...

But if I was to guess, I'd put my money on Blackbolt or Namor. For me, that image of Strange with the Watcher would be very out of place if Strange turned out to be a Skrull.
Good point! Uatu definately should've known if he was a skrull.

I notice that everyone is saying that Fury went away to hide because he didn't know who to trust. But if you knew there was an invasion, why would you relinquish a position of power?
To see what happens when that vacuum gets filled. The moves those people make would reveal much that Fury might not have been able to discern as easily and quickly.

I theorized a while back that maybe Doom isn't a villain but will be somewhat of a hero when the skrull shit goes down. Perhaps he knows there is skrullery afoot and tired of watching the heroes beat on each other he introduces the symbiote virus in order to bring the heroes together again and flush out the skrulls.

BTW - is all that stuff about the symbiotes being a failed skrull experiment true? I had never heard any of that before. Where did it come from?

RE: Skrull/Symbiote failed experiment

Nah, just conjecture on my part. I was checking out their history and it seemed like their "origin" was kinda weak. I could see the Skrulls fooling with biological warfare like that and it blowing up in their face.

Also, there's mention of Carnage freaking out when he sees Silver Surfer, as if Galactus had eaten their old homeworld. Well, Galactus ate the Skrull homeworld too, right?

I think it'd be a fun way to link the two and to make both more sinister than what they are now.

Mainly, just trying to figure out how it could potentially tie into Invasion, since we're getting a lot of alien invasion scenarios lately (WWH, Symbiotes, Skrulls, etc)

Of course, the premise is the Skrulls invaded long ago, so anything at this point would be enacting plans. With it being so close to the invasion storyline, I figured it might be related somehow.

Then again, if it's a failed Skrull experiment, bringing them to Earth, isn't the best idea, hence, Doom would have to be responsible for doing so. And if that's the case, why would he bring them?

Just me thinking out loud really.

Good point! Uatu definately should've known if he was a skrull.

Maybe he does know...but he's actually taking his non-involvement oath to heart for once and isn't intervening. Does the Watcher ever actually refer to Strange as Strange?

Didn't Blackbolt get clowned by the Hulk? That just seems unlikely for someone who can open his mouth and level a city. But I haven't read WWH or Silent War.

But if I was to guess, I'd put my money on Blackbolt or Namor. For me, that image of Strange with the Watcher would be very out of place if Strange turned out to be a Skrull.

I notice that everyone is saying that Fury went away to hide because he didn't know who to trust. But if you knew there was an invasion, why would you relinquish a position of power?

I feel pretty confident in saying that the President is a Skrull. But if he is a Skrull, Maria Hill wouldn't be. Or maybe she's some sort of Sleeper Skrull, because if they were both Skrulls, that transcript would probably be a lot different. Maria wouldn't wonder why she was the Director of Shield. She'd know it was for the Skrull invasion.

I'm interested in seeing how the Young Avengers and Runaways fit into this as well...

RE: BB


There's the whole matter of seismic activity on Earth because of what happened on the moon from that battle. So, no Skrull BB.

I doubt the President, just cause that'd be hokey and isolate potentially half the audience by politicizing things.

I agree that Strange is unlikely cause of the Uatu scene.

And Fury stepped down for the reasons others listed above.

I could get behind a Skrull/Symbiote story that ties the two races together. Symbiotes have always had a sort of crappy origin story. That'd be much better.

I've heard theories about Norman Osborn being a Skrull ever since he returned from the Clone Saga. Then he'd be revealed as a Skrull, but he would continue antagonizing Spider-Man. That way, everyone wins: Amazing Spider-Man #122 is validated once again, with Osborn being dead, and Spider-Man still has a goblin-ish enemy to fight (the Green Goblin already sort of looks like a Skrull when in costume). I could *almost* get behind that, I think, but I have no idea why a Skrull would go through so much trouble to torment Spider-Man.

Well, like I've said before. You're the Skrulls and you're trying to make a real deal play to take Earth. But how many times have you been undone personally by some random hero? Not a Captain Marvel or Thor, but a Rick Jones (that guy should be legendary in the Skrull culture) so to speak. How many times have you heard of other plots getting overturned by someone that surely doesn't rate as a threat? Do you take time to go ahead and cover all the bases or just the big obvious things in the standard super-villain way? I don't know. But I don't think we should rule out Skrulls being beside just about anyone and in just about any type of organization.

As for Osborn, he can get a lot done. He severely disorients Spider-man, he has access to financial capitol, and his name means a lot to people in the business world who likely aren't fully in the know about the activities of the Green Goblin (see Tony Stark's remarks on OSborn in the Civil War Files). The only thing though is that Osborn is insane. Now is that because, like I've said, if you are a Skrull then you have to do everything that the person you have to do everything they would do? Such as being nervous about getting appointed director of SHIELD or being really eccentric. But then there was the whole "Final Chapter" story that happened where Osborn received the gift of crazy rather than the gift of ultimate power like he was hoping for. Something to think about...

Also bear in mind, if Osborn is suspect, the explanation given for the return of Aunt May...just saying.

Well, like I've said before. Your the Skrulls and you're trying to make a real deal play to take Earth. But how many times have you been undone personally by some random hero? Not a Captain Marvel or Thor, but a Rick Jones (that guy should be legendary in the Skrull culture) so to speak. How many times have you heard of other plots getting overturned by someone that surely doesn't rate as a threat? Do you take time to go ahead and cover all the bases or just the big obvious things in the standard super-villain way? I don't know. But I don't think we should rule out Skrulls being beside just about anyone and in just about any type of organization.

As for Osborn, he can get a lot done. He severely disorients Spider-man, he has access to financial capitol, and his name means a lot to people in the business world who likely aren't fully in the know about the activities of the Green Goblin (see Tony Stark's remarks on OSborn in the Civil War Files). The only thing though is that Osborn is insane. Now is that because, like I've said, if you are a Skrull then you have to do everything that the person you have to do everything they would do? Such as being nervous about getting appointed director of SHIELD or being really eccentric. But then there was the whole "Final Chapter" story that happened where Osborn received the gift of crazy rather than the gift of ultimate power like he was hoping for. Something to think about...

Also bear in mind, if Osborn is suspect, the explanation given for the return of Aunt May...just saying.

Osborne was also heavily involved in the big business/villain conspiracy that Millar laid out in his Spider-man run, which was another way of keeping the heroes focused elsewhere and occupied...

Oh hey.. GREEN Goblin.

..

Just kidding.

Ellis would have fun writing a Skrull going mad having to imitate someone so boring.

And now, more New Avengers silliness. Today I'm taking a look at New Avengers #11-13, the Hand/HYDRA storyline. Relevant bits of conversation transcripted:

First, we have a meeting between the Silver Samurai, the Hand and Madame Hydra. As it turns out, the Samurai had been wrongfully imprisoned at the Raft by SHIELD, and the people in charge of the Hand took advantage of the breakout situation to sneak him out of the country. It is Matt Murdock's theory that the Hand is looking to take control of the Japanese underworld, which is in disarray and without a clear leader right now, and they plan to use the Silver Samurai (at least as a figurehead), who has a great reputation and following within the Japanese mobs, to establish their presence as a major player within the Japanese criminal element.

The Samurai is surprised that he's been sneaked out of the country. He didn't expect it. Whilst the Hand is having a ceremony in which they hand the Samurai his costume and weapons, Madame Hydra arrives. The following exchanges take place:

(Words written between <> means the characters are speaking Japanese)

Silver Samurai: <Why were you looking for me? I don't understand.>
Viper: Well, that's because you don't understand how the new world works. SHIELD has fallen apart. It's rotten from the inside. I tell you - as much as I wanted Nick Fury's blood on my hands as he gurgled his last breath...you have to admire the fact that he kept SHIELD together by sheer force of will. Without him...rotten.
Samurai: Madame Hydra.
Viper: That's how you, the Silver Samurai, can be pulled off a private plane and detained without anyone knowing what happened. They're rotten. And HYDRA, my HYDRA, is even worse off. "Cut off one of our heads and two more will grow in its place". Well, it seems that lately that means one head goes this way and the other head goes that way. It sickens me on a profound level. My entire life dedicated to an ideal that is being twisted into itself by selfish amateurs. Now HYDRA has become a group without meaning or purpose. Not being able to adapt itself to the future. That's why I am so very glad to see you again, Kenny.
Viper kisses Harada, who then pushes her away.

Viper: Don't be that way, Ken.
Samurai: I have no idea what is going on here or what you people want from me.
Viper: I know.
Hand ninja: <Sir, my pardons.>
Hand guy: <What is it?>
Ninja: <There's an intruder in the east wing.>
Guy: <Well...take care of it. Bring him here.>
Silver Samurai: <They followed me here from the States.>
The intruder is of course Ronin, aka Maya López, who was spying on the ceremony but was spotted by the Hand. She tries to escape, and is chased by the Hand ninjas across the city. Eventually she makes it into Tony Stark's penthouse in Japan, where the New Avengers are gathered. Ronin informs the Avengers about the ceremony, and then a horde of ninjas arrive. They begin fighting.

Meanwhile, the ceremony continues:

Silver Samurai: Why was I arrested?
Hand guy: You were not arrested.
Viper: You were kidnapped.
Guy: Held against your will.
Samurai: Why?
Guy: My guess is SHIELD was going to figure out a way to use you...and if they couldn't, they were going to kill you.
Samurai: Why me?
Viper: Because anyone trying to use the mighty SHIELD to power broker anything in this world...should be, and obviously was, terrified something just like this conversation taking place. Right here. Your name and your name alone controls the entire Japanese underworld...the only thing stopping you from running it is your willingness to. And I'm telling you, from a base the size of the House of Yashida - from your strong arm over this country - we can build a power base against them. The Hand is the fist - you are the arm--
Samurai: And you're the brain?
Viper: We all are.
Samurai: Who? Who would we be "powering up" to fight?
Viper: HYDRA and SHIELD. More to the point, the people who are really running it.
Samurai: And who is that?
Viper: I'll tell you once I know I can trust you again. You're not exactly oozing trustworthiness here.
Samurai: Because I know that look, Viper. That's the look you make when you play your games.
Viper: It's the face I make when I know I'm right. We're here to save you. The system we were fighting against - SHIELD - and the system we were using to fight against it - HYDRA - are rotting. A new worldwide corporate power struggle for this generation is going to form in its place. And I'm saying you need to reevaluate your place in this world. Because either you step up or they're going to assassinate you. You have to make a life decision here, Kenny.
After that, the conversation is interrupted by a Hand ninja, who informs everyone that the ninjas are chasing Ronin and fighting the Avengers. Viper and the Hand guy order the ninjas to stand down. The ninjas fighting the Avengers leave, and Spider-Woman goes after them. She finds Madame Hydra all by herself in Castle Yashida, and they talk about how HYDRA owns Jessica and all that. The Avengers arrive, and Viper orders Jessica to zap her with her venom blast thingy, and to let her go when she tells her. The Avengers catch up to Jessica, and she makes up excuses for why she left and all that. Then the Silver Samurai and a bunch of Hand ninjas appear out of nowhere.

The Hand is eager to attack the Avengers, but the Samurai doesn't want to. After the Hand guy presses the issue, Harada kills him and a bunch of ninjas. Before everyone can begin fighting again, Iron Man takes out all the ninjas with a repulsor blast. Then Harada and the Avengers start talking about how he was kidnapped by SHIELD:

Captain America: We came here to find out what you were going to do. What had happened--
Silver Samurai: That--I guess that all depends on why I was kidnapped by your government.
Cap: You were not kidnapped by the United States government. There is something wrong with SHIELD, and we're trying to piece it together quickly. It would be a huge help if you told us exactly what happened to you.
Samurai: A month ago, I went to sleep in my private plane and woke up in a dark cell in the Raft prison. I didn't even know I was in New York until the prison riot. I got the hell out of there, only to be instantly picked up by members of the Hand, who told me they were Japanese Secret Service for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, escorting me out of the country. I was brought here, to my ancestral home...so the Hand and HYDRA could take turns rubbing my back - telling me how this is where it will all start for them in this new world power structure. And now here you all are. Hi, Jessica.
Spider-Woman: HYDRA and the Hand together?
Samurai: Madame Hydra there said SHIELD is rotten and so is HYDRA. Is she right?
Spider-Woman: Like the man said, we're still putting it together.
That's the extent of any conversations that might seem a little fishy, or Skrully, in New Avengers #11-13. The Skrulls have apparently taken control of both SHIELD and HYDRA, for whatever reason, and it seems it was them who told the Savage Land mutates to get Sauron out of prison. It's all a matter of why, though. This is what's most glaring right now, I think.

RE: BB


There's the whole matter of seismic activity on Earth because of what happened on the moon from that battle. So, no Skrull BB.

I doubt the President, just cause that'd be hokey and isolate potentially half the audience by politicizing things.

I agree that Strange is unlikely cause of the Uatu scene.

And Fury stepped down for the reasons others listed above.


Honestly I don't think making the president a Skrull would be that polarizing. I mean, it's not like they're bashing him or anything. It's just a vehicle to the story.

Another thing occurred to me. If Tony did know that the Skrull invasion was going on, don't you think he'd try to be less alienating of renegade heroes? And wouldn't he have really tried hard to keep Nova on earth to help out?

Wonder if Titannus will be involved at all in this then again nothing so "secret" about a giant hulk sized Skrull who can beat the green giant down.

Osborne was also heavily involved in the big business/villain conspiracy that Millar laid out in his Spider-man run, which was another way of keeping the heroes focused elsewhere and occupied...

Wow, I forgot about that. I do recall not particularly caring for what was suggested, but it probably warrants a second look now.

On-going theme:
Organizations in disarray, newcomers trying to take over things.

- Hydra
- SHIELD
- Kingpin's Underground
- Damage Control (?)
- The Raft (?)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raft_(comics)
(not the best source I know..)

[...]
A number of prisoners seen in the Raft are characters who had undergone numerous changes in appearances[1] or characterization (such as Silver Samurai); however, in New Avengers they are portrayed as having reverted to their earlier appearances and behaviors. The reason for this mass reversion is not explained. Furthermore, many of the inmates were previously believed to have died in past stoylines, such as Cutthroat and Graviton. Various Marvel creators, including writer Bendis, have stressed that these behavioral and physical anomalies are not continuity errors, but the grist of a future storyline.
[...]

Osborne was also heavily involved in the big business/villain conspiracy that Millar laid out in his Spider-man run, which was another way of keeping the heroes focused elsewhere and occupied...

Ooh, that's actually pretty good...

And now, more New Avengers silliness. Today I'm taking a look at New Avengers #11-13, the Hand/HYDRA storyline. Relevant bits of conversation transcripted:

First, we have a meeting between the Silver Samurai, the Hand and Madame Hydra. As it turns out, the Samurai had been wrongfully imprisoned at the Raft by SHIELD, and the people in charge of the Hand took advantage of the breakout situation to sneak him out of the country. It is Matt Murdock's theory that the Hand is looking to take control of the Japanese underworld, which is in disarray and without a clear leader right now, and they plan to use the Silver Samurai (at least as a figurehead), who has a great reputation and following within the Japanese mobs, to establish their presence as a major player within the Japanese criminal element.

The Samurai is surprised that he's been sneaked out of the country. He didn't expect it. Whilst the Hand is having a ceremony in which they hand the Samurai his costume and weapons, Madame Hydra arrives. The following exchanges take place:

(Words written between <> means the characters are speaking Japanese)

Silver Samurai: <Why were you looking for me? I don't understand.>
Viper: Well, that's because you don't understand how the new world works. SHIELD has fallen apart. It's rotten from the inside. I tell you - as much as I wanted Nick Fury's blood on my hands as he gurgled his last breath...you have to admire the fact that he kept SHIELD together by sheer force of will. Without him...rotten.
Samurai: Madame Hydra.
Viper: That's how you, the Silver Samurai, can be pulled off a private plane and detained without anyone knowing what happened. They're rotten. And HYDRA, my HYDRA, is even worse off. "Cut off one of our heads and two more will grow in its place". Well, it seems that lately that means one head goes this way and the other head goes that way. It sickens me on a profound level. My entire life dedicated to an ideal that is being twisted into itself by selfish amateurs. Now HYDRA has become a group without meaning or purpose. Not being able to adapt itself to the future. That's why I am so very glad to see you again, Kenny.
Viper kisses Harada, who then pushes her away.

Viper: Don't be that way, Ken.
Samurai: I have no idea what is going on here or what you people want from me.
Viper: I know.
Hand ninja: <Sir, my pardons.>
Hand guy: <What is it?>
Ninja: <There's an intruder in the east wing.>
Guy: <Well...take care of it. Bring him here.>
Silver Samurai: <They followed me here from the States.>
The intruder is of course Ronin, aka Maya López, who was spying on the ceremony but was spotted by the Hand. She tries to escape, and is chased by the Hand ninjas across the city. Eventually she makes it into Tony Stark's penthouse in Japan, where the New Avengers are gathered. Ronin informs the Avengers about the ceremony, and then a horde of ninjas arrive. They begin fighting.

Meanwhile, the ceremony continues:

Silver Samurai: Why was I arrested?
Hand guy: You were not arrested.
Viper: You were kidnapped.
Guy: Held against your will.
Samurai: Why?
Guy: My guess is SHIELD was going to figure out a way to use you...and if they couldn't, they were going to kill you.
Samurai: Why me?
Viper: Because anyone trying to use the mighty SHIELD to power broker anything in this world...should be, and obviously was, terrified something just like this conversation taking place. Right here. Your name and your name alone controls the entire Japanese underworld...the only thing stopping you from running it is your willingness to. And I'm telling you, from a base the size of the House of Yashida - from your strong arm over this country - we can build a power base against them. The Hand is the fist - you are the arm--
Samurai: And you're the brain?
Viper: We all are.
Samurai: Who? Who would we be "powering up" to fight?
Viper: HYDRA and SHIELD. More to the point, the people who are really running it.
Samurai: And who is that?
Viper: I'll tell you once I know I can trust you again. You're not exactly oozing trustworthiness here.
Samurai: Because I know that look, Viper. That's the look you make when you play your games.
Viper: It's the face I make when I know I'm right. We're here to save you. The system we were fighting against - SHIELD - and the system we were using to fight against it - HYDRA - are rotting. A new worldwide corporate power struggle for this generation is going to form in its place. And I'm saying you need to reevaluate your place in this world. Because either you step up or they're going to assassinate you. You have to make a life decision here, Kenny.
After that, the conversation is interrupted by a Hand ninja, who informs everyone that the ninjas are chasing Ronin and fighting the Avengers. Viper and the Hand guy order the ninjas to stand down. The ninjas fighting the Avengers leave, and Spider-Woman goes after them. She finds Madame Hydra all by herself in Castle Yashida, and they talk about how HYDRA owns Jessica and all that. The Avengers arrive, and Viper orders Jessica to zap her with her venom blast thingy, and to let her go when she tells her. The Avengers catch up to Jessica, and she makes up excuses for why she left and all that. Then the Silver Samurai and a bunch of Hand ninjas appear out of nowhere.

The Hand is eager to attack the Avengers, but the Samurai doesn't want to. After the Hand guy presses the issue, Harada kills him and a bunch of ninjas. Before everyone can begin fighting again, Iron Man takes out all the ninjas with a repulsor blast. Then Harada and the Avengers start talking about how he was kidnapped by SHIELD:

Captain America: We came here to find out what you were going to do. What had happened--
Silver Samurai: That--I guess that all depends on why I was kidnapped by your government.
Cap: You were not kidnapped by the United States government. There is something wrong with SHIELD, and we're trying to piece it together quickly. It would be a huge help if you told us exactly what happened to you.
Samurai: A month ago, I went to sleep in my private plane and woke up in a dark cell in the Raft prison. I didn't even know I was in New York until the prison riot. I got the hell out of there, only to be instantly picked up by members of the Hand, who told me they were Japanese Secret Service for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, escorting me out of the country. I was brought here, to my ancestral home...so the Hand and HYDRA could take turns rubbing my back - telling me how this is where it will all start for them in this new world power structure. And now here you all are. Hi, Jessica.
Spider-Woman: HYDRA and the Hand together?
Samurai: Madame Hydra there said SHIELD is rotten and so is HYDRA. Is she right?
Spider-Woman: Like the man said, we're still putting it together.
That's the extent of any conversations that might seem a little fishy, or Skrully, in New Avengers #11-13. The Skrulls have apparently taken control of both SHIELD and HYDRA, for whatever reason, and it seems it was them who told the Savage Land mutates to get Sauron out of prison. It's all a matter of why, though. This is what's most glaring right now, I think.

So, I guess this can mean that Madame Hydra is aware of the Skrulls or at least some subversive things going on in the organization. I now wish I didn't trade away my issues of Secret Wars...

This does nothing but get me more and more jazzed for this event.

I would really like to know what other writers have been planting stuff along the way.

Does Millar's Spider-Man run really have stuff involved?

I also think the president can easily have a hand in it.

So, I guess this can mean that Madame Hydra is aware of the Skrulls or at least some subversive things going on in the organization. I now wish I didn't trade away my issues of Secret Wars...

It absolutely means that Madame Hydra is having similar or worse problems as SHIELD. Wonder who had the problems first? Let this be a reminder to rethink what all we've seen from Baron Strucker in the past couple years.

After that, the Avengers gather around t discuss what happened:

Luke: What a load of--
Iron Man: We need to talk fast. There's more to this.
Spider-Man: More??
Iron Man: While we've been running around, I've had my computer systems analyzing all the data from the Raft's files. The prison. The files SHIELD gave us access to...were tampered with. Incomplete. So I plugged what they gave me into Avengers Mansion's old databases. Which obviously they don't know are still up

and running...
Cap: And?
Iron Man: As far as I can tell, at least 14 of those prisoners supposedly died years ago. They are legally dead. Yet there they were, locked away in a SHIELD facility prison.


Now that's skrully...

Now that's skrully...

Cobalt Man had died at some point, right? But there he was in Civil War #1. I don't know a lot about the character, but I thought he had died someplace.

What about Sentry?

I mean....

What about him? He was in there, too. Does he really do anything spectacular besides whine?


das

What about Sentry?

I mean....

What about him? He was in there, too. Does he really do anything spectacular besides whine?


das

Well, he's like the most powerful superhero in the world. On the one hand, it would make a lot of sense if the Sentry wasn't real and just turned out to be a Skrull (sketchy backstory, vague recollection of events, etc.), it'd be pretty easy to do given his mental state and all that. On the other, I imagine it must be pretty damn hard to emulate his powers, being that they're so vast and apparently limitless. Gotta wonder why the Skrulls would even bother infiltrating and crap when they have arsenal of that magnitude.

This does nothing but get me more and more jazzed for this event.

I would really like to know what other writers have been planting stuff along the way.

Does Millar's Spider-Man run really have stuff involved?

I also think the president can easily have a hand in it.

The Prez is easily a part of this. Secret War his attitude was SCREAMING at me that something was up.

Well, he's like the most powerful superhero in the world. On the one hand, it would make a lot of sense if the Sentry wasn't real and just turned out to be a Skrull (sketchy backstory, vague recollection of events, etc.), it'd be pretty easy to do given his mental state and all that. On the other, I imagine it must be pretty damn hard to emulate his powers, being that they're so vast and apparently limitless. Gotta wonder why the Skrulls would even bother infiltrating and crap when they have arsenal of that magnitude.

Sentry is not a skrull...but his past does tie into the secret invasion. One of the flashbacks done in silver age style during the Sentry arc had him fighting the void and it ends with them seeing a spacecraft descending from the heavens.

Well, he's like the most powerful superhero in the world. On the one hand, it would make a lot of sense if the Sentry wasn't real and just turned out to be a Skrull (sketchy backstory, vague recollection of events, etc.), it'd be pretty easy to do given his mental state and all that. On the other, I imagine it must be pretty damn hard to emulate his powers, being that they're so vast and apparently limitless. Gotta wonder why the Skrulls would even bother infiltrating and crap when they have arsenal of that magnitude.


But - has he done anything really spectacular? I mean, he was supposed to take Wolverine down, and we expected this big fight, and all he did was knock him out. Has Sentry done anything that couldn't be explained away as Super Skrully, or enhanced by the...Tinkerer???....or powered by an outside source?

das

What about Sentry?

I mean....

What about him? He was in there, too. Does he really do anything spectacular besides whine?


das

My coworkers wants us to all be looking at Lindy Reynolds. She's not been around much, but she's not really been helpful and supportive of the Marvel universe's most powerful and fragile super hero. If Lindy isn't right then that had a HUGE effect on the Sentry. Some of the most powerful heroes have been weakened, distracted, removed from the planet, etc. Some of the most powerful teams and organizations have been distracted and even disbanded. At odds with one another even. Something to think about.

My coworkers wants us to all be looking at Lindy Reynolds. She's not been around much, but she's not really been helpful and supportive of the Marvel universe's most powerful and fragile super hero. If Lindy isn't right then that had a HUGE effect on the Sentry. Some of the most powerful heroes have been weakened, distracted, removed from the planet, etc. Some of the most powerful teams and organizations have been distracted and even disbanded. At odds with one another even. Something to think about.

You mean the Lindy that Ultron killed last issue in MA?

But - has he done anything really spectacular? I mean, he was supposed to take Wolverine down, and we expected this big fight, and all he did was knock him out. Has Sentry done anything that couldn't be explained away as Super Skrully, or enhanced by the...Tinkerer???....or powered by an outside source?

das

Flying into space and ripping apart Carnage? Or that big ass tower that appeared? I don't think Sentry is a Skrull...

But - has he done anything really spectacular? I mean, he was supposed to take Wolverine down, and we expected this big fight, and all he did was knock him out. Has Sentry done anything that couldn't be explained away as Super Skrully, or enhanced by the...Tinkerer???....or powered by an outside source?

das

Yeah, he's done a lot of impressive things. He had Iron Man on the ropes pretty easily in Iron Man #11, and he made the Absorbing Man absorb so much energy that he exploded (if I recall correctly that's only happened when the Absorbing Man tried to absorb the energy of a planet). He took away Terrax's axe with a single hand and broke it, and he's flown to the sun and back apparently in minutes. He ripped Carnage in half. As the Void, he also broke every single bone in the Hulk's body with ease. And in WWH, he's seemingly the only guy powerful enough to fight the Hulk, who has so far beaten down all the Marvel heroes pretty easily.

You mean the Lindy that Ultron killed last issue in MA?

Supposedly killed. That's not over yet.

Yeah, he's done a lot of impressive things. He had Iron Man on the ropes pretty easily in Iron Man #11, and he made the Absorbing Man absorb so much energy that he exploded (if I recall correctly that's only happened when the Absorbing Man tried to absorb the energy of a planet). He took away Terrax's axe with a single hand and broke it, and he's flown to the sun and back apparently in minutes. He ripped Carnage in half. As the Void, he also broke every single bone in the Hulk's body with ease. And in WWH, he's seemingly the only guy powerful enough to fight the Hulk, who has so far beaten down all the Marvel heroes pretty easily.

Oh, also, add to all this the Sentry's other powers. The stuff with light manipulation, telepathic powers and apparently, the ability to heal people all Christ, like.

You mean the Lindy that Ultron killed last issue in MA?

Let the arc finish.

Let the arc finish.

Tell that to your co-worker.

It absolutely means that Madame Hydra is having similar or worse problems as SHIELD. Wonder who had the problems first? Let this be a reminder to rethink what all we've seen from Baron Strucker in the past couple years.

Well, to be fair, Hydra's always had different factions fighting for control over the years, right?

What with AIM becoming a splinter faction, Strucker doing his thing, etc.


Despite his reorganization of the group, various independent HYDRA factions continue to operate around the Marvel Universe, and a HYDRA Civil War would later result. While Baron Helmut Zemo had Strucker placed in stasis for his own ends, Gorgon and Strucker's second wife Elsbeth von Strucker mystically created a clone of Strucker who they set up to fail, allowing for a public execution of him, after which - as part of an alliance with the Hand, they utilised an army of brainwashed superheroes and supervillains, including Northstar and Elektra to launch a massive assault on SHIELD. The assault was ultimately repelled and Wolverine would kill Gorgon.

But - has he done anything really spectacular? I mean, he was supposed to take Wolverine down, and we expected this big fight, and all he did was knock him out. Has Sentry done anything that couldn't be explained away as Super Skrully, or enhanced by the...Tinkerer???....or powered by an outside source?

das

EDIT: Duplicate info.

He took down Terrax single handedly.. literally.

Although, if he was a Skrull, having Hulk kill him would be a nice reveal.

It won't happen though as WWH's ending doesn't seem to match up with that.

And there's the rumor of Banner and Reynolds facing off sans powers potentially.

poop. I really wanted the Sentry to be skrully.

What about what'shisname....Ares? Can he be skrully? All he wants to do is kill anti-regs....

das

And in WWH, he's seemingly the only guy powerful enough to fight the Hulk, who has so far beaten down all the Marvel heroes pretty easily.

RE: President Skrull?

It'd be counter productive to the Skrulls plans to stop the Hulk at this point.

Supposedly killed. That's not over yet.

SPOILERS

Solicits say it's a sure thing. And dovetails into WWH. He's a mess.

http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?category=AVENGERS

MIGHTY AVENGERS # 5
The Story: Iron Man has been destroyed, the Sentry's wife is murdered, nuclear missiles are being launched around the world and the one man with the plan to stop the new and improved Ultron...is a God of War who's been an Avenger a total of five minutes.

SPOILERS

Solicits say it's a sure thing. And dovetails into WWH. He's a mess.

http://www.marvel.com/catalog/?category=AVENGERS

MIGHTY AVENGERS # 5
The Story: Iron Man has been destroyed, the Sentry's wife is murdered, nuclear missiles are being launched around the world and the one man with the plan to stop the new and improved Ultron...is a God of War who's been an Avenger a total of five minutes.
Trust me, let the arc finish. ;)

Trust me, let the arc finish. ;)

Trust no one.

;)

Unless you're someone who's proven to have a good record with these things, I'm not buying it.

These arcs are pre-WWH. And Sentry in WWH is a total wreck.

So unless you've got some proof you wanna spill the beans on..

EDIT: Duplicate info.

He took down Terrax single handedly.. literally.

Although, if he was a Skrull, having Hulk kill him would be a nice reveal.

It won't happen though as WWH's ending doesn't seem to match up with that.

And there's the rumor of Banner and Reynolds facing off sans powers potentially.
They've already revealed the ending to WWH?

Trust me, let the arc finish. ;)
Indeed.

Trust no one.

;)

Unless you're someone who's proven to have a good record with these things, I'm not buying it.

These arcs are pre-WWH. And Sentry in WWH is a total wreck.

So unless you've got some proof you wanna spill the beans on..

Back when they revealed the solicits to Mighty Avengers #7, they also revealed some inked, uncolored preview pages for the issue, drawn by Mark Bagley. In the pages, we see all the Mighty Avengers in costume, having a get together of sorts, sitting around a table and having what seems like a toast. The Sentry is there, sitting at the far corner of the table, talking to a light-haired (such as blond) woman in plain-clothes. We don't know who she is, or when the scene in question takes place, but as it is, it's possible that she might be Lindy.

Trust no one.

;)

Unless you're someone who's proven to have a good record with these things, I'm not buying it.

These arcs are pre-WWH. And Sentry in WWH is a total wreck.

So unless you've got some proof you wanna spill the beans on..
Actually, I have a terrible track record. I was one of the guys saying that there's no way in hell they were going to kill Cap in Civil War. :p

However, in the Sentry case...
I made the mistake of clicking on a preview for Mighty Avengers #7, and got accidentally spoiled. Trust me.

Actually, I have a terrible track record. I was one of the guys saying that there's no way in hell they were going to kill Cap in Civil War. :p

Technically, you were right.

They've already revealed the ending to WWH?


Well, there's a 50/50 chance anyone could guess, but yeah, in the Gamma Files handbook that was released, gave vague details.


Back when they revealed the solicits to Mighty Avengers #7, they also revealed some inked, uncolored preview pages for the issue, drawn by Mark Bagley. In the pages, we see all the Mighty Avengers in costume, having a get together of sorts, sitting around a table and having what seems like a toast. The Sentry is there, sitting at the far corner of the table, talking to a light-haired (such as blond) woman in plain-clothes. We don't know who she is, or when the scene in question takes place, but as it is, it's possible that she might be Lindy.


That's all that needs to be said right there :)

There was that leaked page that had Daredevil with the Avengers that had everyone convinced he was Ronin.

It's possible, but it'd be such a cop out if she survives.

Another thing occurred to me. If Tony did know that the Skrull invasion was going on, don't you think he'd try to be less alienating of renegade heroes? And wouldn't he have really tried hard to keep Nova on earth to help out?Stark's claim was that the government was prepared to launch Sentinels against the heroes if he was unable to make SHRA work. If true, he had to pick between the lesser of two evils. Under which set of circumstances would the Earth be more vulnerable to what ever sorts of problems he had become aware of.

A wild guess - but MAYBE...MAYBE Hill is NOT a Skrull....

if not, then I'm guessin' the world leaders ARE. Just hear me out....

End of NA#25:

Hill: - "You hate me because I was handpicked by the leaders of the free world to do this job...when there're seventy-five people that are more qualified and deserving than me."

Stark: - "Only seventy-five? sorry."

Hill: - "No you aren't. I want to say this...you ever see A Few Good Men?"

Stark: - "The movie?"

Hill: - "The movie."

Stark: - "I have a very expensive suit of armor with roller skates. I don't much find the need for movies."

Hill: "I saw it last night. It's a movie about a young hustler of a lawyer who is given a case waaaay out of his league. And finally he asks himself why was a lawyer who plea-bargains every case given this important case? Could it be so that it never sees the inside of a court? I thought about this -- then I asked myself...why was I, a low-ranking SHIELD agent working the Madripoor outpost, with no leadership experience, and no connections to any of you, given Nick Fury's job? Guess what? I shouldn't have this job. And I don't want it. And, really, there's only one person, other than Fury, who should have this job."

Stark: - "Who?"

Hill: - "You. And wouldn't that piss off all the right people."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay - Damn good question. WHY was Hill given this job by the 'leaders of the free world?" It certainly looks as if they want SHIELD to fail. IF Hill is a Skrull, WHY would she want Stark to take over this powerful position - a position that - if she WAS a Skrull - would have given her nearly absolute power over everything? And with Stark as the head of SHIELD - who are the 'right people' it would piss off? The leaders who were hoping to bring it down? Why would world leaders want to destroy the agency that helps protect the world, unless, of course, those leaders had been replaced by Skrulls? No super powers needed to be a president.

This is the only place where I can imagine that Hill is NOT a Skrull. Sure, that 'feeling out of my skin' comment certainly seems to be Skrully, but if she is - WHY give power over to Stark, unless that is somehow part of their plan. Keep him close to keep an eye on him. That's the only thing I can think of that keeps her skrully in this scene.

das

Reading everything I had an idea what if the Skulls that took over for someone were real sleeper agents meaning that they dont even know that they are Skulls until given a command to awaken. This is the only way I can see them being able to not be dettected by mind readers. Also if Reed had been replaced this would explain things he did as he would act like Reed not knowing he was a Skull.

At the end of PULSE #8 Jessica is kidnapped by Hydra.

At the beginning of PULSE #9, as soon as she wakes up, the Hydra agent says, "Your baby is fine."

could they have done something to her while she was passed out?

In New Avengers #34...they never show the baby's true soul!

SKRULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Jessica is involved, I'd say Canada is the best time to have done something to her.

Reading everything I had an idea what if the Skulls that took over for someone were real sleeper agents meaning that they dont even know that they are Skulls until given a command to awaken. This is the only way I can see them being able to not be dettected by mind readers. Also if Reed had been replaced this would explain things he did as he would act like Reed not knowing he was a Skull.

You see, thats why I think that the recent spell Dr. Strange cast doesn't mean a damn thing. If the Skrulls actually believe that they are the person they're pretending to be, then their soul would reflect that.

I think the most recent spell Dr. Strange whipped up worked. I don't think any of the New Avengers or Jessica Jones are Skrulls, but that still leaves Wong and perhaps the baby, who didn't participate in the spell.

'course, it's also possible that that was just a light show or something and that Strange himself is a Skrull.

Although if it was just a light show it's a bit weird how the Skrulls apparently got all the characters right...I imagine they would have had to gather, like, A LOT of intel...

Although if it was just a light show it's a bit weird how the Skrulls apparently got all the characters right...I imagine they would have had to gather, like, A LOT of intel...

Which is why the theory of Tony knowing all along is popular.

Since he's made a play for heading up SHIELD and getting everyone's secrets.

He'll know how best to organize and deploy them, keep an eye on them, and imprison aliens in 42, etc.

From an earlier thread:

Actually, if Tony was aware of a Skrull invasion (all the hints of him suggesting 'they' might be listening) then the Hulk was a huge wildcard.

He knew sides would be drawn over the SHRA, and if the Hulk was around (likely against the SHRA if he could be bothered) it'd tip the balance way too far in the anti-reg camp. Not to mention it'd be like tossing fuel on the fire and the SHRA would be even worse.

So, he nabbed the database for himself only (to prevent Skrulls from knowing everyone's IDs/backgrounds for infiltration purposes), set up a prision to house Skrulls (away from Earth -- cause really, why not house the prison on Earth or in orbit around Earth?) and placed Capt Marvel in charge of said prison for that reason.

All in all, if any of this is true, then Tony just became one of the biggest, if not biggest tragic heroes in Marvel or DC. I'm talking Hamlet type tragedy. He knows, but can't tell anyone, he chooses to become the villian, burns bridges, loses friends even watches one die as a result of all of this, almost causes a world disaster (WWH), and it's all because he's trying to prevent something sinister from happening.

It'll be interesting if he gets some injury during WWH to require him to wear the armor again. And from a literary perspective, make him even more into a Christ-like figure.

Hrm, here's a thought..

How can they detect the Skrulls?

Wanda's magic seemed to have some effect on things during Disassembled.

Would they risk it? The division lines would be even worse this time, given the ramifications for some (198). And it would make sense why Hawkeye is back again NOW as opposed to later.

Of course, I doubt Bendis would want to risk using Wanda again, after all the ribbing he got for House of M/internet cracking/read it again/etc..

But it's one thought on how they might be able to detect them, if anyone noticed (which I doubt during Assembled)

---

Also, come to think of it.. Rick Jones was in obscurity until WWH brought him back. Nice timing on that one too, considering his role in things last time around.

Hrm, here's a thought..

How can they detect the Skrulls?

Wanda's magic seemed to have some effect on things during Disassembled.

Would they risk it? The division lines would be even worse this time, given the ramifications for some (198). And it would make sense why Hawkeye is back again NOW as opposed to later.

Of course, I doubt Bendis would want to risk using Wanda again, after all the ribbing he got for House of M/internet cracking/read it again/etc..

But it's one thought on how they might be able to detect them, if anyone noticed (which I doubt during Assembled)

---

Also, come to think of it.. Rick Jones was in obscurity until WWH brought him back. Nice timing on that one too, considering his role in things last time around.

I had a fairly ingenious idea for how to see if they were skrulls or not that would be full proof.

Dr Strange could use a spell to stop someone's heart for a couple dozen seconds or so then bring them back to life, if the only way to tell if someone is a Skrull is for them to die, then have them die for the shortest time possible, see if they change, then bring them back if not a skrull.

Bacony goodness for all!

Death by heartattack!

No more bacon.

Nick Fury has to know about the Skulls it explains him being gone so long. But does that mean Spider woman knows since she has been working for him?

Nick Fury has to know about the Skulls it explains him being gone so long. But does that mean Spider woman knows since she has been working for him?

It's weird how Spider-Woman's relationship with Nick Fury apparently disappeared. Especially since she was on Cap's side in the Civil War and Fury was working with them.

It's weird how Spider-Woman's relationship with Nick Fury apparently disappeared. Especially since she was on Cap's side in the Civil War and Fury was working with them.
The relationship has disappeared because Nick Fury has disappeared. He's been underground since Civil War.

Presumably when Fury comes out from the underground during Secret Invasion, maybe they'll go back to addressing their relationship.

The relationship has disappeared because Nick Fury has disappeared. He's been underground since Civil War.

Presumably when Fury comes out from the underground during Secret Invasion, maybe they'll go back to addressing their relationship.

He's still working with Agent 13, the Falcon and Bucky, though. It's just weird that he'd apparently leave the remnants of Cap's forces like that, seemingly with no explanation.

This is an event like they should be: all orchestrated by one writer. All the seeds have been planted in Bendis' stories.

He's still working with Agent 13, the Falcon and Bucky, though. It's just weird that he'd apparently leave the remnants of Cap's forces like that, seemingly with no explanation.

its prolly realyl hard for him to contact them.
I mean, in NA before the CW, he talked to them through Jess' phone.
Jess prolly left that in her apartment in the wake of CW, thus leaving a means to communicate with Fury gone.

its prolly realyl hard for him to contact them.
I mean, in NA before the CW, he talked to them through Jess' phone.
Jess prolly left that in her apartment in the wake of CW, thus leaving a means to communicate with Fury gone.

He might have contacted Spider-Woman for all we know and it just hasn't been shown on panel yet.

EDIT: duplicate.

After reading WWH number 4 I really think Reed is the Skrull.

Boy, is everyone going to be pissed at the Hulk if it turns out he brought Skrulls to Earth.

I have kind of missed the midle of this thread but from the most recent posts I dont think anyone has brought this up...

Waht if SpiderWoman is a Skrull ?

She did take the Skrull from the Avengers that found it. From that point on NA was going to have internal issue becasue everyone would be second guessing eachother. Time to get out of Dodge before any weaknes in her story could be drawn out.

Going over to Tonys side at thsi point would be good for her. They are the ones that have the power. At this point in time she may want to stop playing the rebel. The secret is out so plans need to be pushed a bit faster.


By bringing the Skrull to TOny she is able to aleviate any fears he might have that she is a Skrull.


Maybe Nick dropped her because he knows who she is ? This is the longest shot but I think the rest of what I have posted has a good shot of happenig.

I think if Spiderwoman was a Skrull she would have tried to keep the dead Skrull from Tony.

How about the Night Nurse?

I just have a feeling about her. A Skrully, kinda tingly, feeling.

She would also get my vote for hottest Skrull.

And it's just gonna wreck the good Dr.

This one is a long shot, but I've been reading some Captain America comics during the last couple of days, and I've noticed...could it be possible that the Red Skull is in cahoots with the Skrulls, or at least aware of their presence? I'm going mostly by what happened in Captain America #24, where Captain America, looking for clues about the Red Skull, investigates a recently abandoned AIM base and stumbles onto HYDRA agents at the scene. Cap notes that the base was quickly abandoned by AIM, just before he or the HYDRA people got there, and mentions that it seems someone in AIM was aware that HYDRA (or at least someone) was coming and alerted the agents working at the base, who quickly abandoned it.

Cap dispatches the HYDRA agents, and the base explodes. Cap says that he has to leave quickly, before SHIELD agents get there, but just as he goes outside the base, he stumbles onto a group of cape-killers. Cap wonders how SHIELD got there so quickly, and then Sharon Carter comes to his rescue by dispatching the cape-killers and getting him out of there. Cap tells Sharon that the SHIELD agents got there awfully quickly, and wonders if Tony is now working with HYDRA, as well. Meanwhile, the Red Skull is talking to Arnin Zola about working together. Zola, who it turns out was in charge of the AIM base, asks the Red Skull how he knew that HYDRA was going to make a move on the base, and the Skull tells him that that is a secret and to mind his own business, basically.

So that was a bit weird. We know that the Skrulls have apparently infiltrated SHIELD and HYDRA, perhaps that could explain how SHIELD got to the scene as quickly as they did. The Red Skull thing, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have much of an explanation. What do you think?

I think if Spiderwoman was a Skrull she would have tried to keep the dead Skrull from Tony.


Not nesecarily. The secret is out now. what better way to look like you are one of the good guys then by turning in the dead body of the ones that has been outed ?

This one is a long shot, but I've been reading some Captain America comics during the last couple of days, and I've noticed...could it be possible that the Red Skull is in cahoots with the Skrulls, or at least aware of their presence? I'm going mostly by what happened in Captain America #24, where Captain America, looking for clues about the Red Skull, investigates a recently abandoned AIM base and stumbles onto HYDRA agents at the scene. Cap notes that the base was quickly abandoned by AIM, just before he or the HYDRA people got there, and mentions that it seems someone in AIM was aware that HYDRA (or at least someone) was coming and alerted the agents working at the base, who quickly abandoned it.

Cap dispatches the HYDRA agents, and the base explodes. Cap says that he has to leave quickly, before SHIELD agents get there, but just as he goes outside the base, he stumbles onto a group of cape-killers. Cap wonders how SHIELD got there so quickly, and then Sharon Carter comes to his rescue by dispatching the cape-killers and getting him out of there. Cap tells Sharon that the SHIELD agents got there awfully quickly, and wonders if Tony is now working with HYDRA, as well. Meanwhile, the Red Skull is talking to Arnin Zola about working together. Zola, who it turns out was in charge of the AIM base, asks the Red Skull how he knew that HYDRA was going to make a move on the base, and the Skull tells him that that is a secret and to mind his own business, basically.

So that was a bit weird. We know that the Skrulls have apparently infiltrated SHIELD and HYDRA, perhaps that could explain how SHIELD got to the scene as quickly as they did. The Red Skull thing, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have much of an explanation. What do you think?


I think your theory has legs. lets see where it goes.

This one is a long shot, but I've been reading some Captain America comics during the last couple of days, and I've noticed...could it be possible that the Red Skull is in cahoots with the Skrulls, or at least aware of their presence? I'm going mostly by what happened in Captain America #24, where Captain America, looking for clues about the Red Skull, investigates a recently abandoned AIM base and stumbles onto HYDRA agents at the scene. Cap notes that the base was quickly abandoned by AIM, just before he or the HYDRA people got there, and mentions that it seems someone in AIM was aware that HYDRA (or at least someone) was coming and alerted the agents working at the base, who quickly abandoned it.

Cap dispatches the HYDRA agents, and the base explodes. Cap says that he has to leave quickly, before SHIELD agents get there, but just as he goes outside the base, he stumbles onto a group of cape-killers. Cap wonders how SHIELD got there so quickly, and then Sharon Carter comes to his rescue by dispatching the cape-killers and getting him out of there. Cap tells Sharon that the SHIELD agents got there awfully quickly, and wonders if Tony is now working with HYDRA, as well. Meanwhile, the Red Skull is talking to Arnin Zola about working together. Zola, who it turns out was in charge of the AIM base, asks the Red Skull how he knew that HYDRA was going to make a move on the base, and the Skull tells him that that is a secret and to mind his own business, basically.

So that was a bit weird. We know that the Skrulls have apparently infiltrated SHIELD and HYDRA, perhaps that could explain how SHIELD got to the scene as quickly as they did. The Red Skull thing, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have much of an explanation. What do you think?

I don't know. To me Red Skull and Dr. Doom would be under the same banner in that they would not want to rule or create a society over run with alien beings. Especially not the Red Skull who really hasn't abandoned all of his old thinking. There may be something to be mined from any and all stories involving AIM/ Hydra over the past few years of course. The Skull is a power player right now but would even he be so bold as to throw in with an alien invasion AND also think that he could somehow overturn it afterwards to come out on top? I dunno...

Something I've been thinking about since the last New Avengers.

When the group were in the hall under Dr. Strange's spell, I noticed that Jessica -- who had the Skrull-eyed baby a few issues back :p -- asked "who's that?" in reference to Spider-Man's vision of himself before he was Spider-Man. Please correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Jessica attend Midtown High with Peter Parker and had a crush on him? Wouldn't she know that was him in the 'image'? Or am I looking too far into things here?

I don't know. To me Red Skull and Dr. Doom would be under the same banner in that they would not want to rule or create a society over run with alien beings. Especially not the Red Skull who really hasn't abandoned all of his old thinking. There may be something to be mined from any and all stories involving AIM/ Hydra over the past few years of course. The Skull is a power player right now but would even he be so bold as to throw in with an alien invasion AND also think that he could somehow overturn it afterwards to come out on top? I dunno...

Like I said, it's a long shot, a pretty big one, but it just struck me as weird that SHIELD got there so fast and that the Skull was aware of HYDRA's movements (and wanted to keep the hows and whys a secret). Um...it wouldn't be possible that maybe he's aware of a way to defeat the Skrulls, would it? That's reaching even farther, but anyway...he's been preparing all these plans and doing secretive stuff for the last three years, and in the issue before last Falcon theorizes that maybe the Skull didn't kill Steve out of a desire for revenge, but because maybe he was planning something big and he couldn't afford to have Captain America around to stop him. Could it be, I dunno...some huge, drastic solution to the Skrull problem, something that will doubtless do a lot of harm not just to the Skrulls, but also to a great number of people as well?

Something I've been thinking about since the last New Avengers.

When the group were in the hall under Dr. Strange's spell, I noticed that Jessica -- who had the Skrull-eyed baby a few issues back :p -- asked "who's that?" in reference to Spider-Man's vision of himself before he was Spider-Man. Please correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Jessica attend Midtown High with Peter Parker and had a crush on him? Wouldn't she know that was him in the 'image'? Or am I looking too far into things here?
I assumed she didn't recognize him because maybe Pete looked a little different in the projection than he did back when they were in high school together. Like say, he looked kinda...um...fat in the projection, and he had a different hairstyle than the one he had in high school, so I figured the Peter in the projection was a few years younger than the one Jessica knew. Jessica knew him when he was fifteen, but the kid in the projection was, let's say, 10.

Like I said, it's a long shot, a pretty big one, but it just struck me as weird that SHIELD got there so fast and that the Skull was aware of HYDRA's movements (and wanted to keep the hows and whys a secret). Um...it wouldn't be possible that maybe he's aware of a way to defeat the Skrulls, would it? That's reaching even farther, but anyway...he's been preparing all these plans and doing secretive stuff for the last three years, and in the issue before last Falcon theorizes that maybe the Skull didn't kill Steve out of a desire for revenge, but because maybe he was planning something big and he couldn't afford to have Captain America around to stop him. Could it be, I dunno...some huge, drastic solution to the Skrull problem, something that will doubtless do a lot of harm not just to the Skrulls, but also to a great number of people as well?

The Secret Invasion should make for all kinds of strange bedfellows, you know? Dr. Doom or the Red Skull could have some over the top solution that is not at all in line with what the good guys are trying or could get behind. There is huge storyline potentials as far as crossover material. Imagine Doom kidnapping the entire cast of a Marvel Comic and putting them through bizarre tests and experiments to see who was real and who is not. How traumatic would that be?

I personally think both Strange and Jessica are serious candidates for skrulls right now. Spider-woman seems WAY too obvious a choice to me, though.

I think one of the Young Avengers will be proven to be a Skrull. I think they made subtle hints in the comic.

I think one of the Young Avengers will be proven to be a Skrull. I think they made subtle hints in the comic.

Hulkling?

I think one of the Young Avengers will be proven to be a Skrull. I think they made subtle hints in the comic.

What would those be?

I personally think both Strange and Jessica are serious candidates for skrulls right now. Spider-woman seems WAY too obvious a choice to me, though.

I think Jessica is, maybe. Dr. Strange I used to think was a pretty big candidate, but it doesn't seem like that anymore. There is still the baby and, I suppose, Wong.

What would those be?
The shapeshifter, the skrulls, the whole Kree and Skrull fight....




:razz:

I personally think both Strange and Jessica are serious candidates for skrulls right now. Spider-woman seems WAY too obvious a choice to me, though.
Yeah, I really hope Drew isn't one. It's like in a movie when a guy appears and you know instantly that they're really a bad guy or something :)


I dunno, I don't really want anyone to be a Skrull. No matter who it is, some good stuff is going to get thrown out the window.

WORLD WAR HULK #4 SPOILERS / CLUE?


That wiccan gal with the green headband, eyes, lipstick.. is she just a loon or is there a hint for SECRET INVASION?

"The seas will run red. Vermin will fall from the skies. A two headed child will be born."

Seas - Atlantis / Civil War
Vermin - Venom invasion in New/Mighty Avengers
Two headed child - ? 198 baby? Danielle Cage?

WORLD WAR HULK #4 SPOILERS / CLUE?


That wiccan gal with the green headband, eyes, lipstick.. is she just a loon or is there a hint for SECRET INVASION?

"The seas will run red. Vermin will fall from the skies. A two headed child will be born."

Seas - Atlantis / Civil War
Vermin - Venom invasion in New/Mighty Avengers
Two headed child - ? 198 baby? Danielle Cage?


Hmmm. That could work.

House of M Captain America possible clue.

A little while ago we discussed the possibility of clues in House of M and one of the theories was to look for people who weren't around in HoM. Well I finally read the issue thanks to the Bru Omnibus. Namor was along with the Invaders in WWII, BUT in the present dayCap's retirement party is attended by Namor's son. Not Namor himself. That's kinda odd. Does anyone know if Namor himself was around for HoM, or was that really his "son" the whole time?

House of M Captain America possible clue.

A little while ago we discussed the possibility of clues in House of M and one of the theories was to look for people who weren't around in HoM. Well I finally read the issue thanks to the Bru Omnibus. Namor was along with the Invaders in WWII, BUT in the present dayCap's retirement party is attended by Namor's son. Not Namor himself. That's kinda odd. Does anyone know if Namor himself was around for HoM, or was that really his "son" the whole time?

I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think Namor was around during House of M. Kitty mentioned him in the second issue, but I don't believe we ever actually saw him (during the present day) at any point during the event.

http://www.marvel.com/universe/Sub-Mariner_(House_of_M)

http://www.marvel.com/universe3zx/images/thumb/9/97/Namor_houseOfM442.jpg/440px-Namor_houseOfM442.jpg

It is widely believed Namor was the world's first mutant hero. He first appeared in 1939, off the cost of Southampton, New York. Namor encountered two humans in diving suits and, seeing they were in danger, he helped them to the surface.

Discovering a new world outside the vast sea, Namor began to explore. He found a world at war. Namor joined the Allies' super soldiers, the Invaders, and helped them defeat the Axis powers in Europe. Tired of war, Namor returned to his undersea kingdom and eventually became ruler. Busy beneath the sea, Namor had little contact with the surface.
Today, Namor occasionally returns to the surface world but seems to be discouraged by the current state of affairs. He deals with Magnus and his royal family from time to time, but it is clear Namor does not approve of the way Magnus rules the planet. It may be only a matter of time before Namor returns to the surface world and joins a new war -- one against his mutant brothers and sisters.

http://www.marvel.com/universe/Sub-Mariner_(House_of_M)

http://www.marvel.com/universe3zx/images/thumb/9/97/Namor_houseOfM442.jpg/440px-Namor_houseOfM442.jpg

It is widely believed Namor was the world's first mutant hero. He first appeared in 1939, off the cost of Southampton, New York. Namor encountered two humans in diving suits and, seeing they were in danger, he helped them to the surface.

Discovering a new world outside the vast sea, Namor began to explore. He found a world at war. Namor joined the Allies' super soldiers, the Invaders, and helped them defeat the Axis powers in Europe. Tired of war, Namor returned to his undersea kingdom and eventually became ruler. Busy beneath the sea, Namor had little contact with the surface.
Today, Namor occasionally returns to the surface world but seems to be discouraged by the current state of affairs. He deals with Magnus and his royal family from time to time, but it is clear Namor does not approve of the way Magnus rules the planet. It may be only a matter of time before Namor returns to the surface world and joins a new war -- one against his mutant brothers and sisters.
Damn, I thought I was onto something there

Damn, I thought I was onto something there

"These aren't the Skrulls you're looking for."

Seriously, Namor is clean, dude.

I don't know if this has been discussed before, but could it be possible that the vibranium that was being mined/collected by the rogue faction of SHIELD was helping put that/other technologies to use in the Marvel U super villains, as shown in Secret War? Could Doom know more about the Skrulls, either because of what happened in his absence or because he has been working with them all along?

Just some random musings I've had while reading some back issues. If they've been discussed before then feel free to ignore them.

"These aren't the Skrulls you're looking for."

Seriously, Namor is clean, dude.

At this point I'm pretty sure the Illuminati Skrull is Reed or Bolt, but this just kinda struck me as interesting. Or rather it would've been if it were correct anyway.

I was thinking about the discussion way back about potential Skrulls seeming to be working is opposition the one another. Then I remembered about the cows. Some of the Skrulls might have no idea that they are Skrulls. This is probably obvious to some though.

I was thinking about the discussion way back about potential Skrulls seeming to be working is opposition the one another. Then I remembered about the cows. Some of the Skrulls might have no idea that they are Skrulls. This is probably obvious to some though.

Yeah, Spider-Man brought it up in New Avengers #34 (though in a rather humorous tone).

So, here's a possible clue from the retailer summit:


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/1368536602_58967f0d77.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/1367639741_179480e34b.jpg


Now looking at the pics, we have:


Luke Cage
Vision
Hawkeye
Emma Frost
Iron Man
Beast
Spidey

Thoughts?

Likely, not all are LITERALLY Skrulls, but herrings? A mix? I know Bendis would like to ditch Cat-Beast. And Vision would be weird with the ties to Scarlett Witch, Young Avengers, etc.

Interesting that everyone shown is in a past incarnation (ape Beast, dom Emma, Hawkeye in costume, Cage w/yellow shirt and tiara, etc.).

Honestly the thing that excites me most about this is two words "BENDIS" and "YU".

So, here's a possible clue from the retailer summit:


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/1368536602_58967f0d77.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/1367639741_179480e34b.jpg


Now looking at the pics, we have:


Luke Cage
Vision
Hawkeye
Emma Frost
Iron Man
Beast
Spidey

Thoughts?

Likely, not all are LITERALLY Skrulls, but herrings? A mix? I know Bendis would like to ditch Cat-Beast. And Vision would be weird with the ties to Scarlett Witch, Young Avengers, etc.


Vision is an interesting player in all this, not only b/c of the Wanda, DIssassembled and YA stuff but also b/c it was Vision that pretty much announced the start of the Kree/Skrull War back in the day (similar to how he announced Dissassembled, actually)

So, here's a possible clue from the retailer summit:


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/1368536602_58967f0d77.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/1367639741_179480e34b.jpg


Now looking at the pics, we have:


Luke Cage
Vision
Hawkeye
Emma Frost
Iron Man
Beast
Spidey

Thoughts?

Likely, not all are LITERALLY Skrulls, but herrings? A mix? I know Bendis would like to ditch Cat-Beast. And Vision would be weird with the ties to Scarlett Witch, Young Avengers, etc.


I think that perhaps to the other characters in the Marvel universe these people will come under heavy scrutiny once the nature of the threat comes out.

So, here's a possible clue from the retailer summit:


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/1368536602_58967f0d77.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/1367639741_179480e34b.jpg


Now looking at the pics, we have:


Luke Cage
Vision
Hawkeye
Emma Frost
Iron Man
Beast
Spidey

Thoughts?

Likely, not all are LITERALLY Skrulls, but herrings? A mix? I know Bendis would like to ditch Cat-Beast. And Vision would be weird with the ties to Scarlett Witch, Young Avengers, etc.

I think it's safe to say everyone in the Marvel U except those pictured are Skrulls. :scared:

The Beast being a Skrull is something I never even thought of, but could make perfect sense since he, out of nowhere, turned into a lion type thing.

The Beast being a Skrull is something I never even thought of, but could make perfect sense since he, out of nowhere, turned into a lion type thing.

Someone asked me yesterday why the Dark Beast did not experience any kind of secondary mutation and I didn't really have an answer.

Someone asked me yesterday why the Dark Beast did not experience any kind of secondary mutation and I didn't really have an answer.

Well, he's from an alternate timeline and god knows what he did to his genetics when there. Also, who's to say that in AoA Secondary Mutations ever came about anyway? With all the "seperating of the wheat from the chaff" that Apoc was doing and having done, the X-gene probably didn't have a chance to florish to the point where it could mutate again.

So, here's a possible clue from the retailer summit:


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1335/1368536602_58967f0d77.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/1367639741_179480e34b.jpg


Now looking at the pics, we have:


Luke Cage
Vision
Hawkeye
Emma Frost
Iron Man
Beast
Spidey

Thoughts?

Likely, not all are LITERALLY Skrulls, but herrings? A mix? I know Bendis would like to ditch Cat-Beast. And Vision would be weird with the ties to Scarlett Witch, Young Avengers, etc.
I am sure that is an old pic. Something that happened back in the 70's or 80's is probably being looked at from a completely different perspective. White Queen, The Avengers and Power Man. I don't think they were ever involved in anything together. Maybe Secret Wars II. I don't think so though.

Interesting that everyone shown is in a past incarnation (ape Beast, dom Emma, Hawkeye in costume, Cage w/yellow shirt and tiara, etc.).

Honestly the thing that excites me most about this is two words "BENDIS" and "YU".
Circlet! Not a tiara! :furious:

The ghost image of Hawkeye is something else that pops out.. any ideas on that one?

The ghost image of Hawkeye is something else that pops out.. any ideas on that one?

Yeah, That was odd to me too. Everyone else is full color except the most recent person killed and resurrected under "unusual" circumstances...

Then again, that looks like a hand on Luke's shoulder.. and it's not Luke's.. so it could be his and the shading is just weird (see also: Emma)

Then again, that looks like a hand on Luke's shoulder.. and it's not Luke's.. so it could be his and the shading is just weird (see also: Emma)

Maybe. But Clint also almost looks like a disembodied head there too.

Posted this in the other "who's a skrull?" thread and not sure if this has been discussed yet or not but didn't Bendis say that there were folks who retained memories of HOM and folks who didn't, and that it would eventually be explained why? Could those who do not remember HOM be skrulls?

Who do we know for a fact remembers? Wolverine? Ms. Marvel? Spidey? who definitely does not remember?

Posted this in the other "who's a skrull?" thread and not sure if this has been discussed yet or not but didn't Bendis say that there were folks who retained memories of HOM and folks who didn't, and that it would eventually be explained why? Could those who do not remember HOM be skrulls?

Who do we know for a fact remembers? Wolverine? Ms. Marvel? Spidey? who definitely does not remember?

Cage remembered...I don't think Tony did...or MJ.

Y'know, it didn't click with me until now that we have to wait until APRIL for this?!?

Posted this in the other "who's a skrull?" thread and not sure if this has been discussed yet or not but didn't Bendis say that there were folks who retained memories of HOM and folks who didn't, and that it would eventually be explained why? Could those who do not remember HOM be skrulls?

Who do we know for a fact remembers? Wolverine? Ms. Marvel? Spidey? who definitely does not remember?

I think they said something along the lines of whomever was on site at the final battle remembered.

Here's a fun thing:

42 prisoners escaped from the Raft, which is confirmed to be a Skrull plot.

The prison in Civil War was named 42 because "it's the 42nd item on our list".. that part always seemed wonky to me.

Stark HAS to know something is up.

Were all the prisoners Skrulls? Is that why there was discrepancies with their portrayals? They've been incarcerated so long they weren't up to speed so to speak?

Posted this in the other "who's a skrull?" thread and not sure if this has been discussed yet or not but didn't Bendis say that there were folks who retained memories of HOM and folks who didn't, and that it would eventually be explained why? Could those who do not remember HOM be skrulls?

Who do we know for a fact remembers? Wolverine? Ms. Marvel? Spidey? who definitely does not remember?

I think it was shown or we decided that those present during the "no more mutants" climax that were protected by Emma and Strange are the only ones that remember such a thing as the HoM world. Right?

Here's a fun thing:

42 prisoners escaped from the Raft, which is confirmed to be a Skrull plot.

The prison in Civil War was named 42 because "it's the 42nd item on our list".. that part always seemed wonky to me.

Stark HAS to know something is up.

Were all the prisoners Skrulls? Is that why there was discrepancies with their portrayals? They've been incarcerated so long they weren't up to speed so to speak?

I think Tony does know. I get the feeling he's trying to get everyone ready for the attack. (intiative, SHIELD etc..) And when he says stuff like "You are either with us or against us" it adds another layer.

Here's a fun thing:

42 prisoners escaped from the Raft, which is confirmed to be a Skrull plot.

The prison in Civil War was named 42 because "it's the 42nd item on our list".. that part always seemed wonky to me.

Stark HAS to know something is up.

Were all the prisoners Skrulls? Is that why there was discrepancies with their portrayals? They've been incarcerated so long they weren't up to speed so to speak?
Wasn't Reed involved with the creation of 42 also? He's looking more and more skrully all the time.

The ghost image of Hawkeye is something else that pops out.. any ideas on that one?It doesn't look like a ghost to me. I thought it was just a lighting choice, the White Queen is also faded. Maybe they are in fog.

Wasn't Reed involved with the creation of 42 also? He's looking more and more skrully all the time.Wasn't it Reed, Pym and Stark who made "the list"?

Some random, jumbled thoughts here:



.. cautions readers against thinking "linearly" about things. "A given character need not have been a Skrull in every appearance from a certain point forward, and each individual Skrull is perfectly capable of duplicating or replacing more than one individual (though not more than one at one time.)



So, it's possible a Skrull fathered Cage's baby, without Cage being a Skrull. But why? Is this why Cage acted as he did in Alias #1? Will this shock Jessica into going back into doing hero stuff? Why would they target them specifically if so?


The Initiative is going to tie-into Secret Invasion. Why? Could Hank be a Skrull? He claims he didn't make the new Ultron, right? And he was one of the 3 to work on the Thor Clone. Since Iron Man is clean, that leaves Reed or Hank potentially. Of course, people would say Bendis is beating up on Hank if he did it. So, Reed seems more likely in my eyes. Still, you have to ask why it's tying in and then look at the cast.



But that’s part of the Skrull plan – not letting up. Not giving the heroes a chance to breathe. It’s all been building to something, and we’re there right now where you can start to see what it’s been building towards.

- Aside from Civil War, let's say everything else has been Skrull driven just for speculation sake. Which seem more likely than the others?

Here's where it gets wacky:

- Tony is aware of an invasion. He builds 42 for the goal of capturing Skrulls. The prison is custom designed for each "hero" and to keep them in a VR world. Now, let's look at it in another light.. the cell is to contain any possible power Skrulls can mimic, and keep them in a VR scenario in the hopes they slip up, or spills details of their plan.

- The problem is, the Skrulls are aware that Stark has a piece of the puzzle.
They've been messing with him. The Hulk thing was a trick to get the Hulk positioned against him, and WWH was the payoff for that. They manipulated Hulk with the Vegas thing as well as the Godseye thing to build up this hate for the Illuminati (using their Hydra and SHIELD infiltrated units)

- Stark shows up at the Illuminati meeting in Illuminati #5 with the corpse, that's when Skrull-Reed's programming kicks in. Skrulls plans kick into high gear. They pre-emptively attack Stark with the Ultron thing, take out Sentry by eliminating his wife.



551:
The original Fantastic Four is together again, just in time to cross paths with a hero who has traveled twenty years into the past in a desperate attempt to save his future from Reed Richards, the madman who is about to change the face of the planet. Oh, and the hero who has come back to save the world? His name is Doctor Doom.

552:
Dr. Doom has come from the future with a message: Reed Richards must be stopped now, before his ultimate Civil War plans come to fruition. What was Mr. Fantastic really doing during Civil War? The answers are finally revealed.


Doom has been revealed to be integral to the Secret Invasion. He'll likely be the hero this time around.


"The planning for the story started three or four years ago, when Brian was working on the 'Secret War' series. In a way, this is the bookend to that. The series was only solidified around six months ago, at one of our regular creator retreats--until that time, we thought this would be a storyline that would primarily play out in the 'Avengers' titles."


Where did Secret War take place? Latveria. Who disappeared? Doom and Fury. Who's playing a big part in SS? Fury.. so why not Doom?

Doom is part of the next Avengers arc (Venom) which leads into Secret Invasion.

And then there's this tidbit from Bendis:


But back to Tony – he could be on Latverian time…but other than that, it all clicks in pretty easily.


So, No Prize time.. Doom realizes that Stark plays an important role here. So he uses his Time Platform to pluck Stark out of time. Stark's internal clocks register a different time. Doom is clearly time travelling as well, so there's basis here for Time Travel.

Which would lead to a fun reveal where Stark is shown to be a Skrull, but not really, since he was plucked prior to being replaced. So people will go "AH HA! I TOLD YOU SO!!" and people will be upset at being "lied to" and lots of talk gets generated, and then they reveal that Stark wasn't a Skrull after all :)



Not entirely coherent I realize, but hopefully it'll generate some discussion..

I dont think Tony, Reed and Pym are skrulls. I think theyre actually getting prepared for it so in return they may come off as "skrully".

Agreed. I still think Reed is the only major Skrull player.

I'm not serious about the Stark thing. I wouldn't put it past them though to try and pull a trick like that just to get people talking.

Didn't the majority agree that Strange was a skrull just a couple weeks ago?

Didn't the majority agree that Strange was a skrull just a couple weeks ago?

It changes from day to day :D

Eventually, we'll all be right.

6 months.

Yeesh.

Imagine how bad it'll be once NA: Ill #5 hits.

Well, he's from an alternate timeline and god knows what he did to his genetics when there. Also, who's to say that in AoA Secondary Mutations ever came about anyway? With all the "seperating of the wheat from the chaff" that Apoc was doing and having done, the X-gene probably didn't have a chance to florish to the point where it could mutate again.

Makes sense to me, I guess.

Didn't the majority agree that Strange was a skrull just a couple weeks ago?

I fear that I convinced everyone here and at my shop that Strange is a Skrull. If I'm wrong I'll be run out of town on a rail like in olden days. :scared: