Henry Imler April 3rd, 2008

Secret Invasion hit the streets yesterday.  I grabbed a copy this afternoon.  (I did not go to mininova.org and search for Secret Invasion and download it and neither should you.  Just go out and buy the comic - it is pretty cheap.)  It is pretty tight.  Here are the highlights along with some scans of the comic.

The issue opens with Stark revealing the invasion to Hank Pym and Reed Richards

As Stark finishes discussing how the shape-shifting Skrulls are undetectable by means of magic, mutant powers, and current technology, a Skrull spaceship crashes into the Savage Lands.  The Mighty Avangers can’t get there quickly, so Spider Woman makes a call to Luke Cage and the Secret Avangers and tips them off to what is happening.  Durring the call, Luke Cage looks suspicously like a Skrull (this comes into play later).  The Secret Avangers steal one of Stark’s quinjets and head off to the Savage Lands to intercept the first wave of the invasion.  Not long after this, the Mighty Avangers assemble, realize that the quinjet has been stolen, and take off after both the Skrull ship and the Secret Avengers.

The Mighty Avengers catch up to the Secret Avengers right as the Secret Avengers locate the crashed Skrull ship, which is still sealed up.  Because of that, there is some speculation as to the contents of the ship - is it the first wave or is it escaped heroes that have been kidnapped and replaced?  Before anyone can open the ship, Stark plays policeman and “places”   the SA under arrest.  Cage tells off Stark and rips open the ship’s door.  As a result of this, a presure plate goes off and several events are sparked.

First, the Skrull-Dugan blows up S.W.O.R.D.’s base orbiting the earth.  Then Skrull-Jarvis uploads a virus into Stark Tower’s computer mainframe, taking out every computer hooked into Stark’s network.  This means the Iron Man suit, all Stark/SHIELD satellites, even all of the Helecarriers.  Then a man touring the Baxter Building morphs into a copy of Susan Storm and teleports the Baxster Building into the negative zone.

(Click for larger images)

With Earth’s defenses down and the hero community in disarray, the real Skrull fleet invades.

As of this is occurring, we are taken back to the crashed Skrull spaceship.  Out from the ship pours a bunch of heros all acting as though they have escaped and have finally made it back to Earth, most of whom are wearing old school costumes.

Which Luke Cage is the real Luke Cage?  Which Spiderman? Thor? Wolverine? Captain America (remember, there is the dead body, the possible clone at Red Skull’s, and the one that just stepped out of the spaceship)?  I don’t know and neither do you.

Also, am I the only one who can’t get enough of the pimptastic old school Luke Cage?

He was gonna say “Sweet Christmas.”

Now, back at Stark Labs, Reed Richards has figured out how the Skrulls are able to mask their identities and the following happens:

Pym is a Skrull as well - and shoots Richards before he can share the secret.

The Skrull invasion has begun - and is proceeding as planned.

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