7 Greatest Moments From Secret Invasion, Ranked

In Marvel Comics, there were few events more epic and suspenseful during the 2000s than Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Yu’s masterpiece Secret Invasion. Spanning 2007 to 2009, this immense crossover event had numerous tie-ins. The story revolves around the Avengers and other heroes discovering that the shapeshifting alien race known as the Skrulls had infiltrated the highest seats of global power and replaced many of the world’s greatest heroes. In this nail-biting storyline, everyone was a suspect of having been swapped with a Skrull spy. Having been built up for years, the final pay-off was incredibly satisfying thanks to these mind-boggling moments that made readers question everything they thought they knew.

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With an incredible marketing campaign with the taglines “who do you trust” and “embrace change,” Secret Invasion was one of the most important Marvel storylines from the 2000s. Unfortunately, the Marvel Cinematic Universe completely fumbled the ball when adapting this masterpiece into a Disney+ series, failing to capitalize on any of the comics’ potential. If the MCU had adapted even half of the comics’ original ideas and iconic moments, it probably wouldn’t have gone down as the worst-rated MCU show in history.

7) Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos

Following his removal as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2005, the superspy Nick Fury went into hiding for years. However, when Super Skrulls were attacking New York City, Fury came back into the spotlight alongside some new friends. Unsurprisingly, Fury was long aware of the Skrull’s covert invasion of Earth and had assembled a team of young heroes to oppose them. Initially, this was the new iteration of the Howling Commandos, before changing its name to the Secret Warriors. The roster included Phobos, Slingshot, Quake, Druid, Stonewall, and Hellfire. Together, Fury and his new Commandos save the Young Avengers and Initiative and help push back the Skrulls. With an entrance like that, it’s no wonder that the MCU made Fury the protagonist of the Secret Invasion Disney+ series.

6) Heroes Return

After all the paranoia and bloodshed of the Secret Invasion, the series had another reveal once the Skrulls were beaten. When dismantling the Skrull’s armada, Iron Man makes a shocking discovery inside one of the ships. Once the Armored Avenger brings the ship down to Earth, the Avengers get ready for another fight. However, inside the ship are numerous people who had been abducted and replaced by the Skrulls, including Spider-Woman, Hank Pym, Elektra, Mockingbird, Dum Dum Dugan, and Invisible Woman. Many friends and loved ones are happily reunited after years apart. Still, there are heartbreaking moments like when Jessica Jones realizes that a Skrull disguised as the Avengers’ butler Jarvis had kidnapped her baby. It’s an incredibly emotional scene, with extreme highs and lows.

5) Elektra’s Reveal

In an event full of characters being revealed to be Skrulls, this was the one that set everything into motion. In the wake of the Civil War, the New Avengers continued the fight to protect the world, even as the government and other heroes hunted them for failing to abide by the Superhuman Registration Act. The team found themselves fighting against Elektra, who had become the leader of the ninja assassin clan, the Hand. During the fight, the hero Echo seemingly murdered Elektra. However, the New Avengers are horrified when they see Elektra’s body morph into that of a Skrull. The haunting revelation that a Skrull had been impersonating Elektra for several years left everyone wary about whom they could trust.

4) Norman Osborn Saves the Day

The entire Secret Invasion plot was orchestrated by the Skrull Queen Veranke. When the battle against the Skrulls is won at the cost of Wasp’s life, the heroes of Earth are more than a little ticked off. Surrounded by heroes and severely injured, Veranke was finished. However, before the heroes could kill her, Norman Osborn preempted everyone by vaporizing Veranke’s head with a laser gun. Not only was it an unexpected conclusion to the conflict, but it also allowed Osborn to steal all the glory for the heroes’ victory. More importantly, it led to Osborn becoming one of the most powerful people on Earth by his promotion to the new head of S.H.I.E.L.D., and his founding his own team of Avengers and the supervillain group the Cabal.

3) Queen Veranke’s Reveal

The revelation that the Skrulls had successfully invaded the Earth years ago and infiltrated nearly every country and organization on the planet was incredibly daunting. However, it still left one question: who was the puppet master? Eventually, it’s revealed that not only was Spider-Woman replaced, but the specific Skrull who was impersonating her was none other than the Queen of the Skrulls, Veranke. She quickly proves herself an incredibly cunning and terrifying threat, particularly by her manipulation of the heroes of Earth. Veranke even gaslights a sickly Iron Man into almost believing that he’s an amnesiac Skrull sleeper agent. Everything about Veranke’s revelation showed why she was one of Marvel’s best villains in recent years.

2) Avengers vs. Avengers

A significant part of the Skrull’s plot was to make the heroes of Earth distrust each other. When a spacecraft crash-lands in the prehistoric Savage Land, the New Avengers go to investigate. However, before they could open the ship, Iron Man and his Pro-Registration heroes arrived to arrest the New Avengers. Just as it seemed like the two sides were about to fight, the ship opens up to reveal none other than the Avengers. These versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes claim that they are the genuine articles, while everyone else was a Skrull sleeper agent. Naturally, this leads to an all-out brawl between the two Avengers teams. It’s a shocking scene that leaves the reader questioning which side is telling the truth.

1) The Battle of Central Park

The final battle of Secret Invasion was more than a simple action set piece; it was Marvel’s superhero community finally uniting after years of separation and infighting. Events like House of M and Civil War had broken many bonds between heroes. However, standing against Queen Veranke and her Super Skrull army, the Avengers put aside their differences to fight for their world. Together, alongside groups like the Initiative, Young Avengers, Thunderbolts, the Howling Commandos, and even Hood’s Gang, they fight as one against the invaders. The battle has several other striking moments, including Wasp’s death and the Watcher’s appearance. After so much time divided, seeing the Avengers unified was immensely satisfying and marked the beginning of a new age for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

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