Secret Invasion: Marvel’s Skrull Invasion

For thousands of years, the shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls have had their sights set on conquering planet Earth. This secretive and technologically advanced species has long viewed Earth as a strategic location between their empire and that of their rivals, the Kree. But the Skrulls’ motivations for invading Earth run deeper than mere geopolitics – they are driven by a religious prophecy that foretells the blue planet belonging to those who believe.

The origins of the Skrulls’ obsession with Earth can be traced back to the arrival of the Celestials, the god-like cosmic entities, on the Skrull homeworld of Skrullos. There, the Celestials conducted genetic experiments on the native Skrull population, creating three distinct subspecies: the Prime, the Eternals, and the Deviants. It was the Deviant Skrulls, with their ability to shapeshift, who came to see themselves as the superior strain. This led them to wage war against the other Skrull races, nearly wiping them out entirely.

However, the last surviving Eternal Skrull, a being known as Kly’bn, was able to convince the Deviant Skrulls to cease their internecine conflict. Kly’bn presented himself as a messianic figure, claiming to have received the Book of Worlds – a religious text that foretold the Skrulls’ destiny to rule over all the planets in the universe. Kly’bn’s persuasive rhetoric not only quelled the Skrull civil war but also led him to marry the leader of the Deviants, cementing their union as the Skrull pantheon of gods.

It was under the reign of one such Skrull deity, Princess Veranke, that the invasion of Earth gained serious momentum. Veranke was a devout follower of the Skrull religion, and she became convinced that the prophecies in the Book of Worlds demanded that the Skrulls conquer the blue planet – Earth. With the Skrull Empire in a state of turmoil following the destruction of their homeworld, Veranke saw Earth as the perfect target for a full-scale invasion.

The Skrulls’ Infiltration of Earth’s Heroes

The Skrulls’ plot to conquer Earth was a meticulously planned and executed operation that took place over many years. Their first step was to infiltrate the ranks of Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers, by replacing key members with Skrull imposters.

The Illuminati, a secret cabal of Earth’s most powerful heroes, had previously confronted the Skrull Empire and threatened them, leading the Skrulls to view the group as a major obstacle to their invasion plans. In response, the Skrulls captured the Illuminati and subjected them to horrific experiments, extracting their genetic material and using it to create Skrull duplicates.

One of the Skrulls’ most audacious infiltrations was that of Black Bolt, the king of the Inhumans and a member of the Illuminati. The Skrulls were able to replace Black Bolt with a powerful Super-Skrull that had access to all of the Illuminati’s secrets. This breach of the heroes’ inner circle sowed seeds of paranoia and distrust that the Skrulls would later exploit to devastating effect.

The Skrulls also targeted other high-profile heroes, such as Elektra, who was replaced by a Skrull imposter. When this Skrull Elektra was killed in battle, it triggered a wave of suspicion and uncertainty, as the heroes realized that their ranks had been infiltrated by shape-shifting aliens.

At the center of the Skrulls’ infiltration was their queen, Veranke, who had assumed the identity of the Avenger known as Spider-Woman. From this position, Veranke was able to gather intelligence, sabotage Earth’s defenses, and coordinate the Skrull invasion force.

The Skrull Invasion Begins

With their infiltration of Earth’s heroes complete, the Skrulls launched their full-scale invasion. The opening salvo was a coordinated attack that targeted Earth’s key strategic assets and defenses:

• A Skrull agent posing as Dum Dum Dugan of S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltrated the organization’s space-based headquarters, SWORD, and destroyed it in a suicide attack.

• Another Skrull agent, this time disguised as Jarvis, the Avengers’ butler, sabotaged Tony Stark’s armor and technology, crippling Earth’s defenses.

• Skrull infiltrators also attacked the Baxter Building, home of the Fantastic Four, opening a portal to the Negative Zone that destroyed the entire building.

• In the Savage Land, a group of Skrull imposters posing as classic Marvel heroes emerged from a crashed ship, sowing further confusion and paranoia among the Avengers.

With Earth’s defenses in disarray, the Skrull invasion force arrived in full force, launching coordinated attacks across the globe. From New York City to Wakanda, the Skrulls deployed their shape-shifting Super-Skrulls to overwhelm the heroes.

At the same time, the Skrulls launched a propaganda campaign. Their infiltrators in the media and government tried to convince the public that the Skrull invasion was a benevolent act, meant to “save” humanity from itself. This psychological warfare only added to the chaos and confusion gripping the planet.

The Heroes Unite to Defend Earth

As the Skrull invasion escalated, Earth’s heroes – both heroes and villains alike – were forced to put aside their differences and band together to defend their planet. Summoned by the thunder of Thor, a massive army of Avengers, Secret Avengers, Young Avengers, Initiative heroes, and even the villainous Hood’s Criminal Syndicate gathered in Central Park for a final, climactic battle against the Skrull invaders.

The battle was a brutal and chaotic affair, with heroes and Skrulls clashing across the battlefield. Wolverine and Hawkeye, driven by a thirst for vengeance, targeted the Skrull Queen Veranke, while Iron Man and his team of flyers took the fight to the Skrull fleet in orbit.

Just when the battle seemed lost, a surprise arrival turned the tide – Noh-Varr, the Marvel Boy, a powerful Kree warrior from an alternate universe. Noh-Varr, convinced by the dying Skrull Captain Marvel to aid the heroes, unleashed his devastating powers against the Skrull army, helping to turn the battle in Earth’s favor.

In the end, it was the sacrifice of Wasp that proved to be the decisive blow. The Skrull Hank Pym had given Wasp a growth formula that transformed her body into a biological weapon, but Thor’s timely intervention saved the heroes from certain doom.

With the Skrull army in retreat, the heroes captured the Skrull Queen Veranke. However, the revelation that Norman Osborn, the villainous Green Goblin, had been posing as a hero and orchestrating the Skrull invasion only added to the chaos and uncertainty left in the wake of the battle.

The Aftermath and the Dark Reign

The Skrull Invasion left Earth’s heroes reeling, with many of them having been replaced by Skrull imposters. The discovery that Jarvis, the Avengers’ trusted butler, had been a Skrull the entire time was a particularly devastating blow to the team.

In the aftermath of the battle, Norman Osborn, who had played a key role in the Skrulls’ defeat, was rewarded by being placed in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers Initiative. This marked the beginning of the Dark Reign, a period where Osborn and his team of villains masquerading as heroes held sway over the heroic community.

One of the lingering consequences of the Skrull Invasion was the disappearance of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage’s baby daughter. The Skrull Jarvis had absconded with the child, and the heroes’ desperate search to find her would become a driving force in the events that followed the invasion.

The Skrull Invasion was a watershed moment in the Marvel Universe, exposing the vulnerabilities of Earth’s heroes and shattering the public’s trust in them. The aftermath of the battle would have far-reaching consequences, ushering in a new era of darkness and uncertainty that would test the mettle of Marvel’s greatest champions.

Conclusion

The Skrull Invasion of Earth was a complex and multi-layered event that showcased the Skrulls’ cunning, their religious fervor, and their relentless determination to conquer the blue planet. Through years of meticulous planning and infiltration, the Skrulls were able to bring Earth’s defenses crashing down, nearly achieving their goal of subjugating the planet.

The heroes’ ultimate victory, though hard-won, came at a great cost, with many of them having been replaced by Skrull imposters and the public’s trust in them shaken. The aftermath of the invasion ushered in a new era of darkness and uncertainty, setting the stage for the Dark Reign and the continued struggle between Earth’s heroes and the shape-shifting alien menace.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, the potential for the Skrulls to play a major role in future storylines is tantalizing. The rich history and complex motivations of this alien race, as showcased in the classic Secret Invasion storyline, offer a wealth of narrative possibilities that could rival even the epic scale of the Avengers’ battle against Thanos.