Warning: SPOILERS for Secret Invasion #3Marvel’s new Secret Invasion series finally reveals the true villain, and the reveal comes out of left field in such a shocking manner that not even fans of the property would have guessed their identity. The series about an impending Skrull invasion of Earth is built upon the 2008 Secret Invasion series, which promised much but failed to deliver. Now, Secret Invasion #3 reveals its villain early – and they’re not even a Skrull.
2008’s Secret Invasion crossover event was initially seen as a welcome development for fans, primarily thanks to Civil War. At the time, the event was so controversial that fans hoped the out-of-character actions of Captain America and Iron Man were actually the work of Skrull imposters, and the real Steve Rogers and Tony Stark were alive and well. This failed to materialize, and very few characters were ever revealed to be Skrull sleeper agents. But 2022’s new event suggests that the true enemy was never the Skrulls at all.
In Secret Invasion #3, written by Ryan North with art by Francesco Mobili, Maria Hill is called to Stark Tower by Iron Man himself. There, Tony reveals he’s discovered a way to fool Hill’s Thing-like Skrull blood test – and he had to do so, because he’s been working with Skrulls this entire time. Stark reveals that the average Skrull is opposed to the invasion; the real enemy is the Skrull military, not the species themselves. Unfortunately, Maria Hill simply cannot see past her own prejudice against Skrulls, and mercilessly shoots Tony’s Skrull allies in cold blood.
Maria Hill Was Always The Villain – And She’s Human
The entire event was leading up to this moment, and it was heavily foreshadowed. Maria Hill was the first human who caught the multiple Skrull copies of Nick Fury attempting to bypass SHIELD security, and seeing one of her best friends morph into a Skrull agent has deeply affected her. Additionally, her Skrull blood test – which worked before on the Black Widow imposter – was easily circumnavigated by Iron Man, causing Hill to doubt herself. The end result is sadly predictable; Maria Hill is the new villain of the series, and is even see yanking out Tony’s arc reactor in a preview image for the next issue.
It was only logical that the villain of Secret Invasion would be a human this time around: the core tenant of the event was always the spread of irrationality and paranoia in the midst of chaos. In a way, the Skrulls have won, simply by virtue of scaring Maria Hill into action. The Secret Invasion may be clandestine, but Maria Hill’s views on all Skrulls are hardly a secret.
