Secret Empire (2017 comic)

For the supervillain group, see Secret Empire.

Secret Empire
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Format	Limited series
Publication date	May 2017
Main character(s)	Army of Evil Captain America HYDRA
Creative team
Created by	Nick Spencer

Secret Empire is a 2017 Marvel Comics storyline.

Premise

This storyline will detail how the machinations of Red Skull's clone have led a Cosmic Cube-created Kobik to make Captain America believe that he is a HYDRA sleeper agent since the Avengers: Standoff! storyline and how the Marvel Universe will have to unite against HYDRA's latest plot.

Plot

Opening salvo

After defeating the Thundebolts, Baron Helmut Zemo uses Kobik to send Winter Soldier back in time to World War II. There is another battle with Zemo's Masters of Evil which results in the apparent death of Man-Killer. After Kobik ends up shattered, Atlas, Fixer, and Moonstone join up with the Masters of Evil as they work to reassemble Kobik. Hording the fragments that he has from Baron Zemo, Erik Selvig kisses them and commits suicide. Captain America later approaches Baron Zemo to make a larger group of villains.

Taking Captain America's advice, Baron Zemo works to have the Masters of Evil be part of his group. Upon finding Blackout in the alias of "Bob Hofstedder," Baron Zemo persuades him to join the Army of Evil. While the Army of Evil is shown to have solo villains that include but are not limited to Absorbing Man, Armadillo, Baron Blood, Cyclone, Dragonfly, Ferocia, Graviton, Grey Gargoyle, Gypsy Moth, Kraven the Hunter, Living Laser, Madame Menace, Mister Hyde, Nitro, Squid, Wizard, and Yellowjacket, it also includes other villain teams like the Circus of Crime (consisting of Ringmaster, Clown III, Fire-Eater, Great Gambonnos, Strongman, and Teena the Fat Lady), Serpent Solutions (consisting of Anaconda, Black Mamba, Boomslang, Bushmaster, Coachwhip, Cobra II, Cottonmouth, Death Adder, Fer-de-Lance, Princess Python, Puff Adder, Sidewinder III, Slither, and Viper), and the U-Foes.

Main plot

Since the incident at Pleasant Hill, Captain America's past was rewritten by Red Skull's clone using the powers of Kobik. A flashback to 1945 reveals a meeting between Captain America and his Hydra mentor Kraken. They visit a chained-up Nostradamus who warns Captain America of an upcoming American plot to rewrite reality so that Hydra will lose the war and Rogers will become the symbol he has merely been pretending to be. In the present day as the Chitauri forces launch a massive attack on Earth, Steve Rogers is now head of S.H.I.E.L.D. where he is appointed head of Earth's defense forces during the assault. He dispatches Captain Marvel, the Ultimates, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Hyperion, and Quasar to intercept the Chitauri outside Earth's atmosphere as Riri Williams and the Tony Stark A.I. prepare an attempt to establish a planetary defense shield. At the same time, the Defenders members Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Spider-Woman, and Cloak and Dagger oppose an assault by various members of the Army of Evil in protest of the events of Pleasant Hill. While Hyperion and Quasar are taken out of the battle by the Chitauri, Nitro explodes enough to defeat the Defenders. The villains disappear upon the Avenger Unity Division's arrival and the Chitauri starts heading towards the Earth. Just as the shield is brought online which stops the approaching Chitauri ship, Steve plays his hand and reveals his "true" allegiance to Hydra as Doctor Faustus's Helicarrier rams into the Helicarrier that Sharon Carter is on as Steve Rogers has them arrest her much to her horror. The shield leaves Danvers' forces trapped outside of Earth's atmosphere while those heroes in Manhattan are trapped in the Darkforce that was unleashed by Baron Helmut Zemo who used the Darkhold to enhance Blackout's abilities. The Tony Stark A.I. sends a signal out to the other Avengers, the Champions, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and the U.S.Avengers to meet Riri in Washington, D.C. as fast as they can.

Issues involved

Opening Salvo

• Captain America: Steve Rogers #16
• Thunderbolts Vol. 3 #12
• U.S.Avengers #5

Main plot

• Secret Empire #0–9

Tie-in issues

• All-New Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1
• Amazing Spider-Man Vol 4 #29–30
• Captain America: Sam Wilson #22–24
• Captain America: Steve Rogers #17–19
• Deadpool Vol 4 #31–34
• Doctor Strange Vol 4 #21–23
• Mighty Captain Marvel #5–7
• Occupy Avengers #8–9
• Secret Empire: Brave New World #1–5
• Secret Empire: Underground #1
• Secret Empire: United #1
• Secret Empire: Uprising #1
• Secret Warriors Vol 2 #1–4
• U.S.Avengers #6–8
• Ultimates 2 Vol 2 #7
• Uncanny Avengers Vol 3 #24–25
• X-Men Blue #7–8
• X-Men Gold #7–8

Reception

IGN rated Secret Empire #0 a score of 8.9, calling it "great", with a verdict stating that "Secret Empire probably isn't going to be for all readers. If you haven't been won over by Captain America: Steve Rogers over the past year, Secret Empire #0 likely won't change your mind. But for those who can roll with the concept of Marvel's brightest hero becoming its greatest betrayer, this issue serves as a strong start to what promises to be a very epic and emotionally charged conflict." The review also praised the artwork on the book. James Whitbrook of io9 called it "Confusing," "gutwrenching," and "baffling," praising the dark tone of the story, saying "the sense of unease and despair that pervades Secret Empire #0 is phenomenal," and stating that "while Secret Empire’s 0-issue nails the gut-wrenching feeling of inevitable doom, it’s also perhaps tackling a little too much all at once" and noting that the series would likely be confusing for new readers.

External links

• Secret Empire at Marvel Wiki