The upcoming Disney+ Secret Invasion series is set to bring the epic 2008 comic book event of the same name to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starring Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, Secret Invasion will follow in its comic book counterpart's footsteps by revealing several Marvel characters to be Skrull imposters.
Secret Invasion changed Marvel Comics forever in 2008 by revealing that Skrull doppelgangers were lurking in every corner of the Marvel Universe. Several of these revelations proved especially shocking, catching virtually every reader off-guard.
10 Dum-Dum Dugan
In the lead up to Secret Invasion, Dum-Dum Dugan served as a prominent S.H.I.E.L.D. agent working under the new director, Tony Stark. However, the audience eventually learned that Dugan had been replaced by a Skrull, who then set to work sabotaging S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark's plans from the inside.
There were few characters more essential to the Skrull invasion than Dum-Dum Dugan, whose position of prominence within S.H.I.E.L.D. allowed him to do irreparable harm to Earth's defenses. While Dugan is typically portrayed as one of the most reliable characters in the Marvel Universe, Secret Invasion certainly gave readers trust issues regarding his character.
9 Captain Marvel
The Skrulls are among Marvel Comics' strongest alien races, especially when it comes to Super-Skrulls. The Super-Skrulls are extremely dept at copying even the strongest superpowers. This came in handy when replacing Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, with a Skrull lookalike.
The eventual revelation that Captain Marvel, who had long been assumed dead, was actually a Skrull became particularly surprising because the Skrull himself had believed in his false identity. The Skrull Mar-Vell was just as shocked as everyone else to learn that he wasn't the real Captain Marvel, leading him down a road of self-discovery amid an all-out war between Earth and his home Empire.
8 Mockingbird
During Secret Invasion, a spaceship crashed to Earth. Its occupants were a group of Avengers, including many who'd seemingly died years earlier. Among these individuals was Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird. Despite Clint Barton insisting that it was really his late wife, this Mockingbird was indeed revealed to be a Skrull, along with the rest of her crew.
While many readers may have suspected that the mysterious crew of heroes was secretly comprised of Skrulls, it doesn't make this reveal any less shocking for the characters in the story. Even worse, the blow hits particularly hard because it played on their emotions, twisting their perspective on reality until it was almost too late.
7 Kirby
While most Skrulls took the form of humans, typically those in power, one dastardly shapeshifter did the unthinkable by replacing Kirby, Amadeus Cho's beloved puppy sidekick. Kirby, who goes everywhere with his master, was replaced offscreen by the Skrull imposter, who wanted to get close to Cho, who was among the greatest threats to the Skrull invasion.
Kirby's Skrull reveal is particularly surprising because it is so unique. While Skrulls have always had the ability to transform into animals in the same way they do humans, they rarely do. However, taking the place of a trusted pet proved to be the perfect way to get close to Amadeus Cho, even if the attempt proved unsuccessful in the end.
6 Elektra Natchios
When Elektra Natchios begins acting strangely, the New Avengers take it upon themselves to investigate, only for the master assassin to wind up killed in the conflict. Shockingly, upon her death, Elektra's body transforms into that of a Skrull, alerting these Avengers to a possible alien invasion.
Elektra's Skrull reveal proves truly shocking, coming before the actual beginning of the Secret Invasion storyline. As the Marvel heroes uncovered the mystery of Elektra's replacement, they realize she may not have been the only victim of the Skrull takeover. As a foreshadowing of things to come, Skrull Elektra's death remains one of the most shocking moments in Marvel Comics history.
5 The Invisible Woman
In the Fantastic Four's Secret Invasion tie-in comic, Sue Storm starts behaving strangely, roaming through the Baxter Building as if on a mission. To everyone's surprise, she opens a portal, trapping everyone inside the Baxter Building in the Negative Zone. It's at this point that readers learn Sue has been replaced by a Skrull, sent to take out the Fantastic Four.
Sue Storm's shocking Skrull reveal had lasting effects on the Secret Invasion crossover. Because of this Skrull's savvy strategies, the Fantastic Four remained unable to help the other Marvel heroes in the fight against the aliens for quite some time. The Skrulls had removed one of the biggest threats from the board, having learned from their original invasion attempt in Fantastic Four #2 (by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, George Klein, Stan Goldberg, and John Duffy).
4 Black Bolt
Although Black Bolt, leader of the Inhumans, might initially seem to be too powerful to succumb to a Skrull attack, this proved untrue early in the Secret Invasion crossover event. Readers discovered the Skrulls hadn't simply replaced Black Bolt, but that they'd held the real Inhuman king captive for quite some time leading up to Secret Invasion.
The revelation that Black Bolt had been replaced by a Skrull was startling to his wife Medusa, who was forced to take over leadership of the Inhumans in his absence. Black Bolt's absence served as a dire omen ahead of the Skrull invasion, as the shapeshifting aliens continued taking their fiercest enemies off the map.
3 Spider-Woman
One of the most important Skrull reveals in Secret Invasion was that of Jessica Drew, a.k.a. Spider-Woman. After finally gaining the trust of the Avengers after a series of betrayals and covert missions, Spider-Woman is eventually revealed to be a Skrull. Even worse, the shapeshifter masquerading as Jessica was indeed Veranke, the leader of the Skrull Empire in Marvel Comics.
Spider-Woman's Skrull reveal devastated the Avengers because they had allowed her free access to their equipment and to their team during their recent missions. As such, she used their resources to sabotage their war efforts, giving the Skrulls an extra edge in their invasion. Spider-Woman's Skrull reveal nearly brought the Avengers — and the world itself — to their knees.
2 Jarvis
One of the biggest reveals in Secret Invasion showed that Jarvis, Tony Stark's personal butler and a prominent associate of the Avengers, had been replaced by a Skrull sometime before the event. The Avengers only become aware of this after Jessica Jones and Luke Cage entrusted him with the care of their child, who he absconded with after the invasion was foiled.
Jarvis's reveal was heartbreaking, especially because the Skrull wore the face of someone the Avengers trusted so much. Even worse, the Jarvis Skrull becomes the only one to evade capture by the Avengers, bringing Jessica and Luke's baby with him. He remained in the wind for a while before eventually being found by the baby's angry parents.
1 Hank Pym
At the time of the Secret Invasion, Hank Pym became a prominent instructor for the Fifty States Initiative, taking part in the training of new superheroes. When readers learned he had been among the first humans replaced by a Skrull, the news was terrifying, especially given the immense repercussions that it brought.
Not only did the other Avengers trust Hank Pym with their lives, but they also trusted him to train the next generation of superheroes. When he was replaced by a Skrull, the entire Fifty States Initiative became vulnerable, allowing him to plant Skrull imposters in every single team across the United States. As such, Hank's Skrull reveal remains the most destructive and most shocking in the entire Secret Invasion crossover event.