Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1

Nov 9

Nov 9 Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1

Secret Invasion continues from Secret Invasion: Requiem #1…

Emma Frost is having a dream where Kitty Pryde is calling out to her. Unfortunately, Emma is unable to figure out where she is before she wakes up to a knock at the door of her San Francisco home.[1] It is a government agent coming to deliver a message from Norman Osborn.[2] Emma has no idea why he would contact her. When she reads the letter, its contents come as a shock to her.

The next day she flies to New York City and lands at Avengers Tower. There she takes the elevator down to sub-basement nine. This floor has a meeting room where she finds Doctor (Victor Von) Doom already waiting there. When she tries to telepathically probe his mind, Doom tells her that nobody shall invade his thoughts or else they will face his wrath. Frost stop probing and then sits silently with Doom to see who else shows up.

That’s when Namor the Sub-Mariner and King of Atlantis arrives. After exchanging pleasantries with Doom, Namor introduces himself to Emma, even though she says they have already met before.[3][4] Victor has also become aware of someone else in the room and demands that they reveal themselves. That’s when the Hood (Parker Robbins) drops his invisibility. Emma can sense that there is another entity connected to Robbins and asks if he knows what that is.[5] He takes offense and points one of his guns at her and demands that she get out of his head. Not the least bit intimidated, Emma uses her telepathic powers to force Parker to put one of his guns in his mouth, much to the amusement of Namor and Doom. Next, Loki enters the room and Namor is pleased to see that the trickster now appears as an attractive woman.[6]

The last person to arrive is Norman Osborn himself, who tells them all that it is the start of a new day. He has been selected as Director of National Security, Tony Stark is out, SHIELD is gone, and he is now in charge of the Avengers.[7] He says that this is all good news for everyone gathered at the table. He calls them kings among their people and in the past they were opposed by Stark and his predecessor Nick Fury, and often fought alone against the grain.[8] They have all struggled to maintain their power, and points to the Hood as inspiration as he was able to form his own criminal empire in the wake of the Kingpin’s recent fall from grace.[9] However, Osborn doesn’t want a slice of their respective pies, but to prop them up in exchange for peace so that he can maintain his own lofty position.

Namor doesn’t trust Norman and asks why they should side with him, to which Osborn points out that he, Loki, and Doom are all rulers without a kingdom and how he can change that.[10] Osborn then says he will be giving Doom his nation back as a gesture of goodwill before leaving to let them mull over his offer. The Hood, Emma Frost, and Loki leave immediately, leaving on Namor and Doom. When the Sub-Mariner asks what their game plan is, Victor says they will go along with Osborn’s plan as his insanity will soon get the better of them, giving them the opportunity to take over the world. If not, they will have a battle on their hands the likes of which has never been seen before.

Meanwhile, Norman Osborn returns to Thunderbolts Mountain to oversee their move to Avengers Tower. In his office, he is confronted by the Swordsman (Andreas Von Strucker), who is pissed off that the other Thunderbolts are moving with him and thinks he is getting screwed over.[11] Norman tries to explain himself but Andreas keeps interrupting with his ranting and raving. Osborn quickly loses his temper and grabs Andreas’ sword and impales him through the chest before throwing the mutant out the window.[12] Norman than screams that he is in charge before getting a hold of himself, frightened at his sudden outburst.[13]

That night, Emma Frost has the dream about Kitty Pryde again. Once more she cannot figure out where Kitty is. This time she wakes up screaming before catching herself. Sitting quietly in the dark she contemplates the future.

… Secret Invasion concludes in Avengers: The Initiative #19. This story continues in Dark Avengers #1 and New Avengers #48.

Recurring Characters

The Cabal (Norman Osborn, Doctor Doom, Emma Frost, The Hood, Loki, Sub-Mariner), Swordsman, Cyclops

Continuity Notes

At the time of this story, Shadowcat was lost in space after phasing a giant bullet that was shot at the Earth (yes really), as seen in Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1. She will be rescued from this predicament in Uncanny X-Men #522.
This story follows the events of Secret Invasion #8, wherein Norman Osborn becomes a hero after killing the leader of a Skrull invasion of Earth. This lands him a job as the Director of National Security, a position he will hold until Siege #4.
Doom mentions that Emma was a former member of the Hellfire Club. She had been a member starting in Uncanny X-Men #129 through #284. She later joined the X-Men starting in New X-Men #116.
Emma states that she and Namor have already met. This was back in her Hellfire Club days, as will be told in Uncanny X-Men Annual (vol. 2) #2.
Emma has sensed the presence of Dormammu, the demon that is the source of the Hood’s powers, as revealed in New Avengers #46.
The reason why Loki is a woman here is because he has co-opted Sif’s body since Thor (vol. 3) #5, as we’ll learn in Thor (vol. 3) #8. This will remain the status quo until Thor #602. Namor says that Loki’s appearance has improved since they last met. That would have been during the Acts of Vengeance conspiracy, as seen in Captain America #365-367.
Stark was previously the Director of SHIELD starting in New Avengers #25. He was scapegoated for the Skrull invasion and lost his position to Osborn following Secret Invasion #8. SHIELD was disbanded as well and will be replaced with HAMMER in and Osborn will form a new team of Avengers in Dark Avengers #1. This will remain the status quo until Siege #4.
Nick Fury was the long standing SHIELD director prior to Stark until it was learned that he staged an illegal coup in Latveria and went AWOL, as seen in Secret War #1-5.
At the time of this story, the Kingpin had been deposed in Daredevil (vol. 2) #93. This led to the Hood forming a new gang comprising entirely of supervillains in New Avengers #33.
The situations with Doom, Loki and Namor are as follows:
- Doctor Doom was deposed as leader of Latveria and arrested after one of his Venom Bombs was unleashed upon New York in Mighty Avengers #7-11. Doom will be reinstalled as ruler in Dark Avengers #1.
- Loki has been vexed by the fact that Thor has become the ruler of Asgard in Thor (vol. 3) #2. He will get his shot at rule when Norman stages an assault on Asgard in Siege #1-4.
- Atlantis was destroyed and its people scattered following the events of Sub-Mariner (vol. 2) #1-6. He will established New Atlantis beneath the island of Utopia in Uncanny X-Men #520.
Moonstone, Bullseye, and Venom are all being tapped for Osborn’s new team of Avengers as seen in Dark Avengers #1.
Strucker will survive this attempt on his life, appearing again in The Illuminati #2.
Norman’s grip on his sanity will be tested all throughout Dark Reign. Later, in Siege: Prologue #1, we will learn that his grip on his sanity was being diminished thanks — at least in part — to Loki.