The Road To Marvel’s Secret Empire

Last year, the comic book world was rocked by the revelation that Steve Rogers - the Sentinel of Liberty himself - was in fact an agent of Hydra! https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/735696011172012033?ref_srctwsrc%5Etfw It's all building up to this year's summer event from Marvel, Secret Empire - which promises to be as controversial as the HydraCap revelation was in the first place. But how did we even get to this point? Here, we're going to set out the road to Secret Empire, walking you through the journey, highlighting the key moments and explaining just how Marvel turned Captain America into the world's greatest villain. Enjoy, and be sure to check back often, as we'll be updating this post regularly as we get closer to the event. The Secret Empire If you’re going to understand the significance of the Secret Empire arc, you have to understand that the words ‘Secret Empire’ evoke powerful memories for Captain America fans. You see, in the 1970s, writer Steve Englehart decided to use Captain America to explore American self-identity. Englehart’s plot was essentially his reaction to the Watergate scandal, only in this telling, it featured Captain America discovering a conspiracy that ran to the White House itself. Most fans view this as the definitive Captain America story, a deeply introspective arc that carried real political weight. Among other things, it featured Steve Rogers ultimately choosing to abandon his costumed identity in order to work out just how he could fit in with this strange, damaged world. You simply have to understand the weight of the term Secret Empire if you’re going to get the story Marvel’s about to tell. By invoking memories of Steve Englehart’s legendary run, Marvel is cautioning readers to expect a deeply political story, one that wrestles with questions of American self-identity and will stand in the shadow of the White House. The Red Shadow Our story begins as far back as 2013, with Marvel attempting to draw the X-Men and the Avengers closer together in the aftermath of Avengers Versus X-Men. Steve Rogers assembled the so-called ‘Unity Team,’ a squad composed of a mix of classic Avengers and mutants, better known as the Uncanny Avengers. The Unity Team was dedicated to bridging the gulf between man and mutant – but soon they were facing a particularly dangerous new threat. Writer Rick Remender unveiled a new Red Skull, who he explained as being a clone of the original. In a horrific twist, the very first issue closed with the Red Skull in possession of the brain of the recently-deceased Charles Xavier, which he somehow used to take possession of Xavier’s powers. It was a strange concept, and one that only works with a liberal application of comic book logic, but it set up the whole new status quo – with the Red Skull more powerful than ever before, campaigning to win people over on a ticket of hatred, and swaying minds with the telepathic power of Professor X. You really have to go this far back for the build-up to Secret Empire, as those new powers, and that new strategy, are key to the Red Skull’s development as a villain. The Iron Nail For the record, in that scene – suitably ironic now – S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have been mind-controlled to believe Cap and Falcon are Hydra agents. It’s a moment that really stands out in hindsight. Rick Remender has always loved to put characters through the wringer, and The Iron Nail – which ran from Captain America #17 through to #21 – was certainly no exception. It featured Doctor Mindbubble launching an insane campaign against the “secret dictatorship” of S.H.I.E.L.D. – and it set the pattern for the next couple of years’ worth of Captain America stories. In a shocking twist, the arc ended with the super-soldier serum pulled out of Steve Rogers’s body, which reverted to its correct age. Steve Rogers was a super-soldier no more. Perhaps the most intriguing side of The Iron Nail is that it re-established the difficult relationship between Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D.. Steve Rogers was faced yet again with examples of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s excesses under Maria Hill. As he reflected, all too often the greatest threads hide behind the smiles of allies. Sam Wilson Becomes Captain America For the past decade or so, Marvel has been developing the idea of ‘Legacy Heroes’ – with old, established heroes passing on their titles to new, more diverse figures. At roughly the same time, Marvel began to press ahead with not one but two major new Legacy Heroes; Sam Wilson took over as Captain America, and Jane Foster became the female Thor. Sam Wilson is revealed in Captain America #25, and the dialogue is on-point. Where the identity of the new Thor was kept secret for almost a year after the character’s first appearance, Marvel marketed Sam Wilson to the world’s media. As with all of the company's Legacy Heroes, the choice received mixed responses; some embraced it, while others fumed at an example of ‘political correctness.’ Captain America: Sam Wilson #1 In late 2015, Nick Spencer launched a new Captain America: Sam Wilson comic - and he immediately signalled the political direction he planned to take. This first issue featured a group of villains known as the Sons of the Serpent, who were opposed to immigration and declared their hope for the building of the Great Wall. In other words, the Sons of the Serpent were clearly Donald Trump supporters, and Sam Wilson stood for diversity in battle against them. Fox was not impressed, and fumed at the idea that comics would dabble in politics. Salon.com probably gave the best rejoinder: "It's... more than a little weird to see all these outlets describe the bad guys in this comic as mere conservatives. If you find yourself relating to a group of murderers who threaten anyone who crosses the border with death, you've crossed the line from "conservative" into something far more frightening." There's a strong sense in which this issue sets the direction of Nick Spencer's whole arc, so it's a must-read on the road to Secret Empire. Captain America: Sam Wilson #2 Nick Spencer was getting the pieces in place as early as the second issue of Captain America: Sam Wilson. S.H.I.E.L.D. wound up in a spot of controversy when a hacker known as the Whisperer - in reality Rick Jones - leaked information about a secret Cosmic Cube project, Kobik. Both Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers were furious, and Rogers wound up becoming the new Chief of Civilian Oversight of S.H.I.E.L.D.. It was a subtle detail, but it re-established the connection between Steve Rogers and the organization. Spencer was planning out his strategy like a chess mastermind, and he was positioning Rogers for some major developments down the line. In a prescient moment, the issue continues the political debate by inspiring an argument on an airplane - in which the words "Americans first" are uttered. Avengers: Standoff In true Marvel fashion, Secret Empire launches off the back of another event - Avengers: Standoff. The arc featured a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. plot to create a living Cosmic Cube, Kobik, which they'd used to create Pleasant Hill - a place where supervillains were held, their minds rewritten. Naturally, it all went pear-shape when Baron Zemo broke free, and soon the Avengers were in serious trouble. They were assisted by a new Quasar, who seems likely to play a major role in the arc. The turning point of the arc was really when Kobik used her powers to restore Steve Rogers's youth (and super-soldier-serum-derived abilities). Fans celebrated; but what they didn't realize that there was a sting in the tail... Captain America: Sam Wilson #9 This is the issue where all the setup begins to pay off. In the aftermath of Standoff, Maria Hill is in a vulnerable position - but, as ever, she plays smart politics and wriggles out of being held accountable for her actions. Or so she thinks; in reality, she's united two Captain Americas against herself. Steve Rogers spots cracks in her backing at the World Security Council, and arranges a secret tribunal. The issue ends with Rogers going public about his restored youth, but - in a delightful twist - he chooses not to take back the shield. From this moment on, there will be two Captain Americas. Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 This was it: the issue that broke the Internet. Captain America: Steve Rogers #1 was released without pomp or ceremony, with Marvel carefully keeping the issue's importance secret. Fans picked it up expecting a typical Captain America story, but Nick Spencer launched something very different; the end of the issue saw Steve Rogers tossing Jack Flag out of a jet, and then saying two words that shook fans worldwide: "Hail Hydra." The political side of the plot was there for all to see; in an election year, Nick Spencer was setting up an extreme divide with Sam Wilson on the one political extreme, and Steve Rogers on the other. The issue also featured a glimpse of a grassroots version of Hydra that was spurred on by the Red Skull, and his speeches would be pretty familiar to anyone who listened to Donald Trump. Fan reaction was explosive, to say the least. The Internet was ablaze with fury, and key Marvel figures received some pretty chilling death threats. Still, sales were off the charts, and Marvel was clearly satisfied with the comic's performance. https://twitter.com/TheBigBang_/status/737388418397786112?ref_srctwsrc%5Etfw Captain America: Steve Rogers #2 Nick Spencer had known the twist would be controversial, and he wasted no time explaining it. This issue presented Kobik's backstory and revealed that she'd been manipulated by the Red Skull - brought up to believe in Hydra. Wanting to please the Red Skull and wanting to bring people to the wholeness she believed Hydra brought, Kobik had turned Doctor Eric Selvig into a committed Hydra agent. Inspired, the Red Skull began to manipulate events to give her the chance to restore Steve Rogers; as she saw the elderly Rogers battling Crossbones, she couldn't help but intervene. She turned Steve into what she saw as the greatest, noblest man he could ever be. Kobik didn't just restore Rogers's youth; she made him Hydra. But, in an ironic twist, she made him Hydra as she pictures it - the Hydra of fairytales. Even from this early a stage, it was clear that Steve Rogers would wind up going head-to-head with the Red Skull for control of Hydra. Thunderbolts #1 Marvel continued to set up the consequences of Avengers: Standoff and one of the most important elements was undoubtedly Kobik, the sentient cosmic cube. She wound up allied with Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, who assembled a new team of Thunderbolts. Their mission was to deal with the most dangerous threats that Nick Fury had learned of and to keep a watchful eye on S.H.I.E.L.D.. This hasn't played into the main story just yet, but let's face it; the fact we've got the Winter Soldier and Kobik in this book makes it pretty certain we'll see the Thunderbolts become a major part of the eventual payoff. Civil War II 2016's major event, Civil War II - timed to align with the release of Captain America: Civil War - revealed a new Inhuman, whose power was the ability to project visions of the future. The most important element was a vision, in which he foresaw Miles Morales - the Ultimate Spider-Man - killing Steve Rogers in Washington D.C.. Seeking to avert the future, both Steve Rogers and Miles Morales made their way to Washington, and - to everyone's relief - both survived. Here's the catch, though; Ulysses's visions never came with a date-stamp attached. That vision may well become far more important in the future; especially when you consider the political symbolism. Miles Morales represents a youthful, diverse new generation of superheroes, while Steve Rogers has become an agent of Hydra. The potential conflict is just too symbolic. Thunderbolts #7-8 With the Winter Soldier captured by S.H.I.E.L.D., this two-parter saw Captain America trying to break him and learn Kobik's whereabouts. Thankfully, Bucky refused to give anything away, and was rescued by the Thunderbolts; but along the way, the two issues included two key plot developments. Firstly, we learned that Fixer had planted a self-replicating virus deep inside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems, one that could feed him even the most top-secret information. I strongly suspect that this will play out in the long-run. At the same time, Jim Zub's plot dropped intriguing hints that Kobik is beginning to doubt her allegiance to Hydra; she's gotten used to the idea of having a 'family' in the Thunderbolts, and this is beginning to counter the Red Skull's manipulation. Kobik is becoming something of a wild card. Captain America: Steve Rogers #7-10 In the wake of Civil War, Nick Spencer continued to put the pieces in place. While the Red Skull continued to gain power, launching guerrilla wars across Eastern Europe, Captain America began to prepare his own attack against the villain. Meanwhile, Captain America #8 purposefully focused in on the new Quasar, establishing her power levels and setting her up as a major pawn in Steve Rogers's game. Meanwhile, Rogers began pushing the so-called S.H.I.E.L.D. Act - an Act that would greatly expand S.H.I.E.L.D.'s powers, even giving them the power to take over the military, police and emergency services in the event of a national emergency. At the same time, he gave a key-note speech at Maria Hill's tribunal that led to her being removed as Director. Captain America's ruthless plan was a simple one; to set up Sharon Carter, someone he could manipulate, as the new head of S.H.I.E.L.D.. In a stunning twist, Carter instead nominated Steve Rogers. And so it was that Steve Rogers, Agent of Hydra, became Director of a new, expanded S.H.I.E.L.D.. Civil War II: The Oath Everything came to a head in Civil War II: The Oath, which featured an ostentatious inauguration scene in which Steve Rogers - Captain America - was sworn in as new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. It's a key issue, revealing that Steve Rogers saw a lot more from Ulysses's vision than we realized. He saw the rise of Hydra, and if his death lets that happen - he's willing. Nick Spencer carefully wove that vision back into the main narrative, ensuring that we see it as part of the arc he's building up. Again, the issue is jam-packed with political statements. The book was published within a week of Donald Trump's inauguration, and it's pretty much impossible not to see a dark reflection of US politics. Spencer gives Steve Rogers a chance to vent his opinions; that Iron Man and his ilk have been so busy building a complex world that they've left the people behind, they've lost the public's trust. Rogers's goal isn't just to change the world; it's to burn down the system and to build something new. Something that, to his mind, is greater. This, again, is clearly symbolic of both Donald Trump and Steve Bannon, one of his main advisers. Deadpool #27 Surprisingly enough, Deadpool #27 is an essential part of the buildup to "Secret Empire"! With Steve Rogers now head of S.H.I.E.L.D., he's considering a way to use the Merc With a Mouth, and arranges a meeting in Washington D.C.. What he doesn't expect, though, is for time-travelers from the future to arrive and make an attempt on Cap's life, hoping to avert the disastrous future. Naturally, Deadpool winds up played for a fool; the time-travelers don't survive. Unfortunately for Steve Rogers, though, Agent Coulson is on hand, and he's an experienced enough secret agent to see through the ruses that Rogers uses to get the time-travelers killed. The issue ends with Coulson beginning to investigate his hero, trying to work out what's going on... As you can see, Secret Empire is a deeply political story - one that's been a long time in the making. Writer Nick Spencer has moved to the forefront of Marvel Comics, charting a powerful narrative in which a hero falls - becoming everything he has spent his life fighting against. At the same time, he's demonstrating once again that all art forms, including comics, can have the power to act as a mirror to real life; and in so doing, reveal something about the world in which we live. As we continue to walk the road to Secret Empire, we'll ensure this article is kept updated, so make sure to keep coming back - now that Steve Rogers is in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D., the world has just become a very dangerous place indeed!