While Secret Empire did conclude late last month, the overall story isn’t quite done. As it turns out, an epilogue issue dubbed Secret Empire: Omega #1 is due to hit stands very soon, hopefully tying up any loose ends that writer Nick Spencer may have left dangling in the mainline series.
Chief among most readers’ concerns is what exactly will become of the Steve Rogers that rose to the top of Hydra and nearly succeeded in taking over the world. As most of you are no doubt aware, he engaged in a battle for the ages with the recently returned “classic” Captain America back in Secret Empire #10. Long story short, Hydra Steve’s reign is over, but the damage done to Las Vegas remains – as do the deaths of those he killed, namely Black Widow and Phil Coulson.
Now, the preview gallery doesn’t divulge too much, but we are able to learn that Hydra Steve has been taken to a black-site prison known as Shadow Pillar. While there, he’s visited by the Sentinel of Liberty himself. Unfortunately, that’s where we get cut off, but it’s safe to say the conversation to follow is one that no True Believer will want to miss.
Furthermore, we can’t help but notice the evil Steve Rogers being referred to as “Hydra Supreme” on one of the recap pages. Granted, this may be a temporary way of distinguishing the two, but if he’s to become a recurring or semi-recurring villain in the Marvel Universe, he’s going to need a definite code name, so maybe this’ll stick going forward.
Secret Empire: Omega #1 arrives in comic shops next Wednesday, September 13.