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Warning : hold in SPOILERS forSecret Empire#10 andSecret Empire : Omega#1 .
Marvel ’s latest major event , Secret Empire , arrived in a whorl of controversy . First off , Captain America throw out his longtime friend Jack Flag out of an dirigible , at the same time yelling “ Hail Hydra ! ” From there , author Nick Spencer pile on the tension , and Marvel fielded flack catcher as a nowNazi - similar Steve Rogersbuilt his underground regimen , backstabbing and scheming his way through his ego - title book and theCivil War IIevent . Everything culminated when Captain America and his green and yellowed goons occupied America inSecret Empire#0 and beyond .
Given America ’s divisive election cycles/second and the backlash to an American icon becoming a fascistic overlord , Marvel ’s summertime crossover should ’ve blown reader ' minds . true , the first few outcome were intense , but the conclusion to the report felt compromise , at least compared to its high - bet source , and the death and destruction strewn along the mode . Is it potential all the fan - backlash ram Marvel to convert the terminal of their uneven but idea - hassle crosswalk event ?
Did Secret Empire Go Down as Planned?
Major events likeSecret Empireare often project out several years in advance . In Marvel ’s case , many of their upcoming tales are plotted during the fabledwriter ’s retreat . The groundwork for their last major bow was set rough a year ago , during thePleasant Hillstory electric discharge . The perplexing saga orbit around S.H.I.E.L.D. director Maria Hill , who used Kobik , a little young woman embodiment of the Cosmic Cube , to rewrite supervillains into passive citizen of the bucolic residential district . When Baron Zemo broke his programming and result a revolt , Steve Rogers was mortally wounded . Kobik revived him , but thanks to her indoctrination by Red Skull , who disguised himself as a non-Christian priest , his new background contemplate a distinctly Hydra root .
Over the next year , author Nick Spencer worked tirelessly to establish the double-faced lengths to which Captain America went to make hisSecret Empire . ThroughCivil War II , when Inhuman sageUlysses envision Miles Morales(Spider - Man ) kill Rogers on the steps of the U.S. Capitol , he ’s been a marked military man . In the end , though , neither Marvel ’s heroes northe enrage populacedeposed Rogers . alternatively , Kobik make a good version of him , based on her memory ( the so - call Vanishing Point ) and , in a very meta , Civil War - esque engagement , Cap kill his malign twin in Washington D.C.
The fan backlash to Rogers’“Hail Hydra ! ” momentmay have caused Marvel to jib from their original ending , which may have earlier ended with HydraCap ’s repurchase - or even expiry . Nonetheless , major issue usually undulate out allot to position plan and schedule . After all , there are countless factors require in altering them . writer need to melt changes through column for approval before the Holy Writ ’s artist conceptualize the new storyline . Then , the editorial squad must okay the changes again before they run with the narrative alterations . Swapping the finish to a major event is in all likelihood tricky but not impossible .
At the same time , change things invest the serial publication at risk for sales event - slaughter delays . Marvel ’s former major crossover , Civil War II , suffered as a result of alike setting – which credibly push them to splay creative person onSecret Empire – losing momentum with fans . So while Marvel may tweak things along the agency , they probably would n’t alter something as important as the end , at least without a honorable understanding .
Kobik was already heavily involved in the establish - up toSecret Empire , since one of the last missions HydraCap sent Baron Zemo on was to catch her before she was destroy . In the second issue of the consequence , Spencer also revealed the Vanishing Point , where Rogers ' “ good " version lived on . yield the etheric land ’s large connection toGenerations , both Kobik ’s intercession and the Vanishing Point were probably in - play all along .
On the other hand , the blowback from Steve Rogers ’ villainous association , as well as other controversial moments , could have labor Marvel to realine the end ofSecret Empire .
Revising the Dramatic Conclusion
So , did Marvel really alterSecret Empire ? There are a few signs of unscheduled adjustment . honest , major events need a beneficial deal of planning and a heck of a lot of work . So , any major adjustment could be troublesome . But there is a precedent for comical book companiesmodifying bad storiesdue to fan displeasure or bad publicity .
One noteworthy deterrent example is DC ’s revision of their 1991 crossover " Armageddon 2001 . " When the starter Internet catch ahold of the last plait – which revealed that Captain Atom turned evil – the caller rearranged thing so Hawk transmute into the nefarious Monarch instead . Another early example from the House of Ideas itself is the first “ Clone Saga . ”Gwen Stacy ’s deathin Amazing wanderer - Man#121 see red so many fans that Marvel returned her to life , albeit only for a moment , during the semi - infamous event .
Revealing Captain America as a member of Hydra was a slap in the face to many fans , particularly after the company elucidate he was n’t a fake or a clone . After the less - than profuse reception – as well as certain promotion like the “ Hydra is n’t the same as Nazis”campaignor when Magneto , a Holocaust survivor , was show as line up withHydra – Marvel could ’ve changed the ending to distance the “ real ” Cap from his merciless ways and further tainting the character . ( They also plausibly assure a few distinct advantages to having a doppelganger Steve around . )
While it ’s not proof of major plot shifts , Secret Empiredid receivean extra issueandan “ aftermath ” yield . Sure , Secret WarsandCivil War IIwere also extended , but Captain America ’s disputatious status , in addition to the heated up election , might have pushed Marvel to reimagine things . The minimal brain dysfunction - on chapters were announced in May , still early in the event , which allowed a bit of respiration elbow room for alterations . Sure , they could ’ve been a way to ferment out some plot of land kink . However , if Marvel create a 2d Steve , rather than just pushed him to engage in a metaphysical battle or bolt down HydraCap instantly , it speaks a reaction to devotee frustration with the reference , or even fears of vitiated fan good will without a proper restoration of Steve Rogers to his " honorable " ego .
Initially , Spencer claimedRogers was“not a ringer , not an shammer , not creative thinker control , not someone else acting through Steve . ” An unidentified Marvel source also insisted he wasmanipulated from the beginning , but HydraCap was still the same hero beneath it all . By the end ofSecret Empire , though , the warped versiondidbecome an evil Twin Falls . In addition , Marvel did n’t kill off Steve , as menace by Ulysses ’ vision inCivil War II . While the presentiment might have been little more than roll of tobacco and mirrors , it suggests a more fell outcome for Hydra ’s Supreme Leader . Still , not killing Rogers was redemptive both for Black Widow ( postmortem ) and Miles Morales .
The fillip chapter , Secret Empire : Omega#1 , hints at a slightly different conclusion as well . While it sets up the continued threat of Hydra and the further mishap of evil Steve ( or Stevil?),Omegaalso smooths out a few plot of ground hiccough . It also rectifies HydraCap ’s dual cosmos – which diminished the overall encroachment of the event – and explores the figurative blood on estimable Steve ’s hands . Not determinate test copy of plot change , but the wrapper - up record is indicative of a clean - up occupation in - progression .
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Whether or not Marvel alteredSecret Empire ’s conclusion may remain a mystery forever . Still , walking back the true evils of Captain America ( perceivable given the rebound ) by adding a 2nd , good Steve Rogers feels like fan service . In addition , the incentive takings could bespeak that Marvel at least pick off the finale as a means of damage dominance .
Ironically , if Spencer and company did modifySecret Empireto help Captain America ’s public image recuperate , they transformed a potentially impactful conclusion into a feeble replay ofCivil War II . At this stop , though , guess is all fan have to go on , while we inquire just how powerful Cap’sSecret Empirecould have been .
Next:How Marvel’s Secret Empire Should Have Ended
Secret Empire#10andSecret Empire : Omega#1are currently available .
beginning : Vox , CBR , Bleeding Cool , Bleeding Cool , IGN , Vox
