The Marvel Universe

Tomorrow the first issue of Secret Invasion hits stands, and I am kind of excited about it. I really don't read comic books, but I pay attention to the plots and what is going on. I will be reading Secret Invasion. This series has been build for the last four or five years. I will be posting reviews on each issue after I read them, so I thought I would write a summary of the last four or five years.

Years ago there was the Kree/Skrull War. After the war, Tony Stark (Iron Man), gathered all of the leaders from the different super groups and formed the Illuminati. The group consisted of Stark, Professor X, Reed Richards, Namor the Sub Mariner, Dr. Strange, and Black Bolt. The Illuminati went to the Skrull homeworld and were captured and studied. They escaped, and within time the Skrull homeworld was destroyed by Galactus. The Skrulls believe that Earth is rightfully theirs.

A terrible disaster struck the Avengers Mansion. A series of random attacks killed Scott Lang (Ant Man), Vision, and Clint Barton (Hawkeye). It is discovered that the source behind the attacks is Wanda Maximoff. She is taken away by her father, Magneto. The Avengers split-up because of it.

A shadowy figure has Electro cause a mass breakout at the Raft super prison. A random assortment of heroes arrives on the scene aid, but 42 villains escape. The heroes that assembled become the New Avengers. The line up includes Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Spider Man, Wolverine, Spider Woman, and the Sentry. They discover a plot in the Savage Land that they go and investigate. They come across a SHEILD facility that gets blown up before they can figure out what’s going on. Before these events the heroes were part of a Secret War that put Nick Fury into hiding.

Wanda Maximoff is manipulated by her brother Pietro into changing this reality into a reality were mutants are superior, The House of M. Some of the heroes become aware that this is not the real world and team up to take down the Maximoffs. Clinton Barton is alive in this reality. In the final battle, Wanda restores the universe to normal, but rids the world of all its mutants, except 198 of them.

The Hulk attacks Las Vegas, so the Illuminati trick him into getting in a satellite. The satellite sends the Hulk to the planet Sakaar, starting Planet Hulk.

A group of D-List heroes called the New Warriors track down some of the villains that had escaped the Raft. In the process of catching these villains, they cause a mass explosion that kills over 600 people. This causes the passing of the Superhero Registration Act. Iron Man accepts the idea and leads the Pro-Registration side. Captain America denounces the idea and leads the Anti-Registration side.

During the Civil War on Earth, an Annihilation is happening in space. The Annihilation wave destroyed the planets of the Skrull Empire.

A battle between the Pro Reg. and Anti. Reg. sides takes place in New York, causing Capt. America to turn himself into the authorities, and the 50 State Initiative begins. Capt. America is subsequently assassinated. Tony Stark becomes the director of SHEILD.

A new Avenger team is formed, the Mighty Avengers. Their lineup includes Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Wasp, Black Widow, Ares, and the Sentry. The New Avengers go underground. Their lineup includes Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider Man, Wolverine, Spider Woman, Dr. Strange, Echo, and a resurrected Clint Barton. The two teams are constantly at odds with each other.

The planet Sakaar is destroyed, killing the Hulk’s wife and child. Hulk decides the Illuminati are to blame and returns to Earth to kill them. World War Hulk begins with the Hulk taking down all of the Earth’s most powerful heroes. Hulk turns Madison Square Garden into a gladiator arena where Dr. Strange, Reed Richards, Black Bolt, and Tony Stark are forced to fight each other. Hulk is defeated by the Sentry, who has to use all of his power.

The New Avengers fight the Hand in Japan, led by Elektra. After a big fight, Echo stabs Elektra in the chest. Elektra’s body turns into a Skrull. The New Avengers realize that the Skrulls could have infiltrated all of the super groups. Spider Woman steals the body and brings it to Tony Stark.

Stark brings the body to a meeting of the Illuminati. When discussing what to do with the body, Black Bolt reveals himself as a Skrull and attacks them. The Illuminati now realize there is a full scale invasion, and they can’t trust anyone.