Can "Secret Invasion" Succeed?

"Secret Invasion" is poised to be either the greatest superhero crossover in recent memory or the worst stinker since the Clone Saga. There is no in-between, and fan-favorite writer Brian Michael Bendis is riding on the edge of a knife on this one.

Marvel Comics' Secret Invasion is all about the Skrull. Combine the sneakiness of the Romulans with the shapeshifting of T-1000 and you have an accurate depiction of the longstanding alien adversaries. Fortunately, they haven't been doing so hot in the M.U. Their home planet was eaten (yes, eaten) by Galactus, and their empire cut to pieces during the events of the Annihilation. But the Skrulls have hatched a new plan to invade the world – without anyone knowing it.

The bombshell was dropped in the pages of New Avengers, when team member Echo stabbed the assassin Elektra. In death, Elektra was revealed to be a Skrull shapeshifter, yet not Wolverine, Spider-Man or even Doctor Strange could detect this. The superhero community find themselves racing the clock to stop an alien invasion. But just who do you trust when they can be anywhere and anyone?

Before the mini-series Secret Invasion began, the Skrull revelations were plenty surprising. The superheroine Spider-Woman fits prominently into the Skrull replacements. The silent hero Black Bolt was revealed to be a Skrull, but this came after the presumably real Black Bolt was incarcerated during a coup. This brings up an even bigger question - if Skrulls are replacing heroes body-snatcher style, what are the originals? The only thing we've heard from Bendis is this - it's not going to be pretty.

So far, Secret Invasion has garnered positive response and even nervous enthusiasm. But this is still a story which could go either way. Previous Marvel crossovers like Civil War and World War Hulk ranged from mediocre to dismal. Here, however, the shapeshifter angle adds a real intensity fans are very anxious to see revealed in new and exciting ways – and so far, Bendis has shown himself the master mystery man, writing twists which are sustains by years of Marvel history. But on wrong step could cause the entire story to collapse under its own weight. After all, how would you feel if your favorite singer was always lip-synching, your favorite actor was always a stunt double, or worst, your favorite hero was always a malevolent alien doppelganger bent on our destruction?

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