Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, marvel, secret empire 10, spoilers
Is This Marvel Rebirth? Ten Thoughts About Secret Empire #10 (SPOILERS)
Today sees the release of Secret Empire #10. Some questions are answered, some are not, some new questions are asked. Here are a few things that stuck out…. spoilers of course, But then you know that going in.
1. Changing The Terms And Conditions
So how did the Hydra Captain America hold Thor's hammer back in the Free Comic Book Day Secret Empire edition? Somehow the wording of Thor's hammer was changed, enabling the Hydra Captain America to wield it. How? No idea. Magic, probably. Maybe the demon who possessed Scarlet Witch. Not explained – not today, anyway.
2. Is This Secret Empire – Or Secret Wars?
They try to line this moment up with Captain America vs Thanos from The Infinity Gauntlet, with Sam Wilson standing against Captain Hydra… but if anything it's more like Captain America vs Doctor Doom at the end of Secret Wars. Reality can be bent only so far before the human mind self-defeats…
3. History Is Bunk
Is it just me or is Captain America's new rewriting of Marvel history ripe for mini-series and re visits for decades to come? The "what if Hydra won the war" reality seems bound to be revisited again and again. Could this be the new Days Of Future Past in terms of repeat visits? Could this be the only way that Marvel would allow the return of the Fantastic Four? If they were all Nazi?
4. Man, They Still Don't Like Iron Man
Captain America's ultimate foe is Captain America in Tony Stark's armour. It's a Civil War against himself! And a reminder that the man behind the mask is a man behind a mask.
Choose-your-own-fascism.
5. Mother Jokes?
The insult that made a man out of Steve Rogers! Or at least the idea of Steve Rogers.00
6. History Is Bunker.
We get a red button resetting of Marvel wartime continuity. None of that Hitler actually winning the war narrative anymore. Or rather the Allies reset has now been reset… maybe someone should pop back and take a proper look.
7. Gamble Responsibly
So, Las Vegas is still destroyed. But as previously mentioned, it looks like somehow Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider will be putting it back together. And maybe that will be Marlo Chander's job.
8. Who's Dead? Who's Not?
Are Rick Jones and Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, still dead? It depends upon how you interpret the previous scene.Have they been revived by Kobik amidst the debris of Las Vega and are looking naturally sullen as a result? Or if this scene stating that, like Las Vegas, they are no more? Because this subsequent scene might suggest that Black Widow is dead – or at least is appearing to be dead. Some clarification might be due at some point.
9. Marvel Rebirth?
Oh and yes, turns out there is a Generations/Vanishing Point moment. No explanation as to what the Vanishing Point is or if we were right about where it came from. But the wording of that scene, with the newer aspects of classic Marvel heroes gaining something…
…they are restored. Reborn. Rebirthed?
10. Hang On, Did They All Forget Someone?
Captain Hydra may have been defeated. But not killed. And no sign he was actually done away with. Looks like the Fascist Captain America or the Even-More-Fascist Captain America depending on your point of view will be around for some time.
Or at least until Secret Empire: Omega #1, which may see some kind of physical reconciliation between the two. Or have him become the new Red Skull. But something.
Hmm, is the "Never Again" going to be a thing? I get the feeling it may be…
Does the surviving Captain Hydra count as a ghost?
Secret Empire #10 by Nick Spencer, Steve McNiven, Jay Leisten, Rod Reis, Ron Lim, David Marquez, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, Jesus Aburtov and Matthew Wilson is published today.
Thanks to TP for a couple of typo spots!