Thoughts on Secret Empire 6 years on...

[Odd Rödney]

Hey folks,

I recently re-read the Secret Empire event from 2017. I must admit I approached the story with some dread. I remember it was horribly delayed, terribly controversial and maybe not such a good time. Secret Empire and the X-Men Gold/Blue series had me drop my comics habit and I didn't return until they put Hickman on the X-Men.

Despite all of this I picked the big stack of Secret Empire floppies up and jumped in. Reading the story in one sitting without the delays helped but it was still just a standard Marvel event: not great but pretty good. I certainly enjoyed it more than I did 6 years ago.

So my question to the community is this: what did you think about the story at the time? Have you read it since? Did your opinion change or remain the same?

Sound off below!

Thanks,
-Odd Rödney.

[charliehustle415]

I read it once it was all done, but as the finale of Spencer's dual Cap book it's amazing.

I couldn't imagine reading it monthly because it is written as a trade not single issues and you can tell; however, I thought it was really well written and really compelling.

All of the bullshit around it was pure internet ragebait that was typical basement dweller nonsense.

[Frontier]

I think it was well-intentioned (like a lot of Spencer's Cap run) but wasn't necesarilly worth all the controversy that surrounded it, not that Spencer and Marvel deserved ALL the hate for that.

It suffered a lot from the usual event problems of characters acting out-of-character and dumb for the sake of the plot, weird character turns, deus ex barfing, and stuff to that effect.

[The Cool Thatguy]

6 years?

Well, I feel old.

It's still a terrible story, aping Civil War in too many respects, poor symbolism and underwhelming climax

[ComicNoobie]

Grrr. No title triggers me more then Secret Empire! I despise this event. But not for the reasons you'd think. It was nothing major in the actual storyline. I hate what it did to my girl! Captured offscreen and used as bait for Scott. It's like everyone forgot she was once a hero herself! One just as established if not more then Scott but because of MCU synergy she has to be helpless and motivation for Scott to do anything and not a equal...grrr. I get mad whenever I think about it. It soured me on the entire concept of Secret Empire. Even if I enjoy the Hydra Cap build up, the disrespect out weighed the good for me. I avoid this one as much as I can.

Taking my personal bias out, Secret Empire is just kind of forgettable minus Hydra Cap and it followed another subpar event Civil War II. I think the thing I read the most was the Thunderbolts tie ins because it reunited most of the classic group and even that ended weirdly and left Jolt in a weird spot that to this day has not been answered. What happened to Songbird and Mach X? Just felt rushed. Overall it's a event I don't go back to. The hype and build up was better then the event. It had some interesting ideas but the payoffs felt lackluster. There's more I would say but it would be very long.

[Noek]

It was alright, if we had a break of big multi corner events so no CW2 I think would have been better as a bit of breathing room of event fatigue, and of the 2 Secret Empire was a lot better then that. It was built up really good, and we got to see truly why Captain America is so dangerous. The tie-ins from what I remember were good, and I liked the Secret Warriors book that came out of it.

I say the weakest bit was the Cosmic story, it could have used a bit more focus. The other bit was the wrap of Kobnik with how Marvel Generations happened, Kobnik thought these heroes needed a break? Along with not the reason of bringing back Las Vegas.
Instead I would have had those heroes in the area of the cosmic cube, maybe they are trying to take it from Hydra Cap and that sends them to the time lines. Kobnik is able to bring them back but uses the last of her power leaving her a regular child, so is unable to bring back the city.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Has it yet been explained where Nick Fury was during Secret Empire?

Just seems odd that he was never addressed.

[Noek]

Has it yet been explained where Nick Fury was during Secret Empire?

Just seems odd that he was never addressed.

Sr or Jr, cause I think Sr was transformed into the Watchers stand in still.

[Bruce Wayne]

I have a question: was the idea of Cap Hydra actually based on Remender's ideas for Captain America before he left the book. For example I remember he planted the idea that Hydra had now planted a mole in the Avengers after Steve passed the mantle for Sam. Or did Spencer just go in his own direction with the idea of the mole?

[Frontier]

Remember when we had Thor throwing in his lot with Hydra and helping slaughter a bunch of innocent aliens?

Remember Black Widow and Hawkeye being friends with benefits and starting the trend of Clint becoming a bit too much of a Natasha simp?

Remember the day being saved by Inhuman barf?

Remember Carol Danvers admitting she just wanted people to like her?

I have a question: was the idea of Cap Hydra actually based on Remender's ideas for Captain America before he left the book. For example I remember he planted the idea that Hydra had now planted a mole in the Avengers after Steve passed the mantle for Sam. Or did Spencer just go in his own direction with the idea of the mole?

I think the idea was that Sharon was the mole.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I have a question: was the idea of Cap Hydra actually based on Remender's ideas for Captain America before he left the book. For example I remember he planted the idea that Hydra had now planted a mole in the Avengers after Steve passed the mantle for Sam. Or did Spencer just go in his own direction with the idea of the mole?

Spencer went his own direction, deliberately closing out the Hydra direction Rick had set up.

...to do his own Hydra thing.

[Chris0013]

Not a fan. But I am really not a fan of the way Marvel has become one big event after another.

[charliehustle415]

Spencer went his own direction, deliberately closing out the Hydra direction Rick had set up.

...to do his own Hydra thing.

That's why I think if you read it in a vacuum along with Spencer's Cap books it works as a great ending; but as a part of the mosaic that is the Marvel Universe it falls apart especially Thors behavior

[TheMaker1610]

Altough Spencer's Secret Empire (and both Caps books) had their fair share of problems and/or controversy, the hate it got was beyond ridicolous.
I remember when the whole "Hail Hydra" thing happened.. oh boy.. it was obvious from the get-go that the "reveal" wasnt meant to be THE "reveal" (for lack of better words), but people got mad really quick, to the point of sending death threats to Spencer iirc, even before issue 2 came out, in which almost everything was explained. While a bit disturbing, the whole thing was.. entertaining to watch for afar, I guess?

Now, on the event itself.. I really loved it ! As most people said here already, Secret Empire (and Sam's Generations issue) were the perfect ending for Spencer's run as a whole. And I also loved how well crafted the build-up for that event was. Both Cap books, Avengers, and Thunderbolts plots were perfectly connected between each other, and perfectly lead up into Secret Empire.

Hydra!Steve was a delight to watch. It's not everyday you see a single man (with powers or not) outsmarting and manipulating the whole MU in such a masterful way. I also commend Spencer on how he managed to use (and resolve) some of CWII most eyebrow-raising plots (visions) into the story in such a great way (Hulk decimating everyone, Miles vs Cap, etc)

Now, while I really liked the event, there were some things that were absolutely laughable (no related to the plot, that being said), like Marvel randomly deciding to post THE spoilers for the final issue, one day before official release, because.. reasons, I guess? Not Spencer's fault, but still..


Now, on another note.. why the hell Coates decided it was a good idea to "fridge" Hydra!Steve in his cap book? It didnt make any sense, and deprived us of a great villian..

[Nomads1]

I read it when it came out on TPB (and I read it digitally, just to say I did, for I wait for physical copies of stuff I'm really excited about), and have tosay that, what I most remember about it was that it had some art that I didn't think fit well with this kind of event (it's not even that I found bad, just that it wasn't a good fit). I wasn't keeping up with most of the happenings in other books, so I found many of the characterizations and decisions made in the story really very odd and out of character (for exemple Thor serving in the bad Avengers team). I wasn't so offended by the Captain Hydra twist, but I don't think it was well done, and the pay-off of the real Cap returning also could have been, IMHO, much better done. All in all, it wasn't even so bad that it stuck with me, nor so good that it did. It was just forgetable. Though I might eventually try re-reading it.

Peace