Marvel has unveiled the trailer and synopsis for its next big event, Secret Empire, pitting Captain America against the other heroes of the Marvel Comics Universe. Marvel have been slowly planting the seeds for the shocking reveal of Captain America's new history, after stunning the world last year with the reveal that Cap was secretly working for Hydra. The Secret Empire story will see writer Nick Spencer pull together the threads he's been establishing since he began working on Sam Wilson: Captain America and which really kicked off in Avengers: Standoff! last year.
Cap and his new allies will go to war with the heroes of the Marvel Universe next month, when Secret Empire begins. A few months back, we got our first look at the Secret Empire debut issue cover, showing the various Marvel superheroes who will face this new Cap. While his secret was mostly known only to readers, it recently came to light in an event that also saw the birth of the new Madame Hydra. Now, with the start of the event just a few weeks away, Marvel have released a new synopsis for the comic and a trailer video, bringing readers up on what's happened so far and what they can expect.
The video from Marvel features interviews from people like Spencer and Marvel SVP Tom Breevort. In it, they lay the groundwork for Secret Empire and promise that it will be the last crossover event comic that Marvel is going to make for the foreseeable future. Considering the last few years have seen them turn out two or three events a year, that will likely be good news for fans exhausted from trying to catch up on some many tie-ins. Check out the video above for all the information, and read the synopsis below for a taste of next month's book:
The Marvel Universe is under siege from within. Due to the manipulations of the Red Skull, Captain America–secretly a true believer in the cause of Hydra–is finally set to enact his master plan. Yet as the dominos begin to fall, there are those who would rise to meet the challenge. Hydra’s ascension stands as a rallying cry, and Avengers, Champions, Guardians, Defenders, X-Men, Spider-Man and more must put aside their differences and come together as one: The first and last line of defense against Hydra!
As the last big event for awhile, it's not surprising that all hands are on deck. Oftentimes, the various groups from the comics won't all participate in one event. This is usually because multiple events are happening at the same time, meaning the Avengers, Guardians, and X-Men rarely join forces. Considering Marvel is attempting to upend its whole universe with the reveals in Secret Empire, it makes sense for them to pull together all of their heroes.
Meanwhile, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is making a similar move on TV. Thanks to the new reality of the Framework, last week's S.H.I.E.L.D. episode introduced a Hydra-controlled world that will likely please the minds behind Secret Empire. While it has nothing to do with the comics, it's interesting to see two different versions of a Hydra-ruled world play out across different mediums. Like Secret Empire in the comics, the Framework arc will have a big impact on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. moving forward, if not per se the larger MCU. For further-reaching consequences, Secret Empire would be your better bet.
Secret Empire #1, written by Nick Spencer with art by Steve McNiven, Andrea Sorrentino, Leinil Yu and Daniel Acuña, hits shelves May 3.
Source: Marvel