Warning: Spoilers for Secret Invasion to follow.
We knew Secret Invasion was going to bring some earth-shattering revelations and additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since before it dropped on Disney Plus last week, and the first episode came out of the gates hard with the reveal of Everett K. Ross’ true identity as a Skrull; indeed, it’s safe to assume the train won’t be stopping any time soon.
And with the second episode having landed today, the nuances are continuing to grow in a big way, as we’ve more or less found out that Secret Invasion will be bringing Super-Skrulls into the fold by way of a giant DNA collider housed in the depths of New Skrullos.
It’s an exciting, if horrifying, development for the MCU, but some fans may be scratching their heads over the notion of Super-Skrulls existing prior to the introduction of the Fantastic Four, whose powers are the basis for Kl’rt, the original Super-Skrull in the comics. But, thanks to r/marvelstudios and its ability to draw in puzzle-savvy viewers, the ins and outs of the MCU Super-Skrulls have become more apparent.
As pointed out by the user above, G’iah uncovered a variety of subjects whose DNA is set to be fused with Skrull warriors to grant them additional abilities; these subjects include Guardians of the Galaxy member Groot, the Extremis virus, Thanos’ deceased adopted child Cull Obsidian, and the Frost Beasts of Jotunheim.
Between these four conduits, it’s not terribly difficult to imagine how their DNA might allow Super-Skrulls to manifest Fantastic Four-equivalent powers. Groot, for example, is an obvious mirror for Mister Fantastic’s elasticity given his ability to fire tendrils from his body — an ability we know we’ll be seeing from Gravik later on thanks to the show’s trailer.
Elsewhere, the hulking, durable Cull Obsidian parallels The Thing’s brawny talents to a T, while the Extremis virus is the clear spiritual successor to the Human Torch, given that some hosts of the virus can use it generate intense heat and explosions.
As for Invisible Woman, it’s hard to say how Frost Beast DNA could manifest echoes of invisibility and force fields. The most likely answer is that the MCU’s Super-Skrulls are only inspired by the Fantastic Four up to a specific point, and Invisible Woman happened to be the cutoff, but it’s also entirely possible that the beasts’ ability to remain frozen solid for long periods of time could translate to a power that encases the user in a protective, force field-esque layer, though that could be a bit of a stretch.
Whatever the case, these Super-Skrulls are going to pack one heck of a punch, and Fury is going to need to keep his wits and grit about him if he and his dwindling allies are going to come out on top of this war.
Secret Invasion is now streaming on Disney Plus. New episodes will release every Wednesday until the show’s conclusion on July 26.