How Does Marvel’s Secret Invasion Episode 2 Compare to the Comics?

Marvel’s Secret Invasion episode 2 throws in some major revelations about the ongoing Skrull infiltration, with Nick Fury and his Skrull friend Talos right in the middle of it. And like the comic run it takes its name from, it ends on a cliffhanger. But if you were wondering just how does Marvel’s Secret Invasion episode 2, “Promises,” compare to the comics, here’s the answer.

Here’s How Secret Invasion Episode 2 Does and Doesn’t Mirror the Comics

Does Marvel’s Secret Invasion episode 2 follow the plot of the comics? No, not really. The general premise is the same, with Skrulls infiltrating society. But other than that it doesn’t directly mirror the events of the comics.

So I’m going to pick out some of this episode’s plot points and see if there are any similarities to be found.

Hundreds of thousands of Skrulls are living on Earth. In the comics there are some Skrulls living on Earth, just living their lives, but up to a million? No. Most of the Skrulls featured in the Secret Invasion comic have come to Earth at the behest of their leader, Queen Veranke.

The Skrulls have infiltrated positions of power. Is this the case in the Secret Invasion comic? Sort of, but the Skrulls have chosen to replace superheroes, not politicians. For example, the Skrull leader, Queen Veranke, is masquerading as Spider-Woman. And Giant Man / Ant Man, Hank Pym, is also a Skrull.

Maria Hill is dead. Maria Hill does appear in the Secret Invasion comic, and she is shot by a Skrull, one who has imitated the Avengers’ butler, Jarvis. But the Maria Hill that’s shot dead is, in fact, a Life Model Decoy (a robot duplicate). The real Maria Hill lives through the events of the comic Secret Invasion.

Nick Fury failed the Skrulls. That’s not the case in the comic. In the show, Nick Fury promises sanctuary for the Skrulls after their planet has been destroyed. In the comic, the Skrulls choose to come to Earth of their own accord. There’s a religious element at play, with Queen Veranke believing she’s doing the Skrull god’s work. Yes, looking back, this does seem a little heavy-handed.

Nick Fury is married. In the Secret Invasion storyline, Nick Fury Sr., the then-Nick Fury, has never been married. His son, Nick Fury Jr., who later appears in the comics and is the current Nick Fury, has also never been married.

The Skrulls are attempting to duplicate superpowers. This is similar to the comics. At the end of Secret Invasion issue 2, a group of Skrulls, sporting the same powers as the Avengers (and some of their foes), descend on Manhattan.

As the episode concludes, the Skrulls are still in hiding. In the comic, however, the aforementioned Manhattan invasion is well under way. The Avengers and the other superheroes are, meanwhile, in the Savage Land, dealing with a spaceship full of duplicates. And Nick Fury has yet to put in any kind of appearance.

The comic also introduces an element that hasn’t cropped up in the show so far, that of Skrulls who don’t know they’re Skrulls, way beyond simple sleeper agents. All the Skrulls we’ve seen so far are aware they’re Skrulls. In the comic, some of the Skrull duplicates believe they’re human.

So if you wanted to know how Marvel’s Secret Invasion episode 2 compares to the comics, there are some similarities, but so far, it’s a more low-key event than in the comics.