If you've read any Marvel comics this month, you might have seen their two-page ads for Secret Invasion. The one with the three small kids laughing, but one of them is green and has a Skrull chin, and we're advised to "Embrace Change"? I've certainly seen them*.
In addition to being mildly annoying**, it's also creepy. Maybe that's just me. I'm not a big fan of small children, like Dr. Grant at the start of Jurassic Park. The Skrull kid is only weird because it seems odd seeing a child that particular shade of green, but she doesn't really bother more than the other two.
I considered making this post into a joke about how silly it was for Marvel to make "Embrace Change" their tagline for the event, since they're talking to comic fans, and we all know how much we hate change, right? Ha ha ha, am I right? I can't seem to muster the energy to sell that joke, though.
So I'll take a different angle. Judging by the webpage they provide a link to, these are meant to assure the public that the Skrulls are bringing peace and love, and certainly not conquering. Which is all well and good, except for the part where they dropped a bunch of Super-Skrulls in Times Square and started getting kind of bossy. Doesn't really seem to agree with their electronic doctrine. So what's that leave us with? I guess it can serve as spin for after the fact. If the Skrulls actually succeeded in taking over, well, they can assign whatever motives they want, or provide no motive at all, what with them being in charge. if they lose however, they could always point to it and say they really did just want to help, and all the fighting and destruction was the "heroes'" fault.
I suppose it depends on what lasts as a result of Secret Invasion. I think an attempt to deny any malevolence would be a good idea if some of the Skrulls surrender, or beg asylum, and then get outfitted with some gizmo that neutralizes their shape-changing abilities. Which might seem a rude way to treat those begging asylum, but this is the Earth where people who put on costumes to try and protect the public were suddenly getting thrown in jail because they preferred to operate independently, and where mutants have been getting slaughtered by giant robots for being born different for decades. Why should Skrulls get special treatment? At that point the Skrulls couldn't really disguise themselves to fit into society, so their best bet would be a p.r. campaign to convince people that they aren't so bad.
Which sounds reminiscent of the mutant culture thing Morrison, Casey and some others were doing pre-House of M, and we saw what happened there, so that's probably not going to happen. Which is too bad. As a sort of background storyline running through the books, it might be kind of interesting. Or at least not obtrusive enough to detract from the titles' regular stories.
* Even in books that have not a whit to do with Secret Invasion. Can I not even be safe from Secret Invasion in The Punisher, Marvel?!
** I think it was mostly because I read several comics in a limited span of time, and I kept seeing it, and that starts to wear on me. Like how every time I sit down to watch football, I keep being subjected to that damn Little Thickburger commercial. I haven't watched much TV the last few months, but every time I do, there it is.
*** I would say the Skrulls did a fair job of infiltrating Earth secretly, but the invasion really is taking the standard, massive numbers of highly visible soldiers, isn't it?
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3 comments:
I was reading the Embrace Change ads as a sort of signal for the end of Secret Invasion. The Skrulls are going to lose, but where exactly are they going to go?
Yes they're religous zealots, but they are right. Over the last 15 years (616 time) they've lost not one but two Homeworlds. This wasn't totally an "invasion" but a migration instead.
So after the fighting's done I saw the ads as a part of a negotiated truce where the skrulls become citizens of Earth. The ads are there to convince all of us scary humans to embrace the scary green humans who just moved in down the street.
And if I'm wrong and they use your suggested solution (implanting a chip to stop them from shapeshifting) do you think Tony Stark goes overboard with that as well and starts implanting all the friendly skrulls and part-skrulls who've been living on Earth already (Skrull with the Runaways, Teddy with the Young Avengers, Skrull running around with She-Hulk, etc).
I'm pretty much trying to ignore these ads and the future they are hinting at. Remember the old days when Skrulls were sort of a joke? I mean, Aunt May could defeat one, on a good day.
On the other hand, she once defeated Galactus with twinkies, so I'm not sure she's a good choice.
What was I talking about again?
seangreyson: I'm sure if Iron man did try and implement anti-shape changing chips on all Skrulls, be that heroic or part-Earthling, the other heroes would say they were on board, then ignore the directive (like how Ms. Marvel kept letting the New Avengers escape).
It'd be cool if the Skrulls could just settle in and try and get along, but given how much trouble the average citizen in Marvel seems to have with humans that just have a slightly different set of genetics, I can't see it working.
sallyp: Well, everyone looks like a joke against Aunt May. Except Otto Octavius.
'Cause he's her sweetie pie.
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