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Secret Empire #7: Review

Jul 2017
Nick Spencer, Andrea Sorrentino

Story Name:

(No title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Secret Empire #7 Review by (July 29, 2017)
Comments: Additional art by Rod Reis, Joshua Cassara, Rachelle Rosenberg for the “other Steve Rogers” segments.

Review: Well, the event foreshadowed way back in CIVIL WAR II (was that only last year? Yikes) has been resolved if a bit anticlimactically with New Spidey deciding he isn't a killer. All of the heroes are being worn down by the pressures put upon them, notably Black Widow and Captain Marvel. Andrea Sorrentino's stark artwork ably encapsulates the grim and haunting mood this issue bears, with the grays and the muted colors especially effective. And there's a guest appearance by Mosaic; is this his first outside his own title?




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Secret Empire #7 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

On Alpha Flight Station, Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) determines not to abandon her post under the waves of Chitauri attacks. She stands by the comatose Quasar (Avril Kincaid) and pours out her heart, blaming herself for their situation, trying to prove herself that she approved the very shield which has trapped them, and pleads with Quasar to wake up....

The other Steve Rogers is being tortured by the Red Skull in the wilderness....

With the death of his mentor Madame Hydra (last issue) still on his mind, Captain America (a villainous Steve Rogers) plans to go ahead with his speech at the damaged Capitol Building in Washington. Black Widow is also on the scene with her team of young heroes planning to use the opportunity to assassinate the rogue hero. Natasha is preparing her sniper rifle while Spider-Man (Miles Morales) reminds her that Ulysses' vision in CIVIL WAR II indicated that he would be the one to kill Cap. Natasha locks him up in their truck since he isn't a killer. She contacts the other members of the team to rescue four members of Congress who are prisoners on the dais. The old man they rescued in issue #5 is revealed to be Mosaic; his job will be to take over the Hydra guards and have them shoot each other, while she pulls the trigger on Cap. She is interrupted by the arrival of the Punisher, who is working with Hydra. They fight and she impales his legs with knives. Looking through her sniper scope, she sees Spidey, having escaped the truck, is facing Captain America on the Capitol steps. She races out there to intervene and has her neck broken by Cap's shield, killing her. This sends Spidey into a rage that leads him to beat Cap bloody and as he is about to impale him on a sharp rock as in the vision, Wasp (Nadia Pym) appears, pleading with him to realize that everything Natasha did was to prevent him from becoming a killer like her. He relents and he and the other Champions are arrested by Hydra guards....

The injured Cap meets with his beloved Sharon Carter, confiding in her that he is sure everything is going wrong, too many of his friends are dying. She spins around and holds a sharpened stake of wood to his throat...but she can't bring herself to hurt him. Steve has her locked in prison....

The other Steve Rogers is about to be killed by the Red Skull; glimpsing a glowing young woman, he gains the courage to fight back, seizing the Red Skull in a charge that carries both of them over a cliff and into a river....

In the Arizona desert, the survivors of the Underground are broken and demoralized and wonder if it's all over. Sam Wilson, wearing the Captain America outfit once more, raises the shield and tells them it isn't....


RobFJ with tie-ins to this issue:-

There are 2 tie-ins specifically related to this issue.

CA: Sam Wilson #24
Sam decides to become Cap again, leading to his app here.

CA: Steve Rogers #19
Steve tries to convince the Odinson and Sharon Carter (as in this issue) that he is doing the right thing.

There are other issues I'm attaching here because they lead to events in SE#8.

Deadpool #34
After only capturing minor resisters for Hydra, and avoiding the big fish, DP now promises to get Maria Hill. But it seems like he's finally turned against Hydra and has a cunning plan, which also involves Blackout - the villain who created the dome over Manhattan.

Mighty Captain Marvel #7
The heroes in space continue to fight the Chitauri. CM's cadets unsuccessfully try to breach the Shield with a laser. The GotG return.

(Ultimates 2 #8 has the SE banner but was correctly not solicited as a tie-in. Galactus recruits Ego-Prime to join Psi-Hawk, Infinaut and Shaper of Worlds in his Eternity Watch. The recruitment of the other 3 isn't recorded but it is relevant that Psi-Hawk was recruited before US Avengers #8 and probably before USA#7 - maybe between U2#6 and #7.)

But strangely #9 and #100 *do* connect even though they don't sport the banner.

Ultimates 2 #9
America Chavez, Blue Marvel, Captain Marvel and Spectrum are taken from fighting the Chitauri to help Galactus and the Eternity Watch. Meanwhile Black Panther faces the Tiger God, which may or may not be relevant.

Ultimates 2 #100
The team, including Panther with the power of the Tiger God, help defeat the First Firmament. Includes Galactus reviewing what's been happening including Iron Man fighting Captain America, probably in SE#6.

US Avengers #8
In captivity Sunspot is being slowly killed by his own power due to the M-Pox. But after a couple of weeks of tinkering Toni Ho rigs up something that gives him back control.

US Avengers #9
Iron Patriot, Red Hulk and Sunspot take over the Hydra Re-Education Centre. Enigma, Squirrel Girl and the Champions of Europe liberate Paris. I'm putting these 2 issues here so that the revolts don't get squashed by Hydra because they'll be too busy with their scheme falling apart in SE#8-10. (Euroforce gets rescued from imprisonment here. Presumably they got captured after their escapade in CA:SR#18.)

SE: Brave New World #1 (Invaders story)
(This story takes place after Namor gives Hydra his Cosmic Cube fragment in SE#3. The ending suggests it is just before SE#8. Which means Subby's advisor (Bucky) appeared with him in CA:SR#18 earlier.)
Sub-Mariner is keeping Atlantis neutral in the Hydra takeover and facing an uprising because of that. Old Invaders teammates android Human Torch and Inhuman Toro come to him for sanctuary but he arrests them.

SE: Brave New World #2 (Invaders story)
Jim Hammond and Toro escape from the Atlantean prison and meet the rebel leader Namora, while Namor broods about what's happened to Steve Rogers.

SE: Brave New World #3 (Invaders story)
Namora, Jim Hammond and Toro attack Atlantis with a sea-monster, but Namor captures them all.

SE: Brave New World #4 (Invaders story)
Namor is about to execute Namora when the Atlanteans rise up against him.

SE: Brave New World #5 (Invaders story)
Namor's adviser from last issue turns out to be Bucky Barnes. And Namora only manoeuvred Namor into the position of executing her so he'd come to his senses. Torch and Toro are freed and Bucky has a plan to defeat Hydra. (Namor and Bucky and his plan go on to Captain America #25 and SE#8.)



Andrea Sorrentino
Andrea Sorrentino
Andrea Sorrentino
Mark Brooks (Cover Penciler)
Mark Brooks (Cover Inker)
Mark Brooks (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Sam Wilson)



> Secret Empire: Book info and issue index

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