Synopsis
Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #3 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
The Skrulls have invaded Earth in the Secret Invasion event. In New York Xavin the Skrull Runaway is helping the half-Skrull Young Avenger Hulkling evade some of the Skrulls who are intent on killing him on orders from Commander Chrell. With them are Young Avengers Speed and Wiccan. But Chrell has just captured the rest of the Runaways, including Xavin's girlfriend Karolina Dean.
Making it a full 3-in-a-row we again begin with a flashback to Tarnax VII and the training camp for Super-Skrulls like Xavin. Chrell is trying to get him to use his Fantastic Four powers more instinctively in battle, although he also claims that the original Super-Skrull Kl'rt was never able to defeat him. Xavin can't manage to use more than 1 FF power at once. But Chrell advises his pupil to study a superior opponent for his weaknesses and then exploit them. And he uses the standard Skrull sect's mantra to Xavin "He (their God) loves you".
Now on a New York rooftop Chrell's female Skrull assassin X'iv spots the 4 targets as they exit from the subway system. Speed zooms off to check on the other YAers they left in Times Square. Xavin says they have to find some way of broadcasting to the Skrull fleet the news that Hulkling is the prophesied half-breed saviour Dorrek, and that the Skrull Gods haven't really promised them the Earth. Teddy Altman suggests they go to the TV Network station on Rockefeller Plaza. But then Tommy Shepherd returns to tell them they're needed in Times Square. Nick Fury is there and something's happened to Vision (both seen at the end of SI#3, and seen on TV by the other Runaways at the end of last issue). Even-more-but they get teleported away by X'iv's magic ...
... and wind up in front of Chrell who has Karolina captive and the other Runaways defeated. X'iv holds Speed and Wiccan back leaving the other 2 to face the Commander (who seems to have dismissed the other enhanced Skrulls who were with him last issue). He offers to let Xavin have his Majasdanian girlfriend and leave the Earth if he'll 1st kill Dorrek. Teddy suggests they take Chrell down together, but Xavin says he was never able to beat the man who trained him.
But then very young Klara Prast who Chrell has obviously ignored as powerlessly cowering and whimpering uses her control over plant-life to make a large tree shoot up under the Skrull which makes him release the others. Karolina immediately blasts him powered by anger. Robot Victor Mancha dives at X'iv and Chase Stein launches some missiles at her, which makes her free Speed and Wiccan.
Chrell tells X'iv to kill them all and she launches energy daggers which Teddy protects Molly Hayes, Nico Minoru and Xavin from by Hulking out in their path. Then she throws a sai which nicks Nico's cheek. But leaking blood allows the Runaways' witch to draw the Staff Of One out of her body. (We'll have to ignore the fact that she had it in plain view last issue.) Xavin is using his Super-Skrull/FF powers to battle his mentor. But Chrell counters with FF powers too. (So maybe Kl'rt wasn't the *1st* Super-Skrull?) Chrell is winning but Xavin says he'll defeat him by exploiting his weakness. Which is that his belief is based on hate while he believes in his friends. On cue Karolina zaps Chrell again.
X'iv is lashing out with hand and eye blasts. Speed picks up the youngest Klara and Molly and takes them far away out of danger and then zooms straight back. Just in time to get blasted by X'iv along with Nico. Hulkling punches X'iv who retaliates with 2 sais. He holds her arms off and reminds her that he is the son of Skrull Princess Annele and Kree Mar-Vell and that it is his prophesied destiny to unite the Skrulls into 1 Empire again. He was chosen by the Skrull God who has told him he doesn't love *her*. Her shocked reaction gives him time to nut her, knocking her out.
Karolina and Xavin are still fighting Chrell who suddenly uses his Human Torch power at max to go nova. Xavin surrounds him with an Invisible Woman forcefield to protect his girlfriend. It turns out that his inability to use multiple powers has made each individual power stronger, so his field is able to contain Chrell's nova flame which ends up consuming himself. Xavin says that ironically it was his own weakness which beat Chrell.
Karolina is now free to express her anger at her boy/girlfriend telling Nico to take her (and the other Runaways) to safety but leave Xavin behind (#1). Hulkling thanks Xavin for saving him, and Xavin expresses his belief that Teddy *will* some day be the saviour of the Skrulls. (He'll have to wait for the Empyre event for that.) The 3 YAers persuade the Runaways to leave New York while they head back to the battle of Times Square. Their 1st stop should be to pick up Klara and Molly where Speed left them.
We see the pair at the foot of Mount Rushmore. Molly is still fuming at being kept out of the fighting. Klara is just enjoying nature.