Prologue 1945: Captain America Steve
Rogers undertakes a trek to a snow-covered mountain in Japan; there
he is met by Kraken and taken to a mysterious cave where he bathes in
a glowing pool and is therefore protected from the Allies' use of
the Cosmic Cube to change history, setting him up to be savior of
Hydra someday in the future...
...and that future is now. Captain
America, Director of SHIELD is on duty; Sharon Carter lists for him
the three big problems they are facing: 1) the Chitauri invasion
fleet is coming and the Planetary Defense Shield is out, thanks to a
suicide bomber; Iron Man (AI Tony Stark) and Ironheart are trying to
get it running again while Captain Marvel leads Alpha Flight against
the enemy. 2) Supervillains held prisoner at Pleasant Hill have
descended upon Manhattan with havoc to wreak; the Defenders and the
Avengers Unity Team are at the scene. 3) Sokovia has been captured by
Hydra and they are threatening nuclear strikes if they are
not recognized by the UN. SHIELD Helicarriers are on their way. The
President declares a state of emergency, giving Cap full command of
US military and law enforcement agencies....
In space, the two most powerful heroes
are taken down: Hyperion by concentrated laser fire and Quasar eaten
by a dragon ship....
In Manhattan, Nitro sets himself off;
Jessica Jones' quick reflexes hurl him away but the explosion is
terrific.... Suddenly the bad guys start teleporting away....
The Planetary Defense Shield suddenly
comes up, throwing its protective force around the world, creating a
wall to the heroes' backs....
Then the Helicarrier Crescent, under
Hydra's control, rams the Iliad (the Helicarrier Cap is on) and the
latter's' crew start falling under the power of Dr Faustus' hypnotic
voice. Cap reveals himself as the Hydra leader and orders a shocked
Sharon locked up and kept safe. He informs Captain Marvel that she
and her forces are trapped on the outside of the Shield and there
will be more Chitauri coming for their captured Queen. Objective 1
accomplished: trapping the most powerful heroes in space. Baron Zemo
uses the Darkhold to cast the Darkforce Dimension around New York.
Objective 2 accomplished: many of the New York centered heroes are
now isolated. Iron Man summons all of the Avengers who are still free
to assemble and head for Washington as the Hydra Helicarriers arrive
at the nation's capital to take over the government of the United
States as Objective 3....
RobFJ with a roundup of tie-ins that belong with this issue:-
Deadpool #31
Back in #27 Phil Coulson started getting suspicious of Captain America. Now Cap sends DP to kill him. And he appears to succeed. This happens before Cap reveals his Hydra-ness in this issue.
Mighty Captain Marvel #5
CM welcomes some new recruits to Alpha Flight Station, and then they get attacked by the Chitauri and stranded outside the Planetary Shield by Captain America.
US Avengers #6
Cannonball returns to Earth space to become a casualty of the Chitauri invasion alongside Hyperion and Quasar. Hydra-Cap has the team's helicarrier ready to 'defend' Washington DC. A Hydra mole in AIM shoots Citizen V/Sunspot. Dr Faustus mind-controls the rest of AIM. Red Hulk's 'upgrade' turns him against the rest of the USAv.
SE: Brave New World #3 (Starbrand story)
Starbrand sees Hyperion brought in injured. He fails to penetrate the Shield.
Amazing Spider-Man #29
Superior Octopus leads Hydra troops to take over Parker Industries HQ. Doc Ock wants his company back, and when Peter refuses Ock initiates the Darkforce bubble. Then the Avengers call Spidey to Washington.
SE: Brave New World #3 (J Jonah Jameson story)
The daily Bugle reports on the super-villain attack on New York and the early hours of the Darkforce blackout.
Uncanny Avengers #24-25
Most of the team are trapped in New York by the Darkforce bubble. Except Deadpool who went with Captain America last issue, and Quicksilver who's with the Washington forces. Dr Voodoo immediately gets taken over by dark forces, but the team save him from possession.
X-Men Gold #7-8
As the Darkforce covers Manhattan some X-Men leave the Mansion to fight demons. But the new X-Cutioner chooses this time to start killing their students.
Free Comic Book Day 2017: Secret Empire
This directly follows this issue and describes the battle for Washington DC. Which ends with Hydra-Cap lifting Thor's hammer - because he's worthy! And Jane-Thor disappears somewhere.
Avengers #9
Female Thor ends up without her hammer on another world under the rule of a tyrant. She sacrifices a chance to get home to defeat the tyrant, and she won't be brought back to Earth until SE#10.
US Avengers #7
Only Enigma and Squirrel Girl escape the battle of Washington to join the French Resistance.
Amazing Spider-Man #30
Spidey tells the Washington heroes to form a Resistance and then goes off to protect his worldwide business premises from takeover by Superior Octopus and Hydra.
Amazing Spider-Man #31
Peter destroys Parker Industries rather than let Doc Ock have it.
SE: Brave New World #1 (Gwenpool story)
Hydra kidnap Gwenpool and takeover a TV station to broadcast propaganda. Things don't go as planned. This and the next tale probably belong in the early (not so effective) phase of the Hydra's conquest.
SE: Brave New World #2 (Hydra Bob story)
HB and others try to arrest an Inhuman woman, and he accidentally succeeds.
SE: Brave New World #1 (Giant-Man story)
This story 12 days in tells how Raz Maholtra hits rock bottom but then joins the Underground with his family (before SE#1)
Champions #10
Nova is with Captain Marvel in space. Cyclops is sort-of with the X-Men in New Tian. Hulk, Spider-Man (Morales) and Viv Vision hunt for Ms Marvel in an internment camp for Inhumans. This must be before they are part of the Underground in SE#1. They don't find Kamala Khan. We know she'll be with the Secret Warriors, but I don't know where she is now.
The above items happen straight after SE#0 or have to occur before SE#1.
Clive_Reston on the Marvel Chronology Project Forum has pointed out that in the real world it would take Hydra weeks or months to get the populace following the rules (or understanding what rules they're supposed to follow) in SE#1. Thus he includes other stuff here that supposedly happens in the 1st few weeks after SE#0. But SE#1 doesn't say how long it is after SE#0. I prefer to think that in the unrealistic comic world Hydra *could* get things done a lot faster. But not so fast that the whole of SE only lasts the few days that XM:G#8 suggests.
This also shortens the time that Captain Marvel and friends have to survive the Chitauri assault (I'm assuming that Alpha Station has enough supplies to keep them going), and the amount of time Dagger has been providing light for the whole of Manhattan.