Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Secret Invasion.Promises," the second episode of the latestMarvel Studios/Disney+seriesSecret Invasion, is now streaming, and it's full of references. StarringSamuel L. JacksonasNick Fury,Secret Invasionis all about keeping an eye out for what's hidden. Here's what you may have missed.
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Captain Marvel & Nick Fury's Promise
In a flashback from the 90s, we see a meeting between Nick Fury (with both of his eyes still intact) and the Skrulls, immediately following the events ofCaptain Marvel. Here, we see the deal that Fury made with the Skrulls laid out. "You keep your word; I'll keep mine." Fury proposed that, in exchange for the Skrulls acting as protective agents while they're on Earth, he and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) will spend their efforts finding them a new home planet. A young Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is among the Skrulls pledging in agreement to Fury, presumably one of the first who would bescorned by the shortcoming.
The Council
Beware: the invasion is real. Gravik travels to a secret location to meet with a council of Skrulls, from whom he demands submission. Several important figures are among the group, including U.K. Prime Minister Pamela Lawton (Anna Madeley), FXN pundit Chris Stearns (Christopher McDonald), and NATO Secretary General Caspani (Giampiero Judica). Two Skrulls in the council hold positions we don't yet know: Jack Hyuk-Bin (Christopher Goh) and Shirley Sagar (Seeta Indrani), the only one to refuse to submit to Gravik.
The Avengers Are on Gravik's Radar
"You don't think I thought about that?" When questioned by the Skrull council about the potential threat of opposition from the Avengers, Gravik sternly assures them he's prepared. This is more than just a reference to the absent heroes; it provides us insight into their whereabouts of late. It seems they've been operating largely under the radar, if at all, since the fight that reversed The Blip, and Gravik's comment could imply that the Avengersmay have a Skrull operative in their midst.
One Million Skrulls & Emperor Drogge
Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) reveals to Fury that one million Skrull survivors of the Kree's attack have been living on Earth, spreading the secret invasion much wider than Fury once thought. In this conversation, Talos mentions Emporer Drogge, stating that every Skrull that was not a part of his colony answered the call to come to Earth. Though the spelling is a bit different, this is a clear reference to a Marvel Comics character named Dro'ge, who was a Skrull scientist that lead the creation of an advanced class of Super-Skrull. He was a key player in theSecret Invasion comic story, so it's likely this Emperor Drogge will come into play.
Alexander Pierce & HYDRA
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is referenced during the conversation between Fury and Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle). "Every ounce of power we wrestle from the vice grip of the mediocre Alexander Pierces who run this world was earned in blood," Fury exclaims to Rhodey, who first inquires if the force Fury is hunting could be a resurgence of HYDRA. Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) was the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. that turned out to be an undercover HYDRA operative, only adding to the distrustfulness that's been brewing in Fury for decades.
Extremis
You would have expectedthe events ofIron Man 3to be hugely consequential, the ramifications lingering throughout the greater MCU, but they were mostly swept under the rug. Until now, it seems. In the files that G'iah (Emilia Clarke) accesses relating to Rosa's work in New Skrullos, Extremis is among the notable entries. Extremis was a genetic modification program developed by Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) with contributions from Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). It allowed for manipulation of the body at the cellular level, granting self-healing and regeneration abilities as well as explosive, fire-like blasts. This could be particularly dangerous in the hands of theSkrull Resistance.
Groot
At the top of the list of DNA samples obtained by Gravik's Skrull Resistance is a species designated "Flora Colossus" — Groot. From the blurry image attached to the file, we can't quite tell where these branches were obtained, but we can narrow it down to the events of eitherAvengers: Infinity WarorAvengers: Endgame. If the former, that means the Skrulls may have an agent among the Wakandans, as Groot (Vin Diesel) left behind plenty during the battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his army. Groot was also on Earth for the battle that ultimately defeated Thanos at the decimated Avengers Compound. Skrulls having infiltrated either location would be bad news.
Frost Beast
Direct from Jotenheim, the fearsome Frost Beasts arrived at Earth inThor: The Dark World. Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) brought his army to the streets of London through the portals opened by the Convergence. After Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) settled that matter, cleanup must have been a bit careless, because a Frost Beast sample has found its way into the Skrulls' possession.
Cull Obsidian
His species and home planet are listed under "unknown origin," but we know how the Skrulls got themselves a sample of Cull Obsidian. Portrayed by the wildly underrated master of movement,Terry Notary, Cull Obsidian was a member of the Black Order, the highest-ranking of the Children of Thanos. Sent to Earth to obtain the Time and Mind Stones, Cull Obsidian fought against Iron Man, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and Wong (Benedict Wong). In the best use of an interdimensional portal that we've seen, Wong severed Cull Obsidian's hand, leaving the sample to eventually find its way to the Skrulls.
Nick Fury's Skrull Wife
Well, we honestly shouldn't be surprised that Nick Fury's been able to keep a secret like this all along. At the end of the episode, Fury arrives at what must be a home he's kept hidden, and he's greeted by — yes — his wife. That becomes clear once he adorns his wedding ring, an apparent loving ritual between the two, and they share a kiss. We're able to see that his wife (Priscilla, played byCharlayne Woodard) is a Skrull, but she shifted into human form before Fury entered the home. The question is: does Fury know she's a Skrull?
