Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Secret Invasion.We're one-third into Secret Invasion, and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) has finally asked Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) the question we've all wanted to ask: why not call in the Avengers to deal with the Skrull insurgent threat? Rhodey poses the question during their meeting at a restaurant in Europe — the true purpose of which is to discuss Fury's firing from the secret service supervised by the US government, as he is being framed for the terrorist attack caused by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in Episode 1. Still, Rhodey's question seems like a good one, right? Only Fury's answer is even better.
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Deploying the Avengers Could Do More Harm Than Good
It's understandable that people would think calling on the Avengers could be a better way to solve the Skrull issue. They really are the ultimate failsafe against global-level threats and have saved the world countless times — and even the universe, too. Still, even though we are dealing with a threat on a global scale, this is not an issue for them, and Fury makes a good point when explaining it to Rhodey. It may seem like Fury is taking the Skrull threat personally and refusing to call on the team for sheer dumb pride, but it goes deeper than that, and bringing them in would make an already over-complicated matter even worse.
Of course, the Avengers are an overpowered bunch. So powerful, in fact, that having them deal with Gravik may even seem like overkill — only Gravik really is that dangerous. One could argue that they could act covertly and deal with the situation without attracting attention, but, let's face it, that would be impossible. No matter who's on the current Avengers roster, we're talking about a level of overpowering that is bound to attract unwanted attention even if done in secret. Supposing they are indeed deployed, you can't keep them secret for too long, as they are not only superheroes but also public figures, their presence is followed around the world and their activity can surely be detected by enemies as clever as Gravik. And we're talking about Skrulls, so detecting Avengers activity could even lead to the team being copied.
In fact, this has even been a precedent in the comics. Secret Invasion adapts the corresponding arc of the comics while taking a lot of liberties, but there we can still find a good example of how trying to overpower your enemy can have catastrophic results. In the comics, a group called the Illuminati contained the likes of Iron Man, Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Black Panther, and so on. They tried to attack the Skrull homeworld as a way of retaliating and preemptively striking against the shape-shifting aliens in order to prevent further invasions of Earth, but it didn't end well. Only it backfired spectacularly because they were captured and studied by the Skrulls and allowed for the invasion to happen. We know Gravik to be extremely clever and cunning, so if a team of superheroes was captured in the comics, it's more than likely that he has a contingency plan for that in the series, too, especially knowing his enemy is Nick Fury, the architect of the Avengers himself.
What Could Happen if the Avengers Were Called On to Deal With the Skrulls?
Speaking of planning ahead, that's what Fury himself is doing when refusing to call on the Avengers here. There's no way of knowing for sure, as not even in the MCU is it possible to foresee the future, but given what we already know about Secret Invasion and its characters, we can speculate a little about possible outcomes.
Let's start by keeping out the idea of them being captured by the Skrulls, as we've already talked about that. Even if they are not captured, they can still be copied by the Skrulls. The likeness of whatever version of the team is already public knowledge, from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to even deceased ones like Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Whenever a superhero is deployed to deal with the Skrulls, a doppelgänger could also start making public appearances, sowing distrust inside the team and between them and the people they are supposed to protect. This is one of the points Fury makes to Rhodey, of course, so no surprise there. Still, the damage it could do in terms of public opinion towards the heroes is immeasurable and could last way after the Skrull threat is ever dealt with. For example, Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) was revealed to have been a Skrull in Episode 1, and we can't know when that substitution happened in the first place. Now imagine that, but instead of Ross, we're talking about Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
A second outcome supposes the Avengers are deployed and somehow eliminate Gravik. One might think that, by removing the head, the whole body dies, but the Skrull insurgents are a rather persistent bunch. They've already been radicalized, and more of them join the cause every day. They've waited more than 30 years for a new homeworld, so it's understandable that they are fed up with Fury, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), and the whole situation. In this sense, removing Gravik in whatever way means creating a martyr, an example to be followed. This would only further radicalize the average Skrull and lead to more public terrorist threats.
A Secret Invasion Should Be Dealt With Secretly
As cliché as this may sound, it's true. We've seen that trying to overpower the Skrulls could lead to more disastrous outcomes, even if there is some degree of success. Gravik's plan is genius because it revolves around removing humans from the planet quietly, gradually removing them one by one, and sowing distrust in public figures and institutions. That's already begun when he framed Fury for the terrorist attack in Moscow, and it's not stopping.
Bringing in an overpowering force to deal with a quiet threat such as Gravik's would mean making public a classified matter, further helping the Skrull insurgents' plans and causing panic within the humans. All that would ultimately lead to an even bigger loss of life than it's already happening, betraying the very purpose of having the Avengers on board. We see so many secret services involved in the matter because this is to be dealt with secretly, too. It's important that people retain their trust in public institutions, as that's what prevents tensions from escalating into general conflict everywhere — otherwise, let's just make the Avengers presidents of the world, right?
New episodes of Secret Invasion premiere every Wednesday on Disney+.
