Secret Invasion continues from Secret Invasion: Front Line #4…

Kinsey Walden’s world has been turned upside-down by the Skrull invasion of Earth.[1] She and her boyfriend Ethan have traveled to Empire Statue University to meet with Professor Mustek, a scientist studying wormholes to figure out why the Skrulls would have wanted to replace Kinsey’s brother, Hank.[2]

It was here that they learned that Hank and Mustek had been using a wormhole to study the remains of an earlier Skrull conflict in deep space. From it, Hank reverse-engineered a pair of arm-bands and a a blaster that looks kind of like a clarinet, and possibly moonlighted as a superhero. Mustek had given them a tracking device in the hopes of finding the Skrull posing as her brother when the power suddenly went out.

This was caused by the Skrull posing as Hank, who confronts them in the darkened lab. At first, he takes on the form of Hank Walden and feigns concern over Kinsey’s well being, fearing that the Super-Skrulls outside may have killed her. When she points out how they broke her arm and killed people right in front of her, the Skrull shows his true colours, both literally and figuratively. Reverting back to his true form, the Skrull tells Kinsey that he only worry was that she was going to get killed before he had the chance to pay her back for burning his face. Summoning dark force energies, the Skrull laments that — because there is still so much to do — he will have to make this quick.

That’s when Professor Mustek steps in and tries to barter his scientific knowledge in exchange for their lives. He grabs the scientist by the throat, but before he can kill Mustek, Kinsey pulls out the ray gun and threatens to shoot the Skrull with it again. The alien throws the scientist into Kinsey, making her drop the weapon on the ground. The Skrull then recovers it and unleashes its full power to destroy the entire building. Surviving the blast, the Skrull then begins digging through the rubble so he can revel over Kinsey’s head body.

Unfortunately for him, Kinsey and the others weren’t killed in the blast as the girl was smart enough to figure out how her brother’s reverse-engineered wrist bands work and created a force field to protect them from the collapsing building. Still, the Skrull gloats because while the force field is impenetrable, she can’t harm him either. That’s when the Professor and Ethan emerge from the rubble and Mustek tells her that the other wrist band is a defensive weapon and to use both in tandem to fight her foe.

The Skrull responds to this by using his powers to snatch Ethan away from Professor Mustek and slam him into the ground, killing him. Furious that the Skrull murdered her boyfriend, Kinsey uses one arm band to trap his killer in her force field. She then uses the offensive wrist band to blast him up into Earth’s atmosphere. She the shuts down the force field, causing the Skrull to get pulled back into Earth’s gravity and incinerated upon re-entry. With the alien posing as her brother dead, Kinsey vows that no more innocent people will die.

… Secret Invasion continues in Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #6.

Recurring Characters

Kinsey Walden, Ethan, Professor Mustek, Skrulls (“Hank Walden”)

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place during the Secret Invasion event. The primary tale is told in Secret Invasion #1-8, and the various crossover issues. See below for a full listing.

2. Brother Hank was replaced by a Skrull in Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #1. We learned about his study of wormholes last issue.

Secret Invasion Reading Order

Prelude:

New Avengers #31, Mighty Avengers #7, New Avengers #34, New Avengers: Illuminati (vol. 2) #5, Secret Invasion: Prologue #1

The Invasion

Secret Invasion #1, Mighty Avengers #12, New Avengers #40, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #1, Secret Invasion #2, Mighty Avengers #13, Captain Britain and MI13 #1, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1, Mighty Avengers #14, Incredible Hercules #117, New Avengers #41, Secret Invasion #3, Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? #1, Captain Britain and MI13 #2, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #2, Incredible Hercules #118, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #2, Avengers: The Initiative #14, Mighty Avengers #15, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #28, New Avengers #42, Secret Invasion: Front Line #1, Secret Invasion #4, Mighty Avengers #16, X-Factor (vol. 3) #33, Incredible Hercules #119, New Warriors (vol. 4) #14, Avengers: The Initiative #15, She-Hulk (vol. 2) #31, New Avengers #43, Thunderbolts #122, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #3, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #29, Black Panther (vol. 4) #39, Secret Invasion: Front Line #2, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #3, Secret Invasion: X-Men #1, Secret Invasion: Inhumans #1, Secret Invasion: Thor #1, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #2, Captain Britain and MI13 #3, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #4

Fighting Back

Secret Invasion #5, Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #4, X-Factor (vol. 3) #34, Incredible Hercules #120, Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #1, New Warriors (vol. 4) #15, Nova (vol. 4) #16, Avengers: The Initiative #16, Mighty Avengers #17, She-Hulk (vol. 2) #32, Black Panther (vol. 4) #40, New Avengers #44, Thunderbolts #123, Secret Invasion: Front Line #3, Deadpool (vol. 4) #1, Secret Invasion: X-Men #2, Secret Invasion: Inhumans #2, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #3, Secret Invasion #6, Ms. Marvel (vol. 2) #30, Secret Invasion: Thor #2, Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #5, Mighty Avengers #18, War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD #33, Deadpool (vol. 4) #2, Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #2, Nova (vol. 4) #17, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #5, Avengers: The Initiative #17, She-Hulk (vol. 2) #33, Black Panther (vol. 4) #41, New Avengers #45, Thunderbolts #124, Deadpool (vol. 4) #3, Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3, Secret Invasion: Front Line #4, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #6, Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2) #6, Mighty Avengers #19, War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD #34, Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #3, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #7

The Final Battle

Secret Invasion #7, New Avengers #46, Thunderbolts #125, Secret Invasion: X-Men #3, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #6, Nova (vol. 4) #18, Avengers: The Initiative #18, Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #25, War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD #35, Secret Invasion: X-Men #4, Secret Invasion: Thor #3, Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3, Secret Invasion: Front Line #5, Secret Invasion: Home Invasion #8, Secret Invasion #8

Epilogue

New Avengers #47, Secret Invasion: War of Kings #1, Secret Invasion: Requiem #1, Secret Invasion Aftermath: Beta Ray Bill #1, Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1, Avengers: The Initiative #19