'Secret Invasion' Episode 6 Easter Eggs
Editor's note: The below contains full spoilers for Secret Invasion.Secret Invasion, the Samuel L. Jackson spy-thriller vehicle from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has concluded its six-part run with a short, if not overwhelming, finale. When we left off, Fury (Jackson) donned his iconic eye patch once again, preparing for a final face-off against the rebel Skrull leader Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). G'iah (Emilia Clarke) brings Gravik a Super Skrull showdown, while Fury aims to solve the Colonel Rhodes (Don Cheadle) issue alongside Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Colman).
There's a lot to unpack leading up to Fury making heartfelt amends with Varra (Charlayne Woodard). The very nature of a Skrull-centric plotline has served as the perfect platter for blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments and nods to Marvel's wider lore, and together we've been sure to spot every Easter egg along the way. The finale is no exception, so here's every reference, special detail, and hidden gem from Secret Invasion's final episode.
RELATED: ‘Secret Invasion’ Ending Explained: What’s Next for the Skrulls and Nick Fury?
Fury Blipping Out of Existence
Image via Marvel Studios
Pulling us back to the devastating conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War, Fury recounts to Gravik his final moments following the snap that Thanos (Josh Brolin) inflicted upon half of the universe. "Oh, no. Motherf---" were his last words. After witnessing the disintegration of Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) in front of him, we now know that a devastated Fury actually felt relief at that moment. "Relief that I didn't have to fight anymore," as he put it. That is until we realize that this version of Fury is actually G'iah in disguise. In the hopes that Secret Invasion has given us some real insight into Fury's psyche, we could choose to believe that this is information the real Fury confided to G'iah before she made her way to New Skrullos, perhaps to bolster the believability of her ruse.
The Harvest Contains Samples From Many Heroes, Villains, and Creatures Featured Throughout the MCU
Image via Disney+
When Gravik obtains The Harvest and places it into the Super Skrull machine, we finally see just how expansive the DNA collection is. Through the names rapidly flashed across a monitor and the abilities subsequently showcased by both Gravik and G'iah, Secret Invasion's finale calls back to a massive list of heroes and villains alike -- Ghost, Captain America, Corvus Glaive, Thanos, Outrider, Proxima Midnight, Captain Marvel, Abomination, Mantis, Cull Obsidian, Drax, Korg, Ebony Maw, Frost Beast, Hulk, Black Panther, Chitauri, Valkyrie, Thor Odinson, Gamora, Flora Colossus, and Winter Soldier are all explicitly mentioned on the screen.
Gravik's Use of Ebony Maw's Power Raises Questions
Image via Marvel Studios
During the battle between our two Super Skrulls, when G'iah is using the right arm of a Frost Beast and the left arm of Korg to pin Gravik to a wall, Gravik uses the telekinetic powers of Ebony Maw to levitate a mound of concrete and blast G'iah away. This raises a few questions surrounding Maw and the logistics of Skrull imitation. In Avengers: Infinity War, Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) showcased a lethal level of magical powers that included telekinetic abilities. Gravik's use of this power implies that Maw's magic was a part of his DNA, given that The Harvest was able to derive telekinesis from its sample. Why then does Gravik's Ebony Maw arm bear the rings that he wore in Avengers: Infinity War? Are the Maw's powers somehow linked to a device like that Sling Rings of the Masters of the Mystic Arts? More importantly, how were the physical accessories worn by Maw translated through his DNA sample in The Harvest?
'Captain America: Civil War's HYDRA Siberian Facility
Image via Disney+
Making a visual reference to Captain America: Civil War, the strike that is about to be carried out by the order of President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney) sees the imminent launch of a missile that would see the decimation of New Skrullos and the captives underneath it. The silo that we see bears a nearly identical resemblance to the one in which Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) fought.
How Long Has Rhodey Been a Skrull?
Image via DIsney+
When the human captives are released from their pods underneath New Skrullos, pay close attention to the state each liberated hostage is in. Everyone appears to be wearing exactly what they were wearing upon capture, implying they were immediately placed into the pods without change. Colonel Rhodes is wearing what appears to be a hospital gown. Given that this is a clear intentional choice, we have to remember the most infamous injury Rhodey has endured in the MCU — his devastating accident during the fight in Captain America: Civil War.
If his time spent recovering from this injury was when he was captured, the Rhodey we've seen for the past few years has been a Skrull. However, if Skrull-Rhodey were present for the confrontation against Thanos on The Garden planet, the rebel Skrulls would've been made aware of a suitable, uninhabited planet that went unnoticed by Fury. This, coupled with the fact Gravik was not compelled to revolt until after having recovered all the DNA samples following The Battle of Earth, could indicate that Rhodey's capture occurred during a period of hospitalization spent recovering from injuries sustained in Avengers: Endgame. After all, Thanos' bombardment of the Avengers compound nearly killed Rhodey alongside Rocket (Bradley Cooper).
President Ritson's Fate
Image via Disney+
"There's only one way this ends," President Ritson sternly warns Fury at the latter end of the finale. As Fury is scolding Ritson over the phone for his reckless condemnation of all alien residents remaining on Earth, we see a montage exemplifying the effects of Ritson's fearmongering, including successful assassinations of high-profile figures and attempts gone wrong. With indications suggesting that Harrison Ford's Thaddeus Ross will be the President of the United States by the time Captain America: Brave New World rolls along, Ritson will either fall victim to the same violence he has instigated, or his behavior will cause him to lose a forthcoming reelection. "That's real one-term President stuff," as Fury put it.
The Kree-Skrull War
Image via Marvel Studios
In the finale's final moments, Fury is preparing to venture back into outer space for what he believes to be a promising peace summit, a long-awaited and vigorously fought-for chance at an amicable agreement between the Kree and the Skrulls. The Kree-Skrull War, which saw the near decimation of the Skrull species and has been referenced in both Secret Invasion and Captain Marvel, holds a great deal of history from Marvel Comics. With the Kree returning as major foes in the upcoming film The Marvel's, the result of this peace summit must either go terribly wrong or occur after the Marvelous trio fights their battle against the Kree warrior Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton).
Varra's Work on Earth
Image via Disney
Proudly reclaiming her birth name, Varra corrects Fury's use of the name Priscilla when he asks her to accompany him to the Kree-Skrull peace summit. She agrees to help him "get started," but tells him she must soon return to Earth. "All my work is here, darling, and it's never been more important." As we saw in previous episodes, Varra's work has centered on the superhuman gene, nodding to the MCU's incoming inclusion of Mutants. With Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's Namor (Tenoch Huerta) already confirmed to carry the gene, Mutants are on their way, and it's likely Varra will play a role in their introduction.
Source: Collider
