Warning: SPOILERS for Secret Invasion #2
Marvel’s Squirrel Girl is one of the company’s most powerful heroes, but now the character is just as strong as Captain Marvel, and the new Secret Invasion event proves it. The threat of the shape-shifting Skrulls returns to Earth, and the aliens are even more cunning than before, replicating superheroes in a bid for world domination. In Secret Invasion #2, superheroes have contingency plans in mind…but they don’t work on everyone.
The Kree-Skrull war in the MCU is quite different from the conflict in the comics: in 2019’s Captain Marvel, the Skrulls are peaceful refugees fleeing the warmongering Kree. In the comics, however, the war is exceedingly complicated from a moral point of view, and no side is truly good or evil. 2008’s Secret Invasion event revealed as much, as the shape-shifting aliens attempted an invasion of Earth – but this attempt went south as the superheroes quickly fought off the Skrull force. But the Skrulls are nothing if not tenacious, and they hatched a plan for a second attack.
In Secret Invasion #2, written by Ryan North with art by Francesco Mobili, Agent Maria Hill of SHIELD has just captured a Skrull impersonating Nick Fury. Previous methods of Skrull detection no longer work, so Hill created numerous contingency plans just in case other superheroes (who are secretly Skrulls) attacked her. “Every hero has a countermeasure,” she explains. “And I admit that in some cases – Carol, Doreen – they’re relying a bit more on the honor system, but we need to know. All we need is a blood sample.”
Squirrel Girl and Captain Marvel Are Equals Now
The secret to Squirrel Girl’s power is quite comedic, but nevertheless canonical. An early story depicted Squirrel Girl defeating none other than Doctor Doom (and later Thanos). Since the first story was illustrated by none other than Jack Kirby, fans immediately began to see this story as canon; even the Watcher appeared and proclaimed, without a doubt, that the enemy Squirrel Girl defeated was the real Thanos and not a hologram, shapeshifter or illusion of any kind. Captain Marvel has tremendous power on her own, but by mentioning them in the same breath, Maria Hill is tacitly admitting the power levels of the heroes are comparable.
Because of her insane power level and comedic character, Squirrel Girl is usually left out of major events. Marvel is reticent to acknowledge Doreen Green’s strength, but this is an important moment: 2022’s Secret Invasion is a relatively serious event and Squirrel Girl is front and center. With Captain Marvel and Squirrel Girl side by side, the Skrulls certainly have their work cut out for them.
