Secret Invasion Episode 2 Review: We Create Our Own Demons

Before you can have six good episodes, you must have two. Secret Invasion episode 2 has arrived on Disney+, building off a strong premiere to secure a great start to the season. After establishing the stakes in the opening episode, the second installment dives into the story and maps out the origins that led us to this point.

Secret Invasion continues to build on the theme of distrust, but not just for the people beside you, for yourself. Once someone fails a group they’ve promised to help on a catastrophic level, they begin to doubt if they were ever the person they thought they were. Were Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) ever capable of delivering on the promise of a better world, or was it doomed to fail from the beginning?

*Warning: Spoilers ahead for Secret Invasion episode 2*

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) delivered a famous and ever-relevant line at the beginning of Iron Man 3, “we create our own demons”. This idea has poisoned the MCU for years, with heroes often being the very catalyst for those that would rise to challenge them and bring about their downfall. In the never-ending pursuit to overcome your enemies, you fall into the same trap that pitted them against you in the first place.

In Secret Invasion episode 2, we learn this is true not only for Nick Fury, but for the Skrulls as well. Both sides are fighting against each other, yet inching ever closer to the ideals that wrought this chaos in the first place. Fury once promised to find the Skrulls a better world, a new place to call home. Over years of neglect and failure to deliver on said promise, he created the enemy now striving to take over the world.

However, Fury is not the only one waging war on principles that sowed that turmoil initially. The Skrulls, now led by the newly elected General Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), are fighting the same battles that destroyed their home and banished them to Earth years ago. Often times it requires more strength to seek diplomacy than to fight. With both sides butting heads over outdated ideals, there likely won’t be much of an earth left to inhabit for whoever emerges victorious.

We know the Skrulls are a threat, given their ability to take the form of anyone at any time, but does their influence have any limit? Episode one introduces us to the idea that they could be anyone, anywhere, while episode two pulls back the curtain to reveal just how far they’ve come. Skrulls not only occupy positions in dangerous terror associations around the world but also powerful seats in international government organizations.

After Secret Invasion episode 2, humans feel more like pawns to be moved around the board as opposed to true adversaries. Positions currently occupied by Skrulls (that we know of) are as follows: The United Kingdom Prime Minister, the NATO Secretary General, and the lead FXN news anchor. Under NATO you have the power and potential to summon armies at your call. As the UK Prime Minister, you occupy one of the most powerful nations to recruit allies, and the FXN news anchor has the influence of millions around the globe.

This is only the beginning. We know for a fact this is the head council, but there’s no telling how many plants each member has across the world, working from the shadows. This show continues to establish stakes and progress the story in a way that feels simultaneously personal and catastrophic. If Skrulls can work their way up to such high-level positions, is any mountain high enough to prevent them from gaining control?

Just when it looks like things can’t get any worse, the Skrulls are positioned for a massive power upgrade. Gravik is seen in several trailers stretching his arm out with Groot/Mister Fantastic-like elasticity, and now we know the origin of that power. While G’iah (Emilia Clarke) sifts through a computer, she happens upon some disturbing information.

Fans have wondered what the MCU rendition of Super Skrulls were going to look like, and we finally have our answer. Gravik, along with Dr. Dalton’s help, is looking to imbue his warriors with a potent concoction of DNA from MCU familiars such as Groot, the Frost Beast (Thor), Cull Obsidian (Infinity War, Endgame), and Extremis (Iron Man 3, Shang-Chi) warriors.

This mixture has the potential to be absolutely deadly when coupled with their infamous shape-shifting ability. Cull Obsidian and the Frost Beast’s sheer power and durability, and healing powers provided by Extremis? Skrulls are essentially becoming wildly intelligent super soldiers. How on earth will Nick Fury vanquish this new threat laid out before him?

Through two episodes, Marvel has delivered a television show unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU. They’ve shown with series past they’re not afraid to jump into different genres, and while mileage may vary on comedies and sitcoms, they’ve struck gold with the newest espionage spy thriller.

Everyone who was fortunate enough to receive early viewing only received the first two episodes, so from here on out everything is truly a mystery. The story continues to peel back layers and reveal new information, with Super Skrulls and an all-powerful Skrull council now in the mix. For the stakes to be this high in only the second episode, things are surely set to explode in a big way toward the latter half of the season.

Secret Invasion episode 2 is now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Be sure to follow the Agents of Fandom socials for all the latest Secret Invasion news, weekly reviews, and editorial content.