The screen flickered to a flashback sequence. Banner and Ben leaned in as the narrative revealed the truth behind Steve's escape.
It started with Steve Rogers in a dark, alien cell, bruised but unbroken. Opposite him sat a nervous A.I.M. scientist—Lyle Getz. Despite the odds, they formed a quiet alliance. Interrogations came daily, but Steve remained defiant, using every opportunity to study his captors.
Then came the breakout.
When the Skrulls underestimated him, Steve struck fast, overwhelming his guards with precision and speed. He seized a stunned interrogator and took off through the alien facility, dragging his captive with him.
Their path led to a chamber with an enormous window overlooking Saturn—its rings glowing like a crown in space. Before they could make sense of their surroundings, another figure entered—Madame Hydra.
The tension crackled instantly.
"You… you're not one of them," she whispered after a brief fight, eyeing Steve warily.
"And you're not surprised to see me," Steve replied, fists still clenched.
She gave a thin smile. "Let's just say... I prefer humans in control of Earth. The Skrulls don't belong."
The captured Skrull interrogator, rattled and cornered, finally caved under the pressure.
"The invasion... it's not just conquest," he confessed, eyes flickering with fear. "It's prophecy. Our world was destroyed, and the scriptures say Earth is ours by right. We must take it."
Captain America narrowed his eyes. "You've picked the wrong planet."
Suddenly, alarms blared. A squad of Skrull soldiers stormed the cellblock. Captain America instantly took command.
"Everyone, brace yourselves!" he barked.
The fight exploded into chaos. Steve's shield ricocheted with deadly precision, knocking down Skrull attackers one by one. Madame Hydra, surprisingly agile, fought side by side with Captain America, while Lyle Getz used a stolen blaster to hold off enemies.
Once the skirmish died down, Steve pressed forward. "There might be more prisoners. We're not leaving anyone behind."
Sure enough, after sweeping the corridor, they came upon a reinforced door. Inside was a familiar figure — Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman, looking drained but alive.
"Steve?" she asked weakly.
He nodded, helping her out of the cell. "You're safe now."
With their team growing stronger, they pushed toward the bridge of the Skrull ship. But their progress was halted by a towering figure — a Super-Skrull, brimming with power. His limbs ignited with flames, his skin shifted like stone, and he vanished only to reappear invisibly behind them.
"You're not leaving," the Super-Skrull growled.
A brutal fight ensued. Steve deflected fiery punches with his shield, while Susan cast protective force fields and used her powers to disorient the enemy. Amid the chaos, they reached the hangar and prepped a shuttle for escape.
Just as the engines roared to life, the Super-Skrull grabbed Madame Hydra by the throat, lifting her off the ground.
"You're not taking her," Captain America growled.
Thinking fast, Invisible Woman expanded a force field, slamming the Super-Skrull into a bulkhead and yanking Madame Hydra from his grip.
"Now!" Susan shouted.
They all boarded the ship, launching it into the void just as the Skrulls gave chase. The shuttle was damaged but holding together — barely.
---
Meanwhile, aboard the Damocles, a Skrull shuttle emerged from hyperspace. Sensors lit up and an alert echoed across the ship.
"Incoming vessel — origin, Saturn's Moon Titan," an officer reported.
Inside, Ms. Marvel paced anxiously. "Track it. Prepare the Avengers. I want boots on the ground when it lands."
The shuttle streaked toward Earth and landed in the heart of Wakanda. Shock rippled through the defense forces as the entire Avengers team disembarked.
"Impossible," one Wakandan guard muttered.
"We were ambushed by Skrulls after our mission to Asgard," Iron Man explained. "They captured us, locked us in a prison ship orbiting Titan. We escaped. Barely."
"That ship you flew in on?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"Skrull tech," said Thor. "We commandeered it."
One of the Skrull Avengers stepped forward. "The Skrulls are after the Vibranium Mound. It's the heart of their next assault."
As they approached the gates of a Wakandan city, a cold voice met them.
"You trespass on sacred ground."
King T'Challa, the Black Panther, stood atop the walls, flanked by warriors in vibranium armor.
"Turn around," he warned, "or be buried where you stand."
As tensions flared between the Avengers and Wakandan forces, Ms. Marvel stepped forward, placing herself between the two sides. Her voice rang out firmly, but with a hint of desperation.
"Everyone, stand down! We're all fighting the same war—we can't let the Skrulls win by turning us against each other!"
Black Panther, standing tall in his vibranium armor, narrowed his eyes behind the mask. His elite guards flanked him, their spears humming with energy.
"You bring imposters into my land, Carol," he said coldly. "Do not ask me to trust illusions."
Before she could respond, chaos erupted.
A sudden explosion rocked the ground as Skrull Hawkeye leaped from the shadows, his arrow aimed directly at the real Black Panther. But before he could release, a streak of light shot from above—thwip! An arrow pierced the Skrull's shoulder, knocking him off balance.
"Miss me?" came a familiar voice.
The real Hawkeye landed in style from the descending Quinjet, with Wasp flying beside him.
"About time you showed up," Ms. Marvel muttered with relief.
"Traffic on the way from Titan," Hawkeye quipped, drawing another arrow.
The battlefield turned into a frenzy. Avengers collided with their Skrull doubles in a blur of fists, blasts, and powers.
One by one, the Skrulls fell, exposed and defeated. Iron Skrull, badly damaged, stumbled forward.
"I... we were only following the prophecy," he rasped, circuits sparking. "Earth... must fall."
"Not today," Ms. Marvel said coldly, her fist glowing.
As the dust settled, the real Avengers regrouped. The air was heavy with smoke and silence. Ms. Marvel turned to T'Challa, hopeful.
"We need your help, Panther. The world needs you."
T'Challa stood tall and firm. "My place is here. Wakanda still stands because I was here to defend it. I won't leave my people again."
Ms. Marvel nodded slowly, respecting his resolve.
"I understand."
He looked at her, his voice softening just slightly. "Take care of the world, Carol. And don't trust so easily next time."
---
"Thanks, they have resolved the situation," Banner expressed a sigh of relief, observing that Wakanda had been saved from the Skrull threat.
"Yes, but it seems Carol needs a bit of training in distinguishing the real from the fake," Ben remarked with a mischievous smile, his fingers gently caressing his Dragon.
Recognizing the need for awareness, he knews Carol needs the training of taking his Dragon into her Sacred Forest.
---
In the secluded depths of his high-tech lab, Tony Stark was hard at work. Surrounded by glowing holograms and humming tech, he focused on assembling a reliable alien life-form detector—his latest line of defense against the growing Skrull threat.
Just as he calibrated the final component, Jarvis's voice broke through the silence.
"Sir, Doctor Doom has arrived. He insists it's about the Skrulls. He brought a device."
Tony frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Doctor Doom? That's not ominous at all."
Moments later, the lab doors slid open, revealing Victor Von Doom in his signature green cloak and armor, holding a small device.
"Doom," Tony greeted cautiously. "To what do I owe the honor? And what's in the mystery box?"
Doom stepped forward, placing the device on the table. "This is a Skrull detector. Precise and efficient. I propose a temporary truce—for the sake of Earth."
Tony studied the device warily, then looked up at him. "You sure you didn't make this just to detect your own ego?"
Doom smirked but didn't bite. "You know I'm right, Stark. The Skrulls are a threat to us all."
Tony paused, then gave a short nod. "Alright. Let's give your gizmo a test run." He inserted the chip into his armor. The HUD flared with new data, readings, and alerts.
"If this thing works, Doom… we might even put you on the Avengers' Christmas card list."
"I'll cherish the honor," Doom replied, dryly.
Suddenly, the lab lights dimmed as Black Widow emerged from the shadows, her tone urgent.
"Tony. Fury needs you. Now."
Tony turned, startled. "What's going on?"
"It's about Steve," she said. "The real one."
---
Minutes later, Stark stormed into Fury's office. The wall was plastered with photos, reports, and surveillance stills. Fury stood silently, staring at them like a man trying to solve a puzzle no one else could.
"Alright, what's the damage?" Tony asked.
Fury didn't look away from the board. "Captain America's been replaced by a Skrull. We have footage of him inciting fights and moving like someone else entirely."
Tony Stark stood frozen for a moment, the weight of Fury's revelation sinking in. "You're saying Steve's been… what, imprisoned and Cap's a Skrull?" he asked, barely believing the words as they left his mouth.
Fury finally turned to face him. "Escaped, actually. He broke out with others. But we don't know where they are—or who else might be compromised."
He tapped a remote to project surveillance footage onto the screen. "Watch this."
The first clip played, showing what looked like Captain America standing before a tense Hulk.
"Bruce," the impostor said, voice calm but commanding, "you don't want to hurt anyone. Stand down—for the good of the team."
The Hulk hesitated… then dropped his fists.
Tony narrowed his eyes. "Cap doesn't pull rank like that. That's manipulation."
"Exactly," Fury confirmed. "Now look at this one."
The next video showed 'Cap' facing down a squad of Kree soldiers. But instead of the rallying cry they all knew, the figure raised his shield and shouted, "Avengers, attack!"
Stark's face hardened. "That's not Cap. That's a war cry, not a call for unity."
Fury turned back to him. "Mockingbird's reports don't match what we saw. She hid details about the Hulk's rampage on the Helicarrier. It's all connected. We've identified the impostor—Queen Veranke herself."
Before Tony could respond, the room shook violently. Alarms blared. The floor split slightly under the blast's tremor.
Energy blasts ripped through the windows—white-hot and devastating. Veranke, now revealed in partial Skrull form, burst into the command center. "You're too late," she declared coldly. "The invasion has already begun."
She fired again—one shot after another. Fury hit the ground. Quake was thrown into a wall. Black Widow crumpled, stunned by the surge.
Tony instinctively activated his armor—but too late. A green surge of alien code flickered across his HUD.
"Warning: system breach," Jarvis announced. "Armor integrity compromised."
The suit locked up. Stark hit the floor hard, groaning as he tried to reboot manually.
Veranke stepped forward, unfazed, issuing a command into her communicator. "Commence phase two. Earth falls today."
The Avengers were in disarray. Their trust shattered, their leader impersonated, and their strongest weapons neutralized. Tony, teeth clenched, looked up through cracked lenses.
"We've been played," he muttered. "Big time."