The finale of Secret Invasion has...

[SPS]

...single handedly revived my interest in Marvel Comics, and comic books in general.

I've read the spoilers and I've read that overall Secret Invasion could be seen as a disappointment, but what this opens up for the MU is beyond belief.

*Spoilers follow*

Sneaky opportunist Norman Osborn killed the Skrull Queen right before Wolverine was going to (for once Wolverine doesn't get to save the day), and because Stark tech was compromised the 50 state initiative is no more, and Stark was completely discredited, and SHIELD is no more. Only the Thunderbolts initiative remains (oh and apparently this is supposed to take place in 2009 as it's Obama who gives Osborn power).

Osborn's Dark Reign begins...

Oh and a couple of things that are not cool:

Wasp dies. (does anybody even care?)

Emma Frost is apparently evil again (boo! I may never have liked her but she's been good for almost twenty freakin' years!)

But seriously the fact that evil has won for once is just Yes! I know that Stark has technically been evil the past few years but to me Osborn is true evil, Stark was just a bit misguided.

I wonder what this means to Spider-Man now?

[Elliot Kane]

Stark was true evil, but Marvel were in denial. Have to see where he goes, now.

You're right on Wasp, though. Was she ever a good character?

Osborn, to me, is as over-used as The Joker. DOES make things more interesting for Spidey though...

[Gray Lensman]

I'm still pretty well uninterested in this storyline, must be said.

Breaking apart the Initiative is a good thing, since the whole thing was a bad idea in the first place. I'm going to agree that Stark fell way down to the dark side, though. Whatever the merits of his goals, it's his methods that make him a villain. The problem, as previously stated, is that Marvel refuses to admit that Stark's actions were in fact evil.

At this point, I expect a full whitewashing of his time as Director. About the only thing that could bring me back to Iron Man at this point is for Marvel to either to admit he's a villain or outright retcon Civil War. Neither of which looks likely as long as Quesada is around.

Osborn is overrated as well as overused, and he's got the same problems that the Joker does. He can't ever really progress past the same cyclical dynamic he has with Spider-Man, and I'm not sure he has any motivation beyond "get Spidey". The current stuff is new, admittedly... but I really think any President would have to be insane to promote Osborn. He was publicly exposed for what he was, and Osborn is far too dangerous to put in a position of power for any length of time.

As for what it means for Spidey... well, it would be interesting if they hadn't ruined his book last year. As it is, I just don't care enough to find out.

Wasp... well, I won't miss her that much. The Emma thing doesn't impress me, but it can always be retconned back.

Same old Marvel, sounds like to me so far...

[SPS]

Oh and this will make quite a few people angry the Dark Reign books solicits reveal that Daken is a member of the Dark Avengers.

*YAWN*

[Gray Lensman]

Boring sounds about right to me, SPS.

[Elliot Kane]

I'm not really sure what Marvel could do to regain my interest at this point. Too much rubbish over far too long has put me into 'couldn't care less' mode.

A definite shame as they had all of my favourite characters before systematically wrecking every one of them.

Mind you... admitting IM was evil and rolling with it would have been a good start. Never mind, eh?