New Avengers: Illuminati

(This piece is yet another I did for www.craveonline.com, it’s a nice lead in to the upcoming Marvel event. Secret Invasion. )

The New Avengers: Illuminati

As any comic fan not living in a box can tell you, things are turning a little Skrully in the Marvel U. With the upcoming Secret Invasion storyline set to be the biggest comic universe shake-up since Crisis on Infinite Earths, now’s the time to take a step back and look at the group of heroes that are sure to be found partly responsible, the secret group of heroes known as The Illuminati.

ORIGINS

In the aftermath of the Kree-Skrull war that ravaged Earth, a group of heroes consisting of Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, Namor, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, and the Black Panther arranged a meeting in Wakanda to debate the need of a united body of heroes (similar to the United Nations). It’s brought up by Iron Man that numerous heroes contained information that could have prevented the war if only that information could have been combined, hence the need of this group. Though hotly debated, it was agreed upon that such a group was needed by all, save the Black Panther, who took issue with the self-righteous attitudes of all involved and predicts disaster. With the formation of the group settled between the remaining heroes, they then turned to their first order of business, sending a message to those that just fought upon our planet, the Skrulls.

Their goal set, the Illuminati traveled to the Skrull homeworld where they warn the

Empire not to attack Earth again but are unable to escape afterwards. Captured by the Skrulls, the group is analyzed and their reactions monitored until Iron Man is able to lead an escape. But the realization of this trip is apparent, another attack by the Skrulls are inevitable as the Skrulls start to make use of the data they compiled.

OVER THE YEARS…….

Over the years the Illuminati has reformed at various times to deal with threats to the Marvel U. One such threat was a being known as the Beyonder who was responsible for what was called The Secret Wars, where various heroes and villains were abducted to fight for the amusement of this super-powered being. It is learned in the pages of the Illuminati limited series, through Professor X, that the Beyonder is an Inhuman who was a mutant before being exposed to the Terrigen Mists. He also senses the presence of the Beyonder in the Asteroid Belt of the solar system, prompting the Illuminati to confront him and eventually convince him to leave the universe.

Another time in which they were re-formed was when Mr. Fantastic reveals to the others that he has been collecting the Infinity Gems, which as you may know, was what almost allowed the mad Titan Thanos to completely dominate the whole universe. After some hesitation, the group collects the remaining Gems, reforming the Infinity Gauntlet. With the gauntlet complete, Richards attempts to will the Gems out of existence but is unable to do so, receiving a stern reprimand from Uatu, the Watcher. It is then decided that each member would hide one of the gems so that they may never be combined again. (hmmmm, since it was discovered that Black Bolt was a Skrull impersonator, I wonder if we haven’t seen the last of the Infinity Gauntlet.)

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS…………

Along with the big event gatherings like the ones listed above, there have been a few times the group has come together for more worldly reasons. Such was the case when they approached Noh-Varr (a Kree warrior that attempted to take over the world) to persuade him to use his powers to protect Earth and Such was the case when they decided to banish the Hulk from Earth. (Though it should be noted that Professor X was not involved and that Namor refused to be a part in this, stating that the Hulk would return to seek vengeance, which did occur during the recent World War Hulk saga) Shortly after the Hulk incident, the group decided to dissolve over a disagreement concerning Superhuman Registration, with only Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic being for it. (Thus setting the stage for Civil War)

SECRET INVASION……….

Most recently, Iron Man called a meeting of the Illuminati one more time to show them the body of a Skrull posing as Electra. He feels that this Skrull is just one agent of many and that they are planning a secret invasion of Earth…noting that the group may be responsible due to their traveling to the Skrull homeworld many years ago. This notion was soon proved correct as Black Bolt reveals himself to be a Skrull and attacks. It takes everything they have but the five remaining members defeat the imposter Black Bolt and a pair of superpowered Skrulls that showed up. Following this, they begin making plans to detect and stop the invasion but soon realize the futility of it since they cannot trust one another.

So, as they say, the stage is set for the next big event in the Marvel U. If it’s half as good as Crisis was, then we are in for a huge treat! Stay tuned to Craveonline.com and The Comic Corner for continuing coverage of this sure to be monster event!