EXCLUSIVE: "Secret Invasion" #4 McNiven Variant

[andy khouri]

Courtesy of Marvel, CBR brings you an exclusive first look at artist Steve McNiven's variant cover of "Secret Invasion" #4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu, on sale July 9.

http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16874

[Will.S]

Wow, interesting.

[Exo]

I wonder what part the widow will play in all of this. Hopefully it's nothing short of blowing a hole through the queens head.

[Mr. Earl Brooks]

Is it just me or did they spoil the hell out of Black Widow with this?

[escapegoat]

Is it just me or did they spoil the hell out of Black Widow with this?

That was my first thought too

[Shyft]

Black Widow was suspicious of Spider Woman in one of the last Mighty Avengers issues. To me it suggested she wasnt a Skrull. SO this cover suggests they are going to be fighting for Tony's mind?

[jackolover]

Is it just me or did they spoil the hell out of Black Widow with this?

How so? Why would Black Widow be that long haired SHIELD agent when she has short red hair in the Avengers books?

[CMBMOOL]

Well the Widow is more closer to Fury than Drew ever was in the past. :tongue:

So it got to be her saving Tony from the Skrull queen on Fury's orders. :redface:

[Mr. Earl Brooks]

How so? Why would Black Widow be that long haired SHIELD agent when she has short red hair in the Avengers books?

There's a spider on her belt buckle.

Maybe the other poster that suggested that she's fighting to save Stark is onto something, but to me this looks like a new dynasty. The Queen, the King, and their bodyguard.

[The Confessor]

Wow! That is one seriously nice piece of artwork.

In fact, those pencils are so nice that I can't help thinking that this cover's gonna loose something after inking and colouring.

[escapegoat]

To me, the Black Widow's body language seems to indicate that she's there to hold off people from interfering with the Skrull Queen's attempts to subjugate Tony Stark, thus making the Blakc Widow a skrull...
....unless that's suppose to be the real Spider-Woman and not the Skrull Queen posing as Spider Woman on the cover. Then it's telling a different thing all together.
But scenario #1 seems to be the more likely one of the two.

[Shyft]

To me, the Black Widow's body language seems to indicate that she's there to hold off people from interfering with the Skrull Queen's attempts to subjugate Tony Stark, thus making the Blakc Widow a skrull...
....unless that's suppose to be the real Spider-Woman and not the Skrull Queen posing as Spider Woman on the cover. Then it's telling a different thing all together.
But scenario #1 seems to be the more likely one of the two.

if thats the case, why was black widow suspicious of spider woman when she busted Dooms magic? unless short hair bw is real and long hair is skrull?

[Mr. Earl Brooks]

if thats the case, why was black widow suspicious of spider woman when she busted Dooms magic? unless short hair bw is real and long hair is skrull?

...Or Steve McNiven wanted to draw Black Widow the way he wanted to draw Black Widow.

A sleeper skrull might explain her accusations, but who knows.

Maybe we're all wrong and there's some crazy angle to all of this and we just need to wait until number four.

I still feel like my Secret Invasion #4 was just spoiled.

[Toboe]

Marvel (http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.4006.EXCLUSIVE~colon~_Secret_Invasion _Variant) has another Secret Invasion #4 variant by Leinil Francis Yu, featuring a badass Nick Fury.

[drwho]

How can that be the blonde bw when she was blown and turned into a machine cyborg?

[escapegoat]

That's not the blonde Black Widow - it's the redhead. Are are you somehow seeing a colored version that's telling you its blonde?

[CaptainCanada]

That's not the blonde Black Widow - it's the redhead. Are are you somehow seeing a colored version that's telling you its blonde?
Theoretically, since it's not coloured, we don't know, though the blonde one turning up would be a left-field thing (although she did work for "the same people [Spider-Woman/Veranke] [does]").

I doubt Natasha is a Skrull, primarily because I don't see Brubaker going to the trouble of setting her up as a love interest for Bucky if all her appearances were going to be rendered fake (and she'll be appearing in the August and September issues).

[Affinity]

I like McNiven after the processing.

I think it'll be COOL if Bendis has Natasha totally badass and fighting to save Tony's mind. I think that'll be something really unexpected, which I want to see as we venture further into the series. Unpredictable doesn't have to be shocking deaths, it could be GREAT storytelling!

I don't know what's with the long hair but I miss the pouf-type hair.

[jackolover]

Theoretically, since it's not coloured, we don't know, though the blonde one turning up would be a left-field thing (although she did work for "the same people [Spider-Woman/Veranke] [does]").



Then that whole interrogation sequence between Blond BW and Spiderwoman becomes so weird, if Queen Skrull is talking to Blond BW who is a Skrull agent. Unless Queen Skrull is just discovering other Skrulls are the culprits in the Savage Land, and that's why the Lab was destroyed in NA #41.

[drwho]

Reason I thought it was the blonde one was because how the hair is shaded. I would expected the red headed to be shaded darker. Also isn't the current BW sporting short hair and that looks nothing like it could be a wig. Find it hard to believe she would change her hairdo just for the invasion.

[Asian_Invasion]

That cannot be original Black Widow. In Secret Invasion 1 and 2 she has short hair, so either McNiven screwed up or that is not the first Black Widow. I am leaning toward some random Skrull or the second Black Widow.

[CaptainCanada]

Then that whole interrogation sequence between Blond BW and Spiderwoman becomes so weird, if Queen Skrull is talking to Blond BW who is a Skrull agent. Unless Queen Skrull is just discovering other Skrulls are the culprits in the Savage Land, and that's why the Lab was destroyed in NA #41.
By the same token, Natasha-Widow was all over Jessica's case when she showed up, even in private (like at the end of #11) when there was no one else around.

[Jimmy Holograph]

I think its Natasha, some artists just don't like the short hair and prefer to draw her with long hair just like Epting, Perkins and Guice do in Captain America. McNiven strikes me as someone who wouldn't care how she's being drawn currently, he'd draw her his own way.

Plus its just a cover, a variant cover in fact. I think we'll find Natasha sporting her short hair in the interiors.

[yadadaimhollaing]

Man these secret invasion variant covers are badass. I really have liked all of them except for the secret invasion 1 variant on the left. If my comic shop is selling that variant I might even pony up for it depending on how much :(

[Mr. Marvel]

I don't believe it is the Yelena, the blonde black widow, she was "detonated" in New Avengers Annual #1. She had been transformed into a super android by AIM, but this could be a skrull. But the best idea is McNiven is given free reign over what he draws.

[Abrojo]

That cannot be original Black Widow. In Secret Invasion 1 and 2 she has short hair, so either McNiven screwed up or that is not the first Black Widow. I am leaning toward some random Skrull or the second Black Widow.

Black Widow has been appearing on lots of different comics and each artist took a different approach to her hair. Artistic liberty if you want.
Just like sometimes Tony has a moustache instead of a goatee.
Think of it this way, if the Skrulls where to replace someone, they wouldnt mess up on something stupid as the hair. So different hair doesnt necesarily mean skrull.

As for blonde BW, no, as already stated, that one blew up quite gory in the Annual.

From Mighty Avengers friction between SW and BW, i would venture say Black Widow is not a skrull. My personal take is no way in hell this weakened Tony is getting out of the Queen's clutches on his own. It was a given someone would have to show up. Though i would have hoped for it to be a New Avenger like Luke to be the one intruding or at least someone more emotional than BW.

[Arachnesf]

I don't believe it is the Yelena, the blonde black widow, she was "detonated" in New Avengers Annual #1. She had been transformed into a super android by AIM, but this could be a skrull. But the best idea is McNiven is given free reign over what he draws.

It's probably Yelena Belova's Skrull replacement. It's definitely the Skrull Queen as Spider-Woman. So the question is, is that the real Tony Stark?

Josh
Variant-Edition.com (http://variant-edition.com)

[Bingo!]

Black Widow has been appearing on lots of different comics and each artist took a different approach to her hair. Artistic liberty if you want.
Just like sometimes Tony has a moustache instead of a goatee.
Think of it this way, if the Skrulls where to replace someone, they wouldnt mess up on something stupid as the hair. So different hair doesnt necesarily mean skrull.

As for blonde BW, no, as already stated, that one blew up quite gory in the Annual.

From Mighty Avengers friction between SW and BW, i would venture say Black Widow is not a skrull. My personal take is no way in hell this weakened Tony is getting out of the Queen's clutches on his own. It was a given someone would have to show up. Though i would have hoped for it to be a New Avenger like Luke to be the one intruding or at least someone more emotional than BW.

Those ladies sandwich Tony nicely. I'll accept any version of BW on that cover. Natasha, sure! Yelena, Ok, she was a super-adaptoid, which to me suggests: Skrull (even if she melted)