OK, once again this one might not be an actual continuity error. But since it involves some characters being incredibly, well, ill-informed, I'm running with it anyway.
Let's go to this panel from "New" Avengers #32:
Now, if this looks familiar, it's because the last two issues of new Avengers have been absolutely nothing except our heroes sitting around saying "Are you a Skrull?" "Why no, are you a Skrull??" Seriously, aside from a plane crash, the past two "action-filled" issues have been nothing but a snore-inducing paranoid "Who's a Skrull?" parlour game.
Of course, none of this is necessary. Aside from the fact that it doesn't make sense for one of them to be a Skrull (after all, they just exposed and killed a Skrull agent, Elektra, so you wouldn't expect a Skrull to be doing that), there's another fact they're forgetting. Skrulls can't do super-powers.
Sure, they can change shape. But aside from the Super Skrull, they can't mimic super-powers. Marvel's own online encyclopedia tells us,"Skrulls only take on the appearance of an object or person and none of that object or person’s characteristics." In other words, except for the Super Skrull, they don't do powers. And the Super Skrull could only do it after massive biotech surgery AND the deployment of a special power broadcast asteroid.
Now, certainly Skrulls could impersonate someone non-powered. And surely some powers could be mimicked with advanced technology. But it seems to me that, rather than question everybody's motives and alibis, a more reasonable first step might be "who's been using their power?" Wolverine and Luke Cage should be smart enough to know this. So should Bendis.
So, maybe not a continuity glitch. But characters (and an author--I'm looking at you, Bendis!) who should have known better. And good lord--if Marvel is going to keep let Bendis write the Avengers books, could someone please explain the concept of pacing to him?!?
Picture from Avengers #32
Isn't there a Claremont/Jim Lee X-Men story that has X-powered Skrulls? They found a way to merge with the genetics of the person they copy, and I think maybe they can only mimic one person ever, so something.
ReplyDeleteUncanny X-Men #277 was the last X-comic I bought and that was going on in it, so I can't be sure of the details. I wasn't really paying attention.
I'll certainly concede the possibility of some Skrull variant I'd missed.
ReplyDeleteStill, you'd think it would be a better, more productive place to start the inquiry than the paranoia-inducing witch hunt that Wolverine and Cage are conducting.