Report by Albert Ching

Marvel's Wizard World Los Angeles programming continued Saturday afternoon, with a panel focusing on the company's latest event - Secret Invasion. In attendance? Marvel marketing guru Jim McCann, writers Chris Gage, Brian Reed and Chris Yost and editor Steve Wacker.

McCann began the panel by joking that Marvel knows what's behind Final Crisis - showing a slide of a guy at a con in a Superman costume with a Skrull mask on (or more likely Photoshopped on).

McCann discussed the "homage" covers of Secret Invasion (which can be seen below), like the one reminiscent of New Avengers #1, saying they're not just homages, but there's a storyline reason behind those covers. McCann said New Avengers and Mighty Avengers will, as one might expect, go "hand-in-hand" with Secret Invasion, "like Secret Invasion #1.2 and 1.3."

A slide from Avengers: The Initiative with Yellowjacket shown as a Skrull was shown, though Gage said there are many images of many characters as Skrulls, so "take it with a grain of salt." Gage talked about Avengers: The Initiative Annual, where a high-ranking member of the Initiative was revealed to be a Skrull, and thus it'll tie-in to Secret Invasion in an important way.

An image of Captain Britain and MI:13 was the put up, with McCann saying that it'll show that Secret Invasion is, indeed, a global invasion, with Pete Wisdom, Black Knight and Spitfire playing a role. The cover of #2 was shown, with Pete Wisdom holding the sword of Excalibur standing over what looked to be a dead (or badly hurt) Captain Britain. McCann noted the lightning on the cover, saying Skrulls always seem to attack in bad weather, and that may be a hint - or not.

Incredible Hercules was discussed, with McCann saying that the SI tie-in will be the "God squad," or deities of the Marvel Universe teaming up and responding to the Skrull threat.

Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? a one-shot by writers Reed, Gage, Zeb Wells, Jeff Parker and Mike Carey was announced, focusing on these characters: Captain Marvel, Wonder Man & Beast (Gage specified it as the "leisure suit" Wonder Man and "ape" Beast), Marvel Boy, Agents of Atlas and Agent Brand.

McCann said Marvel Boy will play a "really big role" in the main arc of Secret Invasion, so his story (by Wells) in the one-shot will lead into that.

Reed then took a call - on McCann's phone - from Secret Invasion crafter Brian Michael Bendis. "What do you want," Reed joked, "You're not good enough to come to the show but you'll call in?" Now a Wizard World Los Angels panel staple, Bendis was put on speaker phone. He joked that his next project will be a "Captain Carrot and the Amazing Zoo Crew vs. Rocket Raccoon" crossover.

This all led, somehow, to a slide of Ms. Marvel - and then, quickly, one of the Fantastic Four: Secret Invasion tie-in by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Barry Kitson, showing Johnny Storm and his Skrull ex-wife, Lyja.

So what's Chris Yost doing on the panel? Well, he's writing Young Avengers/Runaways: Secret Invasion. Yost said "There'll be a little bit of action" in the book, and reminded that both of the teams have Skrulls on their rosters. The art will be by former Runaways artist Takeshi Miyazawa.

Gage will be writing the Secret Invasion tie-in issues of Thunderbolts (which will be part of the main title), hinting that an iconic Marvel character will be revealed as a Skrull and go after the Thunderbolts.

Heroes writer Joe Pokaski was announced as the author of Secret Invasion: Inhumans, naturally spinning out of the New Avengers: The Illuminati revelation that a Skrull was impersonating Black Bolt. "It's seeing how the whole family deals with a bunch of Skrulls," the writer said.

The first question from the audience was the level of research Bendis did preparing for Secret Invasion. "If you've never read a Skrull issue before, I think you'll be able to pick this up, and hopefully be greatly entertained," Bendis said, via telephone, seemingly to assure new fans. He then said he read almost every major Skrull story, though he had already read most of them before, and that Tom Brevoort sent him a box of what the Marvel editor deemed was the "worst" Skrull stories.

A fan asked how far back the Skrull conspiracy goes, with Bendis quipping "George Washington was a Skrull." Bendis said that it dates to the beginning of New Avengers, and then reassured that there's not going to be anything like someone revealed to be a Skrull and "everything you knew was a lie."

"In the past, Skrulls have been able to detect other Skrulls if they changed forms. Has that changed? Can they still fool themselves?" Bendis: "There's a new science here, and all will be revealed."

"Did you consciously make the Skrulls more menacing, instead of cheesy as they've been in the past?" Bendis said he loves doing that with his characters, citing his use of Purple Man in Alias as an example.

Bendis then closed the call by praising the panel, and saying "no one does more behind the scenes to keep comics fun" than Jim McCann.

This segued into the announcement of Secret Invasion: Front Line, by Brian Reed, which there's an article about already on the Newsarama front page. Reed said the series will allow readers to see events "the same way people in the Marvel Universe see it."

The next questioned concerned the Marvel Boy that will be in Secret Invasion. "Is it the 'Grant Morrison Marvel Boy'?" The answer to that - yes.

A fan asked about Ms. Marvel's involvement int he storyline, and Reed said that #25 will deal in part with how far back the Invasion's origins are - since before Carol Danvers became Ms. Marvel.

"I haven't heard a lot about the role of the Kree," remarked a fan. "No you haven't," McCann answered, ominously.

"Will more villains be brought in," a la the government recruiting the Thunderbolts during Civil War? Gage: "Wait and see."

Gage talked about the role of the Thunderbolts in the crossover. "They're either going to be best weapon against the Skrulls or a trainwreck."

McCann asked Pokaski about his experiences thus far with Marvel. Pokaski called it a "dream come true" and hinted that the Kree will play some role in Secret Invasion: Inhumans.

A fan asked if Pokaski read comics growing up. Pokaski said he was a huge Spider-Man fan as a comic, but lapsed in college because he "started having sex." Pokaski cited working with Jeph Loeb on "Heroes" as helping him getting interested again in comics, and that he dated some girls in college just because they resembled Crystal of the Inhumans (whether or not they wore that weird hair accessory was not revealed).

A fan asked why Marvel characters don't seem to be able to "detect" Skrulls anymore, like Black Bolt being among the Illuminati. McCann said that question will be addressed in the very first issue of Secret Invasion.

"Is Nick Fury going to be showing up?" After playing dumb for a bit, McCann said that Fury "definitely plays a major role" in Secret Invasion.

A fan asked how much consideration is given to revealing a character as a Skrull - specifically, at which point they were switched with a Skrull. McCann and Reed both answered that the story has been very carefully plotted, and a lot of consideration has been given. "Marvel's very careful with that kind of thing especially something that big," added Wacker.

Will there be a Secret Invasion tie-in involving the X-Men? McCann said yes, but they're not going to announce anything specifically yet.

How do Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest relate to Secret Invasion? McCann said, mixing metaphors, "All of these things are like one big chess piece...puzzle."

"Are not just super-powered beings replaced?" McCann: "That's a great question."

What will Iron Man's role in SI be, and would it perhaps offer some redemption for his role in Civil War? "Iron Man plays a massive role," said McCann. "The vast majority of the world doesn't see him as having done wrong," reminded Reed. "The citizens of the United States are 100% behind him."

A fan made the point that the lack of thought bubbles in Marvel Comics recently may have contributed to making Secret Invasion possible, since we haven't seen as many characters' thoughts, and thus can't rule out that they're Skrulls. Reed said that was a good point and we'd have to think about what characters have had interior monologues lately, and what haven't.

Aside from the aliens themselves, will other cosmic characters involved in Secret Invasion? Reed: "Wouldn't a Galactus Skrull be cool?" McCann said that some yet to be announced tie-ins will deal with this.

End of live updates