‘Secret Invasion’: It Was Never Going to End Any Other Way for [SPOILER]

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Secret Invasion Episode 1.Secret Invasion has wasted no time proving itself as a high-stakes superhero spy thriller, with the first episode seeming to kill off one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s longest-running characters. The decision to write the character out after 11 years with the franchise is bold and likely to cause controversy with fans and critics but the actual in-story staging of the death is well-handled. The scene is given the tragic weight it deserves and the way the character goes out honors her role within the franchise and adds to the themes of the series, ultimately resulting in a respectful exit.

In Secret Invasion Episode 1 “Resurrection” Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) returns from outer space at the request of his allies Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), who have discovered that a rogue group of the shape-shifting aliens known as the Skrulls have formed a militant organization called the Resistance, which plans to conquer the Earth. The trio set out to stop a Resistance bombing in Russia but the bags Talos’ daughter G’iah (Emilia Clarke) helps them track are decoys, and Resistance leader Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) successfully triggers the real bombs, causing a series of devastating explosions. Maria helps wounded and frightened civilians attempt to evacuate while Fury continues to pursue Gravik. However, Gravik uses his powers to disguise himself as Fury. A relieved Maria greets who she thinks is her mentor, only for Gravik to shoot her in the stomach before escaping. The real Fury soon arrives and, heartbroken, holds Maria as she seems to die before Talos forces him to flee.

RELATED: Ahead of ‘Secret Invasion’ It’s Time to Give Maria Hill Her MCU Props

Who is Maria Hill?

Maria was introduced in 2012’s The Avengers. She was a high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the government agency charged with investigating superhuman and related events. She reported directly to Nick Fury, who was the agency’s director at the time. Although she helped Fury put together the original Avengers team to combat Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) alien invasion the pair did not always agree, with Hill questioning some of Fury’s decisions. However, by the end of the film, after the Avengers successfully defeated Loki, she seems to agree with Fury on the necessity of superheroes.

By the time of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the pair’s working relationship was much closer. When Fury discovers evidence of corruption within S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria is the first person he contacts for assistance. She helps him fake his own death after he is targeted for assassination by Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). This is indicative of how much Fury had come to trust Maria, as he kept his survival a secret from many other close associates, including Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), for a time as he feared they may be part of the conspiracy. Apparently, he knew that Maria would not be.

After Fury, Maria, Natasha, and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) discovered that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated by Hydra for decades they dismantled both organizations. Following this, Maria went to work for Stark Industries, from where she provided logistical support to the Avengers when they reunited to hunt down remaining Hydra forces. However, she secretly still reported to Fury, as revealed in Avengers: Age of Ultron when she contacted her boss so that he would confront Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) about his decision to create the now rogue Ultron (James Spader). Although this led to some humorous indignation on Tony’s part Maria remained with the team after the Battle of Sokovia. However, she and Fury were conspicuously absent from Captain America: Civil War, when the Avengers fractured over the Sokovia Accords.

Maria Hill’s End Fits the Trajectory of Her Life

Despite her long Marvel history prior to Secret Invasion, Maria never received much in the way of character development. But in some ways that contributes to why her death in the series is fitting. Unlike many of the franchise’s costumed heroes Maria never let personal baggage interfere with her doing her job, the most important duty of which is saving lives. Her identity as a spy and her dedication to that part of her life made her a sort of cipher though we always knew her intentions were honorable. Having the character die while on the ground helping civilians survive a crisis is a strong tribute to her dedication and heroism.

Earlier scenes in the episode and the manner of her death make it extra tragic and help create the dark, dangerous tone the series is aiming for. Throughout “Resurrection” multiple characters note how Fury seems to have lost a step while he was away from Earth and question whether his age and/or his changes in behavior make him unfit for the conflict with Gravik. Maria herself asserts her belief that Fury has never been the same since he returned after being erased from existence for five years by Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) snap in Avengers: Infinity War. She repeats advice Fury once gave her, that a spy should always walk away from the job as soon as it becomes clear that they are no longer able to perform at their best, and that not doing so risks harm to the spy and anyone around them. Maria’s death drives this point home in the most devastating of ways, and it’s hard to imagine how Fury will ever forgive himself for losing her, even though it’s not actually his fault.

Unfortunately, Maria’s death is the result of her own spy instincts failing her. The fact that she never considers that the Fury she sees after the explosions could be a Skrull at first seems like an out-of-character moment for the pragmatic, capable agent but when one continues to reflect on it the scene is really evidence of the strength of her bond with Fury. Merely the sight of him makes her feel safe and happy in the midst of violent chaos, which makes Gravik’s ruse all the more devastating. This cements the idea that no one can be trusted in Secret Invasion, which is a lesson Fury is unlikely to forget after such a horrible loss.