Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Secret Invasion finale.
Well, Secret Invasion certainly happened. Prior to release Marvel Studios was billing the Nick Fury-centric show as a tense and tangled spy caper based on a comics arc in which multiple major heroes were revealed to be Skrull imposters.
Sadly the MCU take on that story proved somewhat less than compelling. Despite the presence of heavyweight actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Colman, and Kingsley Ben-Adir the story fizzled out in a truly disappointing finale that may end up as Marvel Studios’ worst-rated piece of content to date (it’s at a rock-bottom 13% on the Tomatometer).
Much of the episode was concerned with “The Harvest”, a vial containing the DNA of multiple major Marvel characters. So, where did Nick Fury get it all?
The Battle of Earth
The majority of the DNA samples were retrieved on Fury’s orders in the wake of Avengers: Endgame‘s Battle of Earth. As explained in the show, Fury ordered Gravik’s Skrull team to head out into the battlefield to retrieve any genetic material they could find. As he explained:
“Nearly every Avenger spilled blood in the Battle of Earth. Even Carol Danvers. In the aftermath, some were sent in to collect that DNA. Some with the ability to blend in.”
DNA of heroes present at the Battle of Earth included in the Harvest are Hulk, Valkyrie, Winter Soldier, Captain Marvel, Drax, Gamora, Groot, Korg, Mantis, Captain America, Black Panther, and Thor.
But Gravik’s Skrulls also collected DNA from the villains, with Thanos, the four members of the Black Order, the Chitauri, and Outrider warriors all present.
Perhaps the only major hero whose DNA Gravik’s team didn’t manage to scoop up was Spider-Man, though that’s probably because his genetic code is owned by Sony.
But this doesn’t quite account for the entire list. Also included in the Harvest are Ant-Man and the Wasp‘s Ghost, The Incredible Hulk‘s Abomination, and Thor: The Dark World‘s Frost Beast, none of whom were present at the Battle of Earth. So, where did Fury get ’em?
Ghost
As detailed in Ant-Man and the Wasp Ghost was involved in a quantum incident at a young age, with the S.H.I.E.L.D. recognizing that her phasing abilities would make her a great agent. As such they trained her in espionage, constructed her ‘Ghost Suit’, and promised to cure her.
When she realized S.H.I.E.L.D. had no interest in curing such a talented agent she left, though due to the extensive research conducted on her, it’s easy to see how Fury would have access to her DNA.
Ghost is set to return in next year’s Thunderbolts and as someone who’s already not the biggest fan of S.H.I.E.L.D. we imagine she’d have an opinion on Fury spreading her DNA around without her permission.
Abomination
Abomination/Emil Blonsky’s DNA would also be fairly straightforward for Fury to procure. In The Incredible Hulk, we see Blonsky receiving a version of the Super-Soldier Serum under the watchful eye of General Ross. After the procedure, it makes sense that extensive tests would have been performed on him, at which point his blood would have been taken.
Even if Fury didn’t have access to Blonsky’s DNA then, he certainly would in the many years he was incarcerated in the Vault in Alaska and later at the Department of Damage Control’s Supermax facility. It’s also notable that at one point Abomination was considered as a candidate to join the Avengers, giving Fury yet another opportunity to examine his DNA.
Frost Beast
Frost Beast DNA doesn’t seem too hard to track down, as even before G’iah and Gravik received The Harvest both had gotten some from another source. Two Frost Beasts made their way from Jotenheim to Earth in Thor: The Dark World. One was killed by Thor while rampaging through London and the other was glimpsed in the post-credits sequence chasing some birds around.
Either could be the source of the DNA in the Harvest, as an extraterrestrial beast roaming London feels like something S.H.I.E.L.D. would take notice of.
There are a few more wrinkles that have left fans wondering. A biggie is that Thanos, the Black Order, and his army were dusted in Endgame, which should mean that any genetic material they left splattered across the battlefield should have turned to dust too. Then again, as S.H.I.E.L.D. has Thanos’s DNA, perhaps whatever fluids left his body weren’t affected by Tony Stark’s snap.
Fans are also curious about what’s next for Emilia Clarke’s G’iah, who’s now strolling around the MCU with all this power flowing through her. But that’s a Kevin Feige headache for another day.