By Frank DeAngelo IV
Secret Invasion goes global this May in the all-new ongoing series CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND
MI: 13 from writer Paul Cornell and artist Leonard Kirk.
While the world struggles to find any means to stop the overwhelming Skrull invasion of Earth, England unveils its newest super-team—MI: 13. Led by powerhouse
Captain Britain and featuring a cast of tea-sipping heavyweights along with one American, these heroes stand as the United Kingdom's best hope for surviving the interplanetary conflict.
"Initially they come together in an emergency situation, on a mission against the
Skrulls," says Cornell of the assembly of MI: 13. "After that, they're kept together as a response to the much scarier situation in Britain post-invasion. They're the result of
Pete Wisdom's desire to 'bring hero back' [and] to have a proper British super hero team that's officially recognized, but who aren't compromised by that, a situation that's particularly British."
Not only does the creation of MI: 13 offer some glimmer of hope for England's survival against the Skrulls' galactic onslaught, but the new group gives team leader Captain Britain a purpose he thought he had lost:
"He's lost his wife, looking for a cause, wanting to be the hero again," explains Cornell. "This lets him do two out of three. At least."
With the series set across the pond, fans have the unique opportunity to see the scale and reach of the Skrull attack, while witnessing a very specific response to the shape-shifters' latest attempt at world domination.
"Our first four issues are a huge war movie of the team battling Skrulls," Cornell teases. "Britain is a particular target for the aliens because the nation has a national resource in the Marvel Universe [of something] the Skrulls want."
While Cornell promises plenty of action over the course of the series and the team's formation, the characters and their personal journeys remain at the heart of every story.
"What I'm after is [that] everyone has a cause, everyone has an aim, everyone has a personal victory they're trying for," vows the writer.
And while the characters each have their own personal reasons for joining MI: 13, their interactions with one another ultimately help them down their individual paths.
"Pete [Wisdom is] in charge officially, but [Captain Britain] is the touchstone, the inspiration, the center of things in battle," explains Cornell. "The developing friendship between those two is important. The Black Knight has issues at the moment, the weight of the Ebony
Blade, but he now has a 'squire,' Faiza Hussain, our point of view character who gains her powers early on. She's a huge fan of British super heroes. She and Dane [Whitman aka the Black Knight] bond, her helping him with his troubles.
Spitfire is the hard-nosed teller of truths, the survivor; a friend to all of them. And John [the Skrull] is John, the dark poet, the cynical commentator."
All right, Paul, time for the lightning round.
Captain Britain…
"Will become certain, not conflicted, comfortable with who he is, [and] cracking confident jokes again."
Peter Wisdom…
"Has to do his duty, but in doing so has to do something terrible. Again. As always."
Faiza…
"Will save the world."
Spitfire…
"Thinks she can stop any time."
Black Knight…
"Is mistaken on one crucial point that fans know about but he doesn't."
John the Skrull…
"Is not always going to look like that."
MI: 13…
"We're bringing 'hero' back We want cheers and manly tears and gritted teeth. We're going for action/intelligence/action/intelligence, that rollercoaster of big battles and intelligent character stuff."
Check out CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13 #1, on sale May 14. For more Captain Britain, visit Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.
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