“So you are responsible for all of this?”
“Yeah.”
Secret Invasion‘s latest episode finally revealed the full extent of Gravik’s plan. He doesn’t just want to create Super Skrulls, he wants to become the most powerful being in the galaxy. The Harvest, a special serum made of superhero DNA, would allow him to gain the abilities of every Avenger who fought Thanos in the Battle of Earth, even Carol Danvers. But while it’s not shocking Gravik would seek out the Harvest, what is surprising is who created something so dangerous: Nick Fury.
Why would someone dedicated to protecting the world create the very thing that might destroy it? The world’s greatest spy had good intentions, but he made the same mistake the MCU’s heroes and villains alike always do.
What Does Gravik Want on Secret Invasion?
The combined powers of Groot, Cull Obsidian, a frost beast, and Extremis are not enough to defeat Earth’s mightiest heroes. Nick Fury’s close friend Captain Marvel could destroy that version of Gravik with minimum effort. If Skrulls can’t beat the Avengers they can’t conquer the world even if they manage to incite World War III between humans. To truly stand toe-to-toe with the Avengers and make Earth theirs, the Skrull general requires far more superpowers. To get what he needs he must find the Harvest.
What Is the Harvest on Secret Invasion?
The Harvest is a secret vial with the ability to create a being so powerful it might make them all but invincible. It contains the DNA of every single Avenger who fought in the Battle of Earth at the conclusion of Endgame. Everyone from Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson, to Wanda Maximoff and Bruce Banner, bled while fighting Thanos’ army. After the victory Nick Fury had the idea to send in Skrull collectors to take their blood from the battlefield. They then harvested all of the blood for super DNA and combined the genetic material into one concoction. (Hence the name “the Harvest.”)
The only people who knew about this work and the resulting serum were those who took the blood and the person who organized the project. And because that organizer was Nick Fury, the collectors were Skrulls disguised as humans. That included Gravik, the collectors’ leader.
Why Is Nick Fury Responsible for Gravik’s Plan on Secret Invasion?
The Harvest put humanity in danger because it led Gravik to hatch his plan. Nick Fury told Sonya Falsworth the very existence of that super vial likely gave Gravik the idea for his Super Skrull Machine. Without superpowers Gravik would never be able to defeat the Avengers and therefore never be able to make Earth the New Skrullos. Nick Fury gave him the means to do just that
If the spy hadn’t been smart enough to hide it from everyone Gravik would already have it.
Why Did Nick Fury Create the Harvest?
The Battle of Earth took place five years after Thanos dusted away half the universe. Nick Fury was among those who vanished. When he came back he was not the same man he’d been before, and it’s no mystery why the Snap seemingly broke him. His life’s work was protecting Earth. Fury was the one who came up with the Avengers Initiative. It was an incredible “idea” he’d successfully put into practice. But in the world’s greatest moment of need the Avengers weren’t there to save it. Nick Fury blamed himself. He believed he failed Earth and everyone on it, humans and Skrull alike.
Did he want the Harvest to create even more heroes? Was it meant to serve as a super backup in case Earth’s mightiest heroes vanished again or needed backup themselves? Both reasons likely motivated Fury, along with a bunch more we can’t even imagine. (This is the spy of all spies, after all. He’s always many moves ahead of everyone.) What we do know is that benevolent intentions or not, the very existence of the Harvest is yet another example of MCU heroes refusing to understand you can’t put a suit of armor around the world anymore than you can rely on the Avengers to always save it.
Order and Chaos in the MCU
Nick Fury created the Harvest for the same reason Tony Stark created Ultron. It’s the same reason He Who Remains created the TVA and Alexander Pierce joined HYDRA. All of them, heroes and villains alike, can’t see the undeniable truth Vision recognized long ago, that order and chaos are the same thing. Each thought it was possible to keep everyone on Earth safe by brute strength and control. But the natural order of life is chaos. To try and control chaos you unleash it.
In his desperate attempt to make sure he never failed Earth again, Nick Fury repeated the same mistake countless others have in the MCU. It’s an idea that remains at the forefront of the franchise. But Fury at least seems to understand what he’s done. It’s why he came back and why he must fight this war alone.
Why Won’t Nick Fury Call the Avengers to Help on Secret Invasion?
Once Secret Invasion‘s penultimate episode introduced the Harvest it could have easily explained Nick Fury’s reluctance to call on the Avengers. Between a Skrull replacing Rhodey and the way Gravik can use super blood to make himself more powerful, there are two very logical reasons for Fury not to call in his most powerful allies.
Instead Fury provided a far better reason. It’s not that this battle is just personal for him because of his role in making it possible. It’s personal for humanity. He now recognizes mankind cannot simply rely on a few super people to “swoop in and save our asses” every time the world is in danger. He tried that once and it didn’t work. A suit of armor, in any form or secret serum, isn’t protection. It puts everyone at risk.
People must instead find the strength to save themselves when the time comes. It took a lifetime for Nick Fury to appreciate how true that is. It’s why he alone can save humans and Skrulls from Gravik. The Avengers haven’t lived the life Nick Fury has and they can’t defend the world the way he can.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.