Secret Invasion: Was Rhodey always a Skrull? Explained

Secret Invasion finally lifted the veil on the secret Skrull Avenger, who has stepped into the shoes of one of the leading superheroes of the Infinity Saga. A comprehensive breakdown of this revelation follows.

In its fourth episode, the Marvel series pulled back the curtains on Don Cheadle's Rhodey being a Skrull. This revelation wasn't surprising for many viewers, given the numerous hints of Rhodey's Skrull identity in Phase 5.

Nevertheless, the transformation of Rhodey, a Phase 2 Avenger, into the female Skrull Raava, after instructing Priscilla Fury to assassinate Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury was a remarkable turn of events.

Warning: Spoilers for episode 4 of Secret Invasion follow.

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The mystery of Rhodey's Skrull identity in the Secret Invasion

From Hero to Infiltrator: Rhodey's startling transformation in Secret Invasion (Image via Marvel Studios)

Rhodey's identity as a Skrull gives rise to a number of thought-provoking questions, especially in light of the two significant twists introduced in the fourth episode of Secret Invasion.

Emilia Clarke's G'iah, thought to have been killed by Gravik, survives by transforming into a Super-Skrull, and the new supervillain in the MCU unexpectedly kills off Ben Mendelsohn's Talos. With his most potent ally gone and Maria Hill lost in the first episode, Nick Fury must defeat Gravik without military support, courtesy of Rhodey's Skrull reveal.

The fourth episode of Secret Invasion finally confirmed that Rhodey was a Skrull impostor all along, serving as the boss of Priscilla and working under Gravik. The Skrull Rhodey had infiltrated the US government to get close to President Ritson to assassinate him as part of Gravik's shocking false flag operation.

The female Skrull replacing Rhodey is an alien, Raava, portrayed by British actress Nisha Aaliya.

Raava, in Marvel Comics, was the Skrull prisoner in Black Bolt #1 (2017), known as Raava The Unskrulled, who aided Black Bolt in escaping from a deep-space torture prison. She was a rogue Skrull who betrayed the Skrull Empire after her children were killed. However, Secret Invasion reshapes her origin story to present her as a loyal follower of Gravik.

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Rhodey's Skrull impostor: How long has it been?

Aftermath of loss: Could Iron Man's demise have paved the way for Rhodey's Skrull impersonation (Image via Marvel Studios)

The unveiling of Martin Freeman's Agent Ross as a Skrull in the first episode of Secret Invasion raises a similar question about Rhodey's Skrull identity: When did the impostor take over?

This complex question has piqued Kevin Feige's interest, who teased that Rhodey's transition to a Skrull occurred before the Secret Invasion series. Feige suggested that fans may wish to revisit some of Rhodey's earlier appearances to understand that it wasn't truly him.

Despite Feige's hint, it seems more plausible that a Skrull replaced Rhodey following the events of Avengers: Endgame and Iron Man's death. This theory aligns well with the upcoming Armor Wars, where Rhodey grapples with the aftermath of Stark's technology falling into the wrong hands.

If Rhodey was replaced post-Stark's death and Skrull Rhodey concentrated on his political career to gain proximity to the president, the theft of Stark's technology would likely have slipped under the radar.

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The choice of Rhodey as the Skrull Avenger

War Machine's Secret Mission: Rhodey's role in Gravik's false flag operation (Image via Marvel Studios)

Nick Fury revealed his reluctance to involve the Avengers after Rhodey suggested it following the Moscow attack. The fear was that Gravik's warriors would overpower them and use their powers to create more potent Super-Skrulls.

Rhodey, with his military rank and a path to President Ritson but without any genetic powers, made a fitting candidate to be replaced. Not only would this limit the Super-Skrulls from becoming excessively powerful, but it would also strategically position Rhodey to infiltrate the US government and aid Gravik's false flag operation.

This revelation highlights War Machine's value, teasing an intriguing future storyline where the real Rhodey has to clean up the mess left by Nick Fury once again.

The twists and turns of Secret Invasion can be followed every Wednesday on Disney+.