Secret Empire (organization)

The Secret Empire
Leading members of the subversive organisation "Secret Empire", from Tales to Astonish #81
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Tales to Astonish #81 (July 1966)
Created by	Stan Lee (writer) Jack Kirby (artist)
In-story information
Type of organization	Subversive
Roster
See: Membership

The Secret Empire is a fictional organization appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Secret Empire first appeared in Tales to Astonish #81 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

This subversive organization has been headed by a number of different leaders, always known as “Number One,” with each iteration's goals following the desires of its current leader. The Secret Empire was founded by a scientist who felt like an anonymous nobody. The organization began as a criminal enterprise, a subsidiary of Hydra, which provided it with financial support. The Secret Empire served to distract the attention of authorities such as S.H.I.E.L.D. from Hydra’s activities, although the original Number One sought to break away from Hydra. The Secret Empire hired the mercenary Boomerang on a mission to steal plans for the Air Force’s Orion Missile, but he was defeated by the Hulk. In attempting to blow up the Hulk, Number One instead killed himself.

Some time later, the organization regrouped under a new Number One. This Secret Empire infiltrated Roxxon Oil's Brand Corporation, tried to ruin Captain America's reputation, and kidnapped several mutants—specifically Havok, Polaris, Beast, Iceman, Angel, Mastermind, Mesmero, Blob and Unus the Untouchable—to harness their energy to power a "flying saucer". Number One landed the saucer on the White House lawn, and, after defeating the Empire's "replacement" hero—the first Moonstone—demanded the government surrender control to him or he would detonate nukes in every major American city. The Secret Empire was defeated by Captain America, Cyclops, the Falcon, and Marvel Girl, and Captain America pursued Number One into the White House. Rather than face capture, Number One unmasked himself then committed suicide. The leader of the Secret Empire was revealed to be a very high U.S. government official attempting a coup d'état. Although his identity and face are never revealed to the reader, it is strongly implied in the dialog that Number One was the President of the United States. The government covered up his guilt and suicide with the help of a double. This led to Captain America giving up his role for a while and taking on the role of Nomad. The story was first published in 1973, when the sitting president was Richard Nixon, embroiled at the time in the Watergate scandal. Writer Steve Englehart specifically intended this issue as a metaphor of the Watergate case and the Nixon era.

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