Quotes from the 2017 Crisis Crossover for the Marvel Universe, Secret Empire.
Main Series
Narration
We were beset by evil. Dangers lurked around every corner. We were outnumbered... attacked... overcome. We realized, if we were to survive this — we couldn't do it alone. And so, in the midst of the darkness, we found hope in friendship — in family.
—Issue 4
With all we lost, this is what we clung to. What we had left. The bonds of friendship, of brotherhood. The knowledge that, even in our suffering, we were not alone. That brought us something we had not known in so long... peace. In our darkest hour, this is what kept us alive — family.
—Issue 5
This is the story of how we fell for the last time. The moment we were broken. Overrun. We gazed upon the devastation — and we found in it ourselves. We saw everything we'd done to cause it. How had we managed to fall so far? How had we managed to sink so low? Had we lost our way? Why did we do this to ourselves? Why did we do this to each other? And so we closed our eyes, and prepared for judgment. But not all of us. Some of us still knew how to be heroes. And in that moment of reprieve — we began to remember. Began to remember how to stand again. Remembered the evil we stood against. Remembered who we fought for.
—Issue 6
We were in so much pain. The suffering had become too great. All we wanted was for it to end. But like so many things — we don't get to decide how it ends. So there we were — ready for the darkness. Ready to let it take us. But then, somehow — we saw it. The light. The thing we needed to stand up one more time. Hope. It was the glimmer that kept us alive — even if it felt so far away. We were so lost — sinking so fast, we could never come back from it alone. We needed a hand to lift us back up... someone who could make us believe again. Someone who could lead us out of the desert. We needed Captain America.
—Issue 7
Character Quotes
Steve Rogers: Ultron, I happen to agree with you, but Hydra is going to change all of that, bring an end to all this weakness and corruption...
Hank Pym: Oh, of course, it will, Steve, of course...Just like Tony's grand plans for superhuman registration made everything so much better. Or perhaps you mean like when Wanda here tried to fix everything? That got a bit messy as I recall.... You always have such big ideas for solving all the world's problems. Funny then, how you just keep making everything worse.
Hank Pym: Oh, of course, it will, Steve, of course...Just like Tony's grand plans for superhuman registration made everything so much better. Or perhaps you mean like when Wanda here tried to fix everything? That got a bit messy as I recall.... You always have such big ideas for solving all the world's problems. Funny then, how you just keep making everything worse.
Enough!!! Listen to yourselves — this constant bickering and battling, always at each other's throats... it's all you ever do anymore! What's happened to you?! Where did it all go so wrong?! You know, it's just exhausting — and in this form, I can't even be exhausted! I go through all this trouble to bring us back together, and you just — you just — do you want to know why Ultron built this city? Why he didn't come after you yet again? It's because he didn't have to. It's because he looked at you and your war, Tony, and you and your scheming, Steve — and he realized he wouldn't have to destroy anything — because you were already doing it for him.
How dare you?! I discovered Pym particles. I took artificial intelligence to the next level. I founded the Avengers Academy! What have you ever done?! You were a lout and a cretin who made his fortune selling weapons to murderers. Your arrogance started two wars — your incompetence put Norman Osborn in power! And you try to lecture me?! Every day I had to hold this monster inside me at bay — do you understand what he would do if I let him loose? He would incinerate the flesh of every man, woman and child on Earth and laugh about it! Every day I live with this, and I save the world a hundred times over! But I made one mistake — one mistake! Years ago! And it's all any of you will ever remember me for — all you ever say about me! You think I can't hear the whispers?! The way you look at me when I walk into the room?
Tie-Ins
Captain America (Issue 25)*
You know, when I got this shield—first thing I said was, I'm not big on speeches. Then I went and gave a bunch anyway—when I saw some things going on in the country that I didn't like, when Rhodey died—when I gave up being Captain America. Really, though, I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it was practically in the job description. Whenever things would go wrong, everyone looked to Steve Rogers to tell them what to do. Guess that's what landed us in this mess to begin with, isn't it? When things got rough, when we wore ourselves down—instead of fixing what was broken, taking responsibility—we decided it was easier just to hand it all over to him, let him do it for us. Didn't turn out so well.
So now, here we are. With him out there every day, talking to the country, reminding everyone how badly we screwed up. How we caused all this. How we spent all our time fighting each other. Chasing big ideas that blew up in our faces. Flying so high we lost touch with the ground beneath our feet. Best I can tell, none of it's wrong. Here we sit. Our friends dead. Our home destroyed. Nothing left but the blame. Our ghosts all came back, the bill was due. Question is—what do we do now? Do we give up? Turn ourselves in? Surrender? Admit they were right about us? Or do we remember who we really are?
I look around here and I see the men and women who stood up when Galactus came, when the Skrulls attacked. The ones who put their own lives on the line to save others. And that's still who you are. Maybe it's not what people remember first anymore. Maybe it's not how you see yourselves—but you can still be that. Might be a little rusty at it, but you still know how.
At that prison camp they've built on New Attilan, they're processing thousands of newly captured Inhumans today. I say we go and try to stop it. Try to free those people. Do it like we're supposed to—save some lives, stand up for what's right. Be heroes. No question they'll have us outgunned—that we might lose. Maybe die. I don't think I care anymore. All I want is the fight. These people—HYDRA—executed our friends. They murdered an entire city. They've locked up millions, are chasing after millions more. Innocents. Who wants to speak for those people? Who's going to be their justice?
Who wants to be their Avengers?
So now, here we are. With him out there every day, talking to the country, reminding everyone how badly we screwed up. How we caused all this. How we spent all our time fighting each other. Chasing big ideas that blew up in our faces. Flying so high we lost touch with the ground beneath our feet. Best I can tell, none of it's wrong. Here we sit. Our friends dead. Our home destroyed. Nothing left but the blame. Our ghosts all came back, the bill was due. Question is—what do we do now? Do we give up? Turn ourselves in? Surrender? Admit they were right about us? Or do we remember who we really are?
I look around here and I see the men and women who stood up when Galactus came, when the Skrulls attacked. The ones who put their own lives on the line to save others. And that's still who you are. Maybe it's not what people remember first anymore. Maybe it's not how you see yourselves—but you can still be that. Might be a little rusty at it, but you still know how.
At that prison camp they've built on New Attilan, they're processing thousands of newly captured Inhumans today. I say we go and try to stop it. Try to free those people. Do it like we're supposed to—save some lives, stand up for what's right. Be heroes. No question they'll have us outgunned—that we might lose. Maybe die. I don't think I care anymore. All I want is the fight. These people—HYDRA—executed our friends. They murdered an entire city. They've locked up millions, are chasing after millions more. Innocents. Who wants to speak for those people? Who's going to be their justice?
Who wants to be their Avengers?
