Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the finale of Secret InvasionSecret Invasion has ended its run, and in the final battle between G’iah (Emilia Clarke) and Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), an unexpected twist made two of the main characters from the show use a wide variety of superpowers from every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Guardians of the Galaxy proved to be a massive asset for G’iah and helped her overpower Gravik. She used the abilities of one of the most underrated characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, saving the Earth from the evil Skrulls who wanted to take control of the planet. Without Mantis (Pom Klementieff), life on Earth as we know it would’ve been lost.
Why Is G’iah Against Gravik?
After feeling betrayed by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) his entire life, Gravik came up with a plan to make sure the Skrulls were the dominant species on the planet, taking control away from the humans. By slowly replacing influential politicians and remarkable people in every conceivable field of science and the military with Skrulls, Gravik would’ve gained control of the laws that dictated life on Earth. In the process of taking the humans’ home for himself, Gravik would’ve proved to Nick Fury that he was better than him and that he could find a new home for the Skrulls when the secret agent couldn’t.
Since G’iah didn’t trust the former Skrull leaders either, she decided to join Gravik in his dangerous quest. G’iah’s support was important for the main villain of the series because she’s the daughter of Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). With the daughter of one of the people who brought his species to Earth by his side, Gravik knew that he was making a statement toward Talos and Fury. But after a series of emotional conversations with her father, G’iah realized that Gravik was dangerous and unstable, prompting her to betray him as soon as she got the chance to do so.
Through a project called “The Harvest”, Gravik was able to add DNA from major characters from the MCU into his own, allowing him to use abilities that were beyond his dreams. Unfortunately for him, he injected G’iah with the substance as well, believing she was Nick Fury. If a human had been exposed to the effects of the villain’s machine, it’s likely that nothing would’ve happened, and Gravik would’ve scored an easy victory for the Skrulls. Nevertheless, G’iah outsmarted her enemy, as she was also in control of the powers of some of the Earth’s mightiest heroes.
G’iah Uses Mantis’ Powers To Put Gravik To Sleep
The abilities G’iah acquired included those belonging to Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). But since Gravik had more time to master the powers he was slowly acquiring, he quickly overpowered Talos’ daughter. G’iah had no idea of how to control her powers, using the strength of a wide variety of heroes and villains to defend herself from the monster that trapped her within his ranks for so long. The final battle had begun, and one of those characters wasn’t walking away from it. But Gravik was chosen as the leader of the Skrulls for a reason.
During the first episodes of Secret Invasion, Gravik showed he had the ability to replicate Groot’s (Vin Diesel) powers when facing Fury and Talos while attempting to kidnap the President of the United States (Dermont Mulroney). When the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. tried the classic approach of shooting him in the face, Gravik regenerated his face using the Extremis Virus seen in Iron Man 3. He clearly had been planning his attack on the people that promised him a new home for years, taking into account every door “The Harvest” would open for him.
When everything seemed to be going downhill for G’iah in the final showdown, she tried using Mantis’ powers, allowing her to put Gravik to sleep and take the advantage that would eventually lead her to win the encounter. It was a move the Skrull leader never expected, similar to how the audience was surprised to see a pair of familiar antennae appearing on G’iah’s face. It was at this point of the fight where it was clear who was going to be defeated, and who would survive to see a world saved from a potential extraterrestrial invasion. Even if the Skrulls still hadn’t found a new place to live, Gravik’s defeat made sure they didn’t steal the home of billions of humans.
Pom Klementieff’s Mantis Is the Most Powerful Guardian of the Galaxy
Mantis has proved to be the most powerful member of the Guardians of the Galaxy time and time again, using her powers to save the team when they’ve needed her the most. The character played by Pom Klementieff is no stranger to big fights, and she doesn’t step away from danger, even when the odds don’t look to be going in her favor. During the battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin) on Titan, Mantis was able to put the mighty villain in a trance. The fact that the biggest threat the MCU had ever seen was wearing the Infinity Gauntlet when Mantis took control of his kind is a testament to how powerful the hero can be.
And even before she was fighting alongside the Avengers, Mantis still possessed an immense amount of power. When her found family ran into her for the first time during the events of Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, Mantis was Ego’s (Kurt Russell) personal assistant. She helped him put his mind at ease when it was time to go to sleep, and when the antagonist revealed his true intentions, she was able to fight back against his mind even when he assumed the form of a planet. Mantis has always been ready to stand up for what she believes in, and no other Guardian of the Galaxy could’ve made an entire planet behave as if they were on a whole bottle of sleeping pills.
In recent years, Mantis has become a very valuable member of the team, and she looks like she’s about to embark on a very personal journey that will help her discover who she is. After helping her family defeat the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) during this summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, Mantis realized she had lived her entire life following orders. It was time for her to follow her own lead, and Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) asked her to take care of herself when she left. But she doesn’t have to. She already has everything she needs to remain safe in the middle of an uncertain galaxy.
If Mantis hadn’t been present during the final battle of Avengers: Endgame, G’iah would’ve never used her DNA to defeat Gravik, and Earth would be controlled by Skrulls. If it wasn’t for Star-Lord’s impulsive actions, Mantis would have placed Thanos under her control long enough for the Avengers to take the Infinity Gauntlet away from him. Mantis saved the people of the MCU more times than she realized, and she never asked for anything in return. One of the kindest people in the franchise deserves to live her life the way she wants to, even if the universe around her doesn’t know just how powerful she truly is.
The Big Picture
- In the final battle of Secret Invasion, G’iah uses a wide variety of superpowers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to overpower Gravik and save Earth from the Skrulls.
- G’iah’s betrayal of Gravik is prompted by her realization that he is dangerous and unstable, despite initially joining forces with him against Nick Fury.
- Mantis, played by Pom Klementieff, is the most powerful member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, demonstrated by her ability to put Thanos in a trance during the battle on Titan. Her presence in the final battle of Secret Invasion is crucial in defeating Gravik and preventing the Skrulls from taking control of Earth.
