 The Thunderbolts held an extreme advantage against the Skrull attack, their lack of Starktech kept them free of the Skrull's preemptive viral attack on the ubiquitous technology. With Iron Man fleeing the battle because of his compromised armor, Norman Osborn ceases the opportunity to become the new face of Earth's resistance to this Skrull infiltration. In Secret Invasion #8, with the entire world watching, Norman Osborn delivers the kill shot on the Skrull Queen, who is disguised as Spider-Woman. Soon after, S.H.I.E.L.D. is shut down, and during a nationwide speech it is announced that a “certain type of man is needed at the head of the table”. That man is Norman Osborn. All that fell under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s jurisdiction, that includes the Fifty State Initiative and the Avengers, is now under Norman Osborn and the Thunderbolts Initiative. At the story’s conclusion, Norman gathers Emma Frost, Doctor Doom, Namor, the Hood, and Loki as he begins to lay out his plans for the future. The Dark Reign has begun.
|   Norman delivers the kill shot on the Skrull Queen, as seen in Secret Invasion #8
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