Secret Invasion Episode 4: Who Is The Skrull Impersonating [SPOILER]?
Contains spoilers for "Secret Invasion," Season 1, Episode 4 — "Beloved"
Strategy is the name of the game in "Secret Invasion," Season 1, Episode 4, "Beloved." This is as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) work to save humanity. In Season 1, Episode 2, "Promises," audiences discover that Skrulls have assumed leadership roles across the globe. As Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) wages war, Episode 4 shows that a Skrull working closely with the young revolutionary has been inside the U.S. Government and is very close to President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney). The reveal happens when a Skrull named Raava (Nisha Aaliya) steps out of the shower and takes on the skin of Rhodey (Don Cheadle), who has been going toe-to-toe with Fury, even firing him in Episode 2.
Raava has quite the back story in the pages of Marvel comics. The renegade Skrull pirate is first introduced in "Black Bolt" #1, while serving a life sentence for her attack on the Skrull Empire following the death of her children. Black Bolt encounters Raava and others in a secret prison and works with them to escape. The "Secret Invasion" TV series portrays Raava as a master shapeshifter who is focused on the goal at hand. While the series continues to portray Raava's warrior mentality from the comics, it is mentioned in "Black Bolt" #3 that she actually never learned to shapeshift.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for using the comics as inspiration while creating its own path, as demonstrated by Rhodey's fresh trajectory in "Secret Invasion."
Rhodey is not the main Marvel character that's portrayed by a Skrull in the comics
The "Secret Invasion" TV series finds Raava in a prime position to manipulate the U.S. Government and destroy Nick Fury at the same time. She has been working with Fury's wife Priscilla (Charlayne Woodard), who is a Skrull named Varra, sending her on a mission to kill Fury. Varra seems to purposely miss Fury during the pair's kitchen table duel. Fury then arrives at Raava's, which is when she tells Fury how she plans to frame him for the killing of Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). She unveils her plan while still disguised as Rhodey, but Raava isn't the one calling the shots in the "Secret Invasion" comics.
Veranke is putting plans into action throughout the "Secret Invasion" comic book series. The Skrull princess is first introduced in "New Avengers" #1 and later becomes a Skrull Empress amid the events of "Secret Invasion," which she sets in motion. Instead of taking on the role of Rhodey, Veranke transforms into Spider-Woman, who just so happens to be the only hero available when Tony Stark calls for help after a Skrull ship crashes into a piece of Antarctica called Savage Land.
The comics also reveal that Veranke has a romantic relationship with Pagon, who is Gravik's second-in-command in the TV series. So far, the show has yet to dive into a possible relationship between Raava and Pagon (Killian Scott). If a relationship were to take place, it could give Raava the opportunity to destroy Gravik and take over the whole operation.