Media Release -- The action is heating up as the Marvel Universe races headlong into Secret Empire! It's all happening on May 3rd, and your local comic shop is the place to be to get your hands on the highly-anticipated SECRET EMPIRE #1! Nick Spencer (Captain America: Steve Rogers) and Steve McNiven (Civil War) unite Avengers, X-Men, Defenders, Champions, Guardians, Inhumans and more as an unwavering front against Hydra's tyranny!

To coincide with the kickoff to this blockbuster event, Marvel has partnered with participating retail stores to host SECRET EMPIRE LAUNCH PARTIES. In addition to exclusive promotional materials and variant covers, participating retail stores will receive exciting promotional items – including Secret Empire Pins and the brand-new Secret Empire Lenticular Backing Boards – perfect for storing your issues of Secret Empire in style!

"We're rolling out the red carpet for Secret Empire, and providing retailers with everything they need to get customers in on the ground floor for this story," says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. "In addition to making sure retailers have the first issue on shelves for Free Comic Book Day, one of their most trafficked days of the year, Marvel will be shipping participating retailers additional materials to help promote Secret Empire in their stores. Posters, postcards, promo items, samplers and more! If your store hasn't opted in yet, what are you waiting for?!"

All qualifying retailers will receive the following as the part of the SECRET EMPIRE PARTY KIT:

· Secret Empire Invitational Postcards
· Secret Empire Lenticular Backing Board (Bundles of 25)
· Secret Empire Pins (Bundles of 25)
· Secret Empire #1 Nauck Where's Hydra? Sketch Variant
· Deep Ordering Discounts
· Downloadable Cake Toppers

Retailers who qualify will also be eligible to order the SECRET EMPIRE #1 PARTY WHERE'S HYDRA VARIANT. Comic artist Todd Nauck illustrates a massive super hero battle unlike any you've ever seen. But there's a Hydra operative hiding amid the chaos. Can you find him?

Retailers are encouraged to check their Marvel Mailer and Diamond Daily for more information about the SECRET EMPIRE LAUNCH PARTIES and how to opt-in before 4/3. Hydra's grasp is beginning to tighten around the Marvel Universe. Forged together as one, the heroes of the Marvel Universe stand against a common foe! Are you ready? Run, don't walk to your local comic shop on May 3rd to get your hands on the highly-anticipated SECRET EMPIRE #1!

SECRET EMPIRE #1 (MAR170901)
SECRET EMPIRE LAUNCH PARTY OPT-IN (FEB178185)
(Launch Party Opt-In Deadline Is 4/3)
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art by STEVE MCNIVEN
Cover by MARK BROOKS
Variant Covers by ADI GRANOV (MAR170902), ANDREA SORRENTINO (MAR170905),
J. SCOTT CAMPBELL (MAR170903) and DAN MORA (MAR170908)
Party Variant by TODD NAUCK (MAR170905)
Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (MAR170907)
FOC – 04/10/17, On-Sale – 05/03/17

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook.

About Marvel: Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.

For more information visit www.marvel.com