This is so much of a spoiler that it is not being published on the front page of Bleeding Cool. It is not being tweeted out or posted to Facebook, Tumblr or Instagram. In fact, the only possible way you could have found it is by searching for it – or from a link by someone who searched for it.

Because, yes, this are the big spoiler for next month's Secret Empire #0, released in advance by Marvel to retailers, though heavily watermarked. Thankfully we have some preview pages to accompany it. You can also check out what I and Joe Glass said about it previously.

Secret Empire #0 starts in Japan, 1945, in a world where Hydra and the Nazis won the Second World War.

With the Hydra-recruited Captain America and Kraken meeting with the highest Hydra powers, watching from afar the Allies using a Cosmic Cube to change history and reality so the Allies win the war instead – and not Hydra. And change other things as well – possibly Captain America's origin?

But Hydra see a flaw, a future vision that the Cosmic Cube will remake Captain America in his current Hydra form and restore Hydra to its destiny. So they find a way to preserve their Captain America from the changing timeline so his essence will one day be available to the Cosmic Cube.

A meta-version of freezing him in ice…

In the present day, Captain America is director of SHIELD.

Dealing with an incoming Chitauri attack, the planetary defense shield taken out by a Hydra assault, a street-level battle with the Pleasant Hill survivors and more, led by Baron Zemo, attacking New York City, an invasion and takeover of Sokovia by Hydra.

Above as it is below.

Tony Stark is on the board as Iron Man. We never, however, see inside his helmet. It could be the artificial intelligence Tony, working alongside Ironheart.

As a result of all this, the US Government gives Captain America and SHIELD control of the US Military and law enforcement. Which is probably what Secret Empire is evolving around, the idea of giving too much power to any one person no matter how much you trust them. Because you can't counter for how that power will affect them. Or who comes next and inherits it.

Steve Rogers takes command of Hydra as their Supreme Leader. And it's all the fault of the Red Ghost.

This is how the world ends. With legally transferred powers, to an authority that abuses them. Welcome to the Secret Empire. You may draw your own allegories. Today is the last day that retailers can up their Secret Empire #0 orders without penalty. Expect to see the issue top this week's Advance Reorders, big time.