It wouldn't be a Marvel super-mega-crossover event if it didn't have a surprise extra issue added in the middle of publication. As we all probably expected, Marvel has just announced an additional issue of Nick Spencer and Friends' epic Hydra Steve story: Secret Empire #10, due out in August. The issues of Secret Empire that have already been solicited have all been solicited as "of 9."

"[Writer] Nick [Spencer] has constructed each issue of SECRET EMPIRE so that it ends with a climactic twist or a big reveal or a shocking development, and issue #9 is no exception," said SVP & Executive Editor Tom Brevoort in an announcement on Marvel.com. "So moving into the finale, with issue #10, the heroes across the Marvel Universe will be pushed to the breaking point as we race to the exhilarating climax we've been planning for months. Oh, and let me say again: we're not going to use the Cosmic Cube to simply reverse everything away—the stakes matter, maybe more than they ever have before.

We've got a cover:

And a solicit:

SECRET EMPIRE #10 (of 10)

Written by NICK SPENCER

Penciled by STEVE MCNIVEN

Cover by MARK BROOKS

Variant Cover by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL

Villain Variant Cover by DAN MORA

Civil Warrior Variant Cover by TBD

Action Figure Variant Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER

Now, the only remaining question is whether or not the rest of the issues manage to come out on time, to see if anyone hits Event Comics Bingo! Until then, we think an extra issue warrants an extra box added to our ongoing checklist: