The first two issues of Meet the Skrulls have taken the familiar beats of spy fiction to tell a wholly original story of identity and belonging within the structure of the Marvel Universe. The third issue is no different, providing a taut little action-thriller where every moment propels the plot, illuminates character, or both.

Meet the Skrulls #3 primarily follows Gloria and Carl as they infiltrate Stark Enterprises looking for information on the mysterious anti-Skrull technology that’s been a macguffin in the background of the series from the beginning. Interspersed with this is some backstory on Ivy, the missing member of the Warner family hinted at in issue #1, as well as a brief check-in on Madison’s side-mission.

Writer Robbie Thompson continues to weave an excellent tale. Thompson has the reader rooting for the villains here, even as Gloria and Carl impersonate Tony Stark and Pepper Potts and murder a few Stark security guards. The deftly handled flashbacks featuring Ivy are appropriately emotional, and the reveal on the last page is a gut-punch.

Niko Henrichon’s art (with an assist on colors by Laurent Grossat) is scratchy, moody, and expressive. The lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham helps to tell the story and differentiate between the Skrull characters’ different forms.

Meet the Skrulls #3 is one of the most visceral, pulse-pounding issues to come out of Marvel in quite a while, and makes a good break from big crossovers and their incessant tie-ins. Do not sleep on this sleeper hit.

Grade: A