In the Marvel Comics universe, you must embrace change.

"Embrace change."

You might have heard that on ESPN2 or MTV, where commercials with this message have aired. Or you might have seen it in the many house ads in Marvel Comics. There's even a Web site devoted to it (see below), including screen savers, webisodes and a Twitter link.

What does that mean, to embrace change?

If you're a regular reader of Marvel Comics (or this column), you already know: The shape-shifting Skrulls of the Andromeda galaxy have infiltrated and invaded Earth, a planet they feel is rightfully theirs due to religious prophecy. (Their ritual greeting, usually as they blow off someone's head, is "He loves you" -- "He" being their God, Kly'bn.) October is the seventh month of the "Secret Invasion," with 15 titles involved. November will be the eighth and final month, which Marvel promises will "change things forever."

Which is what mega-crossovers like this always promise. Still, it's hard to be cynical when the "Secret Invasion" has been so much paranoid fun. Even the press releases have been inspired. Dan Klores Communications sent me the following on Sept. 17, which explains the Skrullian message as well as I could:

"To all of Earth, we are the alien race you know as Skrulls. We wish to offer a few words to you about recent events. You have so much potential. You have so much to offer. Your future can be bright and without war, poverty and fear. All you have to do is let us help. We come not as an alien armada. We are not invading your lands as conquerors. We are here to help you. We can cure all that is wasting this world. We bring with us a message, one that can be easily translated into any language. Please share this with your brothers and sisters, for it is a simple message that can help us all in the days to come: Embrace Change.

"Last night we made our appeal to you on ESPN2. Today, MTV embraces the change that we offer and have chosen to re-air our groundbreaking television commercial. You can find it at http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/09/17/exclusive-check-out-marvels-mutant-friendly-tv-spots-for-embrace-change-and-the-stand/.

"To learn more about our message, please visit http://www.embracechange.org. There you will find the tools to help create a better tomorrow. You will find the path to Embrace Change.

"With those simple words, and the actions that they entail, all can be resolved -- we can finally put an end to aggression, violence and strife. Remember, He loves you all so very much."

I embrace our new Skrullian overlords!

Elsewhere in October ...

-- I shouldn't neglect the big summer crossover at DC Comics: "Final Crisis" hits its fifth issue (of seven) this month, wherein Darkseid has finally found the anti-life equation and conquered Earth. There are five spinoff titles this month, four of them first issues ("Rage of the Red Lanterns," "Resist," "Revelations" and "Submit"), mostly detailing how various characters deal with the Apokolptian victory.

-- The usual gang of idiots tackles the presidential election in "Mad About Politics" this month, which makes the most of the pop-up format at Insight Editions. For a more serious look, IDW offers "Presidential Material: Barack Obama" and "Presidential Material: John McCain" comic books -- or you can get both of them, in a flip-book format.

Comics Ticker for October: The Unknown Soldier returns for a new run in Uganda at DC's adult-oriented Vertigo line ... Alan Moore's tales of super-policemen in a superhero world is revived in "Top Ten: Season Two" No. 1 ... Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse" and Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game: First Series" are adapted at Marvel ... The revived '40s character Black Terror gets his own series at Dynamite ... "G.I. Joe: A New Beginning" is just what it sounds like at IDW ... Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," who is a presidential candidate in the Marvel Universe, guest-stars in an eight-page backup story in "Amazing Spider-Man" No. 573 ... Grant Morrison's Doctor Who stories from the '80s are reprinted in a two-issue series at IDW ... Garth Ennis's "Battlefields: Night Witches" is set on the Russian front in World War II (Dynamite) ... "Will Eisner's The Spirit: A Pop-Up Book" (Insight Editions) and "Spirit: The Movie Visual Companion" (Titan Publishing) tie in to the Dec. 25 movie directed by Frank Miller ... "Roy Rogers Archives" Vol. 1 (Dark Horse) rescues old Dell Westerns from obscurity.

(Contact Andrew A. Smith of the Memphis Commercial Appeal at capncomics(at)aol.com or visit www.captaincomics.us.)