Avengers: The Initiative Vol 1 5

Part of the "World War Hulk" event Avengers: The Initiative Vol 1 #5 Published October, 2007 Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada Cover Artist Jim Cheung Justin Ponsor "The Shadow Initiative: Secret Weapons" Writer Dan Slott Penciler Stefano Caselli Inker Stefano Caselli Colourist Daniele Rudoni Letterer Joe Caramagna Editor Tom Brevoort Molly Lazer Previous Issue Next Issue Avengers: The Initiative #4 Avengers: The Initiative #6

Appearing in "The Shadow Initiative: Secret Weapons"

Featured Characters:

• Initiative (Main story and flashback)
  • Shadow Initiative/S.H.I.E.L.D. Black Operations Team (First appearance)
    • Trauma (Main story and flashback) (Assumed the form of Gyrich's father, Thor, the Abomination, The Juggernaut, Brian Banner, Bruce Banner and Cloud 9)
    • Mutant Zero (Main story and flashback) (Joins team)
    • Bengal (Duc No Tranh) (Main story and flashback) (Joins team)
    • Red Team/Scarlet Spiders (Main story and flashback) (Joins team)
      • Scarlet Spider (Main story and flashback)
      • Scarlet Spider (Main story and flashback)
      • Scarlet Spider (Main story and flashback)
    • Constrictor (Frank Schlichting) (Main story and flashback) (Joins team)
  • Trainees
    • Cloud 9 (Abby)
    • Rage (Elvin Haliday)
    • Slapstick
    • Thor Girl (Tarene)
    • Ultra-Girl
    • Hardball
  • Staff
    • Gauntlet/Sergeant (Only in flashback)
    • Baron von Blitzschlag/"Doc" (Only in flashback)
    • Secretary Henry Peter Gyrich (Main story and flashback)

Supporting Characters:

• Initiative (Main story and flashback)
  • Dani Moonstar (Main story and flashback) (Consultant)
  • Staff
    • Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond) (Only in flashback)
    • "Yellowjacket (Hank Pym)"
    • Justice (Vance Astrovik)
    • War Machine ("Jim Rhodey" Rhodes)
    • Doc Samson (Only in flashback)
  • The Order
    • Anthem
    • Calamity
    • Veda
• S.H.I.E.L.D. (Mentioned)
  • Iron Man (Mentioned)
  • Tim Dugan (Mentioned)
• Sentinel Squad O*N*E

Antagonists:

• Death's Head Units (Death)
• Warbound
  • Korg
  • Elloe Kaifi
  • Hulk (Bruce Banner)
  • No-Name (Appears on a computer screen, TV, or hologram only)
  • Hiroim (Appears on a computer screen, TV, or hologram only)
  • Miek (Appears on a computer screen, TV, or hologram only)

Other Characters:

• Bengal's wife (Only in flashback)
• Minh Tranh (Only in flashback)
• Kree (Mentioned)
• Thor (Mentioned)
• Armory (Mentioned)
• Hercules (Mentioned)
• Fantastic Four (Mentioned)
• Avengers: Mighty & New (Mentioned)
• New Warriors (Mentioned)
• Non-Superhuman Armed Forces (Mentioned)
  • US Army
• Mighty Kronan Empire (Mentioned)
• President Bush (Mentioned)

Locations:

• Stamford, Connecticut
  • Camp Hammond (Main story and flashback)
    • Firing Range
    • Danielle Moonstar's Quarters (Only in flashback)
    • Bengal's Quarters (Only in flashback)
    • Combat Simulator (Only in flashback)
    • Subbasement 9
    • Infirmary
• New York State
• Xavier Institute (Mentioned)
  • New York City
    • Brooklyn
    • Manhattan
      • Madison Square Garden

Items:

• Tactigon (Only in flashback)
• Iron Spider Armor
• War Machine Arùpr
• Gauntlet's gauntlet (Only in flashback)
• Combat-Bot (Only in flashback)
• Obedience Disk
• Kree Nega-Bands (Mentioned)
• Thor's Hammer (Mentioned)
• Cosmic Cube (Mentioned)

Vehicles:

• Shadow Initiative's Stealth Ship

Events:

• Vietnam War (Mentioned)
• M-Day (Mentioned)
• Decimation (Mentioned)
  
  

Synopsis for "The Shadow Initiative: Secret Weapons"

At Camp Hammond's Firing Range, Henry Gyrich is trying and failing to find a soldier that can operate the Tactigon, an Omega Class weapon. Determined to have his "big gun," Gyrich turns to Trauma, the Initiative's most powerful recruit, who is classified an Omega Level Threat. Danielle Moonstar objects, arguing that his abilities would be put to much better use helping people overcome their fears. Gyrich is also shown recruiting Bengal, Constrictor, Mutant Zero and the Scarlet Spiders as the Shadow Initiative.

Gyrich explains their mission: retrieve the six Initiative cadets that broke ranks and were captured by the Hulk before their capture becomes public knowledge. Gyrich is worried the public's reaction, as this is exactly the type of scenario the Initiative was supposed to prevent. He also makes it clear to his covert team that they only have time to retrieve the Initiative members, all other heroes must be left behind.

As the more senior members of the Avengers form a perimeter around Manhattan, the Shadow Initiative infiltrate the Hulk's base at Madison Square Gardens. It is revealed that the mysterious Mutant Zero can only be "activated" once per mission. They reached the captive cadets, only to be confronted by Korg. Trauma transforms into Thor and subdues him. Cloud 9 suffocates Elloe Kaifi with her gas, disappointing Trauma that she would use such a potentially lethal tactic. Trauma confronts the Hulk while the others escape. However, Trauma is unable to find anything the Hulk is truly scared of. The Hulk lets him live, in order to send the message: he's not afraid of anything.

After the battle, in Camp Hammond's infirmary, Trauma tells Cloud 9 that she's scared of what she's becoming and he can help. Gyrich is disappointed in Trauma's failure to stop the Hulk and downgrades his rating from Omega Level to Class 50. Moonstar however, is pleased to see him using his power for someone else's benefit.

Notes

• This issue takes place during the events of World War Hulk #3 and a day after those of World War Hulk: X-Men Vol 1.
  

Trivia

• This Comic Book was referenced in Marvel: Avengers Alliance and is one of the Comic Book Covers required in order to recruit Constrictor in the game.

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss Avengers: The Initiative Vol 1 5 on the forums
• 5 Images from Avengers: The Initiative Vol 1 5

Footnotes