It's this simple. We're the Avengers -- and there has come a day. A day unlike any other -- an enemy no single hero can withstand. And we know how to deal with that. We can keep Alpha Flight in the loop -- but here and now, people need us to fight for them. And when that call goes forth, we don't stand back and debate it. We stand together and we stand up. Always. 
Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
- Avengers (Main story and recap)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Main story and recap)
- Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) (Possessed by an unidentified Spirit of Vengeance)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers)
- Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
- Hulk (Jen Walters)
- Thor (Odinson) (Main story and recap)
- Black Panther (T'Challa)
Supporting Characters:
- Swordsman (Cotati) (Main story and recap)
- Quoi
Antagonists:
- The Alliance
- Kree/Skrull Sentry (First appearance; dies)
- Emperor Dorrek VIII (Teddy Altman)
- Alliance Royal Guard (Unnamed)
- Numerous unnamed others
Other Characters:
- Kree Empire (Dream)
- Immortus (Nathaniel Richards) (Referenced)
- Uatu the Watcher (Referenced)
- Swordsman (Jacques DuQuesne) (Only in recap)
- Hawkeye (Clint Barton) (Only in recap)
- Mantis (Only in recap)
- Vision (Only in recap)
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) (Only in recap)
- Raptra (Mentioned)
- Alpha Flight (Mentioned)
- Abigail Brand (Mentioned)
- Bel-Dann (Mentioned)
- Raksor (Mentioned)
- Fantastic Four
- Powerhouse (Franklin Richards)
- Brainstorm (Valeria Richards)
Races and Species:
- Kree
- Cotati (Main story and recap)
- Humans (Main story and recap)
- Celestials (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Human-Kree Hybrids
- Asgardians (Main story and recap)
- Birds
- Demons
- Sentries
- Ducks (Mentioned)
- Synthezoids (Only in recap)
- Zombies (Mentioned)
- Cotati-Human Hybrids
- Gods (Mentioned)
- Skrulls
- Skrull-Kree Hybrids
- Mutants
Locations:
- Large Magellanic Cloud (Dream)
- Milky Way (Main story and recap)
- Solar System (Main story and recap)
Items:
- Iron Man Armor Model 64
- Captain America's Shield
- Captain Marvel's Suit
- Hulk's Vibranium Containment Suit
- Mjolnir (Main story and recap)
- Panther Habit
- Death Blossom (First appearance) (As a tulip)
- Swordsman's Sword (Main story and recap)
- Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Only in recap)
- Excelsior
- Fantastic Four Uniforms
Vehicles:
- Quinjet
- Alliance Warships
- Alliance Battleships
- Marvel II (First appearance) (Unnamed)
Events:
- Kree-Skrull War (Dream)
Synopsis for 1st story
Tony Stark is jolted awake after experiencing in his dreams a vision of how the Kree/Skrull War started, with the massacre of the Cotati at the hands of the Kree during what was intended to be a peaceful contest between the two species set up by the Skrulls. Waking up in his bed at Avengers Mountain, Tony regains his composure. After wondering why did he experience this vision, Tony receives a call from Captain Marvel. Aboard the Quinjet, the Avengers head to the Moon. Captain Marvel explains Avengers Mountain received a telepathic S.O.S. from the Blue Area of the Moon. As the Avengers approach their destination, they discover the Blue Area has been forested. Once they land while making sense of their surroundings, with Tony feeling sacrilegious about their incursion in such place, the heroes are attacked by a Kree Sentry modified with a monstrous head of organic matter. Thor tries attacking it, but gets caught in its blast before he can land a hit. Captain Marvel tries absorbing the energy its pouring out, and the robot mounts a sonic attack which overpowers the Avengers. The Cotati Swordsman jumps into action, cutting off the Sentry's monstrous head. The Avengers gang up on the robot, finally destroying it.
The Avengers converse with the Swordsman, but Ghost Rider is confused due to his lack of familiarity with him. This leads to the Swordsman recounting about the original Swordsman, Jacques DuQuesne; trainer of Hawkeye and a traitor to the Avengers who ended up sacrificing his life for the Celestial Madonna, later being used as the vessel for the Cotati telling his story. Tony finds it strange that he first dreamt about the massacre of the Cotati and now is meeting the Cotati Swordsman. Swordsman introduces the Avengers to the gardened Blue Area, where the surviving Cotati want to thrive. Reyes questions him about the identity of the Celestial Madonna and learns that it was Mantis, a former Avenger. After the birth of Mantis and Swordsman's child, she grew restless and left to seek out her own life, but has visited their child to make sure he stays on the right path. Thor states that the child has been brought up well and states that he'll surely have risen to the post of the Celestial Messiah. Quoi interrupts Thor to tell him that "Celestial Messiah" is a title, but he will fulfill his purpose as a savior. Iron Man finds himself allured by Quoi's promise of paradise and overcome by a sensation of peace. Quoi takes the Avengers to the edges of the Blue Area which aren't forested, and Thor uses his powers to cause rain, allowing Quoi to finish foresting it. Iron Man feels cleansed by the rain.
Later, the Avengers, Swordsman and Quoi hold a campfire, and the Celestial Messiah warns the heroes that the Kree and the Skrull have united under the figurehead of Hulkling, although the true power is held by Tanalth the Pursuer and Kl'rt the Super-Skrull, and the Alliance intends to eradicate the Cotati to cement their coalition. Swordsman urges the Avengers to side with the Cotati, and Captain Marvel recalls the murder of Bel-Dann and Raksor, the latter having been murdered after receiving the message, "Beware the trees." Swordsman denies involvement of the Cotati in the murder. Iron Man decides to step up and rally the Avengers to protect the Cotati no matter who gets in their way. In the distance, as the Alliance's ships approach, the Fantastic Four appear among the fleet aboard their own ship.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- The cover connects with Empyre: Fantastic Four #0 as the left side of a two-part artwork.