Appearing in "Hellstorm!"
Featured Characters:
- Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) (Main story and flashback)
Supporting Characters:
- Avengers
- New Avengers
- Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.
- Aragorn
- Warriors Three (Only in flashback)
Antagonists:
- Sin (Sinthea Shmidt)
- Crossbones (Brock Rumlow)
- Wraithwitch
- Daimon Hellstrom
- D.O.A.
- Thule Society members
Other Characters:
- Odin (Mentioned)
- The Thing (Ben Grimm) (Mentioned)
- Jeff Reese (Mentioned)
- NYPD officer (Only in flashback)
- Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) (Mentioned)
- Bucky (James Barnes) (Mentioned)
- Serpent (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- City of Asgard, Asgard (Only in flashback)
- Earth
- Valhalla, Niffleheim (Mentioned)
- Hell (Invoked)
Items:
- Captain America's Uniform and Shield
- Spider-Woman's Suit
- Hawkeye's Suit, Bow and Trick Arrows
- Bleeding Edge Armor
- Wolverine's Suit
- Adamantium (on Wolverine's claws)
- Hammer of Greithoth
- Dragonfang
- Golden Apples of Idunn (Only in flashback)
- Hellstorm's Trident
Synopsis for "Hellstorm!"
Flashback to Asgard, long ago: The newly-chosen shieldmaiden, Valkyrie, is hailed by the Warriors Three, who give her one of the Golden Apples of Idunn. The apples are the source of the Asgardians' eternal life, youth, and strength. Cut to Fear Itself: Valkyrie walks the halls of a New York City hospital, surrounded by patients and their frantic families. She finds a dying policeman, but instead of claiming his valiant soul, she gives a doctor six of the Golden Apples, telling him that a single slice will be enough to heal the man. "Make the most of them."
Present day: The Avengers are being overrun by their mystical attackers. Doctor Strange speculates that the disturbance is being caused by something off-site; Mockingbird volunteers to guard his physical body while he sends his astral self out to find the cause. Strange mutters that he would prefer to have Daimon Hellstrom with him, but the Son of Satan is nowhere to be found.
Deeper inside, Wolverine and Crossbones are tearing each other to pieces. Both of them are bleeding heavily but Crossbones is the one still standing; he gloats that Wolverine has come to rely on his healing factor and can't gut his way through pain like Crossbones can. Seconds later, Wolverine impales him through the chest with both sets of claws, fatally wounding him.
Doctor Strange, flying in his astral form, sees Sin's device. He notes that it is becoming dangerously unstable, but before he can investigate further, Valkyrie comes into view on her winged horse, Aragorn. She warns him not to interfere with her quest; he replies that their enemies are mutual and that he needs her help to destroy the device. The machine is already overheating, and Sin has disabled the controls so that it can't be turned off, panicking the men who were left behind to run it. Valkyrie lands nearby, sword drawn.
At Project Pegasus, Tony Stark expends most of his suit's remaining power in a last-ditch attempt to buy the heroes some space. The Avengers are beginning to gain the upper hand. Wolverine gloats over the fallen Crossbones, only to be struck down by a blast of hellfire: Daimon Hellstrom has turned on him and seized the hammer. He revives Crossbones, saying he wants to talk to his boss.
Valkyrie has destroyed the device, costing Sin her last advantage, but she pridefully refuses to retreat. Suddenly Hellstrom lays the heroes low with a fiery blast and helps Sin and the D.O.A. escape with the hammer. She questions his motives, but he is playing his cards very close to his chest. Valkyrie arrives too late: shrugging off any offer of help from Doctor Strange or the Avengers, she rides away, saying this is what she was afraid of. "This is war."
Solicit Synopsis
• Guest-starring the Avengers! • Wolverine vs. Crossbones!
• Battle for the hammers on Project Pegasus!