Appearing in 1st story
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Hood's Criminal Army (Disbands)
- Hood (Parker Robbins) (Leaves)
- Madame Masque (Whitney Frost) (Leaves)
- Chemistro (Calvin Carr) (Leaves)
- Crossfire (William Cross) (Leaves)
- Razor-Fist (Douglas Scott) (Leaves)
- Mandrill (Jerome Beechman) (Leaves)
- Answer (Aaron Nicholson) (Leaves)
- Wrecking Crew (Leaves)
- Count Nefaria (Luchino Nefaria)
- John King
- Norman Osborn (Appears on screen)
Other Characters:
- ⏴ Thor (Odinson) ⏵
- Iron Man (Tony Stark)
- Asgardians
- Doctor Krang
- Fantastic Four (Only in recap)
- Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Only in recap)
- Invisible Girl (Susan Storm) (Only in recap)
- The Thing (Ben Grimm) (Only in recap)
- Human Torch (Johnny Storm) (Only in recap)
- King Namor the Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie) (Only in recap)
- X-Men (Mentioned)
- Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Only in recap)
- Beast (Hank McCoy) (Only in recap)
- Colossus (Piotr Rasputin) (Only in recap)
- Emma Frost (Only in recap)
- Kitty Pryde (Only in recap)
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Only in recap)
- Inhuman Royal Family (Only in recap)
- Gorgon (Gorgon Petragon) (Only in recap)
- Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) (Only in recap)
- Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin) (Only in recap)
- Karnak (Karnak Mander-Azur) (Only in recap)
- Lockjaw (Only in recap)
- She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) (Only in recap)
- Sauron (Karl Lykos) (Only in recap)
- Matt Murdock (Only in recap)
- Secret Warriors (Only in recap)
- Nick Fury (Only in recap)
- Quake (Daisy Johnson) (Only in recap)
- Phobos (Alexander Aaron) (Only in recap)
- Hellfire (James Taylor James) (Only in recap)
- Stonewall (Jerry Sledge) (Only in recap)
- Druid (Sebastian Druid) (Only in recap)
- Ares (Only in recap)
- Iron Fist (Danny Rand) (Only in recap)
- Thunderbolts (Only in recap)
- Venom (Mac Gargan) (Only in recap)
- Penance (Robbie Baldwin) (Only in recap)
- Brothers Grimm (Percy & Barton Grimes) (Only in recap)
- The Wizard (Bentley Wittman) (Only in recap)
- Scarecrow (Ebenezer Laughton) (Only in recap)
- Blood Brother (Only in recap)
- Shockwave (Lancaster Sneed) (Only in recap)
- Cutthroat (Danny Leighton) (Only in recap)
- 50-State Initiative (Only in recap)
- Gauntlet (Joseph Green) (Only in recap)
- Red 9 (Wallace Jackson) (Only in recap)
- Gorilla Girl (Fahnbullah Eddy) (Only in recap)
- Diamondback (Rachel Leighton) (Only in recap)
- Taskmaster (Tony Masters) (Only in recap)
- Howard the Duck (Only in recap)
- Young Avengers (Only in recap)
- Vision (Jonas) (Only in recap)
- Stature (Cassie Lang) (Only in recap)
- Hulkling (Teddy Altman) (Only in recap)
- Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) (Only in recap)
- Patriot (Elijah Bradley) (Only in recap)
- Wiccan (Billy Kaplan) (Only in recap)
- Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder) (Only in recap)
- Dormammu (Only in recap)
- Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) (Only in recap)
- Thunderball (Eliot Franklin) (Only in recap)
- Griffin (John Horton) (Only in recap)
- Dark Avengers (Mentioned)
- Hawkeye (Lester) (Only in recap)
- Ms. Marvel (Karla Sofen) (Only in recap)
- Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr) (Only in recap)
- Sentry (Robert Reynolds) (Only in recap)
- Kingpin (Wilson Fisk) (Mentioned)
- Baron Zemo (Helmut Zemo) (Mentioned)
- Living Laser (Arthur Parks) (Mentioned)
- Power Man (Erik Josten) (Mentioned)
- Whirlwind (David Cannon) (Mentioned)
- Whizzer (Bob Frank) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans
- Mutants
- Human-Kree Hybrids
- Cyborgs
- Asgardians
- Vanir
- Mutant Atlantean-Human Hybrids (Only in recap)
- Inhumans (Only in recap)
- Inhuman Dogs (Only in recap)
- Human-Inhuman Hybrids (Only in recap)
- Human-Olympian Hybrids (Only in recap)
- Olympians (Only in recap)
- Symbiotes (Only in recap)
- Roclites (Only in recap)
- Gorillas (Only in recap)
- Duckworldians (Only in recap)
- Synthezoids (Only in recap)
- Skrull-Kree Hybrids (Only in recap)
- Faltine (Only in recap)
- Kree-Cockroach Hybrids (Only in recap)
Locations:
- Earth
- North America
- United States of America
- Oklahoma
- Caddo County
- Broxton
- City of Asgard (Wreckage, ruins, debris, fragments)
- Broxton
- Caddo County
- California
- New York State
- New England (Only in recap)
- Connecticut (Only in recap)
- Oklahoma
- United States of America
- Asia (Only in recap)
- North America
Items:
- Iron Man Armor Model 3
- Iron Man Armor Model 25 (Only in flashback)
- Ms. Marvel's Suit
- Mjolnir
- Spider-Man's Suit and Web-Shooters
- Spider-Woman's Suit
- Captain America's Uniform and Shield (Main story and flashback)
- Wolverine's Suit
- Mockingbird's Battle Staves (Main story and flashback)
- Fantastic Four Uniforms (Only in recap)
- Cyclops' Visor (Only in recap)
- Eye of Agamotto (Only in recap)
- Cloak of Levitation (Only in recap)
- X-Uniforms (Only in recap)
- Hellfire Chain (Only in recap)
- Ares' Axe (Only in recap)
- Wizard Armor (Only in recap)
- Patriot's Uniform (Only in recap)
- Hawkeye's Suit and Bow (Only in recap)
- Thunderball's Ball and Chain (Only in recap)
- Wrecker's Crowbar (Only in recap)
Vehicles:
- S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier (Only in recap)
Synopsis for 1st story
Madame Masque goes to her father, Count Nefaria, for help, considering that they are on the run and her partner the Hood is depowered. Nefaria accepts her plea, mainly because she's his daughter, but also to take the Hood's money.
Meanwhile, Jessica Jones, worried about her husband, is watching the news, detailing Norman Osborn's turn to being the Green Goblin and the fall of Asgard. Her cell phone then rings. The caller ID is the US Army. When she answers it, Cage's voice comes, explaining that he borrowed an army phone. She pleads her husband to come home, fearing that he may be arrested. However, Cage doesn't think that's going to happen and signs off, expressing his love. Jessica then cries, fearing that Cage may be going insane.
Back in Asgard, the New Avengers have gathered, wondering what to do: either run or stay and help. Steve Rogers walks up to them, stating that the President has summoned him, implying that things may be going their way. They then all turn their heads to see the Hood's gang, captured by the Asgardians. Running up to the captured villains, they demand to know where their boss is. The villains are more than happy to sell the Hood out, seeing as how he and Masque abandoned them. They blurt out that the Hood has a cousin, John King. The New Avengers then track King down to force him to call the Hood, to determine his location. Then, using the Helitransport, they quickly head to Los Angeles, where the Hood is. Using the advanced gadgets Nick Fury installed on the craft, they are able to see the Nefarias and the Hood holographically. King, webbed up in the back, asks what are they going to do next. He doesn't think that taking down his cousin will change anything, for it will only create a power vacuum that will bring in another person like him. Cage agrees with him, before stating that they are going to fix just that. Turning to his teammates, Cage tells them that he's not going to let the Hood slip out of their fingers again and get powered up to take another shot at them. Everyone is in agreement and then try formulating a plan. The Hood and Masque would be easy to take down, but Nefaria is a walking powerhouse. They also have King call the Hood again, to confirm that he's lost his powers. Cage then says that he has a call to make.
In Nefaria's office, he is offering the Hood the labs to give him new powers. Then suddenly, the New Avengers burst in. Spider-Man webs up both the Hood and Masque and carries off the former, leaving the latter for Spider-Woman to take out. Ms. Marvel goes up against Nefaria, absorbing his energy attacks and rebounding them back against him. Nefaria comes back to brutally pummel her, all the while declaring that he's an immortal. Then out of nowhere, Wolverine, having been summoned by Cage, ambushes him, giving him a number of hard slashes that leaves Nefaria weakened. Then, Ms. Marvel overwhelms him with an influx of energy, causing him to fall unconscious.
The New Avengers return to Asgard, where they drop the four villains off. Maria Hill is glad to see them and, when they state they don't know what they are anymore, she asks that they turn on a TV - or a computer, or read the newspaper, or "just pick up the damn phone". The next day, everyone learns that the Superhuman Registration Act has been abolished, Rogers has replaced Osborn as America's Top Cop and the New Avengers are no longer fugitives. They then reflect on all of their adventures, including the Sentry/Void incident, the fight with the Hand, the House of M, the Secret Invasion, the Collective, Dark Reign and the Siege. The final scene is the New Avengers, in their civilian clothing, happily enjoying a day of freedom.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- This issue takes place following the events of Siege #4.
- Hood next appears in Avengers: The Initiative #35.
- Iron Man is seen in an antiquated version of his armor. It is either a Iron Man Armor Model 3 or Iron Man Armor Model 4. An earlier editor noted Model 3 and the reference this issue supports that continuity.
- Features several flashback scenes with art by David Finch, Danny Miki, Frank D'Armata, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines, Morry Hollowell, Olivier Coipel, John Dell, Mike Deodato Jr., Joe Pimental, Dave Stewart, Leinil Francis Yu, Mark Morales, Laura Martin, Bryan Hitch, Rain Beredo, Billy Tan, Matt Banning, and Justin Ponsor.