—Red SkullWith the brain of Charles Xavier, the Red Skull will eradicate the mutant menace!
Appearing in "New Union"
Featured Characters:
- Wolverine (Logan) (Main story and flashback)
- Rogue (Anna Marie)
- Avengers Unity Squad (First appearance)
- Havok (Alex Summers) (Joins)
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) (Joins)
- Thor (Joins)
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
Supporting Characters:
- S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Director Maria Hill
- Several unnamed agents
- Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
- S-Men (First appearance)
- Red Skull (Johann Shmidt) (First appearance)
- The Goat-Faced Girl (First appearance)
- Honest John (First appearance)
- Dancing Water (First appearance)
- The Insect (First appearance)
- Mzee (First appearance)
- Living Wind (First appearance)
- Unnamed monk (First appearance)
- Avalanche (Dominic Petros) (Controlled by Red Skull) (Death)
Other Characters:
- X-Men (Main story and flashback)
- Beast (Hank McCoy) (Main story and flashback)
- Rachel Grey
- Kitty Pryde
- Storm (Ororo Munroe)
- Iceman (Bobby Drake) (Only in flashback)
- Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) (Only in flashback)
- Angel (Warren Worthington III) (Only in flashback)
- Several unidentified funeral attendees (Cameo)
- X-Factor (Named only)
- Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)
- Phoenix (Mentioned)
- Several unnamed passers-by
- Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- United States of America
- New York
- Westchester County
- Jean Grey School For Higher Learning
- Professor X's grave
- Jean Grey School For Higher Learning
- New York City
- Westchester County
- Utopia, San Francisco Bay, California (Mentioned) (Destroyed)
- New York
- S.H.I.E.L.D. Brig (undisclosed location)
- United States of America
Items:
- Captain America's Shield and Uniform
- Mjolnir
- Bloodstones (Mentioned)
- Cosmic Cube (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "New Union"
The story opens with an unknown figure cutting open a man's brain and replacing part of it with a machine. The man whose brain is being altered has the image of the Phoenix burned in his eyes. Whilst performing the operation the unknown figure delivers a speech about how humanity will eradicate mutants unless mutants fight back.
The scene shifts to Wolverine at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. He reminisces about the offer of help Professor X extended to Logan when he first joined the X-Men. After Rogue tells Wolverine that it’s time he steps outside and gives a eulogy for Professor Xavier. Wolverine speaks of Professor Xavier’s dream of mutants and humans coexisting peacefully. He also says that even when some of Xavier’s students died defending the dream Xavier still wouldn’t give up on defending humans until they no longer feared and hated mutants. I Wolverine reveals to those assembled that he had woken that morning with the intention of going and killing Cyclops for what he’d done. The only thing that stopped him was knowing that it wasn’t what Charles would have wanted. As the mourners look on, including Magneto who watches on a monitor from another location, Wolverine says that he and Charles’ other students failed Charles and his dream.
Later that day Alex Summers visits a maximum-security facility where he’s welcomed by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill and, after going through security checks, visits his brother in jail. Alex tells Scott that they buried Charles today. Scott remembers the early days of him becoming leader of the X-Men. They argue about what Cyclops did and Scott counters Alex’s chastisement of his leadership with the point that more mutants are appearing again. Scott says that he spent his life fighting for the Professor’s dream but learned better. Havok replies that Scott forgot everything Professor Xavier taught him and then killed him.
After Havok leaves, he is approached by Captain America and Thor. Alex goes with them to Avengers Mansion where Captain America agrees that Scott was partly right that the Avengers never did enough to help mutants. Captain America then offers Havok a spot on the Avengers and to lead a squad of both Avengers and X-Men in order to represent mutantkind. Havok refuses them however.
Meanwhile, the man who had part of his brain removed is revealed to be Avalanche who goes on a rampage in the middle of town, causing massive destruction and shouting that his actions are an example of mutants fighting back against humans. Hearing the commotion Captain America, Thor and Havok race outside and, seeing the chaos, team up. Thor saves as many people as he can from a collapsing building. Captain America gets Havok to fire his power at Cap’s shield to boost him up to where Avalanche stands. Cap confronts Avalanche but before he can do anything Avalance, with a look of calm, throws himself off of a cliff to his death. Part of a building is about to collapse on a group of people until Havok uses his power to smash the structure. The three heroes then survey the destruction around them and lead the shaken populace to safety.
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Witch visits Professor Xavier's grave. Rogue shows up and tries to force Scarlet Witch to leave and they begin arguing. The argument turns physical, but they are interrupted by a team of super-humans who steal Professor Xavier's corpse, capture them and take them back to a base. Inside the base, the Red Skull has cut out Charles' brain and declares that he will use it to eradicate the mutant menace.
Solicit Synopsis
ALL NEW ONGOING!
• THIS IS IT! The greatest era of the Marvel Universe starts here! From the ashes of AVX; an all-new, all-different Avengers Assemble!
• Captain America begins his quest to create a sanctioned Avengers unit comprised of Avengers and X-Men, humans and mutants working together – so why is Professor Xavier’s dream more at risk than ever?
• The first attack of the most loathsome villain in history, will quake the Marvel Universe forever!
• The funeral of one of Marvel’s greatest heroes!Notes
- Takes place after Avengers vs. X-Men #12, but before AVX: Consequences #1.