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Avengers: The Children's Crusade #9: Review

Mar 2012
Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung

Story Name:

(no title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:
4.5 stars

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #9 Review by (November 28, 2012)
The postscript to this adventure doesn't mention Fear Itself. The 3 events it does cover are:- Spider-Island from (mostly) the Spider-Man (obviously) family of books. Sentinels in Korea in the X-Men (title) part of Regenesis. Human Torch's return in Fantastic Four #600. All of these overlap with and/or immediately follow Fear Itself. Scott Lang won't stay retired for long. He's part of the substitute Fantastic Four in the Marvel NOW FF series. The destruction of the 2nd Vision here opens the way for Tony Stark to rebuild the old Vision in Avengers #19. The remaining YA will keep a low profile until Kate Bishop teams with Clint Barton in the new Hawkeye series. Then all but Speed and the retired Patriot will star in the Marvel NOW Young Avengers series. Looking back on the whole series, I note how large my synopses are (bigger than any I've done except Avengers Forever). This shows how jam-packed with events this story has been, unlike many other drawn-out tales. (Or maybe just how many character names I've had to mention.)

We don't see any evidence that Wanda stays with Billy and Tommy, or that she does anything to help ex-mutants. Instead she goes into seclusion, and is next seen in AvsX#0 doing some random superheroine thing. Patriot leaves the Young Avengers again. Considering that this series never acknowledged that he left (for no apparent reason) after Siege, one might almost believe that the story happened before the tales I mentioned in my comments on #1, where Patriot is absent. Except that Stature is in some of those appearances. Just add this to the conflicting time-signals I mentioned in those comments. Magneto acting in opposition to the X-Men in this series doesn't seem to sour their relationship in the X-books. On the other hand Quicksilver will keep well away from his father by joining the staff of Avengers Academy. Wonder Man's beef with the Avengers will come to a head in the New Avengers and Avengers Annuals. Meanwhile looming on the horizon is Fear Itself, which occurs after those annuals.

In the Avengers: Children's Crusade Young Avengers Special Kang said that his aim in sending Iron Lad back in time to this series was to turn him into Kang, and to destroy the Avengers. This issue suggests that the 1st objective has been achieved. Who knows which plot by which alternate Kang is supposed to fulfil the 2nd one. Despite the lie in the Special about Wiccan being dead, that particular future is aborted because dead Cassie can't become Stinger. But then that's only Marvel dead. also in that future the YA are supposed to be on the run in the timestream from the Avengers since this story. That sounds like Iron Lad's proposal that they turned sown here. Wiccan can only be blamed for the events of this series. (And Speed can't really take responsibility for it.) But surely Scarlet Witch is talking about accepting blame for Avengers Disassembled, House of M and the mutant Decimation. Madrox says the Avengers will call on Scarlet Witch as soon as they need her help with something really big. That's sort of what will happen in Avengers vs X-Men, except she comes of her own accord.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #9 Synopsis by Rob Johnson
Dr Doom has lost the power he took from Scarlet Witch, but at the cost of Stature's life. Scott Lang lost his daughter Cassie after she had just gone back in time and saved him from dying as Ant-Man in Avengers Disassembled.

Iron Lad, who loves her, wants to take her body into the timestream where he might find a way to bring her back. Vision, who loves her too, thinks she should be left in peace. Nathaniel takes out his anger on the android he built, saying Cassie only loved him because he had Iron Lad's personality. And he rips Vision apart.

Nathaniel now turns to blaming the Avengers for all that happened. He asks the Young Avengers to come into the timestream with him, saying the Avengers fear them and will disband them. They can go back in time and save Stature before she dies.

But Wiccan says that it's this kind of thinking that will turn Iron Lad into his adult self, Kang the Conqueror. Nathaniel leaves alone, saying he's going to be better than Kang.

Wanda is ready to submit to the judgement of the Avengers and X-Men. But her 'son' Wiccan takes part of the blame too. As does his 'twin' Speed. However Magneto points out that Doom claimed responsibility for Avengers Disassembled, House of M and the mutant Decimation. And it was he who killed Cassie. But Cyclops and Wolverine aren't ready to just take Doom's word for it.

However Cyclops agrees (probably after Speed and Wiccan's arguments last issue) that nothing will be served by punishing Scarlet Witch. The X-Men leave, but Cyclops says he'll be watching her. And he'll kill her himself when she goes supervillain again, as he believes she surely will.

Captain America offers Wanda a place with the Avengers again. The Witch doesn't think she'd be accepted. Jamie Madrox cynically bets that the Avengers will welcome her back with open arms the first time they need her power. Wanda says she'll be too busy trying to help the mutants she de-powered after House of M. Madrox says he'll be gunning for her if she doesn't. And he leaves with his X-Factor teammates.

Wonder Man agrees about staying out of the Avengers. (He has his own issues with them.) Then he too goes. Lastly her family Magneto and Quicksilver invite her to join them (but Pietro doesn't think Magneto should be involved). But Wanda turns them down too. She says she'll stay with her new-found sons.

The remaining YA meet up later in civilian dress. They discuss repairing Vision. But his 30th Century body is out of their league (and they don't think Tony Stark will build them a replacement). They have old brain backups to reload him from, but Kate Bishop doesn't think they should do that, only to have to tell him that Cassie is dead.

Eli says he's quitting as Patriot. He reminds them that it was he who messed up Doom/Wiccan/Witch's attempt to repower all the ex-mutants in #7 (and gave Doom Wanda's power). Kate also says she's quitting as Hawkeye. She has no actual power, and too many bad memories. Billy still blames himself for the whole thing, so Wiccan's out too. And boyfriend Teddy/Hulkling will go with him. And Tommy/Speed can't be a team all on his own.

They still get together as friends, except Eli who's moved away. We see them watching Marvel events unfold around them. But it may be significant that their numbers are shown as dwindling. All 4 hear about Spider Island. Kate isn't with them when Sentinels appear in North Korea. And only Billy and Teddy see the Human Torch return.

Some months after the Crusade, Teddy proposes to Billy. But as usual for this series there's an interruption. Ms Marvel calls them to Avengers Mansion. And to come in costume. Hawkeye and Speed are there too. As are the other Avengers (except Beast) who were involved in this story.

They find statues of Stature and Vision have been erected in the Avengers' garden of remembrance. Ant-Man's statue is still their next to them. And Scott Lang is present in a civilian suit. These facts probably indicate he's retired.

Cap tells the YA they are officially Avengers, whether they want to continue their costumed roles or not.



Jim Cheung
Jim Cheung
Justin Ponsor
Jim Cheung (Cover Penciler)
Jim Cheung (Cover Inker)
Justin Ponsor (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Cory Petit.
Editor: Tom Brevoort.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Ant-Man
Ant-Man

(Scott Lang)
Beast
Beast

(Hank McCoy)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Colossus
Colossus

(Piotr Rasputin)
Cyclops
Cyclops

(Scott Summers)
Gambit
Gambit

(Remy LeBeau)
Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Kate Bishop)
Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Clint Barton)
Hulkling
Hulkling

(Teddy Altman)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Tony Stark)
Luke Cage
Luke Cage

(Power Man)
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel

(Carol Danvers)
Quicksilver
Quicksilver

(Pietro Maximoff)
Rogue
Rogue

(Anna Marie LeBeau)
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch

(Wanda Maximoff)
Spider-Man
Spider-Man

(Peter Parker)
Storm
Storm

(Ororo Munroe)
White Queen
White Queen

(Emma Frost)
Wiccan
Wiccan

(Billy Kaplan)
Wolverine
Wolverine

(James Howlett)

Plus: Iron Lad, Jamie Madrox (Multiple Man), Patriot (Elijah Bradley), Rictor, Shatterstar, Speed (Tommy Shepherd), Strong Guy, Vision (Jonas), X-Factor.

> Avengers: The Children's Crusade: Book info and issue index

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