Avengers #2: Review

Jun 2010

Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Jr.

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Story Name:

(no title given)

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #2 Review by Rob Johnson (June 27, 2012)

2nd story:- This is Chapter 2. New Avengers #1 had 'Chapter 1 continued'. The series will continue in NAv#2. Dr Hill mentions that Captain America was created as a counter to Red Skull. This idea was introduced in the Adventures of Captain America mini-series. Unfortunately many of the inventions of that series are considered dubious. Tony Stark claims that the Invaders were his inspiration for the Avengers. Something that couldn't have been written in #1 because the Invaders hadn't been invented yet. Namor's pride makes him deny throwing Cap's icebound body into the ocean in a tantrum in Avengers #4, where the Avengers found him. Wasp speculates about a wartime girlfriend of Cap's. This was Sharon Carter's sister (now retconned as aunt) Peggy, who we met in Tales of Suspense #77.

The main alternate futures shown are MC2, Days of Future Past, Guardians of the Galaxy and Next Avengers. But other characters are thrown into the mishmash, including Killraven, Iron Man & Machine Man 2020, Spider-Man 2099, the 2nd Starlord, Death's Head and the Venom May Parker from Earth X. One panel shows Spider-Man and Spider-Woman looking at views showing Spider-Man 2099 and the white-haired girl seen with Maestro last issue. Spider-Man wonders if he's seeing a future him. Spider-Woman, for no apparent, reason wonders if the girl is her future daughter. This is probably the source of speculation that the girl is Spider-related. But I've also seen opinion that she's a descendant of Magneto, presumably because of the white hair. I could point out that she's seen running here, and suggest that she's Luna, daughter of Magneto's speedster son Quicksilver and Crystal. (Luna has always been depicted as inheriting her mother's blonde hair. But what does that matter?) Or maybe she's Maestro's daughter. But I don't think there's anyone like her in the Next Avengers DVD. Why did Wonder Man suddenly stop his attack? #7 will suggest that it's because he can't stop himself from dissolving into ionic energy.

This is part 2 of the Heroic Age's Next Avengers story. After last issue's aberration, this and succeeding issues will have no title. Steve Rogers was here last issue, but he's presumably gone off to run the world. The splash page intro could be misleading when it says that Immortus is an older version of Kang. This was true before Avengers Forever. But that mini-series split them, so that they are now 2 separate beings. Of course, being time-travellers, this story could happen before that one. Wolverine met Noh-Varr in Dark Reign: The List - Wolverine, when he'd quit Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers, but before he'd switched from Marvel Boy to Protector. That change happened at the end of Dark Avengers Annual, where the Kree Supreme Intelligence nominated Noh-Varr as Protector of Earth, and gave him his new uniform. (One of the ugliest superhero outfits I've ever seen!) Titanium Man is certainly an old foe of Iron Man, going back all the way to Tales of Suspense #69. Although there have been a couple of others who have used the name, there's no reason to suppose this isn't Boris Bullski the original. But here he's just a generic punching bag.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #2 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Wolverine has brought rest of the Avengers (Captain America (Bucky), Hawkeye, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Thor and their leader Maria Hill) to meet Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr), who will be able to help them see the future, and build a time-machine to travel there. They find him taking down an old Iron Man foe Titanium Man.

Noh-Varr explains that he no longer goes by the name Marvel Boy, but Protector because his job is to protect the Earth.

They take him back to Avengers Tower, where Tony Stark provides him with loads of equipment. Noh-Varr builds a space-time viewer with advanced Kree knowledge, helped by Stark and Spider-Man with Thor doing heavy lifting. Tony wants to hire Noh-Varr to bring his Kree science to Stark Resilient. But the alien follows something like the Star Trek Prime Directive.

Maria Hill thinks the warning Kang gave them last issue is a trap. Cap/Bucky agrees, but expects that Stark has a plan up his sleeve.

The time viewer shows them several alternate futures, one of which contains the Next Avengers and their version of Maestro (future Hulk), which is the one Kang warned them about last time. They focus in on that and see the scene from last issue with the Next Avengers confronting Immortus, and Immortus being struck by lightning. Unfortunately there is no sound, only vision.

Then the vision implodes into into a black hole. With the bearded Hulk/Maestro's face in the middle.

Protector says something's wrong, and Stark claims that the timestream is broken. And it could affect all times and all alternities. The Avengers speculate as to whether Kang broke it, or their children the Next Avengers. And they obviously wonder how much they can trust Kang. Noh-Varr says he can take them to that future.

But before he can do it the Tower is invaded by Wonder Man. Last issue he warned Steve Rogers not to reform the Avengers. And now he's here to stop them personally.

Thor and Tony try to calm him down. But he attacks Thor and Wolverine until Protector blasts him out the window. Wonder Man attacks again, but then vanishes. (He's made of ionic energy, so he could do that.)

Tony is determined to help Wonder Man. He doesn't want another Avenger cracking up under pressure, like Scarlet Witch in Avengers Disassembled (and House of M), and Sentry in Siege. (Or like himself giving in to alcoholism.) Maria Hill contacts Steve to find out why Simon Williams has turned against them.

But for now the time problem is more important. Simon's attack has broken the time viewer. Tony and Noh-Varr plan to build a time machine somewhere else. But then they're interrupted again.

This time it's Apocalypse and one version of his Four Horsemen from an alternate future.

Story #2

Avengers Assemble: The Oral History of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes Chapter 2

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By Rob Johnson

This chapter covers Captain America's early years.

Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark, Nick Fury and someone called Dr Farnsworth Hill discuss his WWII career. Steve, Tony, Nick, Spider-Man, Henry Pym, Janet van Dyne, Thor, Rick Jones, Hawkeye and Reed Richards reminisce about his resuscitation into the modern world.

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