Avengers Academy (2010 series) #39

This issue starts near the end and then goes back a day to show what happened earlier.

Now:- The Avengers Academy core students (the original 6 Finesse, Hazmat, Mettle Reptil, Striker and Veil (who's had her powers removed and is leaving) plus later additions Lightspeed, White Tiger and X-23) confront their teachers (Giant-Man, Hawkeye, Jocasta, Quicksilver and Tigra). Hazmat (Jenny Takeda) speaks for the others to say that they've known since the beginning that they're here under a lie - that they weren't chosen because they were the most likely to become Avengers but because they're the most likely to turn evil. GM (Henry Pym)'s response is that this wasn't what he expected.

Yesterday:- Finesse (Jeanne Foucault) is sparring with some robots and beating them all when X-23 (Laura Kinney) catches 1 of her battle staves between the 2 claws of 1 hand. Jeanne asks her if she's here to train or to fight her. Laura responds by attacking. She's angry because Finesse used her claws while she was unconscious to kill Jeremy Briggs (#37), and let Laura think she'd done it herself until Jeanne confessed to her last issue. Finesse says she did what she *had* to do but X-23 says she *used* her, just like the Facility did (who gave Laura her powers as a child and trained her to be an assassin). Jeanne says Laura now has a *choice* what to do. X-23 slashes the metal wall next to Finesse's face. But she says she won't tell the teachers what she did but they are no longer friends. Finesse takes *her* anger out on more robots.

Brandon Sharpe (Striker) and Maddy Berry (Veil) are in civvies in New York. She's persuaded him to support Jonathan who's the only gay kid in his class but who's been inspired by Brandon's 'coming out' video. The support means being the boy's prom date. Striker's still bothered by his facial scarring (due to events in the Final Exam story in #34-37) and that the paparazzi will try to get pictures of it, and also that Jonathan will be repelled by it. But Maddy takes him to meet the lad who's just amazed that this is happening.

Back at the Academy Hank Pym and Greer Nelson (Tigra) are talking to the couple Jenny Takeda and Ken Mack (Mettle) who took Briggs' 'cure' to get rid of *their* powers, but then took the antidote to save their friends and the world from his plan (all in #34-37). Pym has to confirm what they already knew that the antidote will stop the cure, or anything too similar, from working again. But he's still exploring other avenues. They thank him and leave to watch a live report from Striker's prom. But in Jenny's shielded room she removes her Hazmat suit which protects others from her toxicity and radioactivity, knowing that Ken's red metal skin protects *him*. As she strokes his skull-like face he tells her that he's learning how to feel her touch with his 'skin'. And they've both got each other. And she asks him to stay the night because now she's come to terms with her situation.

That evening Jeanne is walking alone through the campus. She sees Julie Power (Lightspeed) flying in the air with her visiting girlfriend Karolina Dean (of the Runaways). Then she walks down to the beach where she sees Ava Ayala (White Tiger) with Humberto Lopez (Reptil) discussing the mystical objects that give them powers. Ava says that Iron Fist has been helping her find out about the Tiger God that powers her 3 amulets. 'Berto has been working with Dr Strange to explore the gem embedded in his chest. They are on the point of kissing when they realise Finesse is there, but she walks on until she reaches the bungalow of Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver) who's been helping her (originally because she blackmailed him). As usual the speedster is bored, but he invites her to stay and be bored with him. The normally emotionless girl lets tears fall. Belying his usual lack of empathy he suggests that though for some students these will be the best years of their lives, for her things will only get better.

We return to the prom. Brandon and Jonathan are alone on a balcony. J thanks B for doing this and B says it was a chance for him to do something 'normal'. They kiss. And Brandon's phone buzzes with a call from his PR-obsessed mother who tells him to change position and kiss again because the camera couldn't see it. But he uses his electrical power to fry the phone and suggests they go inside and dance, away from the paparazzi.

Now we've reached the meeting the next morning. Headmaster Pym announces that because of all their good work he's making them all Avengers 3rd Grade. The reaction isn't what he expected. None of them look happy, and Reptil asks what they did wrong. Pym assures them it's not a demotion but a step, through 2nd Grade and 1st Grade, to becoming full Avengers. Hawkeye (Clint Barton) says he *told* Hank they should have made it *rising* level numbers like video games. Pym hands out Avengers communicators and says they've got a higher security clearance. Clint tells them they'll go on solo missions with senior Avengers, like internships.

This leads to Hazmat's declaration that the original team know that they're only here because the Avengers think they're potential supervillains. This of course is news to the other 3. Julie Power protests that she's been a superhero (in Power Pack) for years, but X-23 thinks it explains a lot. Hawkeye assures them that the Avengers are welcoming them as the Avengers of tomorrow, and he should know because they did it for him (in original Avengers #16).

Jocasta adds that they intend to take up the only good idea in Jeremy Briggs' plan, to match superhumans with suitable humanitarian crises. The Academy students will run an Avengers Foundation to do just that, and she will be there to advise them. Julie and Laura (tentatively) are enthusiastic, and Julie suggests they could liaise with her brother Alex at the Fantastic Four's Future Foundation. Ken jokes that Jeanne *would* make a good villainess with stiletto heels and a cutout to show her cleavage. She jokingly threatens to punch him. But she also asks Quicksilver if her new security clearance is active, and later we see her trying it out.

Hank and Greer think it's gone well. Maddy approaches them and offers to work for the Foundation even without her powers. But Pym says that without her powers it would be too dangerous for her to stay. However they would welcome her as staff when she's 18 with a high school diploma. So we see her with a new name in a new school. And the school's mean girl deliberately spills a drink over her clothes and insults them. But Maddy's not going to take it this time so she slams her assailant against a locker and twists her arm behind her back. A jock tries to intervene but she knees him in the groin. Nearby students applaud. This is what she's learnt at the Academy!