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Avengers World #2

Jan 2014
Jonathan Hickman, Stefano Caselli

Avengers World #2 cover

Story Name:

(no title given)


Synopsis

Avengers World #2 synopsis by Rob Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
Last issue SHIELD and the Avengers sent Cannonball, Smasher and Sunspot to investigate trouble centred on AIM Island. They found it shielded, growing larger and housing a futuristic alien city. Then they were attacked and captured.

The issue opens with scenes of the fantastic city and a group shot of Superia, Graviton and the Entropic Man, 3 of the AIM Council from issues of Secret Avengers. With a voiceover by Entropic Man saying he's seen the secret of the universe in the eyes of the dying last men.

Cannonball and Sunspot are recovering from injuries in AIM's infirmary. Smasher continually tries to smash her way out of her cell. An AIM scientist says they should be able to use their newly-acquired capabilities to turn these Avengers into their servants. But the Scientist Supreme says that nothing from the outside world is any use to them anymore. When he learns that Smasher is a Superguardian of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard as well as an Avenger, the Scientist Supreme decides she will be the perfect messenger to the outside.

Bruce Banner is explaining satellite footage of AIM Island to Captain America, Maria Hill and some other SHIELD guys. He thinks the city bespeaks a science centuries ahead of Earth's. Hill says that the UN has given SHIELD permission to invade, despite AIM Island being a nation in the UN and being on the Security Council. Cap is going to take an Avengers team in, and he intends to recall Thor's squad who are helping with disasters caused by the environmental effect of AIM Island's sudden growth. The rest of the Avengers are busy in Madripoor and Italy as seen last issue.

Smasher has a childhood flashback to finding a metal box in a well, which her grandpa had to rescue her from.

Now Izzy suddenly finds her cell wall open, and wanders out into the city, where the baroque soaring buildings coexist with strange lush vegetation. She is greeted by the Scientist Supreme who apologises for the rough welcome she and her comrades were given. He says she's free to leave, but 1st he wants to show her around the place.

In another flashback her grandpa shows young Izzy the mask of Captain Terror, a hero who fought fascists before Captain America. He tells her that most bad people are like that because they're afraid of a world they think is terrible. Good people see good in the world.

The AIM boss tells her that the group has changed. They have a man who has seen the end of the universe and learnt its secret. With the fantastic technologies that result from that, AIM no longer needs to be criminal. They have all they need, and they are working on ways to save the planet and perfect its people.

The promise of an end to sickness and infirmity prompts another flashback as teenage Izzy sees her grandfather die of old age.

The head scientist adds that of course they have to protect themselves from outside aggression. Smasher has been followed around by some alien flying insects. Now 1 of them bites her. And she starts a painful change.

The Entropic Man, the man with the answers, approaches. The Scientist Supreme tells Smasher that she will be their messenger to the outside world. The Entropic Man imparts the secret of the universe:- "Everything dies." And Smasher stands renewed (although the only outside sign is that all the white parts of her uniform are changed to yellow).


 

Review / Commentaries


Avengers World #2 Review by (February 2, 2014)
The Entropic Man initially only featured in Marvel Two-In-One #42-43 (although he appeared earlier as Yagzan, leader of the Cult of Entropy, in some other stories involving Man-Thing). He's recently appeared in some issues of Secret Avengers (also written by Nick Spencer) alongside Graviton and Superia as part of the ruling council of AIM, but without I believe any explanation of how he got here from his fate in MTIO. "Everything dies" was of course the central belief of the Cult of Entropy, though I don't think they ever used that exact phrase. But that exact phrase *was* spoken by Mr Fantastic in New Avengers #2, as has been reshown several times in subsequent 'previously' pages. Contrary to what I thought last issue, the being threatening the Avengers in its 1st and last pages was the Scientist Supreme, not the mechanoid figure who attacked Cannonball, Smasher and Sunspot. I don't know if the apparently mechanoid figure was anybody significant. If AIM Island is now a permanent member of UN Security Council as it said in Secret Avengers (2013) #5 then they would have been able to veto the UN decision to allow SHIELD to attack them, without the help of the other countries Maria Hill says they've bribed. However if they were only an *temporary* member of the council (slightly less unbelievable) then this makes more sense.

The team diagram is the same as in #1, including the significant differences from the one in Avengers such as no Iron Man. As in Av#2 the characters who appear in this issue are highlighted. This series was touted as concentrating on the newer Avengers. This issue certainly lives up to that as it's almost a Smasher solo. The cover I have by fairly-new Jung-Geon Yoon harks back to the cover of her origin in #5. We don't get to see what's happening in Madripoor and Velletri, Italy from last issue. And I guess we are to assume from this issue that Izzy Dare's grandfather Dan, whom we saw in flashbacks in Avengers #5 wasn't Dan Dare but Dan Kane, Captain Terror. He was a WWII character who appeared in USA Comics#2-4. He *did* pre-date Captain America because he started off in the Spanish Civil War. He was added to the WWII crowd scenes in The Twelve #1 and Avenger/Invaders #10, and Cap met him at a gathering of old heroes in CA#442. Which is presumably where he got the Avengers logo card with an invitation from Steve that he gave to Izzy in Av#5.


> Avengers World comic book info and issue index

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Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Stefano Caselli
Stefano Caselli
Frank Martin
Jung-Geon Yoon (Cover Penciler)
Jung-Geon Yoon (Cover Inker)
Jung-Geon Yoon (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Joe Caramagna.
Editor: Tom Brevoort.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Captain America
Captain America

(Steven Rogers)
Graviton
Graviton

(Franklin Hall)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Smasher (Isabel Kane), Andrew Forson, Entropic Man.

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