Synopsis / Summary / Plot
This issue begins with a coda to #31. Some of the Mighty Avengers accompanied Quicksilver to Attilan, which is now on the Kree capital planet Hala, to return the Unspoken's Xerogen crystals to the Inhumans. While there they helped fight off an attack by Devos the Devastator in Realm of Kings: Inhumans #1-2.
Now his ex-wife Crystal gives him a medal for his part in the Devos thing, watched by Medusa the Inhuman queen and his teammates Hercules, Stature, U.S. Agent, Vision (Jonas) and Wasp (Henry Pym). Crystal is also glad that Pietro Maximoff's recent dodgy deeds have been revealed as the work of a Skrull replacement. However their scowling daughter Luna knows that is a lie, which she's promised Pietro Maximoff to keep quiet about.
Before the MAv return to Earth via the 'magic' doors of their Infinite Mansion, the Inhuman Karnak comments to Wasp that Pym has got rid of many of the weaknesses in his character. (It's his skill to sense such things.)
They return home to Amadeus Cho, Edwin Jarvis and the robot Jocasta. The other Avengers and Young Avengers from the last few issues have long gone. But Jocasta and Jarvis have many problem situations for them to attend to around the globe.
A news report shows some of their activities over the following days:- Quicksilver and US Agent capturing Zzzax in New Delhi. Jocasta and Vision dealing with Dansen Macabre in Paris. Hercules, Stature and Wasp taking down Terminus in Pisa.
Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn) isn't happy about Pym's team of Avengers getting better press than his own Dark Avengers. And in Asgard, currently near Broxton in Oklahoma, (male) Loki sees an opportunity for furthering his plan to send Osborn mad.
Absorbing Man, sedated by a neural scrambler, has been taken to Project Pegasus where he will be subject to experiments. (1 of his guards is worried because of the video recently released showing Norman Osborn conducting illegal experiments on unwilling victims (see Dark Reign: The List: Amazing Spider-Man).) Loki causes a total power failure in the facility. Crusher Creel is awake and free, and easily able to overpower his guards. It was Loki who 1st gave Creel his power (way back in Journey Into Mystery #114), so he is able to influence him to seek out the most dangerous object in the place.
Meanwhile Osborn has called for a meeting of his Cabal, but no-one has turned up. Emma Frost and Sub-Mariner 'defected' to the mutants (during the Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia event) (actually they had always been moles in the group). Dr Doom doesn't return his calls anymore (he last reluctantly attended a meeting in Dark Avengers #6). But at least his own men should attend. He calls Hood who says he's busy. (Norman says 'men', presumably including Taskmaster who was inducted in Avengers: Initiative #31.)
But Loki *does* arrive. Osborn says he wants the Mighty Avengers destroyed. Loki suggests that Wasp's mob is beneath Norman's notice. What would be better is for Iron Patriot and the DAv to do something to outshine their minor successes. As if on cue Victoria Hand pops in to tell her boss that Project Pegasus have just announced an omega level threat. And Osborn tells her to mobilise the team.
In the Infinite Mansion Henry Pym has just created a new shield for US Agent to replace the 1 destroyed in #28. But when he gives it a test throw it goes wild (but without distracting Amadeus Cho and Vision playing chess and giant-size Stature arm-wrestling Hercules). Pym says it's perfectly balanced - maybe John Walker is used to a less perfect weapon. After all Eternity (in #30) said he was Earth's scientist supreme. (The group are getting tired of hearing that.) But for the moment Herc keeps hold of the shield.
Meanwhile Jocasta's mind is flicking through various alternate robot bodies distributed through the infinite building, keeping pace with Quicksilver who is searching the place for his sister Scarlet Witch. When he tells her what he's doing she informs him that the object of his search has just joined the others in the main room. So he has to race back.
The Witch has just teleported in to tell them they are needed. But most of the team now have reason to distrust her. Wasp signals with his eyes for Amadeus to don the old Ant-Man helmet he used in the last few issues. They can now communicate and Pym sends Cho SW's energy signature recorded by his goggles, and asks the young genius to analyse it. But Hank also tells the Witch they'll take the job. At this point Pietro runs in and tries to talk to his sister Wanda - but she just teleports him and most of the team to the trouble site. Leaving Cho, Jarvis and Jocasta behind again.
Iron Patriot has arrived at Project Pegasus with Daken, Hawkeye (Bullseye), Ms Marvel (Moonstone), Sentry and Spider-Man (Venom (Mac Gargan)). (Ares is sitting things out again.) Norman Osborn is fielding questions from hostile journalists about the video mentioned earlier, rumours of his Spider-Man eating people, why Absorbing Man had been transferred here, and Osborn's Thunderbolts supposedly capturing Swarm (TB#122) when Wasp's Avengers had to deal with him later (#24).
Then those very Avengers teleport in (Scarlet Witch doesn't appear with them). (For those not following this series, the Scarlet Witch here is really Loki in disguise stirring things up.) Osborn (quietly) threatens to arrest them because in the US they are deemed outlaws. Pym suggests that wouldn't look good to the media while there is a threat to deal with. Norman resorts to asking Pym if he still hits women (Av#213 where he struck wife Jan/Wasp, leading to their divorce), and Hank digs back by asking if he still throws them off bridges (Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121 as Green Goblin).
Hercules pulls them apart and enquires what threat they face. The DAv won't tell them but Amadeus has hacked into the place's security footage and says it's Absorbing Man. He's also worked out the worst thing Creel could find there - the fragments of a Cosmic Cube (that Captain America crushed in CA(2004)#14). Loki has steered Crusher right there and he absorbs the Cube's properties, growing giant-size and glowing and bursting through the roof of the facility.
Iron Patriot and Wasp both shout "Avengers Assemble".