The Avengers have learned of this plan but also that the idea for the new Invaders was put in motion by
Dell Rusk before he was exposed as
Red Skull and deposed as Secretary Of Defence. But
Hank Pym (
Goliath) has just learned the hard way that his ex-wife and he thought current lover
Janet van Dyne (
Wasp) is having an affair with
Clint Barton (
Hawkeye).
He's just walked in on them in Jan's bed. And now he's run out puking. But the call to arms has sounded so the pair hurriedly get dressed and join
Captain America, the new
Captain Britain,
Iron Man and
She-Hulk in a
quinjet. Jan's worried about Hank who's AWOL.
Steve Rogers takes Clint aside. Barton apologises for being late but
Cap just wants to tell him he's got an item of women's underwear hanging over his belt. He's passing no judgement on what the pair do in private unless and until it affects the team.
The Blazing Skull, Tara, US Agent and the Atlantean army are fighting their way across Mazikhandar towards its capital. Spitfire and Union Jack are already in the Capitol building.
UJ disposes of a load of guards with an electro-shock(?) bomb. Spitfire zooms up and kisses him, and then she high-speed rams the throne room doors to gain entrance where they find the despotic ruler.
Joey Chapman keeps an eye on him while
Jacqueline Crichton zooms off again and returns with the main guy's brother. They want to know if they captured the real deal. The brother circuitously says he's missing 1 of his testicles. Neither of the heroes want to check so they agree to wait for US Agent to do it.
The Atlanteans and the other Invaders are now advancing through the capital towards the Capitol. They pay scant regard towards civilian casualties but as a wall falls towards a woman and her child a golden beam from (I think)
Cap B's quarterstaff pushes the debris away. The Avengers have arrived. While
Cap A and
USA trade blows and words, new lovers Hawkeye and Wasp have already reached the stage of battlefield banter. Tara/Torch is everywhere, knocking Iron Man out of the air and burying She-Hulk in rubble until giant-size Wasp grabs her and forces her to help rescue
Jennifer Walters.
Steve Rogers has defeated
John Walker and the fight is over. Blazing Skull greets Cap A who he fought beside at least once in the Invaders. Rogers informs Walker that the Secretary Of Defence Dell Rusk who authorised him to form the Invaders has since been exposed as Red Skull. US Agent still believes the idea is sound. And Clint and Jan have moved from friendly banter to a lovers' tiff.
But under the distraction of the superhero battle, which was apparently part of USA's plan, Sub-Mariner has entered the Capitol building with the Invaders' choice for a new ruler for Mazikhandar. Now they exit the building with Spitfire, Union Jack and the ex-ruler to announce the handover to the Avengers. But then it goes wrong as the new guy pulls a gun and shoots his predecessor in the head.
To be concluded in
NEW INVADERS #0.
Excelsioring your collection