Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The Avengers are facing the 1st of the Tribulation Events predicted by Kang The Conqueror as the alien Ashen Combine attack 5 cities on Earth.
We begin this issue as Black Panther and Captain America (Sam Wilson) continue their invasion of the Combine's orbiting spaceship called the Impossible City (which we but not they know is sentient, and it's giving us a continuous voiceover). CapA is flying through the huge 'city' (which *does* appear to contain buildings) and has still found no living beings. Meanwhile BP is planting explosive devices throughout it which will cause it to crash and burn up during re-entry. Sam reminds T'Challa that they agreed not to blow the blow the place until they were *sure* there were no lives to save. (There's still bad blood between them after recent events.)
In Vatican City Thor faces Idol Alabaster who claims to be a god too, but only because he mentally causes the populous to worship him from which he derives power. Alabaster now tries to get the Thunder God to worship him too but it doesn't work. The flying 'god' easily evades Thor's thrown hammer. But when the Asgardian calls down the lightning on him he learns that the attack causes pain to the worshippers.
In Sydney The Dead has animated corpses from their graves to remind the living of their existence. Scarlet Witch erects a mystic shield to keep them away from the fleeing populace. Then she sends 2 mystic tornadoes to shatter the skeletons. But when The Dead responds another 'ghost' rises from within Wanda Maximoff, the demon Chthon who she has imprisoned within her.
In Toronto The Citysmith is turning the city and its people into a work of art. Iron Man opposes him but the alien claims to be misunderstood and unappreciated as all great artists are. So he forms part of the city into a grasping metal arm and hand, followed by a giant earthen worm with metal girders for teeth that tries to swallow our hero.
Back in the Vatican Thor sends storm winds to buffet his opponent. But Idol Alabaster repeats that the Thunder God daren't harm him for fear of hurting his supplicants. But he on the other hand is free to blast Thor with the power he has absorbed.
In Sydney Wanda tries to convince herself that the voice of Chthon is just an illusion caused by The Dead. But Chthon reminds Wanda that she has had difficulty telling reality from illusion before. And that she has the power to destroy all the other Avengers, and she's used it before. Her angry response makes her lose control of her magics and the skeleton army attacks her.
In Toronto the 'worm' gulps down Iron Man. And Citysmith transforms it into a tall spire with Tony Stark's metal-covered hand projecting from the top.
Up in the Impossible City Cap and Panther have worryingly lost contact with the ground troops. We see Thor plummeting to the ground, Scarlet Witch overwhelmed by skeletons and Iron Man trapped. T'Challa assures Sam that if Wanda can't get them back to Earth he has a backup plan. Sam is sure there's no life in the city so they prepare to blow the place up. But then the City lets them know that *it* is itself alive.