Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The 1st of Kang's predicted Tribulation Events, the Ashen Combine, has arrived. Each of the 5 alien citykillers attacked a different city, and 5 Avengers opposed them while Black Panther and Captain America (Sam Wilson) infiltrated their empty orbiting spaceship the Impossible City and planted bombs. But the City told them it was an AI forced to work with the Combine. It claimed that the heroes' bombs wouldn't seriously harm it but it was going to commit suicide to stop the Combine ravaging other worlds. Unfortunately for the Earth this would trap the aliens here where they would continue to destroy other cities. The Avengers have vowed that *they* will stop the Combine but the City believes this is impossible.
In Vatican City Thor faces Idol Alabaster who is empowered by worship that it induces in the populace, and uses that power to blast the Thunder God. But Thor says *his* power doesn't require worship, and he uses Mjolnir to call down thunder and lightning.
In Toronto the Citysmith has caused part of the city to entomb Iron Man with 1 hand of his Mark Nil black stealth armour sticking out. But Tony Stark tells his suit's AI BOSS to initiate the program to imitate the Vision's density-changing ability, despite the AI's warning that the untested prototype will probably wreck the armour. It turns out that he's been waiting for the villain to come near to gloat. Now he phases out of the trap and then goes dense to punch the bad guy.
In Sydney The Dead has animated the bodies of the dead and they're attacking Scarlet Witch. But Wanda Maximoff has deduced that the alien chose Sydney because of the huge old Rookwood Cemetery, and the sheer number of dead bodies powers him. So she casts a spell to take them both to Antarctica where there are very few human corpses.
In Helsinki Meridian Diadem's troops are standing around watching the synthezoid Vision succumbing to density-manipulating coils emanating from her robot body. But now he accesses the computer code that Ultron embedded within him at his creation, code that he has learned how to resist. And he sends that code back up the tentacles to infect the villain.
In Manila Lord Ennui sees Captain Marvel flying towards him carrying an oil truck. He reminds her that his entropy field will automatically disintegrate it when she throws it at him. But that's not the plan. Carol Danvers ignites the fuel and absorbs the energy.
Back in Vatican City Thor used the thunder he summoned to render the people of the city unconscious. Now Idol Alabaster has no worship to feed off when the Asgardian attacks him.
And in Toronto Iron Man continues relentlessly beating Citysmith up and then power dives him into the ground.
In Antarctica, where Wanda reminds us that the only large human settlement is in the Savage Land on the other side of the large continent, she traps The Dead in mystic chains and encloses him in a coffin.
In Helsinki Meridian Diadem lies twitching as Ultron's evil code overwhelms her.
In Manila CM feeds so much energy into Lord Ennui that it overloads him. And as he collapses he thanks her for finally making him feel something.
Last issue the Impossible City told BP and CA how the Citysmith had laced a parasitic nervous system through its body, and Panther used his AI Kimoyo Beads to trace the circuitry. Now he causes the bombs they placed to destroy only those parts of the ship. And the City is joyously free.
Later the 5 alien villains are encased in 'amber' on board the City. We learn that they were originally prisoners here but then the City's heroic creators disappeared and the prisoners escaped. CapM wonders if they know these heroes but the AI reminds her that its memories were destroyed (by Meridian Diadem). The City now asks to join the Avengers (ie become their new base). They accept.
Story 2:- The truth is out there
Script Kalinda Vazquez. Pencils Alba Glez. Inks Elisabetta D'Amico. Colours Matt Milla.
In a church in the New Mexico desert Bonita Juarez sees a man praying to God to stop his Angels punishing him. He tells her how bright lights come every night and frighten his family and livestock.
That night she stands watch as Firebird. But Captains America and Marvel turn up too because they've detected unusual electromagnetic readings and think it may be the start of another Tribulation Event (Bonita doesn't understand what they're talking about). 3 buzzing lights appear in the sky but then they head off towards Roswell. The 3 flying heroes follow them to where they surround a house in the desert.
Firebird feels that the 'aliens' aren't aggressive, and a girl comes out of the house to say that *she* called them here by hacking into a telescope array. Bonita now persuades the lights to go back to space.
The girl Zoila Rodriguez says that her sister Ines disappeared a few months ago (and she has no other family). She suspected alien abduction so she sent out a signal hoping to attract the ones who took her. Bonita offers to let Zoila stay at her place for a while. Meanwhile the Avengers will add her sister to their database and analyse the signal data the lights were emitting.