Avengers Forever (1998 series) #1

This issue opens in a possible 26th century on the planet Beta Centauri IV where a rebellion by the natives is put down by their human overlords. By Jonz Rickard (looking like Rick Jones), relative of Emperor Rickard, Commander of Galactic Avenger Battalion Theta-4. A battalion consisting of Hammer-Troopers with their ionic Thunderhammers, Iron Man-like Repulsor-Troopers, Shieldsmen with their shields and blades, and the Ant-Man-like Micro-Swarm. The three Time-Keepers aren't happy.

Next we see the Avengers in the present (Captain America, Firestar, Iron Man, Justice and Scarlet Witch from the then-current team plus Giant-Man) bringing a comatose Rick Jones to a SHIELD base in the Blue Area of the Moon. This follows directly from Hulk #470, where Rick collapsed and the Avengers picked him up. We are given a potted history of Rick, of which the most relevant part is that he ended the Kree-Skrull War in Avengers #97 when the Kree Supreme Intelligence unlocked what he now calls Rick's Human Evolutionary Potential. A side-effect of this was that Rick called forth various Timely WWII heroes.

Avengers have brought Rick here because Iron Man, Giant-Man and Beast have diagnosed Rick's condition as connected to the power he showed in the Kree-Skrull War. They want the help of the Supreme Intelligence, held captive in the SHIELD base. They reluctantly leave Rick there for the Supremor to study for 24 hours.

The Supremor discusses the situation with a mysterious monk that SHIELD can't detect. They claim to have manipulated Rick and the Avengers to get Rick here at this time, for their individual reasons. This is a pivotal point in human history, with Rick a pivotal player, deciding between a future of expansion or stagnation. The Supremor has been trying to kick-start the Kree race out of stagnation for a long time. He claims now to be interested in observing how the human race manages it. The monk leaves to alert Kang.

Immortus is watching from Limbo. He stops time in the SHIELD base, and sends Tempus to kill Rick. But Kang also turns up, restarting time within a bubble. Immortus wants to preserve some vital timeline. Kang wants to change it, which involves keeping Rick alive.

Kang shatters Tempus, but the pieces generate a horde of warriors from history. Kang counters by pulling advanced weaponry from his trans-temporal armoury. Immortus sends even more warriors, even as he shrinks Kang's bubble of time.

Rick wakes up, and the Supremor restarts his Human Evolutionary Potential. The monk returns, and triggers Rick into summoning 7 Avengers out of the past and the future (Captain America, Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell), Giant-Man, Hawkeye, Songbird, Wasp and Yellowjacket).