New Avengers (2010 series) #32

Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are leaving the New Avengers with their baby Danielle. But something possessed liaison Victoria Hand and used her to kill sorcerers Daimon Hellstrom in New Orleans and Jennifer Kale in Miami before returning to Avengers Mansion. The FBI and Maria Hill, acting Director of SHIELD, both came to question her about the disappearance of Kale, but the possessing spirit moved to Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) and Hand fainted.

Hill and the Avengers have taken Hand to a bed in the Mansion. Everybody has their own opinion about what to do next so Dr Strange has to forcefully order them all out while he examines the patient. he casts a spell to take Victoria's soul to the astral plane where he meets her to calm her down before telling her that he thinks she's been possessed. He asks her what she remembers, which is nothing between being at home and the being on the Mansion's front lawn surrounded by everyone. He tells her another reason he's brought her here to talk. Her possessor used her body to attack other sorcerers and he suspects that he or it may have affected other members of the Avengers so he can't trust any of them.

Back in the real world Iron Fist and Maria Hill are itching to do something while Luke Cage, Spider-Man and Thing are trying to persuade them to let Stephen Strange, doctor and sorcerer, do his thing. But Daredevil senses something is wrong. Just then Jessica enters the room with the baby and Carol suggests they get out of the Mansion for the kid's safety. But the FBI suddenly threaten to storm the place to arrest Hand and SHIELD Director Hill goes out to insist that *she* has jurisdiction here. However Danvers suggests that her military training makes her better placed to talk to them, and Maria uncharacteristically gives in.

In the astral plane Stephen tries to get Victoria to remember more details about her last memories. She says she was alone and reluctantly admits she was checking her dating app on the internet. But no-one contacted her in any way. He asks if she talked to Jennifer Kale but she doesn't know who that is. He explains that she's a powerful sorcerer who he believes could be the next Sorcerer Supreme if she wanted to. Victoria can't understand why *she* was chosen to be possessed and Strange thinks it was an unexpected direction from which to attack *him*. And he thinks he knows who's behind it.

Meanwhile outside the Mansion Captain Marvel confronts FBI Agent Cole and makes solid eye contact with him. Then Danvers staggers as the possessor moves across to Cole who draws his gun and tells her she's under arrest because she just confessed to murdering Kale. Hill tries to take charge but Cole puts his gun to his own head and claims that the Avengers are making him do it. And he blows his brains out. Armed Agents try to arrest *everyone* but Hill takes control and gets them to back off. She declares the Mansion a crime scene which will be cordoned off and the team must stay inside or they'll be considered fugitives from justice.

On the astral plane DrS asks the villain to show himself and it's dead Daniel Drumm, Brother Voodoo, who blames the New Avengers for the death of his brother Jericho, Dr Voodoo and the most recent Sorcerer Supreme. Strange protests that Jericho sacrificed himself of his own free will and wants to know what he did to Jennifer Kale. But Drumm responds by plunging a hand, apparently grasping 2 hearts, through the chest of Victoria's astral body. And then he grasps DrS by the astral throat.

The Avengers protest their innocence and lack of psychic powers but Hill prefers to wait for the verdict of SHIELD's Psi-Division. Cage reiterates his intention of taking his family to safety. Then they hear a cry from the guest room and run there to find Dr Strange sitting by Victoria's body which Daredevil pronounces dead. Hill pulls her gun which Cage crushes. Danvers tells him to take Jessica and the baby out via the basement tunnels. Strange tries to tell them they're all under magical attack and apologises for not seeing it coming. Before teleporting away. Carol tries to lead the family out but is stopped by troops who she dispels with a blast.

DrS appears high up in the air in Greenwich Village and plunges to the ground. He mentally contacts Wong at the Sanctum Sanctorum and tells him to go into hiding, somewhere where not even *he* could find him. Then another teleportation spell ends with him crashing onto a rooftop in New Orleans. He goes to see Daimon Hellstrom who he finds watching the Avengers Mansion affair on TV news. He's come there to warn him but finds that he's already long dead. And Maria Hill arrives with SHIELD Agents to arrest him.