Synopsis
Avengers: The Initiative #13 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Last issue our 1st group of trainees graduated, and in #8 we met a new bunch of recruits. But for this issue we'll ignore them and introduce a 3rd intake:- Annex, Batwing, Boulder, Gorilla Girl, Prodigy and Sunstreak.
Boulder is bouncing round the bus with an excitement not shared by the others. Prodigy and Sunstreak are only here to get themselves out of prison. Boulder remembers drunk Prodigy standing up to Iron Man on Superhero Registration Day. Army vet Annex doesn't know why he needs training. Batwing is more friendly. Boulder remembers him as an old Spider-Man character who got cured of his bat-like condition - it's returned and he's here for help. Gorilla Girl is also friendly, but is also here rather than be sent to jail for non-Registration.
Yellowjacket enters the bus to give his welcoming speech. But awe-struck Boulder puts his foot in it asking about Captain America - now (Marvel) dead since Civil War.
Trainer Taskmaster takes over. He renames tubby Boulder as Butterball. Then he sends them on a 10-mile run.
A week later Taskmaster discusses the trainees with War Machine and Yellowjacket. His main problem is Emery Schaub/Boulder/Butterball. He's immune to all physical attacks, and even from mental attacks apart from mind-control. But he can't attack back because he's unfit and lacks coordination. Similarly he can't run but he can walk forever. And he doesn't improve with exercise. YJ has a theory that the invulnerability extends to preventing any change to his body. (Does this mean he'll never grow up.)
Taskie is also annoyed by the boy's incessant fanboy questions and naive impertinence. He's impervious to punishment. TM tried punishing the other trainees for Schaub's faults, hoping peer pressure would affect him - but he doesn't seem to catch on, even though he's now ostracised.
Henry Pym reports that SHIELD have heard about a contract out on the villain Taskmaster for collaborating with the heroes. TM isn't worried - Bullseye's working for the Thunderbolts and Elektra is dead (again), and he can take anyone else.
Prodigy is forced to give a press conference to deny his previous public anti-Registration stance in Civil War: Front Line #2. He claims (correctly) he was drunk at the time, and he definitely hasn't joined the Initiative just to avoid prison. But no-one's buying it. Behind the scenes he's angry with Pym for putting him up as a poster-boy for a cause he doesn't believe in.
Ritchie Gilmore takes out his frustrations that night by persuading the rest of his group to sneak off base. Annex jams the security cameras. They steal a jeep and put Butterball on the hood to absorb anything that's fired at them as they break through the exit barrier.
They can't go for a night on the town because Batwing looks like a bat and Prodigy is on the news (and is in costume, as is Annex). So they drink beer on the beach (except underage Batwing, and Schaub because his power prevents alcohol from affecting him). Prodigy suggests skinny-dipping. Gorilla Girl agrees, but transforms into a gorilla. She says she might transform back to a naked human if Annex joins them. He does, and Batwing takes to the air leaving Emery alone with Sunstreak.
Andrea Roarke is interested when she finds that the boy is unaffected by the intense heat of her body. This means they can actually kiss. But Emery rejects her advances because his power means that he can't even feel sexual attraction. He drives off in the jeep.
The others follow, with Annex carrying Gorilla Girl the only non-flyer. They see Boulder apprehended by Yellowjacket, War Machine, Taskmaster and Constrictor. And they hear him claim that he broke out of the base on his own. The others now only have to figure out how to get back to barracks before anybody finds they're missing.
But the scene is disrupted by an attack by the villains who have accepted the contract on Tony Masters - Firebrand, King Cobra, Mauler and Mr Hyde. A fight ensues, and the trainees break cover and join in. Giant-size YJ downs Mr Hyde and the other 3 decide to retreat. Mauler grabs Boulder as a hostage and threatens to shoot him. But that threat doesn't stop the heroes, so Mauler fires and is hit by the backblast. Cobra and Firebrand flee, pursued by War Machine.
But next day WM and YJ throw Emery off the project. He's not cut out for combat, but he'll be certified as Registration-compliant and can serve in other capacities where his invulnerability will be an asset. Eg in hazardous environments.
His teammates think he's lucky, but Constrictor and Taskmaster understand why he's dejected. They share with each other their most embarrassing defeats - Constrictor by the New Warriors and TM by Ant-Man and Hawkeye. Before Schaub leaves they set up a photo for him to take away with him where he appears to have beaten them single-handed.