Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #3 Synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Last issue Magneto, Quicksilver and the Young Avengers (Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Hulkling, Patriot, Speed, Stature, Vision and Wiccan) found a Doombot at Mount Wundagore in Transia made to look like Scarlet Witch. They assumed that this meant Dr Doom had Wanda prisoner.
Pietro questions this assumption. He suggests that his devious father Magneto might have set this up to convince the YA to invade his long-time enemy Dr Doom's home Latveria. Magneto counters by saying that only Doom has both the scientific skill to created the robot and the magical skill to hide Wanda.
Cue a brief synopsis of the origin of Victor von Doom. His mother Cynthia was a good witch fighting demons, but lost the battle and her life and is now in Hell. Victor combined science with his mother's magic to try and rescue her. But it went wrong, scarring his face, leading to him adopt his metal-masked guise.
Magneto says they can't afford to have the power of Scarlet Witch in the hands of Doom, and proposes they go get her. Quicksilver opposes everything Magneto says, with good reasons, but mainly because it was his father who said it. Some of the YA are wary of causing an international incident, but Wiccan is determined to rescue his 'mother'. Hulkling will accompany his boyfriend, and soon Magneto has manoeuvred them all into going, under his own leadership.
For now they intend to spend the night at an inn. But after Magneto leaves them, the YA notice that Wiccan has gone.
Quicksilver finds Billy chanting a 'spell' to transport him to Latveria. Pietro points out that if Billy always speaks his intentions out loud like that, his enemies will always know what he's going to do. Wiccan sheepishly says it helps him to concentrate. But Pietro suggests he accompany him to Doom's castle.
Then the rest of the YA turn up. Hulkling berates Pietro for trying to lead Wiccan into trouble. And it seems like no-one's going anywhere, at least for now.
Back at Avengers Tower the Avengers are also determined to find Scarlet Witch. The group from last issue (Captain America (Steve Rogers), Iron Man, Luke Cage, Ms Marvel, Spider-Man and Wolverine) have called on Wonder Man to help. They claim he has even closer ties to Wanda than her brother Pietro or ex-husband Vision. Simon Williams sacrificed himself to protect her (Force Works #1), and Wanda summoned him back to ionic life (in the early issues of Avengers (1998)). They hope his ionic energy can link to her.
Wonder Man asks what the Avengers will do with the Witch when they find her. Wolverine says they'll kill her, to prevent her doing things again like Avengers Disassembled, House of M and Decimation. Logan accuses Simon (and Cap) of being too much in love with Wanda to do what's necessary, and stalks off to track her down by himself.
As seen in Avengers (2010) #1-2 and #7 Wonder Man currently doesn't trust the Avengers. So he too heads off by himself, to try and find Wanda before Logan does.
That night Billy slips away from boyfriend Teddy, leaving a note, and goes on a 1-man recce of Doom's castle. He makes himself look like the Witch, and persuades Doombots to take him to her room. Dropping his disguise he finds himself attacked by the woman he seeks.
Billy can't find the words to explain how he might be a reincarnation of one of her sons. So he just says he's come to rescue her from Doom. He babbles that they met once, and that he's come from her father and her brother Quicksilver.
But Wanda claims her father's dead, and she knows no Quicksilver. And she doesn't need rescuing because she's getting married tomorrow, to Dr Doom who chooses that moment to make an entrance.