Synopsis / Summary / Plot
A US army convoy in Iraq is attacked by a bomb-laden Hydra truck. A Sgt who goes by the codename The Gauntlet, with a huge gauntlet on his right arm that spits energy, deals with it. It turns out he and Henry Peter Gyrich are being escorted to base because Gyrich wants him back in America.
Gyrich claims that mutants were a worldwide phenomenon while the US has most of the non-mutant superbeings. When M-Day decimated the mutant ranks it left the US winning the superpower arms race. I don't really see how this is directly connected with the Initiative project, and Gauntlet being asked to train a superhero army.
In Illinois Abigail Boylen is using her power to fly on a cloud of gas. War Machine arrests her as an unregistered superhuman. He insists she tell him her super-identity, and strangely enough she has 1, Cloud 9, despite not being or wanting to be a super hero (or villain).
In Kentucky Justice recruits Michael Van Patrick. He lost his sports scholarship when it was revealed that he was the great-grandson of Dr Abraham Erskine who invented Captain America's super-soldier serum. This despite the fact that Michael tests drug-free.
In San Francisco some of the Mighty Avengers (Ares, Ms Marvel, Wasp and Wonder Man) are fighting Ultimo when the robot is taken down by a girl calling herself Armory. She too has an energy-spewing gauntlet, but on her left arm, and she wants to join the team.
The Initiative have set up their training ground Camp Hammond at Stamford Connecticut which was the town blown up by Nitro fighting the New Warriors, leading to the Superhero Registration Act and the Civil War. There are protestors outside the base as a busfull of new recruits arrives.
The earlier paragraphs were flashbacks because Gauntlet and Michael calling himself MVP are already there. But Armory and Cloud 9 arrive in the bus along with Bengal, Hardball, Komodo, Rage, Slapstick, Thor Girl, Trauma and Ultra Girl.
They are greeted by Yellowjacket who tells them they are going to be trained as responsible heroes (not like the New Warriors). If they make the grade they'll be assigned to the Avengers team of a State, as part of the 50-State Initiative. He ignores Abby's question about what happens if they fail.
Off the bus they are met by Gauntlet and She-Hulk. Gauntlet goes all drill-sergeant on them. He compares them now to the 'worthless' New Warriors and promises to turn them into Avengers. In the background are Ms Marvel and Stature, possibly Prodigy and Texas Twister, and unidentifiable others.
YJ joins Justice and War Machine in the observation deck. Vance Astrovik is unhappy about the regular slagging off of his old team New Warriors. James Rhodes doesn't think Cloud 9 will make the grade. Hank Pym is more worried about Komodo's attitude - his associate Dr Curt Connors sent her after she stole his lizard formula.
Justice is happier about MVP who is demonstrating his skill and endurance on an assault course supervised by She-Hulk. Among those watching are Constrictor, Debrii, Doc Samson, Hellcat, Network, Nighthawk, Red Wolf, Scorpion (Carmilla Black) and Stingray.
Meanwhile Gauntlet leads the new recruits to the supply depot where they are issued with their new uniforms - fatigues including a mask and a vest with a symbol representing their power. They mist not use their superpowers off-base without the mask. They must only use their super-identities, even on-base. No-one should know their real identities except Tony Stark.
When Cloud 9 follows the other girls into their changing room she's embarrassed comparing her body to their model-like versions. So she backs through a door to change in private. Unfortunately she's gone through a utility door into the men's shower room, where she bumps into MVP.
She exits quickly, but MVP is interested. When he has got dressed he asks Triathlon where the new recruits are now. Gauntlet has them in the combat simulator room. MVP goes there and catches Cloud 9 waiting with some others for her turn. He tells her he is MVP, and Abby almost gives her real name before remembering the rules.
Henry Gyrich is watching alongside Gauntlet and a scientist Wernher Von Blitzschlag as Armory uses her Tactigon glove to defeat 3 Combat-Bots. The Tactigon automatically reshapes itself to the right weapon for any job.
Gauntlet calls Trauma in next, but his power doesn't work against robots or when he's alone, so Armory is told to stay with him but not to do anything. A Bot approaches and Armory starts to get worried. This enables Trauma to feel her worst fear - spiders. And he automatically transforms into a giant spider.
Armory panics and the Tactigon turns into a large gun which blasts energy. The energy bolts head towards the waiting recruits, and Komodo gets an arm sliced off. But she immediately regrows it. Hardball generates a hard-energy ball around 1 hand to deflect another bolt. Another 1 just misses Cloud 9 who's frozen in shock. MVP dives to push her out of the way but a bolt gets him through the skull.
Gauntlet leaps down into the arena and uses his own gauntlet to restrain Armory. Trauma has reverted to human. HPG takes control and orders them all to 'forget' what happened here. They're not allowed to tell anyone about it.
Armory has the Tactigon surgically removed and is thrown off the program. Most of the other recruits don't know why. Von Blitzschlag does an autopsy on MVP and discovers something interesting.