Synopsis
Warning! This issue doesn't include any actual current Avengers.
Instead we begin with Maria de Guadalupe Santiago, or Lupe to her friends and roommate, in her room at Empire State University as she hears about Thor assaulting the press and Avengers leader Captain America quitting (both at the end of last issue). She knows the Avengers, not least because their butler Edwin Jarvis sponsored her to come here from Costa Verde, and she can't believe what she's hearing about them lately. Her anger increases when that roommate spouts some of the commonly-believed complaints. The tension is defused when she gets given a note from 'some blond guy' downstairs.
Elsewhere Colonel Carol Danvers has handed herself in to a courtroom accompanied by her lawyer Foggy Nelson. She has confessed to being Warbird and bringing down ChampionAir Flight 619 (Iron Man #24). She was drunk at the time and attacking the Golden Avenger when she kicked him accidentally through the plane's wing. They saved the plane and no-one was hurt but she's willing to take the consequences. She's joined the AA (IM#25) and been sober for a month but she has to make amends for her actions. Again the moment is interrupted by a note passed to the judge addressed to Warbird. The judge says they'll ponder the situation and meanwhile don't leave town.
Our 3rd stop is the Herman Melville Elementary School where Scott Lang is picking up his young daughter Cassie Lang. He too gets a note, this 1 stuck under the windscreen wiper of his car. He apologises to Cassie because he'll have to cancel their plans and arrange a babysitter. We see that his note appears to be from Cap and asks him to a meeting atop the Brooklyn Bridge.
Those who have read our #8-9 know that Lupe is also the shapechanger Silverclaw, and it is in the form of a human-sized bird that she lands on 1 of the Bridge's towers beside Warbird, soon to be joined by the current not-Hank-Pym Ant-Man. After introductions are made Captain America descends a rope-ladder to them from a hovering craft. He claims that his defection was a cover story so he could secretly investigate the Triune Understanding who are behind the bad press the Avengers have been getting. He's recruiting these 3 specifically for their stealth capabilities (including Carol who used to be in USAF Intelligence). For the readers' benefit Cap mentions when Ant-Man 1st helped the Avengers (in #195-196) rescue Wasp from the Taskmaster in his school for henchmen.
But a 4th unsummoned hero turns up. Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) has Cosmic Awareness which led him here from Los Angeles. He starts to say that he feels something is wrong here but Rick Jones, who shares his mind, stops him by reminding him that his Awareness has been acting up lately (see CM(1999)#0). Rick doesn't want be embarrassed in front of his hero and ex-partner Captain America, so Genis agrees to wait and see what happens.
In Hawaii Jonathan Tremont, the leader of the Understanding, basks in the adulation of his local followers. He has been spouting the message of 3-ness - seeking a balance between mind, body and spirit, and between self, society and the world, which will result in health, wealth and friendship. But now he must leave them and spread the message elsewhere in the world.
As he boards his private plane an assistant updates him on the latest profit figures, but Tremont is more interested in the increase in belief. He temporarily loses control of the power he has absorbed from the 'sheep'. Later we see him floating in lotus position inside a golden forcefield pyramid. Another minion contacts him using 1 side of the pyramid as a screen to say that recruitment is way up thanks to the anti-Avengers campaign. But the Triunes themselves are slipping out of the news focus. Tremont assures him that the 'New York operation' will change that.
Our little band of not-Avengers is outside the Triune's new purpose-built Manhattan skyscraper. Ant-Man enters via a vent and the uses his ex-burglar skills to bypass the alarm system and let the others in a back door. Captain America leads them down to a basement. Silverclaw isn't sure about this but follows. They find a large machine with another golden pyramid on top. Cap tells them it will turn everyone in Manhattan into a mindless slave, but they're going to destroy it. Now it's Warbird and Ant-Man's turn to doubt. Carol thinks they should preserve it as evidence. Engineer Scott says he could get inside and remove some key components to make it safe. Lupe says these are not the actions of Captain America. Genis-Vell's bad feeling is getting worse.
Now that his scheme is falling apart 'Captain America' calls in his Split-Second Squad. And Genis can't help muttering "Told you so" to Rick Jones in his head. 'Cap' switches off his holographic disguise to stand revealed as Taskmaster and introduces his star pupils. The Triunes hired him to trick the pseudo-Avengers into blowing up the machine so that the real Avengers would be tainted by association (and put the Triunes back in the media spotlight). But plan B is to beat the 4 unconscious, blow up the machine himself and leave them to take the blame.
The 5 Squaddies are completely encased in black. They have 'plates' on their feet which allow them to slide around in mid-air. And their palm-plates deliver shocks. They tackle AM, CM and WB while 'Claw strikes at TM as a jaguar. But Taskmaster has photographic reflexes and has learned the moves of many heroes. That was how he was able to imitate Cap so well. Now he agilely dodges Lupe and tells his Squad to duck as he Hawkeye-like shoots multiple explosive arrows at the other 3 heroes. Then his circular shield takes Silverclaw down.
Jonathan Tremont is watching the action through 1 of his pyramid sides but he breaks the connection to contact the Triune's pet superhero Triathlon on another side, and tell him to go investigate trouble at the New York offices. Then in another screen he talks to his 'spirit-brother' Lord Templar to 'borrow' his power and speed. And Templar materialises around Tremont.
Our pals are still fighting the Split-Second Squad. Warbird marshals her allies into a compact team and they attack in unison, with Carol issuing tactical orders. Teamwork allows them to use their powers to best advantage and they defeat the Squad. Taskmaster has been busy planting explosives, but now he single-handedly takes them all on and is winning because he has noted all their fighting styles during the battle. But then Genis-Vell pulls a sneaky move. He dives at TM but at the last second he clashes his wristbands together and switches to Rick Jones. Taskmaster is felled by an unexpected pair of flying feet in the face.
Rick switches back to Marvel before anyone but Ant-Man can recognise him (Scott's got *both* Rick's albums). But Marvel doesn't have time to react to his cosmic awareness as Lord Templar teleports in and renders them all unconscious with a flood of lights.
Hours later they awake in the ruins of the building surrounded by police and reporters with Triathlon and Tremont. No-one believes their story. Tremont claims that the building had been full of research for the betterment of the world. But because the Triunes are a peaceful organisation they won't press any charges. But a couple of things niggle at Triathlon. Why does Jonathan call these people Avengers? And how did he get from Hawaii so quickly? And Genis senses something odd about Tremont.
Then a reporter tells her comrades about breaking news at Avengers Mansion. Apparently nearly the whole team are resigning.