Avengers #20

Osborn mentions the Avengers destroying former Avengers who opposed them. This is probably a reference to Wonder Man's opposition, culminating in him leading his team of Revengers against them in the recent Annual #1. This issue ties the ends of #18 and #19 much more closely than I have indicated, leaving no room for the events of #19, and a miraculously short time for Madame Hydra to be freed from her octopus. Osborn has rebuilt his Dark Avengers in New Avengers starting in #18. Superia is his version of Ms Marvel. They both leave this series for a few issues to concentrate on the battle there. Madame Hydra will continue the fight against the current Avengers team. Iron Man returns from a flying visit to NAv#19 in this issue, where Madame Hydra still had her headgear. Spider-Woman mentions that Hawkeye used to live in Thunderbolts Mountain. This was when he was leader of the Thunderbolts. The Hulk/Spider-Men and the ant-size and giant-size/Visiony agents, and the takeover of Iron Man's armour, are all presumably due to Washington's knowledge of super-hero secrets.

Madame Hydra was also originally a Cap villainess in CA#110-113. But she quickly ditched her Hydra role in favour of killing the original Viper and taking his codename and place as head of the Serpent Squad in CA#180. Her career since then was mainly as a freelance terrorist, matched against many heroes but frequently returning to Cap. During this period she was sometimes still referred to as Madame Hydra, but I don't believe she was ever a part of Hydra. In fact she sometimes worked against it. Her last non-Hydra roles were in X-territory, simultaneously as a member of the Hellfire Club, ruler of Madripoor and Wolverine's wife! Somewhere along the line (at least by New Avengers (2005) #11) she was back leading Hydra, from Madripoor until deposed as its ruler in Invincible Iron Man (2007) #1. This brings us to Secret Warriors where she was killed and reborn with the octopoid headpiece. MODOK is another recurring foe of Cap, and others, debuting in Tales of Suspense #93. He is an organism created by AIM to serve them as a supercomputer, but which instead ruled them. Over time he has been deposed several times, and regained his throne. He has also been killed several times, and then been restored. During one of his down times he was replaced by a female version MODAM. He is currently a member of the villain group Intelligencia.

This is part 3 of the Avengers' Shattered Heroes arc against Norman Osborn and friends. Last issue I wondered if Captain America was actually a team member, rather than just overseeing the whole franchise as he was in the previous incarnation. There are several clues that he will take a more active part now, and not just in the current storyline. He has his headshot alongside the others on the splash page, which he didn't have before last issue. Maria Hill used to be his liaison. She is still present this issue, but has lost her splash page spot. Also Cap gives the orders here, although Iron Man appeared to be the team leader last issue. But Cap does outrank Iron Man in the Avengers' current organisation. Superia had a history as one of Cap's enemies beginning in CA#387. Her identity as scientist Dr Deirdre Wentworth surfaced in CA#431. She presumably had Osborn's backing when she reappeared as HAMMER's leader while he was in jail.