I've been assuming that Norman Osborn's display of powers in recent issues of this series and New Avengers were due to renegade SHIELD agent Carolina Washington's collection of super-being samples. But now we discover differently.
We see a flashback to 2 weeks ago where Osborn, Superia and Madame Hydra ask Monica Rappaccini, Scientist Supreme of AIM, to give Norman a super-power. He doesn't want to use the Iron Patriot suit, or become Green Goblin again. (But his inner Goblin voice is urging him on.)
Rappaccini gives him the power that AIM once put in the Super-Adaptoid. He can absorb powers just by touch. But she warns him to be careful not to absorb too much power, or conflicting powers.
In the present Quake has just freed Hawkeye, Iron Man, Red Hulk, Spider-Woman and Storm from captivity by AIM, causing a lot of destruction in the process. And Osborn has just arrived with an unconscious Vision and a load of ninjas.
Iron Man detects something strange about Osborn, but Red Hulk ignores his warning and attacks. Resulting in Osborn Hulking out.
(Osborn's inner voice reveals that the whole plot of this story was never really about defeating the Avengers by winning the hearts and minds of the people. All along he really intended to get the power to defeat them hand-to-hand.)
While Hawkeye and Spider-Woman hold off the ninjas, Iron Man wants the battle taken outside of AIM's HQ. Red Hulk can't budge Osborn, but Storm obliges by blowing him away with a tornado.
Iron Man takes out all the ninjas with what looks like 'smart' repulsor blasts, and they turn vampire-like to dust as Hand guys usually do. Hawkeye wakes Vision. Storm and Quake carry the fight to Osborn. Storm attacks him with lightning bolts while Quake causes an 'earthquake' in his heart.
The assembled Avengers attack him. But their long-range weapons all pass through him because Osborn has previously absorbed Vision's powers. Red Hulk fails to best him again.
Then Protector appears and closes with him. Osborn absorbs his powers too. But Noh-Varr warns him that his Kree powers won't mix well with Earth ones.
Then the Avengers try the old 'overload' trick. They all touch Osborn and he absorbs all the powers he hasn't yet got. But he's still standing.
Then Captain America turns up with the New Avengers. And they plan to add their powers to the mix. Osborn's insane Goblin-self is gloating over how much power he's accumulating. But before the new arrivals can reach him he starts to burn up/melt/disintegrate/(turn into the Thing?). Whatever it is and whatever actually caused it, it's not good for him.
The rest is mopping up.
Cap arrests Washington, SHIELD captures loads of HAMMER and AIM troops, the New Avengers have already defeated the Dark Avengers in their own book, and Osborn's shattered mind and body are in jail again. And the President orders Captain America and the more presentable Avengers to go on a PR campaign to win back public trust.
But Madame Hydra and her Hydra troops escaped. And she has taken Washington's super-being secrets with her.
Give that special marvelite a timely gift
Story #2#24.1 (no title given)
Writer:
Brian Michael Bendis. Penciler/Inker:
Brandon Peterson. Colorist:
Sonia Oback. Letterer:
Cory Petit.
Synopsis
In an opening flashback reprint an enraged She-Hulk rips the android Vision apart down the middle, because he just tried to kill the Avengers.
In the present Tony Stark has got Vision back in almost full working order again. Although it's mostly down to the android's own healing process, which Tony admits he doesn't understand.
For his part Vision doesn't understand why She-Hulk attacked him. Tony reluctantly explains it was all the fault of Vision's wife Wanda, the Scarlet Witch. She caused the Avengers to disband. He believes she took away the powers of most mutants, but he doesn't know how. Since then she's been lying low.
Vision asks Tony to explain in more detail. Which he presumably does. But we skip ahead to the next scene.
Vision finds She-Hulk. Jennifer Walters apologises deeply for what she did. Even though she was under Wanda's control at the time, she still blames herself, and she quit the Avengers because of it. Vision forgives her, and She-Hulk gives him a hug, even though he hates shows of emotion. She asks him not to blame Wanda too much, because after all her father was Magneto.
So Vision's next stop is the X-Men's Utopia island, where Magneto, Cyclops and Emma Frost are watching Hope Summers sparring with Colossus.
Vision and Magneto exchange insults. Vision wants to know where Scarlet Witch is. Magneto says he doesn't know. Magneto threatens to tear the partially-metallic android apart (again) with his magnetic power. Vision does his trick of reaching inside a body and grasps Magneto's heart.
Magneto dares him to follow through, and Vision's human allies will never forgive him. Vision removes his hand. In return Magneto forbears from turning the android into a puppet, because Wanda might not like it. Instead he magnetically hurls Vision to San Francisco.
The last scene is at Avengers Mansion, surrounded by protesting crowds. Captain America is waiting for Vision to return. Hawkeye and Spider-Woman are kissing, and tell Cap they are now a couple.
Cap tells Vision off, but then commiserates with him, and suggests he put his past behind him.