Avengers #5

2nd story:- Continued from New Avengers #4. As with the chapter in NAv#4 that describes them joining the Avengers, Wanda isn't interviewed alongside her brother Pietro. This is probably because she is missing, so I would guess these interviews take place after House of M (or possibly before that but after Avengers Disassembled). Wasp being alive also puts them before Secret Invasion. Getting all the Avengers together makes it before Civil War too. Swordsman (Jacques Duquesne) couldn't be interviewed directly because he died in Giant-Size Avengers #2. I don't think Mandarin can really be described as a former leader of Chinese Republic. As far as I remember the nearest he got was in his alliance with Fin Fang Foom in Iron Man #261-275 and in the Iron Man/Force Works/War Machine crossover Hands of the Mandarin. To be continued in New Avengers #5.

This is part 5 of 6 of The Next Avengers. Ultron took over Iron Man's armour in the story in Mighty Avengers #1-6. But I don't think it was the first time this happened. Younger Tony says here that Kang claimed the Next Avengers were going to kill him (Kang) in his future. Kang never actually said that, but the Avengers did later see a future scene of the Next Avengers killing Immortus. But Immortus is no longer the future of Kang, since Avengers Forever. (However, with time-traveller's involved, that story might not have happened yet.) As someone who did mathematical physics at University, I recognise a lot of the equations on older Tony's wallchart. Somebody did their homework! Also the chart includes hints of things to come in the near future of the Marvel universe. E.g. 'Chaos War', and 'Who is Worthy?' for Fear Itself. Like Rip Hunter's blackboard in DC's 52 and Booster Gold series, but more organised. Iron Man mentions that Kang made the sophomore mistake of repeatedly attacking Ultron at the height of his powers. But there is no explanation given why the time-savvy Kang didn't destroy Ultron at an earlier, weaker stage. Still, if Kang ever did the sensible thing he'd be ruling the whole universe by now. And that wouldn't make for good comics. Presumably Kang came back here after visiting the Avengers, rather than just running away, because he needs the timestream fixed as well. It shouldn't be surprising that Kang resembles Immortus, because they are (or were) the same person. Future Iron Man says he doesn't remember Protector, so they must be from different timelines. But Kang knew about Protector in #1. So is this Kang manipulating things? Or just an editorial mistake?