Comic Browser:

Avengers #49

Dec 2021

on-sale: Oct 13, 2021

Jason Aaron, Javier Garron

Story Name:

World War She-Hulk part 4: The bomb beneath the waves

Synopsis

Avengers #49 synopsis by Rob Johnson

Rating:

The Winter Guard captured She-Hulk and brainwashed/transformed her in the Red Room into the red-skinned, white-costumed Winter Hulk. Then they sent her on a mission to kill King Namor of Atlantis. But they also sent Red Widow with some Wolf-Spider Spetsnaz troops and a gamma bomb to destroy Atlantis itself. Gorilla-Man betrayed Shulk to the Russians for a promised elusive death, which they didn't grant, but now she has recruited him to help her get to Atlantis. Seriously wounded after fighting off Atlanteans he now follows her down to Atlantis to stop her.

In Atlantis Sub-Mariner's right to rule is being challenged by the populous led by his Defenders Of The Deep, the Black Tide, the Sea Blades and assembled OctoPriests. Andromeda lists some of his failings:- blasphemously trying to convert surface dwellers to water-breathers (Invaders (2019) series), trying and failing to win the Phoenix power (#40-44 of our series). Namor tries to remind them of earlier successes but the crowd isn't with him.

We get a voiceover for the 1st half of this issue of Black Panther reading an Avengers Daily Intelligence Report prepared by Okoye and the Agents Of Wakanda. It begins by describing a likely coup as we have seen above. But we see Winter Hulk scattering the protesters before attacking Namor himself.

The voiceover continues by relating how Atlantis has angered leading surface nations and corporations particularly Russia who may launch their own covert assault, as we see Red Widow dispatching a group of Atlantean guards. It continues by claiming that Stark satellites detected Wolf Spider Spetsnaz taking a Russian gamma bomb which could destroy Atlantis and its population. And we see Widow signalling the Spetsnaz soldiers to bring the bomb in. But then Gorilla-Man attacks them.

The Report considers that She-Hulk has been sent in the take the blame for the bomb. And the anti-Avengers faction of the US Government will be ready to join in the witch-hunt. Meanwhile the anti-Namor forces can't decide what to do so they just sit and watch the Winter Hulk/Sub-Mariner fight. And Red Widow slashes the already-dying G-Man and pushes him over an undersea cliff. As he falls Ken Hale reflects that he's changed his mid about wanting to die.

Shulk defeats Subby, but then tells him to evacuate the Atlanteans and leaps off shouting "Avengers Assemble". The crowd hear the impossible sound of thunder underwater, and a Wakandan submersible surveillance drone reports an underwater thunderstorm. We see that Thor is the cause. And Ghost Rider's chain drags the last of the Atlanteans out of the 'coliseum'.

The voiceover changes to an Avengers strategy session between T'Challa and Jennifer Walters. It turns out that they *planned* for her to be taken by the Winter Guard in order to find out what they wanted to use her for. Panther is worried because of what Jen has gone through recently:- 'Killed' by Thanos (Civil War II #1). Power boosted by the Celestials' Final Host (the 1st arc of this series). Taken over by the Cotati (during the Empyre event). Further empowered temporarily by the Phoenix Force (our previous arc). And now to be brainwashed in the Red Room. She-Hulk assures him she can take it. And it appears she was right.

She takes down the Spetsnaz and tackles Red Widow, who calls in backup and employs a failsafe measure - she injects herself with She-Hulk blood which reacts with the super-soldier serum she already has (which I'm pretty sure we didn't know about) to turn her into the Widow Hulk. Thor intercepts the backup - the Russian gods Chernobog and Perun. Winter Hulk beats up Widow Hulk and heads for the gamma bomb which looks like it's about to explode.

To be concluded next issue, along with apparently a lot else.

Review / Commentaries

Avengers #49 Review by Rob Johnson (October 15, 2021)

The Defenders Of The Deep have been frequent antagonists in this series since #9.

The Black Tide (originally the Swift Tide) previously appeared throughout the King In Black: Namor mini-series and in a couple of issues of King In Black itself.

The Sea Blades previously appeared in Invaders (2019) #1.

OctoPriests are new to me.

Igor Drenkov is mentioned as the creator of the gamma bomb. He was the spy who caused the US gamma bomb to go off prematurely turning Bruce Banner into the Hulk. He reappeared in a few other Hulk issues until being killed in the Hulk: Winter Guard 1-shot.

The super-sized next issue #50 is legacy #750. As well as a bonus Thor story and the end of the World War She-Hulk arc we're promised new team members and possibly the start of the next arc previewed in the 2021 FCBD Avengers/Hulk issue.

> Avengers comic book info and issue index

::: click cover to ENLARGE it :::

Excelsioring your collection:

KOTOBUKIYA BLACK PANTHER MOVIE BLACK PANTHER ARTFX STATUE

Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Jason Aaron

Javier Garron

David Curiel

Javier Garron (Cover Penciler)
Javier Garron (Cover Inker)
David Curiel (Cover Colorist)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Cory Petit.
Editor: Tom Brevoort. Editor-in-chief: C. B. Cebulski.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Avengers

Black Panther
(T'Challa)

Perun
(Lord of the Storm)

She-Hulk
(Jennifer Walters)

Sub-Mariner
(Namor McKenzie)

Thor
(Odinson)

Plus: Andromeda (Andromeda Attumasen), Chernobog, Defenders Of The Deep, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Gorilla-Man (Ken Hale), Red Widow.

The Marvel Heroes Library is a fan Marvel Comics site

Version 14.8.25 (Nov 22, 2024. VS22)

Characters are copyright © Marvel or their respective owners. All portions of this Marvel fansite that are subject to copyright are licensed under a creative commons attribution 3.0 unported license All rights reserved