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Avengers Forever #13

Jan 2023

Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder

Story Name:

Avengers Assemble part 5: The war of wars

Synopsis

Avengers Forever #13 synopsis by Rob Johnson

Rating:

The battle for Avengers Tower and the God Quarry continues as the multiversal Avengers defend the place against the multiversal Mephistos (the Council Of Red). Last issue the Earth-818 versions of Ant-Man (Tony Stark), Moon Knight and Vision discovered that some of the Mephistos were tunnelling down through the Quarry to get to the the 1st Firmament beneath from which they could conquer all the earlier multiverses. Meanwhile up above the 3 Goddesses Of Thunder arrived with Old Man Phoenix (Logan/Wolverine).

This issue begins with some flashbacks with more information about the new arrivals. 1st we learn that it was the Multiversal Masters Of Evil's Dark Phoenix (who in Avengers #64 we discovered was an alternate-reality Mystique) who killed Old Man Phoenix and scattered his body parts across the multiverse. (And it seems that she's from the same timeline as OMP, Earth-14412.) We previously saw the Goddesses Of Thunder roaming the multiverse collecting those parts along with versions of Thor's hammer Mjolnir from Earths where the MMOE had killed the Thunder God. Now we see them win Logan's head from a Mangog and then journey on in their skyship pulled by the Mjolnirs.

Now in the God Quarry AM, MK & V emerge on the surface to see OMP descending on the Mephistos with Phoenix Fire and wrath. The GOT Ellisiv is doing the voiceover for this issue. She describes her older sister Frigg leading multiversal Avengers into the fight, and her battle-loving younger sister Atli in the thick of it. The more philosophical Ellisiv remains on the ship, but now she releases all the Mjolnirs to descend on the Mephistos. She herself follows to add her mace to the mix.

Most of the Mephistos are killed and the rest flee. Thor, God Of Fists wants to pursue them but a Captain Marvel (the Carol Danvers from #9) thinks they must stay to defend the Tower. Ellisiv feels power in the rocks below and wonders if the Tower itself may not have been the target. Old Man Phoenix agrees that the Tower is just here to protect what lies below. Ant-Man now tells them that the Mephistos were digging downwards, and Captain Carter sends the Howling Commandos (alternate versions of Steve Rogers/Captain America) to check they're not still at it. (A scrawny 1 of the Steves has (successfully!) picked up a Mjolnir which he says was calling to him.)

Moon Knight (Mariama Spector) wants to help wounded Ant-Man to the Tower where the currently powerless Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) is monitoring things. But it suddenly gets scrunched by the arrival of Doom The Living Planet. And Doom Supreme, leader of what *was* the MMOE (decimated by the current and 1M BC Avengers in Av#63-64), sends his multiversal army of Dooms to take the Quarry. OMP and the Star Panther attack him but can't get through his mystical defences, and the multiversal Avengers include no sorcerers.

But help is at hand as Avenger Prime, master of the Tower, appears having escaped from the Mephistos who beset him (in Avengers Assemble Alpha). Now he reveals himself to be a Loki with the Amulet Of Agamotto on his brow. (As he says, you can't have an Avengers without a Loki to bring them together.)

Review / Commentaries

Avengers Forever #13 Review by Rob Johnson (January 20, 2023)

A well-orchestrated issue climaxing in an unexpected (at least by me) ending earns a 4.5/5.

The Mangog that we know was the combined hatred of an alien race that Odin for some reason slaughtered, and it came for revenge in Thor #154-157. It's popped up again several times, almost always in Thor comics. He was last seen in Thor (2020) #22-23 merged with Mjolnir as the God Of Hammers. The Mangog seen here is probably not that 1.

Mjolnir can only be lifted by someone worthy enough. Our Captain America has occasionally succeeded in doing that that, so the alternate Steve Rogers versions may be able to as well.

> Avengers Forever comic book info and issue index

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Jason Aaron

Aaron Kuder

Mark Farmer

Frank Martin

Aaron Kuder (Cover Penciler)
Aaron Kuder (Cover Inker)
Alex Sinclair (Cover Colorist)

Additional Credits

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

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Ant-Man
(Hank Pym)

Avengers

Captain Marvel
(Carol Danvers)

Ghost Rider
(Johnny Blaze)

Moon Knight
(Marc Spector)

Vision

Plus: Avenger Prime, Captain Carter (Peggy Carter), Council Of Red (Mephistos), Dark Phoenix (of MMOE), Doom Supreme, Doom The Living Planet, Goddesses of Thunder, Howling Commandos, Phoenix-Wolverine (Logan), Star Panther, Thor, God Of Fists.

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