Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Cannonball, Smasher and Sunspot were sent to investigate the suddenly-growing AIM Island, but never came back. The island has a supposedly-impenetrable forcefield, but now Captain America has arranged for Manifold to teleport heavy hitters Captain Marvel, Hyperion and Thor inside the defence to effect a rescue. The scientific city on the island has also evolved since Hyperion was there. (He was rescued in Avengers #4 by AIM after the death of his universe.)
Hordes of AIM warriors rise to meet the hovering trio, and battle commences. Hyperion in particular sees it as his duty to protect this world, because he failed to protect his own.
But eventually Hyperion quits the fight and enters the city to find the Auger which rescued him. He confronts the Scientist Supreme who reveals that they originally brought him here because he'd seen the death of a universe. Forson hoped that the experience would align him with AIM, (whose advancing science is now based on visions of the end of time as seen by the Entropic Man [as far as I understand it]).
The action is interspersed with flashbacks to Hyperion and Thor in the Savage Land watching over the zebra-striped children from the Origin Bomb that Hype took responsibility for in Av#12-13. Marcus is worried that he won't be able to protect the children from the future. Even before his world was destroyed he felt it dying from within, and he has the same feeling about this Earth.
The pair are alerted to what sounds like trouble and find the kids seemingly attacked by a giant warthog(?). But it turns out they have tamed the beast, and are now healing it of some injury (I think). Hype is cheered by the qualities of his charges. And Thor says that Marcus' experiences with the end of his world may help save this 1.
Back in the present Forson suggests that despite Hyperion's fighting among the Avengers (in eg the Infinity event) eventually he will find his destiny at odds with theirs, because the death of his universe has changed him. But the hero reacts by saying it has only made him fight more to oppose death, not embrace it.
And he destroys the Auger that gives AIM access to other timelines (and the 'space' between them). But the Scientist Supreme just says they'll create another 1 (in mere hours).
Then Marcus demands the release of the 3 captive Avengers. Forson appears to acquiesce as Smasher turns up. But Hyperion doesn't know that she has been transformed (#2) into an AIM agent called Messenger. And she grabs him and hurls him out through the forcefield. Then she locates the still-fighting Marvel and Thor, and does the same to them. And the strength of her toss is such that they each wind up in a totally different part of the globe.