Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue ended with Atlanteans attacking Los Angeles. This issue starts with Sub-Mariner called to a Cabal meeting By Norman Osborn (in his Iron Patriot armour), along with Dr Doom, Emma Frost, Hood and the female Loki.
Namor claims not to know what's happened so Norman shows video footage. Osborn says he knows that Atlantis has been destroyed and the Atlanteans dispersed around the world so that Namor is no longer in control (see the 2007 Sub-Mariner limited series). This was obviously a terrorist splinter group.
Doctor Doom interrupts to asks why *he* was called here for this. It has nothing to do with him. (Although after the destruction of Atlantis the Atlantean army moved to Latveria.) Osborn snarkily replies that if he hadn't invited him Doom would be asking why *not*.
Returning to the subject of the meeting Norman wants Subby to publicly denounce the terrorists then lead a team to kill them. All but 1 who will be brought back to show the public. Namor imperiously asks why he should do that. NO loses it and shouts "Because I told you to!" The others look at him guardedly, Loki with a smile because her plan to tip him over the edge is working (see Mighty Avengers #24). Norman calms down and repeats it quietly. But Prince Namor is now in full regal mode. He won't take orders from a human.
Osborn tries to talk sense into him. Namor needs help to rebuild his kingdom, and he shouldn't have a problem distancing himself from terrorists. But Namor argues back that the 'terrorists' were striking back against the surface humans who are destroying the planet that they share. And in retaliation for the destruction of Atlantis (a somewhat misleading claim since it was Subby himself who blew up the place). So he repeats his refusal.
Osborn gets the last word by suggesting Namor think about what Norman would give him in return. (Actually when they formed the Cabal Osborn only promised to *allow* Subby to rebuild Atlantean civilisation, not to help him do it.) He tells Sub-Mariner to reconsider and then walks out of the meeting.
Meanwhile Victoria Hand has got the Dark Avengers (at least Bullseye, Daken, Moonstone and Venom) up for a really early breakfast before heading to LA. But she notices Noh-Varr is missing. Bullseye drops very large obvious hints that Moonstone slept with Marvel Boy last night. Karla Sofen only admits that she knows he left the building.
Iron Patriot arrives to be told that Ares is on his way in from his home, and Noh-Varr is AWOL. This isn't improving Norman's mood so he demands to see the Sentry, who arrives in his own spectacular fashion. Patriot announces that he and Sentry will zoom to LA under their own power and the the 2nd wave can follow in a quinjet.
Hand insists on having a quiet word with her boss. As his right-hand person 1 of her jobs is to tell him when he's wrong. She believes he's been running himself ragged since he was given the big job, doing too many things himself. She strongly suggests he just send Sentry to do the job. After that they probably won't *need* the 2nd wave. Norman agrees and tells Bob Reynolds to go deal with the Atlanteans.
But before Bob leaves Osborn has a quiet word with *him*. He wants the Sentry to kill all the terrorists (except 1, as above). Hero Bob is chary about killing, even to avenge the deaths in LA. So Norman asks him to turn the job over to his less squeamish alter ego the Void, despite having spent earlier issues persuading Bob that the Void doesn't exist.
When Sentry flies over the scene of devastation in LA the Atlanteans have already gone. So he flies into the ocean following a trail and finds their undersea base. And it is the Void who destroys everything and everyone there - except 1 that he takes prisoner.
The media show Sentry bringing the Atlantean back and handing him over to H.A.M.M.E.R. troops. Osborn gets congratulations from the President and tells him that the prisoner is being interrogated. But we see that he gets thrown into a room with Venom. And we hear the sounds as Venom eats him.
Ares finally arrives as Osborn capitalises on the President's good mood by getting him to agree to funding a solution to the 'mutant problem'. Then he turns on Moonstone to try to get her to tell him why Marvel Boy has gone. (Karla *doesn't* tell him Noh-Varr left because last issue she told him the rest of the team were psycho-killers - up to then he thought they were all heroes.)
Afterwards Norman goes into a very secure room, the vault containing Iron Man's armours, and allows himself to collapse. He's fighting to stay in control, but his Green Goblin persona is growing in strength and confidence.