US Agent returns from visiting his parents' graves to find a large spacecraft hovering over Force Works HQ, and no signs of life or electric power inside. Then he sees aliens carrying Fisher Todd in a stasis-pod, and reporting to someone that they now have everyone.
Jack manages to reboot part of the base's computer system, and scans the latest available video logs. He sees Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) training, Scarlet Witch and Iron Man arguing, and the alien Century meditating. Wanda was angry that Tony keeps taking over despite putting her in charge of Force Works. And Century recognised the attackers, which fuels US Agent's distrust of him.
Jack fights off one of the aliens, and then finds more of them, all different species, surrounding pods containing his team-mates (except Century), Julia's daughter Rachel, and the support team Fisher Todd and Amanda Cheney. Now US Agent has to fight off all the aliens, under their team leader Skewer, until Century teleports in and rescues him.
Century ports them to a secret sub-basement he has just discovered while hiding from the aliens. US Agent is surprised to find equipment built by Timely, Wisconsin rather than Stark Enterprises. Century believes there are no entrances to this level, and only a teleporter like himself could get in.
Century tells Jack that the aliens are led by one called the Broker, who used to own him. Now the Broker has come to reclaim his property.
Later US Agent calls down the Broker and makes a deal, Century in exchange for the return of his friends. In the process Broker explains how a jewel on his hand controls brain-stem parasites that keep his alien horde 'loyal'. But when Century is handed over he turns out to be a hologram.
Jack and Century had got Plato the computer system running, on low power. Plato produced the hologram. Now in the confusion the real Century ports in and severs Broker's hand, sending it and the jewel into another dimension.
Broker's freed alien crew turn on him, but Century stops them from killing him. He decides to leave with them. They will fly each of the aliens to their homeworld. Meanwhile Century will try to get Broker to tell him of his own forgotten past.
This strand of the Crossing preludes leads to the first official crossover issue
AVENGERS: THE CROSSING.
Give that special marvelite a timely gift