Synopsis
Free Comic Book Day 2009: Avengers #1 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
It's snowing in May in New York and Thor comes crashing down out of the sky in front of Spider-Man, mumbling that he's been beaten by someone who has returned with even more magic power than before. And Peter Parker sees a huge form in the blizzard. He decides the better part of valour is to call in the New Avengers.
His team (Captain America (Bucky Barnes) leading Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Mockingbird, Ms. Marvel, Ronin, Spider-Woman and Wolverine) assemble on a rooftop to view the monster. Ronin recognises it as the Norse ice-giant Ymir from his early days as Avenger Hawkeye. But he doesn't know how to defeat it because that time it was taken out by the Norse fire god Surtur.
Spidey swings in carrying unconscious Thor - and Ms Marvel flies the Thunder God to safety. Then Wolverine gets Cage to fastball special him into the air where he dives claws-1st into Ymir's head. The ice-giant is just made angry and turns his attentions on the out-powered Avengers - when its head explodes in a cloud of ice shards. And in its place flies the Sentry.
But if Sentry's here then *his* Dark Avengers team can't be far behind. Sure enough Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn) leads in Ares, Captain Marvel (really Marvel Boy), another Hawkeye (really Bullseye), another Ms Marvel (really Moonstone), another Spider-Man (really Venom/(Mac Gargan)) and another Wolverine (really his son Daken). They're here to take over, and also to arrest the vigilante New Avengers.
Ares too recognises their foe and warns both teams to keep clear. Destroying its head didn't actually hurt it (and that has already reformed). Ymir isn't a physical being he is an elemental force. And that elemental force sees Ares as an ally of Thor and attacks with a blast ...
... that transports all the Avengers (including Sentry and Wolverine, but not the absent Ms Marvel and Thor) to a snowy waste. Iron Patriot tries to contact his H.A.M.M.E.R. base but discovers that they're not in New York (or Kansas) anymore. Venom immediately attacks Spider-Man, and this sets the rest of their teams at each other's throats. Until IP tells them all to stop fighting, and gets Ares and Sentry to help rein in his side.
Ares points out that they can hazily make out the towers of NY. He claims that Ymir is merging his world with Earth, and has ejected them out of both. He also says that Thor and Odin previously kept the ice giant in control using the Twilight Sword - and so Ymir must have gained possession of it. And he walks off claiming to know where the Sword is.
Osborn takes Sentry and his Ms Marvel to the skies for aerial recon. Spider-Woman goes with them, and the rest walk after Ares. They come to a fairy-tale fortress where the God of War expected to find the Sword. And IP, MsM and Sentry are ejected out of it, followed by a horde of ice creatures. (SpW is back too.)
Battle is joined. But Ares heads into the castle with Iron Patriot, Luke Cage, Sentry and Spider-Man as backup. They find the Twilight Sword encased in ice. Ares says the Sword can't be destroyed so Ymir was just keeping it out of the hands of anyone who could use it against him. He sets about hacking at the ice with his axe. This alerts Ymir and his forces outside. Ares' 4 guards keep the ice hordes off him, joined by others from outside. The heroes are about to be overwhelmed when ....
.... they're all back in New York and Ares holds the Sword.
Norman Osborn demands the unregistered New Avengers surrender. Everyone's spoiling for a fight when the recovered Thor shows up with the real Ms Marvel. He gratefully takes the Twilight Sword off Ares and says he'll take it back to Asgard. He tells NO to let the NAv go or face his wrath. IP backs down - for now, and leaves with his DAv.
But there will have to be a real showdown between the 2 teams soon.