New Avengers #31: Review

Jun 2007

Brian Michael Bendis, Leinil Francis Yu

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Story Name:

Revolution (part 5)

Review & Comments

Rating:

New Avengers #31 Review by Rob Johnson (March 16, 2024)

Like #28-30 this issue is bannered as part of the Initiative event but has nothing to do with it.

Albert Deschesne and Richard Starkings shared the lettering as usual.

Wong, Jessica Jones and baby Danielle Cage will have to wait until #33 for the team to come home because next issue will all be set in the flight back to the US

But before that the team and Skrull-Elektra's body will appear in a flashback in Daredevil vol 2 #112 which shows how the revelation triggers a Hand story that will play out in those DD issues.

This is the 1st indication of the Skrull infiltration that culminates in Secret Invasion.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

New Avengers #31 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

This is the final part of the 'Revolution' story arc which began in #27 where the New Avengers rescued Maya Lopez (Echo and more recently Ronin) from Elektra's Hand in Japan. But #28-30 didn't advance that plot very much, just having the team hide out with Silver Samurai's Clan Yoshida until the Hand tracked them down and Elektra revealed that Maya had been brainwashed into serving her and Lopez then stabbed Dr Strange.

Most of those 3 issues was taken up with a flashback to an earlier conflict with the NAv (who were now sheltering in Dr Strange's magically disguised Sanctum) vs Iron Man's Mighty Avengers. They also a got a message from Maya asking for help, along with her Ronin costume. Then the supposedly-dead Hawkeye turned up last issue to join the team and adopted the Ronin costume as a disguise. And the flashbacks segued into #27.

Now in the Sanctum Wong is with Jessica Jones and her baby Danielle Cage as they anxiously wait for her husband Luke Cage and the rest of the team to return from Japan. Instead the Orb Of Agamotto shows an image of Wong's master Dr S stabbed through the chest. Our view widens out to the continuing NAv vs Hand ninjas battle. Iron Fist is fighting Maya while Cage is tackling Elektra while Wolverine slashes with his adamantium claws and Spider-Woman flies around zapping folk. Luke calls to his friend Danny Rand to use his fist of power to cause a mini-earthquake to knock a horde of foes off their feet. Black-costumed Spider-Man is forced to retreat out through a window only to find more ninjas outside where Ronin (Clint Barton) joins him in fighting and banter. Elektra sets Cage on fire.

Stephen Strange is still lying fatally injured but he's in contact with Wong. He says that the Hand's dark magic has trapped his astral form. But the sorcerer and his manservant jointly recite a spell from the Book Of Karkuthi which frees his astral body (and also seems to allow his Earthly body to remove the impaling dagger and start to stand). An astral spell sends many of the Hand to sleep. Danny's still having a 1-on-1 fight with Maya, trying to get her to throw off the Hand's enchantment. Astral Strange joins in and they break Lopez free.

As she recovers Maya hears Danny tell Stephen that the Hand will only stop fighting if Elektra tells them to. She picks up a sword and forces her way towards Luke and Elektra. Elektra turns towards her as she senses Maya's approach. But Maya plunges the sword through her vitals and Elektra falls.

The fighting stops and the Hand retreat, leaving the heroes to stare at Elektra's body which has turned into a Skrull oozing green blood.

And in the Sanctum 3 folk can relax.

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