Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Captain Marvel remembers his death, and being content to be dead. But now he has been dragged back to life by some Kree. And he imagines his long-time enemy Thanos laughing. Thanos, who has himself died a couple of times and was always dying to return. But he's glad to be back because of the mission he's been given by the Kree.
He's met up with Ms Marvel and Protector of the Avengers away team, who secretly also have a Kree-based agenda. And the 1st thing he does is kiss Ms Marvel.
Last issue the Avengers team tried to capture the Phoenix Force but failed, leaving some of them injured. Captain Britain and the recovering Thor watch as Beast uses a defibrillator to restart James Rhodes' heart.
Last issue also Brian Braddock endangered the mission by rushing in without thinking. Beast told him off. Now Thor tries to restore his confidence by saying he did what he thought was right.
But the pep talk is interrupted by the Kree 3 bursting through a wall, knocking Captain Britain out. Thor attacks the person he believes is impersonating Captain Marvel, but Mar-Vell's cosmic awareness allows him to best the wounded god. The fight spills into the sick bay where CM finds 2 more of his erstwhile Avenging friends and partners:- Beast and Vision. But his allegiance is now to the Kree, so he regretfully beats them too. Meanwhile Ms Marvel and Protector render Valkyrie unconscious.
The 3 attackers take Captain Britain, Valkyrie and War Machine with them. As they leave the Avengers spacecraft, on the ground on the Kree capital planet Hala, Captain Marvel turns back and blows it up. However Beast, Thor and Vision have been left on a rocky ledge nearby, and so aren't killed.
In the capital city the Kree Supreme Intelligence announces that Captain Marvel has returned from the dead to redeem himself for his past traitorous actions and help the Kree to their ascension to Lords of the Cosmos. He claims that Mar-Vell has already stopped the Avengers from diverting the Phoenix away from Hala (a misleading account of last issue's action), and is now bringing the survivors to be executed. But actually his words are being dictated to him by the Minister we saw last time.
Vision picks up this transmission. He tells his compatriots that the Kree aren't evacuating before the threat of the Phoenix Force. Rather they are welcoming it. He also says he detects some sort of emission.
James Rhodes wakes up with the other 2 captives in a cage. Brian and Valkyrie tell him he's too injured to move, his War Machine armour has been blown up with their spaceship, and they're going to be executed. And the Phoenix will be here within hours.
Captain Marvel and Ms Marvel are sharing an intimate drink. Mar-Vell says he remembers dying of cancer, but now the Phoenix has frozen the cancer's growth. (He was resurrected with the power of the Phoenix Force last issue.) Carol Danvers in turn remembers listening to tapes he made before he died, trying to leave his thoughts to be remembered by as well as his deeds. She says she loved him as a dear friend before, But now they kiss again as the Phoenix appears in the sky, watched over a monitor by the Minister.
Vision and Thor carrying Beast fly towards the capital. Vision hopes he can do something about the emission which is brainwashing the Kree to welcome the arrival of the Phoenix Force. He seems to do it just by talking to a crowd of them, who immediately come to their senses.
But he is interrupted by Captain Marvel blasting him from the sky. Marvel then attacks Thor while Ms Marvel and Protector try to talk Beast into coming quietly. Thor doesn't hold back because he believes this Captain is an imposter. But his injuries from last issue allow CM to overcome him.
However Marvel is shocked by what happens next, as Kree soldiers mow down the civilians that Vision had affected.