Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In the current day Iron Man, in the SHIELD subsea fleet, reviews the situation with the General who is his liaison with the US military. Atlantis has been destroyed by unknown means. The skeleton on the throne appears to be Sub-Mariner. The rest of the Atlanteans have disappeared, as has their prisoner Nitro (wanted for blowing up Stamford and starting the Civil War).
We now go back 5 days where Namor confronts Wolverine at the Xavier Institute in order to ask Prof X for help. Logan is worried that the guardian Sentinels will attack Subby because he's considered a terrorist after Atlanteans destroyed Bentonville. And the mutant students will get caught in the crossfire. So of course he attacks Namor.
They trade blows until Wolvie traps Subby in the swimming pool covered over by a force field. Not the wisest of moves. Reinvigorated Namor tunnels his way out, takes Logan into the air and smashes him back to the ground.
Charles Xavier interrupts the fun and takes Sub-Mariner indoors. He agrees to help Namor find the rogue Atlanteans responsible for the atrocity because he knows he's too honourable to have ordered it himself. He'll use the mutant-detecting Cerebra. (Prof X explains that this will work because Atlanteans are all mutants, as descended from humans who changed to become water-breathers.)
Cerebra detects Atlanteans at 13 places within the US. Xavier is shocked when Namor admits that 12 of them are known to him. Charles believed that the Atlanteans had recalled all their sleeper cells after 1 was discovered in Civil War: Front Line. The unauthorised 13th cell is in Seattle. Namor produces the Atlantean artefact he discovered in Bentonville last issue and asks Prof X to use it to let Cerebra home in closer on its owner. But angry Xavier refuses, and angry Sub-Mariner stalks out.
On the way out 2 Sentinels with human operators try to arrest him. He takes his frustration out on them and then flies off.
In Seattle the 3-man 13th cell are emptying a refuse truck to use to transport equipment. The large member of the team, who we now learn is called Krakos, deals with a local objection. Later they're in the Space Needle from which they intend to watch their next terrorist action.
Tony Stark and Maria Hill are still with the SHIELD fleet blockading Atlantis. Since Sub-Mariner broke out last issue it's all been quiet, and they wish they knew what was going on.
And inside Atlantis a revolutionary group meets. When Kamar's sleeper cell strikes in Seattle they will rise up and take the city. Meanwhile Argos stirs the loyal troops to be ready to resist any coup attempt.
Prince Namor is flying away from the Westchester school when he's hit by a ray which brings him crashing to the ground unable to breathe. The ray is from a gun which fires nanotech spores which suck the oxygen out of his blood. And it was fired by Venom, the Thunderbolts member sent by the Government last issue.
Venom continues to torture Subby with blasts from the gun. And then rips off 2 of his ankle wings, from the inner sides of the ankles.