Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The U.S. Avengers are at the defence of Washington as Hydra attack. But Red Hulk has been sabotaged by an A.I.M. (good guys now) Agent secretly working for Hydra - and the bad guys now control his actions, and at the end of last issue they made him attack Iron Patriot.
But they don't control his mind or voice, and even as he rips 1 of IP's arms off he's telling her to create a force field round his head to cut off his oxygen supply. Toni Ho occupies only the torso of this extra-large armour, so *her* arm isn't damaged. But most of her systems are down. She eventually manages to fire a concussion cannon at him (all her armament is non-lethal, at least in intent).
Enigma and Squirrel Girl are fighting Hydra soldiers whose weapons seem designed to hurt *them* specifically. (We see Wasp (Nadia Pym) flying past to remind us that there are lots of other superheroes in this battle, and later Hulk (Amadeus Cho), Ms Marvel, Spider-Man and Vision cameo.) Enigma asks Patriot (over a comms link) how this is possible, and Toni says in Aikku's case this can only mean they've had studied AIM's file on her. And the only people with such access are Toni, their boss Citizen V/Roberto Da Costa and Director of SHIELD Steve Rogers.
They get the answer as Captain America reveals himself to be the leader of Hydra too, flanked by his lieutenants Doctor Faustus, Arnim Zola, Baron Zemo, Hive, Kraken and Viper.
Toni Ho quickly formulates a plan to save as much of the team as she can. She gets Enigma to hold on to Squirrel Girl. Then she remotely activates a function of Aikku Jokinen's armour that appears to blow them both up, but actually sends them elsewhere. And as Rulk rips her other arm off and Hydra move in to arrest her Toni cues General Maverick to go along with the idea that the other 2 are dead.
As Maverick drags Iron Patriot to whatever awaits them, and Hydra Agents take prisoner the AIM people who *weren't* secretly on their side, he demands to know what's happened to Da Costa.
Meanwhile near Saturn a pair of space scavengers are collecting valuable scales from the Chitauri dragon ship we saw blow up last issue. They also pick up the floating body of Cannonball.
Elsewhere turns out to be Paris, France, in midair. Enigma didn't know her armour could teleport, but Doreen Green works out what Toni Ho did. Aikku's suit can make her intangible, but it automatically keeps her synchronised to the current place. Otherwise she might sink into the Earth as it moved through space. So Toni must have switched that part off, and they've phased through the Earth. And now they're still intangible but the synching is back on, which is why they're hovering peacefully in the sky.
Enigma lowers them to the ground, and it's suddenly not peaceful anymore. Hydra are here too and try to arrest them. But these guys don't have specially tuned weapons. Enigma makes short work of the troops until they fire a sonic cannon at her. But Squirrel Girl uses her superstrength to tip the cannon truck over. Unfortunately a Hydra flying craft attacks next - and *that* guy recognises them and does know how to get past Enigma's defences.
But then he has his own problems as Ares appears from nowhere to break the plane with his godly axe. Doreen is confused because the last she heard he'd been killed (torn in half).
But Ares is not the only member of the local Resistance. We meet others of the Champions of Europe - Outlaw, Captain Britain, Guillotine, Le Peregrine and Excalibur.
Back in the US Toni Ho has been taken out of her armour and Red Hulk has been gagged to shut him up (Hydra still control his body). They are taken to the Schoolhouse where they will learn to love Hydra. (We see the Troubleshooters (Philip Voght, Jim Tensen, Indigo and Spitfire) from the Ultimates in other cells.) Toni is put in a cell with Roberto. We saw him shot in the head last issue but he's still alive with a bandaged head. The guard says he'll die soon, and then Toni will have the room to herself.