Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue Iron Lad, the leader of what the press are calling the Young Avengers, told Captain America, Iron Man and Jessica Jones his origin as the 30th Century teen who will grow up to be Kang The Conqueror but who has come to the 21st Century to avoid that fate. He finished by explaining how he found the remains of the Vision at Stark Industries. Now, here in the ruins of Avengers Mansion, he projects a hologram of the synthezoid and says he downloaded Vizh's OS and data files into his armour.
They hear a very loud thump outside which Iron Lad fears is Kang coming for him. But they rush out to see a giant-sized Cassie Lang lying unconscious. She's surrounded by the other 3 Young Avengers (Asgardian, Hulkling and Patriot) and a female in a bridesmaid dress. They explain that Cassie got angry because the YA wouldn't let her into the Mansion to get the things belonging to her dead father Scott Lang/Ant-Man. And then she grew and passed out. Cassie wakes up confused. She doesn't know how she grew but the bridesmaid calms her down and gets her to think small ... which works.
The Avengers usher everyone inside the Mansion. Iron Man takes Cassie up to her dad's room while Cap and Jess quiz the others. Iron Lad introduces Asgardian, Hulkling and Patriot as his team, and the girl as the young woman who saved their lives at the cathedral (#1). She says it seems the YA don't allow supergirls in. IL protests that Cassie Lang was missed out because she wasn't part of the Avengers Failsafe Program. Cap's never heard of this so Iron Lad has to do some more explaining.
Apparently Vision created it as a source of young replacements if the Avengers were taken off the board. IL displays a list of names and a map of the US with places marked. He thinks they all have some tie to an Avenger or Avengers history, though Hulkling says they don't know what the connections *are*.
Asgardian proposes revealing their real names and maybe Captain America can help unravel the mystery. Patriot doesn't want to divulge his secret identity, and puts up the weak argument that the non-Avenger bridesmaid shouldn't have this knowledge. This triggers a continuation of the argument between the 2 of them because Patriot won't admit that she was actually the hero(ine) of the cathedral affair. But Cap interrupts to say it's all over the news how Kate Bishop disarmed 1 of the gunmen. Satisfied she leaves the room.
Asgardian says he's Billy Kaplan and describes his family situation. Jessica asks if his power is to generate electricity. He creates some with his hand, but gives her a vague answer. Hulkling is 16-yr old Teddy Altman and his power is super-strength (but we'll find out in later issues that it's more than that). He says that they don't know where their powers come from, but Patriot knows the source of *his*.
The other YAer is still reluctant to come clean if as he suspects Cap is going to shut the group down. Cap can't deny it, but asks why he's wearing a uniform like Bucky's. Patriot says it's to respect the *1st* Captain America, the *black* Captain America, his grandfather Isaiah Bradley (see the Truth: Red, White & Black mini-series). And he takes off his mask to reveal an African-American teen.
So at that point we switch to Cassie Lang and Iron Man. Cassie has donned an Ant-Man outfit. She admits that she's been sneaking doses of the size-changing Pym particles from her dad for years, but they've never had any effect until now. She searches for his Ant-Man helmet but Tony Stark takes off *his* helmet and says he's taken that and other Ant-Man tech for safe-keeping. He tells her she can't have it to become Ant-Girl. It's too dangerous.
And he also confesses that he blames himself for Scott's death. *He* founded the Avengers but it got too big and out of control. There were clashes within the team over the years (eg Stark's Armour Wars) which culminated in Scarlet Witch losing control and killing Vision, Hawkeye and Ant-Man. Which was why he chose to disband the Avengers. Tony now begs Cassie to give up the dream. He's already lost Scott, he doesn't want to lose her too.
Back in the other room Steve Rogers says he knows the story of Isaiah Bradley. How the super-soldier serum that gave Cap his powers was tried on a platoon of black soldiers, and Isaiah was the only survivor. But he also knows that Isaiah's daughter Sarah Gail was born before he underwent the treatment, so his grandson couldn't have inherited the powers. Patriot says he once needed a large blood transfusion, and his grandfather's blood type matched.
They are now interrupted by another loud thump, but Iron Man enters with Cassie to say it wasn't her this time.. The real culprit smashes through a wall. Some of them recognise it as a huge Growing Man from various documented adventures demanding to see the master. Hulkling leaps up and punches it in the face just as Cap warns him that will make it grow even larger. But instead the android starts to shrink ... and turns into a horde of knee-high versions still calling for their master.
Young Kang finally realises these are like the Stimuloid he invented at school (see last issue). He tells Asgardian to use his *other* powers to hold them back. Billy Kaplan produces a force which pushes the little Men back in a circle. Iron Lad takes to the sky and removes his helmet to announce "I am Kang. I am your master." But as he suspected this causes them all to send a beam into the sky which he says is a signal to the real Kang. They'd better prepare for his coming.
Iron Man says they'll start training the youths, including Cassie. 1st he wants them to show him what they can do in the training room without their special equipment (eg Iron Lad's armour, Asgardians staff). But then they discover they've been locked in and the Avengers are going to call their parents (good luck on that with Iron Lad). While Cap, IM and Jess justify their actions to each other the real Kang *does* arrive.