Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Last issue, amongst other things, Billy Kaplan (Wiccan) cast a spell to bring to Earth-616 a living alternate version of Teddy Altman (Hulkling)'s Skrull foster-mom. But at the same time we heard the watching Kid Loki cast a runic spell. Teddy was overjoyed to see 'Mrs Altman' and thanked his boyfriend. Currently both boys are living with Billy's parents (separate bedrooms of course). But later Mrs Altman castigated the Kaplans for letting them have a relationship at all when they should be doing their school studies. And when the Kaplans argued back she smothered them in goo.
Now Billy comes in to wake Teddy who's lying in bed at nearly noon because he's scared to get up and discover that his mom was a dream. The go downstairs to find Mrs A making bacon & eggs while Jeff Kaplan is reading the paper (instead of his usual StarkPad) and Rebecca Kaplan is sewing. Mrs A tells her 'son' that he's got to stop his night-time superheroing because so many of the Young Avengers are dead. And the boys must give up their relationship, at least for a few decades. When Billy tries to interrupt she shushes him. And Mr & Mrs K just agree with whatever Mrs A says.
The boys exchange glances to agree that something is wrong. Teddy covers his ears as Wiccan tries to cast a spell but it doesn't work and drains him. Mrs A orders Billy to his 'room' which is a square white hole into nothingness which she creates. As the Kaplans carry their son towards it Mrs A tries to treat Teddy as if nothing's wrong. Until he Hulkling's out and punches her in the face, which turns to goo. He picks up Billy, grows wings and smashes his way out of the apartment. After they leave Mrs A casually reforms the broken window and wall.
Hulkling flies Wiccan to Avengers Mansion where they still have an open invitation. Billy explains what happened to a bunch of Avengers including Captain America and Scarlet Witch. His other mother Wanda Maximoff of course offers to sort it out. The next thing they know the Avengers are frogmarching them home and handing them over to the parents. Cap doesn't even blink when Mr & Mrs Kaplan goo the boys to a wall. When the heroes are gone the Kaplans throw the pair through the white square.
The next 2 pages each contain 9 blank white smaller-than-usual panels. Billy falls into the 1st page and lands in the 3rd panel. He spends the next 5 panels moaning that his powers won't get him out. Then a boot kicks in a corner of the last panel on the page. It's Kid Loki in the extra-wide guttering of the 2nd page who rescues Billy from its 1st panel. They creep along the top of the page and partway down the far side, along the top of the 2nd line of panels, down again and back across to the top of panel 8. As they do Loki explains that Wiccan let an interdimensional parasite into the world despite KL trying to stop him. He assures him that his parents will be alright, while listening at panels to try to detect Hulkling. Loki hears him in panel 8 and they get Teddy out. Panel 9 is Loki using a rune spell to get them all back to reality ...
... in a diner which Loki left without paying last issue to teleport to the Kaplan's building when Wiccan was casting his spell. He gets the boys to settle his tab with a big tip and then Loki explains that the creature pretending to be Mrs Altman goes looking for 'fledgling powerhouses' it can get its hooks into. After taking offence, as a pagan deity, of Billy using the name Wiccan he offers to help them but they must trust him. He leaves them to discuss it while he orders himself a snack. But when he returns he finds that Billy has remembered hearing a spell in Loki's language just as he cast his own. Suspicious Teddy uses some shapeshifter malleability to gag their 'friend' as he starts to speak his teleport spell. And they decide to take him to the other Asgardians ...
... in Asgardia floating above Broxton, Oklahoma. On the way Billy sees a missed text from Kate Bishop saying something about aliens (something else that happened last issue). But as they approach Asgardia a blue fireball descends from the World-Tree and turns into Loki's dad the Frost Giant Laufey (who Billy is sure is dead). Laufey's been looking for his errant son and prepares to thank the other 2 for bringing him, but in a threatening manner.