Synopsis
Last issue Jonas Harrow and Chemistro cancelled the superpowers of (most of) the New Avengers in Times Square causing them also to not feel very well. They did this as a demonstration to gain the attention of Norman Osborn. He turned up as Iron Patriot with his Dark Avengers. Harrow offered to give Osborn the power-draining technology in return for a deal with Harrow and the rest of Hood's gang that would cut out Hood. Osborn turned him down so Harrow de-powered the DAv and used his hacking skills to strip Norman of the Patriot armour. Osborn was left facing a large contingent of Hood's gang.
6 NAv are strewn around the square. Somewhat sexistly the 4 men are groggily awake but Ms. Marvel is still unconscious and Spider-Woman keeps fading in and out of awareness. Ronin, who was voted leader in #51, blames himself for leading them into this. Spider-Man just doesn't want to die in front of his arch-foe Norman Osborn. Luke Cage is still having a heart attack and wants to live to see his child grow up. Captain America (Bucky Barnes), whose cyborg arm is now giving him agony, realises (correctly) that Hood's men are probably using the power drainer that the NAv tried to use against *them* in #50, which they stupidly left (broken) on the field of battle. (And Harrow has mended and enhanced it.)
All the members of Hood's gang from last issue are still surrounding them, plus we also see Griffin, Living Laser and Shockwave. Wrecker is their spokesman and he repeats Harrow's offer - the power drainer in return for a direct deal with Osborn. And they'll throw in the NAv as a sweetener. But he warns Norman that some of the men don't trust him and would rather kill him for street cred, so he'd better agree quickly. NO demands his armour back as a pre-condition for negotiating. Dirk Garthwaite is presumably in contact with Jonas and agrees, and Harrow allows the IP armour to re-form.
Now remote Harrow can communicate with Osborn directly (which is presumably why he agreed to the armour). Norman asks Jonas why he should trust him. Harrow effectively says it's *they* who will be trusting Osborn. They currently have him and the DAv at their mercy and haven't harmed them. They will be giving him their weapon. And Jonas will show Norman how to prevent his armour being hacked again. And lots of other stuff about the Stark armour (it's an old Iron Man suit) he doesn't know. After also establishing his right to slap down any gang member who annoys him, Osborn agrees.
Harrow gives him back control of the armour, and turns off the power drainer. The DAv start to recover as Iron Patriot confirms that the deal is on. The gang's 1st job is to watch while the DAv Spider-Man (Mac Gargan - Venom) eats the NAv version.
But before that can happen Ares alerts IP to an incoming quinjet. Osborn calls for Sentry to meet it, but he's told Sentry is still down (and probably still reverted to Bob Reynolds which is what the power drainer did to him last issue). So Patriot decides to tackle it himself, but bounces off the plane (or maybe a force field, but it had a metallic 'tang' sound-effect). Weapons-fire scatters the DAv and other villains, the quinjet lands and Mockingbird emerges to tell her teammates to get in. (Not having superpowers (but what about Ronin?) she was the only 1 unaffected last issue. Wrecker hit her out of the Square but now she's back to save the day.)
Cap helps Cage to the plane while Ronin crawls there. Spider-Man picks up unconscious Ms Marvel while now-fully-conscious Spider-Woman holds off baddies with her venom blasts. The quinjet takes off and Iron Patriot gives chase, but Spidey drops out of the plane to confront his nemesis in midair. He sends Osborn crashing into a building and then web-spins back to the jet. Hawkeye (Bullseye) gives chase on his flying platform but Cap's shield knocks him off. The plane vanishes and the DAv Ms Marvel (Moonstone) figures they have a cloaking device. But Daken (son of Wolverine) says he can track them by scent.
Meanwhile in Cuba last issue female Loki led Hood and Madame Masque to the Asgardian Norn Stones. In #54 she promised to give him something to replace the demonic power he lost then. Now we hear again the explanation that the Stones will give him whatever power he desires. Whitney Frost doesn't trust her, but Parker Robbins has needs and accepts. His power manifests as he fires 1 of his guns, and the bullet blows up a wall.
The New Avengers are now all fully recovered except Luke Cage who is still suffering from a heart attack. They take him to the Night Nurse (Linda Carter) who specialises in patching up superheroes. She tells them all (except for some reason Ms Marvel) to leave her to deal with the problem. In the waiting room Mockingbird has never heard of Night Nurse (well she was a prisoner of the Skrulls for a long time until Secret Invasion) which gives the others the chance to tell her (and us) about her. Spidey adds that she dated Dr Strange (see #34).
Carter tells Carol Danvers Luke needs a heart specialist. But they will also need to find a way through his unbreakable skin (his superpowers have come back). They need Harrow's power drainer to turn Cage's powers back off.
At this point Iron Patriot arrives outside with the DAv and lots of H.A.M.M.E.R. forces to arrest the NAv. Carol tells the others the problem, and Spider-Man says they have to surrender for Luke's sake to get Osborn to save Cage with the power drainer. Cap and MsM each volunteer to surrender on their own while everyone else escapes. But Luke has woken up and staggers out himself, with his drip-feed. And collapses at Iron Patriot's feet.