Force Works #15: Review

Sep 1995

Dan Abnett, Jim Cheung

Story Name:

Lost & found

Review & Comments

Rating:

Force Works #15 Review by Rob Johnson (April 5, 2012)

This is an unofficial prelude to the Crossing crossover. I (and the Iron Man Index) place it after Iron Man #319 because Century is in that issue, and leaves for space here. However there is no mention of the meeting Stark arranges in #319 for The Crossing 1-shot. The spaceship is the one that has been leaving a wake of destruction through space in the last 2 issues. Century arrived in #1 with very little memory intact. He didn't remember the Broker until this confrontation caused that memory to surface. Timely Wisconsin and the secret sub-basement are elements of the Crossing crossover that Force Works joins next issue. The Citizen Kang crossover which started in Captain America Annual #11 revealed that Kang founded Timely Industries. And Kang will later be revealed as the villain behind the Crossing. We will find that Kang has been partially controlling Iron Man, and caused this basement to be built. We will learn during the Crossing that his forces use portals to travel through time. One such portal is in this basement.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Force Works #15 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

This prelude to the Crossing continues from IRON MAN #319.

US Agent returns from visiting his parents' graves to find a large spacecraft hovering over Force Works HQ, and no signs of life or electric power inside. Then he sees aliens carrying Fisher Todd in a stasis-pod, and reporting to someone that they now have everyone.

Jack manages to reboot part of the base's computer system, and scans the latest available video logs. He sees Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter) training, Scarlet Witch and Iron Man arguing, and the alien Century meditating. Wanda was angry that Tony keeps taking over despite putting her in charge of Force Works. And Century recognised the attackers, which fuels US Agent's distrust of him.

Jack fights off one of the aliens, and then finds more of them, all different species, surrounding pods containing his team-mates (except Century), Julia's daughter Rachel, and the support team Fisher Todd and Amanda Cheney. Now US Agent has to fight off all the aliens, under their team leader Skewer, until Century teleports in and rescues him.

Century ports them to a secret sub-basement he has just discovered while hiding from the aliens. US Agent is surprised to find equipment built by Timely, Wisconsin rather than Stark Enterprises. Century believes there are no entrances to this level, and only a teleporter like himself could get in.

Century tells Jack that the aliens are led by one called the Broker, who used to own him. Now the Broker has come to reclaim his property.

Later US Agent calls down the Broker and makes a deal, Century in exchange for the return of his friends. In the process Broker explains how a jewel on his hand controls brain-stem parasites that keep his alien horde 'loyal'. But when Century is handed over he turns out to be a hologram.

Jack and Century had got Plato the computer system running, on low power. Plato produced the hologram. Now in the confusion the real Century ports in and severs Broker's hand, sending it and the jewel into another dimension.

Broker's freed alien crew turn on him, but Century stops them from killing him. He decides to leave with them. They will fly each of the aliens to their homeworld. Meanwhile Century will try to get Broker to tell him of his own forgotten past.

This strand of the Crossing preludes leads to the first official crossover issue AVENGERS: THE CROSSING.