Jim Rhodes faces an alien monster in the alien suit of armour he found last issue. At his merest thought the suit launches 4 attack drones. He also automatically knows how to fly, and activate the armour's senses.
After a pause to make sure the unconscious woman Skye is safe, Rhodey leaps into an extended battle with the dragon.
Menawhile in LA Jim's compatriot's at Worldwatch are holding a birthday party for Sheva Joseph at the Planet Hero restaurant. There she runs into Jim's girlfriend Rae LaCoste, who hasn't heard from him in a while.
Back at Matlin Lake Rhodes thinks he's killed the monster. He wills the armour to disappear inside him. And finds his body marked with tattoos.
Skye has awakened, and now reveals herself not to be the government agent she claimed to be, but actually from outer space. She tells Jim that she had led him to the armour, and now the tattoos nark him as a warrior of the Eidolon. The dragon, called a Lictor, was sent to test him. (Skye says she never dreamt her masters would use something as deadly as that.)
At this point Hawkeye, also previously unconscious, joins them. Skye refuses to say any more while Clint is around. But the tense situation is interrupted by the recovered dragon erupting from the lake. However Rhodes calls up the armour again, and really kills it this time.
Hawkeye leaves, heading for the Avengers reunion he's heard about (in Avengers: The Crossing). Jim and Skye start to drive to LA, and Skye promises to explain everything.
Back in LA Sheva leaves her party and briefly finds herself back in 1970.
This strand of the Crossing preludes leads to the first official crossover issue
AVENGERS: THE CROSSING.
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