Avengers #12: Review

Oct 1997

Walt Simonson, Michael Ryan

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Story Name:

Heroes Reunited Pt. 2/4: Shadow's End!

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #12 Synopsis by Kevin Hollander

Story continued from FANTASTIC FOUR Vol.2 #12.

The original Thor holds an authentic viking funeral for his twin, placing him on a traditional ship out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The Avengers and Nick Fury watch from the heli-carrier. Once Thor clears, Fury fires the main battery of the heli-carrier to destroy the remains.

Moments after Thor returns, an agent sends in an urgent report stating that the cosmic entity Galactus is coming to Earth. As if on cue, Dr. Doom appears to provide the full scope of information to the confused Avengers. He was able to use his chrono-square technology to leap backwards in time after Galactus already devoured the Earth. He has journeyed back in time hoping to give the world a second chance. If Earth's heroes happened to die in the line of duty, it will make it easier for Doom to take control of the planet.

Fury realizes that Doom may be right and dispatches the Avengers to confront the fourth herald headed for Hong Kong. The other three heralds have their own personal welcoming committee. The heli-carrier is headed for Los Angeles. The Fantastic Four are headed for Moscow. The Hulk is headed to the South Pole.

The Scarlet Witch and Ant-Man remain behind intent on finding a scientific method to combat Galactus and his heralds. As they make their way to his lab, Pym asks if the Scarlet Witch if the Enchantress is actually her mother. Wanda explains that it was part of her deception to recruit her to Loki's side.

When they arrive, Pym shows Wanda a new body he has constructed for the Vision. He inserts the personality chip that he extracted when he was trapped inside his previous body, reviving the android.

In Moscow, the Fantastic Four confront the Silver Surfer, protecting Galactus' conversion device (referred to as a capacitor) that has embedded itself in the ground. Reed manages to transfer a portion of the Surfer's cosmic power to Johnny which is then used to destroy the device. This proves to be a fruitless victory as Doom was able hack into a Russian nuclear missile site and launch a salvo at them, killing the Fantastic Four instantly. The Surfer survives and is puzzled by this development.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carrier arrives in Los Angeles and engages Plasma. When it becomes clear that they can't defeat this herald, Fury orders all personnel to abandon ship and crashes the heli-carrier into the capacitor, destroying it and Plasma.

The Hulk is met by the Vision and Scarlet Witch to combat Firelord in Antarctica. Although they destroy the capacitor, the Hulk receives extensive injuries caused by Firelord. He soon transforms back to Banner.

The remaining Avengers arrive in Hong Kong where they face off against Terrax. Hawkeye is the first to die, soon followed by Wasp. Despite the casualties and Thor's injuries, Terrax and the capacitor is destroyed,.

Doom sits in the basement of the Latverian embassy in New York, watching the arrival of Galactus. Doom prepares to fire the remaining Russian nuclear missiles at Galactus, but something malfunctions, destroying two-thirds of the country.

Across the world, the sacrifices of the heroes prove to be in vain as the capacitors reform and reactivate to assist Galactus in his efforts to devour the planet. Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man return to Avengers' Mansion for a final strike against Galactus. The dying Bruce Banner suggests that they destroy the gamma core and it will possibly pull Galactus into another dimension. Earth may be lost, but others worlds may be saved. Doom realizes the outcome of this plan and prepares to make another chronal leap backwards.

The Avengers return to their former headquarters. They soon discover that Thor's injuries prevent him from fully utilizing the power of his enchanted hammer. The Silver Surfer arrives and admits that he has gained a new respect for humanity since they have sacrificed so much and yet are willing to give more to save other worlds.

He heals the Asgardian and joins them in destroying the reactor which does exactly as Banner predicted. It creates a gravity well which pulls in the everything on Earth – including Galactus.

Story continued in IRON MAN Vol.2 #12.

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