Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Robbie Reyes drives his demonic Hell Charger across an ocean while having a phone conversation with his little brother Gabe, who he's left safely in Black Panther's after-school program. Robbie has told Gabe he's going to a new job for a trial period, but he hasn't told Gabe the job is as an Avenger because his brother doesn't know he's Ghost Rider.
The new Avengers HQ turns out to be Avengers Mountain at the North Pole, which is mainly a Celestial. The security system lets him inside through a canal tunnel and he drives his car ashore next to a boat and a submarine(?) to be greeted by Captain America who checks he did his High School homework (on the way here while the car drove itself). Cap builds up the teen's confidence by reminding Robbie that he controlled a dead Celestial to help defeat the Final Host of Celestials (#6). But then he takes him down a peg with a blow from his shield, and thus commences a training duel between Steve Rogers and the Ghost Rider.
A flashback to several days ago takes us to the end of #6. The dead Celestials are alive again and the Final Host are defeated. Thor confronts his brother Loki in chains. But Loki is laughing and claims that he caused the conflict with the Host to bring the new Avengers team together. (Like he triggered the founding of the original Avengers, and (disguised as Scarlet Witch) created Henry Pym's Mighty Avengers during Dark Reign (MAv#21).) And he showed the superheroes their true origin as a 'cosmic infection', and now warns them of a greater threat from outside the multiverse(?) that will lay them low ... and mankind will thank the enemy for it. Thor is just interested in taking his brother to justice in Asgard. But the Celestials take Loki out of his hands.
Then the space-gods prepare to do something else. And Robbie Reyes, who was melded with a Celestial earlier, can tell what they intend. They raise the body of the Progenitor, the Celestial whose death gave birth to life on Earth, from beneath the polar ice cap. They set him on his feet, encrusted in ice, and leave the body to be the new home for the Avengers.
Now Tony Stark and T'Challa survey what Wakandan architects and Alpha Flight technicians have done with the place. There is a central 'spinal lift'. At the top is a penthouse which Black Panther has claimed for his own. But he challenges Tony to take it from him by defeating the security system.
She-Hulk reverted to Jennifer Walters after the Final Host affair, but she feels different than before. Doctor Strange has examined her and tells her the diagnosis. As a Hulk she has always been full of gamma radiation, but now her gamma content is *much* greater, and she can release it in blasts of energy. She also appeared less intelligent as She-Hulk, although Jennifer claims she was still in control. (This all seems to be since her contact with the dying Celestial Eson in #2)
Stephen Strange recommends more tests before she goes on active duty. Jen gets angry and says she worked too hard recently to regain control (ie over her post Civil War grey version) to give in now. She views her enhanced power as a plus, but Strange notices that her grip as melted her fingermarks into a table.
Just at that moment Thor passes by on a quest to find a lavatory in this maze of a 'building'. Jennifer invites him to use the bathroom in her quarters. They exit left.
Stephen meets up with T'Challa and they comment on the relationship between She-Hulk and Thor. (They kissed in #4 and again in #6.) Strange prepares to leave on his own business but offers to be on call if the Avengers need him. Panther says they've used Celestial tech to set up a network of global teleport links, and they'll put 1 in his Sanctum Sanctorum if Stephen wishes.
Carol Danvers and Tony Stark are down in a subsea level, with whales swimming outside the window. There's still tension between them over Civil War II and Captain Marvel wants to get back to Alpha Flight. But Tony asks her to stay in the Avengers. They can keep each other in line. She agrees but only if the team's a democracy - the Big 3 (Cap, Iron Man and Thor) don't run it. Stark agrees to that, but then spoils it by bringing up the sexual tension he claims exists between them. CM punches him through a wall.
Meanwhile in the Antarctic a Roxxon Corporation whaling vessel is boarded by Atlanteans. The Roxxon troops respond with instant gunfire.
Back in the Arctic the Big 3 tell T'Challa that he's been elected chairperson. Black Panther wonders whether it's politically wise to have the King of Wakanda leading a US/international team. But anyway they hold the 1st official team meeting with an empty 8th chair. BP announces Dr Strange's reserve status and says they'll use the opportunity to add a temporary 8th member for specific missions. They have a global trouble-tracking system which at that moment alerts them to the Antarctic situation. They head out in quinjet and Hell Charger.
On the Roxxon ship they have the dead Atlanteans strung up, but they've lost contact with their whaling submarines. Suddenly a giant tentacle pulls 1 of the troopers off the deck. And King Namor the Sub-Mariner boards the vessel bent on revenge.