Synopsis
Avengers Assemble (2012 series) #3 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
5 members of the new Zodiac, in their power-forms, have come to reclaim the Ultimate Nullifier that the Avengers kept from Taurus last issue. The scene is the SHIELD helicarrier with the Avengers-from-the-movie including Hulk, plus Maria Hill and a skeleton crew.
Leo throws Hulk out of the carrier as Black Widow runs off to keep the Nullifier out of the hands of the villains, chased by Aquarius. (Widow being chased through the helicarrier - haven't we seen that in some film somewhere?) That leaves Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces and Virgo to fight Captain America, Hawkeye and Thor. Tony Stark tries to buy the villains off, but only to give him time to manifest the Extremis armour from within his body. Then Hulk leaps back in, and leaps out again taking Leo with him. And Libra and Thor take their fight out to deck of the carrier.
Down on the ground Hulk beats Leo to a pulp, causing him to have a heart attack and lose his power-form. The essence of the power rises into the air, to be detected by Iron Man as it passes. He deduces that the villains' powers are being transmitted to them.
Stark goes to the carrier's armoury to get some equipment. There he finds Hill and 2 SHIELD agents in search of weaponry, and Natasha with the Nullifier. They also find Nick Fury's old flying car. Widow and the agents attack the villains in the car. But it is Iron Man who ends the fight with a sonic blaster which disrupts the power beam and robs them of their powers.
Then Thanos arrives to reveal himself as Zodiac's backer.