Synopsis
After the Blood Hunt event Captain America (Steve Rogers) gathered a large Avengers Emergency Response Squad (AvengERS) based in Avengers Mansion. They've noticed that while they were dealing with emergencies the Serpent Society was using the chaos as cover for strange robberies. But another result of Blood Hunt was that Dr Doom gained the power of the Sorcerer Supreme and he's sealed Latveria off with a barrier.
Now team members Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and Photon detect something happening at 1 spot on the border that is causing shock waves in neighbouring Attania, Puternicstan and Serbia. It's Victorious, gifted by Doom with Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic but condemned to wear a metal mask after she fell from grace. She's stuck outside and trying to get in.
Currently also in the Mansion are Lightspeed and Night Thrasher watching Unlimited Class Wrestling, She-Hulk telling actor Wonder Man that he can't disguise his tells (at poker?), and Lightning and Wasp discussing mutant fashion designer Jumbo Carnation. Captain America and Shang-Chi are out in New York investigating a Serpent theft of shavings from a wax dummy (that presumably happened behind the scenes last issue). And Monica Rambeau reports that there's a break-in at an abandoned mine in Attania so Shang uses his 10 Rings to teleport him and Cap there while Monica leads a team to deal with Victorious.
Zora Vukovic is railing at the gates of Latveria when Photon arrives with Hercules as well as Lightning, She-Hulk and Wonder Man. Simon Williams tries talking her down. He reminds her how he's fought the Avengers more than once, always believing he was in the right as she's right to feel betrayed by Victor Von Doom. But she needs to realise that her anger is hurting people. She replies that she doesn't care, and uses her Power Cosmic to send him into space.
Cap and Shang have been joined in Attania by Hawkeye, Lightspeed, Night Thrasher and Wasp and they're all fighting the Serpent Society. In particular Cap, NT and Wasp are piling on the new guy Tiger Snake. He unexpectedly surrenders but claims this wasn't a robbery.
Back at the border Victorious impales Lightning's electricity body with her trident and then uses it to fire *him* spacewards too. And she keeps the other 3 away with a forcefield dome. But Herc and Shulk shatter it as Lightning and WM come hurtling down from the sky to strike the foe with extreme force which she seems to absorb with her trident/staff. Herc and Shulk grab that but are shocked by its agonising Cosmic Power charge.
Now it's all up to Photon. It's V's turn to get a shock as Monica's energy form passes through her. When she turns material again Photon explains that was Zero Force Energy, which starts and ends universes. Then she wrests the staff out of their foe's grip. V vents her anger at Doom again. And when Miguel Santos grabs her arm she twists her wrist to grip and break *his*. Stepping away she aims a power blast at him but Photon interposes herself and absorbs it. And Wonder Man snaps her staff in half.
Zora can't believe she's been bested. She recalls how Victor made her his champion and then his queen. And she wears his symbolic metal facemask. And now he's shut her out without warning. (She omits to say that the marriage was political only, and Doom only made her wear the iron mask after she had an affair with the Human Torch.) The AvengERS sympathise with her but Jennifer Walters urges her to not let Doom turn her into a monster who causes thoughtless destruction. Zora removes her metal mask, and uses the Power Cosmic to undo all the harm she caused. Then she flies away to consider her future.
In Attania the other team sense that the Serpent Society's surrender is a trick. And they're right as the purpose all along was to lure the AvenGERS here. The ground beneath them cracks and they are scattered by the emergence of the giant Titanoboa with Pit Viper by his side. Viper explains that he's combined the items they stole into the Serpent's Tears, a poison toxic enough to infect the world which they dedicate to Mephisto. And now Shang-Chi will be the 1st test subject.
He throws the vial at the hero's feet but Captain America leaps forward and smothers it with his body. Which apparently is what Titanoboa predicted would happen. And they see Steve Rogers transforming into a serpent-man.
Characters:
Plus: Lightning (
Miguel Santos), Lightspeed (
Julie Power), Night Thrasher (
Dwayne Taylor), Photon (
Monica Rambeau), Pit Viper (
Jordan Dixon), Serpent Society, Tiger Snake, Titanoboa, Victorious (
Zora Vukavic).