Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In Nevada speedster Nonstop is trying to quit the State's Initiative team the Heavy Hitters. She's blown the whistle what Norman Osborn is doing to the Initiative project, but the rest of her team are out to bring her back. Leader Prodigy and Nonstop's friend Telemetry want to do it peacefully but new recruit Outback uses 1 of his exploding boomerangs on her. He's really the Australian villain Boomerang, and that's 1 of things Nonstop is complaining about. So Telemetry captures her in a force bubble for her own safety.
Reporters witness the event and ask if this is about Nonstop's public criticism. Outback denies that, claiming instead that she was caught stealing the profits from the team's hotel and casino. Nonstop protests that it is *him* who's been doing that. The reporters ask Prodigy for confirmation. But the leader's self-control snaps and he shows his true colours. He tells the press that Outback is the thief and out him as Boomerang - then he decks him. Ritchie Gilmore then goes on to endorse Nonstop's claims that Osborn is filling the teams with criminals and worse. And he declares that the Heavy Hitters are leaving the Initiative.
The Avengers Resistance see this on TV. Rage insists they go help Prodigy's team against the forces Osborn is sure to send against them, but Night Thrasher is worried it might be a trap. Justice sees both points of view but says they have to get the trio to safety - but they can be on the lookout for betrayal. Tigra splits the group up. The powerful Gauntlet, Rage, Slapstick and Ultragirl will run interference. Debrii, Justice, Night Thrasher and Scarlet Spider will get the Heavy Hitters to their cloaked plane. She herself will stay in the plane ready to react if things go wrong.
Norman Osborn also discusses this development with Victoria Hand and Hood. Hood suggests sending Oregon's Force Of Nature team, all villains, and he'll handpick a squad of trainees from Camp HAMMER. Norman wants to include some team that includes members that pre-date his takeover - to disprove the idea of dissension in the ranks. The dismiss Arizona's Desert Stars because the 2 teams are friends, and California's Order who they can't trust. They plump for Montana's Freedom Force - Equinox was a criminal, oldster Challenger will obey orders, and Cloud 9 has proved an expert sniper.
They also ramp up the PR about the Initiative's success (last issue) in taking the Negative Zone Prison 42 back from Blastaar. The public is lapping up appearance's of heroes from that mission. Constrictor who people like because of the arm he lost on a previous job. Penance, hero of the Skrull Invasion, who's safe as long as they keep him out of interviews. (Cover star) Butterball, the unlikely young hero of the mission. And Hardball who was in prison for defecting to Hydra but took the enemy from the rear - they're spinning the line that he was actually *undercover* in Hydra.
In Camp HAMMER Taskmaster gives that last bit of news to Hardball's embittered ex-girlfriend Komodo. She doesn't take it well, and says she won't stay in the Initiative if *he*'s brought back in. TM reminds her that if she leaves they'll use SPIN Tech to take away her lizard powers. But that will mean she'll revert to a human with no legs, so he advises her to suck it up. But then we see her leaving the camp in a wheelchair.
On the way to Nevada in the team's jet Justice and Ultragirl find time for a chat. Osborn has also been running a PR campaign smearing the Resistance members which has messed up Suzi Sherman's parents' life. Vance Astrovik suggests Donyell Taylor (Night Thrasher) get the Taylor Foundation to help them out. But then they move on to their own relationship, if it still exists.
Vance says he met his ex-fiancée Firestar recently (Nova (2007) #20) and this reminded him of how the original New Warriors have changed. Nova's now a galactic policeman, Firestar quit (rather than Register in Civil War) (he doesn't know about her more recent bout of cancer in Marvel Divas?), Dwayne Taylor, the original Night Thrasher, died in the Stamford disaster with Namorita. Speedball survived it but has since vanished (he doesn't know that Robbie Baldwin is now Penance). And Vance is wondering whether *he* should give up heroing - he doesn't know if he's doing more harm than good. Until he's sorted himself out he isn't ready to renew their relationship.
In Las Vegas the 3 revolting Heavy Hitters are discussing what to do. Nonstop and Telemetry just want to run and hide, but Prodigy thinks they should make a stand (and make sure it gets on TV). The decision is taken out of their hands as Force Of Nature arrive. Ritchie is hopeful because Sunstreak was an Initiative classmate, even if the other 3 (Aqueduct, Skybreaker and Terraformer) were part of the original villainous team. But the fighting begins.
The Hitters succeed in defeating their foes. But then Hood's trainee squad turn up:- Freedom Force (Challenger, Equinox and Think Tank). North Carolina's U-Foes (Ironclad, Vapor, Vector and X-Ray). Badd Axe, Ringer and Warbow of the team that invaded the Negative Zone. And a Brother Grimm (the 1 that Tigra didn't slash in #26), Griffin, Razor-Fist and Scorcher. More fighting ensues. Then the Resistance joins in. (Their plan doesn't survive the fog of war because everybody (except Tigra) just fights.)
Cloud 9 is with Taskmaster in the plane the Initiative came in. He orders her to shoot to kill. She aims at Night Thrasher but deliberately misses. However TM doesn't. The bad guys drag NT's body away. Prodigy advises Justice to retreat his team while they still can. Vance scoops them up in a telekinetic ball, including Nonstop and Telemetry, but Prodigy chooses to stay to face the consequences of his decisions. Vance applauds him as the hero he aspired to be. In the cloaked plane Telemetry records the mass beating of Ritchie Gilmore for the Internet.
In a Los Angeles safe house Tigra arranges for Henry Pym of the Mighty Avengers to smuggle Nonstop and Telemetry out of the country. Debrii elects to go with them - she only joined the New Warriors for fame in their reality show.
In Camp HAMMER Trauma has nightmares about the way he's forced to treat Penance. And his father Nightmare gloats.
Elsewhere in the Camp Osborn, Hood and Baron Blitzschlag confront Donyell Taylor, whose armour allowed him to survive the bullet. Osborn wants to recruit him, offering to restore his brother Dwayne to life. We see what looks like Dwayne's body in a tank.