Synopsis
This issue's focus and voiceover is Reptil (Humberto Lopez). We've already had an origin for him in the Avengers Initiative - Reptil 1-shot, but this issue adds some extra information.
Years ago when 'Berto was a child playing with Hulk and Yellowjacket figures his palaeontologist parents were teaching him to recognise individual dinosaur species. He's good at it but he says when he grows up he wants to be an Avenger.
Now in Henry Pym's Infinite Avengers Mansion home of the Avengers Academy, Pym congratulates him on being unanimously elected class leader. As well as the other students (Finesse, Hazmat, Mettle, Striker and Veil), staff members Justice, Speedball and Tigra are also present. But the boy is unhappy with the responsibility because he knows that the students are keeping so many secrets from the teachers. They found out that they're all in this school because they're deemed likely to become supervillains. But he also knows that knowledge like that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. He's also aware that there's something going on between Jeanne Foucault (Finesse) and teacher Quicksilver, and he worries if it's an affair. However it's also true that she comes to *his* bed every night as his 1st lover. Next Jennifer Takeda (Hazmat) has extended her abilities beyond what the teacher's realise, and he wonders if she had something to do with the blackout when they visited Ryker's Island prison (#3-4).
Later he and Pym discuss his ability to change individual parts of his body to mimic any type of dinosaur. He wonders why he can't become a complete dino. DrP theorises that it's conservation of mass. He figures that to grow wings or a tail he borrows atoms from other parts of his body. Hank's Pym Particles allow *him* to grow by borrowing mass from another dimension so they may be able to use that method to let Humberto become a full dinosaur.
But now they move on to examine the fossilised amulet that enables Reptil to transform at all. 'Berto now reveals that a few weeks ago the amulet fused itself into his chest. Scientist Pym is wary of magic stuff. He aims a diagnostic beam at the amulet - and the youth screams as he has visions of a horde of dinosaurs, Moon Boy & Devil Dinosaur (both of whom he met in the Initiative issue) and a female of Moon Boy's species who is handling the amulet with mystic forces. Humberto recovers with the feeling that the amulet is really old. Pym says he won't do anything else until he gets Dr Voodoo or Dr Strange involved.
But he does suggest that the teen ought to be able to totally transform into a small dinosaur such as a velociraptor. He suggests that maybe Humberto's afraid of losing control to his reptilian side. He talks about 'Berto losing his parents at an early age (as mentioned in his 1-shot), and his 'torture' under Norman Osborn's experiments. He advises the boy to talk about it during his counselling sessions. But 'Berto says he's not avoiding it, he's already dealt with it. Hank remarks that he thought like that too, and it cost him his wife, his friends and his sanity (around Avengers #213).
That night Humberto and Jeanne are in bed. Jeanne says she should go before Jocasta (currently the AI of the Mansion) starts her security sweep. 'Berto wants to talk about stuff if she's his girlfriend. The socially inept girl baulks at the term girlfriend and suggests they end the relationship. The boy hits back by asking what she's doing with Pietro Maximoff. She replies that he's teaching her stuff, and leaves.
Some time later the Academy holds a 'media day'. (They had press conference at the end of last issue because the team had been seen publicly in action.) Some reporters collar Speedball. A TV reporter summarises his recent past for his viewers (and us). The Stamford disaster that made him the most hated man in America. The recent revelation that in the role of Penance he (was part of the Thunderbolts who) defended Washington DC during the Skrull Secret Invasion. The new information (from Wolverine (2003) #42-47) that someone had augmented Nitro's explosive power before Stamford. And now his popularity rating is up to 70%. But Robbie Baldwin won't accept forgiveness because all those people still died on his watch. He turns down an interview and will let his ongoing actions speak for him. Humberto sees this as support for his avoiding discussing his own problems.
Hawkeye (Clint Barton) is present, and he apparently organised this media day. Pym's still not sure about it. But Barton points out that he started his super career (accidentally as a villain) because he wanted the spotlight. He figures that giving the students the hero spotlight will hook them for life. Hank comments that he sees why Janet Van Dyne left him for Clint (Avengers (1999) #82). (Hank and Jan were divorced at the time, but had been trying to get back together.) Clint pretends to get an Avengers Priority call and leaves. 'Berto thinks Hawkeye's right about *some* of the class.
A reporter corners him to ask how he feels about being elected class leader. He waffles about not deserving it and it could have been any of them. He grabs nearby Striker (who he knows *loves* the spotlight) and tells how the guy saved his life against Whirlwind (last issue). Brandon Sharpe steps up and says there was no option because Reptil is his buddy and they're the Avengers Of Tomorrow. 'Berto congratulates himself on good leadership.
Next day he comes across Hazmat and Mettle (Ken Mack) arguing. (I don't know whether he works out that it's about Norman Osborn. Jen says they have to get to him before he's moved from Ryker's. Mettle's given up on that idea and is looking for other ways to get rid of their powers.) 'Berto interrupts the argument and points out that they should be getting together instead. Mettle's organic iridium metal body means he's the only person it's safe for Jen to be alone with without her Hazmat suit. Both of them can end their isolation. They dismiss the idea completely, and 'Berto thinks it'll take them some time to see he's right. (They will in later issues.)
And the next day he overhears Finesse and Quicksilver talking. Pietro tells her how his father Magneto could size up his opponents and know what they were thinking. He thinks he learned how to do it in Auschwitz in WWII. He tried to teach Pietro who didn't have the patience to learn. These days they'd call it reading microexpressions. (I'd think polymath genius Foucault would already know about that.) He gives her a USB on the subject to use instead of her non-existent empathy. She points out that he's just referred to Magneto as his father for the 1st time in their conversations, and Pietro comments that she might be able to learn Magneto's lessons after all. Reptil realises that he's teaching her how to be like his villain father.
The day after that Reptil leads the team (and staff) against Mentallo who's broken out of prisoner transport and mentally made his guards fall asleep. Everyone's in touch by radio and Lopez suggests they all rush him at once and bank on him not being able to mentally control them all before he gets KO'd. Wasp (currently giant-size) agrees so the assault begins. But the villain's too quick and sets them fighting each other. (We see Speedball vs Mettle, Quicksilver vs Veil and Tigra vs Justice.) But Reptil diving down from the sky isn't affected yet. Mentallo tries to make him crash into the ground but he turns completely into a velociraptor(?) and grabs the bad guy in his jaws. This breaks M's hold over the others.
Back in the IAM it turns out that Mentallo couldn't control a reptilian mind but then as he feared neither could Humberto. This makes him dangerous, and he thinks he's going to be thrown out of the programme, or at least demoted from leader. But the 3 staff suggest instead that he needs psychotherapy. However there aren't many specialists in superhuman psychology around. Doc Samson is dead (as of Hulk #610 as part of World War Hulks) and Moonstone is very much not suitable. Tigra has an idea.
The next scene is in the finite Avengers Mansion, currently occupied by the New Avengers including Jessica Jones. Humberto has been sent to talk to her. Initially he doesn't know who she is, but when she mentions she used to be Jewel he recognises her as Luke Cage's wife. She's agreed to talk to him because Henry Pym helped save Luke's life after Norman Osborn put a bomb on his heart (New Avengers vol 1 #60). She reluctantly tells him of the time in her teen years that Killgrave the Purple Man used his superpower to take full control of her. Contrary to what Humberto and others automatically assume he didn't rape her but made her do things and hurt people, and made her like it. The trauma has had lasting effects and sometimes makes her even pull back from the embrace of her husband. She wants to make it like it never happened but you can't. You have to face it and deal with it. And you have to let people help you. And 'Berto finally breaks down in her arms.
Later Hank and Jessica review a recording of the 'session'. We see Reptil telling her how Osborn lured him in with false clues that his parents were still alive. Then the painful experiments began, but worse was that 'Berto began to lose hope of ever finding his parents. The watchers think he's really opening up. But on the tape when she asks if there's anything at the Academy he wants to talk about he says no.
Characters:
Plus: Justice (
Vance Astrovik), Mentallo (
Marvin Flumm).