Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The West Coast Avengers Compound buildings are in a sorry state after recent attacks by Ultron (#89-90) and emissaries of Dr Demonicus (#93), but they're being damaged further by a sparring match between Goliath and Spider-Woman, watched by Mockingbird, until War Machine arrives and calls a halt.
He's noticed a body lying under some rubble which turns out to be their gardener Roberto. When they revive him he tells them that it was their part-time (he's attending university) member Living Lightning that put him there. He found Miguel Santos staring at the sky and muttering "must go to the church". When Roberto touched his shoulder Miguel transformed to his electric plasma form which jolted him unconscious.
They decide to contact the other WCAers. U.S. Agent is practising on a pistol range, and Scarlet Witch is in her off-Compound apartment meditating. Mockingbird rings her but gets no answer. Clint and Bobbi Barton decide to take their sky-cycles and go check on Wanda Maximoff. James Rhodes elects to bring in Jack Daniels. Julia Carpenter will go see Miguel's mother to find out what church he is likely to be at.
Goliath and Mockingbird hover outside Scarlet Witch's window. Inside she does appear to be in a trance, and doesn't respond to a tap on the window. So they force the window and enter. She isn't happy to see them, and when they tell her about Miguel she assures them he's in good hands. Wanda says she must leave, and hexes Clint when he tries to stop her - making him grow. And when he tries to shrink he just gets bigger and breaks through a wall and the roof.
The Witch tells them they won't see her again and stalks out past the angry building superintendent who she dumps in the pool. Goliath is now free and the duo see ScW standing in the path of an oncoming car. But then a glowing portal opens and takes her away, and the car runs into Clint's foot.
Meanwhile War Machine has found USA standing motionless - the range attendant says he's been like that for 20 minutes. When the attendant gets angry Agent points his gun at him. But then he crunches it up saying "She does not like guns". Jack too says he must go, resists Rhodey's attempt to stop him and smashes through a wall with his shield. WM has to hold the rest of the wall up while the building occupants evacuate so he can't follow his teammate.
Spider-Woman learns from a neighbour of the Santos family which church they attend. She goes there and finds him praying at the altar. The priest says he's been here for an hour. When Julia confronts him Miguel says "She said the fire that is within me can expel the darkness", and he becomes Living Lightning and tries to fly away. SpW tries to stop him with her psychic webs, and eventually 1 of them pulls him down to Earth in his human form. She's worried she might have hurt him, but he gives her an electric shock and escapes.
The other 3 Avengers arrive and War Machine mentions he saw LL fly through a space warp, which the Bartons say is how Wanda left. They compare notes and find that Agent and Lightning both babbled about a 'she'. The Witch didn't but she claimed to know what was happening to Miguel. So they deduce all 3 events are connected.
Now they get a call from Vision of the East Coast team who tells them that superheroes have been vanishing all over the world. He asks them to send a representative to Four Freedoms Plaza (the home of the Fantastic Four). Spider-Woman takes a quinjet after calling her young daughter Rachel.
Jim Rhodes opts to check the Avengers' computer files. But Clint and Bobbi nip out for a break and a coffee. However their break is broken when a group of similarly-costumed figures smash through the coffee shop window and make demands in an alien language. Mockingbird recognises them as Quantum's Power Platoon.