Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In Slorenia Black Brigade and his robot Drones attack an unlawful gathering of the Dudak ethnic minority, actually a Red Cross food distribution. Some fight back but he hits them with concussion grenades so they can be taken for interrogation. Disguised in the crowd Scarlet Witch stops U.S. Agent from interfering.
At the parliament building Tony Stark has arrived by helicopter with his assistant (Spider-Woman in mufti) to discuss a trade agreement. After public pleasantries are over Stark distracts their escort Councillor Boshlovor with a gift of a hi-tech watch/TV while Julia Carpenter discretely contacts Century who is keeping track of the team from the hex-ship Pegasus above, watched by Recorder RE-404. Century confirms he is receiving surveillance data from the watch.
In their guest suite Tony activates a portable scrambler to defeat any bugs. He remembers Force Works' previous foray into this Balkan state (#4-5) where they witnessed a Civil War between Dudaks and Slorenes. The Slorenes had Black Brigade and an army, while the Dudaks had their mystical champion Ember. Who turned out to be a man possessed by the spirit of Ember from an ancient Triptytch. The team left when Ember and the Triptych were seemingly destroyed. But while while Tony was in Russia (IM#315-317 plus #318 which immediately followed it) Wanda Maximoff received a call from James Rhodes (in War Machine #14) who had just been in Slorenia. There he witnessed the Slorenes massacring Dudaks using mutated people referred to as Targoths. The team voted to go there, and Stark was forced to comply when he rejoined them. They're here undercover to find out what's really going on before they make a move.
Stark heads down for a banquet while his 'jet-lagged' assistant stays behind and changes to Spider-Woman. She goes clambering over the stone walls of the ancient building (as on the cover).
In a deep basement equipped like a mad scientist's lab the hidden Supreme Commander of the ruling Tabissara meets with Boshlovor. They talk about the Program which they hope to make more efficient with Stark's tech. (In WM#14 we learned that the Program is the source of Commander's power. The SC examines Stark's watch-gift but them goes weak and drops it. Boshlovor helps him into the 'receptor' to recharge, and Black Brigade is sent to round up more Dudaks to keep the Program going.
Meanwhile Wanda and USA are talking to Dr Renko who runs the international aid mission in Tblunka. She has seen atrocities committed by both sides of the conflict. Ember massacring innocent Slorenes, and the Targoth taking away Dudaks. She also mentions that the conflict is very old, and the Slorenes also have a mythical champion Volkvhy. Suddenly Targoth led by Dark Brigade invade the camp, and USA and the Witch allow themselves to be rounded up with the Dudaks and also Dr Renko.
Spider-Woman has reached the basement and found the dropped bugged watch. No-one seems to be about, but then a door creaks open and in walks the Commander now clad in armour with glowing eyes and a glowing sword. Julia calls Century for help, but the Recorder has knocked him out with a wrench. He releases a horde of video drones from the hex-ship - all the better to record things with. And notes that the Chaos Computer has detected a massive probability spike near US Agent and Scarlet Witch. Stark returns from the banquet and also notices the Chaos Spike. He armours up as Iron Man and heads out to deal with it. But he's brought down by Black Brigade and his Drones.
The trucks carrying the Dudaks are rocked by an explosion. USA realises they are being 'rescued' by the supposedly-dead Ember (see WM#14 again for his resurrection).