Synopsis
New Avengers (2005 series) #52 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
We begin with a flashback in the form of Doctor Strange telling the New Avengers about his battle with the Hood in demon form with guns. After telling Wiccan of the Young Avengers to run away Stephen Strange tried to talk Parker Robbins down. Hood wanted the Eye of Agamotto and DrS told him the power would destroy him - the demon empowering him was only using him to get the Eye for himself. Hood responded with magic and bullets - and Strange realised the villain was now more powerful than himself since he lost the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme.
Just then Wiccan appeared on a rooftop and attacked Hood with lightning bolts. So Hood brought the building down. DrS launched a counterattack, saved Billy Kaplan and magicked them both away. Then he came here to NAv's hideout in Captain America (Bucky Barnes)' base.
(Some things have changed since he left the team in Annual #2. He knows about the new HQ because Luke Cage texted him. And he's mildly surprised to see Mockingbird - she was supposed to have died in Avengers West Coast #100 but that was really a very early Skrull replacement.)
Stephen reassures Luke Cage that Hood can't track him here (Luke is worried about his wife Jessica Jones and baby Danielle Cage behind him). Then DrS runs through the stuff about his action in An#2 meaning he is no longer worthy to be the SS. Someone else will inherit the title and he needs to find that person and give him the Eye. But Hood will be looking for him or her to kill them. The team insist on helping him.
Meanwhile Hood has returned to his own HQ, his demon transformation racking him with pain. His gang lieutenant Madame Masque finds him asks if his deal with Dormammu is worth it. Parker says everything will be fine once he gets Dr Strange. She offers to help him, because he saved her from the Skrulls in #46. To prove her commitment Whitney Frost takes off her golden mask and shows him her scarred face. They kiss.
Ms. Marvel leads them to Cap's garage where even he is surprised to find an Avengers quinjet. Carol Danvers says she 'borrowed' it when Norman Osborn took over. Spider-Man isn't happy about that but Luke Cage, Ronin, Spider-Woman and Wolverine are perfectly OK with it.
Clint Barton flies them to New Orleans where the Eye indicates a concentration of magic. Under Bobbi Barton's questioning Strange admits that a 'bad' guy like Dr Doom could be the next Sorcerer Supreme, but Stephen would strongly resist that. Logan asks if it could be Scarlet Witch, to uncertain reactions.
And in a New Orleans apartment we find Daimon Hellstrom, Son of Satan, ringing his ex-wife Patsy Walker, Hellcat. He wants to know where she is. When she tells him Tony Stark sent her to Alaska as the Initiative team for that state she claims not to know that Norman Osborn has taken over so she can quit. Daimon is worried about her but his temper soon gets the better of him and the conversation ends badly.
Then things get worse as Hood attacks him.
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Danielle Cage.