The forces of the Serpent invade Washington D.C. with battle
droids devastating the city. The Secret Avengers have been called out and Beast,
War Machine, and Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady) are the first to arrive, doing what they
can to rescue people from the onslaught. Hank is told that an officer wants to
see him immediately so he meets with Major Stephenson; the Major tells him that
a Congress member is barricaded in the Capitol and is asking for Hank. Beast
heads to the House chamber to find his old friend Rep. Leonard Gary and asks
his pal to leave with him. Lenny points out that he finally has the floor as
the place was evacuated without adjourning and so he has the chance to
introduce his bill helping West Virginia coal miners with their health care. They
reminisce about Lenny’s involvement in the civil rights movement and Hank warns
him that the enemy is getting closer. Lenny says that “Washington D.C. can take
care of itself!” Then we see the Lincoln statue at his memorial come to life
and fight the battle droids, then the dinosaurs from the Museum and Natural
History, followed by a tribe of native Americans, and George Washington himself
leading his troops….
Lenny explains that the people need to see that they are not
afraid, that he needs to broadcast a message to the country. Hank realizes that
Lenny is a mutant, hiding it all these years and now animating the statues defending
the city. Beast returns to the Quincarrier where he and Sharon Carter patch
Lenny through to the entire world. Lenny abandons his prepared speech and with
tears in his eyes recites the Gettysburg Address as his mother taught him as a
child…and then the Capitol is destroyed….