Synopsis
Miami-based Ultraforce's core members Contrary, Ghoul, Prototype and Topaz (ie the ones currently without a series of their own) were joined in the previous 2 issues by Black Knight and Siren.
But now we see Prototype back in New York fighting a giant icy humanoid monster. Young Jimmy Ruiz is eager to prove he and his armour don't need the rest of Ultraforce to succeed. But the foe urges him to summon his fellow Avengers. As the hero recalls that Avengers is the name of the team Black Knight claims to have belonged to in his own reality he also realises that his armour's gone offline and so his innate power is building up, threatening to roast him alive. So he calls for the team but his communicator goes dead. But he still seems able to blast the enemy. But the foe just smashes him with a giant ice-ball.
However the rest of the team have received his transmission in the female leader Contrary's spherical flying craft and Ghoul manages to get a visual of the site of the battle, which Dane Whitman recognises as the site of Avengers Mansion in his world. Apparently they have been kicked out of their hotel HQ in Miami because the public blames *them* for the supervillains they've fought there. As some of the team squabble over who's contributed to the problem Contrary decides to go to Proto's aid and BK lays out a plan. Siren in her Trifighter and Topaz will be the 1st wave of attack. The Queen of Gwendor doesn't take kindly to being given orders by a man. But Contrary agrees with the plan and mollifies Topaz by suggesting that she and fellow woman Siren should easily best the male-seeming ice monster.
Meanwhile Loki is watching proceedings from Vahdala light years away. He muses that he's never clashed with the absent Prime who he knows is on the Godwheel planet below (in the Power Of Prime mini-series). He also lets us know that the ice monster is his construct (which is why it resembles an Asgardian Frost Giant, and presumably why it asks for Avengers) which he sent to provoke battle with Ultraheroes so he can judge their prowess. He has gained all the Infinity Gems (Time Gem in Hardcase #23, Mind Gem in Mantra #22, Power Gem in Lord Pumpkin/Necromantra #4, Reality Gem in Night Man #22 and Soul Gem in Curse Of Rune #3) and now he can take on the universe.
A crowd is still protesting outside the hotel that Ultraforce used despite being told they're long gone. And the protesters seem to be proved right when Sersi appears looking for her Gann Josin Black Knight. We are privy to a battle going on in her head between her and the Gem she found (in Eliminator #3). She falls unconscious(?) and we see a replay of her recent history:- (In Avengers #375) she had to leave the 616 universe to escape Proctor's curse and her love Dane Whitman chose to accompany her through a dimensional rift. He left his BK helmet and sword behind but they somehow returned to him in the rift. And the duo got separated. (But she wound up on Ultra-Earth like him and found the Gem.) Now we overhear a conversation between Sersi and the Gem:- Sersi says she will use her power as an Eternal to fight the Gem until she can reuinite with her Gann Josin. The Gem for its part wants to reunite with the Infinity Gems. But it compromises and gives her a day to find Dane.
Ultraforce arrive at the New York battle scene where Siren and Topaz attack the Frost Giant. We are reminded that Siren wasn't really sent by the UN to be UF's latest member. She's really a thief and plans to quit as soon as possible. But the blasts from her Trifighter and Topaz' battle-staff don't harm the ice-being as he throws Prototype at the alien Queen. Contrary's ship aims a stasis beam at it but that also has no effect. BK is the only 1 to recognise it as an Asgardian Frost Giant. He dives from Contrary's craft to plunge his photonic sword into its head, but the foe vanishes before he can reach it. And Loki's laughing voice tells him this is just the beginning. And Contrary's transporter beam saves him from going splat on the pavement ...
... but leaves him there for Proto, Siren and Topaz to group around. Then he says he sees a pub called the Drunken Knight in the front of what in his world is Avengers Mansion (but the others see a Post Office). He enters and Topaz follows to keep the poor deluded man safe. Inside they find a brick-lined cavern with mysterious denizens. A voiceover from the owner says that this is the ancient Dark Shoppe which creates doors wherever it needs to invite in those chosen like Dane Whitman. BK and Topaz are guided to a deeper level where the sorceress owner says her mystic pool foretold his arrival She warns him that the end of the world is very nigh and he and Ultraforce have a part to play. She reveals that ages ago in his universe there was a lonely god whose suicide gave birth to the Infinity Gems of Mind, Power, Reality, Soul, Space and Time. Then during a cosmic battle (Rune/Silver Surfer 1-shot) the Gems were brought to this universe. And now the God of Mischief from Dane's world has gathered the Gems together and threatens the end of *all* realities. To stop him BK must summon help from his world. She allows him to use the mystic pool to make contact and his face appears in a mirror in Avengers Mansion. But the only person who sees him is Luna, the very young daughter of Crystal. And her nanny Marilla ignores her babbling. (This scene was also portrayed in Av#380.)
At this end the connection was broken by the arrival of Sersi. Her Gem detects that the sorceress is trying to prevent the union with the other Gems and causes Sersi to blast her, apparently to destruction. Dane is horrified because Sersi wouldn't kill. Topaz attacks the newcomer who responds, calling her a conspirator. Black Knight tries to drag Topaz off his love but she throws him at a wall. The 2 women resume battle but Dane tries to come between them.
The issue ends with an epilogue where Loki swears to defeat Ultraforce and then the Avengers.