U.S.Avengers #10: Review

Sep 2017

Al Ewing, Paco Diaz

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Story Name:

Same as the old boss

Review & Comments

Rating:

U.S.Avengers #10 Review by Rob Johnson (October 7, 2017)

Smasher is Izzy Kane from Earth but she has become 1 of the Shi'ar Super-Guardians (Marvel's homage to DC's Legion Of Super-Heroes). She and her child live on the Shi'ar world Chandilar. Sam Guthrie shuttled regularly between there and being a US Avenger on Earth.

Plunderer is (Edgar) Parnival Plunder, brother of Ka-Zar. His criminal career began way back in the original Daredevil #12. He last showed up doing his usual plundering in #11 of this comic's previous incarnation New Avengers (2015).

This is the 2nd Blue Streak (Jonathan Swift) who only débuted in Heroes For Hire (2006) #3. His last app was a cameo in our #5 as 1 of the super-villain army attacking Manhattan at the start of Secret Empire. His latest meaningful appearances were the 2 apps of the group he formed called Fast Five with others to whom he'd gifted his tech. They were captured in Captain America & the Mighty Avengers #2 and were inmates of the Pleasant Hill prison in Captain America: Sam Wilson #8.

Kevin Krask has actually appeared before too. He is the son of Kronin Krask (from Thor #172), and he and his brother Kenneth (both lawyers) tried to sue New York City for the actions of their police group Code Blue in Marvel Double Feature Thunderstrike/Code Blue #15-16. He also had a minor app as a crooked lawyer in Mighty Avengers (2013) #7.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

U.S.Avengers #10 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

We start with footage of Squirrel Girl and Enigma with Captain Britain mopping up a Hydra cell in Boston after Secret Empire. Now Senator Kevin Krask isn't happy with A.I.M. leader Roberto Da Costa (Citizen V/Sunspot) because having the Champions of Europe helping the U.S. Avengers (reduced to just 2 of them) sort out a US problem doesn't sit well with the Administration. They are meeting in the White House and Krask is AIM's new government liaison. Roberto inquires about the old liaison Gen'l Maverick.

Maverick is on AIM's base - SHIELD helicarrier Douglass. We catch up with him earlier in the medical lab as Dr Toni Ho (Iron Patriot) is trying to deal with him being stuck permanently as Red Hulk. Maverick could become Red Hulk but for health and safety reasons he'd only get an hour of power, and then his implant wouldn't work again for a day and a half. But Hydra nanites corrupted his system in #6 and now he can't turn back. (It says this happened a few weeks ago.)

The strain on Maverick's body will kill him unless they turn him back to human. But they don't know what the end result will be. And they daren't just switch him back to human instantaneously because *that* might damage him or worse. So Toni is going to do it slowly over 6 hours. And unfortunately it's going to hurt him.

In the present Krask explains that Gen'l Maverick is being asked to resign. (But more confusingly than that.) Da Costa's AIM and the US Avengers used to work for SHIELD, but SHIELD is now being disbanded. The Government wants Roberto's AIM to replace SHIELD, but his Avengers will have to go. Cannonball died during Secret Empire anyway. There's surely someone better qualified than Toni Ho to be head of science. Squirrel Girl's rep is based on unverified exploits (like defeating Dr Doom and Thanos). And Enigma's not even American.

Earlier in the day Squirrel Girl and Finnish Enigma were laying a trap for tech thieves at Project Pegasus. Aikku Jokinen is worried because her lover Toni Ho is giving up her Iron Patriot identity because Aikku didn't approve of the way pacifist Toni was turning the armour from non-lethal to gun-happy. But now Toni is lost without a major focus for her life.

Then an interruption arrives in the form of the Plunderer carried by Blue Streak on his rocket-skates.

Back in the now Da Costa makes it clear to Krask the when Gen'l Maverick made a deal with him on behalf of the US Government the deal was with Roberto himself not AIM or the US Avengers. And now Da Costa sends a message on his wrist-phone which will ruin Krask's plans.

We now skip ahead 2 hours. Maverick has come out his 'operation' alive and human but with a permanently red skin. But he has lots of internal damage which the medical team will now have to address. Toni is approached by 2 representatives of the AIM scientists. They were impressed by her stirring speech in #8, and by her scientific credentials. They want her to be their new leader. Toni objects that Roberto is the boss, and then learns that he has quit the job.

Back at the Krask/Da Costa meeting Roberto has just explained what he's done. Krask blusters that AIM rely on 'Berto's funding, but learns that Da Costa has also transferred all his assets directly to the group - he's now broke. He also mentions the headband he's wearing (which Toni Ho created to replace the jury-rigged 1 she put together for their escape from Hydra prison in #8-9). It regulates his Sunspot power. Currently his power is off, and AIM now own the process which switches it on again. So he and their agreement are now totally useless to the Government - they can't even use him as their own superhero. He figures Kevin's superiors won't be too happy with Krask now.

As Da Costa leaves the White House there's a flash of light and Cannonball's wife Smasher appears. She's just popped over from the galactic Shi'ar Imperium. And she pops off again with Roberto in tow.

They materialise in a Shi'ar diplomatic spaceship. Bobby says he's been trying to contact Izzie since Secret Empire ended, but the diplomatic channels are still in a mess. Izzie says she just heard about hubby Sam from a space cabbie. Bobby says that wasn't a good way to hear about his death, but Smasher says Cannonball *isn't* dead.

She says Sam has a Shi'ar bio-implant which says he's alive and tells her where he is. But she'll need help to get him.

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