Avengers # 71
Endgame!
With the Avengers being forced into a contest between Kang the Conqueror and the Grandmaster, the Black Knight has decided to do what he can to help Earth’s mightiest heroes.[1] He returns to his ancestral castle and uses the Brazier of Truth to contact the spirit of his ancestor, Sir Percy of Sandia, the original Black Knight. Sir Percy reveals the details of the contest between the Kang and the Grandmaster. The fate of the Earth hangs in the balance as, should the Grandmaster win, he will destroy the planet. Meanwhile, Kang is fighting for the power over life and death in order to restore his beloved Ravonna to life.[2]
The first round saw Captain America, Goliath, Thor, and Iron Man facing off against the Squadron Sinister. Due to the Black Knight’s interference, this first round is considered forfeit, and the Grandmaster and Kang move onto the next round.
This time, the Black Panther, Yellowjacket, and the Vision have been transferred to Nazi occupied France circa 1941. There, they fight with Nazi soldiers until the wartime versions of Captain America, the Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner are teleported on the scene.[3] Watching this from the present through Sir Percy, the Black Knight wonders how he can help. That’s when he remembers that he has a connection to the Ebony Blade, which was whisked away to the future along with Goliath. Reaching out with his mind, the Black Knight is pulled forward in space and time to Kang’s fortress. The process is painful, but he makes it. After fighting off some of Kang’s soldiers he hears the Wasp in another room and frees her.
Back in 1941, the battle rages on, with the Black Panther fighting Captain America, Yellowjacket battles the Sub-Mariner and the Vision fight the Human Torch. However, they find themselves evenly matched against their foes.[4] Needing to take down their foes as quickly as possible, the Black Panther and Yellowjacket line up Captain America, the Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner so that the Vision can knock them out with his phasing powers.
With the battle a victory in favor of Kang, the Grandmaster returns the three Avengers to the present. Since the first round was forfeit, the Grandmaster then gives Kang a choice — will he chose the power of life to restore Ravonna to normal, or the power of death to use against the Avengers. Wanting to destroy his mortal enemies, Kang uses death. That’s when the Black Kinight arrives after freeing the captive Avengers. He fells the Avengers with a single blast of energy, but before he can kill them he is attacked by the Black Knight. Because the Knight is not a member of the Avengers, Kang’s powers have no effect on him. That’s when his time with this power of death elapses and the Grandmaster strips him of this power before returning the Avengers back to their own era. The Avengers are thankful that the Black Knight was there to assist them and offers him a place on the team. It is an offer that the Black Knight gladly accepts.[5]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Goliath, Black Panther, Vision, Black Knight), Kang, Grandmaster, Invaders (Captain America, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner), Black Knight (ghost), Nazis, Ravonna
Continuity Notes
The Avengers are trapped in an alternate universe that has been designated Earth-6311 in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005.
Ravonna was seriously wounded in Avengers #23-24 and has been kept in stasis by Kang ever since. Unstated here are the revelations learned in Kang the Conquror #1-5, which reveals that after Ravonna was incapacitated Kang built a device that sent her consciousness across time and space where she would be reborn over and over. Talk about not being able to let go!
This battle is told from the perspective of Cap, the Torch, and Namor in Invaders Annual #1.
Captain America makes a comment about how he wishes he has a round shield. Captain America originally used a triangular shield, as seen in Captain America Comics #1. He started using his trademark round shield in the following issue. In fact, he would have had his round shield at the time of this story. However, as revealed in Invaders Annual #1, it was briefly stolen by Agent Axis, forcing him to use his old one here.
This story is expanded upon in Thor Annual #17. In Avengers Annual #21, it is revealed that the Grandmaster secretly restored Ravonna to life after this moment and seeking to get revenge on Kang for failing to save her, she left a duplicate in stasis so Kang would continue focusing on restoring her.
Topical References
Any references to the Modern Age taking place in the 20th Century should be considered topical. The Sliding Timescale has pushed the Modern Age forward until it does not begin until the 21st Century.
While fighting Nazis, Yellowjacket says he was too young to fight them the first time around. This should be ignored as the Sliding Timescale also makes it impossible for any of the modern day Avengers to have been alive during World War II.
NEXT: Avengers in the 1970s
