Avengers #167
Tomorrow Dies Today!
When the alarm goes off at Avengers Mansion, Captain America, the Scarlet Witch, and the Beast join the Vision in the monitor room to see what the emergency is. It is a distress call from Nick Fury who is aboard the SHIELD orbital satellite. It is on a collision course with another massive satellite that has appeared out of nowhere. Although their chairman, Iron Man, is not present, Captain America rallies the Avengers to go up and see what they can do to stop the two satellites from colliding.
What they don’t know is that Iron Man’s absence is because Tony Stark is already on the SHIELD satellite as he was helping to bring it back into operation after it was reclaimed by the spy agency.[1]
Elsewhere, Wonder Man and Thor are eating at a diner. There, Simon asks the thunder god how he appeared when he was needed during their recent battles with Graviton and Count Nefaria.[2] Thor has no idea but suspects that some force is pulling him from time and space to make sure he was present during those battles.[3] That’s when they get the call from Cap to return to Avengers Mansion. As they are boarding a modified Quinjet, Iron Man finally arrives after leaving the SHIELD satellite and changing into his armor. Unaware of Iron Man’s double identity, Captain America once again criticizes the Golden Avenger for his poor leadership skills.
Soon, they fly to the SHIELD space station where they are suited up in space suits so they can try and infiltrate the mystery space station that has appeared out of nowhere. Getting inside easily, the Avengers quickly discover that it has a breathable environment. Taking command, Captain America orders everyone to split into groups of two to find out who is operating this station and why. The only person without a pair is the Beast, who is sent into the ventilation system because he is the only one who can navigate them on his own. The Beast is caught by Charlie-27 and Nikki of the Guardians of the Galaxy. A brief fight begins until they are broken up by Vance Astro, Martinex, Youndu, and Starkhawk. That’s when the other Avengers arrive and Captain America orders everyone to stand down because the Guardians are not an enemy.[4]
After a round of introductions, the Guardians assure them that the SHIELD satellite is not at risk of collision. They also tell the Avengers that they have come to this era to find their foe, the cyborg known as Korvac.[5] They believe Korvac has come to this era to kill Vance Astro’s younger self in order to prevent him from going on the space flight that would lead to his being in suspended animation for over a century and forming the Guardians in the future.[6] The Avengers agree to work with the Guardians to prevent this from happening and then inform Nick Fury of the situation.[7]
While back on Earth, Janet Van Dyne is showcasing her designs in a fashion show. In attendance are her husband, Hank Pym, as well as Kyle Richmond, aka Nighthawk. Richmond notices an intense-looking man in the crowd who is particularly interested in a model named Carina Walters. That’s when the fashion show is crashed by the Porcupine. Janet and Hank change into Yellowjacket and the Wasp and with the help of Nighthawk, they managed to take down their old foe.[8][9] None of them see the intense man approach Carina and hold out her hand. Not speaking a word, she finds herself drawn to him, and when they touch they teleport away.[10]
In the aftermath of the battle, the trio trade quips and treat this battle as nothing more than routine, unaware of the strangely intense man and how his actions will affect the lives of the Avengers.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Yellowjacket, the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, the Vision, the Beast, Wonder Man), Guardians of the Galaxy (Vance Astro, Charlie-27, Nikki, Martinex, Starhawk, Yondu), Korvac, Porcupine, Nighthawk, Carina Walters
Continuity Notes
The SHIELD space station was commandeered by Doctor Steven Lang and Project Armageddon, a group that sought to destroy all mutants. See X-Men #98-100.
The battle with Graviton took place in Avengers #158-159 and the fight with Nefaria took place in issues #164-166.
Thor’s theory is correct. He has been plucked from time in the middle of his hunt for Odin which took place in Thor #255-266. It was later revealed to be he work of the Collector in Avengers #178 to keep the team alive long enough for him to add them to his collection.
Captain America previously encountered the Guardians in Marvel Two-In-One #4-5. A footnote reminds readers that the Guardians were last seen in Marvel Presents #3-12. Although the Guardians are said to come from the 30th Century, they actually come from an alternate reality. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 designates it as Reality-691.
Thor recalls his own encounter with Korvac. That happened in Thor Annual #6.
For more on the origins of Vance Astro see Marvel Super-Heroes #18.
Vance notes that he cannot step foot on Earth because proximity to his past self has a disastrous effect on the timestream. See Giant-Size Defenders #5, and Defenders #26-29. However, the two realities will diverge from one another following the events of Marvel Two-In-One #69.
The Wasp mentions how her bio-stings were recently upgraded. That happened in Marvel Team-Up #59-60.
The Porcupine curses Yellowjacket and the Wasp for always foiling his schemes. Their clashes with the Porcupine date back to Hank’s days as Ant-Man, as seen in Tales to Astonish #48.
This mystery man is revealed to be Korvac. How he assumed this form is explained in detail in Avengers #175.
Topical References
This story refers to the present day taking place in the 20th Century. This should be considered a topical reference as the Sliding Timescale has pushed the Modern Age forward so that it does not start until after the 21st Century.
