All Things Must End!

After stopping a Kree attempt to conquer the Earth, the Avengers have returned home to some much-needed rest and relaxation. Before Wanda can go out for a walk in the park, Jarvis comes rushing into the room in a panic, carrying the day’s newspaper. It turns out that three technicians that witnessed the Avengers battle with the Kree did not keep quiet about the incident as promised. Instead, they have spoken to the government prompting the President to appoint a special committee to launch an investigation. This angers Pietro, who is all too familiar with human bigotry due to the fact that he is a mutant.[1]

When Goliath joins the other he is brought to speed as they turn on the television news. They witness an interview with government official H. Warren Craddock the head of the government’s new Alien Activities Commission. He tells the gathered press that not only are they investigating the Avengers’ recent battle with the Kree, they are also looking into why the heroes decided to keep it a secret. Craddock also promises that they will interrogate a list of 153 people they have already identified as possibly having ties to aliens. In particular, they want to question Captain Marvel.[2]

That’s when Captain Marvel and Rick Jones arrive to discuss these developments. Mar-Vell apologizes for getting the Avengers caught up in his mess and promises to turn himself in so his allies are not found guilty by association. However, the Avengers all agree to side with Mar-Vell, with the Vision pointing out that if they don’t stand up to this persecution it won’t be long until other minority groups are unfairly targeted by the government. As a mob forms outside Avengers Mansion to protests their association with Mar-Vell, they detect a helicopter heading for the mansion. The ship is piloted by Carol Danvers who experiences technical difficulties and is about to crash.[3] Luckily, she is saved by the combined efforts of both Captain Marvel and the Vision.

Once again, Wanda is worried about the Vision’s well-being when he isn’t visible after the crash landing. Phasing back up to the roof, the Vision emotionlessly assures her that he is fine. Pietro takes offense that the Vision is ignoring his sister’s concern and the pair almost come to blows. Wanda stops her brother by reminding them they have other concerns. That’s when a team of SHIELD fighter jets — led by Nick Fury — begin circling around Avengers Mansion. They have come at the behest of H. Warren Craddock. Inside Avengers Mansion, Carol tells the Avengers that she has prepared an abandoned farm upstate to hide Mar-Vell until things blow over. Although the Kree doesn’t want to do this, they all convince him that it is the right thing to do. Soon, Carol and Mar-Vell leave Avengers Mansion in a Quinjet. Although the SHIELD jets follow, Fury intentionally lets them go. When Craddock radios in to scold Fury, he tells Craddock that he can have his job if he wants it. When Dum Dum Dugan asks why Nick let them go, Fury says he remembers seeing the Japanese internment camps during World War II and didn’t like what he saw.[4]

This leaves the Avengers to figure out their next move. This all leads Rick to think about the old comic books he read when he as a kid and how the super-heroes in those books seemed to live simpler lives where the battles were as simple as black and white.[5] Back inside, Goliath looks outside the window and sees a protestor about to beat up a guy who wants to give the Avengers the benefit of the doubt. When Clint goes out to break out the fight, he discovers that this was all staged and that the two men are process servers who were trying to lure an Avenger outside so they can hand them a summons to appear before the Alien Affairs Committee.[6] With no other choice, the Avengers head to the committee to answer their questions. When they arrive at the city courthouse there is already a mob of protestors.

Inside, the Avengers find themselves under the hostile committee headed by H. Warren Craddock. First they call the three technicians who recount how they were briefly reverted into cave men by Ronan the Accuser and how the Avengers tried to cover it up. Next they call on Mister Fantastic and the Thing of the Fantastic Four who speak of their own encounters with the Kree. While Reed Richards admits he never met Captain Marvel, he believes the Avengers judgement can be trusted. However, the Thing, doesn’t recognize the Avengers present, saying the real team includes the likes of Thor and Iron Man.[7] This angers Goliath, but order is quickly called. Next, the Avengers are begin their cross-examination. The first brought to the stand is the Vision. However after he is sworn in, Craddock dismisses him because as an artificial being his testemony is not valid. That’s when Rick Jones suddenly has a vision of Captain Marvel arriving at the farmhouse only to discover it was a trap.[8] When Rick abruptly flees the court house, Craddock angrilly calls a recess, ordering the Avengers to return the next day.

When the Avengers return home they are shocked to see their headquarters in a shambles. Jarvis explains that the protestors outside forced their way inside and began trashing the place. In order to ensure nobody got hurt, Jarvis shut down the security system and eventually they left. Quicksilver is telling Jarvis that he did the right thing when, suddenly, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man arrive.[8] They are unhappy with the way the others have conducted themselves. They have decided that instead of allowing Goliath and the others to further tarnish the Avengers name they are disbanding the group. They are then ordered to get lose, leaving Jarvis alone to clean up the mess.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Goliath, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, the Vision), Captain Marvel, Rick Jones, Skrull Cows (disguised), Super-Skrull (disguised), Edwin Jarvis, SHIELD (Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan), Mister Fantastic, Thing

Continuity Notes

1. Except he’s not. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are referred to as mutants in this story. However, they are not. As revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, they were actually experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as infants. To cover up his work he made it so future genetic tests had the Maximoff twins register as mutants.

2. This is not the real H. Warren Craddock but a Skrull, as revealed in Avengers #97.

3. This is not Carol Danvers, but the Super-Skrull in disguise as we’ll learn next issue.

4. Nick Fury was around during World War II. His relative youth in the Modern Age can be chalked up to the Infinity Formula. See Marvel Spotlight #31. Dum Dum Dugan, on the other hand, is actually being kept in suspended animation and is unknowingly piloting a Life Model Decoy. See Original Sins #5 and New Avengers (vol. 4) #17.

5. There is a montage of 40s era super-heroes. Some are Marvel-owned, others are public domain characters. Some exist in the Marvel Universe, while others do not. They are:

   • The original android Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner were the first Marvel heroes back in the Timely era of Comics. They both first appeared in Marvel Comics #1. At the time of this story the Sub-Mariner has been active in the Modern Age since being revived by the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch in Fantastic Four #4. As for the original Torch, he is believed to be dead after being briefly revived by the Mad Thinker in Fantastic Four Annual #4.

   • Likewise is Captain America was active during the war, first seen in Captain America Comics #1. He ended up in suspended animation in 1945 and was revived by the Avengers in Avengers #4.

   • Also present is Cat-Man, not to be confused with the DC Comics character of the same name. Cat-Man first appeared in Crash Comics Adventures #4 published by Holyoke Comics

   • Another character is the Heap, who first appeared in Air Fighters #3, published by Hillman Comics.

   • Next up is the Green Lama. He first appeared in Double Detective (vol. 5) #5, published by Prize Comics.

   • The Fighting Yank appeared in Startling Comics #10, published by Nedor Comics.

   • Lastly, there is Fantoman, aka the Fantom of the Fair (yes, they misspelled it on purpose). He first appeared in Amazing Mystery Funnies (vol. 2) #7 published by Centaur Comics, who apparently really over-estimated the longevity of the 1939 New York’s World Fair.

6. Goliath mentions how someone pulled this stunt on Daredevil recently. That happened in Daredevil #71.

7. It’s odd that the Thing is acting like he doesn’t know Goliath, Quicksilver, or the Scarlet Witch since they were all guests at the wedding of Reed Richards and Sue Storm in Fantastic Four Annual #3, but I digress.

8. It’s later revealed that these images were implanted into Rick’s mind by the Supreme Intelligence in Avengers #97.

9. These are Skrulls, again, see Avengers #97, again.

Topical References

• The Avengers are depicted as having a black-and-white CRT television and a huge boat of one at that.

• Dated pop-culture references: Joe Cocker