Duty Over All!

After destroying a Skrull base with Sanctuary II, Nebula and her cohorts scan the planet’s surface and determine that there are no life signs on the surface. Nebula believes that some of the Skrulls and Captain Marvel managed to escape. Noting that Levan — her second-in-command — has a romantic interest in the Earth woman, Nebula warns him that anything short of unwavering loyalty will mean his death, this puts him back in line. With that done, she fires a borer missile into the planet’s surface to utterly destroy the planet so the Skrulls have nothing to come back to.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Firelord is making penance for his recent attack on New York City.[1] To this end, Hercules has the former herald of Galactus use his power to incinerate barrels of toxic waste, turning them into harmless slag. While at Avengers Mansion, Captain America returns and greets She-Hulk and Wyatt Wingfoot, who are leaving for a night on the town. Before they leave, She-Hulk thanks Cap for allowing the Fantastic Four to stay at the mansion after their own headquarters was destroyed.[2] Inside the mansion, Jarvis updates Cap on the current situation with the Avengers security clearance being reorganized, that there is still no word from Captain Marvel, among other pressing issues.[3] Entering the training room, Cap is surprised to see the Black Knight riding around on an Atomic Steed the team had recovered from the site of Wundagore Mountain.[4] The Wasp explains that they rediscovered the device and got it working again so Dane could use it in battle.

That’s when the alarm sounds, sending the Avengers racing into the communications room. Starfox has been on monitor duty all day and he has just picked up the distress signal that Captain Marvel sent from the Andromeda Galaxy. Although the transmission is cut off before she can explain much, the Avengers learn that Sanctuary II has been hijacked by alien mercenaries. Luckily, Eros is able to track the signal to its point of origin. The team then boards a Quinjet modified for space flight and ride it to Starfox’s persona starship which will allow them to traverse the great distances fast enough to reach the Andromeda Galaxy in a matter of moments. Accompanying them is Firelord, who hopes to hitch a ride so he can return to his native home world of Xandar.

Meanwhile, Nebula returns to a Skrull colony world to meet with Governor Gorth, who has hired her to help him secure control of the Skrull Empire following the destruction of their throne world.[5] Although Gorth tried to appear imposing, Nebula is unphased and forces the Skrull to resume his normal statue and admit that he is nothing without her. With that out of the way, she then reveals that she has secured control of Sanctuary II, which she assures him will allow Gorth to seize control of the empire.

By this time, the Avengers have arrived in the Andromeda Galaxy and soon find themselves surrounded by a Skrull saucer fleet. Captain America orders Starfox to stand down, and when they explain their mission to the Skrulls, they are greeted by Captain Marvel who is still alive. After introducing Monica to the Black Knight and Firelord, they learn about the situation in the Andromeda Galaxy and agree to meet with the Skrull’s military commander, General Zedrao.[6] Aboard the Skrull ship, Zedrao is dealing with his troops who are unhappy with the idea of working with the Avengers because of their involvement in stopping the Kree/Skrull War.[7] However, the General orders them to be silent, saying that current circumstances require them to forge this uneasy alliance.

When the Avengers board the Skrull command ship, they are greeted by Zedrao who shows them why his army needs the help of the Avengers. He shows them footage of the destruction of the Skrull home world at the hands of Galactus. Since then, the governors of various Skrull colonies have since been locked in a civil war with one another over supremacy of the remaining empire, sending it into disarray. To this end, Governor Gorth hired Nebula and her team of mercenaries to help his effort to seize power. This leads to an explanation of how Monica was kidnapped by Nebula and her cohorts when they took control of Sanctuary II and how she helped Zedrao and his men escape annihilation by the massive starship. While the Avengers are willing to help, Firelord is uninterested because the Skrulls have attacked his people in the past and wants no part in helping them.[8] Starfox tries to appeal to the former herald by explaining how powerful his late brother’s starship is, but Firelord won’t listen and quickly departs.[9] The rest of the Avengers are also uncertain if they should get involved in the conflict, however it is pointed out that after Nebula and her forces are done here, Earth may very well be next. Realizing they have no choice, the Wasp decides they should remain and help stop Nebula.

Meanwhile, Nebulah as brought Governor Gorth aboard Sanctuary II to show him around the ship. It’s here that Levan contacts her and informs her that Zedrao’s armada is heading their way. Seizing the opportunity, Nebula murders Gorth and tells Levan to issue a statement saying that Gorth was killed in battle against their mutual enemies, intending to seize control of the Skrull armies under his command.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Wasp, Black Knight, Hercules, Starfox, Captain Marvel), Nebula, Firelord, Edwin Jarvis, General Zedrao, Gunthar, Levan, She-Hulk

Continuity Notes

1. Firelord went on a rampage through New York and was stopped by Spider-Man. See Amazing Spider-Man #269-270.

2. The Baxter Building was blown up by Kristoff Vernard in Fantastic Four #278-279. The team will remain at Avengers Mansion until the completion of their new headquarters, the Four Freedoms Plaza in Fantastic Four #299.

3. The Avengers were informed that their security clearance is going through restructuring last issue. This came following the Vision’s brief take over of the world’s computer systems in Avengers #252-254. Captain Marvel went on a mission to Sanctuary II during that story arc and has been MIA since. Jarvis also mentions how an airline expects Captain America to pay for a recent flight he took. This is in reference to Captain America #306-307, when Cap went to London and helped Captain Britain defeat Modred the Mystic.

4. This Atomic Steed was built by the High Evolutionary for his Knights of Wundagore. It was found buried in snow on Wundagore Mountain by the Beast back in Avengers #187. Hank used it in battle once and it hadn’t been seen until this story.

5. The Skrull home world was destroyed by Galactus in Fantastic Four #257, sending the Skrull Empire into disarray and civil war.

6. When introducing Captain Marvel to the Black Knight, Janet calls him their “errant knight”. This is because Dane Whitman had spent a number of years inhabiting the body of his 12th Century ancestor from Defenders #4 until Avengers #226. He only recently joined the team in Avengers #256 while Monica was MIA.

7. The Avengers got involved in the Kree/Skrull conflict and put a stop to it in Avengers #89-97.

8. Xandar was attacked by Skrulls back in Fantastic Four #204-206 and Rom #24.

9. Thanos is referred to as deceased in this story. He died battling the Avengers and their allies in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2. He will be resurrected in Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #34.

Topical References

• She-Hulk refers to Wyatt Wingfoot as her “Indian Companion” here. This should be considered a topical reference as using the term “Indian” to describe a Native American has since been considered offensive to many. While the term is still used by some regressive institutions (like certain sports teams) it has fallen out of popular use due to its racist connotations.