Avengers #276
Revenge
The Wasp and Ant-Man have just prevented an attack on Hercules by the Absorbing Man and Titania. They explain to the police that this was all part of the Masters of Evil’s plot to destroy the Avengers, that began with their siege on the team’s mansion. With that out of the way the two heroes then head off to try and figure out a plan to rescue their captured comrades.
Inside Avengers Mansion, both Captain America and the Black Knight watch in horror as Mister Hyde savagely beats Jarvis. Tied up, Dane Whitman tries to summon his Ebony Blade through his connection with the enchanted weapon. Unfortunately, the blade is being held in a stasis field along with Captain America’s shield which is blocking the connection.
Outside, the Wasp and Ant-Man meet with the military stationed outside the mansion. Unfortunately, nothing they try is able to breach the barrier of Dark Force matter that has been erected around Avengers headquarters by Blackout. Given logistical support, Ant-Man and the Wasp go about trying to contact allies to help them liberate Avengers Mansion. The Wasp tries to contact Thor, but is unable to reach him at his apartment.[1][2] She also worries about what happened to Captain Marvel who has been missing in action since the beginning of this crisis.
Little does she know that Captain Marvel has been trapped in the Dark Force dimension thanks to Blackout. She has been trying to find a way out something she knows is possible after seeing both Blackout and Moonstone travel in and out of this dimension in the past.[3] That’s when she sees light in the endless darkness for the second time since getting trapped. Racing to the source in her light form, Captain Marvel emerges from the body of the Shroud, a crime fighter on the west coast who can also manipulate Dark Force matter.[4] After getting her bearings and telling the Shroud what is going on, Captain Marvel is in a hurry to get back to New York.
Back east, at the New York Plaza Hotel, Doctor Druid is half-heartedly listening to his agent while also watching the news about the siege on Avengers Mansion. Reaching out with his mental powers, he picks up the Black Knight’s attempts to summon his Ebony Blade and decides to get involved. Changing into his costume, Doctor Druid tells his agent to cancel all his plans as he has a debt to repay.[5] Back at the military encampment in Central Park, Ant-Man and the Wasp’s efforts to contact allies turns out to be another bust.[6] That’s when both Captain Marvel and Thor arrive to lend a hand.[7] They then get down to coming up with a plan to retake their headquarters.
Inside the barrier, Moonstone continues to try and get Blackout to betray Baron Zemo, but to no avail thanks to the mind control device in the Baron’s possession. In the lower levels, Captain America and the Black Knight still watch helplessly as Mister Hyde continues to savagely beat Jarvis. In the communications room, Baron Zemo continues to oversee the Fixer and Yellowjacket’s efforts to hack into the Avengers database. Suddenly, the power goes out, prompting Baron Zemo to send his two lackies to try and restore the lights. That’s when they notice that the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade has disappeared from the table where the Fixer was examining the weapon. This is because, with the containment field down, Dane Whitman is finally able to summon the weapon to his side. He then frees himself and Captain America. The pair then ambush Mister Hyde in the darkness and give him a sound beating.
Before Mister Hyde can recover, the Wasp and Captain Marvel burrow up from the floor. Hyde is then knocked out when running head first into Thor. Noticing the thunder god wince in pain, Janet asks him if he is all right. Thor assures her that he’s fine although she notes that he answers through gritted teeth. As the Avengers check on Jarvis, they are observed by Yellowjacket who reports the situation to Baron Zemo. Seeing his plans starting to fall apart, Zemo decides that they must depart immediately. When he decides to leave the Fixer to fend for himself, Yellowjacket realizes how expendable they all are to their leader.
Outside, Doctor Druid arrives on the scene and clouding the minds of the soldiers gets close the Dark Force barrier around the mansion. From there he makes mental contact with Blackout and commands him to take the barrier down, allowing the occultist to get inside. While down below, the Fixer is trying to get the power back on when he is ambushed and knocked out by Ant-Man. With the Black Knight and Jarvis needing immediate medical attention, the Wasp sends Captain America and Thor in the lead to deal with the remaining Masters of Evil. The pair first encounter with the Wrecker and his Wrecking Crew. Here, Thor does something he should have done a long time ago and uses Mjolnir to strip the Crew of their Asgadian powered might, knocking them all out in a single blast of mystical energy.[9] They are then ambushed by Goliath, who quickly grabs Thor and begins thrashing him around.
Back on the roof both Doctor Druid and Captain Marvel confront Blackout and Moonstone. While Blackout is quickly knocked out, Moonstone tries to make a hasty retreat. She is dogged by Captain Marvel and eventually crashes into the side of a mountain in the New Jersey Palisades. Moonstone’s neck is broken from the impact and tells Captain Marvel that she wasn’t the one in control of Blackout, but Baron Zemo himself. Back at the mansion, as Captain Marvel is learning this, Baron Zemo has made his way up to the roof and revived Blackout and orders him to plunge Avengers Mansion and everyone into it into the Dark Force dimension.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Wasp, Black Knight, Hercules, Captain Marvel), Masters of Evil (Baron Zemo, Blackout, Moonstone, Goliath, Wrecker, Thunderball, Piledriver, Bulldozer, Mister Hyde, Fixer, Yellowjacket), Ant-Man, Shroud, Doctor Druid, Edwin Jarvis, Super-Adaptoid (poses as the Fixer)
Continuity Notes
The soldiers confuse Scott Lang with Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. Lang took over the identity in Marvel Premiere #47-48 with Hank’s blessing. Here, Scott states that Hank retired from costumed heroics, that happened in Avengers #230.
On his voice mail massage, Thor calls himself Sigurd Jarlson, an alias he had recently assumed. See Thor #341.
Captain Marvel is referring to the time Blackout used his dimension hopping ability to evade capture in Avengers #238.
A footnote here reminds readers that Captain Marvel first met the Shroud in Avengers #241.
Druid is referring to the time the Avengers helped him end the threat of the Fomor in Avengers #225-226.
The Fantastic Four are stated as still being out of town. As per Avengers #274, this story takes place during the events of Fantastic Four #297-298.
A footnote here states that Thor is appearing here between pages 5 and 7 of Thor #372. This is significant because in that very issue of Thor, Hela curses Thor with eternal life with brittle bones that will never heal. This is why Thor is pained when Mister Hyde runs into him later on in this issue.
It’s while the Fixer is MIA that he stumbles upon the Super-Adaptoid who then takes his place. The Adaptoid was being held at Avengers Mansion since his last defeat in Marvel Two-In-One #75. The switcharoo is not discovered until Avengers #287.
Thor recounts how the Wrecking Crew got their powers by sharing the totality of the Wrecker’s mystical strength among them. The Wrecker was accidentally given his power by Karnilla the Norn Queen back in Thor #148. He later split his power among the members of the Wrecking Crew in Defenders #17.
