Avengers #294
If Wishes Were Horses…
The Avengers are heading home following the death of Marrina. Along the way, the Black Knight begins to scream in agony due to the fact that the blood curse on his Ebony Blade has been reactivated.[1] Dane calls out for his weapon, and when Thor hands it over, Whitman begins to get back to normal. He explains that the curse was brought back when Namor used his weapon to kill Marrina.[2] This is not the only loss they have suffered as Captain Marvel disappeared in the final battle. Everyone refuses to believe that Marvel is dead except for Doctor Druid, who has been aspiring to succeed her as leader of the Avengers. After a brief search of the ocean, they find no trace of Monica and return home.
At Hydrobase, Druid excuses himself to return to his room and meditate. There he is mentally contacted by Kang Nebula, who has been manipulating Druid with phony prophesies in his dreams. However, in her hurry to manipulate the Avenger she forgot to activate her camoflauge that disguises her as a beautiful blonde woman.[3][4] She pulls Druid into another fantasy where his make-believe kingdom is under attack by a massive reptilian creature. As Druid’s powers are no match for such a threat, Nebula “gives” him additional powers in this fantasy so he can defeat the imaginary threat. Slaying the great best, Doctor Druid is hailed as a hero and after a victory parade he returns to his bedchambers where Nebula continues to seduce him. She uses this time to press Druid to further his ambitions to take over the Avengers.
Later, the Avengers hold a meeting to figure out their next move. They have discovered that the Black Knight’s body is beginning to grow stiff, requiring him to wear an exo-skeleton to move around.[5] This, combined with the disappearance of Captain Marvel, causes the rest of the team to consider recruiting new members onto the team. This causes an angry outburst from the Knight, who quickly composes himself and apologizes, saying that the curse is affecting his temper as well as his physical body.[6] Things are even more dire when Jarvis reports that Dane’s armor is fusing to his body. It also becomes clear that his mind is becoming affected as he cannot separate his time in the Crusades with the present day.[7] However, this transformation has honed Dane’s senses and he is the first to sense when an intruder has entered their headquarters. Rushing out to see who the intruder is, the Avengers are surprised when Captain Marvel reappears.[8] However, when she changes back to her human form, they are horrified to discover that her body is heavily emaciated. As she requires immediate medical attention, Thor rushes Captain Marvel to a nearby hospital.
Elsewhere in time and space, Kang Nebula is moving ahead with the next part of her scheme. She has been taking advantage of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs to pursue her own agenda.[9] Having stolen technology with the other Kangs, she disguises herself as the woman in Druid’s dream and uses a time machine to head to the present day. Little does she know that the Council’s most recently recruited Kang is aware of Nebula’s deception and has been spying on her and tracks her as she heads back to the present day home of Avengers.[10] This Kang is also being monitored by Chairman Kang and his closest advisors, Kang Cobra and Kang Kong. They cannot tell what their new recruit, “Fred”, is doing because he is generating a polyphonic time stream in his room. Impressed by “Fred’s” ingenuity, Chairman Kang decides to see what their newest member is doing.
Back on present day Earth, the Avengers bring Frank and Maria Rambeau to the hospital in New York where their daughter is recovering. They explain that her current situation was caused by her energy form being dissipated in water during their battle with Leviathan. Although she is in critical condition, doctors believe they can get her back in good health in time. Druid uses the situation to finally usurp control of the Avengers. After asking the Rambeau’s out of the room, Druid suggests that they select a new leader for the team. With his mental powers boosted by Nebula, Doctor Druid is able to manipulate the others into nominating him as leader. However, discovers that he cannot bend Thor’s will, but luckily he maintains a majority vote from everyone else.
With Doctor Druid’s position as team leader secured, the Avengers see off the Rambeau family as they take Monica back home with them. It’s here that Druid is contacted by Nebula again, who warns him that their enemies will be coming for them soon. Druid tells the Avenges that he is aware of a coming threat and tells them to prepare for it, saying that the future of the Avengers is going to be different than anything anyone expects.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Thor, Black Knight, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Doctor Druid), Council of Cross-Time Kangs (Chairman Kang, Nebula, Fred Kang, Cobra, Kong), Edwin Jarvis, Frank Rambeau, Maria Rambeau
Continuity Notes
The sword had the curse suspended by a spell in Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #68-69, but it was broken last issue when Namor used the blade to slay Marrina.
Marrina went on a rampage when her pregnancy reactivated her dormant Plodex DNA in Avengers #291-293, forcing the Avengers to slay her. However, in Alpha Flight #78, Lian the Sorcerer informs the Master of the World that Marrina is not truly dead, but in a death-like state. Her body would be seen being experimented upon by the Master in Avengers (vol. 3) #47. Later, it ends up in the possession of Norman Osborn who will use Leviathan against Namor and the X-Men in Dark Reign: The List - X-Men #1.
Kang Nebula is actually Ravonna Renslayer who is manipulating Druid in order to get access to a powerful weapon that is trapped in a Time Bubble that exists some 20 years in the future. This is all part of a long running scheme to get revenge against Kang the Conqueror. See Avengers #294-297, Fantastic Four #337-341, Captain America Annual #11, Thor Annual #17, Fantastic Four Annual #25, and Avengers Annual #21.
The female Kang is referred to as Nebula here as writer Walt Simonson intended for her to be the same Nebula who fought the Avengers in Avengers #259-260. This was later changed in the Citizen Kang story arc featured in the annuals listed in footnote #3 above. One could assume that Ravonna really committed to the role and was thinking like Nebula since, you know, Doctor Druid is a telepath.
Due to the blood curse, Dane Whitman’s body is being transformed into a living sword, as stupid as that sounds. This causes Whitman to become completely immobilized eventually, but he is eventually freed from this curse thanks to the aid of Doctor Strange and the spirit of Sir Percy, his ancestor and the original Black Knight. See Thor #396-400 and Black Knight (vol. 2) #1-4.
The Black Knight bad mouths a number of past Avengers. They include:
The Wasp: A long standing member of the team since the very beginning. She had just recently left the team after a lengthy stint as leader in Avengers #278. She will join up with the team’s west coast branch in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #32.
Hercules: Hercules has been associated with the Avengers dating back to issue #38, but wouldn’t be given official membership until issue #45. More recently, the demigod was seriously injured during a siege on Avengers Mansion by the Masters of Evil. He was taken back to Olympus where Zeus decreed the Greek pantheon would no longer interact with humanity. See Avengers #273-277 and 281-285. Hercules will return to the fold in Avengers Annual #17.
Mantis: Has not been an Avenger for a very long time, affiliated with the team back in issue #112, she left the group not long to become the Celestial Madonna in Giant-Size Avengers #4. She will not associate with the Avengers again until Avengers: Celestial Quest #1-8.
The Black Widow had been an Avengers ally dating back to issue #30 but wasn’t granted membership until issue #111. Her last stint on the team was during the Korvac Saga from issue #173 to 181. She declined to rejoin during the last two membership drives in issues #211 and 221. She will not rejoin the team until Avengers #329.
Lastly Starfox, who joined the team back in Avengers #232. He left to pursue Nebula in issue #260. He will reunite with the Avengers in issue #314.
Dane Whitman’s soul was sent back in time where he possessed the body of his ancestor during the Crusades from Defenders #4 until he was returned to the present day in Avengers #225.
Captain Marvel will be out of action for a while. She will be back in action in Avengers Annual #18.
Avengers Annual #21 and Avengers Forever #9 clarify that these are not divergent Kangs, but others who murdered the Kang of their native reality and usurped his identity for their own ends.
The Kang brought before the Council is the apparent survivor of the Kang War that occurred in Avengers #267-269. At the end of that story, Kang fled into Limbo after being driven mad by a globe of knowledge. Avengers Forever #9 clarifies that this is not the Kang, but another divergent created when the Kang at the end of Avengers #269 committed suicide and created two divergent selves to break his insanity. This Kang was recruited by the Cross-Time Kangs in Avengers #291.
Topical References
The present day is stated as happening in the 20th Century. This is a topical reference due to the Sliding Timescale that has pushed the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe forward so that it doesn’t begin until after the start of the 21st Century.
In this story, Monica’s parents are stated as living in Atlanta in this story and that Frank Rambeau has been a cop for 25 years. These are errors. The Rambeau family have lived in New Orleans since Monica’s first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16. Her father has always been depicted as a fireman, dating back to Avengers #264. The Atlanta goof could be derived from the fact that Captain Marvel stopped an active shooter in Atlanta before visiting her parents in Avengers #279. Walt Simonson did some shit research from what I can tell.
