The Crossing Line Part 2: Underlying Currents

The terrorist organization known as the Peace Corps has seized control of the Waterwind, a British nuclear submarine. In response, the American Avengers and Russian People’s Protectorate have been dispatched to prevent Peace Corps from using the submarine’s nuclear arsenal. However, when trying to secure the vessel, they have all drifted close to the undersea kingdom of Atlantis. This has resulted in a military response led by Tyrak, U-Man and Orka, who have come to prevent the a surface world skirmish from spilling over into their domain.

With the situation rapidly escalating, the Avengers and People’s Protectorate put aside their differences and work together to stop the Atlanteans from making thing worse. While Perun and the Crimson Dynamo deal with the foot soldiers, the androids Vision and Vostok work together to deal with Orka. While the battle rages, Captain America — from his command point aboard an Avengers Quinjet — contacts Red Guardian aboard his own vessel and recommends they move away from the Waterwind until the battle is over. Moments later, Perun jolts U-Man with a jot of lightining, causing the Atlantean warrior to shoot wildly. One of the shots hits the Waterwind, damaging the vessel. After assessing the damage, the Peace Corps realizes that the only way to continue with their mission will be heading to the nearest port and making repairs.

Unfortunately, the Avengers and People’s Protectorate are too busy dealing with the Atlanteans to stop the Waterwind from fleeing the scene. Luckily, Stingray has recovered from the initial attack and follows after the vessel. Sneaking inside the nuclear vessel through a torpedo tube, Stingray finds the British naval crew and frees them in the hopes they can storm the bridge and retake control of the submarine. While he is rallying the Brits, the Waterwind soon surfaces off the coast of Newfoundland. As Stingray leads the crew out of their holding cell, they are unaware that they are being observed Strokov, the right-hand-man to Peace Corp’s leader Illyich Protvitch. He doesn’t stop them, as alerting the authorities to their location is playing right into his hands.

By this time, the Avengers and People’s Protectorate have driven off the Atlanteans and have resumed their search for the Waterwind. That’s when Captain America is contacted by Stingray, who informs the team that the submarine has gone to port somewhere in the Bays of Trinity for repairs. However, before he can provide anymore information the transmission is cut off. With the situation growing more dangerous with each passing moment, the two teams agree to work together to stop the Peace Corps from using the Waterwind’s nuclear arsenal.

Meanwhile, the Waterwind has come to port at Conception Bay in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Here, Protvitch is furious that Mendov allowed the prisoners to escape and call for help. Mendov explains that he had no choice but to push forward with their intended plans. When Captain America and the others arrive, Illyich orders them to surrender to their demands or they will start executing their hostages, starting with Stingray. Vostok assesses the situation and concludes that this is a bluff as they would run out of hostages in about five hours, leaving them vulnerable to attack. The Vision concurs with this conclusion and Captain America decides to refuse their demands. In response, Illyich shoots Stringray in the back of the head, seemingly killing him.[1]

This horrifies the Avengers and the Red Guardian suggests that they attack now while they have a chance. However, they are ordered to stop by the arriving Alpha Flight, whose leader — Guardian — advises them that since the Waterwind is now on Canadian soil, they have jurisdiction now.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Sersi, Stingray. Vision, Quasar), Alpha Flight (Guardian, Shaman, Box, Puck, Diamond Lil), People’s Protectorate (Red Guardian, Vostok, Fantasma, Crimson Dynamo, Perun), Peace Corps (Illyich Protvitch, Strokov, Mendev, Voroshilov, Kuryestan), Tyrak, U-Man, Orka

Continuity Notes

1. Stingray’s not dead, as we’ll discover next issue, his armored costume protected him from serious injury.

Topical References

• The Waterwind is depicted as a Resolution class submarine. This should be considered topical as these types of submarines were retired in 1996.

• Russia is referred to as the USSR in this story. This should be considered a topical reference as the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

Changing of the Guard

At Avengers Headquarters, the newly formed Avengers Crew is preparing in the process of preparing the place for use after the team’s previous headquarters on Hydrobase was recently sunk.[1] Michael O’Brien is overseeing the installation of a new meeting table a replica of the original that was lost at sea when Hydrobase was sunk. After the table is installed, Michael’s attention is drawn to a glint of light down a darkened corridor and decides to check it out.

In the darkness, O’Brien is ambushed by a man wearing his old Guardsman armor. The intruder quickly disarms Mike and then removes his helmet revealing that he is O’Brien’s brother, Kevin. Michael finds this impossible to believe because his brother died battling Iron Man years earlier.[2] Kevin accuses his brother of betraying him to Tony Stark and Iron Man, but Michael insists that this wasn’t the case, that his brother was mentally ill and his death was an accident. Kevin refuses to accept this and attacks his brother. Michael then races down the hall and gets access to a weapons storage to get a rifle. Unfortunately, his is slow to the draw and Kevin incapacitates him with a blast from his armor’s repulsor rays. As Michael blacks out from the attack, Kevin welcomes his brother to the void.[3]

Recurring Characters

Michael O’Brien, Mother Night

Continuity Notes

1. The Avengers previously operated out of Hydrobase from Avengers #278 until it was sunk by Doctor Doom in issue #311.

2. Kevin O’Brien started working for Tony Stark back in Iron Man #31 and developed his suit of Guardsman armor in issue #43. However, the armor’s cybernetic uplink made Kevin incredibly paranoid and jealous of Tony. Ultimately, Kevin died battling Iron Man in issue #46. Michael originally believed that his brother was murdered by Stark and began hounding him in Iron Man #82. Becoming the new Guardsman, Michael tried to get revenge against Iron Man, only to learn the truth about his brothers death in time to help the hero defeat the Mandarin. See Iron Man #96-100.

3. It’s later revealed that Kevin O’Brien was actually an illusion was created by Mother Night who is secretly brainwashing the Avengers Crew to betray the heroes, part of a birthday gift for the Red Skull. This will occur over the course of Avengers #319-324, with Mother Night’s master scheme being attempted in issue #325.