The Crossing Line Part 3: Missing Links

The Peace Corps terrorist organization has stolen the Waterwind, a British nuclear submarine. In response the Avengers and People’s Protectorate have been dispatched by their respective governments to recover the submarine. Following the Waterwind to a port in Newfoundland, the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight have come to take command of the situation now that they are on Canadian soil.[1] With the terrorists threatening to execute the crew of the ship, the three teams agree to work together, although the Red Guardian and his comrades only agree reluctantly.

Guardian then meets with the Peace Corps’ leader, Illyich Protvitch, and agrees to give them asylum until they repair the Waterwind in exchange for sparing the other hostages. The three hero teams then set up a base of operations at a nearby loading dock to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, Protvitch’s right-hand-man, Mendev, is on patrol on the deck of the Waterwind when he comes across a flattened bullet on the ground. Realizing that this was from when they shot the Avenger Stingray in the back of the head, they check on him and discover that he is still alive and his armored costume protected him from the gunshot. Illyich believes that this doesn’t change the situation now that they have temporary amnesty. This annoys Mendev who believes that they are weakening their resolve by making compromises. Over the next few hours, Mendev begins sowing dissention in the ranks and convinces the other members of the Peace Corps to arm the nuclear weapons.

As this is going on, the Avengers, People’s Protectorate and Alpha Flight go over a blue print of the Waterwind and come up with strategies to resolve the current crisis. While Red Guardian wants to storm the submarine, the others are concerned about the safety of the hostages and the citizens of Newfoundland. Everyone agrees to do a two pronged operation: While one group infiltrates a sub and frees the hostages, another will be tasked with evacuating the immediate area. Captain America decides to head the team that will take the submarine, selecting Vostok, Box, the Vision, and Box to accompany him. The Red Guardian insists on joining this team as well, and is allowed to do so when he reveals that he knew Illyich Protvitch back before he joined Peace Corps.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Atlantis, Tyrak is furious that their kingdom was encroached on by surface dwellers once again. While Tyrak wants to get revenge, U-Man and Orka are reluctant to continue aggressions. They change their mind when Tyrak launches a probe that informs them that the Waterwind has been docked. Seeing this as their opportunity to strike, Tyrak leads his comrades to the waters off the Canadian coast.

By this time, Captain America’s team sneaks into the submarine after Puck incapacitates the lone guard stationed outside. Since the porthole is too small for Box to enter, he converts his robotic body into a submersible to facilitate moving the hostages after they have been freed. The rescue team finds the hostages being held in the crew quarters. However, when they knock out the guard, a gun goes off alerting the rest of Peace Corp that they have intruders on board. As Illyich and Mendev are working on something, they send the others to deal with them. Cap and his team make short work of the terrorists. However, when they get to the bridge they find the two ringleaders of this operation have wired themselves to the nuclear arsenal. Vostok determines that they have linked the launch mechanisms to their bodies and that if they should die, the missiles will launch.

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, Mendev, Voroshilov, Kuryestan), Tyrak, U-Man, Orka

Continuity Notes

1. Here, Captain America calls Guardian by her previous name Vindicator. When Heather NcNeil first became a superhero in Alpha Flight #32, she too the name Guardian after her husband, James Hudson, who was believed to have died in issue #12 of that series. She later changed her name to Vindicator in issue #34. She changed her name back to Guardian in issue #90 after her husband turned back up alive. She even continues using the name after James seemingly died again in issue #100.

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.

Mother of Invention

The Avengers Crew are setting up operations in Avengers Headquarters and resident technician Fabian Stankowicz has finished having all his equipment delivered to his lab. He is excited to get to work but doesn’t even know where to begin unpacking. In one of the shipping crates, Fabian finds the old suit of armor he built back when he thought he could make a name for himself by being a villain and defeating the Avengers in battle.[1] As he laments over the consequences of his past actions, resulting in his having the lowest security clearance among the crew, his armor suddenly flies out of its crate and assembles itself around him.

That’s when Fabian is visited by his mother, something that is impossible since she died when he was still a baby. She calls her son a failure just like his abusive father. Fabian points out that he is somebody now that he is working for the Avengers. This doesn’t impress her and she decides to walk out on him again. Reaching out to his mother and begging her to come back, Stankowicz is horrified when his armor suddenly fires a beam of energy and hits her in the back, killing her.[2]

Recurring Characters

Fabian Stankowicz, Mother Night

Continuity Notes

1. After winning the lottery, Fabian used his newfound fortune to build suits of armor to try and defeat superheroes in battle, particularly the Avengers as seen in Avengers #217, 221, 239 as well as Marvel Two-In-One #96. Captain America convinced Fabian to reform and join the Avengers Support Crew in Captain America #352.

2. It’s later revealed that Fabian’s mother 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.