The Crossing Line Part 6: Imaginary Borders

The Avengers, Alpha Flight, and People’s Protectorate failed to stop the terrorist organization called the Peace Corps from detonating the nuclear arsenal of the Waterwind off the coast of Newfoundland. Luckily, everyone was spared when Alpha Flight’s Shaman inverted his medicine bag at the moment of the explosion, shunting everyone into another dimension. Unfortunately, returning home is impossible until they can find a way to siphon off the radiation from their bodies, otherwise they will be atomized upon their return.

Compounding the situation is the fact that Shaman cannot hold the dimensional gate open for much longer, potentially stranding our heroes in the dimensional void.

Worse, the leader of the Peace Corps — Illyich Prokvitch and Mendev — have been merged together into a powerful being that has dubbed itself the Combine. It offers to use its power to return everyone to Earth, but only for the express purpose of unleashing the radiation upon the planet. This is to complete the Peace Corps’ goal of triggering a world war in order to stimulate the economy.

While the gathered heroes and a trio of Atlantean warriors try to fight Combine, Box converts his robotic body into a shelter for the citizens of Placenta Bay, Newfoundland, to protect them from the battle. Helping in this effort are Captain America, Puck, and Fantasma. By this point, the remaining members of the Peace Corp have seen the errors of their way, and theorize that the might be able to get Combine to work with them if the terrorists collectively convince their former leaders of this same error. In order to do so, Fantasma figures they will need to use Sersi’s telepathic abilities. Unfortunately, the Eternal has been in a catatonic state after overtaxing her powers protecting the innocent civilians while trapped in a dimension of fire.

In order to succeed, Captain America orders Guardian, Quasar, Crimson Dynamo, and the Vision to relentlessly pound on Combine while they prepare to telepathically influence Combine into absorbing all the radiation from their bodies so they can safely return to Earth. The plan begins to work and Shaman is able to slowly return people to Earth as the radiation has been absorbed by Combine. However, the Mendev side of the Combine continues to resist and fight them. When the time comes, the Vision disrupts the pair with his phasing powers and Guardian teleports the entity closer to the other members of the Peace Corps with a gravitational shunt. This allows the repentant terrorists to join hands with their leader and be absorbed into the Combine. Their combined will are enough to change its intended goals. Having become a composite being, Combine then decides that it will now search the multiverse to find a new purpose.

With Combine now gone, Shaman sends the last of the heroes back to Earth, just moments before he is completely spent. With the immediate crisis over, both the Atlanteans and People’s Protectorate take off without another word. The Avengers and Alpha Flight however remain on site to reflect on the battle. Guardian is impressed what people from different nations can accomplish if they put aside their differences and work together and hopes that everyone can work together to build a better future for everyone.

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), The Combine, Peace Corps (Mendev, Voroshilov, Kuryestan), Tyrak, U-Man, Orka

Topical References

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

Armies of the Night

The Avengers Support Crew — Edwin Jarvis, Peggy Carter, John Jameson, Michael O’Brien, and Fabian Stankowicz — have all been enthralled by Mother Night. She intends to use the crew as sleeper agents for her master, the Red Skull. After she obscures her presence from some of the construction workers working on the brand new Avengers Headquarters,[1] she lures Jarvis and the others to her mobile headquarters, which has been disguised as a blood mobile.

Inside, Mother Night is pleased to see her brother Minister Blood and the Machinesmith waiting for her inside. Mother Night explains how she was easily able to use her hypnotic powers to could the minds of the Avengers Crew in order to get close enough to plant micro-transmitters in their ears. With this device, she was able to haunt the each member with their darkest fears until they were traumatized into a catatonic state. This has left them open to being subjected to the Machinesmith’s brainwashing to turn them all into sleeper agents so that they can, in turn, destroy the Avengers. Mother Night has orchistrated this entire scheme as a birthday gift for their master, the Red Skull.

In order to program the crew into setting up a suitable trap for the Avengers, they are once again traumatized by their darkest fears. For Jarvis, it is of the Crimson Cowl, Michael O’Brien his deceased brother Kevin, for Peggy Carter it is her relative Sharon, John Jameson is haunted by his alter-ego the Man-Wolf, while Fabian is tormented by memories of his criminal past.[2] When the crew are finally released they are left to believe that they were merely donating blood and head back to Avengers Headquarters to prepare for Mother Night’s trap. Watching from the her spy equipment, Mother Night hopes that the Skull will be pleased with the gift she has prepared for him.

Recurring Characters

John Jameson, Edwin Jarvis, Peggy Carter, Fabian Stankowicz, Michael O’Brien, Mother Night, Machinesmith, Minister Blood

Continuity Notes

1. The Avengers previous headquarters on Hydrobase was sunk in Avengers #311. This new headquarters is being built on the site of the old Avengers Mansion (which was transferred to Hydrobase in issue #278 and was on the island when it sunk.) The new headquarters will open in Avengers #329.

2. The dark secrets that haunt the Avengers Crew all relate to their individual past. The details:

   • Jarvis is haunted by the Crimson Cowl, a criminal identity he was forced to adopt when he was brainwashed into betraying the Avengers by the robot Ultron. See Avengers #54-55 and 280.

   • Michael O’Brien is haunted by the memory of his brother Kevin. Kevin worked for Tony Stark starting in Iron Man #31. Building a suit of armor for himself in issue #43, it drove Kevin mad and he died battling Iron Man in Iron Man #46.

   • Peggy Carter is haunted by the memory of her relative, Sharon. At the time of this story, everyone believes that Sharon had died after being brainwashed by National Force and was forced to commit suicide by self immolation in Captain America #237. In reality, she faked her death in order to go into deep cover on a mission for SHIELD, as revealed in Captain America #446.

   • John Jameson is haunted by the Man-Wolf. John became this feral creature after recovering the mysterious Moon-Stone while on a manned space flight to the Moon back in Amazing Spider-Man #124. At the time of this story, John had been cured of this curse in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #3.

   • Fabian Stankowicz is haunted by his criminal past. 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.