Into a Darkling Plain

The Avengers are called in to help contain Illarion Ramskov, the victim of a nuclear accident who is now running amok in the city sewers. As this is a sensitive diplomatic matter, the team is forced to bring Galina Zhukova, a Russian intelligence operative, and Dr. Deidre Estevez, who was trying to cure Ramskov with them. However, during a clash with Thor and She-Hulk, Illarion’s containment suit is cracked. Reliving the accident in his mind — which was caused by two men who sabotaged the reactor — Illarion remember how he became irradiated when he shattered a neutralizer element that was thrown at him. Exploding into a fit of rage, Ramskov unleashes a powerful bolt of energy that punches through the tunnel and up into the sky.

This is witnessed by Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four. However, Reed decides to leave it be as the Avengers are handling it. The burst of energy is also seen by Rage, a new superhero, just moments after he toppled a Brooklyn crack house. Figuring the city is in danger, Rage charges off to see what he can do to help. As he goes, he is observed by L.D. 50, the gang member who owned the crack house. He is furious that Rage destroyed one of his illicit business operations and vows to get revenge.

Back underground, Iron Man carries both Estevez and Zhukova to safety while Thor and She-Hulk try to contain Illarion. Iron Man has started to see holes in Zhukova’s story, that Ramskov was irradiated while working for the Russian space agency, and demands that she tell him the truth. While back at the hospital, Captain America and Sersi are growing worried about their teammates. That’s when Raymond Sikorski, the Avengers NSA handler, gets a call from Washington and informs Cap that the Avengers security clearance has been revoked as part of a treaty just signed with Russia. This infuriates Captain America who refuses to stand down while there are lives at risk over something as trivial as government clearance, and leaps down the hole in the floor with Sersi to go find their comrades. Down below, Iron Man, Thor and She-Hulk continue to try and contain Ramskov, to no avail, while Rage races down the subway tunnel under the East River in order to get to the scene of the battle.

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, L.D. 50 decides that in order to kill Rage he’ll have to call in a favor. Driving to a nearby payphone he puts in a call to the Kingpin.[1]

By this time, Captain America and Sersi have arrived on the scene of the battle just as Iron Man decides to initiate “plan d” which involves Thor using his enchanted hammer Mjolnir to transport Illarion to another dimension.[2] However, with the level of radiation that Ramskov is giving off, Sersi has to combine her powers with Thor to pull it off. Just as Thor is summoning a dimensional vortex, Rage comes smashing through the wall, distracting the thunder god enough that he accidentally teleports everyone along with Illarion to another dimension.

They all end up in a universe where the universal laws are so different that Illarion reverts back to human form. However, it also renders Iron Man’s armor useless until Sersi is able to use her power to restructure molecules to alter its functions. As Doctor Estevez is examining her partient they are suddenly attacked by a group of monsters who have been imprisoned in this dimension. Observing the ensuing battle is the leader of this group, Ngh the Unspeakable and his minion the diminutive Xa. Ngh believes that the arrival of the Avengers gives them an opportunity to escape their prison and watches for the right opportunity to strike.

As after the Avengers fend off their attackers, they learn that Galina Zhukova is actually a member of Russian intelligence. More important, Doctor Estevez reveals that Ramskov will die unless he gets an immediate bone marrow transplant. Given her irradiated nature, the She-Hulk is chosen as the best candidate for a doner.

Back on Earth, L.D. 50 waits at a street corner for the Kingpin to arrive. Eventually a limo shows up, but the occupants refuse to talk to him. Instead, they pop the trunk of the limo, revealing that it is carrying a rocket launcher for L.D. to use against Rage. Once he picks up the weapon, the limo drives off before he can thank them.

While in the so-called Dimension of Exile, Sersi uses her transmutation powers to transfer bone marrow from She-Hulk to Ramskov, under the guidance of Doctor Estevez. While they are waiting, Captain America reveals that the Avengers just lost their government security clearance. Hearing this angers Rage, who calls Cap a hypocrite for refusing to allow him to join the team over jurisdiction while they are flaunting those same rules now. Meanwhile, Xa and the other monsters return to Ngh and confirms that the strangers came to this dimension under their own power and they can leave whenever they want. This is great news to Ngh, who believes they can finally escape the banishment inflicted upon them by the Tetrarchs of Entropy. He rallies his minions to prepare for another attack on the Avengers that will lead to their ultimate freedom and a new world to plunder.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Sersi), Rage, Illarion Ramskov, L.D. 50, Raymond Sikorski, Xa, Nghm Orm, Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Galina Zhukova, Dr. Deidre Estevez

Continuity Notes

1. Here, there is some graffiti on the wall in the background that reads “RIP DP7”. This is in reference to the comic book series D.P.7 which was part of Marvel’s New Universe line of comics. It ran for 32 issues from 1986 to 1989. Artist Paul Ryan (who did the art for this issue) also penciled that series.

2. A footnote here reminds readers that “Plan D” was previously used back in Avengers #16. The team had done this to take their battle with the Masters of Evil out of the streets of New York in order to prevent civilian casualties.

Topical References

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

• Illarion Ramskov’s origin is rooted in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Although I don’t find any reference otherwise, this could be considered topical. Modern readers could assume that Illarion was involved in a completely fictional nuclear disaster. On the other hand, one could argue that his exposure to radiation at Chernobyl caused him to age slower so issues with the Sliding Timescale would not arise. Stranger things have been done in the past TBH.