Avengers #368 — Nick Peron

Apr 16

Apr 16 Avengers #368

Bloodties Part 1: Family Legacy

The sun is setting on Hammer Bay, the capital city of the republic of Genosha. The city is in flames as the Mutate population wars against their human oppressors.[1] Sitting atop the tallest building in town is Fabian Cortez, leader of the Acolytes. He has just kidnapped Luna, daughter of Quicksilver and Crystal. As the granddaughter of Magneto — a man his people revere as a religious figure — plays into his master plan.[2]

In Washington, DC, at the Bureau of Mutant Affairs, the situation in Genosha is being closely monitored by Val Cooper, Henry Gyrich, and Nick Fury. Cooper explains that the situation in the country is becoming more volatile thanks to word that Magneto was alive and well and responsible for the massive electromagnetic pulse that struck the planet Earth.[3] To try and ease tensions, Henry Gyrich is being deployed to the country with mutant rights activists Philip Moreau and Jenny Ransom. In order to prevent things from getting out of control, Val Cooper insists that the Avengers must be kept out of the conflict and charges Fury and SHIELD with keeping the group under wraps.

Fury calls a meeting with both the east and west coast Avengers at Avengers Headquarters in New York City. In attendance are Captain America, the Black Widow, Giant-Man, Crystal, Sersi, the Black Knight, the Vision, and Hercules of the east coast team as well as Hawkeye, US Agent, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman, and War Machine of the west coast group. Fury explains the delicate situation in Genosha and how the Avengers are not to get involved. However, they are coy about why they are worried. They also take this opportunity to assign US Agent as Henry Gyrich’s security while in Genosha. The Avengers don’t like the fact that the government is being secretive as well as being forced to sit on the sidelines while innocent people are dying in a bloody war. Pressed for answers, Nick Fury admits that the reason why they don’t want the Avengers involved is because the mutant rebellion might strike out against the Avengers to make a statement about mutant-human relations.

Overhearing this, Crystal puts two-and-two together and fears that her daughter Luna might be targeted, they exact thing Professor X recently warned them of.[4] Racing upstairs, Crystal is relieved to find her baby is still apparently safe and sound. However, when Luna starts talking to them, the Black Knight realizes that this is an impostor and strikes the child. Sure enough, it turns out to be a Genoshian Mutate with shape-shifting powers. The Mutate explains that her people are striking a blow against the Avengers for standing on the sidelines while her people are being murdered. With that, the Mutate makes herself blow up.

Meanwhile, at Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters, Henry Gyrich arrives with US Agent to meet with Professor Charles Xavier, Philip Moreau, and Jenny Ransom to discuss their envoy to Genosha. As the leading expert on mutants, Gyrich wants Xavier to come along in the event that Magneto does show up. Charles is certain that the master of magnetism wont, but agrees to come along. However, he insists that he bring along Hank McCoy — aka the Beast — given his own expertise in mutants. This is much to the chagrin of Gyrich,[5] however he is unsurprised since the footage smuggled out of Genosha was shot by his old friend, Trish Tilby. [6]

Below Xavier’s mansion, the X-Men — Storm, Iceman, Gambit, Rogue, and Bishop — are in a training session overseen by Cyclops and Jean Grey and observed by Quicksilver. Pietro was just on a mission with the X-Men and is debating on if he should visit his wife Crystal before returning to his duties with X-Factor. Knowing that Quicksilver has been struggling with his marriage, Cyclops tells Pietro to follow his heart.[7]

Back at Avengers Headquarters, the heroes have survived the suicide bomb attempt. Despite Fury’s orders, both east and west coast teams decide to head to Genosha and rescue Luna. Expecting something like this, Nick has called in and army of SHIELD agents in to prevent the Avengers from leaving their headquarters.

By this time, the envoy to Genosha is en route to the war-torn island in a government jet. Along the way, they pick up a broadcast from Trish Tilby who has just received a statement from Fabian Cortez, the mutant involved in the uprising. Cortez — cradling Luna in his arms — shows off how he murdered a number of government representatives. He then announces his intentions to kill every human in the city of Hammer Bay by dawn. The Beast instantly recognizes Quicksilver and Crystal’s daughter. This deeply upsets Xavier, who fears that the cycle of hate and violence is going to be downloaded to the next generation and wonders when it will all finally end.

… This story is continued in X-Men (vol. 2) #26.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Giant-Man, Hercules, Vision, Black Knight, Black Widow, Sersi, Crystal), Avengers West Coast (Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, US Agent, Spider-Woman, War Machine), X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, Storm, Rogue, Gambit), Quicksilver, Jenny Ransome, Phillip Moreau, Fabian Cortez, Luna Maximoff, Val Cooper, Marilla, Trish Tilby, SHIELD

Continuity Notes

Genosha is an apartheid nation where mutants are treated as little more than slave labor. For more on the complex political situation in Genosha at the time of this story see Uncanny X-Men #235-238, 256, 259, 271-272, New Mutants #95-97, X-Factor #60-62, 71, 88-91, and X-Men (vol. 2) #1-3.
Magneto’s family tree is complicated and many of the facts that are known at this time turn out to be false. The deets:
- At the time of this story, everyone has been led to believe that Magneto is the father of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, as per Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4. This has later been proven false. The Maximoff twins mother has since been identified as Natalya Maximoff in Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3. Their father, as of this writing in May 2022, has yet to be revealed.
- Pietro and Wanda aren’t even mutants, as revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5. They were actually experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as children. In order to cover up his work he made it so future genetic testing on the twins would have them register as mutants.
- At the time of this story, Magneto is MIA after his mind was wiped by Professor X in X-Men (vol. 2) #25.
Magneto was believed to had died when Fabien Cortez betrayed him in X-Men (vol. 2) #3. The master of magnetism survived and resurfaced in X-Force #24. When the governments of the world erected a satellite grid around Earth to keep Magneto out he trigged a global electromagnetic pulse in X-Men (vol. 2) #25.
Chuck warned the Avengers that the Acolytes might target Luna back in Avengers #350.
The Beast’s tenure on the Avengers was from issues #137 through 211. Gyrich, who was the Avengers NSA liaison from Avengers #168 through 229, frequently butted heads with the heroes, particularly the Beast.
Tilby is a reporter who focuses on mutant affairs since X-Factor #7. She and the beast have had an on-again-off-again relationship since issue #36 of that series. Often her job as a reporter put her at odds with Hank’s mutant rights activism.
Quicksilver and Crystal got married in Fantastic Four #150. After a period of neglect, Crystal was caught having an affair, as seen in Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #6-12. The pair have been trying to patch up their marriage since Fantastic Four Annual #21. However, things have been strained since a failed romantic getaway in X-Factor #89.

Topical References

The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are depicted as part of the New York City skyline. This should be considered a topical reference as these buildings were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. They have subsequently been replaced by the Freedom Tower.