History Repeats Itself

The Avengers butler Jarvis is doing yardwork outside Avengers Mansion when a young man suddenly appears in a blinding flash of light.[1] The young man calls himself Tyfon and claims to be a “timeskimmer” from the future to change history. He tells Jarvis that the Avengers are going to die and only Jarvis can prevent it from happening. When Tyfon asks to go into Avengers Mansion to warn the team, Jarvis tells him that the Avengers are currently on a mission on the streets of Manhattan.

In the city, the Avengers — Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Crystal — find themselves fighting the original Masters of Evil — the Black Knight, the Melter, and Radioactive Man — something that should be impossible considering that two of its members are dead.[2] After they defeat their foes, the Avengers are cheered on by the bystanders on the street.[3] Suddenly, the Masters of Evil begin to melt into some sort of dark matter which begins engulfing and replacing buildings in the area. The Scarlet Witch then pulls out her Avengers ID so she can contact the other Avengers on the ground and warn them of the situation. The call is received by Captain America who is fighting a copy of the Living Laser with Hawkeye and Iron Man. Sure enough when they defeat this foe, he crumbles into dark matter as well.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Tyfon explains that the future is a dystopian nightmare that began when the Avengers greatest foes returned resulting in a vast dimensional portal being opened to the Dark Dimension. He explains that this was all the master scheme of the Avengers greatest foe. When Jarvis asks who that might be, Tyfon claims that all record of the identity of this foe were lost to history and hence why he came back. He hopes by linking Jarvis’ mind to the Avengers computer they can scan through his memories and determine the identity of their foe. When the butler suggests that they start at the beginning, Tyfon suggests they push ahead in the Avengers history as his records from that period are the murkiest. While Jarvis goes through his memories, Tyfon continues monitoring developments in the city.

Elsewhere in the city, Giant-Man, the Wasp, Thor, and Black Widow find themselves in the middle of a crossfire between the Kree and the Skrulls. Each alien they take down also dissolves into dark matter like all the other foes who have appeared in the city. With the two warring alien factions defeated Giant-Man is attacked by an amalgam of Rama-Tut, Kang, the Scarlet Centurion, and Immortus.[4] When he strikes Hank the blow causes him to rapidly change costumes to his past identitiy of Yellowjacket, Goliath, Giant-Man, and Ant-Man.[5] He is saved by the Wasp and reverts back to normal and Thor soon shatters this bizarre amalgam with Mjolnir. That’s when the rest of the team catches up with them and helps take down the last of the Kree and Skrull warriors. The group are then ambushed by three members of the Squadron Sinister — Hyperion, Doctor Spectrum and the Whizzer — in the ensuing clash, both Quicksilver and Hawkeye are knocked out. After Cap orders Crystal to get them to a hospital, the team suddenly finds themselves surrounded by an army of Lava Men.

Back at the mansion, Tyfon is trying to get Jarvis to think of who might be the mastermind of this plot. Jarvis isn’t sure and wants to go over the possibilities thoroughly starting from the beginning again. Tyfon insists that there is no time to go think that far into the past as the situation is growing more desperate for the Avengers.

Tyfon isn’t wrong as the Avengers are faced with more and more of their old foes: While Iron Man fights Ultron, the Wasp battles the Controller, the Scarlet Witch faces the Grim Reaper, Captain America fights the Assassin, the Vision another version of the Reaper, Thor against Count Nefaria, while Giant-Man is triple tag-teamed by a Kree Sentry, Nuklo, and the Growing-Man. With each fallen foe, more and more of the city is swallowed up in dark matter. Soon other heroes in the city and all over the world find themselves fighting off the changes including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Black Panther, the Sub-Mariner, and She-Hulk.

Back at the mansion, Jarvis continues suggesting they look at the Avengers first enemy. When Tyfon once again dismisses this idea, the dutiful butler gets wise to the situation and begins openly mocking Loki. This causes Tyfon to lose his temper and drop his disguise, as it turns out he was Loki. As the trickster god tries to attack Jarvis he uses his own Avengers communicator to call a red alert. The Avengers quickly drop what they are doing and race back to the mansion where they find the massive form of Loki standing on the front lawn. He has merged his magics with the dark matter to make his body into a massive portal to the Dark Dimension. The god of mischief tells the Avengers that soon the entire Earth will be swallowed up in darkness and become his domain.

When the Avengers try charging at their foe, Loki uses his magic to animate a statue of the original team to keep Earth’s Mightiest Heroes at bay. These opponents prove tough to beat since the statues themselves are coated in adamantium. The Scarlet Witch uses her hex powers to cause the statue to melt and Thor uses the power of Mjolnir to coat Loki in the liquid metal, creating an adamantium prison for his step brother. In the aftermath of the battle, Captain America and the Avengers commend Jarvis on his part in stopping this crisis. While everyone is celebrating there is a sudden knock at the door. The Wasp goes to answer it and is greeted by Nate Gray, aka the X-Man, who tells the Avengers that Professor Xavier of the X-Men has gone insane and must be stopped.[6]

… This story continues in Onslaught: X-Men #1.[7]

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Black Widow, Crystal), Loki, X-Man, Edwin Jarvis

Continuity Notes

1. This story celebrates 400 issues of the Avengers and this plot makes a lot of references to the team’s formation and first battle against Loki back in Avengers #1. As if you need me to tell you all that.

2. The Black Knight, aka Nathan Garrett, was fatally wounded after falling off his flying horse in Tales of Suspense #73 and died of his injuries in Avengers #43. Bruno Horgan, aka the Melter, met his end when he was assassinated by the vigilante known as the Scourge of the Underworld in Avengers #263.

3. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are referred to as mutants here. However, it is later revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5 that they are not. They were actually experimented on by the High Evolutionary who made it so future genetic testing would have them register as mutants in order to cover up his work.

4. This amalgamated foe is a composite of all the different version of Nathaniel Richards of Earth-6311. Rama-Tut (first seen in Fantastic Four #19), Kang the Conqueror (Avengers #8), Immortus (Avengers #10), and the Scarlet Centurion (Avengers Annual #2).

5. When struck by the composite time traveler, Hank reverts back into various previous costumed identities including Ant-Man (Tales to Astonish #35), Giant-Man (Tales to Astonish #49), Goliath (Avengers #28), and Yellowjacket (Avengers #59)

6. Nate’s assertion that Xavier is insane is quite a bit of a logical leap. Narratively, as per X-Man #15-17, Nate sought out the Avengers to help him battle Onslaught after the mysterious entity sent Holocaust after him. At the time, Nate did not know Xavier and Onslaught are the same person. He had a distrust of Xavier after the two clashed in X-Man #10. One could assume that Nate was psychically aware of Xavier’s big reveal that he was Onslaught in X-Men (vol. 2) #54.

7. The narration states that this story continues in Uncanny X-Men #335. This is not correct. The Avengers appear in Onslaught: X-Men #1 followed by their appearance in Uncanny X-Men #335.

Topical References

• One of the buildings in this story has the Sony logo on the roof. This should be considered topical as this is a real world company.

Avengers Roll Call

A feature listing every member of the team at the time of this issue’s publication. This list includes Thor,[1] Iron Man,[2] Giant-Man, the Wasp,[3] the Hulk, Captain America,[4] Wonder Man,[5] Hawkeye,[6] Quicksilver,[7] the Scarlet Witch,[8] the Swordsman (Duquesne),[9] Hercules,[10] Black Panther, the Vision,[11] Black Knight, Black Widow, Mantis,[12] Moondragon,[13] Beast,[14] Hellcat,[15] Jocasta, Ms. Marvel,[16] Falcon, Tigra, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel,[17] Starfox, Mockingbird,[18] the Thing,[19] Sub-Mariner, Firebird,[20] Doctor Druid,[21] Moon Knight,[22] Marrina,[23] Yellowjacket,[24] Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman,[25] Gilgamesh,[26] Quasar,[27] Sersi, Stingray, Rage,[28] Sandman,[29] Spider-Man, Crystal, Thunderstrike,[30] Deathcry, Swordsman (Javert), US Agent, Human Torch, Magdalene, Masque, Living Lightning, and Spider-Woman

Continuity Notes

1. Thor has two aliases listed: Don Blake and Sigurd Jarlson. Thor originally had a mortal identity from Journey into Mystery #83 until it was abandoned in Thor #339. Thor assumed the identity of Sigurd Jarlson in Thor #341, but later abandoned this identity by Thor #379.

2. A distinction is made about appearances of adult Tony Stark and his teen counterpart. The Avengers brought Tony’s younger self forward in time to fight his future self in Avengers: Timeslide #1, when Tony betrayed the team. The adult Stark died in battle shortly thereafter in Avengers #395. His teen self then remained in the present day. Teen Tony is now from a divergent reality identified as Marvel Legacy: The 1990s Handbook #1 in Reality-96020. This will remain the status quo until Heroes Reborn #½ when he is restored to adulthood. How this happened is explained in Avengers Annual 2001. TL;DR version, it was Frankling Richards. Also depicted here is Tony’s most recent armor first debuted in Iron Man #328, and the golden model of the Model one Armor first seen in Tales of Suspense #40, which he wore when Tony first joined the team in Avengers #1

3. There is a distinction made between the Wasp’s humanoid form and her then-current insectile form. Janet was mutated into a more insectile form in Avengers #394. She will be restored to normal in Avengers (vol. 2) #1.

4. Captain America is depicted in his traditional costume and also in his “Captain” guise. This was an identity that he had during a period when the government took away the Captain America identity from Captain America #332 through 350.

5. Here it is stated that Wonder Man died in Force Works #1. He will be resurrected in Avengers (vol. 3) #2 and brought full back to life in issue #11. Here he is depicted in his most recent look, his original helmeted costume from Avengers #9, and his more casual look with sunglasses first seen in Avengers #167.

6. Hawkeye appears in his traditional costume from Tales of Suspense #57. His Goliath identity from Avengers #63, and his current costume at the time of this publication, which was first seen in Avengers: The Crossing #1.

7. Quicksilver is listed as a reformed enemy. This is in reference to the period in which he turned against the team, starting in West Coast Avengers Annual #1 until he reformed in Avengers West Coast #61.

8. Wanda is depicted wearing her traditional headdress that she started wearing in Avengers #37 and her then current look that she began having since Force Works #16.

9. Here it is stated that the original Swordsman died in Giant-Size Avengers #2. As of this writing (May, 2022) this has remained the status quo. He gets briefly resurrected between Chaos War #2 and 5, but has only appeared in flashbacks since.

10. Hercules is shown here in his traditional bearded look he has sported since appearing in Journey into Mystery Annual #1. Also depicted is his current “Fabio” look that has been his standard appearance since Avengers #363.

11. The Vision is given the alias Victor Shade. This was a name he took on once back in Avengers Spotlight #40, when he posed as an ordinary human for a bit.

12. Mantis is listed as an “ally turned enemy”, this is in reference to the events of The Crossing which took place in Avengers: The Crossing #1, Avengers #390-395, Iron Man #319-325, Force Works #16-20, War Machine #20-23 and Avengers: Timeslide #1. In that story, it appears that Mantis has turned evil. However, it is later revealed that the Mantis seen in The Crossing was actually a Space Phantom posing as her. See Avengers Forever #8 for all the details.

13. Moondragon is identified here as a reformed enemy. She once turned against the Avengers in Avengers #219-220. She also once corrupted by the Dragon of the Moon from Defenders #143-152, leading to her brief demise. She has been on the straight and narrow following her resurrection in Solo Avengers #16/18/20.

14. The Beast is listed as a current member of the X-Men. The Beast was a founding member of the X-Men back in X-Men #1. At the time of this story he had recently rejoined the X-Men in X-Men (vol. 2) #1.

15. Hellcat is listed as “current fate unknown”. Which is odd since she very clearly committed suicide in Hellstorm: Prince of Lies #14. She will be restored to life in Thunderbolts Annual 2000.

16. States that Ms. Marvel now goes by Binary, a name she took when she obtained new powers in Uncanny X-Men #164. It also states that she is a current member of the Starjammers. The joined them in Uncanny X-Men #174.

17. It states here that Captain Marvel now calls herself Photon. She changed her name in Avengers Unplugged #5.

18. It states here that Mockingbird had died in Avengers West Coast #100. However, it’s later revealed that this wasn’t the real Bobbi Morse, but a Skrull infiltrator. See Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2. The Skrull took Bobbi’s place circa Avengers West Coast #91.

19. It is stated here that the Thing is a current member of the Fantastic Four. He was a founding member of the group back in Fantastic Four #1. His brief time with the Avengers came after he quit the Fantastic Four in Thing #23. Following his stint with the WCA he rejoined the FF in Fantastic Four #296.

20. States that Firebird also goes by the name La Espirita. Firebird started calling herself La Espirita during a period she thought her powers were a gift from god from West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17-25. She went back to calling herself Firebird in Avengers Spotlight #24 when she learned the source of her powers was alien in origin and an accident to boot.

21. Doctor Druid is stated as having died in Druid #22. Druid would only find brief resurrections in the ensuing years (Avengers (vol. 3) #10-11, Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #5, and Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1-3). However he would be fully brought back to life in Squadron Supreme (vol. 4) #4.

22. Moon Knight is listed as having died in Moon Knight #54. This is not correct, he actually died in Marc Spector: Moon Knight #60. He will be resurrected shortly thereafter in Moon Knight (vol. 3) #1.

23. Marrina is listed as dead but it doesn’t specify which issue. They are referring to Avengers #293 when she transformed into the massive Leviathan and was killed with the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade, or so it seemed. However, she was revealed to be alive in Alpha Flight #78.

24. Yellowjacket is listed as dying in Avengers: The Crossing #1. As of this writing she is has remained dead aside from a brief resurrection in Chaos War #2-5 and Dead Avengers #1-3.

25. Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman’s time on the Avengers came after they took a break from the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #307. After their stint on the Avengers, they returned to the FF in Fantastic Four #326.

26. Gilgamesh died in Avengers #391. He will be resurrected again in Eternals (vol. 4) #2.

27. Quasar is listed as a member of the Starmasters. After Quasar resigned from the Avengers in Captain America #401, he went solo for a bit before joining the shortlived Starmasters in Starmasters #1-3 and Cosmic Powers Unlimited #4-5.

28. Rage is identified as now being a member of the New Warriors. He would become a mainstay on that team since joining up with them in New Warriors #22.

29. Sandman is stated as being a member of Silver Sable’s Wild Pack. Sandy had actually been working for Sable as early as Amazing Spider-Man #281 and never really left her employ even during the short period which he was with the Avengers.

30. Thunderstrike is listed as having died in Thunderstrike #24. At the time of this writing, Eric Masterson has only been briefly resurrected on occasion. The first in Avengers (vol. 3) #10-11 and more recently in Strange (vol. 3) #1-2.