To Challenge a Champion

Justice and Firestar are going through the Avengers trophy room when Vance takes interest in a statue of Ant-Man.[1] Vance regales Angelica with the history of Hank Pym, aka Ant-Man, and his contributions to the Avengers and the field of science.[2] While Angelica finds all of this mildly interesting, she isn’t in awe over everything like her fiancée is. Noticing what time it is, she tells Justice that they are running late for a training session with the other Avengers.

They join their teammates — Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and the Scarlet Witch — who are already in the middle of their training session with allies Swordsman and Magdalene. As things are getting hairy, Captain America asks the Scarlet Witch to use her power to summon Wonder Man to aid them, however Wanda can only summon him when there is a real need.[3] That’s when Justice and Firestar arrive and help the Avengers complete the training session. They are soon joined by the holographic projection of the Vision who gives them their score.[4] Cap thanks the android for his assistance and will go over the results later, first he wants to speak to Swordsman and Magdalene in private. Cap tells the pair that since they have brought Justice and Firestar onto active duty he has two reserve spots to fill and wonders if the pair would like to fill them. The Swordsman turns Cap’s offer down, telling him that they are still getting used to this new world and that serving on the Avengers will only drive home the fact that this is not their reality.[5]

After the pair leave, Captain America and the others are visited by the astral projection of Moonglow of the Squadron Supreme. She is only able to tell them that the Squadron is in trouble and needs help before she is abruptly cut off. With the Vision getting their clearance to launch at Quinjet, Captain America and the Avengers take off for Project PEGASUS, the current home for the dimensionally displaced heroes.[6] En route, Hawkeye wonders what sort of trouble the Squadron needs to be bailed out of now. Firestar is confused over if the Squadron are heroes or villains. Hawkeye explains that they have a habit of being both, explains that while they are the premiere team of heroes in their native reality, any time the Avengers have crossed paths with them in the past, they have fought. He also explains how the Squad has been stranded in their reality for some time and the Avengers recent battle with the group.[7]

When they arrive at Project PEGASUS, the Avengers Quinjet is locked in a tractor beam created by Doctor Spectrum’s Power Prism. That’s when the rest of the Squadron Supreme comes out looking for a fight. However, before a battle breaks out, Moonglow stops her teammates and tells them that she summoned the Avengers to assist them. Entering the Project facility, the Avengers learn how the Squadron Supreme were almost mentally dominated yet again, but were able to block the attempt this time. They traced the source of the attempted mind control to Sausalito, which is across the bay from San Francisco, California. Hyperion apologizes for the fight they almost started with the Avengers, saying that they have been touchy after their last experience and he asks Captain America for his help.

The two teams fly out to the west coast and land in the forest where the signal came from. There, they can find no obvious source and after finding a place to land, they decide to scout the area. It’s once they are on the ground where they are confronted by the man responsible, the massively tall Imus Champion. Hawkeye has met him in the past and informs the team that Champion is the fifth richest man in the world. He recounts how Champion once hired him to teach archery as part of a scheme to destroy the Avengers that he stopped. He however, recalls how Champion was supposedly dying of an incurable disease and died in lab explosion.[8] Imus scoffs at the idea of his own death and tells the two teams that he saved his life by purchasing a biotechnology firm that developed a cure for his condition and that his demise was merely an illusion. He then says that he has been spending the months since acquiring exotic technology, most recently the alien craft that SHIELD was trying to recover.

Imus then points their attention to a tower off in the distance that stands on his estate. He explains that it is connected to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit and upon his command he can make the satellite flood an entire 2,000 mile radius area with a deadly nerve gas. All the Avengers and Squadron Supreme have to do is stop him from walking down to the tower and activating it. However, he warns them that the area is blanketed with an electromagnetic shield. Should they attempt to leave the area or warn the outside world it will trigger a massive cache of explosives. With his challenge issued to two of the worlds greatest superhero teams, Imus Champion vanishes from sight — his presence there merely being a holographic projection. With the clock ticking, Captain America suggests that both teams split up into groups. Hyperion correctly deduces that Cap wants the Avengers to keep an eye on the Squadron in case they suddenly turn. He’s angry at first, but admits that the Avengers have every reason to be on guard. On the sidelines of this conversation are Justice and Firestar. Justice is excited to finally be on a genuine Avengers mission. However, Firestar worries about succeeding in their mission.[9] However, when she spots an ant crawling on a nearby tree she wonders if there might not be a way to sent word to the outside world and get some help. Soon the two teams split up into groups and begin looking for Imus Champion.

Hawkeye gets paired up with Haywire and the pair discover that they have a lot in common, both are practical jokers and both men have recently suffered the loss of a loved one.[10] They are soon ambushed by Champion who incapacitates Haywire with an Eternal brain-mine and then traps Hawkeye in a prison made of fast-forming plastic.

Elsewhere, Scarlet Witch and Moonglow are conducting a search of their own. This gives Wanda the opportunity to talk about her changing powers. Although she believes she is a mutant, Wanda has discovered that she has been able to better channel mystical forces. Moonglow informs the Witch that she actually has a natural affinity to magic.[11] Their conversation is interrupted when they are ambushed by Imus Champion again, who is now wielding the mystical Wand of Watoomb. Wanda recognizes the wand as a powerful weapon and uses her powers to summon the disembodied form of Wonder Man to help her. Unfortunately, this is not enough to stop Champion, who succeeds in knocking out both Moonglow and the Scarlet Witch. Without Wanda to anchor him in the world of living, Wonder Man fades away once more.

Not far away, Thor and Hyperion are scanning the area from the air. They are talking to one another about maintaining a mortal guise. Hyperion regrets giving up his alter-ego as it has made him lose perspective, giving Thor a lot to think about.[12] Champion ambushes them as well, using one of the Wizard’s wonder gloves and a staff belonging to the Egyptian death god Seth. He manages to knock Thor out and pin Hyperion under the thunder god’s enchanted hammer, Mjolnir.

Meanwhile, Iron Man is searching with the Whizzer and Doctor Spectrum. Hearing how the two heroes long to return to their families, the Golden Avenger is reminded that the Squadron Supreme has been stranded on their Earth for quite some time. When Champion attacks them, he takes out Whizzer with one of the Wizard’s anti-gravity discs, Doctor Spectrum with a Zodiac star-blaster, and uses an electromagnetic pulse to incapacitate Iron Man’s armor.

Nearby, Power Princess and Firestar are also scouting from the air. Power Princess insisted that they team-up because she can sense that Angelica is troubled by something. Firestar admits that she only joined up with the Avengers because of Justice as she is doing so out of compromise to the man she loves. Zarda finds this to be a noble position. When they are also attacked by Champion, he is able to forcibly take Power Princess’ shield and use it against Firestar before going after the last group.

This team consists of Captain America, Justice, Skylark and the Shape. In his ambush he causes Justice to accidentally strike down Shape with a telekinetic blast. Then forces Skylark to scream in pain, knocking out nearly everyone with her sonic scream. Captain America is the only one left standing. However, Champion allows Captain America to get close. This is because he is wearing the armor once worn by Porcupine and blasts Cap with knock out gas.

Having defeated all of his foes, Imus Champion heads to his tower to deploy his satellite weapon on an unsuspecting city. However, when he throws the switch he discovers that the device has somehow been sabotaged. That’s when Giant-Man comes out from inside at ant-size, having shut down the machine himself. He then assumes giant-size to subdue Champion. When the Avengers and the Squadron Supreme arrive, they reveal that they were able to get word to the outside world without his notice thanks to Firestar remembering that Hank Pym could communicate with ants. Champion accuses the heroes of cheating, but Cap explains that in a situation where lives are at stake they will do whatever it takes to win. Soon, the military arrives to take Champion into custody and secure his base of operations.

With the battle over, the Squadron Supreme lament over the fact that they still can’t return home, like the Avengers can. However, Iron Man might have a solution for them as he was able to find a old Nth Projector that might be able to get them back home.[13] A few days later, the teams return to Project PEGASUS with Magdalene, who combines the technology in her staff — which also could open portals to other realities — with the Nth Projector to open a portal back to the Squadron Supreme’s world. After everyone says goodbye, Haywire tells his teammates that he has decided to remain on the Avengers’ Earth since he has nothing waiting for him back home.[14] Wishing their comrade farewell, Hyperion and the others thank the Avengers for their assistance and return home through the portal.[15] Magdalen and Swordsman also decide that they should leave and search the multiverse for a world they can call home.[16] With their other-dimensional guests gone, Hawkeye comments that while the Avengers sure go through a lot in their crazy lives, they find a way to get up and keep going every time they are knocked down. Wanda points out that that standing up in the face of adversity is what it means to be human.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Justice, Firestar), Squadron Supreme (Hyperion, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum, Whizzer, Skylark, Moonglow, Haywire, Shape), Swordsman, Magdalene, Wonder Man, Imus Champion

Continuity Notes

1. In the Avengers trophy room there are a number of interesting items to note:

   • The Ant-Man statue identifies the ant he is riding on as Nash. This was one of the ants that Hank Pym used to venture inside and repair the Vision back in Avengers #93.

   • The Porcupine’s costume is on display. When Alex Gentry decided to retire as a super-villain he gave his costume to Captain America as seen in Captain America #315.

   • There are two marionettes of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. They were once by Django Maximoff — Wanda and Pietro’s adopted father — to trap their souls inside. See Avengers #182.

2. Justice refers to Hank Pym’s various achievements, they are:

   • The creation of Pym Particles, a discovery he made back in Tales to Astonish #27.

   • Becoming Ant-Man happened in Tales to Astonish #35.

   • Hank was one of the founding members of the team in Avengers #1.

   • Mention is made of his breakthroughs in robotics and artificial intelligence. This is in reference to Hank’s creation of the robot Ultron, as seen in Avengers #58.

   • Vance also mentions two of Pym’s recurring foes: The Human Top who first appeared in Tales to Astonish #50, however he later changed his name to Whirlwind in Avengers #46. He also mentions Egghead who first appeared in Tales to Astonish #38.

   • Also mentioned is how Hank went from Ant-Man to Giant-Man and “whatever”.. This is a reference to the different identities Hank has had over the years. He became Giant-Man in Tales to Astonish #49, Goliath in Avengers #28, and finally Yellowjacket in Avengers #59.

3. Wonder Man was killed in a battle with the Kree in Force Works #1. Wanda has discovered that she can use her power to summon him back in Avengers (vol. 3) #2. It’s later explained in issue #11 that Simon Williams is straddling the line between life and death due to his love for the Scarlet Witch.

4. The Vision was blown in half by Morgan le Fay in Avengers (vol. 3) #3. His physical body has been undergoing repairs ever since. He’ll be fully restored in issue #12.

5. Swordsman and Magdalene come from alternate realities. They were members of Proctor’s Gatherers, Avengers who were the lone survivors of their realities that were tricked into working for him even though he was the cause. See Avengers #374-375 for the nitty gritty. Their home realities have been identified as realities 921 and 9201 per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2.

6. The Squadron Supreme hail from Reality-712, per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1. They have been stranded on Earth-616 since Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe #1/Quasar #13. They set up shop at Project PEGASUS in Quasar #16. In issue #19 of that series they learned that Professor Imam — the Wizard Supreme of their reality — was preventing them from returning home.

7. The Avengers first encountered the Squadron Supreme when the team was stranded in their reality in Avengers #85-86, 141-143, 147-148 and most recently in (vol. 3) #5-6. He also mentions how the Squadron was usually being mind controlled. That was the case in the above instances as well as in Defenders #112-115 and Quasar #13-16.

8. Hawkeye’s tutoring of Champion occurred back in Avengers #109. Champion seemingly died in Marvel Comics Presents #126.

9. Justice mentions how he and Firestar recently fought Whirlwind. That happened in Avengers (vol. 3) #4.

10. Haywire was in a romantic relationship with Inertia, she died in Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe #1. Hawkeye, meanwhile, believes that his wife Mockingbird is dead after a Skrull posing as her was killed by Mephisto in Avengers West Coast #100 after taking Bobbi’s place in issue #91 of that series. This revelation won’t be made until Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2.

11. Wanda refers to herself as a mutant here. However, it’s later revealed that she actually isn’t. She was experimented upon as a child by the High Evolutionary. In order to cover up his work he made it so future genetic testing would have her register as a mutant. See Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5.

12. Hyperion used to pose as an ordinary man named Mark Milton. However, when the Squadron Supreme decided to give up secret identities in order to help usher in a utopia on their world, he abandoned this persona as seen in Squadron Supreme #1. This is intriguing to Thor as the thunder god had recently been bonded to yet another mortal named Jake Olsen at the time of this story, as seen in Thor (vol. 2) #1-3. This will remain the status quo until Thor (vol. 2) #79.

13. Iron Man states that this a prototype of the same device that caused the crisis in the Squadron’s reality and stranded them on Earth. Indeed, in Marvel Two-In-One #58, a scientist named Thomas Lightner used the Nth Projector to turn himself into the Nth Man, a living dimensional void. He was defeated when his powers were inverted on himself during a battle with the Thing, Quasar, and Aquarian. This caused him to pop up on the Squadron’s universe and threatened to consume it all, as seen in Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe #1.

14. From here, Haywire would get in the middle of a war between Thanos and Mantis. He would be given an audience with Death and petition her to bring Inertia back to life. When Death refused, Haywire took his own life so the lovers could be reunited. See Avengers: Celestial Quest #1-8.

15. The Squadron Supreme would not be seen for quite some time. Resurfacing in Exiles #77-78, when the reality hopping mutants known as the Exiles visit their reality.

16. Magdalene and Swordsman will be seen again in JLA/Avengers #4, when the pair are among the many Avengers pull from time and space to prevent Krona and the Grandmaster from destroying the Prime Marvel and DC Universes.