Avengers (vol. 3) #41
The High Ground
Kang the Conqueror has returned to the present day to conquer Earth of this era. This time he has a new son, Marcus — aka the Scarlet Centurion — by his side. Giving his son a lesson in perspective, he tells Marcus that the victor of any conflict always maintains the high ground. This time Kang is maintaining it literally from his massive invasion ship, the sword-shaped Damocles. He then orders Marcus to get to the transporter as the moment to strike will soon be at hand.
On the planet’s surface, below Avengers Mansion, Warbird is running a training simulation. This is to gage her new ability to absorb and re-channel energy for the Avengers files. With the tests complete she leaves the training room with a sense of foreboding.[1] Moments after she leaves, Goliath — who has been taking readings in the control room — braces himself as his body is struck by another wave of agony.[2]
While in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, Wonder Man and the Scarlet Witch enjoy their downtime by going horseback riding. It’s here that Simon decides to tell Wanda about how his agent has been asking him to go back to Hollywood and restart his career. It will also assist the charity he set up in California, since it is funded by the royalties he receives from his past film roles. He then asks Wanda if she’s like to go back to LA with him. Wanda is flattered, but doesn’t want to go. She also tells Simon not to sideline his plans for her, telling him that she can always visit him. This is a difficult conversation because the two have had a strong bond together ever since Wanda resurrected Simon from the dead.[3]
Back at Avengers Mansion, Tony Stark and the Wasp are testing out their new Avenger tracking system. They are able to pin-point Wanda and Simon’s location. The tracker combined with their new threat assessment system, the Avengers are more capable of deploying teams of Avengers where and when they needed, while providing up-to-date information on their foes.[4] They then check in on Captain America, Thor, and Quicksilver, who were heading up to Slorenia to help the Black Knight and Firebird investigate a sudden radiation spike in neighboring Siberia.[5]
As the team reaches their destination, they make contact with Russian scientists on the ground. They are revealed to hear from the American heroes because their own government dispatched Winter Guard to investigate and they have vanished without a trace. Second later, there is a sudden explosion which cuts off the video feed. With the situation growing more dangerous, Cap orders everyone to suit up in radiation suits and get ready to land.
While at the mansion, Triathlon has stopped in the kitchen to get a snack and vent his frustrations. Seeing that the newest Avenger is having trouble, Jarvis asks Delroy what’s wrong. He explains that he has been trying to learn what connection he has to the missing 50’s superhero known as 3-D Man. However, his attempts to get answers from the Triune Understanding, the religious order that gave him his powers, he keeps getting the run around.[6] When Jarvis suggests that Delroy ask the other Avengers for help, he shoots down the suggestion, noting that his teammates might be reluctant to help after the turbulence surrounding his joining the team. He figures that he’s likely to become one of those Avengers you never hear about.[7]
That’s when the alarm goes off, warning of an attack on the United Nations Building in Manhattan. Iron Man leads a team consisting of Goliath, the Wasp, Vision, Warbird, and Triathlon to meet the threat. There they are greeted by the Scarlet Centurion, who confirms that he is not the same one the team fought many years earlier and shows off his greater power.[8] With his futuristic weapons the Centurion is easily able to incapacitate Iron Man, who is wearing one of his older suits of armor.[9] The other Avengers are easily swatted away either thanks to the Centurion’s weapons or his fighting skills. The only one who has a chance to stop him is Warbird who can absorb the energies from the Scarlet Centurion’s lance. However, she finds his voice familiar and it causes her to stop dead in her tracks.[10] This does allow enough of a distraction for both Triathlon and Goliath to get their licks in.
By this time, Kang discovered that his son has gone to Earth to engage the Avengers without his permission. He appears before them and apologizes for the Scarlet Centurion’s impulsiveness. When the Avengers vow to defeat him like they have in the past, Kang decides to show them that this time it is going to be very different from their last encounters. Ordering the Domacles to fire, the massive ship fires a beam down to the Earth’s surface that totally destroys the UN Building. As the Avengers scramble to look for survivors, Kang reveals that he erected force fields around every person inside the building so there were no lives lost. He explains that this was all merely a show of power to show to the Avengers that they cannot win against him this time. He wants to discuss the future of the planet Earth and humanity and how the only way it will survive the years ahead is if the heroes bow down to him!
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Goliath, Wasp, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Black Knight, Wonder Man, Warbird, Firebird, Triathlon), Kang, Scarlet Centurion, SHIELD, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
Brief mentions are made as to Carol Danvers/Warbird’s powers have fluctuated over the years.
After being bombarded with a Psyche-Mangatron in Captian Marvel #18, Carol developed her original set of powers in Ms. Marvel #1. These powers included superhuman strength and abilities, flight, as well as precognitive flashes. She seemingly lost all of these powers for good when she was subjected to Rogue’s mutant powers, which absorb the memories, energy, and powers of other individuals, as seen in Marvel Super-Heroes (vol. 2) #11 and Avengers Annual #10.
Later experimentation by the Brood gave her new powers. As Binary she was connected to a white star, which gave her the ability to channel all sorts of energy, flight, the ability to survive in the vacuum of space, travel at great speeds, and minor control over gravity. See Uncanny X-Men #163-164.
These powers began to fade between in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-8. This left Carol with most of her original abilities: flight, enhanced strength and abilities. She also maintained the ability to channel energy but needs to absorb it from external sources first.
These powers are possible due to the fact that Carol is a Kree/human hybrid by birth, a fact that will not be revealed until Life of Captain Marvel (vol. 2) #4.
The situation with Hank Pym in this story is somewhat complex. Unknown to everyone, he was split into two separate entities by a magic spell in Avengers (vol. 3) #28. One is the repressed Goliath while the other is the emotional Yellowjacket. Yellowjacket then took Goliath’s place in issue #37. The pair will remain apart until their failing health forces them to be merged back together in Avengers Annual 2001.
Wonder Man has pursued acting since Avengers #181. He started establishing his career in Hollywood following the events of Avengers #211. His career came to an abrupt end when he was killed in action in Force Works #1. The Scarlet Witch was later able to resurrect him in Avengers (vol. 3) #10-11. Simon has been thinking of going back to Hollywood since issue #39.
Here, Tony references two villains the team are trying to track down. The details:
He states that the Black Widow has a lead on Tempest. He is likely referring to Nicolette Giroux, aka Tempest of the Exemplars. The Avengers fought them in Avengers (vol. 3) #24-25. However, the villains managed to escape. They will not turn up again until Black Knight (vol. 3) #2.
Jack of Hearts is conducting an investigation into the High Evolutionary. Jack was put on the H.E.’s trail in Avengers (vol. 3) #38. Prior to the search, the Evolutionary was last seen temporarily de-powering all of Earth’s mutants in Uncanny X-Men #379-380 and X-Men (vol. 2) #99. He won’t turn up again until X-Men (vol. 2) #200.
This radiation spike was detected last issue. We’ll learn that this is the work of the Presence in Avengers (vol. 3) #43-44. He is attempting to transform everyone on Earth into radioactive beings like himself.
When Triathlon first arrived on the scene in Avengers (vol. 3) #8, his best understanding was that the Triunes unlocked his full potential. However, he was accused of having a connection to the missing 3-D Man by his wife, Peggy Chandler, in issue #36. In Avengers (vol. 3) #50 we’ll discover that Delroy was secretly merged with 3-D Man, who is the source of his powers.
Triathlon figures he’s going to be just like the Avengers you never hear from anymore and name drops…
Mantis: Began her association with the Avengers in Avengers #113-114. She remained a member until she left Earth to become the Celestial Madonna in Giant-Size Avengers #4. She briefly returned to the Avengers in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #37-39. However, she has made a decent number of appearances since. One could assume that from Delroy’s perspective, he wouldn’t be aware of Mantis’ later exploits due to the fact that most of them occurred in space were cosmic in scale and wouldn’t be known to the average person on Earth.
Rage: Manages to strong arm his way onto the team as a reserve member in Avengers #329. However, he was forced to leave the team following Avengers #341-342 when it was discovered that he was only 13 years old at the time. Elvin has almost consistently been a member of the New Warriors since then. Since Delroy originate from Philly perhaps he’s not all that well versed on street level heroes like the New Warriors.
Deathcry: First became affiliated with the Avengers in Avengers #363. She had left Earth in Avengers #399. She will remain in space until her death in Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord #1-2. However, she will be part of a team of dead Avengers briefly resurrected in Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1-3.
Delroy’s prediction becomes a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He will leave active Avengers duty in Avengers (vol. 3) #55. Other than being a part of the Initiative (Avengers: The Initiative #1-20) Delroy won’t be more than a reserve member coming in when needed and he’s available. Time of this writing (January, 2023) he was last seen as a member of Agents of Atlas starting in Agents of Atlas (vol. 3) #1.
The Avengers faced the original Scarlet Centurion — who later went on to become Kang — in Avengers Annual #2.
In this story, Tony is wearing his Model 2 armor (first built in Tales of Suspense #48). At the time of this story, Tony abandoned his newer suits when one appeared to gain sentience and tried to kill him, as seen in Iron Man (vol. 3) #26-30. This made him apprehensive about using more high tech armors that used AI. Tony would be forced back to using more modern tech starting in Iron Man (vol. 3) #42. It would be later revealed in issue #46 of that series that Tony’s armor didn’t gain sentience but was taken over by Ultron.
This is because the Scarlet Centurion sounds very similar to Marcus Immortus, the son of Immortus. That Marcus once kidnapped, gaslit, and impregnated Carol with himself so he could be reborn outside of Limbo. When that didn’t work, Marcus brainwashed her into returning to Limbo with him where she lived as a slave for a time. When Marcus suddenly began rapidly aging, Carol was soon freed from his control and returned home. See Avengers #200 and Annual #10. In Avengers (vol. 3) #45, 47, and 54, that this Marcus was one of 23 other children spawned by Kang and one of many genetically compatible mates. Kang raised each Marcus to be his successor only to kill them when they failed to live up to his expectations. In issue #47, Marcus Kang theorizes that he looks and sounds similar to Marcus Immortus since their fathers are the same men are divergent versions of one another.
