Avengers (vol. 3) #42
No More Tomorrows
In Sibera, a team of Avengers consisting of Captain America, Thor, Quicksilver, the Black Knight, and Firebird are investigating an increase in radiation coming from the so-called Forbidden Zone. There, they meet with Russian officials who tells them that the local Winter Guard super team was sent in earlier but have not reported back. That’s when they hear some explosions over the ridge, prompting the Avengers to go and investigate.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Kang the Conqueror has returned to take over this timeline. After a battle with Kang’s son, the Scarlet Centurion, the Avengers known as Iron Man, Goliath, the Wasp, Vision, Warbird, and Triathlon watch in horror as Kang’s orbital ship blows up the United Nations building. However, this is just a show of power and Kang used his sophisticated force field technology to protect all the occupants inside.
Kang then issues an ultimatum: Surrender the Earth to him, or humanity will not survive its own future. To prove his point, Kang activates a massive Omni-Screen to show them possible future timelines:
The first, and the earliest to possibly happen, will come about when the radioactive entity known as the Presence begins transforming people into radioactive beings such as himself. The world’s heroes will fall as radiation transmits the transformation, even the survivors won’t survive long after too much exposure. Eventually, every living person will be transformed and will join a massive radioactive hive mind, leaving a dead world behind.
In another possible future, corporations seize control of the entire planet creating a huge divide between those who have wealth and those who do not. The lower class of society must live out their days as cattle to be worked to death by their oppressors who are likewise poisoning the entire planet.
The doomed realities start coming in faster succession, each more dire than the last: In one, the Moon will be destroyed during a colonial rebellion causing untold ecological disasters on Earth plunging the planet in unending wars. In yet another reality, Earth is attacked by Martian Invaders. While Earth’s champions step up to stop them, the vast majority of the human population will be decimated before the war is over. Another shows that Earth will fall during the Asgardian Ragnarok, a fourth reality shows humanity is transformed into a horde of mindless zombies under the command of the demon Chthon. In another, Earth is wiped out by solar flares. Another future where humanity’s most current fear becomes a reality: the subjugation of humanity at the hands of the mutant race.
There are many ways the planet will fall as he shows off three more realities where all life is wiped out or enslaved by alien invaders. He then shows off realities where the science of man turns against them with worlds dominated by Abominations, another conquered by robots, a third crippled by a collapse of the global economy. Lastly, he demonstrates mankind’s end could come from a threat of cosmic scale, such as one reality where twin Earth’s collide.[1]
As a time traveler who has seen the future, Kang says that he has the ability and resources to help humanity avoid any and all of these disasters. As he is making these claims, the Avengers are preparing to attack. The Scarlet Centurion notices the heroes muttering among themselves and warns them against any hostilities, threatening to start assassinating ambassadors. The Wasp orders her team to stand down and decides to let Kang finish making his offer. Getting a closer look at the Centurion is enough to convince Warbird that he is Marcus, the man who abused her in the past.[2] Kang concludes his speech by offering the human race a destiny beyond the stars.
The entire time the United Nations chairman has been listening to all of this, he has been coordinating an orbital missile strike on Damocles. When they fire, the chairman says that this is their answer. Unfortunately, the missiles have no effect on the futuristic space ship thanks to its force field technology. Insulted by being refused, Kang decides to tell everyone how things are going to go from here. Kang will start a coordinated invasion of the Earth. He will start by taking down France and Germany, and then the rest of Europe within three weeks. The rest of the world will either surrender or fall by the 26th day of his invasion. Kang will then have all of the planet’s super humans rounded up and mentally conditioned into being loyal warriors in his army. Then the population will be screened to determine the most genetically pure of them all so that only best children are produced. The human race will be given a singular purpose, to construct massive space faring warships which will be dispatched to take over the rest of the known universe.
When the UN chairman promises that there will be resistance, Kang reveals that he had been broadcasting his ultimatum all over the world through every method of communication. He then offers those who pledge their loyalty to Kang will be rewarded once the Earth is his. Within minutes reports start coming in from all over the world. Atlantic Canada finds itself under attack by the Atlantean warlord Attuma and his warriors, while Wuwei, China finds itself under attack by an army of Deviants. With that Kang announces his departure so he can plan his European invasion. Before going, he insists that he wants an honorable battle, warning his enemies that a direct attack will lead to instantaneous and devastating repraisals and no mercy will be given. Kang suggests that they surrender as one of the cataclysms that he foretold is already under way.
At that same moment, Captain America and his team are making their way deeper into the Siberian Forbidden Zone. There, they find Darkstar one of the members of Winter Guard. She tells them that she is the last survivor of her team and that the others have been turned. Confused, Cap asks her what she is talking about when the radioactive entity known as the Presence arrives. With him, are his lover Starlight and what is left of the Winter Guard and area scientists, all of whom have been transformed into radioactive beings as well. The Presence announces that he plans on spreading his gift all over the world.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Goliath, Wasp, Quicksilver, Vision, Black Knight, Warbird, Firebird, Triathlon), Winter Guard (Steel Guardian, Vanguard, Darkstar), Kang the Conqueror, Scarlet Centurion, the Presence, Starlight, Attuma, Duplus, Midnight Wreckers (Brain, Hassle, Slick, Swift), Eyriennes, Avengers-9930 (Black Panther, Crimson Dynamo, Killraven, Thundra, Living Lightning, Jocasta)
Continuity Notes
Here we get quite the parade of possible futures. Each one existing in an alternate reality. Some are brand new, others we’ve seen before. Here’s a breakdown (by order of appearance):
Reality-45017: First seen here. This is the reality where the Presence takes over the world, turning everyone into a radioactive hive mind. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4.
Reality-8410: The world taken over by corporations. It was first seen in Machine Man (vol. 2) #1. It was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1.
Reality-6311: The world where the moon base is destroyed and reality is plunged into endless war. It was first glimpsed in Fantastic Four #19. This is the reality which Kang was born into. However, by his native 30th century, this world finally found peace. It was also given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1.
Reality-9930: The world is invaded by Martians and Killraven is part of the Avengers. This world was first seen in Avengers Forever #4. It was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1.
Reality-9014: Earth is destroyed by Ragnarok. This is the first time this world has been glimpsed. It was given its distinction in Avengers, Thor & Captain America: Official Index to the Marvel Universe #15.
Reality-17342: Chthon’s zombie world. This is its first appearance. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4.
Reality-1745: Earth destroyed by the sun. Another first time reality. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2.
Reality-115000: Mutants take over humanity. There are a lot of worlds like this, but this is the first appearance of this one. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5.
Reality-8394: A world where an alien race called the Kamado reduce the people of Earth to dust. This reality was first glimpsed in Defenders #124. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3.
Reality-691: Where the Badoon conquer the Earth. This reality is first seen in Marvel Super-Heroes #18. It is home to the 30th century Guardians of the Galaxy. It was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1.
Reality-616: The world where the Triple-Evil comes to Earth. This future calamity will transpire in Avengers (vol. 3) #50. This reality was given its designation in Daredevils #7.
Reality-10742: A reality where everyone is transformed into an Abomination. This is the first time this reality has been seen. It was given its distinction in Avengers, Thor & Captain America: Official Index to the Marvel Universe #15.
Reality-70395: A reality where everyone is replaced with robots. Also a brand new reality as of this issue. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4. This is predicting the events of Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1, where the Avengers prevent this nightmare future from happening.
Reality-107342: A world where the Black Panther tanks the world economy. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5.
Earth--2042: A reality where two Earth’s collide into one another. This reality was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2. That same handbook identifies the second Earth as Franklin Richard’s Counter-Earth. This was not predicting multiverse incursions that will begin in New Avengers (vol. 3) #2 and eventually kick off the Secret Wars IV.
Warbird is confusing the Scarlet Centurion with Marcus Immortus, the man who previously abused her. 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.
Topical References
The chairman of the United Nations is depicted as Kofi Annan. This should be considered a topical reference as Annan was only chairman from 1997 to 2006. He subsequently died in 2018.
