Avengers (vol. 3) #43
Global Presence
Months Ago
Following the death of Vanguard, the Russian government has allowed his father, the radioactive entity known as the Presence, to leave the Forbidden Zone with his lover, Starlight, to see the body.[1] However, unwilling to accept that his son is dead and dissatisfied with the state of Russian politics, the Presence decides to do something drastic. Using his powers to shrink down to microscopic size, the Presence penetrates Vanguard’s mind. There he finds the tiniest spark of life — undetectable from the outside — hidden deep within his son. The Presence then uses his atomic powers.
Suddenly, Vanguard returns to life much to the surprise to everyone. However, the process sent the Presence hurtling deeper into a sub-atomic realm which will take him months to free himself. However, it was on these travels that the Presence saw something that would change everything.
A Few Days Ago
The Presence finally returns from his trip through sub-atomic space. Returning to the Forbidden Zone, he tells Starlight that he has come with a way to restore Russia to its former glory. He can do so by transforming its people into radioactive beings such as themselves, making them free from exploitation from the capitalists that have come in and began distorting the country. While Starlight is reluctant, she agrees to go along with her lover’s plans.
Now
A team over Avengers consisting of Captain America, Thor, Quicksilver, the Black Knight, and Firebird had been called in to investigate radiation surges coming from the Forbidden Zone. Upon their arrival they have been attacked by the Presence, Starlight, and a number of humans they have already transformed — including Russia’s superhero team known as the Winter Guard. As the Avengers fight for their lives, they cannot forget how — mere moments ago — Kang the Conqueror had come to their time and warned them of this very crisis and how it leads to the entire population being transformed.[2]
Meanwhile, the rest of the Avengers are spread across the globe dealing with threats that have arisen since Kang called for allies to join his coming invasion of present day Earth.
On Prince Edward Island, the Wasp leads a team consisting of the Scarlet Witch, Triathlon, and Jack of Hearts, to fend off an invasion led by the Atlantean barbarian known as Attuma and his armies. This job is much more difficult than usual thanks to the fact that Attuma has revived Torg the Abominable Snow-King to ravage the island.[3] When they all start wondering where Goliath is, he surprises them all by arriving on the scene in his Yellowjacket identity. While his bio-stings give the Avengers some more edge, Torg is still a powerful force to be reconned with.[4] While nearby, Attuma oversees the battle with his aid, Serestus. As Attuma boasts about their coming victory, Serestus asks him to be quiet as controlling Torg with his crystal ball requires his complete concentration.
In Wuwei, China, another team consisting of the Vision, Black Widow, Warbird, She-Hulk, and Silverclaw are helping repel an invasion of the country by the Deviants. After driving the Deviants back underground, the team has time to catch their breath before following after them. The Vision takes this opportunity to ask Warbird if she is doing okay. He noticed that she was deeply upset when encountering Kang’s son, the Scarlet Centurion. Carol assures him that it was nothing, but the android isn’t convinced.[5]
Back in Siberia, the Avengers there try to keep the Presence’s radioactive zombies at bay using cannons that spray radiation proof foam. Unfortunately, this only gives them a minor reprieve as the zombies begin heating up the weapons with microwaves until they explode. The Presence then approaches them directly and tells them that he will transform them into more of his new race of humans. Starlight tries to protest this, reminding her lover that he only wanted to transform Russia. However, the Presence has since decided to expand his goals to the entire planet and with that he unleashes a powerful wave of atomic energy upon the heroes.
While in Canada, Triathlon notices that Attuma’s forces are controlling Torg with a crystal ball. With his triple speed he manages to snatch the crystal from Serestus. This causes Torg to snap out of Attuma’s control. While the massive beast is disorientated, Jack of Hearts knocks it back into the ocean. Without their ace in the hole, Attuma and his forces make a tactical retreat. In the aftermath of the battle, the Wasp meets with military officials and figure out the next part of their plan. She then turns to Hank and tells him that they need to talk about his sudden change into Yellowjacket but it will have to wait until after the current crisis is dealt with. Hank agrees and as he walks out of the command tent, he grips his stomach as he is wracked with another wave of pain. Janet doesn’t notice because she is busy commending Jack of Hearts for a job well done and offers him an spot on the Avengers active roster. That’s when the Wasp is informed that Stingray has arrived in answer to her summons. She meets with him right away so they can figure out a way to sabotage Attuma’s supply lines and quash his invasion plans.
Meanwhile, Kang and his son the Marcus — aka the Scarlet Centurion — watch the Avengers and other heroes deal with threats created by their recent announcement. Safely aboard their ship — the sword shaped Damocles — Kang imparts advice to his son. He explains that by offering a place for those willing to fight on his side, Kang is leveraging the villains of Earth to attack their foes. This will either weaken them or eliminate them from the board completely, making it easier to crush the opposition later one. When Marcus questions why they don’t send their own armies to do this work, Kang explains that he wants his warriors at their best when it comes to the final phase of his invasion..
In China, Warbird’s team of Avengers follow the Deviants down into their underground tunnels. There, they end up collapsing through the ground and find themselves surrounded. While in Canada, the Wasp is coordinating resources with the team’s government liaison, Duane Freeman. That’s when she is called outside for an emergency. There she discovers that Yellowjacket has collapsed and is starting to become transparent, almost as though he is starting to fade away.
In the Forbidden Zone, Firebird wakes up and discovers that she has not been adversely changed by the radiation. Reminded of another time she cheated death, she wonders if this too is an act of god.[6] She is relieved to see that Thor also appears to be unaffected by the radiation either. The two then look for the others when they are ambushed by Captain America, the Black Knight, and Quicksilver. They are horrified to discover that their three comrades have been transformed by the Presence.
Seeing this from his monitors, Kang cannot help but laugh and admits to himself that he never dreamed his recent campaign would be so successful.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Black Knight, Black Widow, Captain America, Firebird, Jack of Hearts, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, She-Hulk, Silverclaw, Thor, Triathlon, Vision, Warbird, Wasp, Yellowjacket), Kang, Scarlet Centurion, the Presence, Starlight, Attuma, Torg, Dulpus, Vanguard, Stingray, Duane Freeman, Black Panther, AIM, the Thing, the Wizard.
Continuity Notes
Vanguard was seemingly killed in Starblast #4.
Kang warned of a future where the Presence transforms everyone into a massive radioactive hive mind last issue. This actually takes place in an alternate reality. This future timeline has been designated Reality-45017. It was given its designation in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4.
This is a deep cut reference. Torg was last seen way back in Sub-Mariner #55.
Everyone is surprised to see Hank in his Yellowjacket identity since he had been operating as Goliath since Avengers (vol. 3) #27. 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.
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, we learn 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.
Per West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #4, Firebird was a deeply religious woman and originally believed that her powers were an act of god. Here, she recounts the time that she drank a deadly poison and lived. This was when the Avengers intentionally killed themselves to venture into the Realm of the Dead. See West Coast Avengers Annual #1. As for Firebird’s powers, Avengers Spotlight #24 revealed that she got her powers by toxic materials improperly disposed on Earth by alien custodians. To most people, they would accept that her powers were obtained by a fluke. However, the deeply religious find ways to delude themselves into giving divinity credit for something that is actually scientific.
Topical References
The Presence speaks about the former Soviet Union as though it had only recently collapsed. At the time this comic was published modern Russia had only existed for about a decade. All references to the end of the USSR as happening in the recent past should be considered topical. Since the Presence is a character rooted in the Modern Age, modern readers could assume that he’s always been a Soviet Nationalist rather than someone who had lived during that time period.
Translations
There is dialogue in this story that is in Russian with no English translations. They are:
Ch-Chto!? Gdye — Gdye ya —?! = Wh-What!? Where —- Where am I —?!
Bozhe Moi! Komandir! Komandir Busistro! On Zhiv! = Oh my god! Commander! Commander Busistro! He’s alive!
