Avengers (vol. 3) #50
Book of Revelations
Note: The majority of this issue is divided into two inter-related tales: One telling the history of the Triple Evil and the Triune Understanding, the other depicting the Avengers battle with the Triple Evil. For the sake of clarity, this index summary details each story separately rather than how it was originally presented
Long Ago
Once there were three great beings of immense power that guarded and shaped their domain. They were known as the Trion. Long ago, the trio purged themselves of their evil, concentrating and imprisoning it within a sphere so it could be banished to another dimension.
As this ball of evil passed through the dimensional barrier it was transformed into a great black pyramid. As it entered this universe it also brought with it three triangle shaped fragments, objects of power that — when combined — were the opposite of what became known as the Triple Evil. The three shards were separated and spread across the cosmos. One of the shards was later recovered by a passing Skrull saucer.
Centuries passed and many, and a few decades ago, in the Naga Hills of India there were three brothers. One of them was known to be wise, the other strong, and the youngest charming. Tragically, an illness swept through their village which stricken the older brothers. When they died, their surviving sibling struggled to understand the reason why he was spared from this dreadful illness.
In the California, there were two brothers Hal and Chuck Chandler. Both men loved the same woman, Peggy Clark. While Hal was infirm, Chuck was a test pilot for the United States Air Force. One day, Chuck went on a test flight only to be abducted by some Skrulls plotting an invasion of Earth. Fighting his way to freedom, Chuck narrowly escaping the exploding alien ship. However, as he made his way back he was bombarded by energies that came from the craft. Surviving a crash landing, Chuck ran to his brother Hal for assistance. However, as Chuck got close he suddenly split into two energy forms — one red, one green — which became imprinted onto Hal’s glasses. Hal soon discovered that he could summon his brother for brief periods. With his natural abilities tripled, the fought crime as the 3-D Man.[1]
Hal and Peggy soon fell in love and after a time, Hal retired as the 3-D Man. The couple got married, settled down, started a family, and grew old together.[2] One day, not so long ago, Hal suddenly began having urgent dreams that compelled him to leave home. Promising to let Peggy know what he finds, Hal packed a bag and left their home. His travels led him to India and the Naga Hills. There he hired the surviving brother as a guide up the mountains. Despite the fact that he required crutches to move, Hal pressed up the mountainside, refusing to give up until he found what drew him in to the region. Eventually they came to the side of the mountain and Hal began digging until he finally uncovered the second fragment. The guide, wishing to claim the power for himself, clubbed Hal over the head, knocking him out.
Meanwhile, in space, the pyramid traveled the void, enticing any alien species that crossed its path to enter the construct. There they would be hooked to machines that showed the aliens their heart’s desire until they were completely transformed by the Triple Evil.
While back on Earth, the boy had become a man and he continued to study the shard and learned its secrets through meditation. Tapping into its power, the man was able to summon sparks of life from his long deceased brothers. Seeking to obtain the final shard, this man became known as Jonathan Tremont and he founded the Triune Understanding to gain followers. Eventually, he would gain enough power through these worshipers that he would eventually reach the stars.
By this time, the third shard had been found by an alien who used its power to try and combat the Triple Evil. The alien was not powerful enough with a single shard and he was soon killed, his body remaining on the Triple Evil’s ship to this day.
On Earth, Tremont was gaining enough power that he was no longer technically human, but something more. Still, he needed a way to gain yet more power. The opportunity presented itself when a young man named Delory Garrett, Jr. came to his church one day. Seeking to redeem himself after being the center of an Olympics steroid scandal, Tremont took Delroy under his wing. Having kept Hal Chandler his prisoner all this time, Tremont then transferred the essence of Hal and his brother Chuck into Delroy in the hopes that the triple power of the three men will help him reach this goal. Unaware of what happened and thinking Tremont the source of his powers, Delroy readily accepted the offer to become the Triune’s spokesperson, Triathlon.
Now
While trying to strike directly at Kang’s Damocles base, the Avengers — Captain America, Photon, and Jack of Hearts — are left to die in the void of space.[3] Luckily, they are saved by Quasar and Living Lightning, who were heading back to Earth from the Avengers satellite to warn them of an mysterious pyramid shaped ship that is making its way to Earth.[4] That’s when Cap and his team notice that the Scarlet Witch is missing. Unfortunately, neither Quasar nor the Lightning saw her when they arrived.[5] While Captain America wants to return to Earth to help defend it from Kang and his army of Sentinels, the others wonder if they shouldn’t deal with this threat coming from space first.
The answer is made up for them when a Triune Understanding ship arrives and picks them up. On board they discover the Triune’s leader Jonathan Tremont as well as allies the Vision, Firestar, Justice, and Triathlon. Tremont explains that the Earth is in danger from the Triple Evil, a powerful entity that will consume them all. That’s when the massive pyramid ship appears before them. As they prepare to board the ship, Captain America gets a briefing from the Vision as to what’s going on. He learns about how the Triune ship was powered by the minds of its followers, how Justice and Firestar were planted as spies among the Triunes, and the threat posed by the Triple Evil.[6] When Tremont explains what the Triple Evil is, Captain America is forced to admit that this threat should be handled first. Soon, they exit the ship and approach the pyramid in a sphere of quantum energy created by Quasar. Living Lightning then touches the side of the alien vessel to sense if it has any electricity powering.
Upon contact, there is a sudden flash of bright light and the Avengers find themselves living out their greatest fantasies. For Jack of Hearts, he dreams that a team of SHIELD scientists have come up with a way to control the zero energies in his body and have discovered that he is fully human after all.[7] For the Living Lightning, he has been elected governor of California. During a press conference he is asked what his future ambitions are and he announces his interest for running for President eventually. For the Vision, he dreams where a woman named Darby, and the Scarlet Witch are vying for his attention.[8]
However, these are only dreams as the Avengers and Tremont have been hooked up to machines that keep them asleep that are controlled by strange alien beings. The only person not to fall for these illusions is Captain America. Not having time for this kind of deception, Cap breaks free his dream and the machine as well. This causes the other devices to short out, freeing the others. The aliens appear benevolent and insist that they only wished to bring happiness to their guests and implore them to step back onto the machines. Needing to get things over with so they can return to Earth and defeat Kang, Captain America refuses to comply with their orders. Suddenly, the alien creatures transform into massive black insectoid forms — the Triple Evil made manifest — and the heroes soon find themselves swarmed at all sides. Facing superior numbers, Tremont uses his powers to summon Pagan and Lord Templar to aide them, revealing to the Avengers for the first time that these two foes were agents of the Triunes after all.[9]
In the middle of the battle, Triathlon suddenly starts remembering Hal Chandler’s memories and accuses Jonathan of attacking him and stealing his life. Realizing that he is losing control of the situation and wanting to be the victor — and thus cement his position of power — Tremont drops his human guise for his true form, one composed of energy. Needing more power to defeat the Triple Evil, Jonathan absorbs the life forces of the followers who accompanied them on this mission. Even this isn’t enough so he destroys Pagan and Lord Templar so he can take back the power used to bring them to life. He then tries to take the power given to Triathlon. Delroy tries evading Jonathan’s energy blasts but when he is clipped by one, he splits into three different but connected individuals: Triathlon, 3-D Man, and Hal Chandler.
As they evade Tremont’s attack they soon find the final shard of the Trion’s power and claim it for themselves. This causes Delroy/Hal/Chuck to grow exponentially in size and makes them powerful enough to strip Tremont of his power, reverting him back to an ordinary man. With the full power of the Trion, the trio then use their power to purge the pyramid of the Triple Evil.[10] With the immediate danger passed, Captain America asks Triathlon to use his new power to rebuild their ship so they can return to Earth. That’s when the Vision informs him that he has been able to make contact with Earth. Apparently, they had been prisoners of the Triple Evil for over a week and he has just learned that the planet has completely fallen to Kang![11]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Vision, Photon, Quasar, Living Lightning, Firestar, Justice, Triathlon, Jack of Hearts), Jonathan Tremont, Pagan, Lord Templar, 3-D Man, Hal Chandler, Peggy Chandler
Continuity Notes
For more on the origins of 3-D Man and his short lived career in the 1950s, check out Marvel Premiere #35-37.
As the Sliding Timescale pushed the Modern Age forward, it would become increasingly impossible to explain how Hal and Peggy could still be alive when they were young adults in the 1950s. They first appeared in the Modern Age in Incredible Hulk #251-252. In that story they appeared to be in their middle age with children that were young adults. The 3-D Man profile in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #12 states that the source of Hal’s powers slowed his aging process. Presumably, Peggy’s aging was slowed as well. One could further presume that their children were born in the Pre-Modern Age, so they are not negatively impacted by the Sliding Timecale.
Kang announced his plans to invade present day Earth in Avengers (vol. 3) #42. The opening salvo — the invasion of France — happened in issue #46. Cap and his crew launched an attack on Kang’s base in issue #48 only to have their ship blown up. The start of this story takes place prior to the events of last issue.
Quasar and Living Lightning detected the alien ship in Avengers (vol. 3) #47.
Wanda ends up back on Earth as we’ll see next issue.
In Avengers (vol. 3) #27, Justice and Firestar claimed to be taking a leave of absence from the Avengers. In reality, they were given a secret mission to infiltrate the Triune Understanding and learn their secrets, as revealed in Avengers Annual 2001.
Since Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22, Jack of Hearts has little control over the build up of zero energy in his body and has been required to wear his armor at all times. At first, Jack believed his powers derived from his exposure to Zero Fluid. Later, in Jack of Hearts #1, it was revealed that Jack was actually half alien as his mother was a member of the Contraxian race.
Darby was a woman that the Vision befriended in Chicago while he was briefly posing as an ordinary human, as seen in Avengers (vol. 3) #31. The Scarlet Witch is the Vision’s former wife. TL;DR version: the couple had been married for years starting in Giant-Size Avengers #4. After a period of estrangement that began in Avengers #312, he proclaimed their marriage over in Avengers (vol. 3) #4.
Lord Templar and Pagan were used to manipulate the public’s opinion of the Triune Understand and the Avengers to suit their whims, usually by attacking the Avengers and/or framing them for attacking the Triunes. See Avengers (vol. 3) #13-15, 0, 26, and 36-37.
As of this writing in February, 2023, the Triple Evil still remains among the deceased.
We already know that because we saw it all go down last issue, didn’t we?
