Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #3
Day of Maximum Probability
Deep within Chronopolis rests the body of Kang the Conqueror, left in stasis after sustaining life threatening injuries.[1] He is visited by the Time Keepers, custodians of the timeline. They are concerned because in half of all possible timelines, Chronopolis is destined to fall and this would have grave repercussions on the future.[2] Vort is tempted to use his power to revive Kang to prevent this from happening, but the others find such an abuse of their power outrageous. Despite their desires, the trio agree to wait and see how events finally unfold.
Meanwhile, six Avengers have been plucked out of time are are now trapped on Chronopolis. Three of their number (US Agent, War Machine, and Thunderstrike) were selected by the enigmatic Revelation who seeks to manipulate the destiny of the Terminatrix, aka Ravonna Renslayer, the current and secret ruler of Kang’s seven centuries of time. While Ravonna herself has summoned Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man to be her protectors. Unsure who their true enemy is, the six Avengers have agreed to work together. That’s when Revelation teleported the heroes into the middle of a meeting of the Council of Cross-Time Kangs. Greatly outnumbered, the Avengers agree that their best chance at survival is a tactical retreat. As they flee the council chambers by air — with Thor and Thunderstrike carrying Cap and US Agent — they are then pursued by an army of flying Time Troopers.
Elsewhen, the Terminatrix has found herself transported to some other time and place. Here, she is being held prisoner with her counterparts from other timelines by an elderly version of Immortus, who claims that he is on his final day if life.[3][4][5] Immortus has gathered them all because they have reached a critical juncture in their timelines and that he is giving them an opportunity to forge their own destinies. He explains that he is to die this day and he needs someone to terminate the life support of his own beloved Ravonna — a far future version of the other women who is just as old as Immortus. He explains that he and this version of Ravonna fell in love and lived happily together and that he intends this destiny for the rest.[6] In ending both of their lives, Immortus says that his final creation, Tempus, will be sent back in time to the period in which he and the time being first met, completing an all important time loop.[7] Immortus explains that one of the alternate Ravonna’s must be the one to end the life of her future counterpart as he cannot ask his son, Marcus Immortus, to kill his own mother.[8]
The Terminatrix volunteers as she sees it as her opportunity to get away. As she is released from stasis, Immortus suffers a fatal heart attack and collapses to the ground. At the demands of his son, Marcus, the Terminatrix turns off the life support keeping the elderly Ravonna alive. Upon her death, the eyes of Terminus begin to glow. While Marcus is busy mourning his parents, Ravonna takes the opportunity to flee out a window. This takes her into a room where she is finally brought face-to-face with Revelation. Demanding to know who this woman is, Revelation says that she could be Ravonna’s daughter, sister, or even herself, saying that the decision is up to her.[9]
Back in Chronopolis, the six Avengers continue to flee their pursuers. However, the Time Troopers are seemingly endless. Deciding to duck into a nearby forest for cover, the team ends up flying through a time portal instead. They find themselves transported to a small American town in the early 20th century. The appearance of six strangely garbed people from the future cause the locals to painc. That’s when the local mayor, Victor Timely, demands to know what is going on. Captain America warns him to get his people to cover as there are some rough customers on the way.[10]
Back up time, the Terminatrix continues to demand answers from the woman who is confronting her now. She is shocked when Revelation removes her helmet and she looks identical to her. Revelation then explains that she is Ravonna’s future self from an era where she now rules over Kang’s seven centuries following his death. She explains that she pushed the Terminatrix along to her proper destiny by pushing her into an encounter with the elderly Immortus. Revelation then shows her a map of the timeline. Across the horizontal timeline exists a vertical axis of up and downward time. In Regions of these periods are dominated by individuals and organizations that govern that section of cross time. Sandwiched between areas ruled by the Time Variance Authority and the Congress of Realities exists the period ruled by Kang the Conqueror. Above it is Revelations domain. Below them all exists the realm of Alioth.
Revelation warns that Alioth poses as a dire threat to the Kang’s empire and should he conquer that realm Revelation’s own domain will collapse next. With Kang incapacitated and the present day Immortus trapped in a quantum wave, it will be up to the Terminatrix to stop this from happening by restoring Kang to full health.[11] The Terminatrix wonders what is in it for her to do this and Revelation points out that if Alioth succeeds they’ll all die. If Kang is restored and succeeds in stopping Alioth, Ravonna can known that she will eventually rule an empire over his. Seeing this as her only way of survival, Ravonna returns to Chronopolis to carry out this mission.
Back in the early 20th century, Captain America suddenly realizes where they are. They’re in Timely, Wisconsin, Kang’s beach head to the present day. He also knows that “Victor Timely” is really Kang in disguise and tries to reason with him. At first, Timely pretends that he doesn’t understand what Cap is saying but soon calls the local police to deal with the time travelers. It becomes apparent that these cops are actually Time Troopers in disguise. Stealing one of their cars — which converts into a futuristic aircraft — the Avengers then flee back through the time portal to Chronopolis. They arrive just in time to witness Alioth’s arrival as the creature lays waste to Kang’s empire.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, US Agent, War Machine, Thunderstrike), Terminatrix, Revelation, Immortus, Marcus Immortus, Alioth, Kang, Time Keepers (Ast, Vorth, Zanth), Grandmaster, Ravonna, Tempus, Nebula, Brideshead
Continuity Notes
Kang was gravely wounded in the Citizen Kang event, see Captain America Annual #11, Thor Annual #17, Fantastic Four Annual #25, and Avengers Annual #21. As we saw in issue #1, the Terminatrix has been keeping him alive while secretly running his empire ever since.
The Time Keepers are determined to ensure that time ends with them being the last beings alive on Earth. Their existence is threatened by the Time Twisters, alternate versions of themselves that are destructive to the timestream. It’s a whole thing. See Thor #243-245, What If? (vol. 2) #39, and Avengers Forever #10.
Kang the Conqueror #5 identifies that this “end times” for Immortus takes place in the year 31,248 AD. As of this writing (January, 2023) this future timeline has not been given a reality designation.
Following Avengers #267-269, all multiversal versions of Kang had been slain, meaning that there was only one true Kang left and therefore only one Immortus. This became doubly true since Immortus operates out of Limbo and can affect time without creating a divergence (unless he wants to make one). This was further reinforced in the events of Avengers Forever #12, which will see the destinies of Kang and Immortus separated and forge their own individual pasts instead of one leading to the other. That all said, there is only one Immortus. His appearance here is vague, however the Immortus profile in All New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5 suggests that this is Immortus from the very end of his timeline, meaning his appearance here comes well after appearances that are published in later years. However, it reminds readers that Immortus is a master of deception and this could be yet another one. I’m inclined to disagree, I like the idea that Immortus has an end point and that we — as readers — got to jump ahead to see it before all of his later appearances.
We see the Terminatrix among other versions of herself. While there is no record of which realities they come from (at least time of this writing in January, 2023) they are all stand-ins for Ravonna’s many past and future incarnations. They include:
Princess Ravonna, as she first appeared in Avengers #23-24.
A version of Ravonna that was posing as the space pirate Nebula, prior to her joining the Council of Cross-Time Kangs circa Avengers #291.
A version of her dressed like a Kang, which she also started doing in Avengers #291.
The Temptress, an identity Ravonna briefly went under in Avengers Spotlight #37.
Obviously, we got the Terminatrix, a guise Ravonna has been operating under since Fantastic Four Annual #25.
Then we have a version of Ravonna that resembles the Grandmaster, which other than this appearance we know nothing about, as of this writing. Other than the fact that she hales from Reality-9324, per the Terminatrix profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #11. Some ideas:
Following her incapacitation in Avengers #24 and Kang’s failure to cure her in Avengers #71, it was later revealed in Avengers Annual #21 that Ravonna was freed and restored by the Grandmaster, who took pity on her. My assumption is that in at least one timeline, Ravonna either stole the power of or became a consort to the Grandmaster.
Another explanation is provided in Kang the Conqueror #1-5, which revealed that after her incapacitation in Avengers #24, Kang transmitted her essence across the timestream so she would be born and reincarnated across time and space. It’s entirely possible that one reincarnation of Ravonna is a member of the Grandmaster’s race.
The true origin of this version of Ravonna and the reality she came from is as yet unclarified. It’s possible that she is the Ravonna of Reality-8657 (designation is per the Terminatrix profile in All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #11). In Avengers #267-269, Kang used Immortus’ time machine to pluck Ravonna out of time moments she was originally shot. This divergent Ravonna betrayed this Kang to Immortus and went to live with him. The last time we saw her was in Avengers Annual #21 and, time of this writing, she has not been seen since that appearance. However, since there is only one Immortus, the elderly Ravonna being from Reality-8657 is pretty good I think.
Tempus was first seen back in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2, but we do not learn that he is a minion of Immortus until Thor #282.
Here we have confirmation that Marcus Immortus is the son of Nathaniel Richards (the man who is both Kang and Immortus) and Ravonna Renslayer, something that was hinted at last issue. Where it gets confusing to some is when Marcus was born since he refers to Revelation as his mother and will also refer to the elderly Immortus and Ravonna as his parents. I think it’s pretty straight forward, he’s Revelation’s son that she birthed with her version of Kang. The reason why he calls the elderly Ravonna and Immortus his mother and father is for the same reason he calls the Terminatrix his mum here, he views them all as his parents even if they might be versions of his parents from other timelines. Who couldn’t ask for a more loyal son?
Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5, Revelations future timeline exists as part of Reality-93091.
Captain America previously visited Timely, Wisconsin in Captain America Annual #11. As explained in Avengers Annual #21, Kang set up Timely as his beachhead to the present following his first defeat at the hands of the Avengers circa Avengers #4. What’s unexplained here is how Victor Timely could be present during the Avengers visit when he is Kang and Kang is in cryo-stasis at the time of this story. One could assume that this Victor Timely/Kang is from a period before or after his time in stasis. Or perhaps Kang employs a robot of Victor Timely when he’s not present and that’s who the Avengers encounter.
Immortus became trapped in a Quantum Wave during the Time Quake event as seen in What If? (vol. 2) #35-39.
Topical References
References to the present day taking place in the 20th century should be considered topical. The Sliding Timescale has pushed the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe forward in time enough that it does not begin until after the start of the 21st century.