Avengers: The Initiative #21
Avengers: The Initiative - Disassembled, Part 1
In the wake of the failed Skrull invasion of Earth, Hank Pym has refused to run the Initiative.[1] This leaves everyone to assume that Gauntlet (Joe Green) will be taking charge. Joe isn’t prepared for this, but other senior staff — Tigra (Greer Grant), Hellcat (Patsy Walker) and Stingray (Walter Newell) — have to help restore teams on the 50-State Initiative that need support. Gargoyle tells Joe that he is retiring since he has been serving his country since World War I.[2] They are also not eager to be working under Norman Osborn, who has taken over SHIELD following Iron Man (Tony Stark’s) fall from grace during the Skrull war.[3] As much as he is reluctant to take on leadership, Joe will not hand it over to an ex-Nazi like Baron Von Blitzschlag.[4]
At that moment, the Baron is dozing in the lab when he is awoken by a noise. When he opens his eyes he sees the clone of Thor — dubbed Ragnarok — standing before him alive and well and marvels at its beautiful sight.[5]
Meanwhile, the Shadow Initiative — Taskmaster, Bengal (Doc Noh Tranh), Constrictor (Frank Schlichting), Mutant Zero (Mary Walker, aka Typhoid Mary), and Komodo (Melati Kusama) — are being deployed to Madripoor to capture Initiative traitor Hardball (Roger Brockridge) who joined up with Hydra.[6] As they prepare to drop onto the island nation, the Taskmaster hopes there is no hard feelings between him and Mutant Zero, who he fought to learn her true identity. Taking off her mask, she points out that everyone else on the team found out that she was really Typhoid Mary when they were captured by the Skrulls so its not really a secret anymore.[7] Komodo is the only one present who didn’t know and she doesn’t care as long as it helps them capture Hardball.[8] Taskmaster is curious why she joined the Initiative instead of the Hood’s criminal gang, and Mary explains that she has grown tired of trying to control her multiple personalities, but admits that it is still a work in progress. With that it is time to air drop into Madripoor.
Back at Camp Hammond, the latest batch of recruits are getting their assignments. Annex (Alex Ellis) is being assigned to New Mexico, while Red 9 (Wallace Jackson) is going to Georgia. Melee is disappointed that she has to stay, but that’s only because she is going to be trained as an instructor as they need someone with martial arts training. Batwing (Jimmy Santini) is delighted to learn that he will be joining the Shadow Initiative. Unfortunately for Prodigy (Richie Gilmore) and Sunstreak (Andrea Rourke) they are to remain in training due to their criminal records. Richie is furious over this because his only crime is due to his early opposition of the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA) and a drunken fight with Iron Man.[9] He is so mad he storms out of the barracks. Gorilla Girl (Fahnbullah Eddy) on the other hand is packing her bag. While she passed her training, the Skrull invasion was too much for her and she has asked to be put on reserve status so she can go home and live a mostly normal life.
While in the lab, Ragnarok demands to know where his hammer is. The Baron shows him the Adamantium safe where it has been held since he was defeated. This proves to be only a minor obstacle for the phony thunder god, who rips the door off its hinges. When Blitzschlag realizes that the clone is no longer following orders he tries to use his voice deactivation code but this too has been disabled. Ragnarok is furious over having been controlled by mortals in the past and vows to have his vengeance. He then begins whirling his hammer to summon bolts of lightning.
In the administrative building, Ultragirl is confronted by a lawyer representing Norman Osborn. He is there to deliver a cease and desist order that prevents her from wearing Ms. Marvel’s old costume because its likeness is now owned by Osborn.[10] She finds this ridiculous, but this appears to be a trivial matter when she notices a wanted poster for the Counter Force, the team formed by Justice (Vance Astrovik) following the KIA debacle. The lawyer explains that Osborn decided to rescind the immunity that Tony Stark had given them as the group consists of former New Warriors. He believes it prudent given the Warriors’ involvement in the Stamford Disaster.[11]
While at the counseling office, Trauma (Terrance Ward) is meeting with Thor Girl (Tarene). However, she has not interest in psychological help, but wants to know what the impostor posing as her was up to during her time at Camp Hammond.[12] Terrence is about to tell her about the crush he and the Skrull impostor had with one another, but is interrupted when there is a loud explosion outside. This prompts Tarene to rush out to face whatever battle has just started. When she sees Ragnarok on the rampage she instantly recognizes him as an impostor. The clone also sees her as an affront to the real Thor and the two start fighting. This is witnessed by Fahnbullah, who tells her taxi driver to stop so she can turn into her gorilla form and join the fight.
The two thunderers continue to fight in the sky above Camp Hammond until Ragnarok slams Tarene into the ground.[13] That’s when Gauntlet arrives to lend her a hand and hits the faux Thor with enough force to knock him through a wall. However, this won’t keep the impostor down for long. Trauma then steps in and uses his fear powers to transform into the one thing the clone secretly fears: The real god of thunder, Thor.[14] However, despite his near perfect imitation of the real Thor, Terrance is quickly defeated. Ragnarok then smashes through the outer wall of Camp Hammond where Gorilla Girl is trying to keep rioting protestors from getting harmed.[15] She is quickly incapacitated by Ragnarok, but before he can land the killing blow Justice (Vance Astrovik) and the New Warriors — Night Thrasher (Donyell Taylor), Debrii (Deborah Fields), Rage (Elvin Haliday), the Scarlet Spiders (clones of Michael Van Patten), and Slapstick (Steve Harmond) — arrive to take him down!
Recurring Characters
Initiative staff: Gauntlet, Baron Von Blitzschlag, Trauma, Doc Samson, Gargoyle
Trainees: Diamondback, Gorilla Girl, Melee, Prodigy, Sunstreak
Shadow Initiative: Taskmaster, Batwing, Bengal, Constrictor, Komodo, Mutant Zero
Reassigned/Graduates/Promotions: Annex, Geiger, Hellcat, Red 9, Stingray, Tigra, Ultragirl
Ragnarok, Thor Girl, New Warriors (Night Thrasher, Debrii, Justice, Rage, Scarlet Spiders, Slapstick), SHEILD
Continuity Notes
This story takes place after the end of Secret Invasion #1-8. As explained last issue, Hank refused to run the Initiative because he never created it. It was created by a Skrull spy who took his place, as explained in Mighty Avengers #15.
As per Gargoyle #1-4, Isaac Christians fought in World War I. However, the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age forward in time, widening the number of years between World War I and the start of the Modern Age. As such it is now impossible for someone who was alive back then to still be alive. As of this writing (July, 2024), Marvel has yet to provide an explanation as to how Christians could still be alive prior to his transformation into the Gargoyle in Defenders #94. The character has always been involved in mysticism or the occult, so this may be a factor. Otherwise, the only other logical explanation is that he had been the Gargoyle for far longer than it appears.
Iron Man had been the Director of SHIELD since New Avengers #25. However, became a scapegoat for the Skrull invasion because his technology ran SHIELD and the Avengers and was heavily compromised during the invasion. Osborn rose to prominence because he killed the Skrull queen in Secret Invasion #8. He will hold the role of America’s top cop until Siege #4.
It has been established that Blitzschlag was a former Nazi back in Avengers: The Initiative #1 and this has been reinforced by various references to World War II that he has made throughout the series. That said, just like Isaac Christians, Marvel has yet to provide an explanation for his longevity. I posited in my index for issue #1 that it might be due to his electrical powers slowing his aging process.
This clone of Thor was created in Civil War #4 and heavily damaged in the following issue of that series. It had been held in stasis in the lab since Avengers: The Initiative #1. It was reactivated at the end of last issue as a failsafe set by the Skrull posing as Yellowjacket in the event that the invasion failed.
Roger was manipulated into joining Hydra to cure his brother of his disability caused by a side effect from the Power Broker’s strength augmentation process. See Avengers: The Initiative #4, Annual #1 and Special #1.
Mary mentions how she used to try to kill Daredevil when she wasn’t sleeping with him. This is in reference to their very complicated history that dates back to Daredevil #254-263. When she joined the Shadow Initiative in Avengers: The Initiative #5, her identity was kept a secret, Taskmaster found out last issue. The others would have found out after they were captured by the Skrulls in Avengers: The Initiative #17.
Komodo obsessed with capturing Hardball because they had a brief and intense relationship that started in Avengers: The Initiative #8. She became embittered when he chose Hydra over her in Avengers: The Initiative Special #1.
The SHRA was passed into law in Civil War #3, and it requires all superhumans to register with the government. There were many to oppose it, including Prodigy who got arrested after a drunken fight with Iron Man in Civil War: Front Line #1. To avoid prison, Prodigy agreed to join the Initiative in Avengers: The Initiative #13. Sunstreak’s past crimes were committed as part of the Stockpile in Iron Man #330.
This costume was worn by the original Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) between Ms. Marvel #1-20. Carol had gifted Ultragirl with her own version of it when she graduated from the Initiative in Avengers: The Initiative #12. The reason why Norman Osborn wants her to stop wearing it is because he has chosen to prop up Karla Sofen (aka Moonstone) as his own Ms. Marvel on his new team of Avengers. See Dark Avengers #1.
The New Warriors became social pariahs after a battle the engaged in resulted in an explosion that killed hundreds of people in Stamford, Connecticut in Civil War #1. This killed many of their members, although a new team had formed in New Warriors (vol. 4) #1 since then. Justice and many other former New Warriors had joined up with the Initiative but ultimately went their separate ways after the KIA went on a rampage at Camp Hammond in Avengers: The Initiative #8-11.
It appeared as though Thor Girl joined the Initiative back in issue #1. However, it was later revealed in Avengers: The Initiative #18, and confirmed in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #12 that this was a Skrull impostor.
Here, Tarene mentions how she gave much of her power to Odin during his final battle with Surtur. Tarene is also known as the Designate, a powerful entity that is destined to usher a new evolution of life in the universe, as explained in Thor (vol. 2) #23-25. She later gave much of her power to Odin in a battle to the death with Surtur in Thor (vol. 2) #40. They will remain deceased until Thor #615 and Journey into Mystery #629-631 respectively.
Trauma’s representation of Thor and his anger at being cloned are genuine to the real god of thunder. This is because the clone was created during a period where Thor was dead between Thor (vol. 2) #85 and Thor (vol. 3) #1. He had previously voiced his displeasure over the clone Thor (vol. 3) #3.
There have been protests outside Camp Hammond since it opened in Avengers: The Initiative #1. They are a combination of people who find its construction in Stamford distasteful and dangerous as well as those who are against the SHRA.
