Avengers: The Initiative #23
Avengers: The Initiative - Disassembled, Part 3
Following their battle with the Thor clone known as Ragnarok,[1] Justice (Vance Astrovik) reveals to the media that the Initiative had secretly cloned Michael Van Patrick, aka MVP. Michael was an early Initiative recruit who was killed during a training accident that was covered up. When the press asks for proof of his claims, the Scarlet Spider removes his mask revealing that he is one of those clones.[2]
This coverage is watched by Norman Osborn, who recently became Director of National Security.[3] His assistant, Victoria Hand, is concerned about this news, but Osborn believes that this is perfect. When Gauntlet (Joe Green), head of the Initiative, is asked about these allegations his only statement that the recovery effort in Stamford after the battle is more important and walks off without comment. When they ask Ultragirl if what Justice says is true, she reluctantly admits that it is.
Meanwhile, in Madripoor, the Shadow Initiative — Taskmaster, Bengal (Doc No Tranh), Constrictor (Frank Schlichting), Komodo (Melati Kusama), and Mutant X (Mary Walker, aka Typhoid Mary) — have been dispatched to capture Hardball (Roger Brockridge), who defected to Hydra.[4] Shortly after their arrival they have been found by Hardball who has ambushed them with an army of Hydra agents and his new lover, the Scorpion (Carmilla Black). Seeing her former boyfriend with another woman makes Melati think he is under some kind of mind control. However, both Roger and Carmilla scoff at this angering Kusama enough to lash out. Hardball then shoots her with a SPIN tech bullet that nullifies her powers. Roger than boasts that Hydra scientists have improved the weapons so that they no longer need to be pre-programmed with the unique DNA of a target. Realizing that they are in deep shit, Taskmaster orders Mary to put up a wall of flame while they all flee.[5]
Back in America, Justice has no further questions and as he and the New Warriors prepare to leave, Ultragirl asks to join with them. While she remained because she believed in the Initiative when she first decided to stay, but now she sees that it has become something different.[6] Before going, she tosses her Ms. Marvel costume to Norman Osborn’s lawyer and tells him to cram it up his ass. Not far away, senior Initiative staff are helping with the recovery effort in Stamford.[7] The locals are understandably upset, particularly since they were assured that something like this wouldn’t happen after Camp Hammond was built nearby.[8] The others also want to know if Gauntlet knew about the MVP situation as they were all kept in the dark about it. Joe admits that he did and regrets keeping it a secret.
In Madripoor, the Shadow Initiative are fleeing for their lives. Bengal and Constrictor are ordered to provide cover since neither of them have superhuman abilities to lose. However, Doc No Tranh is also carrying Melati on his back, which slows him down enough for a Hydra agent to shoot him in the leg. Constrictor manages to snare Bengal with one of his snake coils and pulls him into an opened manhole. When Doc says they need to go back for Melati, Frank reminds him how she was expendable on this mission and they leave her behind. When Hardball and Scorpion arrive, Roger jokes about how Melati’s situation is pretty awkward.
At that same time, the issue of who knew what about MVP and the Thor clone continues. Gauntlet commends them for saving lives, but Doc Samson berates him over the fact that they wouldn’t have lost any civilians had they not kept a deranged clone on the base. Trauma then steps up and takes some of the blame, saying that it was his uncontrollable powers that led to Van Patrick’s death. Joe tells Terrence it wasn’t his fault and admits that he was following orders that were unlawful, he also kept the secret out of shame because he had never lost a soldier in his unit before. Some of the blame is heaped on other senior staff like the deposed Henry Gyrich, the Skrull posing as Yellowjacket, and Baron Von Blitzschlag. On the latter, point, the Baron doesn’t care about their recriminations, both because he is mourning the loss of one of his “sons” and is used to being persecuted.[9]
That’s when the SHIELD Director’s craft arrives on the scene carrying Norman Osborn, who has come to personally deal with this situation.[10] He addresses the media and spins the situation to his advantage. He admits that the recent revelations about the Initiative have been disturbing to learn and promises swift and decisive action. He promises that there will be an immediate hearing regarding the illegal cloning activities at Camp Hammond. He then states that he will be performing evaluations on every team within the 50-State Initiative to prevent something like the Skrull infiltration again.[11] While he believes that the Initiative is good in principal, he looks over the damage done in Stamford and promises that this will never happen again because, effective immediately, Camp Hammond is going to be shuttered for good. He also uses the opportunity that SHIELD is also being dissolved for a brand new organization under his direction. With that, he ends the press conference.
As Norman prepares to leave, Gauntlet asks what will happen to all the staff at the base. Osborn tells him that the facility is being condemned immediately and tells him to get his family a hotel room until he is reassigned. When a fresh mob of angry Stamford residents begins to form, Osborn decides to let them vent their anger. As his ship takes off, the locals topple a state of the Human Torch that was standing at the base.[12]
Meanwhile, the Shadow Initiative are trying to get to the extraction point within the next four hours. While Bengal wants to go back for Melati, Taskmaster warns him that doing so would be suicide and that they need to report what they learned back to SHIELD. That’s when Mary tells them to check out the TVs on display in an electronics shop’s window. This is how they learn that SHIELD is being dissolved and that nobody is coming to get them. Taskmaster grumbles that this mission is getting worse by the minute, unaware of that the criminals known as Roughouse and Bloodscream are sneaking up behind them!
Recurring Characters
Initiative staff: Gauntlet, Baron Von Blitzschlag, Trauma, Gargoyle, Doc Samson
Trainees: Diamondback, Prodigy, Sunstreak
Graduates/Assigned: Annex, Cloud 9, Geiger, Gorilla Girl, Hellcat, Tigra, Red 9, Stingray Ultragirl
Shadow Initiative: Taskmaster, Batwing, Bengal, Constrictor, Komodo, Mutant Zero
New Warriors (Night Thrasher, Debrii, Justice, Rage, Scarlet Spider, Slapstick), HAMMER (Norman Osborn, Victoria Hand), Hydra (Hardball, Scorpion), Roughouse, Bloodscream, Sally Floyd, corpses of MVP and his clone Patrick.
Continuity Notes
The Initiative and the New Warriors fought Ragnarok in Avengers: The Initiative #21-22.
MVP was killed in a training accident in Avengers: The Initiative #1. As per issue #7, he was used as the template to make a number of clones. The Scarlet Spiders (in issue #3), a clone to send home to his family (in issue #4), and the insane KIA who went on a rampage in Avengers: The Initiative #8-11.
Norman Osborn was made America’s top cop after he killed the leader of a Skrull invasion in Secret Invasion #8. He will hold this position until Siege #4.
Hardball was blackmailed into stealing Initiative SPIN Tech in Avengers: The Initiative #4. They later recruited him after offering him a cure for his brother, who had been immobilized by a side-effect of the Power Broker’s strength augmentation process. See Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1 and Special #1. I should also mention how Roger and Melati used to be in a relationship that started in Avengers: The Initiative #8. It ended when he chose Hydra over her.
When she is depowered, Melati is depicted with no legs. This is because she lost her legs in a car accident. Her powers were derived from Curt Connors’ Lizard formula, which allows her to grow new legs while in her Komodo form. See Avengers: The Initiative Special #1 for more details on her origins.
As seen in Avengers: The Initiative #6, Ultragirl and Justice were in a relationship until she graduated from training in issue #12 and assigned to a team.
This costume was the original Ms. Marvel uniform worn by Carol Danvers from Ms. Marvel #1 to 20. It was gifted to Ultragirl when she graduated from the Initiative in Avengers: The Initiative #12. In issue #21, she was told by Norman Osborn’s lawyer that she was no longer allowed to wear it. This is because Norman is planning to make Karla Sofen (aka Moonstone) the new Ms. Marvel on his team of Avengers. See Dark Avengers #1.
Stamford, Connecticut has had a rough go of it recently. Previously, the town experienced a mass loss of life when a superhero battle caused an explosion that killed hundreds of people — including children — in Civil War #1. This led to the passage of the Super Human Registration Act in issue #3 of that series. When Camp Hammond opened in Avengers: The Initiative #1, the locals were assured that they would be safe. The camp had protests from locals ever since. On the subject of the SHRA, this law will remain in effect until Siege #4.
The people who ultimately are responsible for Ragnarok’s rampage are many, but none are present. Here’s why:
The Thor clone was created in Civil War #4, and trashed the following issue. Its remains were kept in stasis at Camp Hammond as seen in Avengers: The Initiative #1.
A Skrull impostor was posing as Yellowjacket. Details of his abduction were detailed in Mighty Avengers #15. New Avengers #45 states that he was replaced sometime prior to House of M #1, meaning the Skrull was present at Camp Hammond. They were killed in Avengers: The Initiative #19. In issue #20, we discovered that the Skrull left a failsafe that would revive the Thor clone before.
Henry Gyrich was also running the camp from the beginning. However, after the KIA incident (more on that in a sec), he was forced to resign in Avengers: The Initiative #12.
All of the clones were created with the help of Baron Von Blitzschlag, as I mentioned above. Here he is mourning the loss of Patrick, one of the Scarlet Spiders who was killed last issue.
Diamondback recognizes the SHIELD transport even though it doesn’t have the SHIELD insignia on it. This is because Osborn is in the process of rebranding the agency to HAMMER, as seen in Secret Invasion #8. Rachel is familiar with SHIELD aircraft due to her association with Captain America. TLDR; the two started a long association when she became enamored by the hero in Captain America #357.
It was discovered that each of the teams in the 50-State Initiative was compromised by Skrull spies in Avengers: The Initiative Annual #1. These spies were all rooted out over the course of Avengers: The Initiative #14-19.
A statue of the original Human Torch (Jim Hammond) was erected at the site of Camp Hammond to honor him. He is considered the “first” superhero, dating back to Marvel Comics #1. The statue was also put up in his memory as, at the time of this story, he had died in New Invaders #9. The android will be revived again in Torch #2.
