Avengers: The Initiative #4

Jul 13

Jul 13 Avengers: The Initiative #4

Green Zone

World War Hulk continues from Punisher: War Journal (vol. 2) #12…

Yellowjacket (Hank Pym) and Baron Von Blitzschlag are exiting the lab at Camp Hammond and are too busy debating ethics to notice a guard lingering by the security door.[1] Once they are gone, the guard hacks the security panel and gets inside. There, they use their powers to shut down the security systems and begins searching the lab. After briefly pausing to examine the preserved remains of MVP (Michael Van Patrick),[2] they continue on to a storage unit for Project Achilles. This contains the Adamantium cased bullets that use SPIN technology nanites that can deactivate the powers of superhumans. The guard takes one and sneaks back out. After a brief encounter with another guard, this impostor takes off his helmet, revealing that it is Hardball (Roger Brockridge) in disguise.[3]

A half hour later, Hardball then delivers it to the man who was blackmailing him at the bar earlier that evening.[4] The man is pleased, telling the young recruit that his family’s financial problems will be a thing of the past, as they agreed. By the time Hardball sneaks back to the barracks at Camp Hammond it is daybreak. Moments after crawling into bed the entire unit is rudely awoken by their drill sergeant, Gauntlet. Seeing Hardball in uniform already (an unaware he was up all night), Gauntlet chastises the others fr not being ready and alert like he is. As they are sent on a ten mile run, Hardball notices that Cloud 9 is not with them this morning. Komodo tells him that she has a counselling session with Justice (Vance Astrovik) this morning.

Cloud 9 has told Justice how MVP was killed during a training exercise and he has decided that in order for her to move on from the guilt she feels she needs to make peace with what happened. He believes this is important telling her how he lost friends in the New Warriors during the Stamford Disaster and a mentor when Captain America was killed.[5] When they knock at the Van Patrick home, they are shocked when Michael answers the door. Before they can make sense of what is going on, Justice receives an emergency call and says they need to get back to base right away. Michael closes the door and goes back to the family living room where his father is watching news coverage about an alien ship that has appeared over Manhattan.

This alien ship is piloted by the Hulk, who has returned to Earth after his exile to the planet Skaar. He has come seeking revenge on those who sent them there as he blames them for destroying his adopted home. He issues an ultimatum: If the people of Earth do not hand over Iron Man (Tony Stark), Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), Doctor (Stephen) Strange, the Sub-Mariner (Namor), Professor X (Charles Xavier), and Black Bolt (ruler of the Inhumans), he and his Warbound — Hirohim, Elloe Kaifi, Korg, Meik, and No-Name — will lay waste to the planet.[6]

This declaration of war is watched by Henry Gyrich, Yellowjacket, and War Machine (Jim Rhodes) in the situation room at Camp Hammond. They are shocked to learn that Iron Man was responsible for the Hulk’s exile. Needing to get this situation diffused right away, Gyrich and Pym give War Machine the supply of SPIN tech bullets in the hopes that it can de-power the Hulk and his invading forces before they cause too much damage. Jim takes them to Tony Stark who is putting the final touches on a massive suit of Hulkbuster armor that he had prepared for just such an occasion. Rhodes expresses his disappointment that Tony left him in the dark about all of this. Tony skirts this by saying that he did bring Jim in to help him build an army through the Initiative. Right now, Doctor Strange is rallying all of Earth’s heroes, including those who have balked at registration.[7] Tony sees this crisis as something that could reunify the community after it was fractured during the civil war. Jim isn’t so confident because the Initiative recruits aren’t ready yet and he’s doubtful about the unity that could come out of this, reminding Tony that they recently tried to de-power both She-Hulk and Spider-Man recently.[8]

War Machine reluctantly agrees to send the Initiative into Manhattan, but only to help with its evacuation. Under the leadership of Triathlon (Delroy Garrett, Jr.) who orders Rage (Elvin Halliday), Slapstick (Steve Harmon), Ultragirl (Suzy Sheman), Thor Girl (Tarene),[9] Cloud 9 (Abby), Komono (Milati), and Hardball to help with the evacuation. Hardball in particular is annoyed that they are being sidelined instead of helping with the fight against the Hulk. His friends, Cloud 9 and Komono tell him to stay on task. Particularly Cloud 9, who is worried about another cadet getting killed. That’s when they notice a band of looters robbing an electronics store. They quickly stop them and pause to watch a news report that is covering Iron Man’s brawl with the Hulk.[10]

In a deciding moment, Iron Man prepares to stab the Hulk with one of the SPIN bullets. That’s when Hardball realizes that the one Stark is using was the one he stole and replaced with a blank. Sure enough, Iron Man’s attempt to de-power the Hulk fails and he is defeated. When they watch Iron Man crash into Avengers Tower, Rage decides he has had enough. He tells the others that they should be fighting the good fight and convinces most everyone to side with him. When Triathlon tries to pull rank, Rage reminds him who has more Avengers seniority.[11]

As Rage and the others run off to join the fight, Triathlon reports this insubordination back to Henry Gyrich at Camp Hammond. Gyrich is unhappy with this and realizes that he has no other choice but to send in the team he has secretly formed within the Initiative.[12]

Back in New York, the defecting Initiative trainees have noticed that things have grown eerily quiet. They wonder if the senior heroes have defeated the Hulk until the round the corner. There they are shocked to find that the Hulk and his Warbound have defeated both the New and Mighty Avengers.[13] Seeing the young heroes, the Hulk orders his fellow warriors to smash them as well!

Recurring Characters

The Initative Staff: “Yellowjacket”, Justice, War Machine, Gauntlet, Baron Von Blitzsclag, Henry Gyrich, Doc Samson

Trainees: Cloud 9, Hardball, Komodo, Rage, Slapstick, Ultragirl, “Thor Girl”, Triathlon, Gargoyle

Shadow Initiative: Trauma, Constrictor, Bengal, Mutant Zero, Scarlet Spiders

Warbound (Hulk, Hirohim, Elloe Kaifi, Korg, Meik, No-Name), Mighty Avengers (Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Ares), New Avengers (Luke Cage, Spider-Man, “Spider-Woman”, Doctor Strange), She-Hulk, SHIELD, Arthur Woodman (unidentified), David Van Patrick, MVP (corpse and clone)

Continuity Notes

This is not the real Hank Pym, but a Skrull spy named Criti Noll. See Mighty Avengers #15.
MVP was slain back in Avengers: The Initiative #1. This was covered up so that the Baron could clone his body as will be explained in issue #7. We actually see one of these clones later this issue posing as the real Michael Van Patrick.
We still don’t know the full names of a number of characters in this story. They include:
- Gauntlet’s full name (Joe Green) is revealed in Avengers: The Initiative #6.
- Cloud 9: In issue #1 it was revealed her first name is Abby, but her full name Abby Boylen won’t be revealed until Avengers: The Initiative #9.
- Komodo’s first name will be revealed to be Melati in Avengers: The Initiative #3. He last name (Kusama) will be revealed in issue #9 as well.
This mystery man approached Hardball on behalf of Hydra last issue. His is US Senator Arthur Woodman, as will be revealed in Avengers: The Initiative #11.
At the time of this story all of these characters were or were believed to be dead. The details:
- The New Warriors were a team that Vance help found back in New Warriors #1. Although he was not a part of the team for years. More recently, the group — while chasing ratings for a new reality TV show — attacked a ground of villains hiding out in Stamford causing an explosion that killed hundreds and ushered in the passage of the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA), as seen in Civil War #1. The entire team was seemingly killed. Vance mentions two members in particular here:
  - Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor): We will later learn that Night Thrasher actually survived the blast as he was pulled forward in time by the Collector as part of his latest Contest of Champions, as seen in Contest of Champions #5.
  - Namorita (Prentis): Namorita is indeed dead, at least at the time of this writing in July, 2024. However, not long after this Nova (Richard Rider) will bring her past self to the present in Nova (vol. 4) #32-36. As of this writing, she has taken the place of her future self.
- Captain America (Steve Rogers) was believed to have been assassinated in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. In reality, he was shot with a chronal bullet that has made him live his entire life in a loop. He will be freed from this purgatory in Captain America: Reborn #1-6.
The Hulk was exiled by the Illuminati back in Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #91. He ended up on the planet Skaar in the following issue. There he lived as a gladiator until he and his Warbound rebelled and took over the ruling class which took place between issues #92-105. Things ended tragically when the ship that took him exploded, decimating the planet and killing nearly everyone who lived there. The Hulk’s attack on Earth will primarily be chronicled in World War Hulk #1-5 as well as various limited series and crossover issues (see below for the full list).
The SHRA was passed in Civil War #3 and it required all superhumans to register with the US government. This split the superhero community in half with many refusing to register. This law will remain on the books until Siege #4.
She-Hulk was temporarily depowered by SPIN tech in Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #106. They attempted to de-power Spider-Man last issue but failed.
Thor Girl is another Skrull impostor, who took Tarene’s place prior to her joining the Initiative in Avengers: The Initiative #1. The Skrull will be exposed in issue #18.
If you want to see how this fight goes down, see World War Hulk #1.
Rage has been affiliated with the Avengers since Avengers #328, becoming a trainee in the following issue. However, his membership was cut short after it was discovered he was only 13 years old at the time, leading to his membership ending in Avengers #342. Meanwhile, Triathlon served on the team from Avengers (vol. 3) #27 through 56. Per the Sliding Timescale, Rage joined the Avengers 4 years prior to this story, while Triathlon joined about 2 years prior.
This is the Shadow Initiative, as we’ll learn next issue. Some of the members are obvious: Trauma, Constrictor, Bengal, and the Scarlet Spiders. The unidentified member is named Mutant Zero here. She is revealed to be Typhoid Mary in Avengers: The Initiative #20.
The woman who appears as Spider-Woman here is yet another Skrull spy, this one named Veranke, as will be revealed in Secret Invasion #3 and New Avengers #42.

Topical References

Some of the TVs in this story (particularly the one in Van Patten household are depicted as CRT models. This should be considered topical as this is now an obsolete technology.