Peace Dividend

A radar station on Bathurst Inlet is under attack by Russian operatives. The staff there is killed by the soldiers before they can send out a distress call. Once the facility has been taken over, the leader tells them that this is but the first step of starting a brand new Cold War.

Meanwhile, at a hospital in California, Hawkeye and US Agent are still recovering from their injuries during their recent fight with the Deathweb.[1] As usual, the two can hardly stand each other and bicker incessantly. That’s when Mockingbird — who came down after hearing about Hawkeye’s injuries — comes in to check on them. At that same moment, US Agent gets a call from his contact in the Commission who wants him to investigate a situation in Northern Canada. Agreeing to the job, US Agent quickly strips off his hospital gown and changes into his costume.[2] When Hawkeye and Mockingbird ask what’s going on, the Agent tells them that it is private business. That’s when a second call comes in from the Scarlet Witch who tells US Agent and Hawkeye to report to Avengers Compound right away.

Back in Canada, Wolverine has come up to Bathurst Inlet to get away from it all. Unfortunately, his northern hike has been plagued by mosquitos and a hungry polar bear. When the bear tries to strike it’s brought down by an energy blast. This came from a pair of Russian operatives named Svyatogor and Morning Star, who were involved in the take over of the radar facility. Seeing Logan as a threat to their plans the pair attack him and quickly incapacitate the feral mutant.

While in California, Hawkeye and the others arrive at Avenger Compound where the Scarlet Witch has the team watch a news report about the recent death of Tony Stark.[3] As Tony led the team as Iron Man, the group now has to figure out a new leader for the group. This leaves most of the team reeling and wondering who will succeed Iron Man as leader.[4][5] Things get tense when US Agent says he is going off on personal business. This prompts Spider-Woman to warn the Agent about working for the Commission.[6] Scarlet Witch also reminds him that the Avengers are now affiliated with the United Nations.[7] He tells them that he can do whatever he want in his private time and decides to take a Quinjet so he can carry out his side hustle.[8] Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man decide to shadow US Agent to make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble, leaving the rest of the team to deal with Tony’s passing on their own. Seeing that the Living Lighting is troubled, Spider-Woman asks him if he is ok. Miguel tells her that after the all the death he has experienced recently, he has been taking stock of his own mortality and suddenly he doesn’t really feel like being a superhero anymore and wonders what he should do about it.[9]

Meanwhile, US Agent is heading into Canadian airspace when he is contacted by Lou, his handler at the Commission. He is told how a radar station up north cut all communication and they want him investigate as this could leave North America open for attack by one of its enemies. Little do either of them know that they are being followed by the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man who are also listening in on their conversation. Wanda is annoyed that US Agent didn’t include them on this mission and promises he’ll get a talking to later. As they continue to follow their comrade, Wonder Man worries about the changes his ionic body are undergoing and how they might make him unfit for Avengers duty.[10] When US Agent lands his Quinjet and continues on foot he is attacked by another team of Russian operatives. They are led by another superhuman named Mikula. Using his telekinetic powers, Mikula is able to strike the Agent with his own shield before wrapping him up in cables and tossing him into a nearby inlet to drown.

Meanwhile, Wolverine wakes up at the radar facility all shackled up. He is greeted by the mastermind behind this whole operation, Doctor Vladimir Volkh who explains that he and his group, the Bogatyri, are attempting to kick start another Cold War between the US and Russia as they believe it will restore the former Soviet Union. He then lists off his allies and how they all got their powers. Svyatogor was exposed to a powerful dose of radiation. While this stripped him of his limbs it gave him titanic strength and he was outfitted with cybernetic limbs to compensate. Mikula is a mutant born with his powers of mental levitation. Morning Star was a geologist who was exposed the mysterious energies of an alien rock fragment found dig site in Sibera where a meteor struck in 1908. Volkh himself was a Cosmonaut who gained his powers by being bombarded with cosmic rays while on a space mission. Volkh also reveals that he knows all about Wolverine and asks if the X-Men are lurking somewhere around. Logan doesn’t confirm or deny this and instead tries to argue politics with Volkh. Volkh then explains his master plan: He will create his new Cold War by using a device to turn all of North America into an uninhabitable iceberg.

By this time, the Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man have landed near the site where US Agent was defeated. Using her hex powers, Wanda is able to make US Agent’s body float to the surface, allowing Wonder Man to swim out and rescue him. When the his two teammates chastise him for going off on his own without backup, US Agent tells them to shove it since the Russians are a bigger concern.

Back at the base, Wolverine has been left alone allowing the mutant to twist his arms loose enough to to pop his claws and slash free of the high tech restraints that have been keeping his hands covered. That’s when he discovered the floor is actually Volkh himself, his super-human powers being the ability to stretch his body not unlike Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. Logan is overpowered and tossed outside where he crashes into the arriving Avengers. Volkh is soon joined by the other other Bogatyri and orders them to kill all the intruders.

Recurring Characters

Avengers West Coast (Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Mockingbird, US Agent, Living Lightning, Spider-Woman), Wolverine, Bogatyri (Doctor Volkh, Morning Star, Svyatogor, Mikula), Iron Man

Continuity Notes

1. Hawkeye was sprayed with acid while US Agent was incapacitated with a neurotoxin. The battle with Deathweb where these injuries took place happened in Avengers West Coast #84-86.

2. Readers are reminded that US Agent has been taking odd jobs for the Commission starting in Darkhawk Annual #1/Avengers West Coast Annual #7.

3. Some continuity about Iron Man here:

   • At the time of this story, Tony had been dealing with a spinal injury that dated back to Iron Man #242. TL;DR things spiraled out of control until Tony Stark faked his death in Iron Man #284 so he could be put in cryogenic stasis while a cure for his ruined nervous system was found. He will be revived in Iron Man #290.

   • US Agent doesn’t buy the news, saying Iron Man has been “dead” before. He is referring to the time when Tony faked Iron Man’s death and tricked the public into thinking he hired someone new to wear the armor, as seen in Iron Man #255-232. The Avengers have known the truth behind this ruse since Avengers West Coast #72.

   • Iron Man is referred to as a founding member of the Avengers, as seen in Avengers #1.

   • The Scarlet Witch mentions how she, Hawkeye, and her brother Quicksilver were chosen by Iron Man to be the second team of Avengers. That happened in Avengers #16.

4. Hawkeye snaps at Mockingbird here, accusing her of wanting to take over as leader. He realizes he was lashing out for no reason and states that he wouldn’t have done so in the past. What he is referring to is his and Mockinbird’s strained relationship. It’s really complicated so here are the details:

   • Clint and Bobbi got married back in Hawkeye #4. It was all marital bliss until the time when the West Coast Avengers were struck going backward in time circa West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17-24. As seen in issue #18, while in the 1800s, Bobbi was kidnapped by the Phantom Rider just as the rest of the Avengers were going backward in time.

   • Bobbi was forced to drink a love potion that made her loyal to the Rider. Eventually, she shook off the effects of the potion and, in a battle with her captor, did nothing to prevent him from falling off a cliff to his death, as seen in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #23. Because of Clint’s staunch belief in the Avengers rule about killing, Bobbi kept the truth of what happened a secret for months.

   • Things went south when the the spirit of the Phantom Rider possessed his modern day descendant and revealed the truth to the rest of the Avengers. As seen in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #34-35, Hawkeye didn’t take it very well either and this put a strain on their marriage.

   • From issue #37 on, Clint and Bobbi split up. However, Mockingbird came back in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #46 and convinced Clint to help her train the Great Lakes Avengers and work on their marriage. Although Clint agreed, the two could not reconcile and Clint returned to the west coast team in Avengers West Coast #60.

5. Spider-Woman mentions the recent death of her ex-husband, Larry Carpenter. Ol’ Lar was killed by the Deathweb’s Manipulator in Avengers West Coast #86.

6. Spider-Woman warns US Agent not to work for the Commission because she had a bad experience with them. As explained in issue #84, they funded her spider-powers and enlisted her as a government sanctioned superhero. However, she became a fugitive after freeing the Avengers after they were framed in Avengers Annual #15/West Coast Avengers Annual #1. Although the Commission decided to give her a second chance in Iron Man #214, they maintained her outlaw status to force her to comply with their orders. She managed to break free from the commission after joining the AWC in Avengers West Coast #74.

7. The Avengers have consistently had backing from the US government until it was revoked in Avengers #326. The group then joined up with the UN in issue #329.

8. Here, US Agent states that his cheques are signed Jack Daniels even though his real name is John Walker. This stems from the time he was Captain America between Captain America #333-350. His secret identity was publicly exposed in issue #341. Later, when Walker gave the identity back to Captain America the government faked his death in Captain America #351. When they set him up as US Agent in issue #354, it was under the new identity of Jack Daniels.

9. Miguel mentions the death of his sister Amy. She was killed in a drive-by shooting as explained in Avengers West Coast Annual #6.

10. Wonder Man’s powers have been adversely affected since getting caught in a nega-bomb explosion in Wonder Man (vol. 2) #9. This will cause his powers to become unstable, making Simon prone to fits of rage that lead to violent and homicidal behavior. He will ultimately be cured of this affliction in Wonder Man (vol. 2) #25.

Topical References

• The majority of this story takes place in Bathurst Inlet which is stated as being part of the Canadian Northwest Territories. This should be considered topical due to the fact that the NWT was divided into two territories starting in April, 1999. Bathurst Inlet is now part of what is now called Nunavut.

• The motivation of the Bogatyri is to restore the former Soviet Union and restart the Cold War. This story frames the fall of the USSR as happening recently. The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union both happened in 1991, a year prior to this story being published. References to the USSR collapsing recently should be considered topical.

• While listening to Hawkeye and US Agent bickering back and forth, Mockingbird jokes that they are playing Crossfire. Crossfire was a debate program that ran on CNN from 1982 to 2005 and again briefly from 2013-2014. Its reference here should be considered topical.

• When Hawkeye yelps in pain when being manhandled, US Agent mockingly tells him that Mockingbird can give him a Band-Aid. Usually real world products are considered topical references. However, Band-Aid brand adhesives have become so commonly referenced that they have become a proprietary eponym.

• US Agent is not happy to learn that Mockingbird rented a Honda. At the time this story was published conservative leaning individuals (such as US Agent) frowned upon Americans own foreign made vehicles. It’s part of a “Buy American” mentality that is still kind of prevalent today. Anyway, references to Honda here should be considered topical as it is a real world car manufacturer.