Force Works #17 — Nick Peron

Nov 16

Nov 16 Force Works #17

Cybermancy

This story continues from Iron Man #321…

In Dong Nai province, Vietnam, a group of young boys are out riding their bikes and flying kites. A young man named Kim is the envy of the group as he makes the best kites. As they race their bikes down a dirt road, a screaming man in a robe suddenly appears in front of Kim. The two collide and they all vanish in a flash of light. The only thing left behind is the kite the Kim has made. The other boys have forgotten Kim ever existed the moment he is gone and are marveled by the kite they have found discarded on the side of the road.[1]

In America, Iron Man is running a training session with his new recruit, Cybermancer. The session involves her taking down both Iron Man and US Agent alone. She manages to incapacitate Iron Man and slays US Agent. Luckily, this is only a holographic projection of the Agent. However, when the real US Agent and Scarlet Witch see this they are unimpressed and demand to know who Cybermancer is. Iron Man explains that he has chosen her to join Force Works to fill the gap in the team left by Century.[2] Iron Man assures them that he’ll answer their questions and calls a team meating. They are joined a few minutes later by Spider-Woman, Moonraker, as well as support staff members Amanda Chaney and Fisher Todd.

The Scarlet Witch is unhappy that Iron Man chose to fill the vacant role on the team without consulting the rest of the group. Tony justifies his move by saying that Cybermancer is actually Stark Enterprise employee Suzie Endo and reminds them all how she helped the team during their recent battle with the Mandarin.[3] While this may well be, the group is unhappy for such a unilateral decision, especially Moonraker who reminds them all that it took the team two months before they made him an official member.[4] Iron Man says that he is making an executive order, annoying the Scarlet Witch because Tony is once again overstepping her authority as team leader.[5] Stark justifies this as necessary as he reveals to the team that Yellowjacket and the Avengers nanny Marilla were both murdered at the mansion during the Avengers recent reunion. After going over the forensic evidence, he reveals that the only person who could have been responsible for their deaths is none other than Hawkeye.[6]

Iron Man figures that if circumstances were different, Hawkeye would have been a founding member of Force Works, making him one of their own and making it their job to bring him in.[7] Many of the team don’t believe it, particularly the Scarlet Witch and US Agent. The Agent volunteers to go looking for Clint and try to convince him into coming in peacefully.[8] Iron Man wants to use this connection to nab him but Wanda vetoes this idea as leader, saying they need to trust Barton to do the right thing.

At that same time, the young Vietnamese boy named Kim wakes up in a strange forest with no sign of animal or insect life. As he tries to make sense of his surroundings he suddenly screams in agony as his body begins crackling with energy. His anguished screams draw a group of men, one of whom scans him and confirms that the boy is “turning” and will be of use to them.[9]

Back in America, US Agent has arranged to meet Hawkeye at a pool hall in San Diego. When he arrives he tells Clint about the murder accusations leveled against him. The bowman insists that he is being framed. That’s when Iron Man appears to apprehend him, this angers US Agent as his trust had been betrayed. Hawkeye tries to make his escape out a back window but ends up running into Cybermancer who incapacitates him so they can take the archer into custody.

While at the Works, Moonraker is manning the Chaos Computer when he suddenly enters a strange trance. This concerns PLATO who was in the middle of a conversation with him. This is also witnessed by Rachel Carpenter who has been watching Slade since he first showed up the day before and everyone claims that he has been part of the team for months. When Trueman suddenly starts spouting jibberish, Rachel gets frightened and races off to tell her mother.

Meanwhile, Wanda is waiting in the hanger for the others to get back. When they do, US Agent storms off without a word. When Iron Man and Cybermancer come out of the hex-ship with Hawkeye strapped to a gurney, Wanda realizes that Iron Man stepped in and apprehended Clint instead of following her orders. This is the final straw for the Scarlet Witch who tells Tony that he is off the team. Before they can argue this any further, PLATO informs them that Moonraker has collapsed in the Chaos Vault. Cybermancer is ordered to bring Barton to the infirmary while the Scarlet Witch and Iron Man go to figure out what happened to Slade. When they arrive, Spider-Woman is already there helping Slade back up. Moonraker is back to normal and tells them that he had his seizer after he discovered that the entire continent of Vietnam has disappeared off the map. However, the others have no idea what he is talking about because they have never heard of the country before.

Moonraker insists that Vietnam was a real place that existed. Since the Chaos Computer is giving off a warning in the region, the Scarlet Witch decides to send a team to investigate. Since he is off the team, Iron Man tells Wanda that he’s leaving because he has to report back to the Avengers about Hawkeye. While in the infirmary, US Agent tells Cybermancer to get lost as he’ll stand watch instead. When she is gone, the Agent asks PLATO to put in a call to War Machine.

Later, a hex-ship piloted by Fisher Todd carries the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman, and Moonraker across the Pacific to the Cambodian coast. As they reach the area they pass through a strange dimensional portal. On the other side, their ship is struck by a swarm of strange creatures causing the plane to nosedive into a crash!

… This story continues in Avengers #392.

Recurring Characters

Force Works (Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, US Agent, Spider-Woman, “Moonraker”, Cybermancer), Hawkeye, Fisher Todd, Amanda Chaney, Rachel Carpenter, PLATO, Apocryphus (unidentified)

Continuity Notes

As we’ll learn issue #19, the screaming man is apparently one of the Priest of Pama. However, this turns out to be a lie. This is actually a Space Phantom in disguise it’s part of a much larger scheme by Immortus to distract the Avengers as he manipulates their destiny. See Avengers Forever #8.
Century left the team in Force Works #15 to uncover the mysteries of his past. After learning his origins in Century: Distant Sons #1, he will return to the team in Force Works #19.
Suzie Endo helped Force Works during the Hands of the Mandarin event which took place in Force Works #6-7, War Machine #9-10, and Iron Man #311-312. However, this woman is actually the Suzie Endo from an alternate reality who is another pawn of Immortus in the Crossing, we’ll learn that she is an “impostor” in Force Works #19 and that she comes from a possible future in issue #21-22. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #3 identifies this timeline as Reality-9528.
Moonraker actually hasn’t been part of Force Works for months, he just suddenly appeared on the team last issue. Force Works #19 will spin a tale that he’s actually the reincarnation of Gustav Brand and he was planted within Force Works to help stop The Crossing, but as I stated above this is all bullshit nonsense to keep the Avengers busy.
Iron Man appointed Wanda as team leader back in Force Works #1 but has been overstepping her authority since issue #5, leading a strained relationship between the two.
Yellowjacket and Marilla were both murdered in Avengers: The Crossing #1. Hawkeye is obviously being framed. The real killer is revealed to be Iron Man himself in Iron Man #323.
The circumstances that prevented Hawkeye from becoming a founding member of Force Works were tragic indeed. It started when his wife Mockingbird was seemingly killed in action circa Avengers West Coast #100 (this was actually a Skrull spy, see New Avengers: The Reunion #2 for the details). While he was on a leave of absence the team was disbanded in Avengers West Coast #102 and reformed into Force Works in Force Works #1. Hawkeye has been going it solo ever since.
US Agent and Hawkeye had formed a bond after having a number of solo missions together in Marvel Comics Presents #159-161, Force Works #12, War Machine #15, and Iron Man #317.
Next issue, the mystery leader of this group is revealed to be the Anachronaut known as Apocryphus.