Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) #23

Jul 13

Jul 13 Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) #23

Freedom Ring: Interlude

At Avengers Tower, Aunt May scolds Wolverine from drinking directly out of the milk jug, telling him that they all have to drink the milk. This leads to an argument between the two of them that is interrupted by Peter Parker who tells him that Captain America is calling for them at the SHIELD helicarrier. Although Wolverine planned on drinking the entire jug of milk, he leave sit on the table for Aunt May to deal with.[1] When she begins pouring the milk down the drain, Jarvis enters the kitchen and tells her that it is wasteful.[2] In the communications room, Spider-Man and Wolverine connect with Captain America, Luke Cage, and Spider-Woman at the SHIELD helicarrier.[3] Cap tells the pair that the evil Tony Stark from another dimension has broken out of the helicarrier with a new suit of armor and is on the loose.[4] Captain America tells the pair to keep the Iron Maniac occupied until they can get back to New York.

Leaving the Tower, the pair quickly find the Iron Maniac and Spider-Man drops Logan from behind so he can slash their opponent with his claws. Although Wolverine’s adamantium claws cut through the armor, it quickly seals itself up. Grabbing Wolverine by the throat, he wills his armor to start pushing itself through the pores of Logan’s skin, intending to pop him like a balloon. Luckily, Spider-Man manages to knock Logan free. Turning his arm into a massive cannon, Iron Maniac tries to blast Spider-Man, but the wall-crawler is able to evade all the shots.[5] They next try a two pronged attack, with Wolverine slashing at the Iron Maniac while Spider-Man tries to blind him with webbing into his mask. However, Stark is prepared for this and grabs the mechanical arms on Spider-Man’s costume and uses Spider-Man to club Logan off the edge of a building. Breaking free, Spider-Man glides down and saves his teammate, taking the brut of his fall.

As they recover from the fall, Spider-Man wonders what’s keeping the rest of the New Avengers when Iron Maniac lands on the ground next to them.

Recurring Characters

New Avengers (Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, “Spider-Woman”, Luke Cage), Iron Maniac, Aunt May, “Edwin Jarvis”

Continuity Notes

Wolverine quips that May is the only person who could call him young man. This is an exaggeration as Wolverine is much older that May is. Per Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #6 and the Sliding TImescale May is roughly 73 at the time of this story. Wolveirne, on the other hand, according to Origin #2, was born in 1885 at the latest. His actualy age at the time of this story is subject to change due to the fact that the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe forward adding four years to his age at a given time each time a year of Marvel Time rolls over.
The man who appears to be Jarivs here is actually a Skrull spy as we’ll learn in Secret Invasion #1. He took the place of the real Jarvis sometime prior to New Avengers #1.
The woman who appears to be Spider-Woman here is also a Skrull spy as revealed in Secret Invasion #3. She took the real Spider-Woman’s place during the events of Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1.
The so-called Iron Maniac had been in SHIELD custody following Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) #2-6. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2, this version of Tony Stark comes from Reality-5012.
Spider-Man mentions that his new costume was made by the Tony Stark of his dimension. It was recently given to Peter in Amazing Spider-Man #529.

Freedom Ring Part Four

Curtis Doyle is still recovering in the hospital following his ill-fated battle with the Abomination as Freedom Ring. The doctor comes into the room to tell him that she has some bad news, the damage done to his spine was severe and he will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. This devastates Curtis, who is told that he will be kept in the hospital for a few more days for obersvation before he is discharged.

Two days later, Curtis is brought back to his apartment by his friend Troy who asks him if he wants anything. Curtis says he is fine and when he is left alone he puts back on the magic right that caused all his troubles. After creating a sandwitch for himself to eat, he decides to try willing the ring to make him able to walk again. To his surprise, he is able to stand on his own two feet after a few moments of concentration. As he walks around the hallway, he notices his neighbor snooping on him again and demands to know what their problem is. The neighboor opens the door the whole way revealing him to be Troy, apparently. “Troy” invites Curtis into his apartment and once inside. Once behind closed door, “Troy” changes back to his true shape, that of a Skrull named Z’Reg. He assures Curits that he is no danger, admitting that he was sent to Earth to spy on the Avengers prior to the destruction of Avengers Mansion.[1] Having grown to like Earth, Z’Reg decided to go AWOL. He apologizes for spying on Curtis as old habits die hard, but he knows all about Curtis and his magic ring and since he wants to become a superhero himself, Z’Reg suggest that the pair become partners.

Curtis agrees and they go up to the roof, where Z’Reg assumes the form of his new costumed identity, the Crusader. The pair then begin training together, particularly focusing on Freedom Ring’s reality warping abilities and how to use them so he doesn’t get easily harmed like he did during his fight with the Abomination. As they train, Freedom Ring learns to use his ring to make himself invulnerable, and super strong at a moments notice. After a full weeks worth of training, the pair decide to go out on patrol for the first time to see where they are needed.

At that moment, not far away, Iron Maniac has just defeated Spider-Man and Wolverine in battle and demands to know who is next.