Mighty Avengers #14 — Nick Peron

Jun 13

Jun 13 Mighty Avengers #14

Secret Invasion continues from Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1…

New York, Years Ago….[2]

The Sentry (Bob Reynolds) is in a clash with his constant enemy the Void. The Sentry is shocked to see that his old foe is still alive and begins crying in the middle of the fight. The Void tells his men to stop shooting and flee, saying the Sentry is out of his mind.[3] That’s when he spots an alien ship coming out of the sky on a collision course with the Baxter Building, headquarters of the Fantastic Four.

The Sentry quickly catches up with the ship and pulls back up into space. When he rips through the hull to try and question the aliens on board he discovers that they are praying with their backs turned to him. Seconds later the ship explodes.

When the Sentry wakes up he is in the medical lab at the Baxter Building where he is greeted by his friends Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) and the Thing (Ben Grimm). They tell Bob that he had encountered the Skrulls, an alien race that has a hatred for Earth and the Fantastic Four in particular.[4] Bob finds the idea that an entire alien race hating his friends to be incredible. When Reed asks Reynolds how he feels, Bob is about to tell him about his earlier encounter with the Void, but keeps it to himself.[5]

New York, Months Ago

The New Avengers are getting ready for a press conference announcing that the team is back.[6] While the team is getting ready, their butler — Edwin Jarvis — asks Iron Man (Tony Stark) if he could review the file they have on the Sentry. He explains that after the incident with the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) he would like to know if there is anything he can keep an eye out for in case the Sentry has a mental break as well.[7] Jarvis feels guilty that he didn’t see something even though he works for the Avengers every day. Tony assures the dutiful butler that there was no way he could have known and its not his fault. Still, he opens up the Avengers computer files telling Jarvis that they are always open to him.

However, nobody knows that this is not the real Jarvis, but a Skrull impostor that has taken his place.[8] That evening he goes to an abandoned warehouse where other Skrull infiltrators meet. He wants to discuss the situation with the Sentry. The others are annoyed that they had two opportunities to kill him already and want him off the board immediately. “Jarvis” assures them that Bob Reynolds is on the verge of a mental break down and all they need to do is bide their time. This gets some protests, but the impostor reminds them that they waited for Earth to deal with the Hulk and are allowing the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA) to be passed as it helps their cause.[9] He points to how waiting led also allowed for Thor to be killed, the Scarlet Witch to be taken out, and that Doctor Strange is close to his breaking point as well.[10]

That’s when their leader — who has been posing as Jessica Drew — gets back to the matter at hand and asks what the situation with the Sentry is. “Jarvis” outlines how the Sentry has been mentally unstable for years and created the Void out of this illness. The Void counteracts all the good the Sentry does. Combine this with the fact that he has experienced multiple memory wipes, he has become very unstable and it takes just the right thing to push him over the edge. The problem with him is that nobody can figure out the upper limits of his power and that makes it impossible for their Super-Skrulls to imitate his power. He suggests that they instead trick him into thinking the Void is back by taking on the form of his dark half. “Edwin” admits that this is a gamble as the Sentry could either become catatonic or kill everyone on Earth — themselves included — but this appears to be the only open available to them.

The Savage Land, Today

The Skrull invasion of Earth has begun and the New and Mighty Avengers have been tricked into going to the Savage Land.[12] There they found a ship full of what appears to be heroes that have been abducted by the Skrulls over the years. Unsure who is real and who is a Skrull a massive brawl breaks out between everyone.

The Sentry clashes with someone who appears to be the Vision and offers to help. However, this is actually a Skrull. While everyone else is distracted, this Skrull claims to be the Void and that this is all his fault and all in his head. This causes Bob Reynolds to finally break. He then flees the battle and flies into space. He gets as far as Saturn’s rings where he then curls up into a ball.

Times Square, Now

New York City has been ground zero for the Skrull invasion of Earth, with its few remaining heroes struggling to keep the invaders at bay without the Avengers.[12] At Sentry’s Watchtower, Lindy Lee — wife of the Sentry — is woken up by CLOC who warns her that they are under attack. That’s when a Super-Skrull comes crashing in through the wall. Lindy warns the intruder that if hurts her, her husband will come and kill them.

Seconds later a black clad figure comes racing in and beats the Skrull to death. It is the Void, who tells Lindy that Bob couldn’t handle what is happening and that he took control. He then hugs his tearful wife and assures her that everything will be all right.[13]

… Secret Invasion continues in Incredible Hercules #117.

Recurring Characters

The Sentry, the Void, Skrulls (“Edwin Jarvis”, “Hank Pym”, “Elektra”, “Countessa de la Fontaine”, others), Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch Thing) New Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Wolverine, “Spider-Woman”, Iron Fist), Mighty Avengers (Wasp, Wonder Man, Black Widow, Ares), Lindy Lee, CLOC, Young Avengers (Patriot, Hawkeye, Vision)

Continuity Notes

This cover pays homage to Avengers #57.
According to the Marvel Chronology Project, this opening flashback takes place before the events of Fantastic Four #251. Per the Sliding Timescale, that makes this flashback as occurring roughly six years prior to the main story.
This story takes place during a period of time where the Sentry is unaware that the Void is actually a dark aspect of himself given life and the personification of his neurodivergence. For more on the delicate psychology of the Sentry check out Sentry (vol. 2) #1-8. Bob did not discover that the Void was his other half until Sentry #1-5/Sentry: The Void #1.
The Fantastic Four first encountered the Skrulls back in Fantastic Four #2. Here, Reed mentions the Kree/Skrull War, which took place in Avengers #89-97.
Reed ironically says that Bob is a friend he won’t soon forget, unaware of the fact that he will be made to forget the Sentry for years on more than one occasion. See Sentry #1-5, Sentry/The Void #1, and New Avengers #6-10.
This part of the story takes place during the events of New Avengers #15.
He is referring to how the Scarlet Witch had recently gone mad and attacked the Avengers, an incident that decimated the original Avengers. See Avengers #500-503/Avengers: Finale #1.
The fact that Jarvis was replaced with a Skrull was revealed in Secret Invasion #1. He took the real Jarvis’ place prior to New Avengers #1.
The Hulk was shot into space by the Illuminati who deemed him too dangerous to remain on Earth as seen in Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #91. He will return to Earth (and pissed off) in World War Hulk #1-5. The SHRA is a law that will require superhmans to register with the government as seen in Civil War #1-7. This law will remain in the books until Siege #4.
Also at the time of this story, Thor perished during the last Ragnarok cycle in Thor (vol. 2) #50-52, he will be resurrected in Thor (vol. 3) #1. We already talked about Wanda above, but Strange is being pushed to use darker and darker magic. He will do so during World War Hulk and get his hands crushed. This will force him to use more and more dangerous magic again in New Avengers Annual #2. This will ultimately convince him that he is no longer fit to become the Sorcerer Supreme and will seek out a successor in New Avengers #51-54.
This scene takes place during the events of Secret Invasion #1-3.
All of the “older versions” of heroes are Skrull impostors. They include:
- Carol Danvers in her original Ms. Marvel costume first seen in Ms. Marvel #1.
- Jessica Jones in her long retired Jewel costume first seen in Alias #1.
- Wolverine in his original costume circa Incredible Hulk #180.
- Iron Man in his classic armor that was first built in Iron Man #85.
- Captain America, who was believed to have died in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. In reality, Steve Rogers was hit with a chronal bullet and is living his entire life in a loop. This a purgatory he will be freed from in Captain America: Reborn #1-6.
- Emma Frost in her original Hellfire Club fetish wear from X-Men #129.
- Jean Grey in her Phoenix identity circa X-Men #101.
- The Vision who was destroyed at the time of this story as seen in Avengers #500. He will be repaired in Avengers (vol. 4) #19.
- Spider-Man in his original costume circa Amazing Fantasy #15.
- Hawkeye in his original costume circa Tales of Suspense #57. At the time of this story, the real Clint Barton had abandoned his Hawkeye identity in New Avengers #26 and took on the Ronin identity in issue #27 of that series.
- Luke Cage in his original Power Man getup from Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1.
- Wonder Man in his street clothes worn regularly starting in Avengers #167.
- The Beast in his original blue furry form that he first assumed in Amazing Adventures (vol. 2) #14. At the time of this story, Hank had experienced a secondary mutation that had him assume a more feline form in New X-Men #114, a form he will maintain until All-New X-Men #5.
- Here we see the Young Avengers fighting the Skrulls. For more on their part of the conflict see Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers #1-3.
For more on what happens next see Secret Invasion #4-8.