Salvation, Part 1: Heir Apparent

Ace and One-Eyed Jacquie (agents of GRAMPA) have come to the Avengers Infinite Mansion for a visit. However, rather than being greeted by Jocasta, the mansion’s robotic guide, they are welcomed by Jarvis, the butler. He explains that Jocasta has been unwell recently and her robotic drones have been misplaced. Little do they know that Jocasta has been compromised by Ultron, who is secretly spying on them through the digital portraits scattered throughout the endless headquarters.[1]

Jarvis takes them down to the Wasp (Hank Pym)’s lab, where he is working to repair Jocasta. Ace and Jacquie have come with to formally end GRAMPA’s association with his Avengers due to poor performance. The reason is because there seemed to have been a gab of time between missions that they performed to defend the world on behalf of the paranormal agency. Hank takes offense to this, saying that this “gap” was due to the fact that they were in space defending the Earth by assisting the Inhumans deal with a Kree insurgency.[2] He is annoyed that they thought that his team was sitting on their hands and says that they are always busy saving the world.

Elsewhere in the mansion, Jocasta’s drones have all gathered at one of the robot spawning nodules where they have been working tirelessly building a new body for Ultron. When the loyal drones ask Ultron how he would like to be referred, he decides against his usual model number designations and instead tells them to call him Ultron Pym. This is because he is finally embracing the fact that he is the heir of Hank Pym and the one to inherit his legacy.[3][4] However, this doesn’t change his prime directive: The elimination of all organics so they can be replaced by robots. He tells his brides that this culling will also include the original Jocasta as she has been tainted by humanity and must also be destroyed.

Back in the lab, Ace and Jacquie continue their report, they say that biggest deciding factor for severing ties was getting into an altercation with Norman Osborn and his Avengers.[5] This is because GRAMPA has no jurisdiction over the United States. Pym admits that he had been played for by Osborn himself who goaded him into the battle. However, he insists that his intent was to expose Norman for the criminal he was. Unfortunately, the incident — thanks to Osborn’s ability to spin the media — has increased his public support, particularly in response to the Asgardian incident. This is the first Hank has heard of this and is told to turn on the news. He is shocked to see news reports about how Volstagg was goaded into a battle he was ill prepared for which lead to the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians. This incident has led to Osborn calling for an invasion of Asgard itself.[6] Ace and Jacquie point out that this is nearly identical to the Stamford incident to have not been orchestrated by Osborn himself.[7] Hank blames himself for this, thinking that he brought Osborn and Loki close together.[8]

That’s when Hank gets a distress call from Captain America (Steve Rogers) who is seeking out all able bodied Avengers to fend off Osborn’s invasion.[9] Pym astonishes everyone when he turns down Steve’s request for aid. This is because he wants to focus more on giving Jocasta the new upgrade he has created for her. He is part way done, revealing that he has made her flesh arms and legs and intends to give her an completely organic body. Its then at Jarvis goes to get a briefcase.[10] That’s when Pym tells Ace and Jacquie that regardless of the circumstances of their visit, he tells them that his Avengers team had already disbanded anyway. He explains that the team was frayed ever since he offered Loki a spot on the team, but they finally agreed to disband after the death of Hercules.[11]

As Jarvis packs his things to leave, Pym doesn’t do anything to stop him. His exit from the Infinite Mansion is observed by the Brides of Ultron, who ask their master if they should eliminate him. Ultron doesn’t view Jarvis as a threat and allows him to leave. Once the dutiful butler is gone, Ultron begins his take over of the mansion. Detecting her creator’s presence, Jocasta tells Hank to disconnect her from the network immediately. While Ace and Jaquie fend off an ambush from Ultron’s brides, Hank tells them to give him time to call in the troops.

Elsewhere, Amadeus Cho is trying to reform the team without Hank. First he contacts US Agent (John Walker) who isn’t interested in what Cho has to say because he has quit being US Agent since Norman Osborn stripped him of his military rank.[12] John changes his mind when he hears how Amadeus is getting the group back together without Pym. He then manages to get ahold of Vision (Jonas) and Stature (Cassie Lang) who are in a strategy mission with Captain America and the heroes he has gathered. While they were planning on joining the fight in Broxton, when they hear Cho wants the team to take down the Thunderbolts they agree to go, particularly Cassie since it gives her a chance to take down the current Ant-Man.[13] While somewhere along the Earth’s equator, Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) regrets leaving the Avengers as it gave him meaning after failing both his sister, daughter, and family.[14]

Back at the Infinite Mansion, Ultron appears before his creator, or so he believes. Hank gives Ultron one chance to surrender and when the robot refuses he learns that the “Hank Pym” he was speaking to was actually an ant with an image inducer.[15] The same is true about Ace, Jacquie, and Jocasta. They used these decoys to slip past Ultron and get into Hank’s lab, the heart of the Infinite Mansion and its engine, Salvation Two. While Ultron and his army try to get in, the Wasp shrinks down Salvation Two, disconnecting the Infinite Mansion from the outside world and places it in Jocasta’s chest for safe keeping. The only active door left is the one that would have taken them to Chicago. After Ace confirms that its destination has a breathable atmosphere he and Jacquie kick it down and race through it. Pym and Jocasta follow, and on the other side they find themselves outside of the Infinite Mansion.

The structure exists on the surface of something in a endless white void. Hank explains that he built his mansion in Underspace, the opposite of the Macroverse where Eternity exists.[16] In fact, the Mansion is built on what remains of Hank’s ex-wife, Janet Van Dyne (the original Wasp), who has came to exist here as a massive cosmic entity following her recent death![17]

Recurring Characters

Mighty Avengers (Wasp (Pym), Jocasta, US Agent, Stature, Vision, Amadeus Cho), Ultron, Quicksilver, Captain America (Rogers), Blackjack (Ace, One-Eyed Jacquie), Edwin Jarvis, Luke Cage, Captain America (Barnes), Nick Fury, Quake, “Wasp” (“Van Dyne”)

Continuity Notes

1. Ultron compromised Jocasta’s operating system in Mighty Avengers #33.

2. Jacquie lists off all the missions that the Mighty Avengers have done to date: Fighting Chthon (Mighty Avengers #21-23), defeating the Swarm, AIM, and the monster Titan (issue #24), taking down the Unspoken (#27-31), and defeating Zzzax, Dansen Macabre, and Terminus (issue #32).

3. At the time of this story, the Inhumans took over the Kree Empire took place in Secret Invasion: War of Kings #1. The Avengers came to the Inhumans assistance in Realm of Kings: Inhumans #2-3.

4. Going to get this out of the way now: Ultron was created by Hank Pym, as seen in Avengers #58. Ultron, in turn, created Jocasta as we saw in Avengers #162. Per Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1, Ultron cheats death in part thanks to the “Ultron Protocols” which can force his own creations to recreate their master in the event he has been destroyed.

5. The clash between the Mighty and Dark Avengers took place in Mighty Avengers #32-33.

6. The incident with Volstagg took place in Siege #1. At the time of this story, Asgard had been brought to Earth and resides over the town of Broxton, Oklahoma since Thor (vol. 3) #1.

7. The Stamford incident occurred when the New Warriors came charging into a villain hideout in Stamford, Connecticut while filming a reality TV show. The resulting clash claimed the lives of hundreds of people and was the inciting incident that led to the passage of the Super Human Registration Act (SHRA), see Civil War #1-7.

8. Hank taking the blame is unwarranted, actually, given the circumstances. He thinks he is responsible because Loki manipulated the formation of his team in Mighty Avengers #21 and had been needling them on the entire time they were together, including the clash with the Dark Avengers. What Hank doesn’t know is that Loki and Osborn have been working together since Norman took over as America’s head of security in Secret Invasion #8 as part of his Cabal.

9. Ace and Jacquie are shocked to see that Steve Rogers is alive. This is because he was believed to have been killed in Captain America (vol. 5) #25. In reality, he was hit with a chronal bullet that made him relive his entire life in a loop until he was rescued in Captain America: Reborn #1-6.

10. While it appears that Jarvis is leaving out of betrayal, the reality is he’s going to deliver Tony Stark an attaché case containing a suit of Iron Man armor, as seen in Siege #2.

11. Hank offered Loki a spot on his Avengers last issue because he believes that everyone deserves a second chance, his teammates did not share this sentiment. Hercules seemingly perished during the Assault of New Olympus storyline as told in Assault on New Olympus #1, Incredible Hercules #138-140, and Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #1. He’ll be restored in Chaos War #1-5.

12. US Agent was stripped of his rank in Mighty Avengers #33.

13. Eric O’Grady has become the most recent Ant-Man starting in Irredeemable Ant-Man #1. Cassie takes issue with O’Grady as her father (Scott Lang) was the previous Ant-Man until his apparent death in Avengers #500. She first met Eric in Avengers: The Initiative #8. O’Grady has been part of the T-Bolts since Thunderbolts #128. FYI, Scott wasn’t killed, but brought forward in time as we’ll see in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #5. She will have her clash with O’Grady in Thunderbolts #141-142.

14. Quicksilver’s situation at the time of this story is quite complicated, let me explain:

    • Pietro has been looking for his twin sister Wanda Maximoff (aka the Scarlet Witch) since she went MIA following House of M #1-8. She was last seen in Transia with no memory of her past in New Avengers #26. Wanda will be recovered in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #1-9.

    • Quicksilver also attempted to restore powers lost by the mutant race by stealing Terrigen Crystals thinking it would help. However, this backfired and led to the US stealing the crystals and starting a Cold War with the Inhumans as seen in Son of M #1-6 and Silent War #1-6.

    • Pietro joined up with the Mighty Avengers in Mighty Avengers #24 thinking they had found his sister (it was Loki in disguise), during his period on the team he claimed that the person who stole the Terrigen Crystals was a Skrull impostor, while this fooled most everyone, it did not fool his daughter Luna who told her father that she will no longer respect him, as seen in Mighty Avengers #31.

    • Here he also speaks of the loss of his family. Pietro had been married to Crystal of the Inhumans since Fantastic Four #150. After the Terrigen Crystal incident, his marriage to her was annulled by the Inhuman royal family. In Secret Invasion: Inhumans #4, Crystal agreed to marry Ronan the Accuser in order to create a union between the Inhumans and the Kree.

15. Hank came up with this trick during the Avengers recent clash with the Fantastic Four. See Mighty Avengers #25-26.

16. Hank casually mentions how he met Eternity. That was in Mighty Avengers #30.

17. This isn’t really the Wasp, who seemingly perished in Secret Invasion #8. In reality, this is the body of Carina Tivan, whom Hank has mistaken for his ex-wife, as will be explained in Avengers Academy #10-12. The real Janet Van Dyne was actually shunted to the Microverse as we’ll see when she is rescued in Avengers (vol. 4) #31-34. Hank refers to her as his ex-wife as they were married in Avengers #60 until their divorce following the events of Avengers #213.

Siege Reading Order

Siege: The Cabal #1 , Avengers: The Initiative #31, New Avengers #61-62, Dark Avengers #13, 14, 15, Origins of Siege #1, Siege: Storming Asgard: Heroes & Villains #1, Siege #1 , Avengers: The Initiative #32, Dark Wolverine #82, 83, 84, Siege: Embedded #1-2, Siege #2, Avengers: The Initiative #33, Thor #607, Mighty Avengers #35-36, Thunderbolts #141, Siege #3, Siege: Embedded #3, Thor #608, Thunderbolts #142, Avengers: The Initiative #34, New Avengers #63, Siege: Captain America #1, Siege: Spider-Man #1, Siege: Loki #1, Siege: Young Avengers #1, Siege: Secret Warriors #1 , New Mutants (vol. 3) #11, Siege #4, Thor #609, Siege: Embedded #4, New Avengers #64, New Avengers Finale #1, Avengers: The Initiative #35, Dark Avengers #16, Thunderbolts #143, Thor #610, Sentry: Fallen Sun #1