The Trust, Part 6

The New Avengers — Luke Cage, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Wolverine (Logan), Iron Fist (Danny Rand), Ronin (Clint Barton), Echo (Maya Lopez), and Doctor (Stephen) Strange — have tracked down the Hood (Parker Robins)’s gang after they stole millions from a bank in New Jersey. Since the Hood has the likes of Chemistro, Madam Masque, the Wizard, and the Wrecking Crew on his side, the team comes up with a cunning plan to turn the battle in their favor.[1]

Doctor Strange casts a spell that makes it appear as though the New Avengers are being backed up by an army of superheroes. The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) goes charging in and quickly discovers that some of the heroes aren’t real. This allows Luke Cage to sucker punch him and pummel him into submission.

The rest of the Hood’s gang begins to panic about what to do next. Parker tells them all to run for it, but the rest of the Wrecking Crew — Bulldozer, Piledriver, and Thunderball — don’t want to abandon their boss. With the New Avengers getting into their hideout, Parker his cousin John to take the money and run for it while they stay and deal with the heroes. While the rest of the team deals with the gang members, Doctor Strange confronts the Hood. He questions Parker, asking if he knows the true name of the demon that gives him his powers.[2] He warns that unless he renounces its power, it will consume him from the inside out. When signing the Eye of Agamotto on his foe, Strange causes the Hood to take on his demonic form. Strange proves too powerful an opponent and the Hood suddenly teleports away.

Once he is gone, the New Avengers wrap up things up by trouncing the members of his gang. While they are taking stock of things at the end of the fight. The whole point of this mission was to find out if Skrulls have infiltrated the Hood’s gang, but they have very little in the way of answers.[3] they also find John King hiding under a pile of rubble. Later, when SHIELD arrives, they find a note on John that says this is the world of their “friendly neighborhood Avengers”. Maria Hill then has the Wrecker put into interrogation but he refuses to identify who the Hood is. Hill reminds him that he will be rotting in a cell with no legal representation indefinitely for violating the Super Human Registration Act.[4]

However, moments after Dirk is locked in his cell, he is freed by the Hood. He tells the Wrecker that they are going to bust evey one out, saying that things are going to change now that he is in charge and that none of his gang will ever stay in jail.

Recurring Characters

New Avengers (Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Fist, Ronin, Echo, Doctor Strange), Hood’s Gang (The Hood, John King, Chemistro, Madame Masque, the Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball), the Wizard), SHIELD (Maria Hill)

Continuity Notes

1. For more on the Hood’s bank heist, see New Avengers #33-36.

2. We will learn that the demon powering the Hood is none other than Strange’s eternal foe, Dormammu. See New Avengers #46.

3. The New Avengers discovered that a Skrull had been posing as Elektra, the leader of the Hand, in New Avengers #31. This is part of a larger invasion plot that will occur in Secret Invasion #1-8.

4. The Super Human Registration Act was a law that requires all superhumans to register with the government. It came into force in Civil War #1-7. It will remain on the books until Siege #1-4.