New Avengers #3
Breakout!, Part 3
Now
Following a breakout at the Raft super-max prison, Captain America (Steve Rogers) and Iron Man (Tony Stark) are aboard the SHIELD helicarrier discussing what went down.[1] Stark says that the official tally of escaped prisoners is around 42 villains.[2] This is a shock to Steve, who hadn’t realized that many managed to get out. This makes what he wants to talk about even more important. Something happened during the breakout….
Earlier
Captain America and Iron Man were helping stop the prisoners from escaping. Aiding them were Spider-Man (Peter Parker), SHIELD Agent Jessica Drew (formerly Spider-Woman),[3] Luke Cage, the Sentry (Bob Reynolds), and Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil). In the middle of the fight, Purple Man (Zebadiah Killgrave) attempted to use his mind control powers on Luke Cage. However, Cage snapped out of it quickly when Killgrave mentioned Luke’s girlfriend, Jessica Jones. Cage was able to fight off the effects because the Purple Man had been heavily drugged while incarcerated in order to negate his powers.[4] Luke then beats Killgrave to a bloody pulp for threatening his girlfriend. Eventually, Captain America pulled Luke off of Killgrave. Getting control of himself, Cage thanks Cap for his intervention. Cap then ordered everyone to wrap things up as some of the villains were starting to surrender.
Now
Reflecting back on that evening, Steve can’t help but make a comparison between that evening at when the Avengers were first formed. In both situations it seemed like fate drew together unrelated affiliated superheroes together to stop an out of control villain.[5] Tony is surprised that Steve wants to form a new team of Avengers so soon after the original team was dissolved. Cap, however, points out that the disbandment has caused an imbalance between the forces of good and evil, a balance that is needed now that there are 42 super criminals on the loose. When Tony points out that he doesn’t have the money to repair Avengers Mansion or finance the team, Steve says they never needed those things and can do without. Tony finds the idea of reforming the team without any government interference appealing enough to think it over at least.[6] Steve is pleased and says he’s going to start getting the team together.
He first pays a visit to Peter Parker just as classes have ended at PS 108 (aka Midtown High) where Parker works as a science teacher.[7] Parker is surprised to see Steve Rogers, and learns that Cap was able to learn who he was from SHIELD’s files.[8] At first, Parker isn’t interested in joining the Avengers because he isn’t a team guy. However, Steve points out that being a solo hero isn’t all it is cracked up to be.[9] Peter agrees to at least give it a try to see if he likes being an Avengers or not.
Steve next pays a visit to the apartment shared by Luke Cage and his girlfriend Jessica Jones. Jessica answers the door and she catches up with Steve by talking about how her pregnancy is going along.[10] When he offers Luke a spot on his new team of Avengers, Cage thinks about it for a long moment. He too has never been much of a team player, but with a child on the way, Cage wants to set a good example for her and agrees to join. However, when he learns that Steve is planning on recruiting everyone that was at the Raft the other night, Luke guarantees that Matt Murdock will not join with them.
Still, Steve tries anyway and just as Cage predicted, Daredevil declines the offer. This is because Murdock’s double identity was leaked to the media and he has been trying to do damage control. Joining the Avengers is going would put a bigger spotlight on him and make that job harder.[11] When he accidentally lets slip that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, Steve assures him that he already knew and will keep it a secret that Matt let it slip.[12]
When he goes to Jessica Drew to recruit her, she tells him how she got sacked by SHIELD due to the break out. When Steve tells her that he wants her on the team despite this and doesn’t care what Nick Fury will say, she then asks if they’re going to have a cool “clubhouse” to operate out of. Steve smiles because he knows that Jessica is going to like where they’re going to be setting up.
The Avengers new headquarters will be at the newly completed Stark Tower in midtown Manhattan. As Steve waits for the new recruits to show up he welcomes an old friend, the Avengers long time butler Edwin Jarvis.[13] Tony Stark welcomes them to their new headquarters and tells them that the top three floors are reserved for the new team and that they can live here if they so choose. However, before they begin, Steve notices that Jessica Drew hasn’t arrived yet and suggests that they wait for her to show up.
This is because Jessica is standing outside of Stark Tower, meeting with her employer. As it turns out, she was operating as a spy for someone while she was working with SHIELD. After ensuring that her handlers were not responsible for what happened at the Raft, she confirms that they want her to continue spying on SHIELD and this new team of Avengers. However, Jessica tells them that she wants something in return….[14]
Recurring Characters
New Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, “Spider-Woman”), Daredevil, Sentry, Foggy Nelson, “Edwin Jarvis”, Jessica Jones, Blood Brother, Brother Grimm, Bushwacker, Controller, Crusader, Griffen, Jigsaw, Mandril, Purple Man, Slug
Continuity Notes
In New Avengers #4, we will learn that Electro escaped with Carl Lykos, aka Sauron. in Mighty Avengers #16, we will learn that he was hired by a Skrull posing as Elektra, then leader of the Hand. This was so Lykos could show Skrulls disguised as SHIELD agents where to mine Antarctic Vibranium as part of a larger invasion of Earth. See Secret Invasion #1-8.
Per New Avengers: Most Wanted Files #1, the escapees include: The Answer, Armadillo, Barbarus, Blackout, the Blood Brothers, the Brothers Grimm, Bushwacker, Carnage, Centurious, Chemistro, the Constrictor, Controller, Corruptor, Count Nefaria, Crossbones, Crossfire, Crusader, Cutthroat, Deathwatch, Dr. Demonicus, Foolkiller, Graviton, Grey Gargoyle, Griffin, Hydro-Man, Jigsaw, King Cobra, Mandrill, Mentallo, Mr. Fear, Mr. Hyde, Molecule Man, Nitro, Purple Man, Rampage, Razor-Fist, Sauron, Scarecrow, Shockwave, Silver Samurai, Slug, Tiger Shark, Typhoid Mary, the U-Foes, Vermin, the Wrecking Crew, and Zzzax.
This is now the real Jessica Drew but another Skrull infiltrator named Veranke, who has taken her place. As we’ll learn in Secret Invasion #3. New Avengers #40 will explained that Veranke swapped places with Drew circa Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1.
The Purple Man is obsessed with Luke’s then girlfriend, Jessica Jones. As shown in Alias #22-28.
This story follows the events of the Avengers Disassembled storyline where the Scarlet Witch went mad and decimated the team. See Avengers #500-503 and Avengers Finale #1. Of course, Steve’s comparison between this jail break and the original Avengers first forming is a reference to Avengers #1, but you didn’t need me to tell you that.
Per Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #1-8, the Avenges have had the backing of the United States government since around the time Captain America joined the team in Avengers #4. They had that level of security clearance almost consistently until relatively recently. When the US government pulled their support, the Avengers then became a United Nations organization in Avengers (vol. 3) #61. This lasted until Iron Man (under the influence of the Scarlet Witch) condemned the nation of Latveria during a UN meeting, leading to their UN charter getting revoked, as seen in Avengers #500-503.
This story takes place during a period where Peter worked as a teacher at his old high school, which began in Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #31. He will continue this job until he reveals his identity to the world in Civil War #2.
As we’ll see in Secret War: From the Files of Nick Fury #1, SHIELD has a detailed file on Spider-Man and know who he really is. His true identity, however, is heavily classified by orders of Nick Fury. As per Original Sin #5, Fury has known Parker’s true identity since the early days of his career. He once contemplating killing the wall-crawler but decided to see if Parker could make a hero out of himself.
Indeed, Peter has mostly managed to stay off teams throughout his entire career up to this point. However, that’s not to say that he hadn’t tried out for the Avengers on more than one occasion, and its odd that it is not mentioned here.
He first failed a test to join the group in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3.
Years later, he turned down an offer made by Thor in Avengers #221. Learning that it was a paying gig, he tried to join the group in Avengers #236-237 bit bombed out because he wasn’t a team player.
He joined up again in Avengers #314-318, but discovered the cosmic level threats the Avengers face were way out of his scope.
He finally accepted reserve status in Avengers #329, but his involvement as a member of the group but he was way too busy with his own thing, only ever showing up when every current and former Avenger banded together to stop Morgan le Fay in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-3.
Jessica Jones and Cap got acquainted when she was hired as a private eye as part of a conspiracy to publicly expose Captain America’s true identity in Alias #1-5. She was revealed to be pregnant with Luke’s baby in Alias #28. She will give birth to her daughter, Dani Cage, in The Pulse #13. Here, she says that her child may have superhuman powers like that of the Franklin Richards of the Fantastic Four. Franklin is the son of Reed and Sue Richards who was born in Fantastic Four Annual #6. Franklin’s powers were first depicted in Fantastic Four #129.
Daredevil’s double life was recently exposed in the press, as seen in Daredevil (vol. 2) #32. He also mentions the time he was offered to join the old Avengers. This was way back in Daredevil #99/Avengers #111. However, he ultimately decided that being on a team wasn’t his thing.
Peter and Matt have known each other’s identities since they worked together to stop the Sin Eater way back in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110.
This isn’t the real Jarvis, but another Skrull infiltrator, as we’ll learn in Secret Invasion #1.
As we’ll learn in Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1, “Jessica” is seemingly a spy for Hydra who have been led to believe they restored her powers (while this did indeed happen, they don’t know the real Spider-Woman was swapped out with a Skrull). New Avengers #14, reveals that “Jessica” is actually a double agent, spying on Hydra for Nick Fury while she spies on SHIELD. It’s all very confusing, I know.
Topical References
Stark Tower is stated as being established in the year 2005 (the same year this comic was published). The date used should be considered topical due to the Sliding Timescale. Rather than a precise year, modern readers should interpret Stark Tower as being built the same year this story occurred in (Year 11 of the Modern Age).