Young Avengers #12
Family Matters, Part 4
The Kree and Skrull have come to Earth for Teddy Altman (aka Hulkling, aka Dorrek VIII), the son of Skrull Princess Anelle and the Kree Captain Marvel.[1] When his teammates in the Young Avengers — Patriot (Eli Bradley, Wiccan (Billy Kaplan), Stature (Cassie Lang), Kate Bishop, and Tommy Shepherd) and the New Avengers — Captain America (Steve Rogers), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Luke Cage, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Wolverine (Logan), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew),[2] and the Sentry (Bob Reynolds) — refuse to hand the boy over, a fight breaks out. When one of the Kree tries to shoot Captain America, the Patriot leaped in the way and took the bullet for Cap.
Holding the boy in his arms, Steve tells Eli to hold on. The then hands him over to the Sentry to take to the hospital and says he will radio Jessica Jones to have him meet them there. Cap rejoins the battle with Hulkling warning him of enemy fire. As the two Avengers teams begin wrapping up the immediate battle an alien warship arrives above Avengers Tower to provide back up. When Steve orders the Young Avengers to get to safety, they refuse to do so because it is Teddy the aliens are after. Realizing that he can’t convince them other wise, Cap lets out the Avengers battle cry and they all charge into the next wave of alien soldiers.
The two teams fight side-by-side with the Young Avengers of great assistance. In the clash, Spider-Woman calls Kate Bishop “Hawkeye”, a name she doesn’t think she deserves but Jessica thinks otherwise. Tommy finds a kinsmanship with Wolverine, who isn’t reluctant to use lethal force. When Captain America sees this he confuses Tommy for Billy Kaplan. Wiccan then goes to Cap’s side and tells him the theory that he and Tommy might be the reincarnations of the Scarlet Witch’s children, who they just recently learned about.[3] Iron Man is disappointed to see the Vision disobeyed his orders about not going into combat until they have fully determined his abilities, but the Vision says that is why he joined the Young Avengers instead.[4]
However, despite their best efforts, the Kree manage to grab Hulkling and try to spirit him away to their ship. Seeing this as an unacceptable loss, the commander of the Skrulls order Teddy killed. That’s when the Super-Skrull (Kl’rt) arrives and tells them to hold their fire until he tries to rescue the boy, reminding them that he is their future emperor. Kl’rt tells the boy that going back with the Skrulls might not end the conflict but it will take the battle off Earth and spare lives here. He wishes there was a better way, but suddenly Teddy comes up with an idea and tells the Super-Skrull to follow his lead. Hulkling then returns to the ground to announce his surrender.
Teddy announces that he will spend half a year with the Kree and then the rest of the year with the Skrulls in order to determine which side he pledges his allegiance to. This is agreeable to both parties and soon the aliens all leave with Teddy, or so it seems. Once the aliens are gone, Wolverine’s enhanced senses tip them off to the ruse. The person they thought was Teddy was actually the Super-Skrull in disguise, having gone along with a bait-and-switch so the fight will be taken off Earth and allow Teddy to remain.[5]
With the battle over, both teams rush to Lenox Hill Hospital to check on Eli. There they discover that his guardians — Faith and Isaiah Bradley — have been contacted. Eli had lost a lot of blood, however the doctors are performing an emergency transfusion with Isaiah being the doner. Later, Captain America tries to use Eli’s condition to once more convince the Young Avengers to disband. However, Kate refuses, she tells him that had the Avengers actually tried to train them Eli might not have been injured and that they only way the adults can protect them is to accept that the Young Avengers are going to keep going.
Cap appears to accept this and the Young Avengers reconvene at the ruins of Avengers Mansion once more.[6] There, they repair the statues commemorating all the Avengers who had fallen in the past, including Teddy’s father Captain Marvel and Cassie’s dad, Ant-Man (Scott Lang).[7] Jessica Jones is with them and after learning how Tommy took off after the fight she gives Kate Hawkeye’s old bow and arrow. It comes with a note from Captain America giving his blessings in a note addressed to Hawkeye, signifying that Steve wishes her to use that name. They then spread the ashes of the woman who raised Teddy on Earth who died in the battle with Super-Skrull. That’s when they hear an explosion that the Vision detects was caused by Tommy’s powers. That’s when Shephard arrives in his new costume and tells them to call him Speed from now on. He says that the blast happened over at the United Nations and that it wasn’t his fault because he got in a fight with the Zodiac and came to get back-up. The team then charges into battle as the Young Avengers, excited about where their adventures will take them next.
Recurring Characters
Young Avengers (Patriot, Hulkling, Wiccan, Stature, Hawkeye, Vision, Speed), New Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Wolverine, “Spider-Woman”, the Sentry), Super-Skrull, Av-Rom, Jessica Jones, Faith Bradley, Isaiah Bradley
Continuity Notes
This has been going on for the past three issues. Teddy was conceived during the Kree/Skrull War circa Avengers #89-97, specifically between issues #92 and 93.
The woman who appears to be Spider-Woman is actually the leader of a Skrull invasion of Earth in disguise, as we’ll learn in Secret Invasion #3. She took the place of the real Jessica Drew in Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1.
Billy and Tommy learned this from the Vision last issue. Years earlier the Scarlet Witch used magic to impregnate herself with twin boys named Billy and Tommy. These children were later sacrificed to the demon Mephisto and ceased to exist. See Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3, 12 and Avengers West Coast #52. While this is the going theory at the time of this story, it is confirmed in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #6.
This is not the OG Vision, who was destroyed in Avengers #500. This entity was previously the neuro-kinetic armor of Iron Lad that gained sentience after downloading the Vision’s data, as seen in Young Avengers #1-6. He was taken into Avengers custody until issue #10 when he decided to join the Young Avengers.
While Teddy manages to skirt he duties here, he’ll eventually have to face them head on in the Empyre event see Empyre #1-6 and Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling #1.
Avengers Mansion was left in ruins after it was attacked by the Scarlet Witch. Because he was low on money, Tony Stark opted to close the property down following Avengers #500-503 and Avengers: Finale #1. It will remain like this until New Avengers (vol. 2) #1.
Dead Avengers that are depicted or mentioned here include. Unless otherwise stated, these characters are still considered among the deceased at the time of this writing (May, 2024):
Captain Marvel, who was only an honorary Avenger. He died of cancer in Marvel Graphic Novel #1.
Ant-Man (Scott Lang) who seemingly died in Avengers #500. In reality, he was pulled forward in time by the future Young Avengers as we’ll see in Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #6.
Doctor (Anthony) Druid: Druid was killed by Nekra in Druid #4. He will later turn up alive again in Squadron Supreme (vol. 4) #4.
Swordsman (Jacques DuQuesne): Sacrificed his life in a battle with Kang back in Giant-Size Avengers #2.
Mockingbird (Bobbi Morse): Was seemingly killed by Mephisto in Avengers West Coast #100. It is later revealed that she was replaced by a Skrull infiltrator. See Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2.
Marrina (Smallwood): Transformed into the menace known as Leviathan and had to be slain by the Sub-Mariner in Avengers #293. However she was revealed to be still alive in Alpha Flight #72 and at the time of this story was last seen kept in stasis by the so-called Master of the World in Avengers (vol. 3) #47. She will be revived in Dark Reign: The List - X-Men #1.
Hawkeye was killed in Avengers #503, he will be resurrected following the events of in House of M #1-6, as we’ll see in New Avengers #26.
Masked Marvel
At the offices of Marvel Comics,[1] Adam Austin and his friend Eddie Ward pitch an idea for a new comic book series based on the adventures of a brand new superhero named the Masked Marvel and his crime-fighting partner the Dynamic Crusader. What nobody realizes is that Austin and Ward actually fight crime in these identities. However, their pitch is erratic and they are coming up with ideas on the fly.[2][3]
Their meeting Nicole Boose is interrupted when Willie Lumpkin, the local mailman, arrives with a package from Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) of the Fantastic Four.[4] That’s when the power goes out as Electro shows up. He is furious about his depiction in a recent issue of the New Avengers where he was depicted fainting out of fear, something he denies happening and wants to get revenge on writer Brian Michael Bendis.[5][6]
Seeing this as an opportunity, Adam slips away in the darkness to change into the Masked Marvel. He then uses his powers to knock Electro out and disappears once the power goes back on. Meanwhile, Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort opens the package from Reed Richards and discovers that they are a pair of power dampening handcuffs, which is fortuitous now that they have a supervillain knocked out in the middle of their office.[7]
Returning in his civilian guise, Adam uses this opportunity to approach Brevoort and tell him how the Masked Marvel saved the day. Tom shrugs this off by saying that this is nothing compared to a previous Skrull infestation at the Marvel offices. Still, he is impressed by the Masked Marvel and learns about Adam’s comic book pitch and hires him to do the series on the spot. When Nicole asks how Adam intends to portray the hero’s civilian identity, he repeats the adage he was “writing what you know” that he used throughout his pitch. He tells her that in his comic book, the Masked Marvel will become a writer.[8]
Recurring Characters
Tom Brevoort, Willie Lumpkin, Spider-Man
Continuity Notes
Since Fantastic Four #10, Marvel Comics has existed in the Marvel Universe. Instead of publishing fiction, they publish adaptations of the real lives of superheroes (some licensed, others not so). While real life people appearing in comics are usually considered topical references, Marvel creators exist in the Prime Marvel Universe in the relative prime of their lives. Hence, all of the Marvel staffers mentioned or seen in this issue would be considered factual references.
Given the meta nature of this story, there are some subtle name drops of other comic companies. DC Comics (as is Marvel tradition) is referred to as the “Distinguished Competition”, the plot that Adam Austin free forms here makes tongue and cheek references to other publishers including Image Comics, Antarctic Press, and Slave Labor Graphics. It should also be noted that Adam Austin shares the same name used as a pseudonym by artist Gene Colon back when he was playing both ends by working at Marvel and DC (it was common between the 40s and the 60s that writers and artists would do to skirt any sense of exclusivity over their talent). It’s unclear to me if this name choice was intentional, or they just picked a random alliterative name. Given the meta nature of the story, I wouldn’t be surprised.
It is mentioned here that it has never been proven that Matt Murdock and Daredevil were one in the same. This is in reference to how, at the time of this story, Murdock’s double identity was leaked to the press in Daredevil (vol. 2) #32. During this time he has been denying the implication.
Willie Lumpkin delivering a package on behalf of Mister Fantastic is not out of the ordinary. He has been the “official” mailman of the Fantastic Four since Fantastic Four #11. Here, Willie confuses the Postal Service’s motto “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" with the oath made by DC Comics Green Lantern whenever he recharges his power ring, “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power… Green Lantern's light!”, this motto was first uttered in Showcase #22.
Electro is holding an issue of New Avengers #4, which is the very issue that he is talking about. It was indeed written by Brian Michael Bendis.
Eddie quips that Brian Michael Bendis is from Portland, Oregon where they drink too much coffee. Indeed Bendis lived in Oregon when this comic was originally published. However, you probably missed the deep cut about too much coffee. See this is a reference to the Too Much Coffee Man comic strip that began publication in 1993. The character was created by cartoonist who lived in Portland at the time this comic was published.
Tom Brevoort states that he needed the cuffs for artist Mike McKone’s run on Fantastic Four. At the time of this story, McKone was the artist on Fantastic Four. If you want to see his work on that book see Fantastic Four #527-543.
At the end of this story, readers are asked to email Marvel Comics to let them know if they liked this story or not. As of this writing (May, 2024) the Masked Marvel has not made any further appearances so I think we have our answer.
Topical References
Tom Brevoort references a Skrull infestation that happened in 2002. Since this isn’t referencing any published story at the time, you could call the date a topical reference.