Avengers #9

Issue Details

Synopsis

SHADOWBOX Thor, Hellcat, Iron Man, and Hawkeye have been ambushed at Avengers Mansion by the Masters of Evil, a group that has appeared seemingly out of nowhere to destroy them. The group easily defeats them and when Thor is about to kill Klaw, Captain America (just arriving after he severed ties with the American Government) stops him and reminds them all that so long as he leads the Avengers, the group will not kill. Sick of the Avengers soft-handed approach with dealing with their enemies, Thor would leave the group. Worse still, this latest attack would has also demoralized Hellcat and Hawkeye into considering quitting the group as well, leaving Captain America and Iron Man to wonder what will happen to the Avengers. Questioning the Black Knight, Captain America learns that they only attacked the Avengers in order to obtain fame and fortune. He then leaves Iron Man to shackle them up while he goes off to check on the Swordsman.   Meanwhile, in limbo, Loki, Enchantress and their slave the Scarlet Witch plan the next phase of Loki's plot to destroy the Avengers. Back on Earth, Janet van Dyne arrives at Avengers Mansion and asks Iron Man to help her find Ant Man who she hasn't been able to find for days. Realizing that the answer to Hank's whereabouts may be found in investigating the remains of the Vision, Iron Man takes Janet and flies off to the SHIELD helicarrier to investigate things further. With the Masters of Evil left unattended, Loki appears and absorbs them into his body as well.   Inside the Vision, Ant-Man revives and realizes he was foolish to approach the Vision's brain without being careful for energy surges. Backing up he begins checking on the Vision's diagnostics. Ant-Man learns that the Vision has been moved to the SHIELD helicarrier, but someone has been accessing the Vision's data from within Avengers MAnsion. Before he can shut down the Vision he is attacked by the androids immune system and sent fleeing, he is caught by Iron Man on his way out. Outside of the Visions body, Iron Man and Janet examine it until they are confronted by Nick Fury and SHIELD who demand to know what they are doing snooping around the helicarrier. Fury demands that Iron Man hand over Ant Man for debriefing, and Janet shrinks down to Wasp size to be with her boyfriend. Before things can get straightened out Iron Man's armor detects the fact that the Vision is about to self destruct and carries the body outside of the helicarrier where it detonates harmlessly. As Iron Man escape with Ant Man and the Wasp, Ant Man tells Iron Man to call Captain America as he has learned of something terrible going down.   Elsewhere in the city, Thor broods over what to do next now that he has left the Avengers when he is confronted by the Enchantress. She uses her charm and magics to turn him over to her side and he agrees to fight for Loki's cause. Captain America meanwhile, arrives at the hospital where the Swordsman has been recovering since he was injured by the Hulk. He finds the Swordsman's bed empty and the doctor on duty tells him he heard screaming from the room, but when he entered he was gone. Cap is then radioed by Iron Man and asked to meet with him on Avengers Island.   At Avengers Mansion, Hellcat laments over her animal life features and considers herself a freak. Loki takes advantage of this by appearing before her with the inert body of the Scarlet Witch. Although Hellcat initially attacks, Loki's smooth talking convinces her that he is not coming to her as an enemy but to offer her the beauty she's always wanted by transferring her essence into the body of the Scarlet Witch.   Finally, at Avengers Island, Iron Man, Ant Man, Wasp and Captain America are shocked to find that something has reactivated the gamma core, and somehow it is spawning old Avengers foes: the Super-Adaptoid, the Grim Reaper and the Living Laser. Realizing it's some sort of wrinkle in reality, Iron Man disperses the forming ghost images of these foes with his repulsor rays. However the energy begins to build up again, when Captain America wishes that Thor could be there for them, they are surprised when a second Thor materializes right out of the gamma core.