Avengers #502

Title: “Chaos: part three of four”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Penciller: David Finch

Inker: Danny Miki

Colors: Frank D’Armata

Editor: Tom Brevoort

Captain America asks them all what they are doing there. Black Panther asks what else Cap would have them do. He says that they were all Avengers once and that the Avengers are in trouble. He says that the call went out and that they have answered it. Fury says that he was just telling them that as noble as their presence is that he needs them to leave immediately. Reed Richards says that they are there to help in the Avengers’ darkest hour. Fury says that is fine and good, but to go do it in Central Park. He says that this is a live crime scene. He says that two Avengers died there hours ago and that they are tainting the crime scene. Fury says that Reed is a scientist and that he should know. He says that one of them could be emitting radiation or toxins into the air and corrupting the atmosphere. He says that they have no idea what happened today, and that until SHIELD can get the proper field reads that what they are doing is illegal. He orders them to disperse. Warbird asks Cap if it is true that Scott Lang is really dead. Cap says yes. He hugs Carol. Cap tells everyone that he appreciates all of them answering the call and their dedication to the institution, but that Fury is right and that they have to listen to him.

Dum Dum Dugan asks Fury if he wants some more bad news. Fury asks if it is going to happen just like that. Dum Dum says that they are going live right now. Fury says that is just great. He says, “ignorant piece of #$%^!” On Dum Dum’s communicator, the President’s Chief of Staff announces that due to Anthony Stark’s performance that the UN has unanimously voted to disavow its relationship with the Avengers. Hawkeye says that was fast. Fury says that is how they do it. Like a band-aid coming right off. Cap says that they are doing what they think is best. He says that there is a world to consider. Hawkeye says that they sold them out. He says that after all they did for them and then at their worst moment they sold them out. Cap says that they don’t owe them. Hawkeye says that they didn’t get as much as a phone call. Cap says that Hawkeye is just angry. Hawkeye says that they should have never been involved with them in the first place. He says that their bureaucracy was strangling the team. He says that they aren’t politicians, but superheroes. He says that they are the ones that people can count on because they can’t count on anyone else. He says that if he is mad about anything it’s that he saw this day coming. Cap says that is fine, but that he thinks his anger is a bit misplaced. Falcon says that Hawkeye is right. He says that they just lost friends and people died… heroes died. He says that they just side swiped them while they were down.

Fury asks everyone what they are still doing there. He starts to ask them what part of leaving do they not understand, but he is interrupted by the sight of a large space craft emerging from a cloud. Fury tells the helicarrier to tell him what they are reading, but the helicarrier has no idea what he is talking about. Fury says that there is an alien craft spinning around their heads. Fury is told that they aren’t getting anything. Cap orders every Avenger that can fly to get up there. He tells Warbird to take the lead. The helicarrier asks Fury what they are looking for. Fury asks if they can’t see this. Spider-Man says that he can see it… if that helps. Daredevil is stunned. Hawkeye says that he needs to get some more arrows. Suddenly the sky is full of smaller ships all coming away from a giant mother ship. Fury shouts for the helicarrier. He is told that they are still getting nothing and asks what they are supposed to be looking for. Fury tells them to look out the $%^&ing window. Wonder Man takes a shot. Cap blocks a blast. Quicksilver runs by. Fury fires on the ships. He asks if any of them speak Kree. Dum Dum says that he can barely speak English. Fury tells the helicarrier that he wants defense systems and attack patterns on the Kree right now. Warbird flies through one of the ship and blows it up. Wonder Man tosses a ship at Hercules. Hercules punches the ship and destroys it. Hercules goes to pull the pilot out and says, “Let us see the face of our opponent and hear his words of war.” Spider-Man says that Herc should write greeting cards. The Kree soldier opens fire with a handgun. He tries to run, but Spider-Man webs his feet together. The soldier trips and smashes his head against Cap’s shield as he falls. Cap asks him if he wants to tell him what this is about. Quasar takes a shot and screams in pain. Cap grabs the Kree soldier and asks him why they have attacked Earth. Fury tells him to translate it for them because he knows they can. The soldier says that the Avengers insult their entire warrior race. Fury says that they asked him a question. The soldier says that they have come to remove them from the history books of the great Kree culture. Captain America asks why today. The soldier says that it was foretold by the Supreme Intelligence that today would be the end of the Avengers. He says that they have arrived to see it happen. He says that they will die at the hands of those they betrayed. Captain America asks how they betrayed them, but all the Kree are seemingly beamed up and another wave attacks. Fury says that this isn’t right. Black Panther says that it isn’t on a number of levels. Fury says that he means it. He says that the Kree have them at a total disadvantage. He says that they have the tech and machinery to level New York without breaking a sweat. He says that there is no reason for them to touch Earth dirt. He says that there is no reason for a ground assault. Hawkeye says that it is time for this to end. He starts firing arrows and arrows into Kree. He says that they picked the wrong day to screw with him. Hawkeye leaps into the fray, but his quiver is hit by a blast and catches on fire. Hawkeye says, “Not like this! Not like this!” He grabs one of the Kree wearing a jet pack and blasts into the air. He says, “LIKE THIS!!” He flies into the mother ship and it blows up. The Avengers rush the remaining Kree as the giant ship hits the ground. The Kree fade away and the smaller ships fly away. The flying Avengers go after them, but they can’t catch up. Fury tries to talk to the helicarrier, but they still have no readings. Fury says that when he gets up there that he wants answers. He says that they are seriously underperforming.

Thing goes to run into the wreckage, but Reed holds him back. Thing says that they at least have to get his body out of there. Rick Jones grabs the ship and asks what the hell it is. Reed says that it isn’t paper. Rick says that it isn’t metal. Reed says that it seems like, but then he doesn’t know what it is. Thing says that Reed is the one with the big brain. Fury says that someone to give him some answers before he loses it. Dr. Strange appears. He says that he is sorry that he couldn’t get there earlier, but that he thought by now that they would understand the true nature of these attacks. He says, “The magics are being abused.” Captain America sees Dr. Strange. A look comes over his face and he says, “Oh no…”

Avengers Files rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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