Avengers vol. 3 #48Avengers vol. 3 #48
Title: “War Plan ‘A’”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Kieron Dwyer
Inker: Rick Remender
Colors: Tom Smith
Editor: Tom Brevoort
The giant pyramid is flying by the Avengers Deep Space Monitor Station. It glides silently and majestically through space dwarfing asteroids that are hundreds of miles thick. The pyramid doesn’t move at all but instead plows right through the asteroids. Living Lightning asks Quasar if he is getting all this. Living Lightning says that it appears not to be solid, but that it contains more power than the sun. Quasar says that he got it, but when he goes to transmit the information he finds that there is an A-Priority Avengers operation in progress. Quasar says that he should have figured. Quasar sets the link to pipe the info into the mansion’s system, and that of the government liaison’s, automatically. He says that they can check it out when they have the chance. Quasar and Living Lightning go out to investigate. The pyramid starts to speed up as they approach it. Quasar thinks that he hopes that this isn’t a “drop-everything-and-come-a’running emergency”. He says that the Avengers are already so busy.
In orbit around Earth, Captain America tells the other Avengers that they are only going to get one chance at this. Minutes later they are attacking Damocles Base. Photon, Jack of Hearts, and the ship are all blasting away. Captain America keeps checking to see if there is any damage, but Kang’s force field holds up. Photon and Jack of Hearts try combining their blasts, but still it doesn’t work. Inside the ship, Scarlet Witch tells Cap that she isn’t getting anything done. She says that she keeps trying to use her chaos-magic to tap into the force field, but that the force field keeps changing frequencies. She says that she can’t engage it fully. Cap tells her to keep at it, and that Tony Stark is still working on cracking the technology.
Down on Earth, Wasp watches the battle at Avengers mansion as General McGinty also watches in the Pentagon. The Sentinels are standing by and awaiting the “go” order.
In northern Canada above the Arctic Circle at the base of the Master, Warbird, Quicksilver, Yellowjacket, and Silverclaw are still crawling through the base. Quicksilver tells Warbird that he doesn’t like this. She asks him if it is the cramped quarters or the stale air. Quicksilver says that she knows that he means that Master’s security is better than this, but that there hasn’t been a reaction for hours. Yellowjacket says that Quicksilver has a point. He says that he has been scanning for detection fields, and that they are all over the place, but that they are not registering them for some reason. Silverclaw says that maybe they are malfunctioning from the damage that Warbird caused. Warbird says that she was in the genetics section and doubts that security would be run from there. She says that it is something else, but that for now they press on. Unknown to the Avengers they are being watched from Damocles Base, a computer asks if it should continue bio-scan interference. Scarlet Centurion tells it to continue.
In France, Kang’s schedule to conquer Europe in three weeks is pretty much running on schedule. Kang’s troops are advancing almost everywhere. In one of the few places that stall, Thor and Firebird are helping the troops fight. Thor smashes one of Kang’s tanks. He mutters to Odin the question of how long before all that are here, triumphant and slain alike, are as dust. He wonders how long before the are all lost in the sweep of time. Firebird tells Thor that she knows what he is thinking, but she tells him to look at them fighting for their home, freedom, and families. She says to look at the price they pay, and that though it may be an eyeblink to him, but it is everything to them. Firebird says, “Our lives may be short, but that doesn’t make them meaningless!” Thor says that Firebird says “our lives”, but that she should say “their lives” if she is immortal as she suspects. He tells her that she too will watch all that she bonds with crumble to dust before her. Thor says that he knows that she means well, but that she should think about that. Firebird thinks about how she is trying to make Thor see the error of his ways, but wonders if Thor is going to change her mind before she changes his.
In Calleyville, Texas at the world headquarters of the Triune Understanding, Triathlon says that he isn’t so sure about this as he looks at the Triune’s spaceship. Vision says that he agrees and points out that the ship is psychically powered, that it draws on the mental energies of the Triune followers, and he proposes to launch it without a test. Vision says that it could kill them. Jonathon Tremont says that he understands their concerns, but that the triple evil is real, and that it will be there in days to render all life on Earth forfeit if it is not stopped. He says that the prayer-ship is safe, and that no one will be harmed. He says that they have hidden nothing, and that they even knew that the Avengers had spies in their ranks, but preferred to let them see for themselves that there is nothing to fear. Tremont calls Justice and Firestar to come forward and join them on this crucial mission. Moments later, the ship launches into the air. The followers start dropping in groups of two and three, but soon a hundred are on the ground and do not get up. Triathlon says that Tremont swore. Tremont says that their medical staff is already doing what it can, but that the acolytes have done what is necessary, as he will. Tremont tells the pilot to stay on course. He says that many have given much, and that to honor them they must not stop now.
At Damocles Base, they keep blasting away. Jack says to keep pouring it on. He says that maybe he is kidding himself, but he felt something giving. Inside the ship, Wanda says that she doesn’t know how much longer she can keep this up. Cap says that he knows that she can do it. Tony Stark tells Cap that he is sending up a specific series of counter-modulations that might work. Wasp tells Cap to do it fast because the joint chiefs are getting antsy.
Inside Damocles Base, Scarlet Centurion continues helping Warbird and the others. The computer tells Centurion that absorbing exterior assault and resequencing shields temporarily weakened it, but that now it is back up to full strength. Centurion tells it to just keep at it. Suddenly Kang is there and asks how the battle is going. Centurion quickly switches off the monitor watching Warbird and the others and says that the battle goes well. He says that the attackers are hopeless and that the automatic defenses can’t handle. Kang says that he sees that Centurion has been monitoring the situation. Centurion asks what else he would be doing. Kang says that he doesn’t doubt him, but he is just asking because as versatile as the automatic modules are that they can’t anticipate everything. Kang says that the hopeless attackers have introduced a new series of sub-harmonic, variable-flux frequencies that look like they will allow him to break through the shields. The shields drop and Kang says that wasn’t the desired effect. Centurion apologizes and says that he should have been paying attention. Kang tells him not to worry about it too much. He says that it is easily fixed. Kang pushes a button and freezes the Avengers’ ship, Photon, and Jack of Hearts in a stasis ray.
A hologram of General McGinty apologizes to Wasp. He says that he knows that they are opposed to their plan. He asks Wasp if she can hear his hologram. Wasp says that she hears him fine, but that she wishes there were something she could say. Wasp says that she hopes they are all right. McGinty says that he does too, but gives the order to launch the Sentinels. Seventy-five Sentinels launch into space from three different locations. Each of them is programmed with one goal: to reach Kang and neutralize him at any cost.
The alarms start going off in the Master’s base since Centurion is no longer monitoring. Warbird busts out of the wall and says that it is time for them to make their presence known. It turns out that they are right next to the Master. Master welcomes them to his home. He says that they may be rebellious subjects, but that it can’t be said that the rightful Master is without manners, but that now that the niceties are out of the way he orders the Plodex wolves to deal with the Avengers. Three wolves lunge forward. Quicksilver simply dodges the one attacking him. Silverclaw becomes a giant-sloth for, her most powerful incarnation, and fights with hers. Yellowjacket blasts his opponent and tells it to get off the furniture. Warbird faces off against Master. Master draws his sword and asks Warbird if she is there to free the bureaucrats that he has been meeting with. Warbird says that freeing them is a secondary goal, but that it is the defensive walls that he created that interests her most. She says that if it can hold off Kang that they want them under their control and not his. Master says that he cannot allow that. Warbird blasts Master, but Master says that his body armor absorbs energy attacks. He swings his sword at Warbird.
Back near Damocles Base, Photon and Jack struggle against the stasis ray, but still cannot move. A giant holographic Kang appears to the Avengers. He says that his sensors inform him that a flight of Sentinels are on their way. Kang says that he didn’t think they were that foolish. He says that perhaps the government would be, but not them. Kang says that they have opposed him before, and that they know he is a time-traveler. He says that he has been active in one way or the other in time periods ranging from ancient Egypt to the far future. Kang says that one of those times was in the early part of the previous century as Victor Timely. He says that he was a scientist, a businessman, and that he had quite an influence over the then dawning industry of robotics.
Back at Master’s base, the other
Avengers are having a very difficult time with the Plodex wolves.
Master says that Warbird has not broken through his guard once,
and that it looks like she is getting tired. Master says that he
has genetically engineered himself to be the perfect man. He says
that since she is bounded by the Avengers’ policy against
lethal force, and that he is not, that he thought that he should
give her the chance to surrender honorable. He slashes
Warbird’s cheek with his sword. Warbird says that Master is
making a mistake. She says that he is thinking that they are
going to act like nice-nice superheroes that are going to treat
him like a bank robber. She flies into the air and blasts the
floor in front of him. She catches a piece of shrapnel from the
floor and says that the world is at war and that means that the
rules have changed. 
Warbird takes
the shrapnel and skewers it right through Master’s chest.
Master hits the floor with a thud. Everyone turns stunned.
Without Master, the Plodex wolves are easily defeated and the
call goes out. Computer and munitions technicians are on the way
to start work on the weapons controls, and that Alpha Flight will
secure the base.
Back in space, Kang says that he was
“not so foolish as to avoid planting safeguards in all the
technology that descended from my work… safeguards… and
controls.” Kang says that a few robotic beings, like the
Vision and original Human Torch, have escaped that control, but
that unfortunately for them. the Sentinels have not. Kang makes a
gesture and all the Sentinels change course… their
programming overridden. Kang says that he really would have
thought better of them. General McGinty stands aghast. He looks
down and asks what have they done. 
Wasp stares and
says that Cap warned them. Kang says that he also has to remind
them that he said that if he or his forces were engaged other
than on the field of battle that there would be retribution. Kang
says that he is a man of his word, and that they have attacked
his command center, and so he is going to obliterate theirs. The
giant hologram of Kang turns with all the Sentinels at his
command and starts moving towards Earth. Kang stops and says that
he has forgotten something. He turns and gestures towards the
Avengers’ ship causing it to explode. Kang continues walking
toward Earth as the Avengers float listlessly in space.
Avengers Files rating: 7.5 out of 10
Addressing first the story: holy $#!&!!!!!! I don’t know that you can ask for more in a comic book that this. Personal drama, developing trouble, the Triunes, the murder of the Master, the realization that maybe Kang really does hold all the aces. Just a fantastic entertaining read. Now for the art: I recognize that there is talent in Dwyers’ art, but I just hate his style. The lines are thick and ugly, the faces are lousy, and the women are not particularly feminine looking. When I first heard that Kieron Dwyer was coming on the Avengers I was exciting. His work in Heroes Reborn: Rebel was really beautiful stuff… what happened? There are still a few visually impressive scenes and so I only mark him slightly short of average. (2.5 out of 10)