Avengers vol. 3 #65Avengers vol. 3 #65
Title: "Red Zone: Part One- Panic Attack”
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Olivier Coipel
Inker: Andy Lanning
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
In the afternoon, at Mount Rushmore, a young boy named Paul points out a red cloud over the head of Thomas Jefferson. He asks what that is. His mother and father, Gail and David, are too busy talking about their problems to hear him. David says that he thought they were taking this trip get away from their problems and to show Paul a piece of America. Gail apologizes and says that she is just worried about the future. Paul says, “Hey, cool! It’s coming.” The red mist starts rolling outward. As the mist ouches people they break out in a strange rash and start falling to the floor. David tells Gail and Paul to get to the car. David and Gail are separated by the mass of stampeding people. David puts down Paul and tells Gail to get out of there. Gail drives off with Paul. Paul asks about his father. Gail screams for Paul to get on the floor. She apologizes to Paul for yelling and tells him to cover his face. She looks at her hand and sees the rash.
Park Ranger Hawkins is trying to get into the area, but he is told that he can’t get in. He says that he heard about the strange flesh eating virus and came to help. The ambulance driver says that no virus works this fast. He says that they need some real help and that SHIELD, FEMA, or the CDC better get involved. He holds up a cloth mask and says that they are only wearing these. Hawkins looks into the town and says that the people there aren’t wearing anything.
Hawkins and the EMT walk through the park where they are loading the sick into helicopters and the dead onto wagons. Hawkins ask where they are taking the sick. He is told that there is a med camp set up in the south. Hawkins asks why they are going south. He is told that there is a front coming in that will push everything east. Hawkins looks up and says that the wind isn’t heading east. The helicopters are all full, and they take off into the air.
Suddenly a white car comes screeching around a corner and crashes. The door opens. Gail gets out and asks someone to help her son. She falls out of the car dead. Paul is pulling on her arm, crying, and says that he wants to go home. Captain America lifts the boy up and says, “I promise you, son… we’re going to get you home.” Cap tells Vision to get the boy on one of the helicopters. Vision takes the boy and says that he will. Cap tells Vision to make sure that the he gets whatever treatment they have. Cap says that the boy gets home, and that he gave his word.
Up in the helicopter, the soldiers are debating who did this. One says to take his pick between Al-Qaida, Hydra, or Hizbaliah. Vision phases his hand through the wall and opens the hatch. He floats there with Paul and says that the boy needs their help. The soldier aims his gun at Vision and says that they are full to capacity. They say that if they take on any more weight that they’ll drop. Vision grabs the soldiers’ guns and throws them through the hatch opening. He says that their weapons weight sixty pounds as does the boy. He says that their guns can be replaced, but that the boy cannot. Vision tells them to re-evaluate their priorities. He tells them to contact their loved ones and pray to their higher powers. He says that they may not get out of there alive. Vision phases through the wall.
Hawkins is examining Gail, but she is gone.
He sees Captain America and asks them what this is. Cap says that
he knows as much as the Avengers do. Cap says that the cloud of
disease is five miles in diameter, and that it is spreading at a
rate of fifty feet per minute. Hawkins tells Cap that he has to
stop the helicopters. He says that the wind is coming from the
north, not the west. Cap sees people trapped in the RV that
Gail’s car hit. He tries to move the car to let them out. He
strains and strains, but suddenly the car is going over his head.
Cap looks up to
see She-Hulk holding the car over her head. She says, “Sorry
we’re late”. Jack of Hearts, Warbird, Ant-Man, and
Scarlet Witch are with She-Hulk. Warbird says that there was a
twenty car pile-up. Cap asks if there were any casualties.
Ant-Man says that a little girl died. Ant-Man says that with all
these people dying that they aren’t just there to help
people run and collect bodies. He asks if they aren’t going
to stop this. Hawkins says again that the wind is blowing south
and that is where they are taking everyone. Jack asks why they
didn’t let the Avengers co-ordinate this. General Feaster
says that it is because this isn’t the Avengers’ show.
He says that there was a miscalculation in the air currents. He
says that they will get the helicopters back in the air. Scarlet
Witch says that it will take some time, and to do it safely. She
says that the chaotic paths of the molecules are easy enough for
her to motivate. Wanda absorbs the disorder in the air and
re-directs it. She says that it will be a while before the wind
blows their way again.
Vision floats down with containment suits.
He says that he isn’t at risk of disease, but that the EPA
is supplying the suits to anyone that is staying. Cap says to
suit up, but that they aren’t staying. He says that they are
heading in. General Feaster says that if they do that they will
be killing themselves. He says that they don’t know what
they are dealing with, a new plague or a chemical spill. Cap says
that he will let him know. Cap says to She-Hulk and Jack that
while they have some invulnerability that protects them that they
may want to play it safe. Jack says that he will take his
chances. She-Hulk takes the suit and says that green always was
her color. 
Ant-Man sees
her suiting up and She-Hulk says, “Just in case… you
know?”
Feaster says that he doesn’t like doing this, but that he is ordering the Avengers to stay where they are. Cap ignores the General and tells Warbird that he wants her to stay behind, and that her NASA background could come in handy there. He tells her to help the General organize his troops, search for more survivors, and to keep rioting down. Warbird says, “Yes, sir.” Cap says that they are to stay in teams of two and to never let their partners out of their sights. Cap teams up Vision and Scarlet Witch, Jack of Hearts and Ant-Man, and that She-Hulk will come with him. She-Hulk asks Cap if he thinks it is smart to team up “Ant-Man and the Jerk of Hearts”. She says that they don’t work well together. Cap says that they had better start now. Ant-Man is holding his helmet under his arm and says that it wouldn’t fit in the suit. Jack says that he doubts there are any insects in their alive to chat with anyway. Ant-Man says that this is insane, end of the world stuff. Cap says, “End of the world? Not until the Avengers say so.” They walk into the red mist.
Avengers Files rating: 7 out of 10
Well this is definitely a set up issue, and it is definitely a set up issue in the NuMarvel style. In the whole issue the threat is presented and the Avengers show up. That’s it, but hey at least it will fit nicely into a trade paperback. On the plus side, Geoff adds a nice human quality to the tragedy of the “red zone”. Coipel has a nice first issue. I like his She-Hulk and his Scarlet Witch, but I’m not so sure about the rest of them. 3.5 out of 5 for both.
Review and pictures by The Leader