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Avengers Forever #1 of 12
Title: “Destiny Made Manifest”
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Jesus Merino
Colors: Steve Oliff
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Prologue:
On the fourth closest planet to the star Beta Centauri in the twenty-sixth century, there is a city called Zatoa. Zatoa is known for the kruna fruit and the miraculous yaka metal. The people of Zatoa are not concerned with harvest time or metal working today but with the weapons they carry. They say that they must strike quickly with the stolen plasma rifles and their yaka arrows. He says that their only chance is to strike quickly and seize a ship in the masters’ spaceport. He says that if they can make it into orbit and destroy the overseer satellites that they will be able to arm their planet before they retaliate. He says that then they might have a … Chance is the word that the man would have said, but he and all of his brethren are froze like statues. In Xiara, a baby is born and has just taken its first breath just as everyone is frozen just as they are in Zatoa. In Suutao, they have gathered for a “joining ceremony”, but are frozen in place. All over the world the people of this world are frozen in place. Then an undetermined time later the ships come. They descend from space onto every major city and wreck unbelievable and unopposed destruction. Next the Hammer-Troopers drop from the sky. Their ionic thunderhammers lay waste to the temples, towers, palaces, and more. The repulsor-troopers target bridges, vehicles, and roads. They leave wreckage and sprawling bodies in their wake. The shieldsmen are next. They move fluidly through the streets using their blades to strike and move on showing no mercy or hesitation. The micro-swarm makes their way through cracks of homes, schools, and nurseries. Their buzz increases as they find life and fades as they end it. The attack goes on and on until 17% of the planet’s surface is ravaged and 34% of its inhabitants lies dead. Only then are the survivors allowed to awaken to see what has become of their home. As the people struggle and search around them the answer to why this destruction came upon them is answered. He descends from the sky slowly and majestically. His image and voice is seen in the mind of all the planet’s inhabitants. “I am Jonz Rickard, commander of the Galactic Avenger Battalion Theta-4, and blood-kin to Emperor Rickard, who rules over all. And I have punished you. Twelve of your number… twelve of you, who should be toiling for the greater glory of the Terran Empire… sought to rebel, to strike at your guardians and protectors in some misguided quest for what they thought of as freedom. They are now dead. And for their crime… many more of you have paid the price. This is your just and unavoidable retribution, people of Beta Centauri IV! This is your fate… and the fate of all who defy the will of the mighty Avengers! I trust that you will defy it no longer. That is all.” Three figures watch all of this unfold. One says, “This will not do. This will not do at all. Steps must be taken.” The three figures disappear.
Chapter One- “Mind out of Time”
The Avengers arrive on the blue area of the moon. Scarlet Witch shows her Avengers ID to the SHIELD agent. The agent says that they are expected and that he understood that they had cargo. Wanda says that it is not cargo, but a friend. Rick Jones lies on a life support gurney. The Avengers gently, and almost reverently, take the gurney off the quinjet. They look at Rick and think of their history with him and how different their world would be without him.
It was Rick that brought the Avengers together, as he sent out a radio alert about the rampaging Hulk that they all responded to. He stood by their side in their earliest days as they fought against the Space Phantom, Baron Zemo and his Masters of Evil, Kang, Immortus, and more. They forged a bond that could never be broken. Even as they drifted apart their paths still crossed from time to time, and never more crucially than during the Kree/Skrull war. Rick became the central figure of the war, and for all the power of the Avengers, it was Rick that ended things. His human evolutionary potential was unlocked by the Supreme Intelligence and Rick tapped into vast mental energies that allowed him to call up near-forgotten heroes from his subconscious to protect him. Rick then stopped both races in their tracks with the mere wave of his hand. Once the war was over, Rick’s powers faded away. He went on to team up with various heroes such as Captain Mar-Vell, Rom, and the Hulk. Rick eventually paid a terrible price as he was crippled and nearly killed at the hands of the Hulk. Rick entered the lives of the Avengers again when he collapsed a victim of some unidentifiable malady. When medical science failed the Avengers stepped in. The Beast and Hank Pym looked him over, but couldn’t identify the strange energy that was permeating his cells and causing a bizarre bio-decay. Iron Man says that he can identify it. Iron Man says that he just checked it against his archives and that he originally scanned this energy during the Kree Skrull war. Iron Man says that it is an exact match of the power Rick used to freeze a flagship full of Skrulls. Still not knowing how to help Rick they brought him to the moon… to the Supreme Intelligence.
After getting through their fifth security check, the Avengers finally come face to face with the Supreme Intelligence. Supreme Intelligence greets the Avengers and says that he is honored by their presence. Captain America says to save it and that Supreme Intelligence knows why they are there. Cap tells the SHIELD agents that they want to be left alone with Supreme Intelligence. Cap says that Supreme Intelligence awakened this power in Rick before and that he understands it better than anyone. Cap says that they sent Rick’s medi-files up yesterday and that they want an answer. Cap asks if he can help Rick. Supreme Intelligence says that it is an interesting problem and one that he wouldn’t mind delving into. Supreme Intelligence tells them to leave Rick with him and he will contact them through his keepers when he has something to report. Cap says that is unacceptable and that Supreme Intelligence has to treat Rick in their presence. Supreme Intelligence says that with his power that if he wished Rick ill that he could kill him right in front of them and that they would never know that he had done it. Supreme Intelligence also notes that if they had any other option that they would not have brought Rick to him. He says that they can trust him or watch him die. Cap says that they will play it his way, but that if he harms Rick that they will make sure that he pays. Supreme Intelligence says that all this posturing is really unnecessary. Supreme Intelligence says that he is completely dependant on the technicians in this facility to do everything that he needs done. Justice starts yelling at Supreme Intelligence that they won’t hesitate to do something, but Captain America tells Justice to calm down. Cap says that Supreme Intelligence has made his point. As they leave, Cap says that he expects the first report in 24 hours.
Once the Avengers leave the room, a hooded figure walks out from the shadows. He greets Supreme Intelligence, and Supreme Intelligence says that it seems that no matter how isolated he is that he will never be lonely. The hooded man says that Supreme Intelligence knows why he is there. He says that the time has come and that the point of balance has been reached. Supreme Intelligence agrees and says that they have talked for long hours about this while his captors think his cell is empty. Supreme Intelligence says that this is a pivotal point where humanity’s destiny will tilt forever toward freedom or toward stagnation. The hooded man says that Supreme Intelligence sounds amused by this. Supreme Intelligence says that he thinks that such weighty measures resting on such fragile shoulders is amusing. The hooded man says that he is not amused and that while Supreme Intelligence has agreed to help him in this that he mocks the gravity of what they face with his words. The hooded man says that he must serve the balance, but that these are still his people. He says that Supreme Intelligence is an enemy of Earth, with no love for humanity, and that he would like to know why Supreme Intelligence is taking part in this. Supreme Intelligence says that he can call it curiosity if it is an answer that will satisfy him. He says that his people the Kree have reached an evolutionary dead end and that he has taken great steps, even decimating his people by radioactive fire, in order to try and get their evolution restarted. He says that he has been unsuccessful, and that learning how another race crosses a similar threshold is a goal worth pursuing. The hooded figure says that this is all one big lab experiment to him. Supreme Intelligence tells him to calm down and regain his equilibrium. He says that they have worked long and hard for this. They have influenced the boy, manipulated the Avengers, and that he has no choice but to proceed at this point. Supreme Intelligence tells the hooded man to go inform the one that must hear of this development while he attends to the boy. The hooded man says that Supreme Intelligence is right. He turns and disappears.
At the center of Limbo, sits Immortus
appointed master of seventy centuries of time. Immortus sits and
broods as he scans the many eras looking for trouble spots that
threaten the continuum, but it all fails to hold his interest as
his attention keeps returning to a single scene. Immortus watches
as Rick Jones lies on the life support gurney. Immortus sighs. He
doesn’t want to do what must come next, but he has to do his
duty… his life’s work. Immortus gestures and time stops
in the blue area of the moon. As everything is frozen is place,
Tempus steps forward out of Limbo. Tempus stands before Rick
Jones and tells him that he is fortunate. Tempus says that he has
been denied “the sweet surcease of death” by Immortus,
but that Immortus has charged him with granting him that gift
that he will never have. Immortus raises his club. Rick
Jones’ life force begins to be sucked out and into
Tempus’ club. Suddenly Rick Jones takes a breath. Tempus
realizes that there is a time-sphere that is countermanding
Immortus’ chronal spell that has restored time’s flow.
Suddenly Tempus is blasted. Kang stands there and says that they
are “a clever bunch” as they fight between heartbeats.
Kang yearns for straightforward battle instead of this creeping
between seconds. Tempus thinks that it is Immortus that has
attacked him. Kang says, “No, grotesquerie. Not your
pathetic master… but Kang, the conqueror!” Kang says
that Tempus’ mistake was an easy one since they have the
same voice because Immortus is the withered husk that he leaves
behind after a lifetime of conquests that Immortus can only
contemplate. Tempus starts to get up, but Kang tells him to stop
under pain of death. Tempus says that death would be a blessing. 
Immortus’
visage appears over Tempus. He tells Kang that he cannot
interfere with this moment. He says that the consequences would
be catastrophic. Immortus says that he guards the time stream and
that for the safety of reality itself Rick Jones must die.
Immortus tells Tempus to attend to his mission. Tempus starts
getting up. Kang says that Rick Jones lives and that he will
continue to live because for all Immortus’ pronouncements he
can and will interfere, if for no other reason than to defy his
scholarly cowardice. Kang asks Tempus if he wishes for death and
tells him to have it. Kang points his fingers and Tempus smashes
into pieces. Immortus says that was impressive, but that it will
not avail him because Tempus’ body is made up of the frozen
time in Limbo that Immortus commands. Immortus says that each
piece of Tempus will serve as a time portal that will bring forth
an army so vast that even he will not be able to defeat it.
Immortus says, “This is history you meddle with…
destiny! You cannot prevent what is written.” Kang says,
“Writers! Pfah!” Kang angles his fingers activating
sophisticated circuitry in his gauntlet.
Weapons appear in Kang’s hands. He says that history and destiny is not written. Kang says that history is made by the deeds of the strong and the brave, and that destiny is forged. He says that the scholars come in the wake of the strong and write down what the brave have done. Kang says that it is the conquerors that change the world and that is the way that it will always be. Immortus retorts that conquerors are swept up in destiny’s tides just like everyone else, but that it is the scholars that see the patterns… the truth. Immortus says that he has learned this and that in time Kang will as well. Immortus says that Kang must know that this battle is over. Immortus says that Kang’s time-sphere is shrinking because of his power. He says that he can throw a million, a billion, or even a trillion men at him. Immortus tells Kang to accept it. Kang says that he accepts nothing. Kang says that Immortus is the one that accepts and grovels before words and parchment, but that he will never be him. Kang says that if Immortus has a trillion men to fight with to bring them on.
As the fighting rages on and on, Rick Jones
wakes up. He sees Kang, Immortus, the Supreme Intelligence, and
not one Avenger. He says that whatever is going on here that it
isn’t good. Rick also notices that the bubble around them is
getting smaller and smaller. Rick starts thinking of trying to
slip out and find a phone, but his body starts to tingle. Supreme
Intelligence says that the time has come. He says that
Rick’s potential build within him again, nudged by his
influence, and that with Kang stalemating Immortus that for the
moment humanity’s chance is ripe to be seized. Rick starts
yelling at Supreme Intelligence, but realizes that Intelligence
wasn’t even talking to him. Supreme Intelligence says that
the window of opportunity is small. He says that Kang can’t
hold out much longer and that he has done all he can and that now
it is up to humanity to strive or to fail. Rick says that if
Supreme Intelligence is talking about him… to be a little
less cryptic. 
Rick says that
he doesn’t have any clue as to what he is supposed to do.
Supreme Intelligence says that Rick will. He says that
humanity’s potential burns within Rick again and that he
must wield it. Rick still doesn’t know what to do. The
hooded man reappears and speaks to Rick, “But you do not
know what to do… eh, Rick? There must be a force to stop
Immortus… but more, there must be a measured response, one
that can not only protect you… but can find the balance in
its own destiny… can make the choices humanity will have to
make at this turning point.” Rick tries to look behind him
to see who is speaking, but the hooded man places his fingers on
the back of Rick’s neck. The point starts to glow with power
and the hooded man continues, “Once you delved into memory
to bring forth champions, Rick Jones… but now you must go
beyond that… into the past, the future… into the very
fabric of time itself…” Suddenly energy flares burst
forward from Rick Jones. When the flares fade there stands a
group of Avengers from the past, present, and future. Giant-Man
and Wasp, Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell), Hawkeye, Yellowjacket,
Songbird, and Captain America stand there.
Avengers Files rating: 10 out of 10
Fantastic weaving of a tale. A little intimidating at first, but if you take your time and read it through you can see the mastery that is involved with this issue. This issue has almost nothing to do with the Avengers, but it sets the stage, and introduces the players involved so far: Supreme Intelligence, Kang, and Immortus. Carlos Pacheco does a spectacular job with the art in this issue. It is at both times immensely crowded, intricately detailed, and very easy to follow. Such a clarity and detail hasn’t been accomplished since George Perez.