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Avengers Forever #4 of 12
Title: “Running out of Time”
Plot: Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Jesus Merino
Colors: Steve Oliff
Editor: Tom Brevoort
The Avengers, Rick Jones, and Libra are inside the Sphinx time machine as it rockets through the timestream. Wasp asks Giant-Man if there is no doubt that Chronopolis is gone. Giant-Man says that as far as he can tell that it has been completely wiped out. Captain Marvel says that Immortus must have the Heart of Forever then and is now able to change time at his whim. Genis says that Immortus was powerful before. Captain America is mourning all the people that died at Chronopolis and sinking deeper into his depression. Rick says that it isn’t all bad. He says that they escaped and that his legs are working again. Rick says that where there is life there is hope. Yellowjacket is blowing a bubble with his gum and hitting on Songbird, but Songbird tells Yellowjacket to be quiet as she is trying to listen. Libra says that Immortus is more powerful, but that he is not undefeatable. He says that if they can stop him before he eliminates Rick Jones that the situation can be salvaged. Libra says that he can’t say more than that and that the balance is very delicate. Hawkeye says that he is sick of all the “mumbo-jumbo”. He says that Libra made sure Kang knew everything, but that he isn’t telling them anything. Libra says that it had to be done this way. Libra says that Kang is Immortus’ balance. Hawkeye says that Libra is full of it and tries to hit him with his bow. Libra leaps over the swing. Wasp tells Hawkeye to stop it, but Libra says that he was trained by the Priests of Pama and that he can handle himself. Hawkeye says that he was taught to fight “by the older kids at St. Ignatius Home for Orphaned Boys in Waverly, Ohio” and says that they would eat the priests for breakfast. Hawkeye punches Libra. Songbird tells Hawkeye that she doesn’t believe he is striking a blind man. Libra says that his other senses make up for his lack of vision, but that it is clear to him that his presence is dulling their natural self-reliance. He says that they would be better off without him and he walks down a hall and disappears. Wasp says that she hopes that Hawkeye is satisfied. She says that they were confused before, but that at least they had a guide. She says that now they have nothing.
Yellowjacket says that isn’t necessarily true. He says that the controls are complicated, but that they are set up in an orderly arrangement. He says that from what Libra showed them before he left that they should be able to figure out how to get their bearings. Giant-Man suddenly realizes what Yellowjacket is talking about. He says that it was right in front of them all along. The others watch in amazement as two Hank Pyms work in an odd symbiotic manner. Eventually Giant-Man’s extra years of work distance him from Yellowjacket. Yellowjacket leaves in frustration and mumbles that Giant-Man should watch his back in dark alleys. Giant-Man doesn’t even notice he is too engrossed in what he has found. Rick tells Giant-Man to let the rest of them in on what is happening. Giant-Man says that when Chronopolis was destroyed that it created a chronal anomaly. Giant-Man says that the Sphinx can measure that so he set it to scan wider through a broad band of time. Giant-Man says that he isn’t sure if it is accurate or complete, but that he has found three similar signatures. Giant-Man says that Libra told them that Immortus was creating temporal imbalances and that the blips are likely where he is up to something. Giant-Man says that the good news is that Immortus doesn’t know that they know. Hawkeye says that they should go check them out and “throw some sand in the gears”. Rick says that they should do something anyway. Yellowjacket points out a rack of time shuttles. He says that he doesn’t think that the boss lady will let them go though. Wasp says that actually she will. She says that action is better than inaction, and that she doesn’t like running away anymore than the rest of them. She says that they have enough Avengers to break up into smaller groups and check out the imbalances. Wasp says that Hawkeye, Songbird, and Yellowjacket will be one team and check out the first imbalance. Yellowjacket says that Wasp wants one clear head supervising an unknown quantity and a hothead. Wasp says that is right and that is why Hawkeye will be in charge. Wasp says that Giant-Man and Captain America will be another team to check out the other extreme, and that she and Captain Marvel will take the one in the middle. Wasp asks Genis if that is okay with him. Genis says that is as good an arrangement as any, and that this will give Wasp a chance to grill him about the secrets that she thinks he is hiding. Wasp is surprised, but she is interrupted when Rick asks where he is going to go. Wasp says that they can’t put him at further risk and that the safest place is in the Sphinx. Giant-Man says that Wasp is right and that they need someone to stay there and watch over things so they can alert them if anything comes up. Rick concedes and says that he would argue but that he already knows how it will end.
An hour later, three tiny shapes are launched through the chronal seas leaving behind one frustrated Rick Jones. Rick says that this stinks. He says that he is the key figure in human destiny, but that he can’t control the power at all and he has everyone else fighting his battles. He says that he hopes that the others do okay.
Giant-Man and Captain America arrive in New
York in the first half of the twenty-first century.
Giant-Man’s heart sinks when he sees the scene because he
knows how Captain America’s downcast attitude is going to
respond to it. Giant-Man purposely leads Captain America by
saying that they have to do an investigation about where the
destruction all started. Captain America says that he may have
his doubts about the American Dream, but that there are human
beings out there dying and that they need help… not
investigation. Giant-Man says that Cap talked him into it.
Captain America and Giant-Man wade right in and starts inspiring
the other humans to fight on harder. The aliens start targeting
Captain America and one is coming up behind him, but suddenly two
yellow stars fly through the air and stick into the alien’s
face. Giant-Man watches as the attackers start fleeing.
He and Captain
America see what is apparently that era’s Avengers. Black
Panther, Thundra, Crimson Dynamo, a green woman called Jocasta,
Living Lightning, and Killraven. Black Panther takes off his mask
to look at Giant-Man and Captain America. He has a full white
beard. He asks how they can be there when he watched them die.
Captain America says that they are not the men that they knew. He
says that they are there investigating a temporal anomaly. Black
Panther recognizes that they are in the middle of the Destiny
War, and says that they have to deal with that on top of
everything else. Black Panther says that he is happy to have
their help no matter what the reason. Black Panther makes
introductions. Captain America is slightly put off by Crimson
Dynamo’s membership, but chalks it up to changing times.
Captain America asks about the invaders. Killraven is taking his
stars out of the thing’s head and says that they are
Martians, or that is at least where they staged their invasion.
Black Panther says that he fears that they have joined them just
in time for Earth’s last battle.
Hawkeye, Songbird, and Yellowjacket arrive
in the America Southwest in the year 1873. They stash the
chronosphere in a cave and Songbird flies them out on a sound
platform. Hawkeye asks Yellowjacket if he is sure that they are
headed in the direction of the anomaly. Yellowjacket says that he
realizes that Hawkeye knows nothing about it, but that his flux
resonator is leading them right to it. Yellowjacket has been
bothering Hawkeye for an hour now. Hawkeye wants to punch him,
but as leader of the team he feels responsible for the success of
the mission. He wonders if that is why the Wasp chose him as
leader, and if so how she knew. Hawkeye realizes that he is
looking down at Tombstone, Arizona. Yellowjacket says that the
anomaly is right in the middle of it. Hawkeye says that they have
to get dressed so they will fit in. He says that he isn’t
sure how the machine from the Sphinx knows to spit out the right
kind of clothes. Yellowjacket says that he would explain but that
it involves words of more than one syllable. 
Yellowjacket
offers Songbird help is she needs it to change, but Songbird
turns him down.
Soon, the three of them are walking through Tombstone. Hawkeye says that the old west was the only part of history class that he paid attention to, and that the orphanage had a pile of old pulp novels. Hawkeye asks if they know who lived in Tombstone. Yellowjacket says that while he is just tuning him out that Songbird must be bored listening to him yammering. Hawkeye spots Kid Colt and Rawhide Kid coming out of a tavern. Kid Colt and Rawhide Kid are saying that they had better get out of there before they have to fight some more people. Suddenly the Two-Gun Kid comes riding along on a horse. Two-Gun Kid says that he is the one that sent for them and that something strange is going on in Tombstone. They say that they have noticed that something is going on with the townspeople, and that they think that they have met the “fella” that is probably behind it all. Kang stands with his arms folded. He says that he warned them to stay out of his business, and that recruiting others will earn him nothing but a torment, agony, and a sudden death. Suddenly a tyrannosaur pops around the corner. Hawkeye is about to use a blast arrow to help out, but Songbird tells them that they can’t interfere. She says to trust her and that they will get away fine and that everything will be dealt with by Hawkeye ironically enough. Two-Gun, Rawhide, and Kid Colt ride away. The tyrannosaur roars. Kang tells it that it has served its master well, but that it can return to the prehistoric era that spawned it.
Songbird flies them all outside of town on a sound construct. She says that this is the wrong anomaly. Hawkeye says that he saw Kang trying to take over the town and that is Avengers’ business. He says that he is supposed to be in charge and wants to know why they are running away. Songbird says that it has already been Avengers’ business. She says that she read about it in the Avengers files. She says that Kang is trying to rule the 20th century by taking over the world in the 19th. She says that Hawkeye, Thor, and Moondragon defeat him. Songbird says that they can’t be spotted, and that Giant-Man just got the wrong anomaly. Yellowjacket says something snide about Giant-Man. They return to the cave and discover that their chronosphere is missing.
In a small California town in the year 1958, Genis and Jan descend from their floating invisible chronosphere in their time appropriate clothes. Genis asks Jan if she is comfortable in her disguise. Jan says that normally she would be stoked to have an excuse to dress in “a kicky retro outfit”, but since this isn’t the right time she will stay serious. Genis says that the anomaly is nearby and he could fly over the town using his cosmic awareness. Jan says that they should try something more subtle. Jan walks up to a newsstand and looks at a paper. She says that there is a special fourth of July celebration. The man says that there will be test pilots from the local air base, and that even Nixon is going to be there. Genis asks who Nixon is, but Wasp just says that he might be the focus of the anomaly.
At the fairgrounds, there is a carnival barker calling for everyone to “see the timeliest marvels of the age”. He boasts a missing link, a mechanical man, and a goddess performing on a high wire. Jan explains to Genis who Nixon is at the time and who he is going to become. She says that if Immortus wanted to change history that Nixon would be an ideal target. She says that if Nixon never goes to China that “it could upset all kinds of apple carts”. Hal overhears Jan talking and calls to “Bob” on his wristwatch. He says that he just heard something suspicious about taking Nixon to China and that he should gather the others.
As Genis and Jan try to work their way towards the vice-president, Genis says that he is feeling something odd as if they are being watched. Jan says that isn’t surprising since the secret servicemen are keeping an eye on the crowd. Genis says that it is something else. Suddenly Genis notices that Nixon isn’t a human, but that he is in fact a Skrull. Genis wants to stop him, but Jan tells him that they can’t cause such a commotion in public. As they run off, Jan breaks a heel, but Genis runs off without her. Jan turns into Wasp and flies to where Genis is changing. She says that she knows that he has Kree heritage, and that they are Skrull enemies, but that he has to calm down. Genis says that it isn’t just that, and that they have to be ready for anything.
Nearby, Hal says that they have shown their true colors and that is their cue to move. Hal puts on a pair of 3-D glasses that will unleash the “triple-power” within him.
Wasp yells at Genis and says that someone is
going to see them. Genis says that it is too late for that. 
He says that he
got a flash, but before he can explain the tent they are hiding
in is torn open. 3-D Man, standing with Venus and the Human
Robot, says that these are the jokers that want to take Nixon to
China. He asks the others if they think they are pinkos or space
aliens. Gorilla-Man says that it doesn’t matter since they
are doomed to fall. Marvel Boy says that they will fall before
the power of the Avengers.
Avengers Files rating: 8.5 out of 10
The way this story keeps developing is outstanding. Pacheco’s art also never lets you down at all. I will admit that the first time I read the issue through that I was pretty confused, but checking out the footnotes in the back will help clear up everything for those that are a little chronology incapable. Just a great read with fantastic adventure and imagination.