Avengers: The Initiative # 2 - Hero Moment

is an issue published by Marvel that was released on 6 / / 2007
last edit - 06/06/2008
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Plot Summary

Overview

Join War Machine and the Gauntlet as they lead the Initiative's fresh faced recruits and a division of Marvel's finest fliers against the forces of Hydra. All this and a pivotal moment in the life of Yellowjacket.

(Spoilers)

The trainees are running an obstacle course at Camp Hammond, in Stamford Cennecticut. Gauntlet orders them to run it without using their powers. Justice is bothered at his continued use of "The New Warriors" as an insult to what they should be. When talk among the trainees turns to what happens if you don't "make it" here, she starts thinking about MVP and how he's dead. She can't help thinking about him. Trauma is close by and his powers begin to take action over her fears. His body turns into the dead MVP, with half his head missing.

Hank runs to deal with Trauma and tells Justice to calm the trainees down but any talk about MVP is off limits. Justice is not happy with being left out of the loop over him, he still has no idea what happened. As Hank yells at Trauma over what he just did, he tries to explain that it was her fears that made him change. Then he begins to sense Hank's fears. He begins to change into a beaten Janet Van Dyne. Gauntlet and Justice pull them apart. Justice says he knows of some people that can help him get his powers under control.

In Hank's office, he searches for some anxiety pills that he used in the past. He decides to call Janet. She is out on a date and Hank hangs up before she can answer her phone.

In Baron Von Blitzschlag's lab, he comments to Gyrich and Hank about MVP's body. Despite his being the grandson of Abraham Esrkine, the creator the original Super-Soldier Serum, MVP had earned his perfection by putting in hard work. Analysis of his body shows that he didn't have any super powers. Hank is disgusted over Von Blitzschlag's talk of using the body's perfect genes to try to create more soldiers. He says he can't believe that not only is he working with Gyrich, but also a former Nazi. Von Blitzschlag turns things around by mentioning Hank's creation of Ultron and the Thor clone that killed Goliath. He tells Hank not to hate him because he's his biggest fan.

Just then a Priority One emergency alert goes off. All Initiative members are being called to action. Over a no-fly zone in Texas, a Hydra terror-carrier is headed toward the Prairie Chapel Ranch, also known as the "Western White House." Several groups are already on scene attempting to deal with it including the Texas Rangers with Living Lightning, Firebird, Texas Twister, Armadillo, Red Wolf, Phantom Rider, and Shooting Star.

At Camp Hammond, War Machine hands out weapons, pulse rifles, to members that can fly. Those that can't fly are given jet packs despite not having put in any time training with them. They pass throught the Negative Zone to get to the Texas jump gate. The plan is to build one for every state. Because of the affects between negative and positive space, they are to only be used in extreme emergencies.

With the Initiatives and other Avengers, they attempt to break through the shield the Hydra carrier has. Cloud 9 is surprised when she shoots down her first plane. She comments how it's not like in the cartoons. The pilot didn't jump out in a parachute when the plane was hit.

In the War Room at Camp Hammond, Trauma is brought to Gyrich. Trauma is ready to get kicked out. He says he knows this isn't where he belongs. Gyrich agrees. He says he should be out there with the others, defending his country.

Despite some injuries, they are finally able to break throught the shields. Hank jumps on the ship and begins to increase his size and mass. The ship's trajectory is changed. Hank begins to think that this could change the world's outlook on him. Perhaps now they won't just think of him as a wife beater. The ship explodes.

It turns out, Hank survived. He is honored at the White House, given the Presidential Medal of Freedom with military distinction. The trainees see that this may not be such a bad deal afterall.

At a level Trauma's never been to before by Gyrich. He asks if this is where he gets shot. Gyrich tells him that his powers are too important to just throw away since he can change shapes and read minds. They have called in a specialist. Henry McCoy, the Beast, is there to give Gyrich a big hello. Gyrich asks why the Xavier Institute sent him. He says he's there as a chaperone for the one they've requested. The mysterious female says she asked Beast to go with her for two reasons: one, she needed a bodyguard since she lost her powers after M-Day, and two, because he was dying to see him. We have to wait until next issue to see who Trauma's private tutor will be.


Creators

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  • Dan Slott
    writer,

  • Daniele Rudoni
    colorer,


  •  
    Dave Meikis
    inker, cover,

  • Jim Cheung
    penciler, cover,


  •  
    Joe Caramagna
    letterer,

  • Joe Quesada
    editor,


  • Molly Lazer
    editor,

  • Stefano Caselli
    penciler, inker,


  • Tom Brevoort
    editor,


  • Characters


    Teams

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    Story Arc

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    The better Avengers title out there?


    Reviewed by The Outsider
    May 9, 2007

    Hero Moment

    This series was only supposed to be a mini, and it's ending up being better then Mighty Avengers and New Avengers. This issue shows what The Initiative is suppose to be. If a threat shows up on American soil it gets squashed asap. The two other Avengers series show how things are for those teams in the "post Civil War" Marvel Universe, but this series actually shows you how the rest of the world is.

    Another thing that I think makes this series work, and it's demonstrated in this issue, is that the story is as much about the trainers as the trainees. I love having YellowJacket and War Machine in an ongoing series. I still dislike the character of Gauntlet however and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm guessing he is supposed to be a stereotypical Drill Sergeant, but he's coming off as a character that I wouldn't mind seeing killed off in the very near future. The character's behavior is warranting him being punched out (if not worse) by one of the other trainers... and I kinda wonder why that hasn't happened yet.

    Having good old Henry Gyrich in the series is a nice touch. It makes sense, and you would fully expect someone like that there representing the government. On the same note you would expect someone like Baron von Blitzschlag to be working for the government as well.

    The trainees themselves took a back seat to the trainers in this issue, and that was fine. Although since they are all new characters they are going to need some character development sooner then later. It's nice to see however that all the new students aren't just there because they "want to serve they're country", they mostly have different reasons to be there. Some as simple as just wanting to be able to use their powers like Cloud 9.






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