Overview

A new story arc begins as Ms. Marvel drafts two recruits from the Initiative…Machine Man and Sleepwalker?! When Araña is kidnapped, it's time for Carol Danvers to use her newly expanded strike force to squash an evil that's hit too close to home! The ongoing team of writer Brian Reed and artist Aaron Lopresti kicks off the three-part "Puppets" with a last-page reveal that'll have fans of female heroes buzzing!

(Spoilers)

At the Raft prison for Superhumans, an army arrives with a mission to liberate a priosoner. A hand is seen moving toy models of the soldiers and is also giving out the orders. The soldiers work their way down and set an explosive to open a door to a cell. They are distracted by the arrival of S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers and the bomb blows up in their face. The man controlling the figures is outraged that things didn't go according to his plan.

At the Xavier Institute, Ms. Marvel is talking to Beast. He's surprised that she has the guts to show up there after her recent fight with Rogue. She wants to know more about the scan he did on her recently. An anomaly showed up on only his scan. She's had herself checked out several times since without those same results. She also admits (even though it's hard for her) that she's been hearing voices. He does another scan but says there isn't anything out of the ordinary. He will check out the scanner to make sure it's operating at one hundred percent. Before she leaves, he tells her that he was upset with her over her fight with Rogue but can't seem to be able to stay mad at her.

In Brooklyn, Araña is venting some steam by taking down some liquor store robbers. She is mad at Carol and bored out of her mind over her training classes. She arrives home to find her father home a day early. He says he came home early to see what she was up to. He is unhappy that she was out swinging so soon after getting out of the hospital. He begins to attack Carol for almost getting her killed. Anya quickly comes to her defense saying that it was the Doomsday Man that almost killed her and that Carol saved her life. She says it's time he let her grow up and swings off the roof.

The next day, Carol tries calling her boyfriend William as she fights a criminal by the name of Battleaxe. She knocks out Battleaxe as the same looking army of soldiers from the raft shoot an electrified net around her. Ms. Marvel knows they aren't S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers and asks who they are. They answer by shooting a grenade at her. More surprised than hurt, she soon recovers and takes out the soldiers. Picking one up, she is surprised to see a blank look in their eyes. She receives a call from on of her Lightning Storm S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Agent Sum, that the super-powered soldiers she asked for have been sent over by Maria Hill.

On the minicarrier, Ms. Marvel meets her two new recruits, Machine Man and Sleepwalker. Machine Man, or Aaron as he prefers to be called, is pretty much just rude. She soon finds herself surprised to be arguing with a robot. Things don't get any better when Rick Sheridan tells her that he's not Sleepwalker. Sleepwalker is the alien from the Mindscape dimension that lives in his head and only comes out when he's sleeping.

At the Daily Bugle, Ms. Marvel's PR agent is having words with J. Jonah Jameson over the headline and photo of Carol and Wonder Man on the front page. She is concerned over the headlines that Carol was busy kissing Wonder Man while police officers were being killed. Jameson asks if she's going to bring in her lawyers and throws in her face the fact that Ms. Marvel aided and abetted a felon, Julia Carpenter.

Gil Corazon, Anya's father, calls the S.H.I.E.L.D. contact number he has because Anya never came home last night. She hasn't been at school either. The agent on the phone asks him if Anya's friends with Caasandra Lang, Cassie St. Commons, or if she's taking and instructions from Ms. Greer Grant. Gil says not that he knows of. On the agent's computer, all of them are listed as "missing." Anya is added to the list.

On the minicarrier, Ms. Marvel is with the agent working as the warden at the Raft. They are discussing the soldiers that have been captured along with Battleaxe. Machine Man arrives and asks why she has Chilean Army soldiers in custody. The warden confirms that these type of soldiers tried breaking out a criminal known as Exterminatrix. She soon orders her team to prepare to leave for South America.

In Puerto Maravilla, Chile, the Puppet Master is revealed to be behind everything. He appears to be talking to a "customer." He has several women from around the world standing, as if in a trance. He mentions that he's retired the Puppet Master guise after being defeated by the Fantastic Four so many times. He has also obtained a new source of clay that seems to be stronger than what he used before.

When his customer doesn't seem to be overly impressed with his selection, he mentions having a collection that is more on the unique side (and will also cost more). In another room, Dusk, Stature, Tigra, ((and someone else I don't quite recognize)- It's Silverclaw) are standing, in a trance also. At that moment, another "acquisition" arrives. It is non other than Anya in a crate.