New Avengers (1st series) #7

Tony Stark flies through the air as the invincible Iron Man. As he streaks through the city, he receives a call from his new colleague, Spider-Woman. Agent Drew bids Tony a good morning, and Tony does the same. She asks him how his armor is, and he responds that it is very cool. Jessica smiles and jokes about boys and their toys. She then gets to business and informs Tony that one of the escaped convicts popped up on the grid outside Long Island. She is grabbing whoever is available and heading out.

Tony thinks it’s a great idea and then asks Jessica if her bosses at S.H.I.E.L.D. are ok with her being an Avenger now. Jessica asks Tony how she should know. Does he think people at S.H.I.E.L.D. really tell anyone how they feel? Tony admits that she is right, and Jessica reminds him that she has no way of knowing who to trust over there anymore. She then asks if this line is secure. Tony assures hr that it is and she never has to ask. Before ending the communication, Agent Drew tells Stark that Spider-Man says hi.

As Iron Man reaches his destination, which seems to be the abandoned office of Funtime Inc., he asks Jessica if she and her group will be okay on their mission. Spider-Woman tells him that she has Luke Cage and Wolverine with her also. They will be fine. Content, Iron Man signs out. He then addresses his armor and orders and environmental scan for attendance. As he enters the compound, his armor tells him that four humanoid life forms and one astral projection are 100 feet ahead. Iron Man realizes that everyone is there, as his armor pulls up identity files.

Iron Man walks into the next room to see five of the most elite men in the world sitting around a coffee table: the astral projection of Dr. Stephen Strange, the leader of the Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic, founder of the X-Men, Charles Xavier, king of the Inhumans, Black Bolt, and the king of Atlantis as well as former Avenger, Namor.

Iron Man is about to greet the group when Namor interrupts him. Clearly angry, Namor asks Stark when he was going to inform them. Good morning to you too, says Tony. Namor demands to know when, and Tony snaps back with a “when what?” Without a world, Reed holds up his tablet pc, which displays that morning’s news article with a picture of Iron Man and his colleagues in Boston. The headline reads “NEW Avengers?”

Embarrassed, Tony takes off his helmet and tells them that he got the Avengers back together. Dr. Strange is happy for Tony, but Reed asks him if he can afford it. Stark admits that he doesn’t have the funds, but he will do what he has to do. Xavier is also happy about the news, and tells him that he has spoken to Wolverine and agrees that it is a good idea. Tony tells the men that they were all right when they once said that the disassembling of the Avengers left a void that needed to be filled. Still annoyed, Namor asks Tony once again when he was going to tell the rest of them.

Tony turns to Namor and tells him that it happened yesterday. Namor reminds Tony about their arrangement, which prompts Tony to sarcastically asks if anyone knows how to say “It happened yesterday” in Atlantean. Reed answers correctly as he reads the article on his tablet. Everyone stares at him, disappointed. Embarrassed, Reed admits that he thought Tony was really asking.

Namor asks Tony when they were going to be informed about all these super powered criminals on the loose. How many were freed? Reed answers forty-six, but Tony corrects him and says forty-four. Reed holds up the tablet with the article and affirms that it was forty-six. Dr. Strange announces that he had a run in with a zealot named the Crusader last night outside his home. He called him a devil worshipper. He beat the man with transient spells and banished him. Smiling, Tony tells Namor that forty-five are left. Angered, Namor asks Tony if he thinks this is humorous, as there are madmen on the loose.

Tony fills the others in on the details of how the Savage Land mutates broke Sauron out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. prison for their own reasons. It created a prison riot and the assembled heroes did their best to contain it. They chased Sauron to the Savage Land yesterday and brought him back. Captain America saw the gathering as a sign and believes that the Avengers were brought together by fate again. They will make a run of it with this new team. They are working on getting each and every bad guy back into custody and they wouldn’t mind their help.

Xavier asks Tony if he is rebuilding the mansion. Tony admits that he can’t pay that bill and he doesn’t want to. He has a brand spanking new office building ten blocks from the Baxter Building and no one wants to rent the office space for fear that aliens would attack Iron Man. So then Tony thought that if he has an office building that no one wants because they fear space aliens, why not fill it with a bunch of people who would actually get attacked by space aliens. Reed calls Tony’s attention to an earlier discussion about Chicago. They talked about having a super-team there so they weren’t all concentrated in New York City, perhaps even having a team in Los Angeles.

Tony tells Reed that he doesn’t see this team relocating. Strange congratulates Tony again, which pleases him. He turns to Namor and tells him that this is how land walkers communicate with one another. He made an announcement and his colleagues wished him well. Namor dismisses the comment and asks who the new Avengers are. Tony becomes more serious and admits that this is why he called them in. Who of them knows who the Sentry is? They might have a real problem.

In Long Island, a young girl sunbathes in her backyard by the pool. Suddenly, a towering figure appears before her. She looks up to see a very large, muscular, shirtless man, who introduces himself as Dirk Garthwaite. He wants his stuff back. The girl is shocked, so Dirk grabs her by the arm and yanks her up.

He asks her who Ed Gross is and learns that it is the girl’s father, who is not home. Dirk drags the girl back to the house and tells her that her dad bought some stuff from his brother that belongs to him. He gave his brother one thing to do while he was away and he couldn’t even do it. The girl begins to argue that he dad wouldn’t have any of his stuff, but Dirk mumbles about how his brother sold his stuff the moment he went to jail.

Dirk and the girl reach the house and he tells her that he wants his stuff back, but he isn’t asking for it. She leads him to the basement, where Dirk sees a password-protected door. As the girl begins to type in the code, she reminds Dirk that she had nothing to do with what’s behind the door and his missing stuff. Dirk tells her to shut up, but the girl talks anyway, saying that she doesn’t even know who he is. “You will,” says Dirk.

The girl leads Dirk to the next room, which is filled with glass cases full of super-villain outfits and weapons. Included in this gallery are the outfits of the Vulture, Beetle, Mysterio, Scorpion, Electro, Rhino and Kraven the Hunter. Dirk is taken back by this sight, but the girl tells him that her dad is a collector. She gets emotional and tells him that he puts on the outfits sometimes and acts out “events.” As she cries, she admits that he doesn’t know she is watching, but she is.

Dirk ignores the girl and looks around for his stuff. He spots his green outfit and purple mask in a glass case and smashes it, picking up his weapon as well. The girl tells Dirk to leave now that he has his stuff, but he refuses. Does she have anything to eat?

Soon, Dirk makes the girl pack all the super-villain outfits into the trunk of her car.
She asks him why he wants all this stuff, but he tells her to behave herself until they are out of the city. She asks if she can put some clothes on before they go, as she is till in her bikini and he is in his super villain outfit. Being a pervert, Dirk tells her that he just got out of jail, so clothes for her are a no. Scared, the girl tells him to just take the car, but he tells her that she is his new best friend. The girl admits that she has no clue who he is, which surprises the man. She doesn’t even recognize the weapon. The girl looks at it and calls it a crowbar. Dirk admits that it is a crowbar, but there is more to it. The girl is confused, so Dirk introduces himself as the Wrecker.

The girl opens the garage and tells Dirk as they sit in the car that she isn’t in to all the superhero stuff. Dirk, still stunned, asks if she really never heard of him. No, replies the girl. Dirk, saddened, tells her that his crowbar was in her basement. Has she ever heard of the Wrecking Crew? They kicked the Avengers’ butts. Upon hearing this, the girl dismisses the Wrecker. Offended, the Wrecker insists that they did. They broke into the mansion and beat them all up. He then complains about how he is out of the scene for ten minutes and everyone forgets him. Suddenly, the girl slams on the back when she tries reversing. The Wrecker looks back to see an amazing sight.

In the street is the Avengers Quinjet and standing before it are Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine and Luke Cage. Cage asks the Wrecker to get out of the car, while Wolverine tells him that they would like to have a few words with him. Spider-Man looks at his colleagues and comments on how they are all so good at their superhero poses.

Wrecker gets out of the car and asks them who they are supposed to be. He then doesn’t give them a chance to answer, as he does not care. He has to get through them, so he will get through them. Do they know what power he holds? He defeated Thor and the Avengers. He is the Wrecker and he is about to beat their butts! Spider-Man webs up the Wrecker’s face and tell him that though he has been in jail for a while, he should know that super villain banter has gotten more sophisticated since he was last out.

The Wrecker rips off the webbing in time to hit Wolverine away with his crowbar. Wolverine crashes face first into the lawn, making Spider-Man comment that he will be really upset when his face grows back. The Wrecker continues to brag about how he once defeated Thor, but Luke Cage is not impressed. In fact he keeps on looking at the Wrecker’s stupid hat. The two block each other’s blows and Cage becomes frustrated, wishing the Wrecker would fall. The Wrecker grabs Cage by the wrist, but before he can do anything Spider-Man smashes a tricycle on his head. Cage takes advantage of the distraction and punches the Wrecker in the face.

As the Wrecker throws Cage away, Spider-Man webs up the villain’s feet, which irritates him. He tells Spider-Man this, but the whimsical hero is shocked, as he hasn’t even told that many lame jokes yet. As Cage crashes into the Quinjet, Spider-Woman aids Spider-Man in the attack, which Spider-Man hopes at least tickles the Wrecker. Wrecker grabs the webbing on his arm, which is still connected to Spider-Man, and uses it to launch the web-head high into the air and far away.

Wolverine, who has recovered, slashes the Wrecker in the back. He exclaims how much it hurts, but Cage tells him to get used to it. The Wrecker tells him to shut up before bating Cage away with his crowbar. Cage flies across the street and lands in the neighbor’s parked car, which rolls over. He falls unconscious.

Spider-Woman still attacks with her venom blasts, but the Wrecker informs her that all she is doing is annoying him, but then again she is a woman and she wouldn’t be the first. Snapping back that he probably has never been with a woman, Spider-Woman continues her assault. Wolverine attacks again, making the Wrecker think that the heroes do not understand. He has the power of a god. He swings at Wolverine with his crowbar, but misses and shatters the sidewalk instead. He then grabs Wolverine by the wrist and asks him what he is, a mutant midget? He then throws Wolverine far away.

The Wrecker towers over Spider-Woman and growls. He really likes how she looks in that costume. “Yeah…” says the nervous Spider-Woman, “…right back at ya. Woo-boy.”

Meanwhile, in the Nevada Desert, S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives set up outside a cave. A soldier calls Director Hill, but she interrupts him as she can see them coming. A Quinjet lands and out come Iron Man and Captain America, who greet her. Hill tells them that she is not sure about this, to which Iron Man replies that she has made that clear. She then tells them that he is in the cave. Iron Man, Captain America, Director Hill, and a group of agents then head in.

Inside, they find the Robert Reynolds, known as the Sentry, sitting with his legs tucked to his chest in the cave. Iron Man introduces himself to Reynolds and says that he needs to talk to him. Robert interrupts Iron Man and tells him that he needs to leave. Cap, concerned, asks him why. What will happen if they leave? Robert replies that he is coming. Captain America questions who is coming. “The Void,” states Reynolds.

Iron Man asks if the Void is a person or a construct. Robert yells that he used his powers. To save them he used his powers. He was weak, but he saved them, but he will pay the price. They all will pay. Iron Man shares a look with Cap, and then tells Reynolds that they do not understand.

Reynolds informs the two that when he uses his power of a million exploding suns, he unleashes blackness across the world. He comes to destroy the world every time Reynolds saves it. It is his purpose. It killed his wife. He killed his wife. It will keep coming, forever. Iron Man stops Reynolds and tells him that he has someone here to meet him. Reynolds looks up to see who it is… and his whole world shatters.

Lindy Reynolds stands before her husband and addresses her husband, telling him in a very concerned tone that she isn’t dead. Reynolds is shocked and refuses to believe what he sees. He saw her die. Lindy begins to cry and asks Robert what is wrong with him. Iron Man tells Robert that they have been piecing together his story. They tried to figure out how to help him.

Iron Man then introduces another man, who is very shocked. He is Paul Jenkins, a comic book writer. He created the Sentry, a comic book character. Their question to Reynolds is… who is he?