Avengers: The Initiative #2 *Spoilers*

[Young Avenger]

Another good issue. Poor Justice, Pym is trying to keep the guy out of the loop. How the hell is this Initiative thing going to work if the staff can't trust each other? And can someone tell me what's Beast relationship with Gyrich is? It felt weird that Beast would be super excited about seeing this guy.

[XPac]

Another good issue. Poor Justice, Pym is trying to keep the guy out of the loop. How the hell is this Initiative thing going to work if the staff can't trust each other? And can someone tell me what's Beast relationship with Gyrich is? It felt weird that Beast would be super excited about seeing this guy.

Yeah... it is unfortunate that Justice is being left out of the loop. To a degree it's understandable since it's probably not a good idea for too many people to know exactly how corrupt and unethical the Iniative is. But at the same time, it's impossible for him to be a counselar when he can't talk about the very thing that he really needs to councel them on. We see pretty clearly here how low on the priority scale the actual Iniative recruits are (though the CLoud 9 illustrates that about as well as anything else.

As for Gyrich... him and Beast have a bit of history from his time on the Avengers. I'm not sure he was REALLY excited to see the guy as much as he was just kind of playfully playing around a bit.

Plus (and this is purely the Avenger fan in me talking), any remider of the time Beast was in the Avengers is a good thing since that seemingly is the coolest funnest point in his entire hero career.

[Willowhugger]

I called it on no superpowers.

[Young Avenger]

Yeah... it is unfortunate that Justice is being left out of the loop. To a degree it's understandable since it's probably not a good idea for too many people to know exactly how corrupt and unethical the Iniative is. But at the same time, it's impossible for him to be a counselar when he can't talk about the very thing that he really needs to councel them on. We see pretty clearly here how low on the priority scale the actual Iniative recruits are (though the CLoud 9 illustrates that about as well as anything else.

As for Gyrich... him and Beast have a bit of history from his time on the Avengers. I'm not sure he was REALLY excited to see the guy as much as he was just kind of playfully playing around a bit.

Plus (and this is purely the Avenger fan in me talking), any remider of the time Beast was in the Avengers is a good thing since that seemingly is the coolest funnest point in his entire hero career.

I know that not everyone should know about what happened to MVP but Justice deserves to know. He was the one who recruited the guy.

So Beast just knows him from his time as an Avenger. From the way Beast was acting it seemed to me that they were the best of friends.

[Beast]

I wasn't going to make a thread, because I didn't want to do a full detailed synopsis of the issue. But since noone else has started one yet (well, when the forums puked), I decided to bite the bullet. This will not be a full breakdown of the entire issue, but I will cover the major points for you spoiler obsessed fiends. While I've never been a huge Dan Slott fan, the last two issues of A:TI have really won me over. He strikes a perfect balance of action and humor. And coupled with Caselli's energetic pencils, he delivers a strong book that respects and has fun with both continuity and it's characters. That said... here's the spoilers you guys want so badly.

Gauntlet is running the New Recruits that were introduced last issue through the obstacle course without the help of their powers under the watchful eye of Yellowjacket and Justice. Justice wants to know what happened to MVP, but Yellowjacket keeps telling him it's classified. Cloud 9 can't help but focus on what happened to MVP. And of course Trauma, who can't control his powers, accidentally shapeshifts into a zombie version of MVP who blames Cloud 9 for killing him. Justice and Yellowjacket jump into the fray, and YJ pulls Trauma away from C9. Justice still is demanding to be told just what the hell is going on.

Now focused on Pym, Trauma shifts into beaten up Jan and tells him that it's all he ever thinks about when he looks at her. And it's all everyone thinks when they look at him. Pym cries out and leaves the training field. Where Justice is demanding to know what is going on. Retreating to his office, he takes some drugs for anxiety and tries to call Jan. We see that she's at a resteraunt with someone, but Pym hangs up before saying anything to her. Yellowjacket is called down to the lab on an urgant matter.

Baron Von Blitzschlag informs Pym and Gyrich that every cell in MVP's body is perfect. But after extensive examination, he's not superhuman. He somehow earned the optimum human body through blood and sweat. Blizschlag wants them to keep the corpse, not return it to the family or destroy it. Pym is outraged, that this is a line he won't agree to cross. Gyrich agrees with the Baron, which angers Pym even more who lashes out and calls the Baron a nazi. The Baron admits he was a nazi and super-villain, but that nothing he did holds a candle to what Pym's done. What with Ultron, Salvation I, and Clor... he's become Dr. Hank Pym's biggest fan. Pym starts to threaten him, when an emergency call comes in that puts everyone on alert.

Hydra's on the move, staging a massive attack against Texas. Their target, the so-called "Western White House" located in Crawford Texas. The Texas Initiative team "The Rangers" is trying to hold them off, but they need reinforcements, especially since Bush is refusing to cut and run. Yeah, Bush is actually portrayed heroic here. Anyway, since the Texas team needs reinforcements, it's been decided to field all members on hand, including the new recruits. Everyone's issued a rocket packet (who can't already fly) and a pulse rifle. Pym gives War machine a special ordinance codenamed "The Stinger" a vibranium alloy shell with a special payload.

War Machine leads the recruits through the Negative Zone portal that's been established in Stamford. Using the portals wears down the point between Normal and Negative space, so the portals are only to be used for emergancies. The group arrives to find the Mighty Avengers already on the scene, adding to the defense of the President. They join the battle to the cry of "Avengers, Kick Ass" though soon Cloud 9 is disturbed by the fact that she just killed one of the Hydra agents when she shoots down one of the Hydra jets.

Meanwhile, Gyrich is observing everything from the War Room at Camp Hammond. One of the SHIELD guards brings Trauma in, who expects Gyrich to take his powers and wash him out of the program. Gyrich instead is angry that not only did Trauma screw up twice, he's not out there with his team lending a hand fighting Hydra. Trauma watches on the screen as the rest of the New Recruits are doing what they can to weaken the forces.

Gauntlet's attacks on the main Hydra carrier manage to divert enough power from it's systems that it's stabalizers give out. The Captain of the Hydra ship declares ramming speed, in a last ditch effort to kill the President. That's when War Machine fires "The Stinger", which thanks to the Vibranium casing is capable of getting through the shields. That's when we find out what the special payload is. A miniture Hank Pym flys out of it, increasing his mass as he lands on the Hydra ship. He vows that this is what they'll always think of when they think of him. Thanks to his weight, he knocks the ship off course and it crashes with a massive explosion.

Surprise, surprise... Hank manages to survive thanks to going subatomic which allowed ride out the blast. Everyone pretty much called this after the preview pages. If only the last Ant-Man would have thought of that, maybe Wanda's reputation wouldn't be so tarnished. But... back to the issue. Yellowjacket is hailed a hero and given a medal by the President in the Rose Garden of the White House. The newbie recruits of the Initiative are also there being honored by the President. Everyone's pretty happy noone died.

Back at Camp Hammond, Gyrich is leading Trauma down to one of the lower levels of the base. Terrance still believes that they're going to shoot him in the head or something worse. Gyrich assures him that he's far too valuable for that. A shapeshifter that can read minds is one of their holy grails. However he needs to learn control so these events quit happening, so has called in a specialist. The huge blast door opens, and Gyrich is met by the over-energetic Beast hanging from the ceiling who calls him "Petey". Gyrich is not pleased at all that Hank is there and wants to know where the girl. Hank says he's just there to serve as a chaperone.

We don't actually see who it is this issue, but as everyone can guess from Trauma's powerset and some of the online spoilers... Dani Moonstar is there to train Trauma to control his powers. She asked Beast to accompany her for two reasons. One, as a bodyguard... as she lost her powers due to M-Day. And two, because Hank has been dying to see Gyrich. Hank asks where his hug and embraces Gryich, who's generally annoyed. Beast turns from the embrace to introduce the mystery guest/private tutor... and that's where the issue ends. :)

[DarkCrisis]

The depiction of Pres Bush had me rolling my eyes.

[Willowhugger]

Why? I swear, I've heard this a few hundred times before. Everyone keeps seeming to have expected Bush to be depicted as high fiving the Red Skull or pulling out a gun to murder the Initiative kids.

Guy is a guy with ridiculously high expectations of the military in real life. What's hard to believe?

[gunz]

thank god pym didn't die, and he actually is getting props for being a hero for once. now can we all jsut forget what happened liek 20 years ago. Slott is the man. Throwing beast into the mix, sure for no apparent reason but who cares, was a nice little surprise and it's stuff like that makes his comics so much fun. this title is awesome. ten bux MVP comes back due to some weird nazi mad scientist experiment, which i think would be cool. all and all great issue

[DarkCrisis]

Why? I swear, I've heard this a few hundred times before. Everyone keeps seeming to have expected Bush to be depicted as high fiving the Red Skull or pulling out a gun to murder the Initiative kids.

Guy is a guy with ridiculously high expectations of the military in real life. What's hard to believe?

I seriously doubt Pres Bush would have stayed behind and placed himself in danger as an example.

[Monty_Cristo]

thank god pym didn't die, and he actually is getting props for being a hero for once. now can we all jsut forget what happened liek 20 years ago.

why would him attempting suicide again make me forget about what he did to his ex-wife?

I know that not everyone should know about what happened to MVP but Justice deserves to know. He was the one who recruited the guy.

so he should be laid with a guilt trip because he recruited a regular human into the Initiative?

[Willowhugger]

I seriously doubt Pres Bush would have stayed behind and placed himself in danger as an example.

I also think Bush would probably be sane enough to realize that whatever evacuation plan was involved would include him going through the air while surrounded by HYDRA.

[Mitchel]

And can someone tell me what's Beast relationship with Gyrich is? It felt weird that Beast would be super excited about seeing this guy.

That was great! When Gyrich used to make the Avengers life miserable the first time the government sanctioned the group it was Beast's humorous and irreverent ways that kept things lighthearted.

And GO PYM!!! It is time for him to be the hero he has always been.

[Monty_Cristo]

Beast was also paired with Gyrich during the Blood Ties crossover.

[Beast]

Thanks for the merger. The forums this afternoon was barfing like mad.

By the time I got mine up, there was this one. Hehe. :)

[Beast]

So Beast just knows him from his time as an Avenger. From the way Beast was acting it seemed to me that they were the best of friends.

And yeah, Beast has been a massive throrn in Gyrich's side since the Avengers days. And they're hardly friends. Hank just knows that he annoys the hell out of Gyrich, and any chance he can to twist the thorn is welcome. Especially when Gyrich needs his services. Beast and Hawkeye used to regularly refer to him as "Petey the Pest" who was a Dennis the Menace type comic strip character. Here's a few panels I dug up. :)