Superior Avengers # 2

 By Mark Rodriguez

Doctor Doom set out to bring the Avengers from the future to prove to the world that his current reign was something positive. However he has no ideas that these new Avengers have an agenda of their own. The future versions of Killmonger, Abomination, Ghost, Doctor Octopus, Malekith and Onslaught are actually plotting against Doom. What will happen next?

"Heavy Metal Machine" opens with team being on Prison 42 in the Negative Zone. Abomination comments on feeling the magic come off of the object that Ghost acquired, calling it the lifeblood of 'Lord Doom'. Doctor Octopus reminds Abomination that arcane energy existed before Doom existed. She states Doom horded it all to himself which cause the downfall of all of them. 

Onslaught uses telepathy to determine that they are the only signs in the prison. Doc Ock asks what Ghost found under the Capitol, their scans show the power level was so minimal, the sensors barely caught it. Ghost shows the item and says the owners probably didn't know it held magic energy, and was just collecting dust and probably wouldn't be missed. Malekith remarks that he says the same thing about every limb her lobs off. Killmonger says every tool that will help them seize back their future has worth.

 

The team face a huge device called the Arcane Warhead, as Doc Ock adds they can't be picky about the items that will power it. Onslaught says they could charge the device faster if they followed his advice. Killmonger says killing the Scarlet Witch would send all the X-Men and Avengers after them before they could make it back to the warhead. She advises him to keep nurse his personal grudges privately. 

Doc Ock warns the crew to watch their eyes once she powers the warhead. The magic item is inserted and the warhead makes a sound. Doc Ock says they got more of a charge than expected, even though it's a drop in the bucket so far. Abomination says they are getting close to retaking the kingdom of Lord Doom. Killmonger says they are currently not prepared to face what they have left behind.

We see a vision taking place in Doomstadt, timeline Anno Doom #128 ad Killmonger runs Doom through with a long sword. Doom asks how this happened as Killmonger pulls the bloody blade out of him. She explains that the sword is made of an animagic metal called Mysterium, and Onslaught ravaged what was left of Krakoa to mine it. Onslaught says its not often he gets to mix business with pleasure. Doom says they were acolytes and he made sure they wanted for nothing and they still betrayed him. Killmonger smacks him across the face and yells that they wanted for free will. 

 

Doom says that humanity is not responsible enough for free will, which is why it needs his iron hand to guide it. Onslaught uses his telekinetic powers to send Doom flying back before he could attack, saying he had idle hands rather than iron hands. Onslaught says they're been propping up the new world order while Doom was busy collecting magic books and trinkets. He says if Doom bothered to leave his throne more than once a decade he'd see that the 'One World Under Doom' has been left to rot in his absence.

Doom says they don't know the wolves he had protected them from. Killmonger says to let them come as they will deal with them. She says it's time for them to reign rather than  kneel before a tyrant that overstayed his triumph. Doom manages to sit back on his throne and asks how long the world will last without a Sorcerer Supreme, as currently there is no magic that is not Doom. Malekith says Doom's throne is full of trinkets and baubles, treasures that he pilfered that are now ripe for pillaging. 

Doc Ock messages the crew and tells them that they're almost done getting past the vault's defenses, Once Doc Ock hacks her way inside, they are surprised to see that the vault is empty. Doom starts to laugh. Killonger draws her blade to this throat and asks about the Wands of Watoomb, the Ebony Blade and the Siege Perilous. Doom says he has destroyed every vessel, and all magic will die with him. Doom asks if she can hear the wolves howling. Killmonger angrily slices Doom's head off.

Meanwhile, on TV, Kristoff Vernard if this new team can really call themselves the Avengers seeing as they're not sanctioned by Captain Marvel or Steve Rogers. Kristoff says they shouldn't need to and asks where the current day Avengers are now that the world need them. He says Under Doom, the world can once again count of Avengers to put the interests of humanity first. Another man asks Kristoff about how these Avengers come from a future where Doom's rule flourished. Kristoff says they stand testament that his father's vision represents a better tomorrow. He throws some shade at the current Avengers saying that Doom's Avengers are here only to serve and protect unlike the originals.

One man points out that these Avengers seem to be named after current day villains (like Killomnger and Doctor Octopus), and asks how Kristoff can reassure people concerned about these team members. Kristoff points out that there were times where 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' have threatened the same planet they have sworn to protect. He adds that the fact that the Superior Avengers model themselves after current day villains proves the worth of Doom's work. They come from a future that hails villains as an obsolete concept.

Elsewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Superior Avengers have tracked down Diablo, who says he should have been impossible to find. Doc Ock says Diablo waited less than 48 hours since his escape from The Raft to start his experiments on the locals, which isn't particularly discreet. Abomination says he will pay for his transgressions in Doom's name.

Diablo says he won't rot in Doom's dungeons and summons a huge sand blast that Abomination blocks with his shield. Diablo raises his arm, preparing for another attack, when suddenly Killmonger kicks him hard enough to snap his wrist. She says they have no interest in dragging this out. Killmonger says they have more escapees to capture as Malekith retrains him. Diablo says he can't be defeated since he is immortal and unending. Doc Ock says he might be useful and she starts to drain the magic out of him through her metal tentacles.

 

Doc Ock says her tech isn't designed to hold that much arcane energy long-term and she will need to off-load into the battery as soon as possible. Killomonger tells Onslaught to remove the last five minutes of Diablo's memory so he doesn't tell his Raft inmates how the Superior Avengers drained his magic. Onslaught complains about being told what to do as he does so.

Killmonger tells Doc Ock to leave with Abomination while leaving the hologram drones behind since their benefactor is easily fooled. Abomination asks what will happen if Doom shows up while he's away, since he's been waiting to have an audience with him. Killmonger remarks that she'll make sure his drone kiss his ass in his absence. As Doc Ock and Abomination leave through a portal, Vernard's ship arrives and Killmonger tells the rest to put on their performance.

Vernard is pleased to see that they have captured Diablo, a foe the Fantastic Four have clashed with repeatedly but have never been able to defeat permanently.  He says the press outlets will love this. Vernard says that while the team seems resistant to it, it is time that they became more intimately familiar with the public. There is a limit to how much the average citizen will trust heroes they don't really know. Since the current day Avengers have been swept away with Dormammu's spell, the stage is clear for them.

Killmonger says that perhaps it is time for them to take the next step to further the mission. Malekith says that adulation would be a different note than the screams that usually follow his wake. Vernard remarks perhaps not everyone is camera ready.

Later on in Doomstadt, Latveria, Kristoff tells the crew to rest up since they have earned the 'Superior' name. He can send Doombots to their suites if they need anything. Ghost mutters for him not to do that. Killmonger tells Kristoff that she wishes to discuss tactics with him once Diablo has been locked away, one on one. Kristoff smiles and says the Doombots can handle Diablo. 

 

Moments later we see that Killmonger and Kristoff discuss their tactics, in the bedroom, as Ghost phases through the wall to watch on. 

My Thoughts-

Gotta love the solicits for these comics. The description for this mentions how the team will have to go against Diablo and built it up as if he was going to be a major threat. While the team does in fact take on the Fantastic Four villain, Diablo was just a minor obstacle as the comic focuses more on the true motives behind the team.

So Doctor Doom takes control and ownership of all magic in the world, to the point where killing him will kill off all magic as well. Now that the team are back in the past where magic still exists, their main goal is steal whatever magic energy the can to power up this Arcane Warhead, which I assume will be used to take out Doom in modern day.

 

The team is working together for now, but we'll have to see how that changes as the story progresses. Already I'm wondering why Abomination is with them as he seems to be the only one continuing addressing 'Lord Doom' with respect and is constantly speaking about him with a high level of respect. Killmonger taunts him with an 'ass-kissing' comment, so I wonder how Abomination will act when push comes to shove.

I'm a bit confused on the subtle interaction between Killmonger and Ghost. In the previous issue, the team noticed that Kristoff kinda likes Killmonger, and it's clear she sees him as a fool that easily bought their fake hero act. I mean, Malekith makes no qualms in talking like a villain, and Kristoff still has no problem with him being on the team. Even the media at large noticed that these guys are named after modern day villains like Doctor Octopus and so forth. While the others are mantles, Malekith seems to be the exact same guy, but from the future and with what looks like a symbiote attached to him?

So the issue ends with Killmonger sleeping with Kristoff, purposely leading him on and this makinf=g him fall for her and the overall ruse even further. Earlier on when she made the comment about 'taking the mission to the next step', the 'camera' pans over to Ghost. And now during the bedtime shenanigans, Ghost is phasing through the room to take a peak. Is she in on it? Is she spying on them? Is she just a voyeur? I'm just curious to see if she's on board with Kilomonger's manipulation tactics or if she will throw this in her face whenever the teammates inevitably start to clash with each other.

We also have to see what is up with Onslaught, who seems to have some sort of beef with the Scarlet Witch, and seemed to have too much fun killing whoever he ran into on Krakoa in the future flashback. I hope we go into the backstories of these guys during the run. I'm going to assume they're villains in their timeline too, but seeing that villains like to live just like the rest of us, they're still determined to save their literally Doomed future.

As for the future, we have to love just how incredibly full Doom is of himself. I mean, of course he'd assume the world will prosper under his rule.  With all the multiverse stuff and alternate timelines, Doom seems to ignore the fact that there seems to be several alternate futures where his rule 'doomed' the world until they find the one where these 'heroes' make it look like his rule was a good thing. Naturally this one has to be the future that counts for him. I know time is a flowing thing where the slightest change will affect the future, but I wonder why Kristoff was looking into all these alternate futures from across the multiverse and not just look into THEIR actual 616 future.

We'll see how things go next issue. This series is supplementary to the main One World Under Doom storyline, and Dorumammu banished the real Avengers elsewhere. Next issue, it looks like the originals will escape and we'll see Superior Avengers VS the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 

While I bought this issue back when it first came out, I somehow lost it during the move. I was lucky enough to re-buy issues 1-3 from Third Eye since the series is still pretty new. Binge-reading time.