Kang the Conqueror’s latest scheme continues to unfold in the pages of Uncanny Avengers. After taking a break from the present day in the last issue to show the epic magnitude of this plan, we finally catch up with the Avengers Unity Squad to see the consequences of their first press conference.
In issue number six, Kang traveled back in time to confront a young and reckless Thor so as to manipulate the Thunder God into killing Apocalypse and carelessly leaving his enchanted axe Jarnbjorn unattended and up for grabs in case a certain time-traveling villain decided to use it in the future. Also, in issue five, the Grim Reaper attacked the Havok’s team of Avengers at their first press conference, but was quickly subdued by Rogue, who ended up using more of Wonder Man’s borrowed powers than she should have, resulting in the death of the villain/brother of Simon Williams. Not exactly the best way to get the public on their side in this time of scrutiny for mutants everywhere.
Now in the most recent issue, Genocide, the bastard son of Apocalypse, attempts to take his father’s place as a servant to celestial beings. However, a pair thought to be long gone take offense to this and seek to send Genocide to the afterlife to join his father. Meanwhile, at the Avengers Mansion, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Maria Hill and Nick Fury drop by to clean up the mess made at the Uncanny Avenger’s first official public outing by coming to a compromise with team leader Alex Summers, one which not all the team members are in favor of. Also, Captain America and Sunfire visit Agent Brand of S.W.O.R.D. to look into some irregular space activity.
After last issue’s preface, I’m glad that this new issue got into Kang’s plan and showed how his changes to history affect the present. Though the things that are happening throughout time right now are intriguing, I’m more interested in what Havok and his team have going on. His team is supposed to show that the teachings of Charles Xavier were true and that mutants and humans should be able to get along and work together, yet this prime example is failing in the public eye because of the opposition the team’s faced in their short time being active. There’s some great drama going on between the team regardless of what troubles they’re facing, so I like checking in each issue with what problems Rogue and the Scarlet Witch have going on or what baggage Thor and Wonder Man happened to bring with them this time around. There are so many interesting characters in this series, so that alone is reason to pick up ‘Uncanny Avengers’.
One character that I was looking forward to getting to know was Sunfire. Marvel is really shaking things up with their characters during Marvel NOW by bringing more diversity into their main books. Aside from throwing mutants and humans onto teams together, we’re also getting heroes of different ethnicities, sexual orientations, and lifestyles, which is so refreshing to see, but after this issue, I question how much more of Shiro Yosida we’ll be seeing. Hopefully it’s just one of those classic comic book swerves and we see him fighting alongside his teammates in the next issue.
When it came to rating the last issue, I said that it didn’t match up completely with the rest of the run up to that point. I’d say that they brought it back up with this new issue. I’m looking forward to seeing what Captain America, Thor, Wolverine, and Rogue especially get into after the events in this issue.
Final Score:
UNCANNY AVENGERS #7
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Daniel Acuña
Cover by John Cassaday & Laura Martin
