This week, Kang the Conqueror resurfaces, forcing The Avengers to use a startling emergency protocol.

So, Kang’s kind of been… sitting around in prison for awhile, after being captured in the first season, trying to recover his world after a timerift disaster. While imprisoned and being watched carefully by the Avengers after an energy spike coming from his cell. Suddenly, time comes to a screeching halt, and 4 other Kangs, including a lady Kang appear in front of his cell, feeeing him so that the Avengers may be eliminated and their time, the 40th century, reclaimed. Kang escapes and turns the arc reactor into a time machine. Before all the Avengers are sucked into the portal, Tony has JARVIS activate the ‘New Avengers protocol’. They disappear. In the empty Stark Tower, JARVIS shows a map of New York, and searches for the approved recruits.

Across town, the ‘New Avengers’ are trying to deal with the madness coming out of Kang’s portal, which includes a biplane from the 30’s and dinosaurs. The recruits are: Spider-Man (returning USM star Drake Bell), Heroes for Hire Luke Cage and Iron Fist, Wolverine, War Machine, and The Thing (whom I can’t tell if he’s a recruit or just in the right place at the right time). JARVIS debriefs Spider-Man. Basically, this protocol means that the Avengers are compromised or dead, and this new team is worthy of fighting in their place. At first, they can’t really get it together, not that fighting ninjas, dinosaurs, and cavemen are easy feats. But it’s clear that they need to act as a team, like their predecessors. They’re able to take out both Kang and his time vortex, bringing the Avengers back to their time. Despite being ‘second-stringers’, they’re all given Avengers cards.

SO this was another very straightforward episode of EMH, and although I was delighted to see the focus shift slightly, especially when based off of the New Avengers series, it wasn’t quite enough. Ben Grimm’s inclusion, although always fun (and he had the best lines, definitely), it was also confusing. I assume they wanted to pay Fred Tatasciore after benching him for so long. And any time Spidey and Wolverine get to be onscreen, it’s a good time. Every appearance was welcomed, but it never culminated in anything great, which is what I think of when I think of New Avengers.

My Kingdom for Jessica Drew, basically.

  • In case you were interested: the New Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Cap, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and others. It took place after ‘Avengers Disassembled’ in ‘House of M’. Highly recommended.
  • Thing, to Rhodey in his War Machine suit- “You get the game on that thing?”
  • Ben Grimm is totally unphased by Kang’s machines. He’s seen a lot weirder.
  • Two words: Fastball. Special.

Did you miss an episode? Check out our recap of last week’s ‘The Deadliest Man Alive‘.