New Avengers (Vol. 1) #20

Background

After battling Michael to a standstill, the New Avengers decided to not to interfere with his journey. Michaels destination was the island of Genosha.

Story Details

The final part of this story arc starts with a de-powered Magneto writing in his journal. He writes that mutants are no longer a rising population, and they will not be able to rebuild what they had in his lifetime. Suddenly his pen starts to float. Next we see Michael discharging energy over the island.

S.H.E.I.L.D. commander Hill is watching this while talking to the President. He tells her to vaporize the whole island, she tells him she cannot do that as the Avengers are there. The Avengers have just landed, Cap asks Iron Man to tell him what's happening. Iron Man tells him Michael is transferring energy but he doesn't know where to. Iron Man says he has a plan but it's one of those "one-shot deals". Ms Marvel says Genosha is a tomb where millions of mutants died there is no one here. Wolverine says there is one person left.

Magneto is in the energy storm, a voice is talking to him. It tells him that he is the only one who can restore mutants to their rightful place. Magneto asks who is this? The entity tells him the body they came to him is just a vessel, a mutant that absorbs energy, he's being fighting the entity at every step and without a body the collective is useless. Magneto asks again who is this? The entity tells him he already knows as he can feel their connection. The entity is Xorn!

The Avengers hear this and realise what their up against and move to confront Xorn/Magneto. Cap tells the Sentry, Magneto does not leave the island, Spider-Woman says they should leave and let S.H.E.I.L.D. wipe the place off the map. Xorn tells Magneto that he will need an army to remind the world what they did. Sentry tells Cap he could sink the island, Cap disagrees while Spider-Woman advises there's the S.H.E.I.L.D. option, Iron Man loses contact with S.H.E.I.L.D. due to the interference from the energy. Xorn tells the army to rise, a rotten hand comes from the ground. The Avengers are surrounded by the re-animated corpses of the mutants who died on Genosha. Vision notes that his files on Xorn are incomplete, Wolverine replys with Xorn's files on Xorn are incomplete too, (referring to the Xorn continuity). Iron Man tells the Sentry that he's up and to take off his metal belt. Cap tells him that Magneto stays on the island, Sentry tells him that he could throw him into the sun, but Cap still says to keep him on the island.

The Sentry is knocked down by Magneto. On the ground he meets a a naked Michael who asks what's going on. Back on the S.H.E.I.L.D. base the President is still talking to Hill about their next move - he tells her to end this and destroy the island. Hill tells him she is sorry they already have a plan and tells Tony Stark that now would be a good time to start a plan. The S.H.E.I.L.D. team with Daisy Johnson has arrived. Cap tells Johnson to do what she did to Wolverine that time but aim for the brain. A S.H.E.I.L.D. agent asks what did she do to Wolverine? Johnson says she started a pinpoint earthquake in his chest and his heart exploded. Iron Man tells Ms. Marvel to get into position as they'll need her absorbing powers to contain Xorn. Meanwhile Magneto and the Sentry are still fighting. Magneto tells the Sentry to kill him. Johnson does her thing, which causes the Xorn energy in Magneto to leave him. This is absorbed by Ms. Marvel, Iron Man then traps Xorn in a energy field and asks the Sentry to fly it into the sun. The Sentry then flys the ball of energy into the sun where it dissipates.

Back on Earth Johnson tells the Avengers she wants to be called Quake now she's one of them. Cap tells he she's not being recruited, they just needed her help. Iron Man tells Michael he's a mutant, one that can absorb energy. Michael remembers walking in snow, and he killed people. Heroes, Wolverine tells him he killed heroes. Iron Man tells him its not his fault, Wolverine tells him to tell that to Alpha Flight. Michael notices that he has kept some of the collective energy and he now has more powers. Cap asks him what he's going to do with his powers, Wolverine tells him he should make up for what he did.

Magneto is still alive, unconscious but alive. He's loaded onto a S.H.E.I.L.D. helicopter to be taken away for treatment, then trial. Iron Man thanks Hill for not nuking them like the President ordered, and it was of nice of her to let him eavesdrop on their conversation. The helicopter carrying Magneto explodes, Magneto is not found.

Back on the S.H.E.I.L.D. helicarrier Hill is told Magneto was writing a book, in the background the Superhuman registration act is being displayed on several monitors.

General Comments

What can is say? This issue has allot going for it. Awesome art and a great story.

I'm not going to get into the mess that is/was Xorn, but basically in the collective he was the dominant personality that's why he took control and was after Magneto. I didn't understand this until Joe Q, (Marvels EIC) explained this on another site. Being a hardcore Marvel fan this made sense but I can imagine a casual reader not having a clue on who/what Xorn is.

One thing that bothered me was Cap's refusal to let the Sentry fly Magneto into the sun. Magneto is a terrorist, he has attacked America and the world several times. The Cap I know doesn't tolerate terrorism, so he should have let the Sentry end it once and for all, but he was willing to let Johnson set an earthquake off in his brain? An act that would have killed Wolverine if he didn't have his healing factor at the end of the Secret War. That part did not make any sense to me, so for this I took away half a web.

Another mutant in Michael has appeared and while I can understand Bendis wanting a character in the Avengers he created, but the whole he's a mutant is a bit lazy - especially after the whole House of M no more mutants thing.

Its nice to see Hill helping the Avengers, she's finally starting to see they are Earth's mightiest heroes for a reason!

Overall Rating

Like I said earlier that was a great arc - probably because this is the first real threat the New Avengers have faced, it's a shame someone like Ultron was never used. 4 webs for the story and art.

Next - New Avengers disassembled...

Footnote

As a side note I would like to say it's a shame the whole Civil War started when it did. The New Avengers never really hit their stride, its obvious the team will be split in this summers big event. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, time will tell.