New Avengers (Vol. 2) #13

Background

In 1950’s a team of heroes confronted a Red Skull imposter and his counterfeit Captain America. It appears the Skull was working on a new super soldier serum. In the present The New Avengers are dealing with a rouge H.A.M.M.E.R. cell when Mockingbird was shot and rushed to hospital. While the team looks for the H.A.M.M.E.R. leader Superia, Superia confronts the teams S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison Victoria Hand who used to H.A.M.M.E.R. agent. Whose side is Hand on?

Story Details

While Mockingbird is in hospital Wolverine is interrogating a captured H.A.M.M.E.R. technician. Hawkeye interrupts and demands to know where Superia is. Outside Spidey tells Luke Cage H.A.M.M.E.R. is working on a M.G.H. – Mutant Growth Hormone variant which gives the user super powers. After going through the technicians notes Ms. Marvel realises Superia has the formula on her. Victoria Hand calls Cage hand tells him she knows where Superia is, and Superia invited her to join her but they need to move fast as she’s leaving the country.

Back in 1959 Dom Fortune is being interviewed about his team’s mission. He tells them he does not know where Nick Fury is and asks why the Nazis would have their own Captain America? In the present The New Avengers and Hawkeye are preparing to capture Superia. The Thing says he’s sorry for what happened to Mockingbird it was his fault and he will make it right. They discuss Victoria Hand, Spidey still doesn’t trust her but the rest of the team are starting to. Superia arrives but a H.A.M.M.E.R. ship sneak attacks them. A H.A.M.M.E.R. agent asks how The New Avengers knew they were there. Superia tells him she knew they would know. During the battle Superia tells the team she can save Mockingbird but she wants them to let her go. Dr. Strange uses his powers to take the formula from Superia and she is arrested. Nick Fury arrives and tells the team to stand down. He tells everyone H.A.M.M.E.R. broke into a secret installation and stole the formula. The formula is based on the infinity formula which keeps Fury young. In the hospital Hawkeye tells Fury to give Mockingbird the formula despite his warnings. Mockingbird wakes up.

In The Raft, (a prison for super criminals) Superia is taken to her cell. Someone slips a note with a Goblin mark on it under her door. Superia says “Captain my captain. Well done, Miss Hand”.

General Comments

Good issue and a satisfying end to this arc. I like the idea of Mockingbird having a power boost. If you're going to be an Avenger you need to be more that athletic, at least in my opinion. Although if she gets a shield or an eye patch I'm going to be disappointed!

Overall Rating

Decent ending to the story as well as great art. If you can stand Bendis' decompressed, handy for trade paperbacks style of writing then its a good story arc.