Avengers: The Initiative

Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative #1 solicited cover
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date	April 2007 - present
Main character(s)	Trainees: Melee Prodigy Sunstreak Graduates: Ant-Man Cloud 9 Hardball Komodo Thor Girl 3-D Man Ultra Girl Annex Geiger Gorilla Girl Red Nine Stature Staff: Gauntlet Taskmaster Trauma Baron Von Blitzschlag Diamondback
Creative team
Written by	Dan Slott Christos Gage
Penciller(s)	Stefano Caselli Steve Uy Harvey Tolibao

Avengers: The Initiative is a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series deals with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover. (It should not be confused with "The Initiative", a banner running across Marvel books from February 2007 to May 2007, similar to Marvel's earlier Decimation banner after the House of M event, or the Civil War: The Initiative special by Brian Michael Bendis). A preview of the title was shown in Civil War: The Initiative.

Publication history

The first issue of Avengers: The Initiative was released on 4 April 2007. The tagline initially used in solicitations was "Marvel's Army of Super Heroes just became a Super Hero Army".

The series was originally solicited as a six issue limited series, but prior to the publication of the first issue, Marvel announced that this had changed and that Avengers: The Initiative would instead be an ongoing series, becoming the third regularly published 'Avengers' title from 2007 onwards, after the New Avengers and the Mighty Avengers.

Issues #20-22 will deal with Dark Reign, the aftermath to Secret Invasion, and see Christos Gage move to full writing duties.

Fictional biography

Start of the Initiative

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the pro-registration side stands victorious and has launched the Fifty State Initiative which calls for one S.H.I.E.L.D. sponsored super team for each state. The series will focus on the training facility located at Camp Hammond, in Stamford, Connecticut. In addition the series will explore the people on those line ups and the unique situations that come with these new locations. Each issue will reveal more about the teams from each state. It will also show these teams adapting and growing through different situations.

The first group of young heroes have been sent to 'Hero Boot Camp' in Stamford, Connecticut, the site of the explosion that launched the whole Civil War. The issue largely follows the young heroes MVP, Cloud 9, Armory, and Trauma, as well as their drill sergeant, Gauntlet. MVP is established as one of the most capable young heroes there, and begins to express some feelings for the shy and self-conscious Cloud 9. During a training exercise, however, Trauma's powers accidentally cause Armory to lose control of her powers, and MVP is apparently killed pushing Cloud 9 out of the way. In response, they get rid of Armory's powers, and kick her out of the camp. Henry Peter Gyrich, who is overseeing the entire project, informs everyone present that the mishap 'never happened.'

While the recruits struggle to deal with the aftermath of MVP's death and Armory's wash out, Justice continues to be unhappy with Gauntlet's constant use of "New Warriors" as an insulting term. As the kids finish the obstacle course, Trauma again loses control of his transformation, first feeding off of Cloud 9's guilt at being responsible for the death, and then transforming into an image of a beaten and bloody Janet Van Dyne when Yellowjacket attempts to intervene. As Justice and Gauntlet clean up the situation, Dr. Pym is called to the lab where Baron Von Blitzschlag informs him and Gyrich of MVP's anatomy; instead of being enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum as everyone believed, he is actually an "Übermensch", the ultimate human specimen. As Blitzschlag and Gyrich laud the benefits of such a test subject, Pym again has a crisis of conscience, only enhanced when the German scientist recounts his past "villainous" acts (such as the creation of Ultron) and remarks "I am your greatest fan."

When a crisis over Texas, where the President is visiting, involving the HYDRA Terrorcarrier requires that the recruits join the fray, Cloud 9, Komodo, Hardball, Gauntlet, War Machine, Justice and Yellowjacket all arrive on the scene (with Hardball, Gauntlet and Komodo donning jet packs and Cloud 9 being revealed as the best marksman of the bunch when she receives a pulse rifle). As the attack escalates, Yellowjacket deploys the secret weapon he developed to infiltrate the carrier's shields, a small vibranium capsule inside of which he hides. When he breaches the shields, he grows to enormous size and forcibly redirects the carrier to crash, purposely riding it out. Meanwhile, Trauma, who had wanted the program to strip him of his powers and become normal again, is instead escorted by Gyrich to a room holding Beast and an unseen mutant who is a "specialist" who can help Trauma learn to control his powers. The "specialist" in question is the former mutant, Danielle Moonstar, who possessed similar powers to Trauma.

After the events of the Terrorcarrier incident, Hardball speaks to Komodo about Justice apparently having learned of MVP's fate. While he talks, he turns to see not Komodo but a strange girl sleeping next to him. Meanwhile Trauma and Danielle Moonstar discuss what training he will receive. Though the locals give Hardball a decidedly cold reception, a mysterious individual takes him aside and asks for information on S.P.I.N. Tech on which Komodo is currently being briefed. As the most promising of the new recruits, she is being given an official assignment to take down Spider-Man

S.P.I.N. Tech, as it turns out, is a new type of nanotechnology that, when fired in projectile form, can cause a superhuman to lose access to his or her superpowers instantly. When one of the Scarlet Spiders spots Spider-Man fighting Hydro-Man, The Shocker, and Boomerang, War Machine and Komodo head to the scene of the battle. Though Peter has everything well in hand, Komodo and War Machine arrive and cause the Sinister Syndicate to flee, and Spider-Man is left to battle the duo. He quickly incapacitates War Machine with a blast of webbing that shuts down his armor--but not before War Machine mysteriously states that even though Peter will be stripped of his powers, the world will not be left without a Spider-Man. While Komodo fares much better, Spider-Man's wit and a threat that her failure will result in her losing her powers causes a slip-up, which he uses to defeat her and slip away easily.

However, a mysterious third party, which War Machine calls "Red Team" and which has been cloaked during the fight, is revealed to be a group of people in duplicate versions of Tony Stark's Spider-Man armor. The story ends with Komodo's desperate plea not to be stripped of her powers, as she dislikes being normal and considers her other self to be a nobody.

World War Hulk

Main article: World War Hulk

Gyrich tries to persuade Trauma to join his Shadow Initiative, thinking he could be a powerful member. However, Trauma's trainer, the former mutant, Danielle Moonstar, objects to Gyrich's claims.

Shortly after the Hulk returns from space with his Warbound, Hardball becomes involved in a covert operation to steal a piece of the S.P.I.N. technology. Meanwhile, Justice takes Cloud 9 to the Van Patrick home as part of her therapy, after the death of MVP. Upon reaching the home, both are shocked to discover MVP answering the door; though Justice and Cloud 9 are dispatched to where the Hulk's battleship appeared before inquiry can be given. With the missing cartridge of S.P.I.N. technology going undiscovered by Tony Stark; Stark's attempt to remove Hulk's powers during their conflict fail and Hardball is directly responsible for the early failure to contain the Hulk and prevent massive amounts of damage and casualties. Initiative members are assigned to protect the crowd and refrain from engaging the Hulk, though after Iron Man's failure; Rage instructs the team to disregard orders and engage Hulk and his Warbound, while Henry Peter Gyrich orders his secret team containing Bengal, Trauma, Constrictor, an unknown female Initiative recruit called Mutant Zero and the Scarlet Spiders to the conflict to save the Initiative trainees.

The Shadow Initiative sneaks into Madison Square Garden, where the Hulk has built an arena to deliver captured heroes for their punishment. It is there where they are confronted by some of the Hulk's Death's Head guards, and Mutant Zero defeats them all. Across Manhattan, Hank Pym, along with Justice and O*N*E Sentinels, who left the X-Men, were setting up the devices that is a part of Iron Man's plan to fully send all of Manhattan and those who live in it into the Negative Zone. Trauma then transforms himself into Thor; this was due to Korg's fear of the Thunder God. While Cloud 9 nearly kills Elloe by filling her lungs with smoke, however, she is stopped by Trauma who sees this.

Soon the team is confronted by the Hulk, who then defeats almost all of the Shadow team members. Trauma tries to defeat the Hulk in various forms of the Hulk's enemies, but when the Hulk won't flinch at the sight of his old foes; this leaves Trauma as a weak human. Later on in the hospital where Trauma is recovering, he makes amends to his former teammates, especially Hardball and Cloud 9, while Danielle Moonstar shows Gyrich of Trauma's failure. In that move Gyrich then demotes Trauma from an Omega threat, which Gyrich first saw him as, to a Class 50.

Post World War Hulk

After World War Hulk, the camp's drill instructor, Gauntlet, was brutally attacked. His attacker left a mark on his body: 'NW'. Gauntlet had made several nasty remarks about the dead New Warriors, leading to speculation that the attacker was an Initiative recruit who was a former New Warrior. Justice, Debrii, Slapstick, Ultra Girl and Rage were imprisoned and interrogated. When Gauntlet awoke he claimed he was attacked by the Ghost, so the suspects were released. However, in a flashback it was revealed the attacker was a former New Warrior: Slapstick.

Taskmaster is seen studying MVP's and Spider-Man's moves, in order to teach the MVP clones, in their role as Scarlet Spiders.

Second recruit group

Several new Initiative recruits arrive at Camp Hammond, including Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady), Crusader (Skrull version), Melee, Geldoff, Dragon Lord (Tako Shamara), Geiger, Red Nine, and Diamondback. These recruits will mainly be trained by the instructor Taskmaster.

Since the results of the previous clonings of MVP impressed Initiative administrators enough to attempt to fill places within the Fifty State Initiative with further clones of MVP.

Killed in Action

In Avengers: The Initiative's first multi-part story; Killed in Action (starting issue #8), a new Michael Van Patrick clone is fitted with the Tactigon, Armory's former alien weapon and sets forth, under the name "KIA", on a murderous rampage throughout Camp Hammond in an attempt to seek revenge for MVP's death. The KIA clone causes destruction killing Dragon Lord (Tako Shamara), Trauma (who is later revealed to have survived) and Van (one of the Scarlet Spiders). KIA also caused injury to many initiative trainees and staff like Thor Girl, Gauntlet, Constrictor and Crusader. He also killed eight S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in his rampage.

First graduations

Some of the first installment trainees made it to graduation. The graduating class and their assignments were as follows:

• Triathlon (now going by 3-D Man and sporting the costume of his namesake): Hawaii - Point Men
• Ultra Girl (Now wearing Ms. Marvel's original costume): Georgia - The Cavalry
• Thor Girl: Georgia - The Cavalry
• Hardball: Nevada - Heavy Hitters
• Komodo: Arizona - Desert Stars
• Cloud 9: Montana - Freedom Force
• Trauma: Staying on base as a counselor.

Justice, Debrii, Slapstick, Rage, MVP and the two remaining Scarlet Spiders left the Initiative to form Counter Force, described as a counter-initiative that will dedicate themselves to keeping the government program honest.

More recruits

Starting with issue thirteen, the series will feature new recruits that will join the squad assembled before the coming of KIA. They are: Annex, Prodigy, Gorilla Girl, Sunstreak, Batwing and Boulder Less enthusiastic than the first recruits, most of them with criminal records (except Butterball/Boulder who wanted to be there, and Batwing, who was just looking for a cure for his condition) they are there because it's either Camp Hammond or the Negative Zone prison (however, the criminal charges against all but Sunstreak appear to be limited to non-registration). Taskmaster quickly renames Emery "Butterball" in reference to his size. He's been challenged to make Butterball into a good soldier; but because of his invulnerability powers, his physical appearance could not be altered. The recruits break out of the camp due to boredom and decide to go to the beach where they drink and skinny dip, since they would be recognized anywhere else. Sunstreak attempts to have relations with Butterball who refuses and takes their ride and heads back to the camp right but encountered Taskmaster, War Machine and Yellowjacket; in which he lies about going AWOL on his own. The recruits were planning to use this distraction to sneak back. Instead, they help defeat Firebrand II, King Cobra, Mister Hyde and Mauler, all of whom wanted revenge on the Taskmaster. Butterball was washed out of the program when it is deemed he doesn't have what it takes to be a superhero. To ease his disappointment, Taskmaster and Constrictor allow him to take a picture that makes it look like he defeated them.

Secret Invasion

Main article: Secret Invasion

The Revolutionary, a member of Pennsylvania's Liberteens, is actually a Skrull in disguise. He's part of a plot to put "a Skrull in every state" by infiltrating each superhero team of the Initiative. During Secret Invasion Crusader discovers that camp director Yellowjacket is actually a Skrull impostor; he almost tells the camp's counselor Trauma but changes his mind. When 3-D Man arrives in Camp Hammond to announce to everyone assembled that the Initiative has been infiltrated by Skrulls, Crusader fears that he will be exposed as a Skrull despite his good intentions. Crusader uses the Freedom Ring to reverse the goggles' power so that they cause 3-D Man to see Crusader as human and all humans as Skrulls..

Later 'Yellowjacket-Skrull' gives orders to Gauntlet to dispatch the cadets to help the Young Avengers fight the Skrulls, and Proton is killed during the battle. The Skrulls defeat the cadets and Young Avengers, but then Nick Fury arrives with his "commandos." Meanwhile Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady), the only cadet still on Camp Hammond witnessed how "Yellowjacket" welcomed a Skrull commander to the base and during the big fight against the Skrull army, Crusader, (a Skrull who lives on Earth and an Initiative cadet) decided to fight for Earth.

After defeating a Skrull imposter looking like 'She-Thing', 3-D Man joined up with the Skrull Kill Krew and found out that in every Initiative state team is one Skrull-imposter and decided to kill them all. Komodo joined the team as well, and they then added her lover Hardball. The Skrull Kill Crew thought they would not be able to track through all the states on time, but then former Avenger Jocasta appeared with Point Men member Devil-Slayer, who is a member of the Hawaiian Initiative team, the Point Men. Devil-Slayer's teleportation ability will aid them in killing all Skrull imposters within the 50 State Initiative.

The group move on to other Initiative bases, killing the Skrull imposters, Delroy Garret's goggles also identify Equinox as a Skrull who is then killed by Cloud 9 and adding Cloud 9 and Gravity to their group. The Skrull then send a broadcast throughout the world, telling their sleeper agents to activate themselves, which sows even more distrust among the remaining heroes. While in Philadelphia, the Revolutionary is revealed as a Skrull and defeated by Gravity and Hope. When they come across a fight between Thor Girl and Ultra Girl, Delroy's goggles identify Thor Girl as a Skrull. With help from Gravity, Delroy uses Thor Girl's own hammer to kill the Skrull imposter. Ant-Man manages to escape the Skrulls on the back of a Shock Trooper, and reveals to the Kill Crew the Skrulls' last resort plan; to use all the Initiative bases to create a massive Negative Zone portal that will take the entire country. With six bases left, the Crew split up, and use the still-living heads of Moonstomp, Catwalk and Dice to help point out Skrulls. Devil-Slayer teleports them to the bases, but collapses under the strain.

The Initiative members combat their Skrull opponents who have received their mission to activate themselves to start distrust amongst the teams. At the Batallion's HQ, Tigra, Ryder, and Cloud 9 fight a Skrull posing as Razorback. Hardball and Moonstomp help Action Pack fight a Skrull posing as Frog-Man. Gravity and Catwalk help the Great Lakes Avengers fight a Skrull posing as Grasshopper. Komodo and Riot help the Command fight a Skrull posing as Conquistador (who assumed a Skrull/Devil Dinosaur-like form). Dice and Jocasta fight their way through activists to get to the Skrull posing as Skyhawk who succeeds in his part of the mission. Delroy Garrett and Ant-Man join the Rangers in fighting a Skrull that posed as Red Wolf's wolf companion Lobo. After it's shot by Shooting Star, a crowd uprising occured when Delroy's goggles identify some of the crowd members as Skrulls. Delroy's goggles are hit by a thrown rock giving Delroy's allies a hard time figuring out who's a Skrull and who is not. During the struggle, Delroy discovers that he can see who is a Skrull without his goggles. This turns the tides against those Skrulls disguised as crowd members. During the fights across the USA, Spinner and Whiz-Kid both apparently die in various fights. At the final fight at Camp Hammond, Crusader kills Criti Noll and then 3-D Man shoots Crusader (who hid his Skrull heritage from the others, but was fighting for Earth). Before he disappeared, Crusader stated that it could've ended differently.

Dark Reign

Main article: Dark Reign (comics)

Following the aftermath of the Secret Invasion, the Fifty-State Initiative is shut down and the Thunderbolts Initiative is established when Norman Osborn takes over.

Those that had been replaced by Skrulls (namely Dum Dum Dugan, Edwin Jarvis, Frog-Man, Mockingbird, Razorback, She-Thing, Thor Girl) alongside Alicia Masters meet with Doc Samson at Camp Hammond as part of a support group. While noting the hostilities of Red Nine, Annex, Geiger, Batwing, and Prodigy over the shooting of Crusader, Delroy states that he is leaving the Initiative and joining up with Ryder to hunt down any Skrulls still hiding out on Earth. Taskmaster confronts Mutant Zero and discovers that she is really Typhoid Mary. The Gauntlet takes control as head of Camp Hammond because his position as the highest ranking officer left. Despite an offer by the Gauntlet, Hank Pym chooses to leave the camp, because he "was never here".

Next some of the latest recuits graduated and were assigned to different teams. Batwing became a member of the Shadow Initiative, Melee was assigned to additional training to become a Camp Hammond instructor for martial arts, Annex became member of the Mavericks (New Mexico) and Red Nine of The Cavalry, Georgia. Geiger also graduated, but it was not mentioned where she was to be stationed. Camp Hammond instructor Stingray became the new leader of the Point Men (Hawaii). Because of their villainous past Sunstreak and Prodigy were not assigned to an Initiative State Team yet, but have to remain under training at Camp Hammond. Since Gorilla Girl felt she was typical cannon folder she decided to go home and be listed as a reserve member.

Meanwhile Baron von Blitzschlag encountered the Thor-clone, which was reactivated by a failsafe programmed by the Hank Pym Skrull, which required his access code to keep him contained. The clone apparently killed the Baron within a couple of minutes. Thereafter the Thor-clone was attacked by Thor-Girl who he beat after a long and heavy fight above Camp Hammond. Even a trick of Trauma (posing as the real Thor) was ineffective. Outside Gorilla Girl, on her way back home, got out of her car and opposed the Thor-clone. As she was about to lose the fight a light appeared; The former New Warriors (now called Counter Force) appeared, ready to fight.

Shadow Initiative

Shadow Initiative
Cover art for Avengers: The Initiative #5 featuring the Shadow Initiative, and Hulk. Art by Jim Cheung.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Avengers: The Initiative #4
In-story information
Base(s)	Camp Hammond
Member(s)	Bengal Constrictor Mutant Zero Trauma Taskmaster Batwing

It has been revealed that there is a special "black ops" team within the Initiative, answerable only to Gyrich and known as the Shadow Initiative. This team consists of Bengal, Trauma, Constrictor, an unknown female Initiative recruit called Mutant Zero and, for a time, the Scarlet Spiders.

The Initiative program denies all knowledge of a special Black Ops Team. There is no pardon on file for the super-villain known as the Constrictor. No record of any dealings with the Vietnamese national codenamed Bengal. Tony Stark cannot recall what became of his designs for the Iron Spider armor. And, most importantly, the Superhuman Armed Forces wishes to dispel all rumors of a 199th mutant. We repeat, there is no Mutant Zero. Mutant Zero does NOT exist. That is all.

This Shadow Initiative was sent out by Henry Gyrich to free the Initiative members captured by the Hulk's Warbound; Rage, Cloud 9, Ultra Girl, Thor Girl, Slapstick and Hardball. On this assignment Bengal showed to be a perfect field leader of this Shadow Initiative.

The black ops group successfully rescues these captured trainees, while Trauma, their "secret weapon" tries to use his powers to scare the Hulk (becoming, in turn, the Abomination, Juggernaut, Brian Banner, and Bruce Banner). He fails to beat the Hulk, and the Hulk beats him into unconsciousness, leaving Terrance alive to pass the message on to the others. Trauma is later seen recuperating in the Initiative's medical bay.

It is later revealed that the Scarlet Spiders are clones of Michael Van Patrick (MVP), a deceased initiative recruit accidentally killed. The Scarlet Spiders are later taken off the Black Ops team after revealing themselves to the public and placed with the other trainees.

Gyrich called them to protect him from K.I.A., but they lost and one of the Scarlet Spiders was killed, and Constrictor was badly maimed. Mutant Zero saved Gyrich and Scarlet Spiders continued the battle for their brother.

After KIA was defeated, the two remaining Scarlet Spiders left the Initiative to join Counter Force, a team of former New Warriors, MVP and these two, led by Justice, while Constrictor was healed with two bionic hands.

During Secret Invasion, the Shadow Initiative stayed at Camp Hammond while most others at Camp Hammond went to fight the Skrulls in New York. Later the Skrulls used Camp Hammond as a base, which Ant-Man (Eric O'Grady), discovers, having stayed behind out of cowardice. The Shadow Initiative tries to assassinate the Skrull Queen Veranke, but is defeated and captured, except for Ant-Man. During this story it was revealed Mutant Zero is a red haired woman.

New members

After Secret Invasion, Taskmaster was added by Gauntlet to the Black-Ops team as their fieldleader. The first thing he did was discover Mutant Zero's true identity to be Typhoid Mary. After some of the cadets graduated, Batwing was appointed to the Shadow Initiative. However since the Shadow Initiative, including Komodo was on an assignment to take down Hardball in Madripoor, Batwing will have to be patient to meet the rest of his team.

Characters

Main article: Fifty State Initiative

Details

• Cadets are taken trained in combat, search and rescue, power control, first aid, and superhuman ethics.
• The training that Initiative cadets undergo is structured like basic recruit training.
• Cadets are issued uniforms consisting of palm gloves, traction boots and military fatigue cargo pants. A t-shirt with some kind of logo (often with the first letter of the cadet's codename) on it is provided if the cadet does not already have a costume. If the cadet has a secret identity they are required to somehow conceal their identity (i.e. a mask, goggles, a helmet, shape-changing or some form of concealment).

See also

• Omega Flight
• Fifty State Initiative

External links

• The full list of Avengers: The Initiative
• Avengers: The Initiative #1 at Marvel.com
• Avengers: The Initiative #2 at Marvel.com
• Avengers: The Initiative #3 at Marvel.com