MIGHTY AVENGERS versus
SECRET AVENGERS
The Trust: Part Five (Marvel)
Where: New Avengers #36 When: January 2008
Why: Brian Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The Story So Far...
Once, the gods and heroes could be trusted to protect humanity in it's time of need, but when the least of their kind entered into a battle that cost the lives of hundreds, a new control was demanded by a traumatized public.

For men like Tony Stark, the prospect of thorough screening and training became a price he was all too willing to pay to repent for the willful negligence of he and his fellows. Trusted powers whose morals had come to harbor cosmically volatile forces within their quarters. A philosophy that puts him at odds with both those who have reasons to hide, and those with a strong belief in the privacy and trust earned by the super-powered guardians.

Divided, Earth's mightiest heroes continue in two factions. Stark's Avengers hunt their secretive counterparts, distracted from the evils the underground heroes continue to pursue with clarity. It is the Secret Avengers who learn of The Hood's play for Kingpin of Villains, and the emergence of a Skrull incursion. Neither, however, could have hoped to anticipate a Latverian satellite position above the Earth. A weapon containing a symbiote bomb that escapes it's master's control and sends an infestation of madness to New York City as an unprepared Secret Avengers is possessed and thrown into battle with their counterparts.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wonder Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: The Sentry 6 (Mach-Speeds)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Ares 7 (Warrior)
Energy Power: The Sentry 7 (Cosmic)


- The Mighty Avengers are: Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man, Sentry, Black Widow, Ares, accompanied by Luke Cage and Wolverine.

Plotting against his half-brother, the Norse god of mischief, Loki, uses illusions to manipulate the rages of the green goliath known as the Hulk!
The scheme is intended to draw Thor into a combative trap, but Loki's plans come unravelled when a distress call from Rick Jones is picked up not only by Thor, but also the Wasp, Ant-Man, and Iron Man! Despite initial misunderstandings, the unlikely team forms an alliance and easily defeats the god of mischief - thus, the Avengers are born!

Though their adventures would see the roster subject to change, the growing number of associated heroes would only lend credence to the claim that they are Earth's mightiest heroes! United, the many iterations of the Avengers would face foes of minor, or cosmic natures, always willing to put their lives on the line for the greater good, a philosophy embodied by charter members like iconic early recruit, Captain America.

After the superhero Civil War, the team was segregated between those heroes supportive of the Superhuman Registration Act, and those opposed. The Avengers continue officially as a government agency led by the registration's leading advocate, Tony Stark, who was also appointed Director of SHIELD.

- The Secret Avengers are: Dr. Strange, Iron Fist, Ronin, Echo, Spider-man, and Wasp.

Confronted with a government intending to pit him against the reluctant and unwilling in a mandatory Superhero Registration; Captain America throws his training and leadership against SHIELD and the US Government to instead lead a resistance against the movement. These Secret Avengers emerge to protect those who have pledged their lives to protecting the innocent, intent on preserving their right to anonymity.
Among the most prominent of the ready and willing to join the Captain's cause are; Hercules, Goliath, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Falcon, Cloak, Dagger, and Cable.

Captain America's surrender to Tony Stark during the superhero Civil War, and subsequent assassination, galvanizes the efforts of an underground team allowed leniency by the powers-that-be. Thus, the Secret Avengers continue on in the memory of their leader, dedicated to the same justice they always sought.

Additional: The Secret Avengers are possessed by alien symbiote creatures similar to those warn by Mac Gargan and Cletus Kasady. The creatures have dramatically reduced their reasoning, while enhancing their strength.

Math: Mighty Avengers Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Watching their government sponsored counterparts descend to the streets below, the Secret Avengers witness panic in the streets as the results of a symbiote bomb wreak havoc with innocent bystanders. Before they can intervene, the Secret Avengers themselves become possessed by alien creatures, save Luke Cage, whose impenetrable skin may be the reason for his safety.

Set upon by his fellows; Cage struggles as symbiote-possessed Ronin, Spider-man, and Echo launch and acrobatic assault against him. Even his best friend, Iron Fist, throws a taloned swipe that would kill an ordinary man! Overwhelmed by the pummelling of all but Wolverine, Cage briefly loses consciousness.

When Power Man comes to, he is greeted by Wonder Man and Ms. Marvel of the "Mighty" Avengers. With the streets of Manhattan filled with the symbiote possessed, all grudges are dropped as Cage joins the fight that has also claimed Wasp, in giant-form, from the Mighty team.

Contending with Giant-Woman and a cluster of anonymous symbiotes tossed by the towering creature; Iron Man attempts to make an escape, seeking to resolve the threat from it's source. He leaves behind two teams, at odds, but on the common grounds of doing all they can to protect the innocent.

The Sentry waves a street lamp at clambering creatures, while Luke Cage relies on his own unbreakable fists to fight back against the hordes. He's joined by Wolverine who remains unclaimed by the symbiote clinging to his body, racked with pain as his mutant healing factor keeps the creature at bay, allowing him to turn those skills against the other aliens.

The sixty-foot Giant-Wasp symbiote crashes to the ground, walloped with the super-strength of the Sentry. Ares, Wonder Man and Ms. Marvel do the same, using their impressive powers to tackle multiple creatures at once! Wolverine's efforts prove equally as effective as he topples the creatures with mortal fists.

Fighting despite the endless numerical advantage of the swarm, the heroes are rewarded. Just as sudden as the infestation had begun, the symbiotes disappear in an instant, the handy work of Iron Man, Director of SHIELD!

The Hammer...
As far as conclusions go it's a scrappy one, but I give you your year-end winners: Iron Man, Luke Cage, Wolverine, and the Mighty Avengers!

This is ordinarily where we reflect upon the issue with a conversation topic, but for a simple example of superhero smackdown, there are an awful lot of implications from this one issue. The convergence of ideas come from before and after, this issue being part of the transitional period from Civil War, to Secret Invasion.

In a year defined by the "Invasion" with little compromise, this issue of New Avengers reminds us of many things sorely absent from Marvel's 2008.
In fact, they're all fairly simple principles that reflect quite negatively on Brian Bendis' second attempt at a Marvel-wide crossover. Working against him was a promotion that suggested something far more involving, something resembling the Skrull invasion never quite seen to it's logical conclusion. Instead, Secret Invasion amounted to something resembling Infinity War, built out of specials dealing with super-powered Skrulls in the various subsets of Marvel characters.

Like the many writers who picked up themes and concepts from the central plot, Bendis himself expanded the event through threads in the two Avengers titles.
Here, we were again reminded that within Brian Bendis is the capacity to deliver a satisfying superhero story. It would be unfair to drudge up the old theory that Bendis can't handle groups of characters, but it seems entirely convincing that directing the larger picture is not his particular forté. [See also; House of M] It is merely an unfortunate coincidence that these bungles both include large casts.

A tendency to humanize characters - sometimes to the point of losing their character (and differentiation) all together - invariably makes the New Avengers the stronger of the two titles. Alas; each positive seems to come equipped with it's own undermining 'Void' alter-ego, such as New's thematic consistency of often failing to actually deliver the titular grouping.

These problems, of course, do not exist in today's feature issue.
In stark contrast to the dragging inanity of Secret Invasion, the much-hyped symbiote bomb delivers almost too little. Resolved over the course of a couple of issues with fist-pounding simplicity, it is everything the major crossovers of recent years have not been, (from either company). In some ways, I almost wish the Skrulls and Symbiotes could've switched places. A couple of simple battles to resolve the invading super-Skrulls would have been far more palatable, particularly if the dramatic potential of symbiote-infested heroes could've been fulfilled in the traditional crossover model. The model that exacerbated the very worst about Secret Invasion.

Looking back on year through the first issues print-dated 2008, we recognise an event that was much more fun to anticipate than deal with. So, what of 2009?

Marvel appears to be going back to the well again, this time repackaging Acts of Vengeance with a smoother, more organic transition than some recent concepts. Dark Reign is described as a new 'status quo', rather than an event.
While the terminology immediately makes it difficult to feel anything but cynical, it does have the benefit of drawing directly from events outside of the best forgotten Skrull invasion. Norman Osborn's path as a character has made the disappointment of his late nineties resurrection all the easier to swallow, drawing heavily on the 'wolf in sheeps clothing' motiff of the Thunderbolts.

Bendis' "Dark Illuminati" might finally give breathing space to The Hood, whose play for Kingpin of Villains fell disappointingly to the constant interruptions of the Skrull crossover, and other indulgent distractions. With DC's investment across the street with Grant Morrison and a similarly themed direction for Libra, it's been all the harder to take The Hood seriously in his bid to rise from urban thuggery, to mastermind status.

2009 will be a real acid test for Marvel's simmering concepts and ability to bounce back from such an awful lynchpin. As far as the Infinite Wars is concerned, despite noteworthy triumphs, Marvel conceded 2008 to a DC that started slow. Is that about to change? We'll be keen to see!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 5

Want to start the new year with the best of 2008? Looking for after-Christmas bargains? Check out "The Trust" in collected format! By using Amazon purchase links on the Infinite Wars you help support our tireless efforts! The Gift Shoppe also contains collected versions featuring most reviewed titles from the three years of Secret Archiving! Stay tuned for more belated review on the year that was, continuing with yet another exciting secret war, deviating from the events that drove 2008!

THE HOOD versus TIGRA
The Trust: Part Four (Marvel comics)
Where: New Avengers #35 When: December 2007
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Leinil Yu

The story so far...
Parker Robbins, aka; The Hood; has begun a quest to become the kingpin of supercriminals, and with Earth's mightiest heroes divided after the civil war, and harboring suspicions of a Skrull incursion; his success rate is high.

After suffering a brutal defeat at the hands of the Avenger, Tigra; underworld stalwart and longtime Punisher adversary, Jigsaw, finds an invitation waiting for him, after an adrenaline fuelled getaway. Tired of his many defeats, the hideously scarred hitman ventures out to become part of the Hood's organization.

As a show of power to the heroes, and a gesture of good faith to the pledging Jigsaw; the Hood turns his many powers to seeking out Greer Grant, better known as registered Initiative agent; Tigra. Privvy to a great many secrets, the aspiring kingpin of supercrime has no trouble locating the feline fatale, and sets out to exact retribution.

Previous Form:
Tigra (#253): Joined the Pro-Registration Avengers on their domination of the Anti-Registrants.
The Hood: Making his debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Tigra 2 (Average)
Intelligence: The Hood 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Tigra 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: Tigra 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: The Hood 4 (Explosives)


- A career thief; Parker Robbins would fullfil an underlying lifetime ambition to become a supervillain when, whilst robbing a warehouse said to contain unspecified treasures, is revealed to house the demon Nistanti.

After taking the demon's mystically charged boots and cloak, Robbins would soon discover he was in possession of powers that could elevate him to a status comparable of his villainous inspiration, Electro.

As The Hood, Robbins is capable of defying gravity by effectively walking on air, can turn invisible for as long as he can hold his breath, is capable of generating energy bolts, and continues to carry his weapon of choice, two hand pistols.

Perhaps inspired by Wilson Fisk; the Kingpin of crime his father had worked with; Robbins has begun a path to form a unified network of super powered criminals. With the aim of becoming the Kingpin of Supervillains, the Hood relies on guile and cunning, as much as the unique application of his mystic powers.

- Originally beginning her career with the costumed enhancements designed by Dr. Joanne Tumulo; Greer Grant embarked on a crime fighting journey as simply the Cat. Her adventures would bring her into confrontations with the terrorist organisation, HYDRA, and after being mortally wounded in such a battle, Grant would soon discover Tumulo's secret origins despite her death.

Rescued by the ancient reclusive race of Cat-People, the dying Greer Grant was granted a second chance at life, and the super human abilities of the legendary mystic champion, the Tigra! Possessing speed, strength, reflexes, and senses far keener than mere mortals, Grant becomes a brand new hero, and eventually becomes a stalwart of Earth's mightiest heroes - the Avengers!

The Math: The Hood The Pick: Tigra

What went down...
Doing her best to negotiate the opportunity to remain active in New York; Greer Grant strolls home after a long day on the beat as a registered superhero.
A transfer to Arkansas is about to become the least of her problems, as she transforms from woman, to Tigra, sensing the presence of an unwelcome guest in her humble abode.

The Hood emerges from invisibility, and immediately splatters the unsuspecting heroine's blood with the butt of his gun. The pistol whip maneuver knocks Tigra off her feet, leaving her open to a following shove that puts her face through her boutique mirror.

A second pistol whip on the way down further stuns the registered Avenger, but the fight isn't yet taken out of the mythic hero. From the floor she slashes wildly with her feline claws at the ready, but the Hood is wile enough to call upon his powers of intangibility just in the nick of time.

With unforgiving precision Parker Robbins fires a single bullet that hurtles into Tigra's knee. The Hood snatches Tigra by the hair and dials a number on a cellphone while reciting the address and details of her beloved mother.

Having heard the concerned voice of a mother, the Hood snaps the phone shut, and delivers his manifesto to Tigra. In no uncertain terms he demands Tigra's unquestioning obediance in exchange for her mother's safety, to be observed however, and whenever he demands, with the inclusion of leaving his villainous recruits immune.

Through a haze of pain and blood, Tigra pleads for the Hood to stop.
The aspiring Kingpin repeatedly asks the heroine if she "Got it?", beating her every time she fails to answer with anything less than a certainty.

Each horrifying blow is captured on videotape by the sneering Jigsaw; highlights to be paraded at the gathering of villains as proof of The Hood's intentions to take the fight to the heroes.

The hammer...
Suffice to say The Hood is on the road to becoming every bit the supervillain kingpin he hopes to be. Of course, with unconditional backing from the writers controlling your destiny, that's hardly surprising. Ohhhh, lifting the curtain to spoil the magic!

The Infinite Wars are governed by a good many things, and while there are many a classic fight that's gone unnoted thus far, there are certain battles we feel an obligation to cover. This one is among them.

I decided an early Christmas present was in order, to catch up on some of my New Avengers reading. These issues probably weren't at the top of my wishlist, but I decided the cost was worthwhile, given the sheer prevelance of this very battle. It was during House of M hype that someone infamously said events would 'rip the internet in half', and while Hawkeye's interdimensional return to life was met with mostly an indecypherable groan, it was the brutalizing of Tigra that made the internet stand up and start talking.

It should be well documented that Bendis' work traditionally attracts a fairly critical eye in these kinds of reviews. As one of the most talked about and analysed writers in mainstream comics, it's particularly easy to be enthusiastic about taking a look at a piece of his work in the positive, or negative, particularly given the polarizing nature of his output.

Blatantly bucking against a popular fanboy terror of speaking out of turn; I'm generally not too worried about being wrong. I think, as a man of intelligence and season, I can make reasonably good assessments of things based on information available, and do so with a willingness to admit error.

A few months ago I gladly indulged in the hype surrounding this event, even despite being vividly familiarized with the broad specifics of the issue. Ultimately it was a harmless gag [Poor, poor Tigra] referring, without much success, I assume, to the undeniable influence Frank Miller has had on Brian Bendis' writing.

Bendis is far from my favourite person in the world, with different ideals and standards than my own. That said, as a writer, he often meets on a similar ground as myself, and it's here that I inadvertently defend his work, as somewhat expected [Daredevil #75].

Much of the so-called "feminist" criticism of this issue came from the brutality by which Tigra was disarmed, the degree by which she was seen to retaliate, and the sinister undertones that even potentially implied pseudo rape.

While I'm not inclined to deliberately attempt to undermine those opinions, I do find myself somewhat steered by the same law of logic that prevents me from mercilessly heckling Bendis at every available opportunity. I feel obligated, particularly to the uninformed readers who seek the high-priced value of accuracy in the Infinite Wars, to review good as good, bad as a bad, red as red.

Again recalling Bendis' fairly obvious connection to history established by writers like Miller; we track back through New Avengers back issues, where one of the most famous depictions of murder with a phallic metaphorical undertone, was recreated not once, but twice, without much recourse.

Granted, the circumstances were less overtly sinister, and the exchange between two female characters, but while this potentially undermines the consistency of outraged muckrakers, I hope to purvey a different point. A point about the consistency and context of this world that has presented the videotaped beating of a superhero.

Ultimately, I don't think Bendis' writing makes any effort to factor the character's sex into the scenario. While it would be fair to draw sexualized conclusions from the scene, the barebones of the action are that of an ambush attack on a hero of a fairly low grade power. As you'll observe in the tape, we rate Tigra in a class beneath The Hood, whose powers are far more versatile than Tigra's basic human upgrades.

This could potentially have been an assault on any number of male characters, with Frank Castle mentioned immediately after the scene. Granted, the same statement of intent could've been made with such a character, he traditionally isn't inclined to be subject to manipulation, which is the secondary intent of this scene. Tigra, a character seen to have shifting alliances in many stories recently, now finds herself forced into a corner to obey the villains.

To again refer to well known references in Bendis' creative repetoire, The Shield comes to mind. A cop series differentiated by it's uncompromising depiction of the urban warzone, and the harsh interactions of humans within it.

So, is the material offensive? Ultimately, at best I could indulge an argument of content in a mainstream superhero comic, but to anyone looking, the book does clearly bare the Marvel rating of A for Adult*. Whether or not it's fair to direct one of your A-list superhero team books to a mature audience is debatable, particularly in a world where Marvel have been smart enough to produce a growing line of kid-friendly Adventures books, the Avengers included.

*EDIT (Dec 8, 2007): Matt rightly points out that I really should've checked up on the Marvel ratings. A is an unspecified category recommending readers be age nine and up. I wouldn't be up in arms, but I would agree that this kind of violence might be a bit better managed to readers thirteen and up.

I personally enjoy and feel the gritty reality of the world these heroes live in is crucial to the legitimacy of the genre. If superheroes are going to maintain their majority stock in the medium, they have to be seen to be earning it, and as most fans well know, the sok, pow, shazam of days past is embarassingly referred to as 'the sound of comics trying to grow up.'

No, this kind of material isn't the mark of maturity or good writing.
It's simply a facet with very specific real world references that good writing can latch on to, and represent for a quota I think is essential if anyone is to take these worlds of super criminals seriously. Bendis juxtaposes this brilliantly with his dismal superhero outings in the first twenty-or-so issues of the New Avengers titles, pressed up against this latest array of on-going, fluid, grounded takes on the Avengers characters and the perils they face.

He may be an absolute tit, but I think it's an unfair, and preconvinced agenda that comes to a comic like this, and completely overlooks it's context and reality. Maybe, like my own (initially), some opinions are based only on the information available from second-hand sources. Sources that perhaps don't expand the context, or highlight images like the shadowed portion of the assault, or the gathering of supervillains who revel in the modern, YouTube happy slap style screening of the incident.

We've discussed it before [Superman/Batman #15], but I think it bares repeating: Like action movie stars, the best characters are the ones who are affected by the perils that surround them. Likewise, to shy away from the great evils that exist out there, is to discount the acknowledgment and bredth of the heroes who face them. Without crime to overcome, the hero is meaningless.

And that, no doubt, is not the last you'll hear of the Tigra affair.
Be encouraged to lodge any opinions you might have, and stay tuned for, what I hope, will be some interesting furthering of the discussion. We'll have to wait and see how that one pans out.

Meanwhile, as if this massive entry wasn't a big enough deal as it was, it's also the epic night of fights! Let The Hood's message ring out to the superheroes and Bahlactus alike, for the new Kingpin of Super-Crime means business!
Do you mean business? Once you've finished browsing the annals of the Infinite Wars, why not check yourself in to a world of pain perspective, as per Friday Night Fights!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5

Leinil Yu continues to be an aboslute treat on this book, delivering kinetic, sketchy inks. Dave McCaig joins Dave Stewart for a colour palette by scanner struggles to come to terms with, but consider that a compliment more than a complaint! It's too early to find this work in trade, but you might like to check out the previous arc while you wait! Sweet Christmas!