Disclaimer: I have no creative rights over the characters and places you can identify in this story and have no way profited from this work.
Chapter 4 – New Realms, New Companions
Banner and the orcs looked up and quickly found the source of the spray. The Commander was spouting blood from where his neck used to be connected with his body. Banner tasted some of the blood that had fallen onto his lips. It was black, sticky and the foulest liquid – no, thing - he had ever tasted. With no head directing it, the Commander's body toppled backwards before hitting the ground. The Commander's dagger dropped in front of Banner.
The attending orcs were still reeling at this when the pained shrieks of their comrades caught their attention. Several orcs had shared in the Commander's fate with their decapitated bodies lying on the ground. The orcs focused their attention the source of this decapitation – a fast moving, circular blur moving eastwards through their camp. There was one more surprise for the orcs to behold.
The blur came to a rapid halt as a tall man wearing a strange blue uniform and mask effortlessly plucked it out of the air. The blur revealed itself to be a round shield of blue, red and white colours and the man held it across from his body as though he meant to throw it again.
The Orc that had originally struck Banner broke out of its stunned silence.
"Get 'im!" he ordered they deal with this new enemy.
Satisfied he had drawn the attention of these creatures away from Banner; Rogers quickly assessed the situation. It appeared the whole company of these creatures, except for a handful around Banner, swarmed towards him with their ugly weapons raised. They appeared to think that, as he was just one man he presented an easy prey. For the half dozen orcs who reached him first, it was the first time they had engaged Captain America in battle. For all them it would be their last.
Rogers effortless dodged the attacks of their weapons and deflected others with his shield. The orcs that engaged him received a brutal demonstration of his shield's offensive hand-to-hand capabilities when Rogers used it to cut through their armour, killing them with it as if he used the sharpest of swords. Those that did not receive the treatment of his shield he dispatched with rapid, superhuman punches to their faces that cracked their skulls.
Many orcs released angry cries upon seeing so many of their kind being killed by just one man. Their confidence didn't waver in spite of their opponent's skill. Like many of their victories against the Free Peoples, the orcs' numbers would be soon too many for him to handle.
The Orcs who were archers in the company took aim at Rogers. Their concentration was broken by a might battle cry from the west directly behind them. Thor scattered the archers using Mjolnir. So taken in surprise and speed of Thor's attacks, not one archer was able to fire an arrow at the Avengers before being killed.
Thor saw a number of the orcs running towards Rogers stop and turn to attack him instead. This included the remaining orcs that directly surrounded Banner except for the two restraining him. Seeing Rogers was still preoccupied, Thor took it upon himself to get to Banner. The God of Thunder twirled Mjolnir and slammed it into the ground to clear a path. There was a loud thud but not the lightning storm he'd summoned.
Looking at Mjolnir, Thor grimly remarked to himself, "One out of four."
The orcs looking to engage Thor initially halted as they observed the man's strange behaviour. The impact of the blow still felt like a tremor, with many orcs unexpectedly being thrown to the ground. Stunned, the Orcs shakily tried getting back on their feet. They were just in time to receive Thor's wrath over being denied one of his favourite powers.
Although some of Mjolnir's power seemed to have absented, the ones that directly enhanced Thor's ability as a warrior remained. Sweeping through the orcs in front of him, Thor sent many of them flying as he moved towards Banner. The orcs poorly forged iron armour crumpled like tissue paper when pounded by Mjolnir's otherworldly metal Although they were weak opponents by his standards, the God of Thunder enjoyed the irony contained in the shriek of one Orc prior to dispatching it.
"Watch out boys! The man's a demon!"
Banner hadn't been idle after his friends had come to his aid. He noticed that the orcs directly surrounded him had moved to engage Rogers and Thor. The only orcs in his vicinity were the pair restraining him. When their grips began to loosen - maybe in shock to the ferocity displayed by his fellow Avengers – Banner took his chance.
Although the Hulk declined his invitation to appear, Banner was far from helpless. In the years he hid in Brazil, Banner took up intensive martial arts training as means of controlling the beast within him. The training gave him the discipline to better control sudden appearances by the Other Guy. But like much martial arts training, it also gave him the skills to competently defend himself as well as neutralise would be attackers.
Banner grabbed the arm of the Orc on his right before tangling his foot behind one of its arches. With a sharp twist of Banner's hand, the orc fall backwards and heard a metallic thud when it hit the ground. With his right arm free, Banner picked up the Commander's dagger in one swift motion before plunging it in to the stomach of the orc to his left. As the Orc fell, Banner claimed its spear from its dead hand and scrambled to his feet. The Orc that Banner had flipped over, the very one that had first apprehended him, lifted its head up from the ground. It could only scream in horror when Banner thrust the spear into its head. Although pleased his tormentor was dispatched; Banner winced as he felt the pain from the injuries these 'Orcs' had inflicted on him.
Thor finally defeated the remaining orcs that were between him and Banner. He put a supporting hand on Banner's back
"We hadn't abandoned you, my friend," Thor assured him.
Banner gave a nod before wryly replying, "I still would've appreciated it if you showed up a few minutes earlier."
Thor smirked then stilled when he noticed Rogers was being slowly surrounded by the remaining orcs.
"Well, let's not be late in helping our Captain," Thor said before charging into the remaining orcs.
The Fellowship had picked up its pace since the incidents of the morning, curious to determine their cause. As they drew closer to the source of the smoke, Legolas sensed blood was being spilled. At this remark, Gandalf and Aragorn silently looked at each other with the same concern. They had hoped that the Fellowship could avoid conflict this side of the Misty Mountains. While it had a number of skilled warriors, the Fellowship's success depended greatly on remaining unnoticed in their travels.
The source of the smoke seemed to be just beyond a low rising hill to the front of them. Beyond the hill came many cries, screams and noises that the non-Hobbits in the Fellowship recognised immediately.
"Battle is joined!" Legolas exclaimed quietly before running quickly and silently to the crest of the hill.
"Wait here," Aragorn calmly commanded the rest of the Fellowship as he chased after his Elven friend.
Aragorn ran about hundred yards towards Legolas who was already in a prone position, making himself inconspicuous as he peered over the crest of the hill. Aragorn moved as quietly next to him, copying his position. Both the Man and Elf were taken aback by what they saw.
The smoke source was easily revealed as a campfire. However, as if to underline Boromir's earlier warning to Merry, this was an Orc camp. But the camp was littered with the corpses of many of its inhabitants who had appeared to have been crushed, stabbed or decapitated. The surviving orcs – Aragorn guessed about fifty – had surrounded a group of three men dressed unlike any he had seen in Middle-earth.
A masked man in blue livery defended and attacked with a round shield with a white star as its coat of arms. A young, blond headed man with a short beard (Rohirrim maybe?) wore dark armour and a majestic red cloak while scattering orcs with the war hammer that he wielded. Aragorn's attention finally fell on the remaining man who used an orc spear as a fighting staff and wore a purple shirt and trousers made of a blue coarse material. Legolas' attention was on this man as well.
"The short man suffers wounds to his face, and given his movement, I would say also to his legs," Legolas quietly commented. "If his injuries give way, it could lead to the downfall of the three of them."
Aragorn nodded his agreement to his friend's observations. The other odd sight was that there were no bodies of any other men around the camp. Aragorn wondered if the trio had attacked the camp themselves. To have taken down half the Orcs by themselves clearly indicated they were warriors of enormous skill or mad or both.
Aragorn whispered to Legolas, "Keep watch. I'll tell the others."
The remaining members of the Fellowship had witnessed Legolas and Aragorn lying in observation. They all moved forwards when they saw Aragorn running back towards them. Although the sounds of battle swirled, Aragorn did not want to risk drawing the battle participant's attention by raising his voice.
"It's an Orc camp," Aragorn said plainly as soon as he reached the Fellowship. "They do battle with three strangely garbed men. The men appear be holding their own. But one is injured and they're still greatly outnumbered."
"Men are doing battle with orcs," Boromir stated firmly before unsheathing his sword and taking his shield. "As fellow Men I will aid them, strangely garbed or not."
Gimli appeared to follow Boromir as he held his two handed axe as if ready for battle. The pair momentarily halted as Gandalf sharply commanded them, "Wait!"
Gandalf looked to the four Hobbits. He saw the worry on their faces as soon as Aragorn had said the word "Orc".
"Good Shire-folk," Gandalf addressed them almost apologetically, "I'd hoped to have avoided battle this early in our journey. But it would appear our aid is needed".
After they had taken in Gandalf's words, it was Sam who spoke first.
"Mister Gandalf," Sam customarily addressed him. "We're on a quest to save the world. If the world needs saving here, we're willing to do our part."
Sam then drew his short sword and his fellow Hobbits followed his example. Bill, their pack pony seemed to snort his consent as well. Frodo noticed the blade on his sword 'Sting' glow light blue just like his uncle said it would when orcs were close. The other Fellowship members smiled at the courage and spirit displayed by the Hobbits.
"Well-spoken, Master Samwise," Gandalf replied raising his bushy eyebrows in approval. But all levity left his voice as he quickly issued warning. "However until I say, stay behind this hill."
The Hobbits nodded in understanding as the Wizard addressed the others.
"Come, my friends," Gandalf said to them as he turned to climb the hill. "Let's hope those brave men are still standing."
Captain America blocked another orcs blow with his shield before breaking the same orcs face with a powerful sharp kick.
Rogers mentally took stock of the battle. The good news was that because the three Avengers were no longer separated by any of these creatures, it allowed them to fight as a single unit. The bad news was that these savage creatures had now surrounded them and still outnumbered them by a wide margin. This would not be a problem under 'normal' circumstances with Thor being able to release his full powers and the Other Guy's presence. But for whatever reason, neither of these two things had happened. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed Banner appeared to be tiring from the injuries he had sustained. Rogers pondered an uncomfortable thought.
In the Hulk's absence, does that mean that Bruce can be killed like a normal man?
Rogers turned to his right to face another orc. Before he could engage it, Rogers saw the Orc roll its eyes before tumbling lifelessly to the ground. The cause of this orc's demise was an arrow with yellow fletching sticking at the back of its head. Two more orcs near Rogers fell in quick succession by arrows of this type as well. At the same time, Thor and Banner witnessed an orc killed by an arrow that entered its throat sideways. For a moment Banner, had thought Hawkeye had joined the battle. The Avengers and orcs halted their combat and looked at the summit of the low hill to the north of them.
Rogers saw three men dressed in what he could only describe as medieval style clothing. Two them were armed with longbows. Both men were long-haired, but one had black hair and a beard while the other's hair was golden and appeared to have a clean, youthful complexion. Standing between the archers, the third man had a long grey beard and held a wooden staff.
Why is the old man wearing grey robes and a pointy hat? Rogers wondered. Is he supposed to be some kind of magician?
Rogers' last question was answered when the said old man firmly tapped the ground with his staff. A light shone from the top of his staff a light like sunlight reflecting off a mirror. None of the Avengers found the light uncomfortable to look at. The orcs were another matter. All of them either turned their backs or dropped their weapons as they threw hands to cover their eyes. Their screams confirmed the blinding pain the light caused them.
Thor did not hesitate to make the most of the advantage that presented itself. Using Mjolnir, Thor sent the stunned and defenceless orcs flying. Taking Thor's lead, Banner plunged the spear he had acquired into any orc close to him. Rogers was about to join them when he noticed the light from the staff receding. Four men now charged down the hill, announcing their arrival with a strong battle cry.
Two of the men were the archers, although the black haired one was now wielding a two-handed sword. One of the new men was about the same height as the dark haired one, though his hair and beard were of a fairer colour. This man held a broadsword and used a round shield. Although similar in shape to Rogers's, this man's shield appeared crafted out of steel with a leather hide. Rogers also noticed that a white horn, possibly crafted from ivory, hung around his belt.
It was the appearance of other new man that Rogers was taken aback by. He looked to be just over four feet in height with thick facial features on which hanged a think red beard. Rogers wondered if this short man suffered from one of those 'genetic abnormalities' that Banner once explained to him. The short man took down two of the creatures in rapid succession with the two handed axe he carried. Whatever the case, the short man's stature did not diminish his ability as a warrior.
The old man seemed to be following just behind the other four men at a speed that belied his age. The old man was now carrying a sword in the opposite hand to the one that held his staff.
An orc covering its eyes with both its hands blindly bumped into Rogers. Berating himself for losing focus, Rogers cut through the orcs armour with his shield. Introductions could wait. For now, Rogers was glad he could finish the battle with the odds in his favour.
Boromir cut down another orc that stood in front of him. He admitted to himself that Gandalf was right to have restrained him from entering the battle immediately. After Legolas and Aragorn had got the orcs attention with their arrows, Gandalf's 'magic' proved to be a great aid. However Gandalf warned the Fellowship that the blindness his spell caused the orcs would quickly dissipate. With that warning in their minds, Boromir and his fellow warriors had to kill as many orcs as possible while they had the advantage.
Boromir noted that the members of the Fellowship who joined him in this battle were just doing that with their various weapons. Seeing no orc was in his immediate vicinity, Boromir quickly assessed men they had aided.
Given the bruise and cut on his face, the short man must have been the injured one that Aragorn referred to. Boromir couldn't be sure, but the man seemed to be now moving more freely than when he first saw him. He did not have the look of a soldier. The way he used the orc spear in his hands though showed more than a passing knowledge of the fighting arts.
The masked man's clean, flowing movement left little doubt he was a soldier of some kind. However, the masked man moved at a speed and stamina that even an Elf would be hard pressed to match. It was the way that the man used his shield that most interested Boromir. The man used the shield, which was bigger than the one he carried, as both a means of protection and a weapon as he did not seemed to be armed with anything else. This was unlike any fighting style Boromir had seen or read about.
Boromir gasped when he saw the remaining man using his one-handed war hammer to send orcs flying for several yards in all directions. The man was certainly taller than average and even though he wore strange armour, it was obvious he had a powerful physique. Even so, the man must possess the strength of a Troll to scatter enemies in the way he did.
A shout from Gimli grabbed Boromir from these thoughts.
"They're getting away!" the Dwarf warned.
The remaining orcs had regained their sight as Gandalf predicted. Seeing their numbers were much diminished, and given the skill of the enemies they faced, they decided that this battle was no longer worth fighting. They routed towards the group of boulders and rocks to the south that the Avengers originally spied them from.
Legolas knew the danger the Fellowship could face if even one orc got away to warn others of its kind. He began to shoot arrows at in rapid succession. Rogers aimed and threw his shield at the routing orcs. Four of them were dissected in half by the shield as it flew through their ranks. An arrow from Legolas cut down the last surviving orc.
Legolas turned to his right where Rogers stood and gave him a single nod with a small smile. Rogers was glad that a military gesture of appreciation and acknowledgment appeared to be used in this place. He returned the gesture only to pause at the sight of the 'young man's' pointed ears. The riddle behind his appearance and that of the short man with the red beard could wait. Rogers did not want to appear to be ungrateful to them or the other three men who had helped them. But his priority was checking Banner given his wounds.
With the Orcs dealt with, Gandalf turned around and faced the hill.
"It's alright, Frodo!" he shouted. "You and your friends can come down now!"
Rogers pulled off his mask as he ran towards Banner. By the time Rogers reached him, the black haired man was already providing assistance.
"How hurt are you my friend?" Aragorn politely asked Banner.
Apart from actually missing the Other Guy? Banner wryly thought before casually replying, "I'm fine, thanks."
Aragorn suppressed the need to roll his eyes. As a healer, the most common response from all wounded men was that they were 'fine' even when their injuries or discomfort clearly showed they were not. While he could stop his eyes from rolling he could not stop them widening from what he saw. The deep cut in the man's face was fading! Most cuts like this healed over time after treatment. This man's cut had not been treated at all, yet there was now no trace of it on the man's face. For any man this was a most unnatural occurrence.
Seeing Banner was fine for now, Thor took it upon himself address the Avenger's allies of the moment.
"Humble thanks for your assistance, friends," Thor said in a tone befitting his position as Crown Prince of Asgard.
"We are grateful we were in a position to offer you our assistance, my lords," Gandalf replied, guessing this blond haired man was of noble birth given the way he spoke.
Both Rogers and Banner walked a few steps to stand beside Thor. Aragorn was still stunned by witnessing the Banner's wounds had healed but decided not to pursue it for now. He, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli gathered closer around Gandalf.
Pointing at the bodies strewn around the campsite, Thor asked, "Please pardon my ignorance. But what manner of creatures are these?"
Thor was surprised who answered.
"One of them who captured me said they were called 'Orcs'," Banner revealed.
At least two of these men are warriors, Boromir thought. How can they not know what orcs are?
"Before we discuss what Orcs are, perhaps introductions are in order?" Gandalf politely suggested.
The Avengers introduced themselves separately – "Captain Steve Rogers", "Thor Odinson", and "Bruce Banner". At their replies Aragorn thought Thor's accent similar to a Rohirrim's but Banner and Rogers's were unlike any he had heard in his travels across Middle-earth.
Noting the men's names Gandalf replied "I am the Wizard known as Gandalf the Grey. To my right are Aragorn, son of Arathorn; Boromir, son of Denethor and to my left are Legolas Greenleaf of the Woodland Realm; and Gimli, son of Gloin".
Both Rogers and Banners assumed that, as he did much of the talking, this 'Gandalf' appeared to be the leader of the group. The other thing they thought was that the five individuals had unusual names. Thor's attention was focused on Legolas and Gimli. Thor had much more experience than Rogers and Banner with races other than humans. Given their physical characteristics, Thor assumed Legolas and Gimli were an Elf and a Dwarf respectively. He'd made this assumption as separate realms of Elves and Dwarves were traditional allies of Asgard. However, both Legolas and Gimli were dressed in an unfamiliar style. He sought to clarify if either of them were from the Elven and Dwarven realms he was familiar with.
"Master Elf, you are not from Alfheim?" Thor asked Legolas before turning to Gimli. "Master Dwarf, is not Nidavellir your home?"
Legolas shook his head. "Alas, I am unaware of any realm called 'Alfheim'. I'm a Prince of Mirkwood".
Sensing an opening to rile Legolas, Gimli responded, "Unlike my pointy eared friend here I've no royal title. But unless 'Nidavellir' is another name for the Lonely Mountain, it is not my home."
Banner and Rogers shared a look as the result of the conversation between the three non-humans. Until now, both had thought that 'Elves' and 'Dwarves' were creatures that existed only in fairy tales and myth or populated the worlds in the fantasy novels that Banner liked to read as a teenager. But here in this world they existed in flesh and blood.
The Avengers heard the sound of footsteps coming from just behind Gandalf and his companions. Hearing the noise, Gandalf stepped aside to introduce the four individuals who stopped just behind him.
"And if I can introduce the final members of our Fellowship," he began. "From the Shire I present you Masters Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took."
The Hobbits either nodded or waved as Gandalf introduced them. If the Elf and Dwarf puzzled Banner, he was utterly mystified by the latest introductions. He'd initially thought that Gandalf and the others had children accompanying them. One was even guiding a pony carrying what appeared to be gear for camping. But the faces of these individuals had adult features even if they were of child height. Due to his medical studies, Banner was aware of the symptoms of adults who had Dwarfism. However these individuals did not seem to possess them. Both Rogers and Thor shared his astonishment.
Gandalf gave a knowing smile. He immediately recognised Thor, Roger's and Banner's reaction as the one that many gave when they met Shire-folk for the first time.
"I know Halflings are often thought of as legends across the lands," Gandalf happily instructed to the three Avengers. "But as you can see with your own eyes, they are quite real."
Rogers was the first to reply. "I mean no offence to you and your friends, sir. But I don't think any of us have even heard of 'Hobbits'." Just to be sure Rogers looked at Thor who shook his head in response. Rogers continued, "To be honest, we don't even know what this land is."
"You are currently in Eregion, which is one of the lands of Eriador," Gandalf informed them without the slightest puzzlement.
"Eregion, Eriador," Thor pondered the words aloud. "I do not know of any lands within the Nine Realms with these names".
Pippin, the youngest Hobbit, could not contain his curiosity about these strange men any more.
"Surely you've heard of Middle-earth before?" he piped up.
"Well, Earth's the name of the world where Steve and I come from," Banner cautiously answered. "But it's never had 'Middle' as a prefix."
Gandalf hid his annoyance of Pippin's interruption. He was very fond of Pippin. But Pippin's natural curiosity sometimes lead him say and do things (usually with his cousin Merry) that exhausted even Gandalf's seemingly limitless patience. However, Pippin's question seemed to prompt other members of the Fellowship to ask their own.
"Maybe you can tell us how you got here?" Aragorn suggested.
"Bruce and I were with some friends in New Mexico waiting for Thor to arrive from Asgard," Rogers recalled slowly. "Just after the Bifrost opened, there was a vortex that dragged the three of us here a few hours ago." Rogers then talked about their encounter with the orcs before the arrival of the Fellowship.
Except for Gandalf, the blank looks on the rest of the Fellowship indicated to Rogers that they were dumbfounded by many if not all aspects of his story. Merry whispered to his fellow Hobbits, "What's a vortex?" Gandalf's face remained neutral through and after Rogers told his tale.
"That's very interesting, Captain Rogers," Gandalf replied in a thoughtful manner. "Could you please excuse us for a moment?"
Two separate huddles formed only a few yards apart, one consisting of the Fellowship and the other of the Avengers. Both began talking among themselves in hushed tones.
Rogers looked at Banner and came straight to the point. "What happened back there, Bruce? Where was the Other Guy?"
"I don't know," Banner replied "When the Orcs were questioning me, he didn't even seem interested. It's never happened before. Given what's also happened to Thor, I'm beginning to think that vortex has negated or diminished our powers somehow."
"If you're right," Rogers said, "we could be stuck here for a while considering we've no means of communications."
"Both things also mean the peril we face in this land is increased." Thor added before nodding his head in the direction of the Fellowship. "If our companions offer to join them, I think we should do so. Despite their different races, I sense all of them to be honourable types and they appear very knowledgeable about this realm. It also goes without saying that more than half of them are skilled warriors as well."
Rogers looked to Banner who nodded his agreement with Thor's argument.
"Alright," Captain America made it unanimous. "But if they don't make the offer, let's ask for directions to the nearest settlement so we can figure our next move."
Gandalf opened discussion in the Fellowship's huddle.
"I think their story beyond even the most imaginative spy and nor do they look like mad men," he quickly ruled out two possibilities. "What does everyone else think?"
In situations such as this, the Fellowship's members were equals. Gandalf had no complaint when Pippin spoke first. The Took always tried to see the upside in things. His ability to provide this simple cheer made him as valuable to the Fellowship as any of its greatest warriors.
"Well, I didn't understand a lot of what they said," Pippin admitted. "But they seem nice enough."
"Appearances can be deceptive, Master Took," Legolas cautioned. "The Enemy has servants of many guises."
"Nonsense, Elf," Gimli scoffed earning a withering look from Legolas. "Would servants of the Enemy fight for life and limb against a band of orcs just to gain our attention and trust? If three of them were the 'Great Power' you supposedly sensed, I say that's a power we should try to have on our side."
"Peace, Gimli," Boromir gently chided. "But in a sense, I agree with you. If the three of them wished to harm us, they could have simply set an ambush with the Orcs. Given their battle prowess, we would've been quickly overwhelmed."
Gandalf noted Boromir's sound reasoning but he did not voice his agreement with it. The reason was that in the end this quest was the Ringer-bearer's and Gandalf did not want to unduly influence his decisions.
"Frodo," he asked, "What do you want to do?"
For Frodo, it was the second time that Gandalf has asked him to make a decision for all the Fellowship. The first decision resulted in their retreat from Caradhas to their current route. He still felt very uncomfortable about it, as there were other Fellowship members more knowledgeable about Middle-earth than he. Like that decision he simply had to trust his feelings.
"I think we should ask them to come with us if all of you agree," Frodo cautiously decided. "I think this encounter shows we'll need all the help we can get."
As no dissent was expressed, Gandalf said with simple finality, "So be it."
"Nonetheless, Legolas has point," Aragorn warned. "While the three of them seem honourable, there's still much mystery that surrounds them. I witnessed the short man's wounds heal themselves in a matter of moments. Until we know more about them, I suggest we say nothing of the Ring to them."
The Fellowship huddle broke up after they all agreed to what Aragorn had said.
Rogers, Thor and Banner were already waiting for the Fellowship after it had concluded its deliberations. It was Gandalf who spoke to them.
"My lords," he addressed them. "While trying to find a way back to your homes, you'd be most welcome to join us. While I am sure we all have a lot of questions, I'd suggest we start moving in case any more orcs are in the vicinity."
"Grey Wizard," Thor replied on the Avengers' behalf. "We accept your most gracious offer."
The Fellowship of the Ring resumed its journey with three new and very different members.
[RD: Another important reason for the vortex is my belief that Bruce Banner is as much an Avenger as the Other Guy. And I think the original Fellowship will better cope with the Other Guy by knowing Banner first.
Istari magic is supposed to be of the understated variety. I thought Gandalf's spell that blinded the orcs was consistent with his other displays of power in both the films and book.
Thor's references to Alfheim and Nidavellir are from Earth-616.]