lternate Avengers Issue #21 The Politics of Avenging
Black Knight, Bloodstrike, Wasp
Vision, Crystal
Black Panther, Namor
League of Nations Resolution #4624-2850: Due to the recent attack in the City-State of New Amsterdam upon the headquarters of the Avengers by the super-terrorist organization known as the Masters of Evil and their leader the Crimson Cowl, in light of the fact that the Crimson Cowl is still at large and has pledged himself to the destruction of the Avengers, an organization whose benefit to mankind cannot be overstated, in light of the Crimson Cowl's willingness to kill innocents and destroy property to achieve this goal, the Avengers are hereby authorized and empowered to capture the Crimson Cowl, and any who join him as a member of the Master's of Evil, and are granted immunity from persecution for any and all violations of international, national, and local legal violations incurred in the securing of this goal.
At the South Pole, the bottom of the world, in Amundsen City, in the League of Nations Council Chambers, Secretary General Peter Henry Gyrich rapped his gavel on the podium
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby call this emergency meeting of the League of Nations Security Council to order. Emissaries of all fifteen members of the Council are in attendance. Appearing before the council today are Dane Whitman, known as the Black Knight, chairman of the Avengers, Janet Van Dyne, the Wasp, former chairman of the Avengers and current member in good standing, and, uhm, the Avenger known as Bloodstrike, identity withheld as per Avengers prerogative. Mr. Whitman, do you or any of your colleagues, have any opening remarks?"
The Black Knight looked much different from when he first took over as chairman of the Avengers. His hair had recently been burnt off by Scorcher, one of the Masters of Evil, and was now just barely visible on his scalp as it was starting to grow back although now black. He hadn't worn his helmet since Seth, the Egyptian serpent god of death, had ripped it off his head. His eyes were glowing red with the energy bequeathed him when his brainwaves started to match the Eternal Sersi's after he was made her Gann Josin, an Eternal telepathic version of marriage. His chain-mail costume had been reformed out of leather after being shredded in various different battles. At his belt hung the Ebony Blade, the cursed sword that had been attached to his family for many generations.
"Mr. Secretary, we'd just like to thank the Security Council for calling this meeting and recognizing the severity of the situation."
"Then the Council now gives the floor to the sponsor of this resolution, Ambassador Sikorsky of New Amsterdam."
Raymond Sikorsky, sitting at a curved table above the podium with the fourteen other ambassadors, described the circumstances starting with Whirlwind's attack on the Wasp through the Masters of Evil assault on Avengers tower. The floor was next turned over to Ambassador Barca of the Carathaginian Republic.
"Mr. Whitman, I'm concerned about the hero sitting here, known as Bloodstrike. He's been brooding, glaring at me as I stand here. He's got an armband made of barbed wire and a notched axe larger than most of us here. Now this resolution grants you tremendous leeway and I'm not sure I'm comfortable granting this to someone like that."
"Well, Mr. Barca," Dane answered him. "Let me explain a little bit about his history. He was originally choosen by Odin himself, king of the gods, to fill in for Thor and served as an Avenger in that capacity. When Thor returned, Odin, in reward for this service, granted him powers through his enchanted mace. In battling the villain Bloodaxe he was possessed by the Blood Axe, a cursed weapon. While I can understand your concern under those circumstances, my telepathy is keeping him under control and I can't think of a better place for him to be than under our watchful eye. Also I don't think you can doubt the ability of Odin as a character witness."
"Mr. Whitman, unless you can actually produce Odin to testify before us this is just hearsay. And we will have questions about your telepathic abilities, so you have not allayed my concerns at all. I'm afraid my recommendation to the committee is to reject the resolution."
The floor was next turned over to Ambassador L'Ouverture of the Caribbean Confederation.
"Mr. Whitman," he addressed him in his heavy Caribbean accent. "I wish you address some issues we have with Crystal Maximoff, a current member of your team, not in attendance today. Is it true that her people live on the moon?"
"Yes, sir, that is true. The Inhumans are extremely sensitive to pollution and have retreated to the moon to escape the effects of our civilization."
"She is married to Peitro Maximoff, the mutant known as Quicksilver."
"Yes, she is."
"This Quicksilver was once an Avenger and is now a fugitive from the law."
"Yes, he is and-"
"And despite this marriage, and I understand there is a child involved, is it true that you, leader of the team, have a relationship with this woman?"
"Yes, but Crystal is separated from her husband whose membership in the Avengers has been suspended," Dane retorted.
"This sounds to me like a convenient way to be rid of a rival."
"Mr. L'Ouverture!" Dane shouted at him. "You are casting aspersions where there are none to be found. The social life of any of my teammates should not be at issue here."
"Might I remind you, Mr. Whitman, that we are considering entrusting you with quite a bit of power and your moral fiber is quite a concern here. Now another issue with Mrs. Maximoff, if her people live on the moon, as you say, how well can we trust her loyalty to the people of Earth?"
"If you have any doubts about Crystal, you can refer to her distinguished service both as a member of the Avengers and as a member of the Fantastic Four. In fact Black Bolt, the king of the Inhumans, recently gave his life fighting Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, another group of super-terrorists, which resulted in Magneto renouncing terrorism and vowing to leave Earth and take many of his 'evil mutants' with him."
"Very well, no further questions."
"This is not going very well," Dane whispered to Jan. "I did not expect them to bring up some of these issues."
"I think we're doing fine," she answered. "I think you turned that around with the last bit. Just keep reminding them how much the world needs us."
"Mr. Whitman," Ambassador Travis of the Republic of Texas addressed him. "Don't y'all have the Vision currently on your team? Now didn't he once try to take over the world?"
"Yes, Mr. Travis, on both counts. The Vision was under the influence of a malfunction in a control crystal, a circuit within his synthezoid brain. He has since removed the circuit and has had a spotless record since then. On top of that agents of this very council completely disassembled him against his will when you previously had doubts about him. Now some people have said that a synthezoid, being an artificial being, has no rights but the Vision, like Thor and Hercules and others, is a member of the Avengers which grants him honorary citizenship. I think the Vision has suffered enough to make up for his past."
"I have a question for Ms. Van Dyne," Ambassador Itza of the Mayan Republic spoke up. "You are married to Dr. Henry Pym, right? And this is the same Dr. Pym who was once on trial and only narrowly acquitted for crimes against the Avengers?"
"Yes, I was once married to him," she answered. "But we have been divorced for many years now. I'd also like the record to state that not only was he acquitted but that he was acquitted because evidence was brought forth to prove that he had been framed by Egghead."
"My question," Ambassador Brant of the Iroquois Confederation said. "Is about the Eternals of Olympia. The last known contact with them was a distress signal specifically for you that you answered. No one has heard from them since then. Can you tell us what happened to them?"
"One of the Eternals, Gilgamesh, once an Avenger, was the oldest Eternal we know of. He was suffering from the Mahd W'yry, sort of an Eternal version of Alzheimer's disease. He had gone berserk and was attacking them. Keep in mind that the Eternals are telepathic. We believe the other Eternals caught this disease from him and they all attacked us. The only way we could stop them was by absorbing them into the Ebony Blade."
"Are you saying that you killed them all?"
"Eternals cannot die, Mr. Brant. They are energy forms and were absorbed into the Ebony Blade. It may be possible to bring them back someday."
"It sounds like semantics to me, Mr. Whitman."
"Then look at it this way: a powerful race of beings had gone berserk and we were the only thing that stood between them and the rest of the world. You will want someone who has had experience making hard decisions like this to hunt down the Crimson Cowl and is willing to do what it takes."
"Mr. Secretary," T'Challa, king and ambassador of Wakanda, the Avenger known as the Black Panther addressed him. "I do not have any questions myself. Everyone here is aware that I am an Avenger myself and I can stand as a character witness for all of them. I have served as one of them and find them all to be the honorable and mighty heroes that the Earth needs."
"I have no questions," Prince Namor, king and ambassador of Atlantis and one-time Avenger addressed the council. "But you should know about the last time I met the Black Knight. The Avengers came to Atlantis to help fight off an attack by sea creatures. Despite being romantically involved with Crystal Maximoff, he made unseemly advances towards my wife. And then while a rebel army was attacking Atlantis he turned her to stone! Despite my membership I believe this current team is not worthy of the name and recommend this council vote against this resolution."
Dane Whitman stood up and looked at each of the council members. He had expected the most trouble from the last one, Dr. Doom, monarch of Latvia, and he hadn't heard a word from him yet. Suddenly, as he was looking at him, he found himself seated up there looking down at himself. Confused at first, he remembered Dr. Doom had an ability to change bodies with people. That meant Dr. Doom was in his body! He was in Dr. Doom's body but he found he couldn't move within the armor. Doom must have had a secret method of controlling his armor.
He saw Dr. Doom using his body address the council.
"Now see hear Ambassadors! I don't need to sit hear and listen to this. There's enough firepower on my team to destroy any one of your nations."
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The Vision and Crystal were supervising the demolition of Avengers tower when an elderly figure dressed in robes floated down from the sky.
"Who are you?" Crystal asked.
"We don't have much time," the figure said. "I bring a gift for the Avengers. As you have recently lost your headquarters, I have a space available."
He waved his hands and shimmering gateway appeared in the air.
"Follow me," he said and stepped through the gateway.
Vision and Crystal cautiously followed him. They found themselves standing in the Eternal city of Olympia. The buildings had all been repaired and reconfigured with an Avengers motif.
"The Eternals have no use for this any more and I believe they would be happy if you made use of it. The Vision's computer brain will be easiest to impart the knowledge to. This will tell you how to configure the buildings and the gateway."
He lightly touched Vision on the forehead.
"This will be very useful," the Vision said.
"Yes," Crystal said. "Who are you and how can we thank you?"
"It's not safe for me to stay any longer. I will help you again when I can but I don't know when that will be."
With that the stranger flew away.
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Dr. Doom paused for dramatic effect. There was no way he would let this council give the Avengers authority over his country. Now, due to his outburst, he was sure the vote would go against them. He saw his own body sitting up there with the Black Knight trapped inside. Suddenly he was sitting up there looking down on the proceedings. Then he remembered the Black Knight's telepathy. He must have telepathically triggered Doom's power to switch bodies. But it didn't matter, he thought smugly, he had already done enough damage.
"You must pardon me," the Black Knight continued after Doom's rant. "My teammate, Pulsar, is still missing and concern for her overwhelms me."
Doom watched Secretary Gyrich pound his gavel on the podium. "I think we've heard enough and I think it's time to call for a vote."
Doom had already calculated the voting and he knew the vote would be close but thought it would go his way. He watched as each council member voted. He counted seven votes for and seven votes against. He was pleased to know he got to cast the deciding vote against the Avengers. Then Gyrich rapped his gavel again.
"The vote is eight to seven in favor. The resolution passes."
Doom looked to find he had already voted in favor. Then he realized what had happened. Dane Whitman had telekinetically cast his vote for him while they had switched bodies. And he couldn't reveal it without exposing his part in the deception.
Next Issue: A.I.M. High!
How and where it happened in the Marvel Universe:
The Master of Evil attacked the Avengers and Avengers Tower in issues #18-20 of this series. The Scorcher burnt off the Black Knights hair in #20.
The Black Knight fought Seth in issue #4 of this series.
Bloodstrike started filling in for Thor in Thor #432. He received the mace in Thor #459. He was possessed by the Executioner's Axe in Thunderstrike #23.
Black Bolt died in issue #17 of this series.
Vision took over the world in Avengers, Volume 1, #253. He removed and destroyed the control crystal in Avengers #254. He was disassembled in West Coast Avengers #43.
Henry Pym was on trial in Avengers #228-230.
The Avengers fought the Eternals in issue #14 of this series. They visited Atlantis in #6-8.
Dr. Doom learned to switch bodies in Fantastic Four #10.