Dark Avengers | |
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Cover of Dark Avengers 1 (Jan, 2009).Art by Mike Deodato Jr. |
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Series publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | Superhero |
Publication date | March 2009 — 2010 June |
Number of issues | 16 |
Main character(s) | Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn) Ms. Marvel (Moonstone) Hawkeye (Bullseye) Wolverine (Daken) Spider-Man (Venom) Sentry |
Creative team | |
Writer(s) | Brian Michael Bendis |
Artist(s) | Mike Deodato |
Letterer(s) | Rainer Beredo |
Colorist(s) | Dave Lanphear |
Creator(s) | Brian Michael Bendis |
Collected editions | |
Dark Avengers Assemble | ISBN 0-7851-3851-X |
Molecule Man | ISBN 0-7851-3853-6 |
Siege | ISBN 0-7851-4811-6 |
Dark Avengers | |
Group publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Dark Avengers #1 (January 2009) |
Created by | Brian Michael Bendis |
In-story information | |
Leader(s) | Norman Osborn as Iron Patriot |
Member(s) | 'Bullseye as Hawkeye Daken as Wolverine Venom as Spider-Man Moonstone as Ms. Marvel Sentry |
Dark Avengers is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers. Unusually, the series stars a version of the team that, unknown to the public in its fictional universe, contains several members who are supervillains disguised as established superheroes.
Contents |
Publication history
The series debuted with issue #1, dated January 2009, as part of a multi-series story arc entitled "Dark Reign".[1] In the premiere, writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mike Deodato[2] (working from a continuity begun in a previous, company-wide story arc, "Secret Invasion", involving an infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien Skrulls and that race's eventual defeat) chronicled the aftermath of the U.S. government's disbanding of the federally sanctioned superhero team, the Avengers. Bendis described the thinking behind the team: "These are bad-ass, hardcore get-it-done types. They'll close the door and take care of business and he's dressing them up to make them something that the people want".[3] This is in contrast to the changes Osborn is shown making to the Thunderbolts, where, according to writer Andy Diggle, he turns that team into "something much more covert and much more lethal: his own personal hit squad".[4]
The series was cancelled with Dark Avengers #16, at the culmination of the Siege storyline.[5]
Plot
The government assigned the team's redevelopment to Norman Osborn (the reputedly reformed supervillain the Green Goblin) whom the government had previously assigned to head the superhero team the Thunderbolts and who had become a public hero for his role in repelling the Skrull threat. Osborn, also given leadership of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., reforms that agency into H.A.M.M.E.R. and creates a new Avengers team under its aegis.
Issues #1-6
The premiere issue introduces this new version, mixing former Thunderbolts with other characters. The initial line-up consists of the Sentry, Ares, Noh-Varr (now Captain Marvel) as well as disguised supervillains Moonstone (portraying Ms. Marvel), Venom (Mac Gargan, portraying Spider-Man after being given a formula that resets the symbiote to the size it was when it possessed Spider-Man), Bullseye (portraying Hawkeye) and Wolverine's disgruntled son Daken taking on the Wolverine mantle. Osborn also takes on the identity of Iron Patriot in a red-white-and-blue-themed Iron-Man-like armor.[6] In the first storyline, the team is shown rescuing Doctor Doom from Morgan Le Fay.[7] Upon returning from Latveria, Osborn deals[8] with the aftermath of Ronin's appearance on live TV reminding the public of Osborn's murderous past and that he should not be trusted.[9]
Issues #7-8 (Utopia Crossover)
The Dark Avengers arrive in San Francisco to set up martial law and to quell the anti-mutant riots. In doing so, Norman sets up his own team of X-Men consisting of Cloak and Dagger, Mimic, Emma Frost, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Daken, Weapon Omega and Mystique (posing as Professor X) much to the chagrin of his Avengers.[10] After Emma Frost, Namor, and Cloak and Dagger betray the team, Norman orders the Dark Avengers and the remaining Dark X-Men to bring him Namor's head, Emma Frost's heart, and to let Cyclops see it happen.[11]
Issues #9-12
A series of disappearances throughout Colorado caused Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers, except for Venom, to visit the small town of Dinosaur, Colorado. Sentry arrived first and was instantly teleported away. The other Avengers soon met the same fate. Norman Osborn then found himself in front of a throne with Molecule Man seated on it, apparently flanked by the Beyonder, Mephisto, Zarathos, and the Enchantress.[12] However, it was revealed that these others were merely Owen's creations. Owen began to mentally and physically torture Osborn and seemingly killed his Avengers.[13] Osborn's assistant, Victoria Hand, successfully stalls Owen with a false surrender until the Void is able to reform and kill Molecule Man, after an extended fight. It is revealed here that the Sentry and the Void have the same powers as Molecule Man. The Sentry regains control of himself and agrees to begin therapy with Moonstone before flying off on his own. Later, Hand demands Norman undergo therapy as well after being tortured by Molecule Man. Inside his office, Loki is manipulating Norman into having a Green Goblin relapse.[14]
Issues #13-16 (Siege Tie-Ins)
Norman Osborn has the Dark Avengers and those in the The Initiative that are on his side prepare for the invasion upon Asgard.[15] Its also revealed sentry dark side is osborn secret weapon. In a flashback is shown: It was later revealed that right after shooting him, Lindy records the Sentry's true origin as he once told it to her and which she further figured out later: That Robert Reynolds was a meth addict who broke into the laboratory looking for drugs and stumbled on the Professor's super serum by accident. After drinking the serum he accidentally destroyed the lab, killing his partner and the two guards who came upon them. Afterwards he became the Sentry, living the fantasy life of a superhero, saving the world, loved and admired by all, but still underneath a thief, murderer, and addict but now addicted to the power and the serum that gave it to him, and blaming his faults and failures on "a shadowy bogey man". Lindy knew he was dangerous and that Osborn's manipulations were unlocking something even more dangerous. When Sentry recovered from being shot the Void attempted to kill Lindy but Robert stopped him. after failing suicide Robert gives the void control.
Roster
As of Siege #2, the members are:
- Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn)
- The Sentry
- Spider-Man (Venom)
- Wolverine (Daken)
- Hawkeye (Bullseye)
- Ms. Marvel (Moonstone)
Bibliography
- Dark Avengers #1–16
- Dark Avengers Annual #1
Spin-off series:
- Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1-5
- Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man #1-4
- Dark Avengers: Ares #1-3
- Dark Wolverine #75-present
- Ms. Marvel #38-46
Collected editions
The series is being collected into individual volumes:
- Volume 1: Dark Avengers Assemble (collects Dark Avengers #1–6, 160 pages, premiere hardcover, September 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3851-X, softcover, December 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3852-8)
- Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men - Utopia (collects Dark Avengers #7-8, "Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia" "Utopia Finale" and Uncanny X-Men #513-514, 352 pages, hardcover, December 2009, ISBN 0-7851-4233-9, softcover, April 2010, ISBN 0-7851-4234-7)
- Volume 2: Molecule Man (collects Dark Avengers #9-12, 112 pages, premiere hardcover, February 2010, ISBN 0-7851-3853-6)
- Dark Avengers: Siege (collects Dark Avengers #13-16, and Dark Avengers Annual #1, 144 pages, Marvel Comics, premiere hardcover, July 2010, ISBN 0-7851-4811-6)
As were the spin-offs:
- Ms. Marvel:
- Volume 7: Dark Reign (collects Ms. Marvel #35-40, 176 pages, Marvel Comics, premiere hardcover, September 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3838-2, softcover, December 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3839-0)
- Volume 8: War of The Marvels (collects Ms. Marvel #41-46, 120 pages, Marvel Comics, premiere hardcover, January 2010, ISBN 0-7851-3840-4, softcover, May 2010, ISBN 0-7851-3841-2)
- Dark Wolverine:
- Volume 1: The Prince (collects Wolverine #73-74 and Dark Wolverine #75-77, 112 pages, Marvel Comics, premiere hardcover, October 2009, ISBN 0-7851-3900-1, softcover, March 2010, ISBN 0-7851-3866-8)
- Volume 2: My Hero (collects Dark Wolverine #78-81, 112 pages, Marvel Comics, premiere hardcover, April 2010, ISBN 0-7851-3977-X)
- Siege: X-Men - Dark Wolverine & New Mutants (includes Dark Wolverine #82-84, 128 pages, Marvel Comics, premiere hardcover, June 2010, ISBN 0-7851-4815-9)
- Dark Reign: Sinister Spider-Man (collects Dark Reign: The Sinister Spider-Man #1-4, 112 pages, Marvel Comics, softcover, January 2010, ISBN 0-7851-4239-8)
- Dark Avengers: Ares (collects Ares #1-3, and Thor #129, 192 pages, Marvel Comics, softcover, April 2010, ISBN 0-7851-4406-4)
- Dark Reign: Hawkeye (collects Dark Reign: Hawkeye #1-5, 120 pages, Marvel Comics, softcover, May 2010, ISBN 0-7851-3850-1)
References
- ^ Getting Dark: Brian Bendis on Dark Avengers & Dark Reign, Newsarama, September 29, 2008
- ^ Mike Deodato Explores His Dark (Avengers) Side, Newsarama, December 23, 2008
- ^ "The Osborn Supremacy: Dark Avengers", Comic Book Resources, January 22, 2008
- ^ "Andy Diggle: The Future of the Thunderbolts", Newsarama, December 17, 2008
- ^ George, Richard (January 15, 2010). "Siege Ends the Avengers". IGN. http://comics.ign.com/articles/106/1061476p1.html. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
- ^ Dark Avengers #1 (March 2009)
- ^ Dark Avengers #2 (April 2009)
- ^ Dark Avengers #5
- ^ New Avengers #50
- ^ Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1
- ^ Dark Avengers #8
- ^ Dark Avengers #10 (2009)
- ^ Dark Avengers #11
- ^ Dark Avengers #12
- ^ Siege #1
External links
- Explaining it All: Brian Bendis Talks Dark Avengers #1, Newsarama, January 22, 2008
- Dark Avengers at the Grand Comics Database
- Dark Avengers at the Comic Book DB
Reviews
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