Avengers Forever
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Avengers Forever is a twelve-issue comic book limited series serialized by Marvel Comics from 1998 to 2000 starring the superhero team called the Avengers. The series won the R.A.C. Squiddy Award for Best Limited Comic Series in 1999 as well as the CBG Award for Favorite Limited Series in 2000.
The story revolved around the "Destiny War", a time travel-based conflict between Kang the Conqueror and his future self, Immortus. It served to iron out many wrinkles in Avengers history, clarify the history of Kang, and essentially undo much of the poorly-received storyline of 1995-1996.
Synopsis
The Destiny War was ignited when Immortus sent his servant Tempus to kill an apparently critically ill Rick Jones on the moon, knowing that it was the Destiny Force about to manifest within Rick for the second time (after the first time during the Kree-Skrull War) that was killing him. Kang intervened, and the Kree Supreme Intelligence, who Rick had been brought to for examination, triggered Rick to use the Destiny Force to call a team of Avengers to him, plucked from time, causing Immortus' forces to withdraw, having failed to prevent what they had come to do.
The team gathered consisted of various members taken from different eras. Captain America was plucked from just after his 1974 adventure (Captain America #176) where he discovered that the leader of the Secret Empire was a high ranking government official. Yellowjacket was taken the early 1970s when his alter ego, Hank Pym, was mentally unbalanced. Giant-Man (also Hank Pym, but more adjusted) and the Wasp were both plucked from what was then the present - 1998 Marvel continuity. Hawkeye was taken from circa Avengers #100 continuity and Songbird and Captain Marvel were taken from an apparently alternative future.
In the course of their investigations, which took them to various points in time and Limbo, the Avengers learned that Immortus was serving beings called the Time Keepers. The Keepers knew that mankind would eventually go into space and establish the Terran Empire. This would involve wars and the destruction of many alien peoples and the Avengers would be at the forefront of the invasions on the grounds of "pacification". Since Immortus admired the Avengers he resolved to manipulate them and thus delay mankind's space efforts.
At the conclusion, Rick and the Avengers fought by the side of Libra, Kang and the Supreme Intelligence against Immortus and the Time Keepers. The Time Keepers killed Immortus for his failures, and attempted to accelerate Kang into Immortus; however, Kang persevered and defeated the Time Keepers. Rick burnt himself out stopping their plan, and Kang proceeded to kill the Time Keepers. Immortus then split off from Kang, meaning Kang would never become Immortus. Rick was then merged with Genis-Vell, the third Captain Marvel, to save his life, and he and all the Avengers were returned to their original time periods with varying degrees of memory as to what they had been involved in.
Consequences
As a result of the Destiny War, Rick Jones' injuries were cured (he had been unable to walk), Immortus was separated from Kang's future (Kang was previously destined to become Immortus), and Genis-Vell was reintroduced into an active role as Captain Marvel in addition to bonding with Rick Jones. It also featured a considerable number of alternative futures and versions of Marvel characters, as well as some changes in the timeline (the undoing of the 1950s team of Avengers, for instance). The fate of the Forever Crystal played a major role during Maximum Security.Trivia
- The Avengers visit five different time periods - Tombstone, Arizona in 1880; 1950s Southern California; post-war New York in the 21st century; the Terran Galactic Empire of the 26th century; and the end of time.
- In the 1950s, The Wasp and Captain Marvel meet a group of Avengers made up of Marvel Boy, Venus, 3-D Man, Gorilla-Man and Human Robot. This alternative team had originally appeared in What If Volume 1 # 9, published in June 1978.
- The final battle includes characters from both the Squadron Supreme and Earth X, as well as Scargoyle, a character from Kurt Busiek's Astro City universe.
External link
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