Pietro and Luna’s reunion dinner with the recently returned Crystal and Wanda is cut short when trolls attack them in the restaurant. At the same time, other former Avengers are attacked by various Asgardian beasts, which then all simultaneously vanish. Giant-Man, Wasp, Captain America, and Iron Man meet in the recently reopened Avengers Mansion to discuss the attacks. A starving and disheveled Thor bursts in to warn the Avengers of impending danger. The founders call a meeting of all former Avengers; over thirty answer, including New Warriors Firestar and Justice, who were attacked along with their teammate Rage. Thor tells the assemblage of the Twilight Sword and its ability to remake reality, and of the Norn Stones, which Thor believes are in possession of whoever has the Sword. Since Thor senses the Stones in five separate parts of the world, Cap splits the gathering into five teams under the command of himself, the Black Widow, Iron Man, Wasp and Thor. Cap’s team (Quasar, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Demolition Man, Hercules and Crystal) touch down on the British coast, where they find the Twilight Sword imbedded in the ground, but are immediately attacked by rock trolls commanded by the Arthurian sorcerer Mordred, who also abducts Wanda. The team defeats Mordred and the trolls, but is then confronted by Morgan le Fay, who wears the Norn Stones as a necklace. Morgan reveals her scheme to scatter the Avengers across the world in order to lure Wanda to her, whose power Morgan then uses to wrest the Twilight Sword into her hands. Morgan slashes the sword through the fabric of reality, causing everything to fade to white.
To prevent Dr. Doom from killing the Avengers and Fantastic Four during their trek back to their native Earth, Thor opens an interdimensional rift and hurls Doom and himself into it (HR:R #4, ’97). Thor awakens in Asgard to find it decimated and deserted. While traveling the Nine Worlds, Thor discovers the Twilight Sword, Asgard’s most dangerous weapon, is missing. Nearby, Thor finds a fragment of Bifrost; touching it hurtles him into a Chicago alley (p).
As of this issue all characters are the 616 versions again, not Counter-Earth versions, unless otherwise noted. Cap recruited Demolition Man into the Avengers in Cap #349, ’89, but this is D-Man’s first appearance in the main Avengers series. The dialogue for all Asgardian characters, including Thor, is lettered with a different font than the other characters beginning with this issue. Binary begins wearing her Ms. Marvel costume again. Black Widow displays reluctance to involve herself with the Avengers, since she holds herself responsible for their “deaths” in Ons:MU, ’96. Black Knight offers the aid of Heroes for Hire, whom became part of in HFH #1, ’97; he obtained the Shield of Night, the Sword of Light, and Strider in HFH #2-3, both ’97. War Machine is mentioned as being “out of the business,” following the loss of his Eidolon warwear in TMU #1, ’97. Though he answers the call, Spider-Man is excused from participating in the mission by Cap due to being framed for murder in SenSM #25, ’98.
