Warning: contains spoilers for Dark Ages #4!
The Avengers' famous Helicarrier has a stunning new look and abilities in Marvel's new Dark Ages series. The versatile vehicle has vanquished various villains throughout its history, but in the new apocalyptic series, the Helicarrier has seen better days. That's why the newest version of the Avengers' mobile base in Dark Ages #4 is quite possibly the newest version yet...with the oldest technology.
In the Dark Ages series, the world is plunged into chaos when a powerful and ancient machine known as the Unmaker awakens from a billion-year slumber beneath the Earth. As it starts to "unmake" the entire planet, a squad consisting of the Scarlet Witch, Vision, the Thing, Doctor Strange and the Invisible Woman descend to the depths to combat the threat. The mission goes horribly wrong and the heroes are killed except Doctor Strange, who opens a portal to a dimension without electricity. This destroys the Unmaker, but the automaton kills Strange before he can seal the portal. This means every piece of technology powered by electricity shuts down.
The world is plunged into darkness. Some heroes, like Iron Man, can no longer function in the new world. Others like the X-Men use their telepathic abilities to stay in touch with cities instead of using telephones or the internet. But the most drastic change comes to the Avengers Helicarrier, which can no longer use its engines thanks to Strange's portal. Instead, the mighty machine is powered by coal, sails, and Storm of the X-Men, who has the power to push the Helicarrier by manipulating the winds. The load on the ship is immense, but Apocalypse is creating his own electricity via a captured Magneto, so the heroes of the world must attack his base of operations before he can cause any more damage.
The transformation of the Helicarrier also showcases the supreme power of Storm. Ororo Munroe has the potential to be called the most powerful X-Men ever; she can end droughts in seconds, send tidal waves toward her enemies and even use the elements to fly. She may very well be the secret weapon to defeat Magneto, seeing as she can conjure lightning from clouds above.
The helicarrier has seen plenty of changes in its decades-long history, but this is by far the most drastic. Storm would have to use all her power to even fill the sails of the carrier, let along push it through the oceans. But thanks to Storm, the Avengers Helicarrier can sail even in the darkest nights.