Warning! Spoilers for Avengers #55 by Marvel Comics
The Avengers are opening their ranks and adding a surprise new member, as the team just held a vote to introduce Marvel's Batman, Nighthawk, to the team. The surprise addition comes during extreme circumstances, as the superteam realizes they'll need all the help they can get to take on not just one version of Mephisto but all of his evil variants from across the Multiverse.
Nighthawk is Marvel's pastiche of Batman, as the Squadron Supreme hero's origin and history parallel that of the iconic DC Comics hero. Those similarities were never more obvious than when Mephisto and Agent Coulson turned the Marvel Universe into a Heroes Reborn world, where the Squadron Supreme became Earth's Mightiest Heroes. In the false reality, Nighthawk had his own cave, a sidekick Batgirl, and had many other details that were clearly inspired by the Dark Knight of the DC Universe. However, with Mephisto's plan coming full circle, the Avengers are voting to allow their former adversary on the team.
In Avengers #55 by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, David Curiel, and VC's Cory Petit from Marvel Comics, Nighthawk encounters Black Panther, who tells the former villain he needs his help in stopping Mephisto. He even offers him all the intel he has on him, as he reveals Mephisto has gone "Multiversal." After running into the Avengers again during a battle with the Serpent Society, both the superteam and Marvel's Batman are met by Mephisto, who showcases the hundreds of devilish variants from across the Multiverse. Realizing how much trouble they are in, the Avengers admit they need more help and hold a vote on allowing Nighthawk on the team.
The Avengers are already shorthanded with the disappearance of the Ghost Rider, and its newest members, a now teenaged Starbrand, Namor, and Jane Foster, are still relatively inexperienced. The team votes in Nighthawk as their newest member, with Captain America even saying "God help us all," given the threat they're about to face in the Mephistos.
Adding Marvel's Batman to the roster might seem like an odd decision, considering he was the Avengers' adversary during the Heroes Reborn takeover, but Earth's Mightiest Heroes realize that he is just as eager to take down Mephisto as they are for ruining his life, while also needing all the help they can get. After a quick vote under tense conditions, the Avengers make Nighthawk the team's newest member. Avengers #55 by Marvel Comics is in stores now.