Marvel's New Avengers Are One Million Years In The Making

Screen Rant

By Matthew Erao

Published May 2, 2018

Marvel's newest Avengers comic and team is led by Iron Man, Captain America and Thor - but their story actually begins in 1,000,000 BC.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Avengers #1

The latest Avengers comic and team stretches back one million years, pitting the heroes of today and the past against a new breed of Celestials. Marvel's next era of Avengers Comics was teased last week when the 'No Surrender' story ended. With it, the various teams and books bearing the infamous name were disbanded, and a new status quo is beginning as part of Marvel's Fresh Start. The new team sees Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America once again leading the charge - but this new group has a bloodline that dates back to 1,000,000 BC.

Last year's Legacy #1 was meant to kick off a new phase for Marvel Comics, but it didn't last long before fans learned things were (once again) being rebooted. As it turns out, much of what was laid out in that book is coming to fruition now. Legacy teased the return of the Fantastic Four, Wolverine coming back from the dead, and the countdown to Infinity Wars and the latest battle for the cosmic gems.

The issue also introduced the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC: a group comprised of Odin, Bashenga, and Agamotto along with Earth's first Phoenix, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, and Starbrand (looking suspiciously like the Hulk).

We've known since Legacy #1 that the first Avengers would play a role in the future, and that the Celestials would be a key plot point. But now the full scope of the story has been revealed. Avengers #1 by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness kicks off in the past as the ancient Avengers decide what their roles should be. But before they can truly decide, a group of Celestials known as The First Host emerge from the skies.

The story of the past ends there, but it will continue to factor into the present as another batch of Celestials emerge. The modern tale sees Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thor Odinson grabbing a drink and discussing the future. Cap is coming off his alternate self's time with Hydra, Thor is still unworthy, and Tony is bouncing back from being nearly dead. While Iron Man is reluctant, the other stalwart Avengers are ready to reform the team around the big three. But before the debate can get too far, Captain Marvel heads to Earth with news of dead Celestials raining down from rifts in space. And behind the death... is The Final Host.

The story also sees Black Panther and Doctor Strange investigating the former grave of a Celestial killed in Legacy, only to end up under the Earth as all sorts of alien eggs begin hatching. In Los Angeles, Robbie Reyes deals with some of these bugs as well, while Jennifer Walters is off trying to suppress the Hulk. It's less clear how Ghost Rider and She-Hulk will factor into the story, but somehow they join with the other Avengers to round out the new team.

Wherever the story is going, Aaron is known for weaving some dense mythologies into existing characters, and his work on Doctor Strange and Thor means we can expect plenty of fantastical and generation-spanning action in the new Avengers book. Even if the mystery spanning one million years has yet to be solved.