Last Hero Standing
Encyclopedia
Last Hero Standing is a 5-issue comic book
limited series
published by Marvel Comics
in 2005
. It was written by Tom DeFalco
and drawn by Pat Olliffe
(who also co-plotted the series).
The series stars many characters from the MC2 universe, such as A-Next
and the Fantastic Five
. Though these characters existed prior to this miniseries, Marvel wished to quickly reintroduce them to the public, following the success of Spider-Girl
in digest size
format. The series was released weekly and then reprinted as a trade paperback.
While “joy-hunting” together in Canada
, Wild Thing
is shocked to discover her father Wolverine
has been kidnapped in front of her eyes. Elsewhere across the world, one of the Ladyhawk sisters is abducted as well.
This eventually gets the attention of the Watcher Uatu
, who later gives the readers an explanation concerning what the MC2 universe is all about. After the first appearances of the original Fantastic Four
and the defeat of Loki
, which caused the creation of the first group of Avengers
, a new line of heroes have emerged in a possible future timeline. These heroes now form the groups of A-Next
and the Fantastic Five
(F5), while other heroes remain solo, such as Spider-Girl
, the Green Goblin, and DarkDevil
.
At the Avengers Compound, the headquarters of A-Next in the future, the young heroes are busy being trained by Captain America
. At a local hospital, Iron Man
has just visited a still comatose Scarlet Witch
. After leaving her room, he hears noises in it, and when he re-enters it, she has been kidnapped as well.
At her home, young May "May Day" Parker, alias Spider-Girl
, is busy taking care of her baby brother Ben, while being watched over by her parents Peter Parker and Mary Jane
. After that, she leaves for school.
Meanwhile, the Thing
of the F5 walks over the main streets of the city, when they suddenly start to crumble. Ben realizes he is in danger and sets off an alarm to alert his teammates, who notice the signal and leave to help their friend.
Peter later discusses recent events with Phil Urich
, alias Green Goblin. They are attacked by a gigantic robot which manages to abduct Peter. A panicking Phil contacts May about this, who decides to investigate as Spider-Girl. She, the Buzz
, the other Ladyhawk and the Green Goblin dive into a tunnel that was created by the robot that kidnapped Peter. There, they meet up with all the members of A-Next who discovered the same tunnel earlier, however none of them has a clue about why all of this is happening.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, an unconscious Peter is dragged by the robot into a dark realm, and a mysterious person demands revenge for an unforgivable sin that has haunted him forever.
An ancient Doctor Strange
tries to gain the assistance of Doc Magus, but he prefers to work on his own despite the warnings of his friend Deacon. Doc Magus uses his astral form
to scan the entire world for the missing heroes, which leads him to a dark cave. There, he gets attacked by a dark entity. This entity manages to defeat Doc Magus and kidnaps him as well.
At Avengers Compound, Captain America is exercising alone. Thunderstrike
realizes Cap is feeling down because of his old age, and promises him that he does not have to worry about that because A-Next will follow him anywhere. Cap and Thunderstrike get called to an A-Next meeting. They discuss possible villains who could be behind the kidnappings. They suspect Kala
, the Queen of the Underworld; Tyrannus, Master of the Subterraneans; Terrax the Tamer; the Living Lava Man; or Mole Man
, the ruler of Monster Isle. They also inform the X-People
about the situation, but Jubilee
, the leader of the X-People, decides they work better on their own, causing J2
and Wild Thing to wonder why they ever bothered to try join the X-People; they are glad they decided to stay with A-Next. The team decides to split up to investigate the different possibilities.
At Barton’s Dojo, American Dream
and Freebooter
discuss things with retired hero Hawkeye
. However, not much later, a crack in the ground is made and kidnaps the heroes as well.
At her home, Spider-Girl promises her mother and brother that she will find her father, and she leaves.
The Fantastic Five depart to Monster Isle, only to discover that the Mole Man is dead, and that a statue has been built in his honor. This means someone else has to be behind the kidnappings.
Spider-Girl, Captain America and Thunderstrike learn about the kidnappings at Barton’s Dojo. They jump into the hole together with J2 and Wild Thing. There, they discover a weird portal. After entering it, the heroes are immediately attacked by robot-like creatures and start to fight them. However, they get soon outnumbered and fear for their safety.
Not much later, the mastermind villain reveals himself to be Loki. He wants revenge on the Avengers, realizing he helped create them years earlier, and shows that he holds the missing heroes prisoner in life-size crystals. He also demands an end to the Age of Heroes.
Mary Jane fears about her husband’s safety. Surprisingly enough, Spider-Man returns home, but he seems different and his eyes have turned completely evil, causing MJ even more fear. MJ also notices that Mayday is nowhere to be found and asks about her but receives no answer.
Spider-Girl and the other heroes are still being attacked by the robot-like creatures. Cap and Thunderstrike are defeated and kidnapped, and Spider-Girl suggests she and J2 retreat while they can. Though he does not like to desert their teammates, J2 complies.
Meanwhile in the city, Spider-Man confronts the hero he dislikes most: DarkDevil. The two fight each other, despite DarkDevil trying to stop the webslinger.
The Vision
returns to Avengers Compound, where he finds Stinger
discussing matters with Jubilee, who promises to contact them when she learns something more. The Vision explains he has arrived at the request of the President of the United States
, G. W. Bridge
, who believes the kidnappings could threaten the nation. Jarvis
suddenly comes to inform the two that all of the missing heroes have mysteriously returned. Before more can be asked about the mysterious return or what happened with them, Jarvis also alerts them to the Spider-Man/DarkDevil battle in midtown.
Captain America, Wild Thing and Thunderstrike are put in chains. Wild Thing is angry at Cap for not seeing this coming, causing him to feel down a bit. Elsewhere in the caves, Loki managed to kidnap Nova
as well. He injects Nova with a dark mist, which causes him to become evil and to side with Loki.
J2 and Spider-Girl return to the caves and set their teammates free. They later find Nova captured in the same crystals as before and set him free as well. Meanwhile, Loki has set up two sides of heroes against each other: the ones he kidnapped and turned evil against the unaffected heroes. He plans for the heroes to battles each other in an attempt to destroy them all.
The heroes begin fighting each other: the Human Torch
fights the Hulk
, and his flames reveal some robotic body parts covering the Hulk. Hulk manages to defeat the Human Torch by throwing water over him. Eventually, the Hulk almost gets taken down by Psi-Lord and the other F5. Hulk still feels angry about being called “Banner” and Loki, who has turned invisible to the other heroes, uses his magical influences to make the Hulk even angrier.
The Hulk uses his gigantic fists to punch on the ground, which creates an earthquake throughout the city, destroying some buildings and at the same time defeating the F5. While some other heroes become injured along the way as well and taken care off by medical staff, the others worry about what to do.
In Asgard
, Thor and Captain America try to figure out what is wrong with the heroes. Discouraged and concerned about his performance, Cap determines he should reduce his role in the matter.
Elsewhere in Thor’s castle, the Vizier notices that Nova is acting strangely. The Vizier senses Nova has been turned evil. He uses his magic spells to bring Nova back to normal and plans to do the same with the other Earth heroes. Nova also remembers what happened to him and reveals to his teammates that Loki is behind all of this.
Together, the Thing and Wolverine are battling the heroes, but Wolverine is stopped by Stinger and the Hulk. Thor transports himself and the others on Asgard back to Earth to confront the Hulk and the “evil” heroes.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl’s spider-sense warns her about a mysterious presence which she can not see. Dormagus and the Vizier use their combined magic powers to make Loki reveal himself, and the heroes all fight each other. Captain America notices a gem hanging on Loki’s neck, and smashes it with his shield. Loki apparently used this gem to help him turn the heroes evil. Once the gem is destroyed, the heroes, including the Hulk, revert to normal.
A furious Loki releases a deadly blast against Captain America, injuring him. Thor releases a blast from his hammer which will send Loki into Limbo
forever and the Hulk decides to join him to make sure that Loki remains there.
Captain America dies, and Thor uses his hammer to grant Cap’s soul immortality. The soul floats into the skies, and creates a shiny bright star into the sky in the form of Cap’s shield, meant to always inspire the heroes and future generations to come.
:
Last Hero Standing is a 5-issue comic book
limited series
published by Marvel Comics
in 2005
. It was written by Tom DeFalco
and drawn by Pat Olliffe
(who also co-plotted the series).
The series stars many characters from the MC2 universe, such as A-Next
and the Fantastic Five
. Though these characters existed prior to this miniseries, Marvel wished to quickly reintroduce them to the public, following the success of Spider-Girl
in digest size
format. The series was released weekly and then reprinted as a trade paperback.
While “joy-hunting” together in Canada
, Wild Thing
is shocked to discover her father Wolverine
has been kidnapped in front of her eyes. Elsewhere across the world, one of the Ladyhawk sisters is abducted as well.
This eventually gets the attention of the Watcher Uatu
, who later gives the readers an explanation concerning what the MC2 universe is all about. After the first appearances of the original Fantastic Four
and the defeat of Loki
, which caused the creation of the first group of Avengers
, a new line of heroes have emerged in a possible future timeline. These heroes now form the groups of A-Next
and the Fantastic Five
(F5), while other heroes remain solo, such as Spider-Girl
, the Green Goblin, and DarkDevil
.
At the Avengers Compound, the headquarters of A-Next in the future, the young heroes are busy being trained by Captain America
. At a local hospital, Iron Man
has just visited a still comatose Scarlet Witch
. After leaving her room, he hears noises in it, and when he re-enters it, she has been kidnapped as well.
At her home, young May "May Day" Parker, alias Spider-Girl
, is busy taking care of her baby brother Ben, while being watched over by her parents Peter Parker and Mary Jane
. After that, she leaves for school.
Meanwhile, the Thing
of the F5 walks over the main streets of the city, when they suddenly start to crumble. Ben realizes he is in danger and sets off an alarm to alert his teammates, who notice the signal and leave to help their friend.
Peter later discusses recent events with Phil Urich
, alias Green Goblin. They are attacked by a gigantic robot which manages to abduct Peter. A panicking Phil contacts May about this, who decides to investigate as Spider-Girl. She, the Buzz
, the other Ladyhawk and the Green Goblin dive into a tunnel that was created by the robot that kidnapped Peter. There, they meet up with all the members of A-Next who discovered the same tunnel earlier, however none of them has a clue about why all of this is happening.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, an unconscious Peter is dragged by the robot into a dark realm, and a mysterious person demands revenge for an unforgivable sin that has haunted him forever.
An ancient Doctor Strange
tries to gain the assistance of Doc Magus, but he prefers to work on his own despite the warnings of his friend Deacon. Doc Magus uses his astral form
to scan the entire world for the missing heroes, which leads him to a dark cave. There, he gets attacked by a dark entity. This entity manages to defeat Doc Magus and kidnaps him as well.
At Avengers Compound, Captain America is exercising alone. Thunderstrike
realizes Cap is feeling down because of his old age, and promises him that he does not have to worry about that because A-Next will follow him anywhere. Cap and Thunderstrike get called to an A-Next meeting. They discuss possible villains who could be behind the kidnappings. They suspect Kala
, the Queen of the Underworld; Tyrannus, Master of the Subterraneans; Terrax the Tamer; the Living Lava Man; or Mole Man
, the ruler of Monster Isle. They also inform the X-People
about the situation, but Jubilee
, the leader of the X-People, decides they work better on their own, causing J2
and Wild Thing to wonder why they ever bothered to try join the X-People; they are glad they decided to stay with A-Next. The team decides to split up to investigate the different possibilities.
At Barton’s Dojo, American Dream
and Freebooter
discuss things with retired hero Hawkeye
. However, not much later, a crack in the ground is made and kidnaps the heroes as well.
At her home, Spider-Girl promises her mother and brother that she will find her father, and she leaves.
The Fantastic Five depart to Monster Isle, only to discover that the Mole Man is dead, and that a statue has been built in his honor. This means someone else has to be behind the kidnappings.
Spider-Girl, Captain America and Thunderstrike learn about the kidnappings at Barton’s Dojo. They jump into the hole together with J2 and Wild Thing. There, they discover a weird portal. After entering it, the heroes are immediately attacked by robot-like creatures and start to fight them. However, they get soon outnumbered and fear for their safety.
Not much later, the mastermind villain reveals himself to be Loki. He wants revenge on the Avengers, realizing he helped create them years earlier, and shows that he holds the missing heroes prisoner in life-size crystals. He also demands an end to the Age of Heroes.
Mary Jane fears about her husband’s safety. Surprisingly enough, Spider-Man returns home, but he seems different and his eyes have turned completely evil, causing MJ even more fear. MJ also notices that Mayday is nowhere to be found and asks about her but receives no answer.
Spider-Girl and the other heroes are still being attacked by the robot-like creatures. Cap and Thunderstrike are defeated and kidnapped, and Spider-Girl suggests she and J2 retreat while they can. Though he does not like to desert their teammates, J2 complies.
Meanwhile in the city, Spider-Man confronts the hero he dislikes most: DarkDevil. The two fight each other, despite DarkDevil trying to stop the webslinger.
The Vision
returns to Avengers Compound, where he finds Stinger
discussing matters with Jubilee, who promises to contact them when she learns something more. The Vision explains he has arrived at the request of the President of the United States
, G. W. Bridge
, who believes the kidnappings could threaten the nation. Jarvis
suddenly comes to inform the two that all of the missing heroes have mysteriously returned. Before more can be asked about the mysterious return or what happened with them, Jarvis also alerts them to the Spider-Man/DarkDevil battle in midtown.
Captain America, Wild Thing and Thunderstrike are put in chains. Wild Thing is angry at Cap for not seeing this coming, causing him to feel down a bit. Elsewhere in the caves, Loki managed to kidnap Nova
as well. He injects Nova with a dark mist, which causes him to become evil and to side with Loki.
J2 and Spider-Girl return to the caves and set their teammates free. They later find Nova captured in the same crystals as before and set him free as well. Meanwhile, Loki has set up two sides of heroes against each other: the ones he kidnapped and turned evil against the unaffected heroes. He plans for the heroes to battles each other in an attempt to destroy them all.
The heroes begin fighting each other: the Human Torch
fights the Hulk
, and his flames reveal some robotic body parts covering the Hulk. Hulk manages to defeat the Human Torch by throwing water over him. Eventually, the Hulk almost gets taken down by Psi-Lord and the other F5. Hulk still feels angry about being called “Banner” and Loki, who has turned invisible to the other heroes, uses his magical influences to make the Hulk even angrier.
The Hulk uses his gigantic fists to punch on the ground, which creates an earthquake throughout the city, destroying some buildings and at the same time defeating the F5. While some other heroes become injured along the way as well and taken care off by medical staff, the others worry about what to do.
In Asgard
, Thor and Captain America try to figure out what is wrong with the heroes. Discouraged and concerned about his performance, Cap determines he should reduce his role in the matter.
Elsewhere in Thor’s castle, the Vizier notices that Nova is acting strangely. The Vizier senses Nova has been turned evil. He uses his magic spells to bring Nova back to normal and plans to do the same with the other Earth heroes. Nova also remembers what happened to him and reveals to his teammates that Loki is behind all of this.
Together, the Thing and Wolverine are battling the heroes, but Wolverine is stopped by Stinger and the Hulk. Thor transports himself and the others on Asgard back to Earth to confront the Hulk and the “evil” heroes.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl’s spider-sense warns her about a mysterious presence which she can not see. Dormagus and the Vizier use their combined magic powers to make Loki reveal himself, and the heroes all fight each other. Captain America notices a gem hanging on Loki’s neck, and smashes it with his shield. Loki apparently used this gem to help him turn the heroes evil. Once the gem is destroyed, the heroes, including the Hulk, revert to normal.
A furious Loki releases a deadly blast against Captain America, injuring him. Thor releases a blast from his hammer which will send Loki into Limbo
forever and the Hulk decides to join him to make sure that Loki remains there.
Captain America dies, and Thor uses his hammer to grant Cap’s soul immortality. The soul floats into the skies, and creates a shiny bright star into the sky in the form of Cap’s shield, meant to always inspire the heroes and future generations to come.
:
Last Hero Standing is a 5-issue comic book
limited series
published by Marvel Comics
in 2005
. It was written by Tom DeFalco
and drawn by Pat Olliffe
(who also co-plotted the series).
The series stars many characters from the MC2 universe, such as A-Next
and the Fantastic Five
. Though these characters existed prior to this miniseries, Marvel wished to quickly reintroduce them to the public, following the success of Spider-Girl
in digest size
format. The series was released weekly and then reprinted as a trade paperback.
While “joy-hunting” together in Canada
, Wild Thing
is shocked to discover her father Wolverine
has been kidnapped in front of her eyes. Elsewhere across the world, one of the Ladyhawk sisters is abducted as well.
This eventually gets the attention of the Watcher Uatu
, who later gives the readers an explanation concerning what the MC2 universe is all about. After the first appearances of the original Fantastic Four
and the defeat of Loki
, which caused the creation of the first group of Avengers
, a new line of heroes have emerged in a possible future timeline. These heroes now form the groups of A-Next
and the Fantastic Five
(F5), while other heroes remain solo, such as Spider-Girl
, the Green Goblin, and DarkDevil
.
At the Avengers Compound, the headquarters of A-Next in the future, the young heroes are busy being trained by Captain America
. At a local hospital, Iron Man
has just visited a still comatose Scarlet Witch
. After leaving her room, he hears noises in it, and when he re-enters it, she has been kidnapped as well.
At her home, young May "May Day" Parker, alias Spider-Girl
, is busy taking care of her baby brother Ben, while being watched over by her parents Peter Parker and Mary Jane
. After that, she leaves for school.
Meanwhile, the Thing
of the F5 walks over the main streets of the city, when they suddenly start to crumble. Ben realizes he is in danger and sets off an alarm to alert his teammates, who notice the signal and leave to help their friend.
Peter later discusses recent events with Phil Urich
, alias Green Goblin. They are attacked by a gigantic robot which manages to abduct Peter. A panicking Phil contacts May about this, who decides to investigate as Spider-Girl. She, the Buzz
, the other Ladyhawk and the Green Goblin dive into a tunnel that was created by the robot that kidnapped Peter. There, they meet up with all the members of A-Next who discovered the same tunnel earlier, however none of them has a clue about why all of this is happening.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, an unconscious Peter is dragged by the robot into a dark realm, and a mysterious person demands revenge for an unforgivable sin that has haunted him forever.
An ancient Doctor Strange
tries to gain the assistance of Doc Magus, but he prefers to work on his own despite the warnings of his friend Deacon. Doc Magus uses his astral form
to scan the entire world for the missing heroes, which leads him to a dark cave. There, he gets attacked by a dark entity. This entity manages to defeat Doc Magus and kidnaps him as well.
At Avengers Compound, Captain America is exercising alone. Thunderstrike
realizes Cap is feeling down because of his old age, and promises him that he does not have to worry about that because A-Next will follow him anywhere. Cap and Thunderstrike get called to an A-Next meeting. They discuss possible villains who could be behind the kidnappings. They suspect Kala
, the Queen of the Underworld; Tyrannus, Master of the Subterraneans; Terrax the Tamer; the Living Lava Man; or Mole Man
, the ruler of Monster Isle. They also inform the X-People
about the situation, but Jubilee
, the leader of the X-People, decides they work better on their own, causing J2
and Wild Thing to wonder why they ever bothered to try join the X-People; they are glad they decided to stay with A-Next. The team decides to split up to investigate the different possibilities.
At Barton’s Dojo, American Dream
and Freebooter
discuss things with retired hero Hawkeye
. However, not much later, a crack in the ground is made and kidnaps the heroes as well.
At her home, Spider-Girl promises her mother and brother that she will find her father, and she leaves.
The Fantastic Five depart to Monster Isle, only to discover that the Mole Man is dead, and that a statue has been built in his honor. This means someone else has to be behind the kidnappings.
Spider-Girl, Captain America and Thunderstrike learn about the kidnappings at Barton’s Dojo. They jump into the hole together with J2 and Wild Thing. There, they discover a weird portal. After entering it, the heroes are immediately attacked by robot-like creatures and start to fight them. However, they get soon outnumbered and fear for their safety.
Not much later, the mastermind villain reveals himself to be Loki. He wants revenge on the Avengers, realizing he helped create them years earlier, and shows that he holds the missing heroes prisoner in life-size crystals. He also demands an end to the Age of Heroes.
Mary Jane fears about her husband’s safety. Surprisingly enough, Spider-Man returns home, but he seems different and his eyes have turned completely evil, causing MJ even more fear. MJ also notices that Mayday is nowhere to be found and asks about her but receives no answer.
Spider-Girl and the other heroes are still being attacked by the robot-like creatures. Cap and Thunderstrike are defeated and kidnapped, and Spider-Girl suggests she and J2 retreat while they can. Though he does not like to desert their teammates, J2 complies.
Meanwhile in the city, Spider-Man confronts the hero he dislikes most: DarkDevil. The two fight each other, despite DarkDevil trying to stop the webslinger.
The Vision
returns to Avengers Compound, where he finds Stinger
discussing matters with Jubilee, who promises to contact them when she learns something more. The Vision explains he has arrived at the request of the President of the United States
, G. W. Bridge
, who believes the kidnappings could threaten the nation. Jarvis
suddenly comes to inform the two that all of the missing heroes have mysteriously returned. Before more can be asked about the mysterious return or what happened with them, Jarvis also alerts them to the Spider-Man/DarkDevil battle in midtown.
Captain America, Wild Thing and Thunderstrike are put in chains. Wild Thing is angry at Cap for not seeing this coming, causing him to feel down a bit. Elsewhere in the caves, Loki managed to kidnap Nova
as well. He injects Nova with a dark mist, which causes him to become evil and to side with Loki.
J2 and Spider-Girl return to the caves and set their teammates free. They later find Nova captured in the same crystals as before and set him free as well. Meanwhile, Loki has set up two sides of heroes against each other: the ones he kidnapped and turned evil against the unaffected heroes. He plans for the heroes to battles each other in an attempt to destroy them all.
The heroes begin fighting each other: the Human Torch
fights the Hulk
, and his flames reveal some robotic body parts covering the Hulk. Hulk manages to defeat the Human Torch by throwing water over him. Eventually, the Hulk almost gets taken down by Psi-Lord and the other F5. Hulk still feels angry about being called “Banner” and Loki, who has turned invisible to the other heroes, uses his magical influences to make the Hulk even angrier.
The Hulk uses his gigantic fists to punch on the ground, which creates an earthquake throughout the city, destroying some buildings and at the same time defeating the F5. While some other heroes become injured along the way as well and taken care off by medical staff, the others worry about what to do.
In Asgard
, Thor and Captain America try to figure out what is wrong with the heroes. Discouraged and concerned about his performance, Cap determines he should reduce his role in the matter.
Elsewhere in Thor’s castle, the Vizier notices that Nova is acting strangely. The Vizier senses Nova has been turned evil. He uses his magic spells to bring Nova back to normal and plans to do the same with the other Earth heroes. Nova also remembers what happened to him and reveals to his teammates that Loki is behind all of this.
Together, the Thing and Wolverine are battling the heroes, but Wolverine is stopped by Stinger and the Hulk. Thor transports himself and the others on Asgard back to Earth to confront the Hulk and the “evil” heroes.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl’s spider-sense warns her about a mysterious presence which she can not see. Dormagus and the Vizier use their combined magic powers to make Loki reveal himself, and the heroes all fight each other. Captain America notices a gem hanging on Loki’s neck, and smashes it with his shield. Loki apparently used this gem to help him turn the heroes evil. Once the gem is destroyed, the heroes, including the Hulk, revert to normal.
A furious Loki releases a deadly blast against Captain America, injuring him. Thor releases a blast from his hammer which will send Loki into Limbo
forever and the Hulk decides to join him to make sure that Loki remains there.
Captain America dies, and Thor uses his hammer to grant Cap’s soul immortality. The soul floats into the skies, and creates a shiny bright star into the sky in the form of Cap’s shield, meant to always inspire the heroes and future generations to come.
:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
. It was written by Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
and drawn by Pat Olliffe
Pat Olliffe
Patrick "Pat" Olliffe is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Olliffe is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on Untold Tales of Spider-Man and Spider-Girl ....
(who also co-plotted the series).
The series stars many characters from the MC2 universe, such as A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
and the Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five is the name of superhero team that exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was originally composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms.Fantastic/Lyja , the Thing, Big Brain , and Psi-Lord .-Fictional team...
. Though these characters existed prior to this miniseries, Marvel wished to quickly reintroduce them to the public, following the success of Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
in digest size
Digest size
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...
format. The series was released weekly and then reprinted as a trade paperback.
Plot summary
The series begins with the kidnapping of several well-known superheroes of the MC2 Universe.While “joy-hunting” together in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Wild Thing
Wild Thing (comics)
Wild Thing is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, who exists in the MC2 universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. She is the daughter of the X-Men's Wolverine and the rogue mercenary Elektra...
is shocked to discover her father Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
has been kidnapped in front of her eyes. Elsewhere across the world, one of the Ladyhawk sisters is abducted as well.
This eventually gets the attention of the Watcher Uatu
Uatu
Uatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
, who later gives the readers an explanation concerning what the MC2 universe is all about. After the first appearances of the original Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and the defeat of Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
, which caused the creation of the first group of Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, a new line of heroes have emerged in a possible future timeline. These heroes now form the groups of A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
and the Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five is the name of superhero team that exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was originally composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms.Fantastic/Lyja , the Thing, Big Brain , and Psi-Lord .-Fictional team...
(F5), while other heroes remain solo, such as Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
, the Green Goblin, and DarkDevil
Darkdevil
Darkdevil is a fictional character, a superhero in the "MC2" future of the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe and first appeared in Spider-Girl #2. -Fictional character biography:...
.
At the Avengers Compound, the headquarters of A-Next in the future, the young heroes are busy being trained by Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. At a local hospital, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
has just visited a still comatose Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. After leaving her room, he hears noises in it, and when he re-enters it, she has been kidnapped as well.
At her home, young May "May Day" Parker, alias Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
, is busy taking care of her baby brother Ben, while being watched over by her parents Peter Parker and Mary Jane
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
. After that, she leaves for school.
Meanwhile, the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
of the F5 walks over the main streets of the city, when they suddenly start to crumble. Ben realizes he is in danger and sets off an alarm to alert his teammates, who notice the signal and leave to help their friend.
Peter later discusses recent events with Phil Urich
Phil Urich
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a Marvel Comics character whose first appearance was in Web of Spider-Man #125. He once was the second person to use the Green Goblin identity as a superhero instead of a supervillain...
, alias Green Goblin. They are attacked by a gigantic robot which manages to abduct Peter. A panicking Phil contacts May about this, who decides to investigate as Spider-Girl. She, the Buzz
The Buzz (comics)
The Buzz is a fictional character in the Spider-Girl comic book series, published by Marvel Comics. JJ is the grandson of J. Jonah Jameson and the son of John Jameson...
, the other Ladyhawk and the Green Goblin dive into a tunnel that was created by the robot that kidnapped Peter. There, they meet up with all the members of A-Next who discovered the same tunnel earlier, however none of them has a clue about why all of this is happening.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, an unconscious Peter is dragged by the robot into a dark realm, and a mysterious person demands revenge for an unforgivable sin that has haunted him forever.
An ancient Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
tries to gain the assistance of Doc Magus, but he prefers to work on his own despite the warnings of his friend Deacon. Doc Magus uses his astral form
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
to scan the entire world for the missing heroes, which leads him to a dark cave. There, he gets attacked by a dark entity. This entity manages to defeat Doc Magus and kidnaps him as well.
At Avengers Compound, Captain America is exercising alone. Thunderstrike
Thunderstrike (Kevin Masterson)
Kevin Masterson, a fictional character that appeared in Marvel Comics. The character was first introduced as a supporting character in Thor and later in spin-off series Thunderstrike, as the son of Eric Masterson, the featured character of both series...
realizes Cap is feeling down because of his old age, and promises him that he does not have to worry about that because A-Next will follow him anywhere. Cap and Thunderstrike get called to an A-Next meeting. They discuss possible villains who could be behind the kidnappings. They suspect Kala
Kala (comics)
Kala is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Kala is the Queen of the Netherworld, which is another name for the city of Netheria. Netheria was once a city on the continent of Atlantis, which was enclosed in an airtight dome to protect itself from the Deviant...
, the Queen of the Underworld; Tyrannus, Master of the Subterraneans; Terrax the Tamer; the Living Lava Man; or Mole Man
Mole Man
The Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, the ruler of Monster Isle. They also inform the X-People
X-People
The X-People are a fictional comic book superhero team in the Marvel Universe. They exist in MC2, an alternate future timeline of the main Marvel continuity. The team have appeared in the MC2 series J2 and Spider-Girl...
about the situation, but Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
, the leader of the X-People, decides they work better on their own, causing J2
J2 (comics)
J2 is a fictional comic book mutant superhero in the Marvel Universe. He exists in MC2, an alternate future timeline of the main Marvel continuity and is the son of the former supervillain Juggernaut. J2 is a member of the future incarnation of the Avengers, A-Next. J2 once had his own series,...
and Wild Thing to wonder why they ever bothered to try join the X-People; they are glad they decided to stay with A-Next. The team decides to split up to investigate the different possibilities.
At Barton’s Dojo, American Dream
American Dream (comics)
American Dream is a fictional character featured in Marvel Comics MC2 series A-Next. Her costume is very similar to that of Captain America and like him she has an indestructible metal shield...
and Freebooter
Freebooter (comics)
Freebooter is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics' series A-Next.-Fictional character biography:...
discuss things with retired hero Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
. However, not much later, a crack in the ground is made and kidnaps the heroes as well.
At her home, Spider-Girl promises her mother and brother that she will find her father, and she leaves.
The Fantastic Five depart to Monster Isle, only to discover that the Mole Man is dead, and that a statue has been built in his honor. This means someone else has to be behind the kidnappings.
Spider-Girl, Captain America and Thunderstrike learn about the kidnappings at Barton’s Dojo. They jump into the hole together with J2 and Wild Thing. There, they discover a weird portal. After entering it, the heroes are immediately attacked by robot-like creatures and start to fight them. However, they get soon outnumbered and fear for their safety.
Not much later, the mastermind villain reveals himself to be Loki. He wants revenge on the Avengers, realizing he helped create them years earlier, and shows that he holds the missing heroes prisoner in life-size crystals. He also demands an end to the Age of Heroes.
Mary Jane fears about her husband’s safety. Surprisingly enough, Spider-Man returns home, but he seems different and his eyes have turned completely evil, causing MJ even more fear. MJ also notices that Mayday is nowhere to be found and asks about her but receives no answer.
Spider-Girl and the other heroes are still being attacked by the robot-like creatures. Cap and Thunderstrike are defeated and kidnapped, and Spider-Girl suggests she and J2 retreat while they can. Though he does not like to desert their teammates, J2 complies.
Meanwhile in the city, Spider-Man confronts the hero he dislikes most: DarkDevil. The two fight each other, despite DarkDevil trying to stop the webslinger.
The Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
returns to Avengers Compound, where he finds Stinger
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
discussing matters with Jubilee, who promises to contact them when she learns something more. The Vision explains he has arrived at the request of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, G. W. Bridge
G. W. Bridge
George Washington "G. W." Bridge is a fictional character in the , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. He is a former mercenary and high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently, he is the leader of the Six Pack. He first appeared as an antagonist in X-Force #1.-Fictional character...
, who believes the kidnappings could threaten the nation. Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
suddenly comes to inform the two that all of the missing heroes have mysteriously returned. Before more can be asked about the mysterious return or what happened with them, Jarvis also alerts them to the Spider-Man/DarkDevil battle in midtown.
Captain America, Wild Thing and Thunderstrike are put in chains. Wild Thing is angry at Cap for not seeing this coming, causing him to feel down a bit. Elsewhere in the caves, Loki managed to kidnap Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
as well. He injects Nova with a dark mist, which causes him to become evil and to side with Loki.
J2 and Spider-Girl return to the caves and set their teammates free. They later find Nova captured in the same crystals as before and set him free as well. Meanwhile, Loki has set up two sides of heroes against each other: the ones he kidnapped and turned evil against the unaffected heroes. He plans for the heroes to battles each other in an attempt to destroy them all.
The heroes begin fighting each other: the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
fights the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, and his flames reveal some robotic body parts covering the Hulk. Hulk manages to defeat the Human Torch by throwing water over him. Eventually, the Hulk almost gets taken down by Psi-Lord and the other F5. Hulk still feels angry about being called “Banner” and Loki, who has turned invisible to the other heroes, uses his magical influences to make the Hulk even angrier.
The Hulk uses his gigantic fists to punch on the ground, which creates an earthquake throughout the city, destroying some buildings and at the same time defeating the F5. While some other heroes become injured along the way as well and taken care off by medical staff, the others worry about what to do.
In Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
, Thor and Captain America try to figure out what is wrong with the heroes. Discouraged and concerned about his performance, Cap determines he should reduce his role in the matter.
Elsewhere in Thor’s castle, the Vizier notices that Nova is acting strangely. The Vizier senses Nova has been turned evil. He uses his magic spells to bring Nova back to normal and plans to do the same with the other Earth heroes. Nova also remembers what happened to him and reveals to his teammates that Loki is behind all of this.
Together, the Thing and Wolverine are battling the heroes, but Wolverine is stopped by Stinger and the Hulk. Thor transports himself and the others on Asgard back to Earth to confront the Hulk and the “evil” heroes.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl’s spider-sense warns her about a mysterious presence which she can not see. Dormagus and the Vizier use their combined magic powers to make Loki reveal himself, and the heroes all fight each other. Captain America notices a gem hanging on Loki’s neck, and smashes it with his shield. Loki apparently used this gem to help him turn the heroes evil. Once the gem is destroyed, the heroes, including the Hulk, revert to normal.
A furious Loki releases a deadly blast against Captain America, injuring him. Thor releases a blast from his hammer which will send Loki into Limbo
Limbo (Marvel Comics)
Limbo, may refer to several fictional locations in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in The Avengers #2, , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-History:...
forever and the Hulk decides to join him to make sure that Loki remains there.
Captain America dies, and Thor uses his hammer to grant Cap’s soul immortality. The soul floats into the skies, and creates a shiny bright star into the sky in the form of Cap’s shield, meant to always inspire the heroes and future generations to come.
Collected editions
The limited series has been collected in a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Last Hero Standing (120 pages, October 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1823-3)
Implications
- The kidnapping of Wolverine was first seen at the end of Spider-GirlSpider-GirlSpider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
#85 and repeated in the opening page of Last Hero Standing #1.
- The limited series reveals that Mole ManMole ManThe Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
is dead in the MC2 Universe.
Aftermath
- This miniseries has two sequels:
- In Spider-Girl #94–95, Ant-ManAnt-ManAnt-Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size...
, HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, VisionVision (Marvel Comics)The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
and Scarlet WitchScarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
return to active duty and join A-Next. - A follow-up limited series, Last Planet StandingLast Planet StandingLast Planet Standing is a 5-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in 2006. It was written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Pat Olliffe . It stars many characters from the MC2 Universe...
, was published the following year.
- In Spider-Girl #94–95, Ant-Man
Last Hero Standing is a 5-issue comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
. It was written by Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
and drawn by Pat Olliffe
Pat Olliffe
Patrick "Pat" Olliffe is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Olliffe is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on Untold Tales of Spider-Man and Spider-Girl ....
(who also co-plotted the series).
The series stars many characters from the MC2 universe, such as A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
and the Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five is the name of superhero team that exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was originally composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms.Fantastic/Lyja , the Thing, Big Brain , and Psi-Lord .-Fictional team...
. Though these characters existed prior to this miniseries, Marvel wished to quickly reintroduce them to the public, following the success of Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
in digest size
Digest size
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...
format. The series was released weekly and then reprinted as a trade paperback.
Plot summary
The series begins with the kidnapping of several well-known superheroes of the MC2 Universe.While “joy-hunting” together in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Wild Thing
Wild Thing (comics)
Wild Thing is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, who exists in the MC2 universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. She is the daughter of the X-Men's Wolverine and the rogue mercenary Elektra...
is shocked to discover her father Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
has been kidnapped in front of her eyes. Elsewhere across the world, one of the Ladyhawk sisters is abducted as well.
This eventually gets the attention of the Watcher Uatu
Uatu
Uatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
, who later gives the readers an explanation concerning what the MC2 universe is all about. After the first appearances of the original Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and the defeat of Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
, which caused the creation of the first group of Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, a new line of heroes have emerged in a possible future timeline. These heroes now form the groups of A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
and the Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five is the name of superhero team that exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was originally composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms.Fantastic/Lyja , the Thing, Big Brain , and Psi-Lord .-Fictional team...
(F5), while other heroes remain solo, such as Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
, the Green Goblin, and DarkDevil
Darkdevil
Darkdevil is a fictional character, a superhero in the "MC2" future of the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe and first appeared in Spider-Girl #2. -Fictional character biography:...
.
At the Avengers Compound, the headquarters of A-Next in the future, the young heroes are busy being trained by Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. At a local hospital, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
has just visited a still comatose Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. After leaving her room, he hears noises in it, and when he re-enters it, she has been kidnapped as well.
At her home, young May "May Day" Parker, alias Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
, is busy taking care of her baby brother Ben, while being watched over by her parents Peter Parker and Mary Jane
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
. After that, she leaves for school.
Meanwhile, the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
of the F5 walks over the main streets of the city, when they suddenly start to crumble. Ben realizes he is in danger and sets off an alarm to alert his teammates, who notice the signal and leave to help their friend.
Peter later discusses recent events with Phil Urich
Phil Urich
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a Marvel Comics character whose first appearance was in Web of Spider-Man #125. He once was the second person to use the Green Goblin identity as a superhero instead of a supervillain...
, alias Green Goblin. They are attacked by a gigantic robot which manages to abduct Peter. A panicking Phil contacts May about this, who decides to investigate as Spider-Girl. She, the Buzz
The Buzz (comics)
The Buzz is a fictional character in the Spider-Girl comic book series, published by Marvel Comics. JJ is the grandson of J. Jonah Jameson and the son of John Jameson...
, the other Ladyhawk and the Green Goblin dive into a tunnel that was created by the robot that kidnapped Peter. There, they meet up with all the members of A-Next who discovered the same tunnel earlier, however none of them has a clue about why all of this is happening.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, an unconscious Peter is dragged by the robot into a dark realm, and a mysterious person demands revenge for an unforgivable sin that has haunted him forever.
An ancient Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
tries to gain the assistance of Doc Magus, but he prefers to work on his own despite the warnings of his friend Deacon. Doc Magus uses his astral form
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
to scan the entire world for the missing heroes, which leads him to a dark cave. There, he gets attacked by a dark entity. This entity manages to defeat Doc Magus and kidnaps him as well.
At Avengers Compound, Captain America is exercising alone. Thunderstrike
Thunderstrike (Kevin Masterson)
Kevin Masterson, a fictional character that appeared in Marvel Comics. The character was first introduced as a supporting character in Thor and later in spin-off series Thunderstrike, as the son of Eric Masterson, the featured character of both series...
realizes Cap is feeling down because of his old age, and promises him that he does not have to worry about that because A-Next will follow him anywhere. Cap and Thunderstrike get called to an A-Next meeting. They discuss possible villains who could be behind the kidnappings. They suspect Kala
Kala (comics)
Kala is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Kala is the Queen of the Netherworld, which is another name for the city of Netheria. Netheria was once a city on the continent of Atlantis, which was enclosed in an airtight dome to protect itself from the Deviant...
, the Queen of the Underworld; Tyrannus, Master of the Subterraneans; Terrax the Tamer; the Living Lava Man; or Mole Man
Mole Man
The Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, the ruler of Monster Isle. They also inform the X-People
X-People
The X-People are a fictional comic book superhero team in the Marvel Universe. They exist in MC2, an alternate future timeline of the main Marvel continuity. The team have appeared in the MC2 series J2 and Spider-Girl...
about the situation, but Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
, the leader of the X-People, decides they work better on their own, causing J2
J2 (comics)
J2 is a fictional comic book mutant superhero in the Marvel Universe. He exists in MC2, an alternate future timeline of the main Marvel continuity and is the son of the former supervillain Juggernaut. J2 is a member of the future incarnation of the Avengers, A-Next. J2 once had his own series,...
and Wild Thing to wonder why they ever bothered to try join the X-People; they are glad they decided to stay with A-Next. The team decides to split up to investigate the different possibilities.
At Barton’s Dojo, American Dream
American Dream (comics)
American Dream is a fictional character featured in Marvel Comics MC2 series A-Next. Her costume is very similar to that of Captain America and like him she has an indestructible metal shield...
and Freebooter
Freebooter (comics)
Freebooter is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics' series A-Next.-Fictional character biography:...
discuss things with retired hero Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
. However, not much later, a crack in the ground is made and kidnaps the heroes as well.
At her home, Spider-Girl promises her mother and brother that she will find her father, and she leaves.
The Fantastic Five depart to Monster Isle, only to discover that the Mole Man is dead, and that a statue has been built in his honor. This means someone else has to be behind the kidnappings.
Spider-Girl, Captain America and Thunderstrike learn about the kidnappings at Barton’s Dojo. They jump into the hole together with J2 and Wild Thing. There, they discover a weird portal. After entering it, the heroes are immediately attacked by robot-like creatures and start to fight them. However, they get soon outnumbered and fear for their safety.
Not much later, the mastermind villain reveals himself to be Loki. He wants revenge on the Avengers, realizing he helped create them years earlier, and shows that he holds the missing heroes prisoner in life-size crystals. He also demands an end to the Age of Heroes.
Mary Jane fears about her husband’s safety. Surprisingly enough, Spider-Man returns home, but he seems different and his eyes have turned completely evil, causing MJ even more fear. MJ also notices that Mayday is nowhere to be found and asks about her but receives no answer.
Spider-Girl and the other heroes are still being attacked by the robot-like creatures. Cap and Thunderstrike are defeated and kidnapped, and Spider-Girl suggests she and J2 retreat while they can. Though he does not like to desert their teammates, J2 complies.
Meanwhile in the city, Spider-Man confronts the hero he dislikes most: DarkDevil. The two fight each other, despite DarkDevil trying to stop the webslinger.
The Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
returns to Avengers Compound, where he finds Stinger
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
discussing matters with Jubilee, who promises to contact them when she learns something more. The Vision explains he has arrived at the request of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, G. W. Bridge
G. W. Bridge
George Washington "G. W." Bridge is a fictional character in the , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. He is a former mercenary and high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently, he is the leader of the Six Pack. He first appeared as an antagonist in X-Force #1.-Fictional character...
, who believes the kidnappings could threaten the nation. Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
suddenly comes to inform the two that all of the missing heroes have mysteriously returned. Before more can be asked about the mysterious return or what happened with them, Jarvis also alerts them to the Spider-Man/DarkDevil battle in midtown.
Captain America, Wild Thing and Thunderstrike are put in chains. Wild Thing is angry at Cap for not seeing this coming, causing him to feel down a bit. Elsewhere in the caves, Loki managed to kidnap Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
as well. He injects Nova with a dark mist, which causes him to become evil and to side with Loki.
J2 and Spider-Girl return to the caves and set their teammates free. They later find Nova captured in the same crystals as before and set him free as well. Meanwhile, Loki has set up two sides of heroes against each other: the ones he kidnapped and turned evil against the unaffected heroes. He plans for the heroes to battles each other in an attempt to destroy them all.
The heroes begin fighting each other: the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
fights the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, and his flames reveal some robotic body parts covering the Hulk. Hulk manages to defeat the Human Torch by throwing water over him. Eventually, the Hulk almost gets taken down by Psi-Lord and the other F5. Hulk still feels angry about being called “Banner” and Loki, who has turned invisible to the other heroes, uses his magical influences to make the Hulk even angrier.
The Hulk uses his gigantic fists to punch on the ground, which creates an earthquake throughout the city, destroying some buildings and at the same time defeating the F5. While some other heroes become injured along the way as well and taken care off by medical staff, the others worry about what to do.
In Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
, Thor and Captain America try to figure out what is wrong with the heroes. Discouraged and concerned about his performance, Cap determines he should reduce his role in the matter.
Elsewhere in Thor’s castle, the Vizier notices that Nova is acting strangely. The Vizier senses Nova has been turned evil. He uses his magic spells to bring Nova back to normal and plans to do the same with the other Earth heroes. Nova also remembers what happened to him and reveals to his teammates that Loki is behind all of this.
Together, the Thing and Wolverine are battling the heroes, but Wolverine is stopped by Stinger and the Hulk. Thor transports himself and the others on Asgard back to Earth to confront the Hulk and the “evil” heroes.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl’s spider-sense warns her about a mysterious presence which she can not see. Dormagus and the Vizier use their combined magic powers to make Loki reveal himself, and the heroes all fight each other. Captain America notices a gem hanging on Loki’s neck, and smashes it with his shield. Loki apparently used this gem to help him turn the heroes evil. Once the gem is destroyed, the heroes, including the Hulk, revert to normal.
A furious Loki releases a deadly blast against Captain America, injuring him. Thor releases a blast from his hammer which will send Loki into Limbo
Limbo (Marvel Comics)
Limbo, may refer to several fictional locations in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in The Avengers #2, , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-History:...
forever and the Hulk decides to join him to make sure that Loki remains there.
Captain America dies, and Thor uses his hammer to grant Cap’s soul immortality. The soul floats into the skies, and creates a shiny bright star into the sky in the form of Cap’s shield, meant to always inspire the heroes and future generations to come.
Collected editions
The limited series has been collected in a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Last Hero Standing (120 pages, October 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1823-3)
Implications
- The kidnapping of Wolverine was first seen at the end of Spider-GirlSpider-GirlSpider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
#85 and repeated in the opening page of Last Hero Standing #1.
- The limited series reveals that Mole ManMole ManThe Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
is dead in the MC2 Universe.
Aftermath
- This miniseries has two sequels:
- In Spider-Girl #94–95, Ant-ManAnt-ManAnt-Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size...
, HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, VisionVision (Marvel Comics)The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
and Scarlet WitchScarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
return to active duty and join A-Next. - A follow-up limited series, Last Planet StandingLast Planet StandingLast Planet Standing is a 5-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in 2006. It was written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Pat Olliffe . It stars many characters from the MC2 Universe...
, was published the following year.
- In Spider-Girl #94–95, Ant-Man
Last Hero Standing is a 5-issue comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
. It was written by Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
and drawn by Pat Olliffe
Pat Olliffe
Patrick "Pat" Olliffe is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Olliffe is best known for his work for Marvel Comics on Untold Tales of Spider-Man and Spider-Girl ....
(who also co-plotted the series).
The series stars many characters from the MC2 universe, such as A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
and the Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five is the name of superhero team that exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was originally composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms.Fantastic/Lyja , the Thing, Big Brain , and Psi-Lord .-Fictional team...
. Though these characters existed prior to this miniseries, Marvel wished to quickly reintroduce them to the public, following the success of Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
in digest size
Digest size
Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately 5½ x 8¼ inches, but can also be 5⅜ x 8⅜ inches and 5½ x 7½ inches. These sizes have evolved from the printing press operation end...
format. The series was released weekly and then reprinted as a trade paperback.
Plot summary
The series begins with the kidnapping of several well-known superheroes of the MC2 Universe.While “joy-hunting” together in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Wild Thing
Wild Thing (comics)
Wild Thing is a fictional character from Marvel Comics, who exists in the MC2 universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. She is the daughter of the X-Men's Wolverine and the rogue mercenary Elektra...
is shocked to discover her father Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
has been kidnapped in front of her eyes. Elsewhere across the world, one of the Ladyhawk sisters is abducted as well.
This eventually gets the attention of the Watcher Uatu
Uatu
Uatu, often simply known as The Watcher, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and designed by artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 ....
, who later gives the readers an explanation concerning what the MC2 universe is all about. After the first appearances of the original Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and the defeat of Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
, which caused the creation of the first group of Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, a new line of heroes have emerged in a possible future timeline. These heroes now form the groups of A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
and the Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five
Fantastic Five is the name of superhero team that exists in the MC2 Universe, an alternate future to the Marvel Universe. A continuation of the Fantastic Four, the team was originally composed of the Human Torch, his wife Ms.Fantastic/Lyja , the Thing, Big Brain , and Psi-Lord .-Fictional team...
(F5), while other heroes remain solo, such as Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
, the Green Goblin, and DarkDevil
Darkdevil
Darkdevil is a fictional character, a superhero in the "MC2" future of the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe and first appeared in Spider-Girl #2. -Fictional character biography:...
.
At the Avengers Compound, the headquarters of A-Next in the future, the young heroes are busy being trained by Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. At a local hospital, Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
has just visited a still comatose Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. After leaving her room, he hears noises in it, and when he re-enters it, she has been kidnapped as well.
At her home, young May "May Day" Parker, alias Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl
Spider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
, is busy taking care of her baby brother Ben, while being watched over by her parents Peter Parker and Mary Jane
Mary Jane Watson
Mary Jane Watson, often shortened to MJ, is a fictional supporting character appearing, originally, in Marvel comic books and, later, in multiple spin-offs and dramatizations of the Spider-Man titles as the best friend, love interest, and one-time wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man...
. After that, she leaves for school.
Meanwhile, the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
of the F5 walks over the main streets of the city, when they suddenly start to crumble. Ben realizes he is in danger and sets off an alarm to alert his teammates, who notice the signal and leave to help their friend.
Peter later discusses recent events with Phil Urich
Phil Urich
Philip Benjamin "Phil" Urich is a Marvel Comics character whose first appearance was in Web of Spider-Man #125. He once was the second person to use the Green Goblin identity as a superhero instead of a supervillain...
, alias Green Goblin. They are attacked by a gigantic robot which manages to abduct Peter. A panicking Phil contacts May about this, who decides to investigate as Spider-Girl. She, the Buzz
The Buzz (comics)
The Buzz is a fictional character in the Spider-Girl comic book series, published by Marvel Comics. JJ is the grandson of J. Jonah Jameson and the son of John Jameson...
, the other Ladyhawk and the Green Goblin dive into a tunnel that was created by the robot that kidnapped Peter. There, they meet up with all the members of A-Next who discovered the same tunnel earlier, however none of them has a clue about why all of this is happening.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, an unconscious Peter is dragged by the robot into a dark realm, and a mysterious person demands revenge for an unforgivable sin that has haunted him forever.
An ancient Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
tries to gain the assistance of Doc Magus, but he prefers to work on his own despite the warnings of his friend Deacon. Doc Magus uses his astral form
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
to scan the entire world for the missing heroes, which leads him to a dark cave. There, he gets attacked by a dark entity. This entity manages to defeat Doc Magus and kidnaps him as well.
At Avengers Compound, Captain America is exercising alone. Thunderstrike
Thunderstrike (Kevin Masterson)
Kevin Masterson, a fictional character that appeared in Marvel Comics. The character was first introduced as a supporting character in Thor and later in spin-off series Thunderstrike, as the son of Eric Masterson, the featured character of both series...
realizes Cap is feeling down because of his old age, and promises him that he does not have to worry about that because A-Next will follow him anywhere. Cap and Thunderstrike get called to an A-Next meeting. They discuss possible villains who could be behind the kidnappings. They suspect Kala
Kala (comics)
Kala is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Kala is the Queen of the Netherworld, which is another name for the city of Netheria. Netheria was once a city on the continent of Atlantis, which was enclosed in an airtight dome to protect itself from the Deviant...
, the Queen of the Underworld; Tyrannus, Master of the Subterraneans; Terrax the Tamer; the Living Lava Man; or Mole Man
Mole Man
The Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, the ruler of Monster Isle. They also inform the X-People
X-People
The X-People are a fictional comic book superhero team in the Marvel Universe. They exist in MC2, an alternate future timeline of the main Marvel continuity. The team have appeared in the MC2 series J2 and Spider-Girl...
about the situation, but Jubilee
Jubilee (comics)
Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men.A mutant, Jubilee had the superhuman power to generate "fireworks" of explosive plasma. A teenage "mall rat," she was the X-Men's youngest member in the early 1990s, often playing sidekick to...
, the leader of the X-People, decides they work better on their own, causing J2
J2 (comics)
J2 is a fictional comic book mutant superhero in the Marvel Universe. He exists in MC2, an alternate future timeline of the main Marvel continuity and is the son of the former supervillain Juggernaut. J2 is a member of the future incarnation of the Avengers, A-Next. J2 once had his own series,...
and Wild Thing to wonder why they ever bothered to try join the X-People; they are glad they decided to stay with A-Next. The team decides to split up to investigate the different possibilities.
At Barton’s Dojo, American Dream
American Dream (comics)
American Dream is a fictional character featured in Marvel Comics MC2 series A-Next. Her costume is very similar to that of Captain America and like him she has an indestructible metal shield...
and Freebooter
Freebooter (comics)
Freebooter is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics' series A-Next.-Fictional character biography:...
discuss things with retired hero Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
. However, not much later, a crack in the ground is made and kidnaps the heroes as well.
At her home, Spider-Girl promises her mother and brother that she will find her father, and she leaves.
The Fantastic Five depart to Monster Isle, only to discover that the Mole Man is dead, and that a statue has been built in his honor. This means someone else has to be behind the kidnappings.
Spider-Girl, Captain America and Thunderstrike learn about the kidnappings at Barton’s Dojo. They jump into the hole together with J2 and Wild Thing. There, they discover a weird portal. After entering it, the heroes are immediately attacked by robot-like creatures and start to fight them. However, they get soon outnumbered and fear for their safety.
Not much later, the mastermind villain reveals himself to be Loki. He wants revenge on the Avengers, realizing he helped create them years earlier, and shows that he holds the missing heroes prisoner in life-size crystals. He also demands an end to the Age of Heroes.
Mary Jane fears about her husband’s safety. Surprisingly enough, Spider-Man returns home, but he seems different and his eyes have turned completely evil, causing MJ even more fear. MJ also notices that Mayday is nowhere to be found and asks about her but receives no answer.
Spider-Girl and the other heroes are still being attacked by the robot-like creatures. Cap and Thunderstrike are defeated and kidnapped, and Spider-Girl suggests she and J2 retreat while they can. Though he does not like to desert their teammates, J2 complies.
Meanwhile in the city, Spider-Man confronts the hero he dislikes most: DarkDevil. The two fight each other, despite DarkDevil trying to stop the webslinger.
The Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
returns to Avengers Compound, where he finds Stinger
Cassandra Lang
Stature is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the daughter of the late Scott Lang . Cassie Lang is a member of the Young Avengers and The Initiative...
discussing matters with Jubilee, who promises to contact them when she learns something more. The Vision explains he has arrived at the request of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, G. W. Bridge
G. W. Bridge
George Washington "G. W." Bridge is a fictional character in the , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. He is a former mercenary and high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently, he is the leader of the Six Pack. He first appeared as an antagonist in X-Force #1.-Fictional character...
, who believes the kidnappings could threaten the nation. Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis
Edwin Jarvis is a fictional supporting character in the Marvel Comics titles, The Avengers, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.-Publication history:...
suddenly comes to inform the two that all of the missing heroes have mysteriously returned. Before more can be asked about the mysterious return or what happened with them, Jarvis also alerts them to the Spider-Man/DarkDevil battle in midtown.
Captain America, Wild Thing and Thunderstrike are put in chains. Wild Thing is angry at Cap for not seeing this coming, causing him to feel down a bit. Elsewhere in the caves, Loki managed to kidnap Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
as well. He injects Nova with a dark mist, which causes him to become evil and to side with Loki.
J2 and Spider-Girl return to the caves and set their teammates free. They later find Nova captured in the same crystals as before and set him free as well. Meanwhile, Loki has set up two sides of heroes against each other: the ones he kidnapped and turned evil against the unaffected heroes. He plans for the heroes to battles each other in an attempt to destroy them all.
The heroes begin fighting each other: the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
fights the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, and his flames reveal some robotic body parts covering the Hulk. Hulk manages to defeat the Human Torch by throwing water over him. Eventually, the Hulk almost gets taken down by Psi-Lord and the other F5. Hulk still feels angry about being called “Banner” and Loki, who has turned invisible to the other heroes, uses his magical influences to make the Hulk even angrier.
The Hulk uses his gigantic fists to punch on the ground, which creates an earthquake throughout the city, destroying some buildings and at the same time defeating the F5. While some other heroes become injured along the way as well and taken care off by medical staff, the others worry about what to do.
In Asgard
Asgard (comics)
Asgard is a fictional realm within the Marvel Comics universe based on the Asgard of Norse mythology and is home to the Asgardians and other beings of Norse mythology...
, Thor and Captain America try to figure out what is wrong with the heroes. Discouraged and concerned about his performance, Cap determines he should reduce his role in the matter.
Elsewhere in Thor’s castle, the Vizier notices that Nova is acting strangely. The Vizier senses Nova has been turned evil. He uses his magic spells to bring Nova back to normal and plans to do the same with the other Earth heroes. Nova also remembers what happened to him and reveals to his teammates that Loki is behind all of this.
Together, the Thing and Wolverine are battling the heroes, but Wolverine is stopped by Stinger and the Hulk. Thor transports himself and the others on Asgard back to Earth to confront the Hulk and the “evil” heroes.
Meanwhile, Spider-Girl’s spider-sense warns her about a mysterious presence which she can not see. Dormagus and the Vizier use their combined magic powers to make Loki reveal himself, and the heroes all fight each other. Captain America notices a gem hanging on Loki’s neck, and smashes it with his shield. Loki apparently used this gem to help him turn the heroes evil. Once the gem is destroyed, the heroes, including the Hulk, revert to normal.
A furious Loki releases a deadly blast against Captain America, injuring him. Thor releases a blast from his hammer which will send Loki into Limbo
Limbo (Marvel Comics)
Limbo, may refer to several fictional locations in titles published by Marvel Comics. The concept debuted in The Avengers #2, , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-History:...
forever and the Hulk decides to join him to make sure that Loki remains there.
Captain America dies, and Thor uses his hammer to grant Cap’s soul immortality. The soul floats into the skies, and creates a shiny bright star into the sky in the form of Cap’s shield, meant to always inspire the heroes and future generations to come.
Collected editions
The limited series has been collected in a trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Last Hero Standing (120 pages, October 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1823-3)
Implications
- The kidnapping of Wolverine was first seen at the end of Spider-GirlSpider-GirlSpider-Girl is a superheroine in Marvel Comics' MC2 universe. The character was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as the teenage daughter of Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson, and first appeared in What If #105...
#85 and repeated in the opening page of Last Hero Standing #1.
- The limited series reveals that Mole ManMole ManThe Mole Man is a comic book supervillain that exists in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. He first appeared in Fantastic Four #1, and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
is dead in the MC2 Universe.
Aftermath
- This miniseries has two sequels:
- In Spider-Girl #94–95, Ant-ManAnt-ManAnt-Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size...
, HawkeyeHawkeye (comics)Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
, VisionVision (Marvel Comics)The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
and Scarlet WitchScarlet WitchThe Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
return to active duty and join A-Next. - A follow-up limited series, Last Planet StandingLast Planet StandingLast Planet Standing is a 5-issue comic book limited series, published by Marvel Comics in 2006. It was written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Pat Olliffe . It stars many characters from the MC2 Universe...
, was published the following year.
- In Spider-Girl #94–95, Ant-Man