The one phrase associated with the Avengers – other than “Avengers Assemble”, which remains a hell of a battle cry – is that they “fight the forces that no single superhero could withstand.” Kang the Conqueror definitely falls into that description, thanks to his mastery of time. So do the hordes of undead heroes inhabiting what was once Battleworld. But what happens when the Avengers have to deal with both?
Jed MacKay is pushing his Avengers team to their limits, especially with the revelation that Kang has become Myrdinn and manipulated most of their current actions. It’s one thing to fight Kang, but a Kang who’s weaponized his losses against them is a horrifying concept. There’s also the fact that he’s trying to use the “Missing Moment” to literally restart the universe, so that he can rule over all that exists. As far as stakes go, this is the kind of stuff that’s worthy of an Avengers story.
MacKay also demonstrates how the Avengers function as a cohesive unit, particularly when it comes to combating the zombies. In a stunning moment, Black Panther asks Iron Man to design a bomb in his head, Scarlet Witch to bring it to life utilizing chaos magic, and Captain Marvel to light the fuse with her cosmic powers. It’s a combination of all their talents, and it’s brought to life by Farid Karami. In fact, Karami might be at the top of his game with Avengers #32.
I say this because nearly every page is packed with the kind of epic imagery you’d expect in an event comic. There’s a massive explosion when the Avengers set off their “chaos bomb”, finished off with brilliant red hues from Federico Blee. Vision gracefully glides through the air, ripping through zombies like a knife through butter. Karami’s most impressive page features a clock-like design where Kang/Myrdinn systematically takes out the Avengers, leading to a splash page where he grabs Hyperion by the throat mid-air. To put this in perspective: Hyperion is essentially Marvel’s version of Superman, so it takes a lot to stop him.
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If that wasn’t a big enough shock, Avengers #32 reveals a major secret surrounding the Impossible City, where Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have made their base of operations since the beginning of MacKay’s run. It’s something I never saw coming, and while it doesn’t have the same oomph as the Myrdinn reveal, it’s still a great way to tie up a loose end.
Less impressive is the appearance of the X-Men, who only show up on two pages. The idea of them taking over from the Avengers to defend the Earth is a cool concept that could have been the focus of an issue, yet it doesn’t receive much focus. Neither does Hyperion, who should have given the Avengers an edge in their battle. There’s potentially still time for these plot elements to play out, especially as Avengers #800 looms on the horizon, but right now it feels superfluous.
Avengers #32 manages to pack the weight of an event comic into an ongoing series, thanks to intense artwork and clever plotting. While MacKay’s time on Avengers is reaching a zenith, it’s clear that he and his creative team want to remind Marvel fans why the Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
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