And lo, there came a day unlike any other, when the mightiest of the Avengers were laid low, and the days of teaming for humanities greatest champions were no more! Yet those days were short, for soon the call went out once more, and the best, the brightest, the most powerful were brought together once again, gathering ‘round the rallying cry of

Avengers Assemble!

Avengers Assemble #7

Murder in the Microverse!

While just entering the mountain through a now unguarded entrance (the guards lie unconscious nearby) Captain America and the Beast surreptitiously prepare to unravel the mystery that drew them here. The mystery of why villagers are taken and never seen again!*

*See our last two issues for the full details.

But the Avenger with the worst happenstance so far is the Vision, who hangs limply from a jet black, metallic hand. The steel encased face leers at the Visions seemingly lifeless body, and then a voice echoes from deep within the armor. "So, this mechanical man, this android is indeed interesting, its form is unlike anything I have created, or seen here in the Microverse. Where he came from I can only hazard a guess, but that guess would be the dimension seemingly above this one. Perhaps it is time for Baron Karza to make his way back to the universe above."

Nearby, two small figures watch from an air duct grate, hidden from all eyes.

"H-he took down the Vision, like he was nothing." The Wasp exclaims in a low voice to Yellowjacket. Who hovers next to her.

"It wasn’t THAT easy, Jan. But he did defeat him. Whoever this monster is, he’s powerful. We’re going to need the rest of the Avengers here to take him on."

"Hank, I don’t think we have the time for that, look at him, he’s going to dissect the Vision now!"

Yellowjacket turns his head and looks where his erstwhile wife is pointing, and sees Karza already has the Vision on a table of sorts, with machinery hanging above it, cruel blades and saws all ready to pry the androids form open.

"These devices are...crude compared to what I am used to using, mechanical man, so you will accept my apology in their use, but I MUST see what is inside of you." Karza speaks as he pulls a laser tipped cutting tool down from above.

Outside, Ms. Marvel falls like a sack of potatoes to the ground, from three hundred feet above it. The steely winged raider's dive for her, energy staffs flaring and firing crimson bolts into her prone form once again, viciously.

She lies on the ground and grimaces in agony, then her eyes burst open, glowing from within and she once again takes to the air, firing blasts of power from each arm, smashing the winged raiders to the forest floor beneath her in bursts of glowing, shrieking power!

"Iron Man! Are you okay?" Ms. Marvel shouts into her cowl microphone.

"Yes, I’m fine, and in battle at the moment. I’ll get back to you." His clicks off his comm link with a thought, then his chest mounted uni-beam irises open and blasts his attackers with blazing solar energy, engulfing them and sending them shrieking and burning to the sky. "Not that fast, boys." The Golden Avenger bellows after them as he mentally clicks his armor’s repulsor rays into ‘auto tracking’ mode and then lets loose, his arms swinging around almost faster then the eye can follow as precision computers compensate and aim and fire his gauntlets repulsor rays at faster then two hundred forty shots per minute. ‘I hate being on auto-fire like this, I feel like a rag doll being thrown around, but in this case, its the best attack. At least I turned down the speed enough to not give myself whiplash.’ Thinks the Golden Avenger, as his arms move in a blur, firing repulsor blast after repulsor blast, dead on!

Back at the village, Wonder Man flies into a pack of ebon winged flyers, scattering them with his incredible strength! "I don’t know who you maniacs are, but this village is now under the protection of the Avengers!"

"Aye friend Wonder Man, tis time to teach these villains of who they choose to do battle with."

"Oh I think their lesson will be a short, but decidedly painful one, Thor." The Scarlet Witch answers as she gestures above her head and unleashes a powerful hex sphere, engulfing one group in mystic/ mutant energies, and instantly the fuel in their jet packs turns old and stale, reverting to dust. Simultaneously, a hundred winged flyers drop to the ground like rocks, their armor absorbing enough of the impact so they are not killed, but little more!

"Nice move, witchie. Lets wrap this present up and send it back to where it came from." Hawkeye adds, firing a net arrow that wraps itself around the no longer flying warriors, tying them up tightly.

"Well done Avengers, now this package of evil will return to whence it came, so swears Thor, God of thunder!"

Thor whirls mystic Mjolnir above his head, creating a massive funnel spout that picks up the defeated armored warriors and lifts them away! Depositing them miles distant at the mountains base, all barely conscious at best!

"Let these miscreants carry a message back to their master, and let him know they were indeed defeated by the mighty Avengers!" The Thunder God booms as he alights to the ground, Mjolnir spinning above his head mightily.

"Yes, we drove them off, but for how long?" The Scarlet Witch questions.

"Relax Wanda, I’m sure for long enough for the big guns to take care of business up yonder." Hawkeye replies, jerking his thumb in the direction of the mountain, with its ever-spewing cap of steam and heat.

"I don’t know guys," Wonder Man offers, "But I’m thinking we should head up there. We haven’t heard from anyone in a while, and I have a bad feeling about this."

"Aye Simon Williams, the God of Thunder doth agree with thee." Thor adds solemnly while looking at the mountain and its red glowing top.

Back at the mountain, Iron Man flies into a group of metallic winged warriors, knocking them away, then pulls up short, turns in mid air and fires his repulsor rays, scattering the pack. "Ms. Marvel, are you all right?" He calmly speaks into his headset array.

"Yes Iron Man, I’m fine. I absorbed their energies and turned them back on these guys. I’m sure I was a lot nicer to them then they would have been to me. I left them alive." She answers.

"As you should as an Avenger. I’m done here; I’ll join you on your side of the mountain now. No use trying to be surreptitious any longer, the entire Island has to know we’re here by now."

"Okay I’ll wait for you before doing anything else." She replies.

"I’ll be to you in under thirty seconds." He answers as he rockets towards her.

Inside the mountain, Baron Karza begins to draw the laser tipped cutting instrument closer to the Vision’s chest, when suddenly the instrument explodes in his hand!

"What?" He drops it stunned, as suddenly a small figure flits around him catching his attention, and firing one bioelectric blast after another, knocking him around momentarily.

"What is this? A small woman? Firing energy blasts of no small force? Intriguing!" The ebony Iron encased villain exclaims, as he reaches out and catches the Wasp in mid air, easily.

She struggles in his grip as he stares at her.

"You think I’m intriguing, big boy, wait till you meet my other half."

"HHhmm?" Karza answers as suddenly a gigantic foot explodes out of his wall, kicking the Baron out of the room, as the ceiling and the rest of the room crumbles around them from the force of the sudden growth of Yellowjacket.

"Get the Vision, Wasp. It’s time we found out what’s really going on here." Yellowjacket commands, towering fifty feet above his enemy, then he backhands Karza away from him.

The Baron careens through the structure, smashing walls and landing in a hallway on his back at the feet of two certain Avengers who were running through the facility, towards the sounds of battle!

"Hey Cap what have we got here? Doc Doom’s new suit?"

Captain America ignores the Beasts comment, but stares at the man beneath him, all business. "I want answers, Mister and I have to assume you’re in charge around here, correct?"

"Baron Karza answers to no one, not you nor the garish oaf who thought to best me with a mere physical kick."

"That would be me." Yellow Jacket answers as he and The Wasp (Both back in miniature form) fly through the hole Karza formed with his ungainly entrance.

"You fools have no idea who you are accosting. I once ruled this entire universe, and will do so again!"

He suddenly explodes with energy, knocking the Avengers off their feet and scattering them!

"Oh my stars and garters!" The Beast exclaims as he tumbles away like a leaf before a storm!

Captain America catches the blast on his shield and rolls with it.

"You curs are beneath my notice. I draw power from this planets core, and will use that power to grind you off worlders to atomic particles!" He raises his glowing hands yet again and throws them forwards!

Outside the mountain, the rest of the Avengers approach as suddenly a huge section of the mountain explodes outwards with fury!

"Oh my GOD!" Ant-Man exclaims from the back of his ant-like mount as he flies towards the mountain!

"Aye we must hie thee to our comrades side, for I fear they will need the might of us all to survive this night!" Thor rumbles as he flies ahead, Wonder-Man at his side. Down below the flying Avengers, the Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye ride strange purple horse-like creatures, with a pack of a hundred of the village’s finest warriors, all headed towards destiny!

Inside the mountain, Karza stands amidst the debris in a thick fog of dust and plays his sensors over the area in front of him, looking for any sign of life at all. What he discovers gives him pause! A lone figure stands before him, hidden by the dense cloud of airborne particles, its density is off the scale, and behind it lie four unconscious, but not badly injured forms.

"Incredible!" Karza exclaims, "You bore the impact of that blast and still stand? Even more inconceivable is that you shielded your comrades from certain destruction! What sort of creature are you?"

In a monotone voice, made all the more frightening for its apparent lack of emotion, the answer Karza seeks comes, "I am no ‘Creature’, I am the Vision, and furthermore, I am an Avenger. When you attack one of us, monster, you must deal with us all, and we are a far sturdier lot then you have given us credit for." As the Vision speaks his eyes glow first red, then blinding yellow as he fires his solar rays from them, catching Karza’s iron helmeted face fully in his burning solar gaze!

"No matter, mechanical man, I defeated you once, I will do so again." Karza reels as he throws himself forward at The Vision, hands grasping.

The Visions moves in wordlessly and fearlessly as he fires off a powerful right cross to Karza’s jaw that shakes the area around them with its impact!

"You are powerful, Vision, but I am moreso, as you are about to learn!" Karza punches the Vision, with at least equal if not greater force then the Vision used, snapping the Avengers head sideways. But the Vision is not deterred, as he balls his fists together and smashes Karza from beneath his jaw upwards, lifting the black armor suited megalomaniac upwards and away, smashing him through the hole in the mountain wall to the lush jungle outside!

Instantly Karza rights himself, as rocket pods suddenly appear as if from nowhere and attach themselves to his side, flying him upwards and back towards his enemy.

"Not so fast, whoever you are." A metallic tinged voice orders loudly. "I’d stand down if I were you right about now." Karza turns towards the sound of the voice and sees several unknown figures flying at him rapidly. A golden armored man, whose gloves are glowing with energy, was the one speaking to him, while a huge man flying by holding a hammer before him and another seemingly made of blue energy flank the armored warrior.

"Thou wouldst do well to heed Iron Mans commands, foul one. For any other course wouldst indeed lead to a far less happy outcome for thee."

From behind Baron Karza a female voice intones "What the God of Thunder is trying to say, is that if you don’t give up now, we’re going to kick your butt, but good." He turns towards that voice and sees the beautiful Ms. Marvel hovering there, arms crossed across her ample chest.

"How many of you fools are there?" Karza uncharacteristically exclaims.

"More then enough to end your scourge, evil one." The Vision answers as he floats down from above.

"So you think, android, but you have no idea what my abilities truly are, but you are about to learn." As he speaks, Baron Karza throws his arms upwards and begins to glow a bright orange.

"He’s drawing raw energy from the planets core! His power readings have gone up five hundred percent!" Iron Man shouts as he power dives in towards Karza!

"NOW you Avengers will learn of who you face!" Karza roars as he easily backhands Iron Man away. Undeterred, The Vision increases his density to its ultimate form and drops on top of Karza like a meteor from the heavens, smashing him through the ground!

But almost instantly the Vision is sent hurtling out of the hole, to land limply on the ground nearby, as Thor throws himself at their enemy!

"Have at thee madman!" The God of Thunder roars, as he hurtles into his foe! Ms. Marvel fires energy beams into Karza who all but ignores them as he grabs Thor by the face and smashes his head into the ground!

"It’s not going to be that easy, you Darth Vader/ Doctor Doom throwaway!" The Golden Avenger shouts as he fires his pulse bolts from fifty yards away, the pulse bolts that grow stronger the further away they are from their target! They connect with a blinding flash of light, seemingly incinerating Karza on contact!

But out of the cloud of dust where Karza stood a black disembodied hand flies free, smashing Iron Man across the jaw, with power reminiscent of Thor himself!

Suddenly Wonder Man is there, firing one punch after another! Each one exploding across Karza’s jaw with earth shaking power!

"When you take on one Avenger, you take on us all, and one thing you better learn while your ahead, Avengers don’t quit!" The Ionic Avenger growls as he continues to pound his black suited enemy.

"Yes, you may not quit, but tell me do you die?" He suddenly blocks one of Wonder Mans blows and grasps him by the throat! But then a flying fist knocks him loose, as the woman warrior, Ms. Marvel smashes into him at blistering speed, sending him flying across the ground!

"Foolish woman! You are no match for me!" He unleashes energy blasts from both hands and sends Ms. Marvel careening away like a rag doll into the distance!

"Carol!" Wonder Man shouts as he begins to fly after her.
"Simon, NO! We need you here!" Iron Man commands.

Wonder Man hesitates as Ms. Marvel’s limp body recedes into the distance, then shakes his head and grits his teeth, before rocketing into Karza again, tackling him and smashing him into and through the lush mountainside forest, easily crushing and uprooting a hundred ancient trees! "You better pray to whatever Gods you know that she’s okay monster, or I’ll tear you to pieces myself!"

"Baron Karza prays to no Gods, silly energy man, Baron Karza IS a God!" He unleashes a blast of energy from his entire body, exploding Wonder Man away from him.

"Nay!" A voice roars from above, "Here there is only one God on this battlefield tonight, Baron Karza! Thor, The God of Thunder is my name, Son of Lord Odin, leader of Legendary Asgard, home of the mighty Norse Gods and the Earth goddess Gaea! Thou shouldst know fear this night for thou hast incurred the wrath of the Lord of Asgard!"

Karza looks upward, past the sound of Thor’s voice as thunder suddenly booms overhead, and for the first time tonight, Baron Karza does indeed know fear! As a clear sky suddenly, instantly clouds over. Thor hovers in mid air, whirling Mjolnir above his head in his right hand as he does, pointing his left hand at Karza. Suddenly the sky lights up as bolt upon bolt of lightning incinerates Karza on the spot!

Inside the Mountain, The Beast awakens as blinding light flashes from outside the huge hole in the mountain wall and he instantly rouses Captain America, Yellowjacket and the Wasp.

"Get up you three, hurry, they need us!" As he covers his eyes from the pure white light of Thor’s lightning strikes!

Down below, Thor, Wonder Man, Iron Man and the Vision surround Karza and pummel him relentlessly with the power to split mountains!

"I will not falter! You will fall before my power!" He shouts madly as sparks fly from his armor suddenly!

"He’s upping his power level again!" Iron Man shouts above the roar of the deafening battle, as rain and lightning arc and splash around them! "We have to stop him now, or we’ll never be able to!"

"Aye so be it, let him know the full unfettered fury of the Avengers as one!" Thor proclaims as he slams Mjolnir into their enemy so hard, he splits the ground for miles in every direction!

"Thor! That’s it!" Iron Man shouts as he rockets skywards, then arcs down, grasping Karza as he again accelerates upwards and away towards the semi dormant volcano the mountain base encompasses! Fists clenched grimly, accelerating to orbital speed, he slams into Karza’s hotly glowing armored form, driving him down beneath the volcanoes molten surface! Instantly the Vision realizes what Iron Man is doing and flies after them. Once above the molten surface, he increases his density to world shattering levels and leaps after them down into the hole Iron Man is tunneling as he drives Karza beneath him!

"Iron Man! I will bear him below; you must clear a path for us to this worlds core! Let that be his burial ground!" The Vision broadcasts to Iron Mans communications array!

Iron Man slips away from the struggling Karza, handing him to the Vision, as the Vision grips him tightly with one hand and pummels him continually with the other, in between blasts of solar energy to the helmeted face of the Baron!

Iron Man flies ahead of them both, firing repulsor rays continuously ahead, clearing rock and lava out of the way of the rapidly descending titans, who are locked in a life or death struggle as they fall ever deeper towards this worlds core!

Above, all the Avengers finally arrive, those on the backs of the strange animals as well as those who battled Karza within the mountain base.
"I don’t think we’re in too good a spot to hang out gang. That thing is going to blow any second." Hawkeye realizes as he looks at the volcanoes gurgling and rumbling cone.

"Aye all of us away, now!" Thor orders, then adds, "I will join them beneath this worlds surface, for they will be in need of Thors power."

"Not without me you won’t." Wonder Man admonishes as both Avengers fly towards the suddenly bubbling and gurgling volcano when a huge explosion of lava shoots upwards with earth shattering force!

"Vision!" The Scarlet Witch cries out! as Ms. Marvel appears, and scoops her up, flying her to safety. "Get everyone out of here, including those villagers!" She yells, as Thor begins to whirl Mjolnir overhead.

"No mere volcano will destroy the Avengers, nor their charges, let the heavens roar, let the skies scream! For Thor doth command the rain and the snow and the ice to fall at his behest, and he commands it to fall here and now! So sayeth the God of thunder, and he will NOT be denied!"

Suddenly a storm out of legend grows above the volcano! A storm not seen on Earth or any other world for that matter, be it in the Micro or the Macro verse! A storm so powerful that the nearby ocean loses several feet of water from its surface as all that moisture fuels the swirling, powerful miasma above the volcano’s top!

"Run! Get out of here!" The Beast bellows as he forces the native warriors forward chaotically through the jungle, he leaps like a super powered great ape, moving at incredible speeds through the dense growth!

Behind them tons upon tons of water, ice and snow fall on the volcanoes cone, freezing it shut, all the while the God of Thunder floats in the air above it orchestrating this worlds redemption!

Hours later in the village... Villagers walk through thigh deep water as the Avengers anxiously await word of their own two missing comrades. Hawkeye walks into the king’s hut, as within Captain America paces back and forth. Seated nearby are Ms. Marvel and the Scarlet Witch. "Still no word?" Clint Barton asks

"None yet." Cap replies. "But I have no doubt they’re safe. We’re talking about two of the most powerful beings on the planet. I’m sure they survived." He looks at Wanda as he speaks trying to reinforce his beliefs on the Scarlet Witch as well.

"If they’re alive, Thor and Wonder Man will find them." Clint reassures Wanda.

"They’re alive, I’m sure of it." Yellowjacket adds as he walks into the hut.

"What you heard something?" Clint asks.

"Yes, you might say I did." Yellowjacket grins as he folds the canvas door covering back, revealing both Iron Man and the Vision who wearily walk into the hut, Wanda leaps from her seated position and embraces her husband as Iron Man merely sits a moment before levering his faceplate upwards revealing his handsome face beneath. "Anything to drink around here? I’m parched, you could say it was hot as Hades where we just crawled out of."

"And the Baron?" Captain America asks.

"Last we saw he was face planted in lava, which I solidified around him with a cryogen bomb, like a fly in amber. I don’t think he'll be bothering anyone for a long, long time, if ever."

"I truly hope he does not, Iron Man, but I suggest we leave these people a way to contact us if indeed he ever does escape his tomb." The Vision replies.

"Agreed." Tony Stark answers, nodding his head affirmatively.

"Are you all ready to head home?" Yellowjacket asks.

"I know I am, lover." The Wasp replies.

"Yes I can’t wait to see Cassie." Ant-Man replies smiling while thinking of his teen age daughter who he hasn’t seen in a month.

"Then lets move out Avengers!" Cap orders as Yellowjacket opens a PDA-like device and enters a few commands on its surface. Instantly they begin to grow and phase out of the reality they were just in and back into Avengers Mansion.

Jarvis stands nearby, looking at the machinery that his charges were last seen in and suddenly his heart almost stops beating within his chest as twelve of the most powerful beings on Earth seemingly rematerialize out of thin air!

"Hey Jarv, you got anything to eat?" The Beast asks smiling as he bounds past the startled butler, tapping him upon the head as he leaps above him.

"Indeed I do sir, in the pantry as always." Jarvis smiles at the rest of the Avengers, as he prepares himself to hear all about their latest adventure...

Next: The Raft!