Avengers #35: Time For Plan B!

It’s game over for Jed MacKay’s Avengers as the unimpeded formation of a new universe is all but guaranteed to destroy the current. But with newfound allies in the Twilight Court, Earth’s Mightiest now have twice as many heads to put together and brainstorm a solution. True to the overarching theme of MacKay’s run, this small army of powerhouses will prove once again that teamwork and creative thinking are the keys to saving the day.

With only one issue left in MacKay’s run, there were only two possible ways this debacle could wrap up, and it seemed unlikely that editorial was game for another Secret-Wars-level reboot, so all loose ends are tied into a neat parting gift. Perhaps a little too neat; seeing the team execute their Plan B conjures feelings of deja vu, as if we’ve seen this “work together” sequence play out one too many times. With heightened stakes and a lack of time, one would think there’d be room for more desperation and drama amongst these heroes with the literal weight of all existence placed upon their shoulders. But they remain as focused and facetious as ever, and it can’t help but feel a tad repetitive in its safeness.

There’s less thought put into the logic behind their actions as well, compared to their odyssey to the grail’s hiding place several issues back. The writing was confident enough to convince readers that there was some semblance of scientific theory applied to the way the Avengers combined powers to survive a blackhole, whether the facts checked out or not. But details remain vague in Avengers #35, their strategy amounting to somehow pulling their powers together to cast a spell, both magic and science simultaneously, to open a portal beyond space and time. In all fairness, the grail is a fantastical, outlandish problem that can be forgiven for having an outlandish solution.

Issue #35’s end is as sudden as it is clean, looping the villainous Ashen Combine back in the story just in time to eliminate two threats at once. The Grail activates in the void of nonexistence before the birth of the universe, becoming the big bang in a trippy full-circle moment that’s undeniable charming. This explosion leaves the readers hanging, promising plenty of time post-climax for a proper send-off to this era of Avengers.