Avengers #8: The Avengers Assemble in Their New Operations Base and Thulk Ship is Sweet

***WARNING: This review contains major spoilers!***

Ghost Rider arrives at Avengers Mountain at the North Pole. Their new base, given to them by the cured Final Host of Dark Celestials, is the Progenitor Sentinel’s shell (newly refit and converted for habitation by Wakanda and Alpha Flight). While Robbie and Cap have their first sparring session we are shown that at the defeat of the Final Host, Loki claimed an even greater threat looms against humanity before the remaining Celestials left Earth with him in tow.

We are then given a “slice of life” of the Avengers getting settled into their new digs. Jennifer has reverted to her normal self.  Apparently, even though her vocabulary was stunted, she’s been mostly in control while Hulking about (making her relationship with Thor far less creepy). Strange also reports that her gamma radiation storage exceeds even that of Bruce, essentially making her a walking gamma-bomb. They are interrupted by a lavatory seeking Thor, who Jennifer invites to her quarters (so cute!).

T’Challa expresses his disappointment that Strange won’t be a full-time Avenger, but the Mountain is equipped with a global teleporter, should they ever need his help. Tony comes close to apologizing to Carol and successfully recruits her to be an Avenger, but ruins it by flirting with her and she rightfully pushes him into a muddy hot-spring.

Later, the Avengers vote T’Challa as team Chairperson. Before they can get far into their first meeting, they are alerted to an international incident in the South Sea. Whalers are hunting in Atlantean territory and are attacked by aquatic soldiers defending their home. Unfortunately, they underestimate the human’s armaments and are slaughtered and hung from the sides of the ship, suddenly it is rocked by the tentacles of a kraken and an incensed, vengeance-seeking Namor!