Avengers Armageddon #5: The Stage Has Been Set

Russia has been devastated, Ross is in the wind, thousands are dead, and superheroes are to blame. The entire world is on edge after the explosion of the Red Hulk and the world’s governments are wanting to make moves against the superhuman population. As the Avengers and their allies prepare for what is to come, forces begin to converge that could change the course of the entire universe forever.

Avengers Armageddon was billed as Marvel’s latest “game-changing” event. It would shatter the status-quo and the and set the stage for the next year of major Marvel stories. Did it accomplish that task? Mostly. The simplest way I can describe Armageddon is a more competent Civil War (which is referenced in this issue). A super powered battle leads to widespread devastation that leads world governments to take action against the superhuman population. The questions posed by the end of this event have been asked numerous times in numerous ways by different events across the years. Government oversight is nothing new, but Armageddon hints at something a little deeper. Something demonic. To properly, give my thoughts on this finale I feel I have to get into spoilers. You have been warned.

Chip Zdarsky brings this first part of his story to a close and lays a lot of the groundwork for not just his upcoming Avengers run, but also numerous other books in the coming months. Carol’s power reduction, Nick Fury’s plans, the possessor of the Miracleman power in 616, Logan’s reluctant role as Colton’s mentor, the UN’s regulation of superhumans, Steve Roger’s deal with Mephisto, and perhaps most important of all Peter Parker’s deal with Mephisto being the potential “key to everything.” For the past 20 years since One More Day, there has been a constant jingling of keys on Marvel’s part when it comes to undoing the controversial deal with the devil. Nick Spencer’s uneven run nearly a decade ago was the closest to reversing the controversial story. Mephisto’s role in the story as the big bad has the potential to be interesting, but him also being the focus so soon after Jason Aaron’s long run could be a case of diminishing returns. A couple of character beats are a bit odd, Spider-Man’s musing about the Avengers being one of them, but otherwise the tension and the stakes feel very real.

This issue has three artists working on it, and sadly as a result the normally stellar for this book takes quite a hit. A lot of the pages feel rushed, with unfinished inks, dull colors, and off model characters that really drag down the books pacing to a point. There are some genuinely good pages in here, but the lesser ones drag the overall quality down and keep this finale from reaching the heights it should.