Jed MacKay and C.F. Villa Bring City Killers to AVENGERS #3 with The Ashen Combine

By Dustin Gebel

on April 13, 2023

With an upcoming relaunch under the creative team of writer Jed MacKay and artist C.F. Villa, the Avengers look to the multiverse for their next foes. Starting in Avengers #3, the group known as the Ashen Combine bring chaos as assassins of cities and metropolitan areas. Their story starts with Avengers #1 this May and the Tribulation Events, which are set to cause disruptions and chaos across the universe.

This connects with the fall of the Impossible City, a plot point caused by Kang’s search for the Missing Moment in Timeless #1, also written by MacKay. The story saw Kang jumping around time and space looking for this mysterious concept and was a clear set-up to MacKay’s long game for the Avengers title. It’s possible that connections to the X-Men and Marvel’s cosmology aren’t far behind, with MacKay’s ability to weave old and new continuity on display in books like Moon Knight and Doctor Strange.

The Ashen Combine, the new villains that help to kick off this new Avengers run, take the form of giant monsters that devastated cities. They include The Dead, who commands legions of ghosts, Meridian Diadem, a living, consuming dungeon. Idol Alabaster, a Floating head that forces people in worship, and more.

The full description of these monsters, along with C.F. Villa’s design sheets can be seen below. Stay tuned to Comic Watch for more information about the upcoming Avengers relaunch, and the celebration of the team’s 60th anniversary.

Meet the ASHEN COMBINE!

LORD ENNUI, an embodiment of atrophy who drains a city’s life and spirit.

IDOL ALABASTER, a living godhead that you’ll worship whether you like it or not.

CITYSMITH, an insane artist that twists cities like clay.

THE DEAD, a mysterious commander of ghosts.

MERIDIAN DIADEM, an endless dungeon who consumes, converts, and spits out prisoner after prisoner.