  Editor-in-Chief DarKnight77
Cover Artists
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Appearing in "Quake"Edit
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Costa Rican Mercenaries
Supporting Characters:
Other Characters:
- Avengers
- Jocasta
- Friday
- T'Challa (Mentioned)
- Hank Pym (Mentioned)
- Janet Pym (Mentioned)
- Thor (Mentioned)
- Steve Rogers (Mentioned)
- Clint Barton (Mentioned)
- Sif (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earth-3116
- Earth
- Arctic Circle
- Costa Rica
- Earth
Items:
Synopsis for "Quake"Edit
Issue 9 starts off with Azari on his own in his room talking to his Aunt Shuri. Azari and his Aunt exchange the normal pleasantries, but soon enough Shuri asks Azari what exactly he's called for.
Azari tells her that he's finally had the time to tell her about his experience with everything in the briefcase. He followed the instructions to a tee and that it was a crazy experience.
Shuri asks how he's feeling physically and after telling her that he's good, Shuri explains that there was a very minimal chance of something going wrong because technically, he had been born with the powers of the herb so taking it physically was like getting a second dose which no one had ever done before.
Azari tells her that he honestly feels better than before. That while he's not exactly sure if he's faster or stronger, he does feel more focused and locked in as a result of taking the herb. She says that's a good then and then questions how the experience with his father went.
Azari tells her that while everything about it felt so impossible in his heart he knew it was very real. He said that while talking to his father wasn't something he ever thought would be possible again, it was everything he needed. Shuri tells him that's good and that he was too young to be fretting about everything around him.
They talk a little bit more about things but the main thing is him taking his next steps in preparation to be come the King of Wakanda. Even though it's a couple of years away he wants to be prepared in everyway he can be, which makes Shuri very happy.
She gives him things he needs to study in regard to Wakanda, but also says that the best way to learn is to come to the country which Azari agrees too as well. He says that after all the Masters of Evil stuff, He will go to Wakanda, for at least a month. After ending the phone call Azari begins to think about life. He was going to become a king one day and in reality that day wasn't very far from coming. It was just a couple of years and those could fly by. It was just two years ago they were fighting Ultron.
In the next three years, Azari had to wonder, what would the Avengers be doing? Would they still be dealing with threats like this? Spending countless hours trying to deal with the deconstruction of Ultra City. Would James, Torunn, Pym, and Francis ever stop things and have a normal sort of life? Being a King certainly wasn’t simple but it was technically a “normal” job. More normal than being a Superhero anyways.
Would Azari end up separated from the Avengers? Would constantly being in Wakanda alienate him from his friends, his family? Everyone knew Wakanda wasn’t too big on visitors. Would they see each other more than once or twice a year? Would they still be friends when it was all said and done. In three years would they even still be needed? Maybe the Masters of Evil were the last remnants of the old days. And maybe with no new threats to deal with, the Avengers would be fine doing whatever they pleased.
And yeah, In the back of his mind Azari knew that was less than likely, but he couldn’t help but want that for his family. If anyone deserved rest it was those guys. All of them were constantly doing something. As Azari is called down to the Lab he only can hope that in the next few years all his friends find peace in whatever they do as they all deserve that.
The scene switches to Costa Rica where Daisy tells James about how weird it is they are headed to the dry forests, and that in no way do dry forests make a good hideout. However she quickly notices the Super Soldier isn't exactly listening to her, and calls him out on it, asking if he's okay.
James tells her that he's fine, but he also said that this just wasn't going to work and that it was too hot. Daisy was confused at first until James began to ditch most of costume from his helmet and goggles, to the undershirt of his Captain America jacket. Costa Rica was naturally warm but it was 35+ and for James it was becoming unbearable.
James told Daisy that Pym, Amadeus, and Riri had offered to make him a newer suit not too long ago and he kind ignored it, but now he was beginning to think it was time for the military look to go. Daisy tells that maybe it is, and that while the look worked before because it felt like they were in the middle of war, but now things were changing considerably so maybe it was time to retire that look.
James agrees and says that he's going to tell Pym right when he gets back. Daisy asks if he's going to go back to black and red, but he says it's too childish. While it was great homage to both his parents, it didn't scream Captain America. If he was supposed to be some sort of icon, then wanted to wear something he felt portrayed that better. Daisy agrees but in reality, doesn't think it's a big deal as he already had the trust of the people, and looked good in everything.
James tells her it's time to focus back on the mission as they had been there for over 24 hours already. It was time to pick up the place and start running towards there destination. They discuss the probable hostage situation before taking of teasing one another who would get there, Daisy telling James that he shouldn't be worried about her as he was the one complaining about the heat.
They duo start off running just fine for the first few minutes until Daisy began to feel a wave of nausea hit her. This slowed her down and made it very hard to run but she pushed through the entire time insisting that she was just fine, eventually they make it to the destination.
James begins to rattle off a plan where she sneaks around the back and saves the hostages while he takes on the crew, while Daisy deals with the pain she is feeling. James asks her once more how she's feeling and after drinking some water she feels fine and is ready to execute the plan and sot the mission begins. Daisy goes through the forest immediately feeling the pain once again, and yet still she stealthily took out her first target.
However when she got to her second target, the man with the sniper rifle was ready for her, and told her to put her hands up alerting the other men. Despite feeling terrible and being surrounded by nearly the entire group of mercenaries. Daisy manages the situation. She tells them she's family of the hostages and she just wanted to save them. Using the time they take to interrogate Daisy, James frees the hostages and begins fighting some of the men at the scene. All of the men but the original with the sniper rifle leave Daisy, this man has been tasked to keep her hostage, unless the situation has spiraled in that case kill her.
It's clear that James is winning and has freed the hostages and the sniper takes that as good enough reason to kill her, pulling out a handgun and shooting her from near point blank range. Still the bullet never hits her. Daisy's power emerges and she emits a vibrational wave that crushes the bullet before it could even touch her she then hit the man with the wave, happy at taking him down. But being a rookie with powers. She couldn't stop. She turned to the lighthouse, and accidentally hit that too causing the huge tower to crumble and crash to the ground and suddenly the situation was becoming a nightmare.
She attempted to force herself to stop pointing her hands to the ground but of course it caused even more destruction shaking the entire place. The worst of it all was that it was hurting her hands, and spreading throughout her entire body.
Eventually James came up to her which was a bad decision and he was sent flying back with broken ribs after trying to get close to Daisy. However he tried again this time with his shield, and he got close enough to tell Daisy that she simply needs to breath. He tells her that Tony said many mutants go through things like this, and that she simply need to relax.
She tries it but after a while it doesn't work. Costa Rica is looking bad and James wants to avoid another international incident so he tells Daisy to close her eyes. The moment she does he throws his shield at her, hitting her in the head instantly knocking her out and her powers out as a result. Worried for her he calls in Tony, Bruce, Azari, Pym, Riri, and Amadeus to come and help him out because the moment she wakes up she was gonna fritz out again and he wouldn't be able to hit her in the head again to stop it.
The next scene follows around Torunn and Francis who for the moment are really the only ones in the Biodome at the time as the rest left to go pick up Daisy and James. They had both jumped at the opportunity to help out James and daisy but they learned that this wasn't really a problem that could be fought.
With nothing else to do Francis and Torunn sit watch TV together and Francis talks about how he finds it weird that Daisy has powers as he never really considered it a possibility. They talk for a little bit and Torunn thinks that things have been pretty decent with Francis as they don't fight that much. But she also knows that's not true they just don't address it as much anymore.
Still Torunn believes its a good time to tell Francis she needs to head back to Asgard. To which Francis angrily questions why. And slowly but surely the two heroes begin to fight, Francis telling her that's she's only been home for three weeks, and Torunn insisting she has important things she needs to talk to her parents about, and that he and the others simply didn't understand Asgard as it was different from Earth.
Francis angrily tells Torunn that he guesses he and the others could never understand having actual parents to talk to. Torunn tries to say that's not what she meant. But Francis isn't having it, saying that she's simply going to Asgard to talk to mommy and daddy. He tells her that she already ducked out on the France mission and that he almost let James trick him into believing that she didn't just care about Asgard, but clearly it was all she cared about.
Torunn tells him to stop assuming and making things up. That she could go to Asgard and back in the matter of seconds. She would always come back as Earth was her home. She was never going to abandon it. And that she was completely invested in everything going on. But Francis isn't having it, telling her the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, leaving her friends in their biggest time of need.
Torunn dares him to say what he means, and Francis does. Saying that actions speak louder than words something Asgardians clearly didn't understand. He tells Torunn that if her All-Seeing Dad wasn’t an All-Seeing A**hole the Avengers might still be alive. Not just that but the millions of deaths that happened as a result. Maybe if the All-Powerful King Thor did...ANYTHING. Earth wouldn’t be in the place it’s in right now.
Torunn can only stare angrily, before calling her Arnbjorg to her and taking off to Asgard. Before she leaves she tells Francis that she should tell the others that it's his fault she's leaving early.
The next scene starts with Tony, Bruce, Riri, Pym and Azari who are in Tony's lab attempting to figure everything out. Amadeus starts talking first telling them that this was probably the craziest thing that had happened yet.
And Azari agrees that despite all the things with the Masters of Evil discovering an entirely different evolutionary offshoot from the human race was just something else.
“Have you compared the samples of Daisy’s blood to Azari’s yet Amadeus?” Bruce questioned the young genius.
“Yeah, as expected, not all too similar.” Amadeus said with a sigh. “That makes blood samples different. The X-Factor sequence is completely different. RNA sequences are different, which we all know are like the big thing in all mutants, so I think we're clear on the fact she is most likely not a mutant.”
“Could be that.” Pym agreed “But have we considered the fact that Azari’s inheritance of the Heart Shaped Herb could also be playing a factor in these differences?”
“It could, but the effects of the heart shaped herb have always been closer to the Super Soldier Serum, so I don’t necessarily think so.”
“Yeah, but that actually might be the difference.” Pym pointed out and pulled up two pictures of what seemed to be James' genetic code, and the other must have been Daisy’s “You see how James and Daisy’s DNA sequence are almost exactly the same except for an extra sequence down this right side?”
“Yeah.” The others nodded.
“Well Azari’s is like that as well, except we all know those extra sequences are just his X-Factor at work somewhere in there. Daisy’s last imagery from a couple of months ago shows that this sequence was also there; it was just...in development. See how much shorter it was just a couple of months ago?” Pym pointed out once more.
“Wow. That should not be possible.” Amadeus exclaimed off the bat.
“No it shouldn’t.” Riri joined in “But it does make sense. Kind of. That sequence is what we all know gives a mutant their powers usually. Except anyone can be born with the X-Factor sequence, there’s just a low chance of it activating. This is a gene sequence that has probably been developing for years on it’s own. But it’s built to do the same thing as the X-Factor.”
“Give a person their latent ability.” Pym agreed with Riri “Exactly, maybe she’s not a mutant in the conventional sense, but she has certainly evolved like one. I’d like to call this an evolutionary offshoot. It only makes the most sense.”
“It does.” Tony admitted “And I think you're mostly right Pym. But something’s missing. I can’t help but feel like there is more to this. Like you said, James, Daisy, and Azari’s normal DNA sequences are nearly exactly the same, yet they are all different.”
“But they most likely all post the same results.” Bruce hopped in “I don’t know if you all noticed but our patient has been healing much faster than she normally does. Didn’t she break her collarbone on that mission in San Francisco two weeks ago?”
“She did.” A new voice suddenly entered the conversation. It was James who was bandaging his own ribs as he entered the room. He already seemed much better after an hour of rest, he would be fine.
“She’s never healed that fast before. And to be honest, she didn’t have trouble keeping up with me when I was sparring, or when we were running earlier today. I never really noticed because she’s always been better than the other Scavengers but, maybe...this was the cause?”
“I think so.” Tony agreed with the Super Soldier “Think about it people, why can James do what he can do?”
“The Serum.” Pym automatically answered
“And Azari?”
“The Herb.” Amadeus answered, beginning to see here this was going. “So why can Daisy do what she can do?”
“All I know is that in one case, we have man engineering the perfect serum to create the perfect soldier. In another case we have a herb that had been mutated by a meteorite of vibranium. Also creating one of the most perfect ways to gain the peak of human strength and ability. So for Daisy-
“There has to be something else. Something more than her just being the next natural evolution in humans for her to develop the powers she has right now. You're right.” Pym admitted to Tony “But then I have no clue what it could possibly be.”
“And I’m not sure Daisy would either.” James spoke up “From what I know she doesn't know much about her past she mostly remembers her time with Francis’ dad.”
The six scientists were truly stumped as they couldn't figure out the reason for this phenomena. Similar abilities to James and Azari but all three genetic codes are slightly different. And then she had something akin to the X-Factor gene just like Azari but it was also different in almost every way that mattered. She was not a mutant, she was not a human, and she wasn’t a super soldier so...what was she?
“I know it’s annoying not knowing exactly what this is, but we will figure it out, but not without our patience.” Bruce told them “She’s the only one who can tell us everything we need to know. And before any of that happens we need the solutions to shutting her down for now. Do we have that yet?”
“Azari and I figured it out, yeah.” Riri nodded “We got Jocasta to start printing out the gauntlets, if she’s doing what we theorized they should keep her from bugging out until she gets control of her abilities.”
After this Tony ordered them all to take a break until the Gauntlets were finished. Eventually they were finished, and put on Daisy before she woke up, and they worked properly. But lastly Daisy wanted to know where she came from, and Tony began to hesitantly explain what they understood, which really wasn't much.
The last scene of the comic has Pym on his own in his room. It's late really, late but the young hero isn't ready to call it a night yet, instead he was still looking for something to do. With Torunn, gone and Azari busy he decides to read.
So far he had really only read his father's stuff still in the 80s for the most part, and it could be a bit weird at times but it was his parents so he cherished every word. This time however he decided to read his mother’s journal for the first time since he originally picked it up. At first he regretted the decision. As what his mom was interested in wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. Lot’s of fashion stuff, most of the pages at the beginning had simply been used as a sketchbook.
But quickly the book turned into something more. While his father’s books was nearly all about science, and ants, and becoming as tall as could be or the Quantum Realm his mother’s book was really about being an Avenger, and a superhero, and it was written perfectly. All her adventures were there to read. She described how it was when they uncovered Captain America, being one of the first leaders and how it was like to hold meetings, pressers and things of that nature. Her near death experience early on. It was one of the most interesting things he ever read. And so despite over an hour passing and it now being 2:20 am, Pym continued reading his mother’s journal.
He wished he hadn’t.
Flipping from page 58 to 59 was like an entirely new experience. You see in the earlier pages his mother mentioned his father quite a bit, obviously with them being romantically involved and being a duo and working for the Avengers it was only natural that she mentioned him, but even then it wasn’t as much as you’d expect.
It was little things like ‘Hank needs to get out of the office more’ or things like ‘Hank and I are thinking of doing this for Christmas.’
But now it was different. And Henry didn’t know how to react as things seemed to spiral out of control.
After the Yellowjacket stuff I and the other Avengers knew Hank wasn’t exactly stable but...we had thought he had gotten better. This isn’t the case. In fact I might argue that he’s gotten worse. He’s had his second nervous breakdown. Or at least, his second huge nervous breakdown, and I don’t know what to do when he’s like this.
He can be cold, petulant, and almost villain-like in the way he treats me, and the rest of the Avengers. I understood what I was getting into marrying Hank but this is...something else. I try to help him, and I can’t get a word in our conversations. Fury assigns psychiatrists and they don’t work. He’s just not the same when he’s like this.
But maybe the worst thing is, when he’s supposedly changed back...he’s not all too different from the normal Hank. Did I marry a psycho? Am I in love with a crazy person? Maybe but there’s nothing I can do about it. I want to help him, and I’ll continue looking for a solution but… this isn’t looking good.
Another entry was very similar. Hank has been good almost perfect for months, there’s been nothing I could complain about, I assumed we had turned a new leaf. Of course. I was wrong. I can only believe his schizophrenia is getting worse.
What does one do in this situation? The person I love is buried under this baggage. All these different personas which simply aren’t the real him. But aren’t they? It is him isn’t it? It’s not like he suddenly won’t have all these personas. And even if I don’t like it, they are him right? He is the one creating villains to attack the Avengers, and then saving them from it as if it wasn't his fault? He is the one who yells and throws things for entering his lab. Right?
He is the one who gets angry when I talk to other people right? All we need is us, no one else right Jan? Right?
Though that is something the normal Hank would say as well. He’s always been possessive but, I mean I can’t blame him. So am I. We can be toxic, throwing things, and having wild fights throwing obscenities about but I also knew where his and my heart lay. We loved each other no matter what.
I’m not sure if I still see that. Even when he’s Hank he spends an absurd amount of time in his lab. Trying to grow just a little higher, trying to shrink just a little smaller, or working on whatever new toy he’s found next.
The loving Hank, the caring Hank, the Hank I’d take a million bullets for. He’s rarely around anymore and I’m not sure how long I can take this. It’s crazy.
The notes went on that for a while and Pym almost stopped before landing on a certain page that made his heart stop.
Hank slapped me...We’re getting a divorce.
That was all that page read, and the next page from a few days later seemed to expand on the situation
I’ve been hit before. I’m a superhero. Getting hit is just a part of the job. Physically the backhand from Hank didn’t hurt all too much, I mean he’s strong but I’m pretty tough too.
Hank had his 3rd nervous breakdown. It was...chaotic. He had these plans. Attack the Avengers with a huge robot, give it a secret weakness, save the day and everyone would love him. That was the plan of Yellowjacket.
It was dumb, irresponsible and reckless and I told him that, I told him he couldn’t do it, and the more I talked he just angrier, and angrier, and snapped. He smacked me right across the face.
Hank and I have fought many times. We spar all the time. He’s socked me in the jaw, I’ve punched him in the nose, he’s kicked me in the ribs, and I’ve taken out his knee. I even dislocated my shoulder once.
Never once was I scared of Hank. I knew that when we were training, we were just doing that training. After particularly heavy training during our early Ant-Man and Wasp days, he might give me a massage or tend to my wounds. It was always love. I knew that.
Getting slapped across the face by Yellowjacket. Watching him as he simply continued working and mumbled out a cold sorry for striking me like that. I think that’s caused me more psychological and mental pain than anything physical ever could.
Knowing that he simply didn’t care for my wellbeing, that he could have actually hurt me and not blink twice is scary. I’ve tried rationalizing this a million times already. It was Yellowjacket, not Hank. They are two different people. I tell myself that all the time.
But maybe it's time for me to accept that they are one and the same. I’m not sure MY Hank has been around in a long time.
Regardless, after the nervous breakdown was over, After I saved the day, after Yellowjacket turned back into Hank I handed him divorce papers. He seemed to understand just fine, not caring one bit.
As much as this hurts, as much as I thought I found my life partner, as much as I thought Hank could change well...I guess I was wrong. It’s crazy, if he had just shown a little compassion I probably would have taken him back. Maybe I’m the crazy one.
After that reading all that Pym shut the book immediately and threw it towards his desk without a care in the world. As of that moment he was questioning the sanity of either of his parents to be honest.
Never had he thought he’d learn that his father struck his mother or was a schizophrenic or anything like that but he had. This was years before his birth, and now Pym was questioning what was wrong with his Mom that made her go back? “Come on Pym, we don’t victim blame around here.” he told himself. But he was still weirded out. He thought his parents were a great couple with minimal problems aside from the odd scuffle all couples had but...His mother’s book said otherwise. They were downright toxic which is the exact opposite of what Tony and Bruce had told him.
And obviously they knew the truth because his Mother said that this was public knowledge to all the Avengers, except for the slap. Regardless of whatever intertwined between his parents, What Pym couldn’t get around was the lies he was told. His trust in Tony and even Banner was waning fast. They clearly weren’t shy about lying as they did with the Atlantis stuff, but he thought that was it. Now there were his parents and Pym couldn’t help but wonder...What else were they lying about?
And with that the issue ends.
NotesEdit
In this Issue's summary. Capt10America notably imported more of the portion of the actually story, than simply doing the summary. The reasoning being was that he felt the summary couldn't do every story justice, so instead he's tried to merge the two. Only the most important scenes would make it into the stories while the rest would be summarized. This is to try and make sure the Issues don't become that long. Though it seems he's failed miserably at that.
In the Continuity of Earth-616 Daisy Johnson is a Inhuman. On this Earth it's stated she's not a mutant or a super-solider, alien, or a normal human, Pym jokingly calls her an Inhuman and it's not clear whether this is a tease to her actually being an Inhuman, or just a homage and she's something else entirely. The Authors have only insisted that all will be revealed at some point, now whether that would be in the next issue or the next 100 issues they'd never tell.
If Daisy is an Inhuman than it's clear that nobody on this Earth has encountered them yet, or at least No Avenger has, as Tony and Banner were both clueless to what Daisy could possibly be.
TriviaEdit
- No trivia.
See AlsoEdit
Recommended ReadingEdit
Each Chapter of A New Legacy is posted on DarKnght77's AO3. Over there is the entirety of the unsummarized version of the story.
Links and ReferencesEdit
- None.