Avengers #261

Issue Details

Synopsis

"Earth and Beyond!" In the aftermath of their battle against Nebula, the Skrulls come to terms with the fact that they have lost their shape-changing abilities. While discussing how to deal with Sanctuary II with the Avengers, Starfox exercises his right of ownership over his late brother's warship by activating it's gravity stabilizers to cause the massive ship to collapse in on itself causing it to implode, destroying it. Although the Skrull warriors are upset at this, their commander General Zedrao decides not to punish the Avengers for this action but suggests they make a hasty departure from his ship, promising that the Skrulls will not menace the Earth again. Firelord is quit to question this, however, the Wasp convinces him to leave peacefully as well, pointing out that Zadrao saved him from the moon that he was trapped on during their battle with Nebula. As the Avengers depart aboard Starfox's ship and travel through sub-space to return to Earth, the Avengers spend the time relaxing while Captain America secretly wonders if the Beyonder's arrival on Earth[1] could pose a threat to their homeworld. As they near-Earth space, Starfox informs the team that he is leaving them so that he can continue his search for Nebula and learn if her claims of being Thanos's granddaughter are true. Firelord offers to accompany Starfox, wanting to avenge his native Xandar from Nebula's previous attack. The Avengers agree to this and the bid their comrades farewell, before departing back to Earth aboard their Quinjet. As they fly back toward New York, Captain Marvel decides to pay her family a visit after spending so much time in space and departs in her energy form arriving at her parents' New Orleans home where her family had been left to assume the worse about their daughters' fate. The reunion is a happy one and the Rambeau family sits down to have a meal together. Meanwhile, the other Avengers arrive at Avengers Mansion where Jarvis informs them of his encounter with the Beyonder and how he told the powerful being that the Avengers were off-world[2] allowing the Avengers to figure out how the One From Beyond got involved in their battle against Nebula. Captain America decides that finding the Beyonder be their top priority when he is handed a letter by Jarvis from the FAA asking the Avengers to remove their Quinjets from the heart of the city within 30 days. Captain America and the Wasp meet with Mr. Fenton with the FAA to try and appeal the ruling. However, Fenton doesn't budge as since the Avengers have lost their government clearance, it has been decided that subsonic jets and powerful jet fuel being stored in Manhattan is too dangerous. When Captain America points out that the Avengers need their Quinjets to handle a dangerous menace, Fenton asks who it could be. On cue, the Beyonder appears before them suggesting that he is the threat Captain America was speaking of. The Beyonder puts Captain America and the Wasp on a merry chase, but when the two senior Avengers manage to trip him up, the Beyonder realizes he was defeated much too easily and teleports away. He appears before the Black Knight and Hercules who have traveled to Project Pegasus to have them analyze the Beyonders energy signature so that they may find a means to track them. There he pits his strength against Hercules and easily punches the demigod out of the Project facility. He then attempts to sword fight with the Black Knight. However, when the Black Knight is forced to land a fatal stab with his sword, the Beyonder teleports away once again. Shortly, the Avengers all reunite at the Mansion and relate their encounters with the Beyonder and how best to deal with him. When the One From Beyond reappears before them, Hercules punches him through the ceiling sending the powerful being into the Quinjet hanger room. The damage causes some of the potent jet fuel to ignite, however, the flames are put out by the automated systems. Hercules is the first to make it up there but is stopped from fighting the Beyonder further by Captain America who believes the Beyonder seeks only to talk. When they learned that the Beyonder felt bad after inadvertently allowing Nebula to escape because he did not understand what the Avengers true goal was, he wanted to make up for it by providing them with a sporting challenge. The Wasp then decides to offer the Beyonder a position as an Avengers-in-Training. This shocks the group, mostly Hercules, however they realize that there isn't any way they could contain the Beyonder and that perhaps it's best to guide him on a responsible use of his powers so that he uses them only for good. The Beyonder likes the offer, however after he uses his powers to repair the damage done to the Mansion, tells the group that he has a whole world to experience and teleports away to experience it. With the Beyonder gone, the Avengers wonder what to do next, with Cap punctuating the hope that the Beyonder remains on the side of good, otherwise the entire world may be threatened with destruction. Secret Wars II continues in Secret Wars II #5...