Avengers #71

Issue Details

Synopsis

 "Endgame!" Continuing from the last issue, we begin with Black Knight rushing through his home castle to the Brazier of Truth. There he summons the spirit of his ancestor, the original Black Knight. Knight's ancestor informs him of the events that led to the Avengers being caught up in a game between the Grandmaster and Kang the Conqueror. Then through the Brazier, Black Knight is allowed to continue viewing the contest as it's currently going on. In the future year of 4000 A.D., Kang spends a private moment alone of Ravonna before returning to the main throne room to prepare for the second part of the competition. He sends the Vision, Black Panther, and Yellowjacket to France in the year 1941, after fighting off a small army of Nazi's, they are soon confronted by their challengers, the three Invaders from 1941: Captain America, Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner. In the present, the Black Knight, wishing to help out the Avengers realizes that when his interference forced the Grandmaster to transport all the combatants to the present, Goliath was holding Black Knight's ebony blade. As he and the sword are mystically bonded, Black Knight focuses on it and soon finds himself transported to the future year of 4000 A.D. There he finds that Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and Goliath are held prisoner by Kang. He recovers his sword and fights off an army of Kang's troops before meeting up with the Wasp. Meanwhile, in France of 1941, the three Avengers square off one by one against the Invaders of that era. Black Panther fighting Captain America, Yellowjacket fighting Namor, and the Vision fighting the Human Torch. The Invaders are eventually defeated with the help of Visions intangibility. With their victory, the Avengers are returned to the future. There Kang demands to be granted his power over life and death, and instead of using that power to revive Ravonna, he uses the power to attempt to destroy the Avengers. However, the powers granted to him by the Grandmaster have no effect against Black Knight, who isn't a member of the Avengers. The Knight quickly defeats Kang, and the Grandmaster considers the contest complete and returns the Avengers and Black Knight to their own era. There the Avengers officially invite the Knight into their ranks.