And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born-- to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, but their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then-- for now, the Avengers Assemble!

THE MIGHTY AVENGERS!

Avengers #403:
"Homecoming"

by Van Allen Plexico
with Michael McClelland

Hank McCoy drove his jeep up to the brownstone mansion that had served as his home and headquarters for so many years. As he parked, he pondered the status of his friends and allies, who had reportedly only recently returned from some bizarre alternate dimension into which they were apparently flung at the end of the Onslaught ordeal.

He'd only spoken briefly with Captain America prior to heading for Manhattan and the Mansion, but apparently Iron Man and the Wasp were now back to normal. Good news, certainly, but he could not help but ponder the fate of the one he was perhaps closest to: Wonder Man. The thought had bugged him for months, but with all that had been going on, both in his own life and with the X-Men and Avengers, he'd never had a chance to do anything about it-- If Jean Grey could have been reconstituted from her residual energies once,* then why shouldn't the same be possible for Simon Williams?

[*X-Men/Teen Titans crossover special --Crossreferencin' Van]

The Beast's musings were interrupted as his knock at the door was answered by the most reassuring face on Earth: the Avengers' butler, Edwin Jarvis.

"Good heavens! Master Beast! This is quite a surprise!"

"Hiya, Jarvis. Anyone else home?"

Jarvis seemed to suppress a grin-- most unusual for him. "Indeed, Master Hank. You've returned to quite a--" And he opened the door fully--

"--HOMECOMING!"

Indeed, Earth's Mightiest Heroes had truly returned. Squeezed within the confines of the Avengers Mansion's living room, a crowd of the world's most powerful and beloved protectors stood about or relaxed on the elegant furniture, assessing the events they had just participated in, and their consequences.

Included in the scene were Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Henry Pym, Captain America, Hawkeye, Tigra, Hellcat, and a dozen others. Iron Man, Thor, and Cap stood solemnly in one corner, talking quietly. Hawkeye jabbed at Tigra with an arrow, provoking a playful swat in return. Ms. Marvel, back in her black costume and no longer radiating Binary energy,* stood talking with Namor. The Vision stood solemnly alone, peering out a rear window, hands clasped behind his back. Wanda and Jan sat talking on the sofa. At Beast's entrance, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. Their warm welcome overwhelmed the Beast, although the furry blue Avenger could not help but remain somewhat distracted by his thoughts. [*See the MS. MARVEL One-Shot Special, still on sale! --Van]

Iron Man shook Hank's hand. "What brings you here, Beast? Are you wanting to sign up?"

Cap gestured at the crowd. "--Because we were just about to try to trim this mob down to a manageable number..."

Hawkeye nodded. "But don't let that stand in yer way, pal!"

Beast smiled, distractedly. "Well, actually I had other things on my mind. If Hank Pym's not busy--?"

Henry Pym stepped from behind some of the others. "No-- what's on your mind, Beast?"

The Beast's face grew unusually grim. "Wonder Man."

The others stared in surprise.

*****

Meanwhile...

Three mysterious figures emerged from shadows outside a brownstone building and dashed across toward the front door. As they emerge into the light, they are revealed to be three members of the Zodiac-- Capricorn, Sagittarius, and Cancer.

Cancer: "You're sure this will work?"

Capricorn: "Yeah, sure. There's no one at the mansion but a buncha SHIELD agents, and Leo gave us enough gadgets to get past them easy."

Sagittarius: "Then let's do it! I've always wanted to rip off the Avengers!"

The three villains closed in on their target.

*****

Back inside Avengers Mansion:

Thor shook Iron Man and Cap's hands firmly. "Verily, tis good to be reunited with old friends and allies. But I fear I must take leave of this mortal sphere, albeit temporarily, to see to the state of affairs in mine home, the Eternal Realm of Asgard."

As Thor stepped out the front door and spun his mighty hammer, the others followed him out and waved goodbye. With a mighty surge, the thunder god rocketed into the sky, quickly vanishing from sight.

Cap raised both hands to the rest of the heroes. "Alright, people-- anyone else need to be excused before we try to set the official roster?"

A number of the heroes and heroines, including Hellcat, Tigra, Namor, Hercules, Black Panther, and several others, bowed out gracefully. None left just yet, however-- they waited to see how the lineup would take shape.

Henry Pym motioned to get Cap's attention. "I'd like to stay, if it's alright with everyone, but not in a super-hero sense. Beast and I have some rather important work we'd like to get started on, and the mansion has the scientific and technical facilities we need."

Cap and Iron Man both nodded.

Cap turned to Iron Man and the Wasp. "I think it's pretty clear who's 'in' then."

The other two looked around and nodded. "Looks like a 'manageable number,' alright," Jan replied.

Cap's voice boomed out, addressing the entire asssemblage of heroes. "Then here's your new Avengers lineup--"

Just as he opened his mouth, the front door burst open. Everyone whirled to see what was happening.

In the doorway stood Cancer, Sagittarius, and Capricorn. As the three Zodiac villains registered just what they were seeing, they stopped dead in their tracks and their mouths, all at once, dropped open.

"You gotta be kidding me," Hawkeye snorted, an arrow instantly on his bow and ready to fire.

"We're under attack!" Cap shouted.

"AAAAIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!" The three Zodiac members whirled on their heels and fled in panic. A horde of super heroes raced through the doorway and after them.

"Signal the others," Capricorn shouted. "We need backup!"

"No kiddin'!" Cancer pressed a button on a wrist device he wore.

As the Avengers past and present rounded a corner in their pursuit of the fugitives, they all stopped short. Before them, filling the street, was a futuristic hovercraft of some sort. Zodiac members spilled forth from its hatches, armed with all sorts of weapons.

"Better say it, Cap," Hawkeye grumbled.

Cap nodded. "AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!"

The two teams rushed together, clashing in violence. She-Hulk, Hercules, Cap, and Namor waded into them on foot, battling hand-to-hand, while Iron Man, Wasp, Ms. Marvel, and Quasar struck from the air, battling those Zodiac members who wore flight packs. The Vision moved intangibly through the depths of the crowd, solidifying next to their vehicle and attacking it directly. Beast hopped wildly through the crowd of heroes and villains, striking a blow here and there before darting away to attack again. Hawkeye pinned down two Zodiacs and found himself in a firefight, which was suddenly broken up by Cap, who came barreling through, scattering his foes left and right.

"How can there be so many of them?" The Wasp asked. "Last time I checked my horoscope, there were only twelve signs!"

"Some of them are duplicated," Iron Man noted from his vantage point above the fray.

"No kidding!" Beast bashed two Zodiac heads together. "I think I've beaten Cancer three times already-- no pun intended!"

At that moment two more hovercraft descended, hatches popping open. Still more Zodiac villains spilled out, weapons blazing.

"Surrender, Avengers! You're outnumbered and outgunned!"

Cap waved to the others. "Regroup! Get ready for--"

The Zodiac attack surged forward, sweeping the startled Avengers in its wake.

*****

NEXT ISSUE: More fun with the Zodiac, the Fantastic Four check in, and the Wonder Quest begins! Don't miss it!

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