When superheroes go to war…no one is safe… not even a founding Avenger!
A major Marvel icon was killed off in Civil War II #3.
The identity of the killer may be even more shocking.
The previous chapter ended with a cliffhanger. Ulysses (the new Inhuman with visions of the future) saw the Hulk killing several of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Carol Danvers was seen approaching Dr. Bruce Banner (who is free of the Hulk thanks to Amadeus Cho.)
The shock and awe continued this week with a shocking death from creators Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez. How did we get here and why was this character marked for death?
Spoilers and Speculation head!
Tony Stark and Danvers are at odds over the power of predictive justice. The pro-active Captain Marvel believes in using Ulysses to change the future and stop villains before they can strike. One hero died in such an attempt. Tony blames Carol and Ulysses.
Before we discuss the latest Casualty of Civil War II and what it means for the Marvel Universe here’s a SPOILER ALERT!
If you have not read Civil War II #3 stop reading now.
Seriously.
OK.
Here it comes.
James Rhodes (War Machine) died and She-Hulk was severely injured by Thanos when the Ultimates set a trap for the Mad God of Titan. Iron Man was furious and kidnapped Ulysses and starting a war with the Inhumans.
After Ulysses’s vision of a rampaging Hulk killing the Avengers, Carol confronted Banner, who is no longer the Hulk.
Marvel declared a major icon will die in this event but the latest vision and #3 cover were a blood red herring.
As the new issue begins, the trial of the century is underway when we go back to the scene of the crime.
Carol Danvers and Tony Stark confront Banner in his secret lab. They take him outside where an army of Avengers, Inhumans and X-Men are waiting.
Banner insists he hasn’t turned into the Hulk and won’t again.
Beast reveals Banner is experimenting on himself again…with gamma radiated cells.
Banner is getting angry by his friends’s invasion of privacy, accusations and attempt to take him into custody when…
An arrow goes through Banner’s head.
Clint Barton turns himself in.
As the trial continues with Hawkeye on the stand he reveals Banner came to him with the weapon and pleaded with Clint to kill him if he ever transforms into the Hulk again.
The evidence is stacked against Barton.
No one else heard this conversation.
There’s only Barton’s claim that Banner was starting to Hulk out when he let the arrow fly.
Crying over Banner’s dead body Tony declares to Carol, “You made this happen, Danvers. You chased this. You couldn’t leave this —— alone and now another one of use is gone. Who’s next on your hit list Danvers!?!”
The jury reaches a verdict but there’s an even bigger cliffhanger.
Stark’s Friday program reveals its analysis of Ulysses’s visions work.
Tony looks on the screen with “Oh my God. It’s our future.”
“Only two things are for certain: it will take a long time for our heroes to come to terms with this loss, and the circumstance surrounding his death will leave a huge scar on the superhero community.” Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso told the New York Daily News.
“Fans may be outraged, and there are probably Hawkeye writers who I’m very good friends with who will also be offended. Bendis told NYDN “But the point is that everything that happens in this issue is in character when you discover the hows and whys and wheres”
Marvel revealed the stars and creative teams on the previously teased The Fallen and The Accused, first declassified on ComicBook.com.
Civil War II: The Fallen will focus on the funeral of Banner from Greg Park and Mark Bagley with a Leinil Yu cover.
Civil War II: The Accused follows Hawkeye’s trial with Matt Murdock/Daredevil prosecuting by Guggenheim, Garry Brown and Ramon Bachs.
Both books arrives next month.
Hawkeye will be headling a new book Occupy Avengers as part of the Marvel Now. Will Barton be cleared of murder or will he escape justice to become a vigilante outlaw?
Captain Marvel will have her own book but Tony Stark is MIA as two Victor Von Doom becomes the Infamous Iron Man and newcomer Riri Williams headlines Invincible Iron Man.
Do you agree with Clint honoring Banner’s request?
By Editor