Marvel Teases Death Of An Avenger

Marvel Comics today introduced a new team of Avengers in USAvengers #1, by writer Al Ewing and artist Paco Medina. However, a teaser at the end of the issue suggests this new Avengers team may lead to the death of one its members.

NEXT: Marvel Introduces New Red Hulk

SPOILERS for USAvengers #1 follow.

The premise of USAvengers is that Sunspot's AIM had been considered a rogue, terrorist organization despite his attempts to turn into a force for good as Avengers Idea Mechanics. Running an illegal mission to rescue Rick Jones, who had been operating under the hacker name Whisperer, didn't help.

However, after AIM prevented an assassination attempt on the United State president, General Maverick, the head of Project Troubleshooter who had been tasked with dealing with AIM, and Sunspot came to an agreement that brought Sunspot's organization in from the cold and made it an official United States government operation.

USAvengers #1 bounces back and forth between seeing the Avengers dealing with volcanic Secret Empire helicarrier headed for Los Angeles and watching each individual member give an impassioned straight-to-camera testimonial about why they believe in America, and why they want to be a part of this Avengers team.

Cannonball gives a particularly powerful speech, recalling his life as a coal miner's son, and how his father's morals and Professor X's dream had helped shape his own vision of what America can and should be. Unfortunately, Cannonball may not live to see those dreams realized.

USAvengers #1 ends with a teaser for what will be coming in the next year. The teaser shows an appearance by Thanos on something called "Zero Day," Red Hulk and Deadpool fighting monsters, an appearance by Steve Roger, Captain America, and...the death of Cannonball?

The image shows a tombstone with the words "Here lies Sam Guthrie, Cannonball. He died a hero" inscribed on it. The teaser text simply read, "The ultimate sacrifice…?"

This could be a red herring. Ewing used a similar trick, foreshadowing Sunspot's own funeral only to later reveal that it was a trick orchestrated by Sunspot himself. On the other hand, it may be the end of the line for Cannonball.

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It is worth noting that Cannonball's death would directly contradict the previous revelation that he is an External, a rare kind of mutant who is virtually immortal and capable of coming back from death. The External angle is something that hasn't been referenced much in modern Marvel Comics but has never been undone or retconned.

Then again, maybe the External angle is exactly the thing Ewing is looking to play with in USAvengers.

USAvengers #1 is on sale now.