Marvel Avengers: Black Panther and the Illuminati HeroClix Preview: Thanos, Rescue, Captain Britain, Challenger, Ego Gem

Time runs out in the next Marvel HeroClix set from WizKids games, Avengers: Black Panther and the Illuminati. The set explores the world of Wakanda and some of the most popular modern Avengers stories. WizKids has provided ComicBook.com with four figure previews from the set, as well as one equipment piece preview.

We start off with Rescue. The armor is piloted by Toni Ho, the daughter of the scientist who helped Tony Stark build the original Iron Man armor. As Rescue, she joined the US Avengers and has the AIM and Avengers keywords to show for it, as well as the generic Armor and Scientist keywords.

The rare figure comes in at 70 points with the Avengers keyword, five range, two targets, wing symbol, and Indomitable. Her movement power is called "I'm Finding Some New Uses For It." It gives her Running Shot and "When she uses it, after resolutions you may knock back each hit character 3 squares." Also, "Once per game, when Rescue hits one or more opposing characters, you may roll a d6. If you do, after resolutions, deal each hit character damage equal to the result."

Her top two clicks come with a defense power called "Like a Lobster Wrapped In a Force Field". It grants Defend, Invulnerability, Energy Shield/Deflection, and adjacent friendly characters named Enigma can use Energy Shield/Deflection. Her dial also has Incapacitate, Toughness, Outwit, and Support.

Next up is Captain Britain. This super rare figure can be played at 135 points or 90 points and carries the Avengers, Excalibur, Hellfire Club, Illuminati, Mystical, and Scientist keywords, and has Flight and Indomitable.

His trait is Last Surviving Member of the Corps, which gives his "PROTECTED: Outwit, but only from characters of less points. When he is damaged by an opponent's attack, after resolutions remove an action token from him."

His dial starts with the damage power "Inspiring Presence as Time Runs Out" giving him Empower, Enhancement, and Leadership, making the figure a team player. His dial ends with the damage power "The Sun Will Never Set on Britannia!" that gives him Regeneration, Toughness, and "Regeneration as FREE, but only if he took damage from an opponent's attack since your last turn." The remainder of his dial includes Hypersonic Speed, Charge, Super Strength, Quake, Precision Strike, Invincible, Impervious, and Invulnerability.

Next up is the Super Rare Challenger, the missing Elder of the Universe who was introduced during the Avengers: No Surrender event. He costs 175 points to play with the Power Cosmic team ability and 7 range with one target. His keywords are Black Order, Elder of the Universe, and Cosmic.

He has an interesting dial, with eight clicks to start and then a powerful click #0. This is explained by his first trait, "I Sense a Greater Challenge." The trait reads: "At the beginning of the game, if an opponent's force includes an additional game element, heal Challenger 1 click past his starting line to click #0." That trait triggers if the opposing force includes such elements as ID cards, Equipment, Special Terrain, or Locations.

Challenger's second trait is "A Game For the World" and sets the stage for the game you're about to play. It reads, "At the beginning of the game, you may generate Pyramoid markers anywhere on the map that aren't within 4 squares of each other or a starting area. You generate 3 of them and an opponent generates 2." Then, "When Challenger would take damage, you may instead remove a Pyramoid marker within 6 squares" to avoid the damage. Also, "Opposing characters have 'POWER: Remove from the game a Pyramoid marker ina square this character occupies." The trait effectively brings the plot of Avengers: No Surrender to HeroClix.

Challenger also has a STOP click at the end of his dial in his Defense slot. It's called "You have succeeded...In Irritating Me" and also grants Invincible and "FREE: Once per game, make up to 4 attacks, each targeting a different opposing character."

Our final figure preview is this set's Ultra Chase! It's none other than the Mad Titan himself, Thanos! He can be played at 160 or 110 points, has 7 range with one target, and bears the Power Cosmic and Mystics team abilities. His keywords are Minions of Thanos, Negative Zone, and Cosmic.

His first trait, "Artifacts From the Inter-Dimensional Cosmic Vampire" lets Thanos start the game with the Ego Gem equipped (more on that later). His second trait is "Skreet Is as Skreet Does, and Skreet Is Hard to Swat," which allows Thanos to generate a Skreet bystander once per game as FREE. The bystander is Tiny Size with Flight, Phasing/Teleport, Penetrating/Psychic Blast, Impervious, and a special damage power called "Chaos Mite" that gives her Perplex, but only to target other characters, and "When Skreet uses it, she modifies a value +2 or -2 instead, then rolls a d6. 1-2: The modifier becomes 0 instead."

Back to Thanos, he starts with a special damage power of his own called "The Biological Application of Cosmic Power." It gives him Perplex, "but only to target other characters. When Thanos uses it to target a friendly character, that character can use the Power Cosmic team ability until your next turn. When Thanos uses it to target an opposing character, that character can't use Willpower or PROTECTED: Outwit or Protected: Outwit until your next turn."

Thanos also has a special attack power called "Genocide Is Not What Mistress Death Desires, But It's What the Maker's Followers Deserve." It gives Thanos Precision Strike and "FREE: Make an attack targeting an opposing character, but only if there's another opposing character with the same name on the map." Also, "When Thanos KO's a character, after resolutions KO all bystanders generated by that character, then heal him 1 click for each bystander KO'd this way." Thanos is simply deadly to certain other popular characters and team builds. His dial also carries Sidestep, Hypersonic Speed, Running Shot, Pulse Wave, Invincible, Impervious, Invulnerability, and Support.

And finally, about that Ego Gem? Here it is!

We close out with the Ego Gem equipment representing the seventh Infinity Gem from the Ultraverse. It's an indestructible light object that costs 10 points to play. Equipping the Ego Gem allows the equipped character to equip any of the new Infinity Gem equipment pieces with different names, and grants "FREE: Choose a combat value to modify +1 until your next turn."

Are you excited about the new HeroClix set? Let us know in the comments! Marvel HeroClix Avengers Black Panther and the Illuminati pre-release events begin May 22nd. The set goes on sale on June 5th.