The world is in a dark place following the events of Armageddon. When the Avengers attempt to take down the Red Hulk led to the deaths of thousands in an explosion, negative sentiment toward super-powered individuals hit its breaking point. In response to the tragedy, the United Nations passed the Superpowers Resolution to ban the use of superpowers in most countries.
The United States was one of the few countries to abstain but with Election Day coming soon, that might not matter anymore. While New York mayoral candidate Amanda Spring rallies public anger, the Avengers have disbanded as they deal with their own heartbreak and struggles.
Fallen on Hard Times
Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) is sitting alone at Josie’s Bar in Hell’s Kitchen at noon, contemplating her drink. Since absorbing a nuclear explosion triggered by Red Hulk in Russia, Carol Danvers can no longer fly and her strength is a fraction of what it once was. She’s operating at roughly ten percent of her former power levels. Wracked with survivor guilt over the thousands of lives lost, she considers numbing her pain with alcohol.
Daredevil shows up to comfort her. He reminds her that as heroes, they don’t have the luxury of numbing themselves with drugs or alcohol. They have a responsibility to help others but Carol wonders if that need to help is just another addiction. Daredevil counters that need is still a higher calling no matter how you view it.
Across town, Mayor Luke Cage walks into a gruesome crime scene. Real estate mogul (and Luke’s biggest donor) Diana Pacter has been murdered inside her office. “Like someone’s hand just…melted through her chest. And took her heart,” Luke tells his wife Jessica Jones over the phone. Jess asks what the room smells like and he responds it reeks of ammonia and rotten eggs (sulfur). Jess guess that something supernatural rather than a human villain committed the crime.
Unbeknownst to the couple, Diana had been confronted by a dark figure shortly before her death, demanding payment for a deal made long ago.
Right as Luke is leaving the building, he runs into Spider-Man (Peter Parker). Earlier in the day while helping out Aunt May at the F.E.A.S.T. shelter, his Spider-Sense kept tingling with a low-level warning. He can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen. Luke dismisses his worries as simple anxiety due to the political climate. However, Peter’s instincts are proven to be right on the money when Stark Tower’s defense systems explode.
Spider-Man vs Miracleman
The explosion is due to Stark Tower trying to blow up David Colton, current Miracleman and former Captain America. David only wants answers about his strange new abilities but Spider-Man assumes Colton caused the tragic explosion in Russia and attacks him.
That’s when Wolverine intervenes and tells Spidey that Colton was actually trying to stop the disaster. Wolverine has been tracking David since Armageddon and tells him that he shouldn’t be alone right. Before David can open up to Wolverine, the sky above New York turns a blood-red color.
Why Are Celestial Enforcers Attacking New York?
Ancient supernatural bargains across the city suddenly expire. A man named John realizes his time is up and tries to save his daughter, Paige. He transfers ownership of a mysterious book named Grimsby. As Paige escapes into the streets, a horde of silver-skinned, golden-masked winged warriors smash through John’s apartment window to claim him.
These golden-masked enforcers descend across the entire city. They target anyone who traded their soul or made a supernatural deal, declaring each contract nullified before striking the targets with golden swords. Spider-Man, Wolverine, Daredevil, Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, and David Colton form a makeshift team on the streets to hold off the winged assault. During the clash, Daredevil realizes the entities’ golden blades don’t kill their victims in the traditional sense. Instead, they teleport targets away to face cosmic judgment.
Is One More Day Being Undone in Avengers #1?
While the battle rages, Paige flees through New York while reading The Forgotten Knowledge. The book actually speaks speaks to her, explaining that her parents made a deal years ago that led to her being born. But now their deal is void, leaving her as an unauthorized anomaly that the universe intends to reclaim (read: kill).
The book instructs Paige to find Spider-Man. Luckily for her, Spidey finds her when he saves her from an attacking celestial warrior. As Paige tries to explain why she’s looking for him, she points out that Peter himself made a deal with Mephisto to save someone’s life. Spider-Man is the only one who has the power to stop this but he doesn’t even remember making a deal like that.
In the infamous One More Day storyline, Spider-Man made a deal with the devil Mephisto to erase all knowledge and evidence of his marriage to Mary Jane “MJ” Watson to save Aunt May’s life. He also lost all his memories surrounding the deal as well. It’s implied the reason Mephisto wanted to end Peter’s marriage was to prevent the birth of his and MJ’s future daughter Mayday Parker, who could have played a role in defeating the devil for good.
Before Paige even names the target, Spider-Man realizes what this means. The issue ends with a group of the winged celestial enforcers hovering over the F.E.A.S.T. shelter. We see Aunt May getting people inside the shelter as she looks up at the cosmic auditors who want to erase the bargain that kept her alive.
By targeting the foundation of One More Day, Will Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto actually undo one of the most controversial story arcs in Spider-Man history? That remains to be seen, but so far these two have positioned this new era of Avengers to be an exciting era for the franchise.
