Jonathan Sibal

Written by Rob Liefeld and Robert Napton. Art by John Stinsman. Cover by Rob Liefeld. Blue variant cover.

"First Blood" Part 1 of 2. Earth's Mightiest Heroes return to New York with the god of thunder as their newest member! However the team doesn't get much time to rest once a large spaceship appears over Manhattan! The Avengers rush to investigate and discover Kang! Oh no, why has the Conqueror come to the 20th century? The master of time's motive remains unclear, but his fury does not! It's another awesome test for the fledgling avengers vs. the powerful Kang! Cameo appearances by the Fantastic Four, Mantis, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, Agatha Harkness, Loki, Ultron-2, and the Enchantress. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Hellcat, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Thor, and the Vision. (Notes: The first 12 issues of the Avengers' second volume were reprinted in 2006 in the trade paperback: Heroes Reborn Avengers.

"In Love & War" Part 2 of 2. After going down to defeat last issue, the struggling avengers are captives of Kang! And victory appears imminent for the timeless Conqueror! But the 31st century time traveler has underestimated the power of mjolnir! And Thor and his teammates get a second chance to take down the Conqueror! Can the Avengers catapult Kang back to his own time? Cameo appearances by Mantis, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, Agatha Harkness, Loki, Ultron-3, and the Enchantress. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Hellcat, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Thor, and the Vision. (Note: This issue includes a one-page pin-up of Thor by Andy Park.)

"Let No Man Tear Asunder!" Part 2 of 2. Guest-starring the Hulk. Wow! The Mighty Thor and the Incredible Hulk battle from cover-to-cover on Avengers Island! And neither the Prince of Asgard nor the Green Goliath is holding anything back! But while the powerhouses trade blows, the gamma core reactor on the island melts down! It won't matter who wins the fight, if the Eastern United States becomes a nuclear wasteland! Cameo appearances by Captain America and the Vision. (Note: Elements of the story continue in Fantastic Four (1996 2nd series) #6.)

"Let No Man Tear Asunder!" Part 2 of 2. Guest-starring the Hulk. Wow! The Mighty Thor and the Incredible Hulk battle from cover-to-cover on Avengers Island! And neither the Prince of Asgard nor the Green Goliath is holding anything back! But while the powerhouses trade blows, the gamma core reactor on the island melts down! It won't matter who wins the fight, if the Eastern United States becomes a nuclear wasteland! Cameo appearances by Captain America and the Vision. (Note: Elements of the story continue in Fantastic Four (1996 2nd series) #6.)

Industrial Revolution Part 1 of 2. "A Hard Day's Night!" Guest-starring the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and the Hulk. Plot continues from Fantastic Four (1996 2nd series) #6. With Avengers Island on the brink of nuclear disaster, Bruce Banner journeys to the Baxter Building to seek assistance from Reed Richards! And without hesitation Mr. Fantastic agrees to help shut down the damaged gamma core! So the FF and Bruce rush back to the island! However Iron Man is already on-site and planning to take care of the reactor himself! While the FF, Shell-Head, and the Avengers discuss what to do next; Bruce loses control and transforms once again into the Hulk! Oh no, the heroes have just gone from the frying pan into the fire! Story concludes in Iron Man (1996 2nd series) #6. Cameo appearances by the Heroes Reborn versions of Loki and Nick Fury. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Hellcat, Swordsman, and Thor. (Note: This issue features a 3-page preview of the upcoming events in the Spider-titles.)

"Help!" Plot continues from Captain America (1996 2nd series) #6. After the destruction of Avengers Island, Tony Stark offers his family's mansion to the Avengers! Earth's Mightiest Heroes gladly accept and begin setting up their operations inside! About an hour later, Thor and Iron Man hear a loud knock on the front door and welcome their first visitors! The Lethal Legion! Whoa, cancel the housewarming party! The Enchantress, Executioner, Wonder Man, and Ultron-5 are here to tear the mansion apart! Cameo appearances by Loki, Agatha Harkness, and Hank Pym (as Ant-Man). Flashback cameo by the Grim Reaper. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Hellcat, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Thor, and the Vision. (Note: This issue features a 3-page preview of Incredible Hulk 454. This story completes Rob Liefeld's stint on the second volume of the Avengers.)

Collects Avengers (1996-1997 2nd Series) #1-12, Fantastic Four (1996 2nd Series) #12, Iron Man (1996 2nd Series) #6 and 12, Captain America (1996 2nd Series) #12 and material from Fantastic Four (1996 2nd Series) #6 and Captain America (1996 2nd Series) #6. In 1996, the hottest creators of the day teamed up to reimagine and reinvigorate Marvel's greatest heroes. The Avengers and Fantastic Four were reborn with bold new looks on a brave new world, their origins re-envisioned with a raw vitality and contemporary sensibility. Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Hawkeye, Hellcat and more: the Avengers' lineup is both new and classic - but will Thor assemble alongside them? They'll need him against revised versions of Kang, Ultron, the Enchantress, the Masters of Evil and others - but as Ant-Man and Iron Man enter the fray, what is Loki up to in the shadows? Plus: The Avengers and Fantastic Four take on the Hulk - and Galactus!