Comic Book / Uncanny Avengers (2023)

Captain America: I have a little bit of experience fighting fascism. [...] And I think, given the terrible events of the past few weeks, the world could use an example of unity. Was hoping you both would enlist in my new Avengers team.
Psylocke: I don't think I can stand any lectures about my methods. They killed hundreds of thousands of mutants.
Captain America: Then avenge them.

Uncanny Avengers is a 2023 comic book limited series from Marvel Comics, written by Gerry Duggan with art by Javier Garro. It launched as part of the Fall of X in the bigger Krakoan Age.

When a false flag crusade by murderous new Captain Krakoa starts whipping up anti-mutant hysteria, Steve Rogers decides to reform the Avengers Unity Division in order to put an end to it. With returning members Rogue, Deadpool and Quicksilver, he welcomes newcomers Penance and Kwannon to the cause.

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Uncanny Avengers provides examples of:

• Amazon Chaser: Deadpool gets turned on by seeing Black Widow casually sniping practice targets while blindfolded.
• An Arm and a Leg: In the final clash, Psylocke cuts off one hand from each of the Fenris twins as they're holding hands. At the end of the series, they're both seen with robotic hands.
• And the Adventure Continues: Both in a broader sense relating to a decade of on-and-off Uncanny Avengers titles and in the context of the mini-series, the book ends on a bittersweet note as it concludes with the Unity Squad grousing about how for all their efforts, not only is their battle for peaceful integration amongst the diverse populations of the Marvel universe still ongoing, but many of their old enemies are either still at large or somehow managed to cheat death. Steve Rogers remains optimistic, however, and while they haven't triumphed, they haven't lost either. The fact that they've never surrendered means that their quest is worth pursuing.
• Ascended Fanon: Stevil, the fandom nickname for Hydra Captain America, is used mockingly by Deadpool and Psylocke after he is revealed to be the fake Captain Krakoa.
• Big Bad: Captain Krakoa who's actuall the Hydra Steve "Grant" Rogers from Secret Empire serves as the main antagonist. While at first the False Flag Operation is masterminded by Doctor Stasis and M.O.D.O.K., they quickly lose control of Captain Krakoa and he goes off-script from their plans when he goes too far and steals a nuke and is planning to use it against them.
• Big Damn Heroes: When Captain Krakoa puts Steve on the ropes, Black Widow ends up sniping him, making her the Sixth Ranger of the team.
• The Big Damn Kiss: In issue #4, while Monet is holding the crumbling ceiling of a shopping mall, Quicksilver gives her a French kiss.
• Bittersweet Ending: The team manages to stop Stevil / Grant Rogers and his nuke with no casualties, but he gets absolved of his crimes, still has notable support publicly and in his Secret Empire and deems himself the new Flag Smasher. At least Wade managed to undermine his big speech throwing a cup of soda at him.
• Both Sides Have a Point: In issue #2 after he almost dies at the hands of Captain Krakoa, the mutants (and Quicksilver) suggest Cap step down as leader, as his death at the MLF's hands would be an irredeemable blow to public opinion about mutants that would set everyone against them. Steve declines and Deadpool argues that mutants have failed at winning so far, so they should bet on Captain America if they want to win now.
• The Bus Came Back:
  • The Uncanny Avengers return to contemporary Marvel for the first time since late 2017.
  • In the FCBD prelude, former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Emily Preston and Eleanor 'Ellie' Camacho (Wade Wilson's daughter) return for the first time since the conclusion of Gerry Duggan's Deadpool run in 2018.
  • The Mutant Liberation Front, which had been defunct since the group arrived in Krakoa, is reactivated here.
• Butt-Monkey: Andreas von Strucker ends up becoming this due to Captain Krakoa stealing his sister's affections. Quicksilver also makes special note to deck him in the face during the Unity Squad's first fight with the MLF.
• Conspicuous Trenchcoat: When Monet asks Quicksilver to get some disguises for them, he returns with a stereotypical trenchcoat, sunglasses and hat combo, which they both don over the hero uniforms. This doesn't hinder the Fenris twins in finding them in any way,
• Crazy-Prepared: Orchis were prepared for most attempts to disarm the nuclear bomb; the device was fitted with a retinal scan that apparently matched Steve Rogers, but if he had used it the bomb would have gone off and vaporised him.
• Cyanide Pill: When Kwannon tries to question one of Orchis Mooks, he uses a cyanide pill hidden on his teeth to kill himself.
• Distracted by the Sexy: It's a Running Gag for Peitro to get distracted by Monet's sexiness, and he's often seen staring at her butt or muscles with comically exaggerated expressions or being uncomfortable having to touch her to bring her to place with his Super-Speed She naturally notices and teases him about it by warning him to "watch his hands".
• Do Not Call Me "Paul": The HYDRA-trained Steve Rogers refuses to be called "Steve" anymore because Captain America "ruined the name" for him, and he insists on being addressed by his middle name Grant.
• Dressed to Oppress: The Fenris/Strucker twins, children of Nazi/HYDRA commander Baron Strucker, despite being mutants, are allied with Orchis, who has run a successful anti-mutant campaign during Fall of X. As part of their ensemble, they wear black militaristic uniforms with a red coat, golden yellow boots and an armband with a symbol on it.
• Dramatic Irony: The new Mutant Liberation Front team all believe that Captain Krakoa is Cyclops under the mask, but we all know that is not the case.
• Dumb Muscle: Blob is the only member of the new Mutant Liberation Front who completely buys Captain Krakoa being Cyclops and that he's a Well-Intentioned Extremist. Rogue is especially frustrated by his inability to see through the whole thing being a False Flag Operation and doesn't like having to fight him.
• Eating the Eye Candy: Quicksilver gets distracted for a moment ogling Monet in issue #2 while telling Captain America why the mutants on the team think he should stand down as leader, which is enough time for Monet to finish his sentence.
• The Faceless: Since Captain Krakoa's identity is a secret, he keeps his helmet on for the first few issue, and even when he's shown showering, the panel cuts off his face from being in frame.
• Failure Hero: Deadpool manages to convince the mutants to keep Steve as The Leader by pointing out (in his inimitable fashion) that they are a walking bunch of examples of this trope and they really, really don't want that today.
• False Flag Operation: The New Captain Krakoa is killing people in an attempt to stir up anti-mutant hysteria. Indeed, the first issue reveals he's gathered a new Mutant Liberation Front to do such acts.
• Finishing Stomp: The defeated but still conscious Captain Krakoa finally got knocked out when Monet and Psylocke simultaneously stomped him.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Downplayed, since quite a few in the Unity Division are already friends (Rogue with Captain America and the rest of the old team) or friends with adjacent people (Psylocke is pals with Avenger, Captain Marvel), though there was initial doubts that Psylocke and Monet had with Steve, culminating in an attempt to change leaders. One big speech and a few small victories and everyone is close to the point of Quicksilver and Monet having an Office Romance.
• Finger Muzzle: Monet shushes Pietro with a finger on her lips when he starts questioning her Indy Ploy in Issue #3.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: The reveal of Captain Krakoa's identity is preluded by him pulling off a hit on the entire Unity Squad by throwing Captain America's shield.
• Floorboard Failure: Captain Krakoa stomps on Monet so hard with Steves shield that she goes through the floor.
• Foreshadowing: There are various hints that point to Captain Krakoa being HYDRA Steve Rogers:
  • Doctor Stasis brings up America going downhill when trying to sway him over to his side.
  • He refers to Blob as "soldier".
  • The Mutant Liberation Front's hideout being an abandoned US military base, specifically Camp Lehigh, where Captain America trained at during the war.
• The Gloves Are Off: When Cap recruits Penance and Psylocke into his team, he makes it clear that he's not holding back on putting the fascists in their place. Psylocke and Penance agree telepathically that if they do go soft, they bail.
• Good Is Not Nice: After Psylocke chopped off the Fenris Twins' hands, Quicksilver gives them first-aid and asks her if she could have dampened their pain as the twins lie in agony. Psylocke tells him she could before walking away. Deadpool also adds to Fenris's hurts, they’re not going to get their hands reattached because Wade took the hands and dumped them in a garbage can.
• Good Thing You Can Heal: Deadpool, the only member of the team with a Healing Factor, is the member who gets injured the most, getting his torso blown up by the Fenris Twins and getting cut in half by Captain Krakoa.
• Heroic Sacrifice: In the climax Rogue attempts to sacrifice herself by flying into space with the nuke that is about to detonate. But Quicksilver and Deadpool save her at the nick of time by having Deadpool touch her, thus sharing his Healing Factor with her, making them both survive the explosion even after being Stripped to the Bone.
• Homage: Just like Born Again concluded with the battered, bloodied, comatose Nuke deposited on Ben Urich's desk by Daredevil, after which the narrator quotes, "The next few weeks go poorly for the Kingpin of crime," Steve and the Mutants deposit Stevil in the same condition on Urich's desk, and Ben narrates, "The next few weeks will go poorly for Orchis..."
• Incest Subtext: Andreas is shown to be extremely upset whenever his sister and Captain Krakoa flirt or get together. When they have their Shower of Love, he's framed as an Emasculated Cuckold listening to them from outside the shower.
• Irony:
  • For people wondering what Stevil was talking about when he mentioned that just like the mutants and their resurrection protocol, he too is back from the dead. Orchis had brought on Selene to resurrect Stevil...the irony is that she was the one that killed him.
  • Nuke being brought to Ben Ulrich started massive difficulties for Wilson Fisk, who was responsible for unleashing Nuke. Stevil is brought to Ulrich the same way, while the Mutants need Fisk for aid and is the witness that they're victims of a False Flag Operation on the Hellfire Gala massacre.
• Karma Houdini: Orchis manages to pull the strings to get Grant Rogers acquitted of trying of to nuke New York. He does get some comeuppance of an ass-beating and broken arm from Steve and the public humiliation of a soda being dumped on his head during a speech by Deadpool but that's hardly enough.
• Kick the Dog: Grant Rogers caps off his longstanding, manipulative enmity with Deadpool by revealing that he always considered him a coward for not making an honest attempt at courting Rogue for fear of definitive rejection.
• Laser-Guided Karma: In the first issue, Captain Krakoa breaks Captain America's arm while grappling with his shield. The final issue has Steve return the favour as he wrests the shield from Stevil's arm.
• Legacy Character: Whoever this new Captain Krakoa is, it isn't Scott Summers, the first one to use the moniker.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Captain America wasn't made aware of who the witness to the "Mutant Massacre" on Krakoa is until he shows up in Ben Urich's office for an interview (Rogue was also unaware as she wasn't on Krakoa when it happened). Both he and Ben are less than pleased to discover that it's Wilson Fisk.
• Loud Sleeper Gag: Blob snores very loudly, which prevents Wildfire from catching any sleep when the MLF hides in a military bunker.
• Meaningful Rename: Hydra Cap insists on being referred to by his middle name Grant, not wanting to be associated with the real Steve.
• My Greatest Second Chance: Deadpool is part of the team to make up for following "Stevil" back during Secret Empire.
• Nondescript, Nasty, Nutritious: The MLF is frustrated at having nothing but military rations to eat when Captain Krakoa takes them to an abandoned military bunker to hide... except for Blob who eats several with nary a complaint.
• No-Sell: Wildside tries to take out Black Widow by using his powers to make her relieve her worst memories. But she has such Nerves of Steel that it doesn't work in the slightest, she reacts to that by laughing at his face and simply shooting him.
• Oh, Crap!: After seeing Captain Krakoa catch and expertly throw Cap's shield, Deadpool has a moment of realization that makes him go dead serious for a moment.
  Deadpool: Oh no. Dammit. Please tell me this isn't him.
• People Jars: The first issue begins with Doctor Stasis and M.O.D.O.K. awakening "Captain Krakoa" actually HYDRA Steve Rogers from his stasis pod.
• Punch Catch: Captain America quickly realizes that whoever is wearing the Captain Krakoa suit must be innately much stronger than if a regular human was wearing it. When Steve swings at Captain Krakoa with his shield, the imposter just catches it while stating how predictable Steve is. Then the imposter twists the shield, breaking Steve's arm.
• Pragmatic Villainy: Stasis is concerned when Captain Krakoa steals a nuke, not for moral reasons but because if an American city gets nuked, Orchis might take a PR hit for failing to stop it.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Quicksilver jokes that it's about time to get the Fenris Twins "de-armed" just before Kwannon sneaks up behind them to cuts off their arms.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: In issue #2, Rogue tries to usurp control of the team and, after Steve leaves to meet with more contacts, Deadpool mocks the mutants, pointing out that anytime they try to run things, they lose. If they’re gonna win, then they need to bet on Captain America.
• The Reveal: The end of issue #4 reveals that Captain Krakoa is the Hydra-trained Steve Rogers.
• Relocating the Explosion: With no way to disarm the nuke from going off, Rogue decides to sacrifice herself by grabbing it and flying to the middle of an empty desert. Luckily, she survives thanks to a well-timed move by Deadpool and Quicksilver.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Kwannon and Monet start the series going on a vengeful rampage against Orchis due to the fall of Krakoa. Steve tracks them down and offers them to make a new Avengers team so they can use their anger to do something more productive.
• Rousing Speech: Captain America publicly holds a conference at the X-Men's destroyed treehouse to give a powerful speech in favor of the mutants' innocence in the Hellfire Gala's "Mutant Massacre". Not only does it sway many humans but it also wins over the skeptical Monet and Psylocke (Kwannon goes even as far as declaring she loves Steve and wishes he could lead an X-Men team one day).
• Sexy Silhouette: When Andrea and Captain Krakoa have their steamy Shower of Love, the reader only sees their silhouettes embracing behind the thick Censor Steam.
• Ship Tease: Pietro keeps being distracted by Monet, which she notices and starts teasing and flirting with him, often coyly warning him to "watch his hands" whenever he carries her somewhere with his Super-Speed. The series even ends with her giving him a Flirtatious Smack on the Ass.
• Shower of Love: Issue #2 has Captain Krakoa joining Andrea in the shower to have sex with her, making her the first one on the team to find out his Secret Identity. The scene is only shown from the waist up with her breasts being covered by strategic arm placement and a single Toplessness from the Back angle.
• Signature Scent: Monet manages to track down the Fenris Twins because she recognizes the expensive and fancy perfume they use, as all three are part of The Beautiful Elite.
• Skewed Priorities: When Captain American is giving a pro-mutant speech to a crowd, someone throws a coffee cup at him, and Deadpool gets upset at the crowd... for wasting food.
• Spiteful Spit: When Monet tries to question Wildside on the location of the stolen nukes, all he does it spit on her face. This doesn't faze her but makes Kwannon angry enough that she just stabs him in the head with her psy-blade.
• Spotting the Thread: Monet manages to find the Fenris twins as she identified the scent of a rare perfume in their last confrontation, allowing her and Quicksilver to find the twins by checking the one store that sells that particular brand.
• Stab the Scorpion: Psylocke runs into Captain America during her and Monet's liberation of an Orchis camp. She assumes he's with Orchis and readies for a fight when Steve throws his shield, only for it to instead fly over her shoulder and nail several Orchis guards, showing he's also there to free the mutants.
• Stripped to the Bone: Both Rogue and Deadpool get stripped down to bones when the nuke explodes while they're in the blast radius, with Rogue only managing to survive thanks to Deadpool grabbing her hand and giving her his Healing Factor.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Using the framework of one of Bucky's spare Winter Soldier limbs both gives Steve full use of his broken arm and makes him resemble former Unity Squad member and Deadpool frenemy Cable, who is off on much less laudable exploits in Children of the Vault.
• Token Good Teammate: On the MLF / Brotherhood, the new Captain Krakoa commits a False Flag Operation to make mutants look bad and sway the public on Orchis’ side, Fenris are literal Nazis, and Wildside just wants to kill. Blob however thinks he’s working with Cyclops and is acting on the trauma of his nation being destroyed and his people being murdered. There’s also a very telling look on his face in the reflection of Captain Krakoa’s helmet, showing that he doesn’t really want to be there.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Psylocke and Penance aren't keen on Captain America, who they see as someone who'd protect humans even if they would attack mutantkind, but Cap makes it clear he's on their side and he's not letting fascism rise in his country again.
• Torso with a View: During their first fight, the Fenris Twins blow a hole through Deadpool's torso, which gives the viewer a view of Rogue and Blob fighting in the background.
• Toplessness from the Back: When Captain Krakoa first approaches the showering Andrea, she has her naked back turned to him (and the viewer).
• Tracking Device: Quicksilver let's the Fenris Twins get away after he and Monet ambush them, because he planted a tracking device on them and they'll lead them right to Captain Krakoa.
• Unholy Matrimony: Andrea and Captain Krakoa become a evil couple, and can be seen together even at the end of the issue, much to the dismay of her brother.
• Unwitting Pawn: Blob thinks Captain Krakoa is Cyclops and that they’re against the people who destroyed Krakoa. In actuality, the new Captain Krakoa is an Orchis ally using him and Wildside in a False Flag Operation to make mutants look bad.
• Villain in a White Suit: At the end the exposed Grant Rogers gives his speech to an anti-mutant crowd while dressed in a completely white suit.
• What You Are in the Dark: Steve Rogers uses this to prove to the general public that mutants aren't a threat when he deliberately triggers a distress signal to the Unity Squad and they all come running, proving both that Captain America trusts them and that mutants can be trusted.

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