WARNING: The following contains minor spoilers for recent issues of The Mighty Thor and Avengers, as well as Avengers #3, on sale Wednesday, June 20.
The Avengers have a giant-sized problem on their hands, courtesy of the space gods known as the Dark Celestials. And if that weren't bad enough, the true puppetmaster behind the cosmic beings' arrival on Earth is none other than the God of Lies, Loki.
Thor's brother is playing an intricate game with gods and superheroes, and Earth is caught smack dab in the middle. With the Final Host of Dark Celestials as his pawns, Loki has Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Captain Marvel held captive, unable to go on the defensive.
RELATED: The Avengers Will Get a New Headquarters in Late-2018
But with Avengers starring Earth's Mightiest Heroes, you know they aren't going to go down without a fight, even willing to sacrifice themselves in the process if it leads to victory. And if there is one hero who is willing to put their life on the line, it's the Sentinel of Liberty, Captain America. Unfortunately, his sacrifice transports Loki and himself to the new home of one of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Universe.
It's Getting Hot In Here
For those who haven't been keeping track, the God of Thunder's status quo has undergone quite a few massive changes over the last several months. The first glaring example of this is Thor no longer being worthy to lift his Asgardian hammer, Mjolnir, resulting in him forfeiting his name and hammer to Jane Foster. This long-running story arc finally concluded in The Mighty Thor after Jane sacrificed Mjolnir to stop the rampaging Mangog from destroying Asgardia, sending them both hurtling into the sun.
These actions left Jane de-powered and human once again, allowing Odinson to step back into the role of Thor with all-new hammers. A similar heroic act plays out in a preview of Avengers #3 (on sale June 20) when Captain America goes on the offensive against Loki. While resting in an energy bubble in the literal palm of a Celestial's hand, Cap slings his Vibranium shield at a set of warp grenades hovering in front of the trickster. Once the objects collide, Captain America and Loki vanish.
RELATED: Marvel Unveils First Look at Prehistoric Ghost Rider's Origin Story
On the one hand, the warp grenade explosion doesn't instantly kill Cap and Loki. However, as Captain Marvel reminds us, the pair were just teleported directly into the sun, which is where Mjolnir is currently calling home.
Of course, we can expect there to be another twist that will reveal exactly how Captain America and Loki survive their trip to the burning star, but wouldn't it be great if Steve Rogers came across Mjolnir and found himself worthy to lift it against Loki? If that were to happen, we think Thor would find himself a bit jealous of his teammate and friend, but if it led to Loki's defeat, he'd probably be OK with it.
KEEP READING: Hank Pym and the Wasp Leave the Avengers Together a Lot