WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Strikeforce #1, on sale Wednesday, Sept. 25.
There is a new super team patrolling the Marvel Universe. But unlike the high-profile teams such as the Avengers and Fantastic Four, this one is of the covert ops variety.
Announced back in June, Strikeforce consists of Angela, Blade, Winter Soldier, Spectrum, Hellstrom, Wiccan and Spider-Woman, assembled in the fallout of War of the Realms. Though it's been three months since War of the Realms #6 was published, it doesn't mean the evils brought to Midgard disappeared once the heroes succeeded in driving back Malekith's dark forces.
Described as “Marvel’s newest, most ruthless team,” Strikeforce looks ready to take on any threat that comes their way. But what happens if doing the dirty jobs puts them in direct conflict with the Avengers? A preview of this week's Strikeforce #1 looks to pose that very same question.
Instead of focusing on Strikeforce, the first issue preview gives the majority of page time to the Avengers, as they are called in to investigate a military research compound under lockdown. The location is used to store some of the most lethal diseases in the world, and several vials have mysteriously gone missing. As the Avengers move deeper into the compound, they find a hallway covered in blood and soldiers exposed to an unknown pathogen. And if that isn't bad enough, something sets She-Hulk off, sending her charging towards a refrigerator full of samples. To everyone's surprise, she throws the fridge through a wall, with Strikeforce standing in the exposed hole.
The two super teams stand opposed to one another, which is only made worse when you consider the relationships shared between characters. Captain Marvel is very close to Spectrum and Spider-Woman, so she is surprised to find them involved in this incident. Also, Blade is currently the newest member of the Avengers. Black Panther wastes no time in declaring Strikeforce the prime suspects in the investigation. It also doesn't help Strikeforce's case that an open container full of vials is laying on the ground.
We can't help but notice Blade and Hellstrom are missing from the preview. Are the supernatural characters off on a side mission, with their teammates tasked with creating a diversion? It's hard to say at this point, but all possibilities remain in play. Strikeforce is obviously after the disease-carrying vials for a reason, either because they pose some kind of threat, or an evil force is after it.
For now, we're left to wait and see what happens when Marvel's public team (Avengers) collides with its secret heavy-hitting team (Strikeforce).