Synopsis for 1st story
It is a day of darkness. The Avengers have left Earth to help the universe beat back the Builders, and Thanos has come to tear the Illuminati apart in search for something. One of his servants, the Ebony Maw, is tasked with defeating Dr Strange in New York, but another, Proxima Midnight, wants to destroy the city for the trouble its inhabitants have given her master in the past. Thanos agrees.
But the world doesn’t stop turning for a crisis, and at the New York docks, the Heroes for Hire are foiling a robbery of robot parts by the Plunderer and his gang. Plunderer almost gets away, but is stopped by Spider-Man. Spider-Man immediately denigrates the Heroes as mercenaries, causing one of them, White Tiger, to quit the team.
On the other side of town, a motormouth on rocket-skates is leading the NYPD on a merry chase while boasting that nothing is faster than him… until he is lapped by a blur of light. Monica Rambeau, former leader of the Avengers, explains the nature of her powers and blasts him backwards through a windshield, then flies away. The police catch up and arrest the criminal, noting that they like Rambeau’s new name: Spectrum.
Spectrum returns to a specialist shop in New York where a man named Luc sells designer superhero costumes. He mentions that someone is waiting for her in the next room. Monica recognizes the man, though apparently all he wants to do is talk and ask for help.
At a diner, Luke Cage and Power Man are discussing events. Power Man wants to attack Spider-Man, but Luke demurs. His primary concerns are supporting his family and trying to leave a world to his daughter. He quit the Avengers for them. Now he wonders what to do next. Power Man walks away, claiming he will start his own Avengers team.
Proxima Midnight and her troops jump out of Thanos’ ship, brave atmospheric entry and land in New York. She stands up in the crater, and commands her host: hunt and kill.
At Luc’s, Spectrum hears the explosions and goes to help out. Her mysterious guest says he can’t be seen in America, and needs her help for a mysterious mission, but she is adamant: he is in a costume shop, and if he wants her help, he’ll put on a damn costume and come help her.
At the impact point, Proxima Midnight is leading her people, when Luke Cage, Spider-Man, and Spectrum all show up at the same time. They are suddenly joined Spectrum’s mystery man, wearing a “Spider Hero” costume. The fightback starts here.
