AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES S1x024

"THIS HOSTAGE EARTH"
Written by Michael Ryan | Directed by Sebastian Montes

The Plot: An anothe realm, Karnilla, queen of the Norns, is transformed to stone by the Grey Gargoyle at the Enchantress's order. Meanwhile, Baron Zemo has formed a larger Masters of Evil team. Enchantress and Executioner return to Earth and provide Zemo with a Norn Stone taken from Karnilla. Meanwhile, Iron Man reveals schematics for a device he beleives can create a wormhole between Earth and Asgard. Captain America reveals that he's seen such a device before, during World War II. Elsewhere, Hank Pym packs his belongings and leaves the mansion, despite the Wasp's pleas that he stay.

Iron Man assembles the Avengers to discuss the wormhole device, which Cap explains was used by the Red Skull during the war. As they talk, Iron Man reveals that he has found ley lines around Earth, which seem to link it with the nine realms of Asgard. Detecting energy surges on the various ley lines, the Avengers split up to investigate -- one Avenger for each of the seven lines. In the arctic, Wasp finds a Norn Stone, but it is guarded by the Abomiation. Meanwhile, Iron Man finds a Norn Stone as well in the jungle, but is attacked by the Living Laser. At a castle somewhere, Captain America encounters the Crimson Dynamo near his Norn Stone. And in another jungle, Hawkeye finds himself up against Chemistro, while in a graveyard, Black Panther finds Wonder Man -- also both guarding Norn Stones. Finally, the Hulk engages Executioner over a Stone in a wooded area, while Thor the Red Skull's old castle to find the Enchantress and Zemo.

The Avengers proceed with their battles, while Enchantress activates the Norn Stones, mystically linking the Nine Realms. Wasp finds herself about to be killed by Abomination when Giant-Man shows up to save her, defeating the monster. But thanks to the Norn Stones, frost gaints show up a moment later. Around the world, at the other Norn Stones' locations, additional Asgardian creatures and beings appear, challenging Avengers and Masters of Evil alike. At the Red Skull's castle, Zemo uses a mind control device to take over the Enchantress's mind, ordering to place the armies of Asgard under his control. He then prepares to finish Thor, but the Thunder God reclaims his hammer and knocks out both Zemo and the Enchantress.

At Thor's oder, the Avengers simultaneously destroy the Norn Stones at every location, but are all transported away from Earth in the process. Thor appears in Asgard to find Loki seated on Odin's throne.

Continuity Notes: "This Hostage Earth" was the title of AVENGERS #12 in the sixties, but that story had absolutely nothing to do wit this one.

After Grey Gargoyle takes care of Karnilla, it is implied that the Enchantress has the Executioner kill him. Much later, Iron Man absorbs the Living Laser and then projects him into deep space.

When Captain America describes the Red Skull's wormhole device, his story is accompanied by flashbacks to "Meet Captain America".

Hawkeye mockingly "mistakes" Chemistro for Fantastic Four villain Paste Pot Pete, and then as Spider-Man's foe, the Hypno-Hustler. A moment later, Thor refers to Karnilla as Asgard's greatest sorceress, to the Enchantress's chagrin.

Do I Know That Voice? This episode probably has the largest cast of any so far -- thirteen credited actors voicing seventeen total characters -- but there's nobody we haven't seen before.

My Thoughts: I find that when talking about three-part stories, whether in comics or TV shows, I generally have the least to say about the second part, the most to say about the third part, and the first part lays somewhere in between. There's no way to know yet whether that will hold true for this epic, but I can at least say that "This Hostage Earth" is a fantastic opening to the season finale.

The series was building pretty heavily toward something involving Asgard from the beginning; Lokl was defeated by Thor and imprisoned by Thor in episode 3 ("Thor the Mighty!"), and was barely seen afterward. But we knew from that episode that he was giving orders to the Enchantress, and through her, he had Zemo form the Masters of Evil in several of the early episodes and then attack our heroes in episode 14, "Masters of Evil" -- the final scene of which featured Enchantress reporting back to Loki that "the pieces [were] in place." We did have one more check-inwith Enchantress and Executioner in episode 20, "The Casket of Ancient Winters" (which featured the pair taking the titular Casker in the final scene).

So the build-up was there, but it was very gradual, especially in the second half of the season. We've known for some time that Loki is up to something and the Enchantress is acting as his agent, and now we suddenly find him sitting in the ruling seat of Asgard. I love when long-running plots reach a climax, and we've finally reached that point. Hopefully the next episode will explain how all of this stuff ties together (and reveal how Loki escaped the Isle of Silence), before we move into an action-packed episode 26!