The Marvel Fear Itself Spoiler Page

Back in May of 2011, something from the Marvel Universe, dark and sinister, rose from the Pacific Ocean, guided by a long-forgotten prophecy. Unknown, even to those of immortal lineage, this being was the true All-Father of Asgard, the elder brother of Odin known as The Serpent. His principle powers of governing and rulership were fear.

Left: The Serpent, in his enruned prison below the Pacific Ocean.

Beginning the chronicle of a time of destruction and torment upon earth and the realm of Asgard, this was the event known as Fear Itself, which culminated in over 120 titles. It finally ended in October of 2011, leaving a tide of changes, broken hopes and Shattered Heroes.

If you've managed - somehow - to miss out, don't panic. All you'll really need is the Fear Itself Reading Order. Seriously. That's it. But if you're impatient and can't help learning the inside information, this will also help. That's why you're here, right? This is the Fear Itself Spoiler Page I've arranged; it's got all the skinny and summaries just in case you're lost.

If you really want to know what happened. this is the spot. A synopsis of the entire event, month by month, is written below.

Also included:

• Fear Itself: Titles and Tie-Ins - All the explicit titles involved, alphabetically, with summaries.
• The Prophecy - A brief intro and understanding of the destiny it said would unfold.
• Tracking The Worthy - A summary of those troublemakers.

PROLOGUE

Prologue (March):, With the release of the prologue, we see that Baron Zemo and the Red Skull's Daughter (Sin) have traveled into the desert where they enter one of his long-lost bases (or hideouts). Within this base they find "The Book of the Skull", an atlantean, flesh-bound spell grimoire. At the end, Sin betrays Zemo and strands him in the desert, running off with the artifact.

CHAPTER 1: Release the All-Father

April: Sin now finds the Asgardian Weapon, hidden in the Fortress her father built around it, and is deemed "worthy" to wield it. She then becomes "Skadi", an Asgardian figure much like Thor, with a similar weapon. She then heads to a deep sigiled prison within the sea, and frees the "All Father", beginning an Ancient prophecy. Odin senses this and commands the Asgardians to leave Earth; Thor refuses and fights Odin over his characterization of earthlings among other things. Odin beats him down and they leave. In the end, this mysterious "All Father" calls upon "The Worthy" and Asgardians Weapons land all across the Earth.

CHAPTER 2: Rise of The Worthy

May: The worthy are summoned. So far, we know that Juggernaut, The Hulk, Titania, and Attuma have each acquired a hammer. "The Serpent" tells them to kill everyone on earth and prepare for the "Asgardian War Machine". Meanwhile, fear is running rampant across the world, with mobs tearing each other apart. We're left with Skadi leading an attack (with old Nazi tech) against the White House in Washington D.C.

CHAPTER 3: Blitzkrieg USA

June: As Skadi hits the capital of the United States, all around the world, superheroes are vying their powers against The Serpent's "Worthy". The Thing appears in New York, Hulk in Brazil, Crusher Creel and Titania at the Eighth City near China, Attuma near New Atlantis and so on.

CHAPTER 4: Rise of The Serpent

July: Having gathered upon the fears of mankind and the chaos of his heralds, The All-Father known as The Serpent is revitalized, summoning forth his palace. His powers are now on equal to great Odin's. The world is near the brink of destruction, but suddenly, the original Avengers have reassembled; Thor appears. Steve Rogers re-dons the raiment of Captain America, and Iron Man joins them in planning a counterattack. As the World's Mightiest Heroes enact their strategy, The Serpent is ready. Across the world he sends his Worthy to partake in the most devastating battles for the fate of mankind!

CHAPTER 5: Brawl

August: And I mean it's a knock-down slam-fest. Thor takes on Nul and Angrir; he's holding nothing back, nearly killing Angrir, but fortunately Franklin uses his powers to keep his alter ego, The Thing, alive. Battered and bruised, Thor realizes he can't beat Nul, alter ego of The Hulk. Using all his strength, he slams into Nul and sends him reeling into outer space. Where he lands, nobody (but Dracula, lol) knows. Captain America -- The real Steve Rogers version -- is facing Skadi to a standstill. But it doesn't matter, The Serpent has found them. He lands and captures Cap's shield, shattering it! At the end, Rogers falls into one aspect of fear that ruins everything; he begins to lose hope, expecting to lose the battle. Lastly, we also see in this chapter that Stark is now accepted in Odin's Workshop.

CHAPTER 6: Blood-Tied & Doomed

September The battle between Thor and two Worthy conclude. Nul has been sent into the atmosphere landing in Transylvania and Angrir was killed. The FF managed to resuscitate Ben Grimm, but Thor has suffered mortal wounds. Sent to Odin, he's revived and given the Odinsword and his All-Father's armor. Meanwhile, Stark and Odin are finishing the Uru weapons which will be handed off to specially-picked Avengers. All this happens while Captain America stands below, fending off attacks, watching The Serpent and his remaining Worthy descend closer for the final battle!

CHAPTER 7: Thor's Day

October The final battle for the fate of earth begins, but Odin has some weapons of his own. Blessing Stark-created items in the cauldrons of dwarven fire, these relics of Uru are giving to fellow Avengers who then take on The Serpent and The Worthy at the site of Fallen Asgard. As the battle reaches its height, Thor slays The Serpent, but is killed in the process. Without his power, the weapons of The Worthy flee their owners to unknown parts. The rise of The Serpent now over, those remaining alive pick up the pieces and give memorials to their fallen.

Alpha Flight #000.1 (While this issue isn't directly related to the Fear Itself event, it's an excellent primer. As super-villains Citadel and the Purple Woman try to thwart Canada's election, Alpha Flight goes into action, defeating them. In a majority vote, Gary Cody wins the seat of Prime Minister.)

Alpha Flight #1 (Tied into Fear Itself, Attuma, now Nerkkod attacks Canada on it's Pacific Coast. But not so fast; Alpha Flight arrives to challenge him. As the battle mounts, Guardian manages to instantly travel both he and The Worthy over to the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. At the end of the issue, we see "Box" Units forming, with orders against the team in their headquarters; Northstar's boyfriend is possibly killed as one invades their apartment. Do these robots want to kill or capture Alpha Flight? On the final page, Guardian is attacked from behind; surprise! it turns out to be Vindicator!)

Alpha Flight #2 (Faced against Box Units and betrayed by Heather Hudson [aka Vindicator] and PM Gary Cody, Alpha Flight is incapacitated, capatured and branded enemies of Canada, the country they pledged to protect. It turns out Cody's party is arresting everyone against them. Mac is stunned, but as he's about to be incapacitated, Puck and Northstar rescue him. In a fight they manage to escape; in the last scene, Aurora is being prepared for UNITY.)

Alpha Flight #3 (The Alpha Flight team, now reunited with Puck, manages to break free of Department H, but now without repercussions. Walter is unable to transform into the mighty Sasquatch, Aurora is having split-personality issues, and the entire team (minus Heather) are being called traitors to the nation. Mac comes up with one plan: head south and find The Wolverine; with his help they might be able to stage a comeback. Department H isn't waiting, though; Purple Woman and Citadel have already been deputized and Ranark the Ravager has been awakened, making way for the new Beta Flight.)

Alpha Flight #4 (Utilizing a spell by Shaman, the Alpha Flight team makes its way to the U.S. border on their quest to find Wolverine. During this time, Mac decides his country has betrayed him and throws his maple leaf costume over the Niagara Falls. Northstar, meanwhile, learns that his boyfriend, Kyle, may be held at a special prison-work area in Saskatchewan. He quickly finds his teammates and gets them to teleport to the zone, where they find an alien spacecraft. After an intense battle, Mac re-dons his Canadian colors and they free most of the prisoners, but don't find Kyle. In Ottawa, Heather confronts her in-laws, the people who took her child, and kills them. Kyle actually turns out to be at the Unity HQ; he was dead, but miraculously, he's been rebuilt and recruited for a new team. Heather is now there and with her are these individuals being called Alpha Strike. Wendigo, Purple Girl, Citadel, etc. Their task will be to take out Alpha Flight.)

The Avengers #13 (Appearing in a flashback-style series of dialogues, members of the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Wasp, etc.)are being interviewed for a book, possibly an autobiography. This is where they begin referring to an event called "The American Blitzkrieg". Also through the issue, they flashback to the Red Hulk joining their group, having a feast with the Asgardians, and announcing they'll help rebuilt Asgard.)

The Avengers #14 (Still in interview mode, the story takes a serious turn by recounting the battle between the Red Hulk and Angrir The Worthy, who was originally the Thing before he grasped the Asgardian hammer. In this tale, the Red Hulk fights a valiant battle, but stands no chance as Angrir completely decimates him, which means he is probably dead.)

The Avengers #15 (Continuing in the interview format, the Avenger members go over their battle with Nul/The Hulk in Brazil. The main stories of this battle are Spider-Woman, Mrs. Marvel, Hawkeye, and The Protector. In the sequences, Spider-Woman goes all out, using everything she's got to keep Nul from taking out the population, including some innocent schoolkids. At the end, the only manage to stop the fight and protect them.

The Avengers #16 (Continuing in an interview documented format, the Avengers relate the tale about Steve Rogers and his "Avenging Angel" - Maria Hill, Sharon Carter, and Victoria Hand as they storm Sin's hideout in Sweden. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a setup. When all looks lost, though, Daisy Johnson quakes the castle and they survive.)

The Avengers #17 (As the Avenger Members who fought Nul in Brazil have returned, they radio Steve Rogers to tell him that Avengers Tower has been flattened. They are at a lost, unable to determine a course of action. Suddenly, they spot Sin, appearing nearby in the streets. Hawkeye immediately acts on impulse and flies an arrow into her neck, but it does nothing. Mrs. Marvel follows the attack and attempts to absorb Sin/Skadi's power; it disorients her but nothing serious until The Protector manages to overtake and control all of the Tony Stark Iron Man armors and lead a direct assault against her. Almost beaten, Sin finds a way out, escaping by teleporting to The Serpent.)

Avengers Academy #15 (Pym gets a call from Steve Rogers that he and his students are needed for battle. Seven meteors have flown across the skies, one has destroyed The Raft and released prisoners, and there is an assault on our capital. While he sends the majority of his trainees to Washington D.C., he goes to Dubai and faces the two Worthy, Crusher Creel and Titania.)

Avengers Academy #16 (Starts off with Pym in an all-out knock-down against Greithoth in Dubai. Skirn is also there facing Quicksilver and Justice. They are heavily out-gunned, but Pym gets the idea to create a doorway to an icy wasteland. It works, but not before the two complete a serious explosion, laying waste to most of the civilization. Meanwhile, back in D.C. the younger members are trying to evac the area while Skadi attacks. The story then focuses on Veil, saving a child and finder her mother under rubble. With inspiration, she frees her, but then the woman is shot down by a Nazi in front of the child.)

Avengers Academy #17 (After facing Greithoth and Skirn in Dubai, Pym, Justice, and Quicksilver were seriously hurt. Tigra goes to their location to lend support, leaving the students back in Pym's Pocket Dimension. Meanwhile, Greithoth and Skirn have been teleported to Alaska, which enrages them. They decide to hit Pym's students, one of his greatest fears. In the midst of all the discussions about killing, the students are surprised as their isolated home is invaded by these two members of The Worthy.)

Avengers Academy #18 (Continuing the battle against Skirn and Greithoth, the students are being wounded, captured or beaten back easily, until they decide to throw the gloves off and use their powers as if they were evil. This succeeds in rescuing Mettle and Veil. Back in the lab, Finesse throws up an illusion of Pym which tricks the two worthy into throwing their hammers at each other. In the last few pages, Greithoth finds the Pym reactor and starts to cause it to grow, thereby creating a process which will destroy the city it's anchored too. The students start weighing their options...)

Avengers Academy #19 (With two of The Worthy increasing the size of Infinite Avenger's Mansion to its normal size, there is only moments before it becomes as big as the city, crushing everyone. With luck, Finesses finds a way to save the citizens, but it will mean some of them have to die. She prepares to sacrifice her life to throw the destruction switch; Mettle and Hazmat also join her, intending to keep Skirn and Greithoth distracted during the process. Heartfelt goodbyes are made and then the fighting begins. As she prepares to throw the switch, a blur shows up: Quicksilver to the rescue. He pulls Finesse aside while Pym as Giant-Man grabs his other two students. Before the Mansion kills everyone in the city, it explodes overhead. And although the two Worthy are alive, they immediately feel the pull of their master, The Serpent, to the final battle.)

Avengers Academy #20 (This issue begins right at the moment of the final battle where Thor and The Serpent trade deathly blows and then goes into the aftermath. Veil has decided to leave the team, but Hazmat and others try to convince her to stay. Dialogues are traded, but what we learn is that she takes a high salary position with Jeremy Briggs, who most of the crew is convinced is a rich sociopathic killer. In giving her reasons, Veil manages to siphon off a few others to leave; Speedball decides that he needs to move on and Justice begins having second thoughts. Infinite Avengers Mansion is now destroy, but that doesn't stop the school; Hank and Tigra now decide to reopen at West Coast Avengers Mansion and allow any superhumans join.

vs. The Hate-Monger

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #521 (Having taken on Daredevil's mantle to protect Hell's Kitchen, T'Challa's story comes face to face with waves of public racism and fear, culminating with a new incarnation of the Hate-Monger. Somehow, the energy of this super-villain attached itself to Angrir's Hammer as it landed in Brooklyn and found a racist to imbued with its power. At the end of the story, our hero is challenged by a caricature of himself, called The American Panther. T'Challa eventually backs off, but is later arrested by Homeland Security. As he gets in the car, his friend, Lawyer Foggy Nelson is there, already detained.

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #522 (If you're a follower of T'Challa, this may be a turning point in his career in Hell's Kitchen. Having spent a night in jail, T'Challa makes a decision not to be a reactionary, but become proactive and take down the Hate-Monger. Using his honed mental ingenuity, he begins organizing and pulling resources from Sofija and the internet. We also get a quick, no-nonsense origin of the American Panther as a hardened cop. Having been possessed by the Hate-Monger, Josh Glenn now increases his influence and even has a "bootlicking" sequence, with Mr. Chambliss and The American Panther. In the end, T'Challa stages an attack at the Police Station, facing all the foes and is captured...according to his plan. The last few panels show the lights going out and The Black Panther saying "Time's Out".)

Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #523 (The lights go out and T'Challa goes into action, knocking out his captures in the precinct as he had planned. Then, he re-engages The American Panther; this time, it's no contest and the villain falls. But not before Hate Monger runs off; a half an hour later, he's back to inciting riots, only this time Black Panther has tracked him. Facing off, the crowd begins to grab and maul at our hero, but others remember the heroic things he's done and counter the mob. T'Challa pulls out a technological gadget and attaches it to Hate-Monger's head. Almost. The American Panther appears once more; the hero and villain go at it again, but Black Panther takes him out fully. Finally the device goes off and the spirit of the Hate-Monger is once again banished. The police round up all the criminals and T'Challa goes on one more mission: he purges the criminal record of Foggy Nelson. Two days later, during the amends of many characters, there is a scene of a stranger, someone who grabbed the American Panther outfit, donning it.)

Sent on a mission to France.

Note: Although this is a Fear Itself Tie-In, it could be read as a stand-alone story; as a matter of fact, it could be removed from the event's reading order without any interruption.

The only real indication to the placement of this issue is where Black Widow mentions that she's been sent by Rogers after "what happened in Washington" and that he might not think she's on her game. What I also noticed, after reading an interview from Matt Fraction, is that Nick Fury hugs and consoles her in Fear Itself #4, which she references in her One-Shot issue.

Fear Itself: Black Widow #1 (One-Shot) (Taking place after the battle at Washington D.C., Natasha Romanoff is called on to head to France and handle a terrorist threat. Teaming up with France's own superhero, The Peregrine, she flies under the cover of stealth and begins dealing out judgement as she gathers clues. As the evidence leads her to a ship -- and a plot to unleash France's nukes, Black Widow gets shots. But not so fast; it turns out she sent a Life Model Decoy, loaded with explosives. Problem solved.)

Fear Itself: Deadpool #1 (While entertaining some "guests" in their house, Deadpool is surprised as Juggernaut, now one of the Worthy, comes smashing through. He then learns that there's a worldwide calamity and hammers have fallen everywhere. Wanting his own, he finds a mallet after he explodes a truck and makeshifts it into a gaudy weapon. During the issue, he hunts down and capitalizes on The Walrus, an unlikely icon of a super-villain. As the issue concludes, we learn that the mallet Deadpool picked up actually has power, but we're not sure what.)

Fear Itself: Deadpool #2 (Having traveled to Cimarron, New Mexico, Deadpool tricks The Walrus into thinking he's one of The Worthy. At the same time, the two plumbers, actually werewolf hunters, continue to track him down. While the Walrus wrecks havoc on the town, Deadpool continually has to steer him in the right direction. In one sequences, he finds a bedroom adorned with Deadpool posters; he tells The Walrus to leave it alone. But then he finds a room of Cable action figures and toys; that room he tells Walrus to "have at it". In the end, werewolves are descending on the town while Deadpool and Walrus fight; that's because Deadpool convinced the Mayor to pay him for help. The hammer, however, is now empowered in the moonlight; Walrus knocks Deadpool down, which means this may be a harder job than he thought.)

Fear Itself: Deadpool #3 (Nearly beaten by the Walrus with a werewolf-slaying hammer he thought was useless, Deadpool retreats from the battlefield. Meanwhile, the werewolves planning to destroy Cimarron hold back from slaughtering the city when they see the weapon of their bane. Walrus continues his rampage and Deadpool is convinced by the plumber/werewolf hunters to return and save the city. This time, he feigns being beaten and tricks Walrus into going below ground where the hammer goes inert. Then he grabs some guns and starts shooting. The end; whoops, almost. By morning he heads to the mayor to get paid but realizes the werewolves never attacked the town and stole the gold they were going to use as his payment. Now, the end.)

Fear Itself: The Deep #1(Starting off, we realize Attuma, now Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans has beaten Namor; as his last act, he calls upon destructive energies to destroy New Atlantis. Namor and Loa flee to the surface world, arranging a meeting with Dr. Strange. After a talk, Strange generates a spell to call The Defenders to join with them. This accidentally summons Lyra. Once she arrives, the team is immediately plagued by a horde of "nameless ones". At the end, the Silver Surfer arrives, telling them they will need his aid.)

Fear Itself: The Deep #2(Namor, Dr. Strange, Lyra, Silver Surfer, and Loa fight endlessly in this issue. Their enemies are monsters from the deep, but Strange tells the team that they are inhabitated by the spirits of the Undying Ones, led by a creature known as the Nameless One. More fighting ensues, and one particular note of interest is how Namor seems reserved and uncertain throughout. At the end, Lyra ends up on the water and is suddenly pulled under by a two-headed version of Tigershark, which suggests he's been possessed by the Nameless One.)

Fear Itself: The Deep #3 (As Lyra sinks into the depths, her team comes to her aid; Dr. Strange commits a water-breathing spell and the battle begins anew, this time with the heroes also facing The Nameless One hosted in Tigershark's body. With too many forces to face, they become spread apart; Tyrak joins in, trying to assassinate Silver Surfer, posed as Loa, but fails. Elsewhere, Namor's team heads to Atlantis to take out the focus causing this demonic horde of attacks; that's when Strange and Loa come upon Aradnea, a living magical conduit of the energies. As Strange battles her, it's clear he's weakening, but the once sorcerer supreme gains the upper hand and takes her out. Now that Atlantis has been freed from their oppressors, Namor regroups and tells them that the hardest battle is to come...against Attuma, now in the guise of Nerkkod!)

Fear Itself: The Deep #4 (Having routed the Undying Ones by breaking their pact with the enemies in Atlantis, Namor, Dr. Strange and the rest of the allies head directly to Attuma as he plans his assault on the Eastern Seaboard. Once facing each other, heavy battle begins: Atlantean Armies versus their former king and his friends. But that's not enough; using a variation of the spell that originally summoned them, Dr. Strange now calls on all members of The Defenders, even those that served for a day, to help in the fight. Characters such as Gargoyle, Hellcat, Moon Knight, and Black Panther join in the fight, pushing the Atlanteans back. Finally Namor faces Nerkkod, facing his fear. The battle appears closely matched, but the Sub-Mariner starts to falter until his teammates join him; using her powers, Loa melts Nerkkod's hand and his hammer falls to the ground. Almost beaten, his hand reforms, he forms a water spout, and escapes them to heed the Serpent's Call.)

Fear Itself: FF #1 (One-Shot) (After becoming Angrir, The Thing rampages throughout the city. Reed Richards and Sue take him on, but are virtually ineffective. As Angrir throws them off, the next wave of attack comes from Dragon Man; Angrir fully rebuffs him, nearly killing the robot-creature. Finally, Alicia Masters appears and makes an appeal to Ben to fight the evil taking him over. It doesn't work, Angrir has control and nearly kills her, but Sue Richards saves her with a force field. At the end, Angrir walks off but warns them he'll kill them next time he sees them. Alicia comments that Ben is not insane, but afraid.)

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #1 (As our four heroes meet, Howard explains that the Man-Thing's power increases with the surrounding fear and it's connection to the Nexus of All Realities, and that they must stop or help it. At the end of the issue, they are confronted with the monstrosity, but due to its power, they are changed into twisted versions of their former selves.)

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #2 (As four twisted versions of their former selves, Howard the Duck and company are unable to subdue the Man-Thing. After he leaves, they convince Frankenstein's Monster to tell them why he is here in Manhattan. It turns out that he was captured by an evil force and given the mission to incapacitate Man-Thing for experiments. As the group gathers their wits, they find Man-Thing again and realize that evil villain is none other than Psycho-Man. A battle ensues until Psycho-Man summons an alternate-reality Fantastic Four consisting of Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Spider-Man and the Grey Hulk!)

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #3 (With the Grey Hulk, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine pulled from an alternate reality, Psycho-Man now has new tools to use for his emotive manipulations. He quickly has the new four attack our Fearsome Four, with the Man-Thing caught in between. Howard quickly discerns the truth about the situation and pulls out his secret weapon, called a "No-Thing"[or The Absolute Annihilator], but before he can use it, Psycho-Man recognizes it and pulls it from him. Psycho-Man is just about to unleash its power, but then She-Hulk jumps in and it falls back to Howard. That's when he uses it on his opponents and they all disappear. In the final pages, his team convinces him to use it on Man-Thing, but when he tries, nothing seems to happen. Still, though, the Man-Thing comes closer, burning.)

Fear Itself: Fearsome Four #4 (As the team, led by Howard The Duck, confronts the Man-Thing, they are currently stifled because the destructive weapon called the "no-thing"isn't working. Howard explores the possibilities, but then realizes why it won't work; the team still has fear residing in them. Surrounding the creature, they take their stand; that's when Man-Thing pulls them into the Nexus of All Realities and each has to face their own fearful weaknesses. Howard remains behind; that's because he knows his greatest fear is that he'll have to kill this monster, a friend of his. Surviving their fears, the team reassembles. Howard prepares to use the "no-thing"and then realizes that he doesn't need it anymore. Instead, he stands up to Man-Thing, completely removed of fear and defuels the beast. Man-Thing, now free of the strange waves of fear, leaves.)

Nul lands in Vampire Town.

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #1 (As the creature and member of The Worthy known as Nul, Breaker of Worlds, Hulk enters this part of his adventure being struck with a stellar blow. He lands in the Romanian area occupied by Lord Dracula and his vampires clans. Their first attempt is political; quickly Nul destroys them. Watching from inside his throne room, Dracula begins calling out his researchers and documenting everything Nul can do, hoping to find a weakness. From amidst the shadows, his enemy Raizo and The Forgiven appear. Their objective is simple; they offer to help Dracula since Nul will destroy them all. Dracula considers the offer but temporarily has them sent to the dungeons. His current plan in unleashing all the monsters he has at his disposal, directly in Nul's path.)

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #2 (The Lord of Vampires has to watch with futile disposition as Nul easily begins whittling down his monstrous counterattack. Finally, his son convinces him to release Raizo Kodo and his allies, The Forgiven. Now freed from Dracula's dungeon, Raizo broods in the strategy hall while sending out his team to keep Nul distracted. Battle after battle, nothing turns this member of The Worthy; The Forgiven are barely a challenge, merely keeping him occupied. Finally, near the end of the issue, Raizo stands up and walks out, saying there is nothing that can be done. Even though he's conceded defeat, we're left with the impression that he may still have a plan.)

Fear Itself: Hulk vs. Dracula #3 (As Hulk, altered into one of The Worthy, continues to destroy Dracula's domain, Raizo shows up near his group called The Forgiven to grab Inka; he tells her he needs a technique she's been practicing, to use against the green-skinned behemoth. The rest of the team are tasked with distracting Hulk until something more effective can be done. Dracula sets his final stand at St. Sebastian and prepares his armies for what may be their last fight. When Hulk arrives, he's met with a series of killing traps, but they are nothing to him. He's about to destroy Dracula when Betty is spotted; she convinces Hulk to give up his weapon. In the comic book, it appears he destroys his Asgardian Hammer, but later it is suggested that someone can grab it. Once Hulk gives up the weapon, he is no longer Null and turns back into Bruce Banner. That's when he finds out that Betty was a mesmerism trick thought up by Raizo and Inka. Before Dracula can kill him, he reverts to Hulk and leaps away.)

Fear Itself: The Monkey King #1 (Sun Wokong has returned, but not in his original form. In this one-shot issue, we learn that another crime boss who called himself The Monkey King is tricked into a quest that leads him to Wokong's burial cave. Entering the domain, he is trapped inside when grabbing the Staff of the Monkey King. Only darkness, and the spirit of the real Monkey King, meet him, giving him a chance: if he is good, he will go forth and merge with his spirit, if he is bad, he will go to hell. So, the new Monkey King ends up in the infernal eight city of demons for 20 or so years and finally escapes when the rift is torn open on Iron Man 2.0 #5. Able to walk the earth once more, this new legendary character has decided to do good and live a more just life.)

Fear Itself: Spider-Man #1(Across New York, fear strikes all. While Spidey aids one citizen - an Iranian who, because he has a car accident, is accused of being a terrorist, others are falling victim; there's not enough time! The central theme in this storyline is fear, gripping the city. At the end, rats begin appearing everywhere until finally, the Super-Villain, Vermin, arrives.)

Fear Itself: Spider-Man #2 (Spider-Man becomes paralyzed with fear as waves of rats overwhelm him; suddenly he regains his senses and confronts his nemesis, Vermin! In a quick exchange, he realizes the villain is reacting through a fear of his own. Unfortunately, Spidey is caught off-guard and bitten. In the last few scenes after escaping, the wall-crawler finds a church where people are retreating to for hope. A gunman arrives and Spidey knocks him out. As he sees a pregnant woman sprawled across church steps, we also note that The Thing has become Angrir, Breaker of Souls.)

Fear Itself: Spider-Man #3 (Swinging through the fear-swept streets of New York, Spidey attempts to rescue a pregnant woman, taking her to the hospital. Arriving, our wall-crawler is stunned to find the place overwhelmed with people needing emergency care. His hopes fade as the woman stops breathing; things take a turn for the worse as The Thing/Angrir appears, desiring to end Spider-Man's life. In an almost hopeless battle, Spider-Man is nearly killed, but with the help of Norah Winters, he manages to route Angrir's attention away from the innocents. At the end, we see a nearly comatose Spider-Man, reminding himself, and all of us...to never give up hope.)

Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #1 (Simultaneous with Fear Itself #2)(Steve Rogers approaches Ritchie Gilmore, Prodigy, and asks him to head up a new, non-registration group of superheroes designed to help the public. Main characters in this story are: Thor-girl, Ultragirl, Red Nine, Stunt-Master, Gravity, Firestar, Cloud 9 and Komodo. At the end, they witness the attack on D.C.; Thor-girl is considered a potential enemy because she is carrying a hammer.)

Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #2 (There's a clear break in the story line here, which starts sometime after the D.C. battle, simultaneous with Captain America's death. Prodigy holds a public meeting and announces Thor Girl will put herself into custody, imprisoned. Meanwhile, back in Illinois, Cloud 9 watches the broadcast, and all the subsequent riots, and has had enough. As newscasts are flying about, we see a background shot of Captain America's shield draped over body on a stretcher. In New Jersey, Gravity's team faces off against Crossbones and decides to quit the team. In Las Vegas, Komodo and Hardball prep for trouble: Juggernaut is headed their way. In the end, the government appears to be torturing Thor Girl in her cell, that is, until Cloud 9 comes to break her out!)

Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #3 (In Las Vegas, Hardball and his team take on Kuurth/Juggernaut. Nothing stops him. They attempt to use the Speedball technique of propelling him out of the State, but it does no good. The issue changes scenes to Philadelphia where Cloud 9 and Thor Girl get surprised by The Liberteens. After a brief scuffle, the girls escape without chase. Likewise, Prodigy attempts to coerce Gravity back into action, but no luck. Meanwhile, back in Vegas, Hardball gives everything he's got for a sacrifice maneuver. A massage explosion is witnessed from TV Broadcasts and then screens go blank with white noise. At the battle scene, Kuurth rises, heading west, while Hardball's bloody hand is viewed from underneath the rubble.)

Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt #4 (Gravity has had enough as you will soon see! Back at Iniative HQ, Prodigy starts breaking down; the calls for help are overwhelming him and you see the Initiative Coordinator pull himself into solitude [the toilet] as his resolve crumbles. Although it appeared Hardball bit the dust, he manages to climb from the rubble, only to learn his attempt to stop Kuurth killed innocent people. Komodo and other members call Hardball's decision in to question, creating a diffusion with the supeheroes present. As Hardball tries to refocus them, Gravity strikes. Hardball is sent reeling and the two go at it. While they fight, the resulting cascade of energies in the area over the last 24 hours cumulate in an earthquake in Las Vegas.)

Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #5 (The earthquake, now raising to almost irreconsilable levels, is destroying everything in Las Vegas. Prodigy, using some of his backup resources, manages to acquire a teleport to the area and brings many initiative heroes with him. He then sends Telemetry, with Firestar, Hardball and Gravity down to the faultline in the earth to fix the tremors. Meanwhile, close by Thor Girl and Cloud 9 are rescuing civilians; that's when the hotal they're inside crumbles, burying them all. As all these events take a turn for the worse, everyone starts crumbling under despair and fear. Prodigy begins to turn to alcohol; Cloud 9 starts to lose all hope; Thor Girl raises the specter of futility. Panic nearly takes everyone, but suddenly the moment of heroism shows its true face. Each hero finds their own resolve and the strength they need to survive. Below the earth, Gravity and Hardball work together and finally calm the earthquake. Above the surface, the heroes begin to recover, but then personalities explode. Thor Girl spots Prodigy and the two go at it; that's when she strikes him with full force.)

Fear Itself: Youth In Revolt #6 (Tarene, Thor Girl, has it out with Prodigy and he tries to mount a counter-attack, but something's not right. Tarene begins to evolve; somehow the destiny she sought for has caught up to her and she's realized her powers. Calling herself The Designate, she helps free Hardcase, Telemetry and the crew trapped underneath the rubble and then flies into deep space, saying the races are not worthy. The team, now mostly free of trouble, come together and work towards helping civilians for the rest of the Fear Itself story. The remaining pages deal with events days later; Gravity, Cloud 9, Prodigy and others share their thoughts on times to come.)

Fear Itself: Wolverine #1 (Called upon by Steve Rogers, Logan is the only Avenger not on assignment in the New York area as S.T.R.I.K.E., a British elite agency, has captured and commandeered the U.S.S. Prometheus, a heli-carrier engineered during Norman Osborn's Dark Reign. To settle her journalistic curiosity, he sends his girlfriend, Melita, to the Avengers Mansion to dig up info on the organization. Once the airship has arrived over the New York skies, Logan stows aboard, but gets teamed up and captured. At the same time, Melita uncovers information about a nuclear warhead on the vessel.)

Fear Itself: Wolverine #2 (As this issue begins, Wolverine is fighting his way through the heli-carrior over new York City, facing genetically enhanced warriors. In Avenger's Tower, Melita learns from M-13 that this destructive effort is leg by an ex black-ops named Sutton who worked for S.T.R.I.K.E. before he underwent gene enhancement. Wolverine continues fighting but is eventually knocked out. Melita takes to the streets and tries to quell the rampant fear. At the end, Wolverine is tied up to a warhead that's aimed directly at NYC.)

Fear Itself: Wolverine #3 (Now chained to a nuclear warhead, the members of STRIKE who captured him are starting to have their doubts. Bexley and Croydon are quickly killed by Sutton when they try to determine if they're still serving their original bosses. Sutton then goes down to the loading bay and attempts to reason with the remaining to members of his strikeforce. In the meantime, Melita is trying to send Logan a text message about Sutton's psychological condition. As soon as they realize Sutton has gone rogue, they attack. Wolverine is freed and he tells them to leave Sutton to him. The battle is quick and our favorite mutant "unhands" Sutton, but not before the warhead is dispatched. That doesn't bother Weapon X; he rides the bomb down, disabling it with his claws and saving the city.)

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #1 (Keeping an eye to events, X-Force becomes aware of a mutant hate-group known as The Purifiers, who exploded a bomb in an airport. They quickly trace one of their funders to Manhatten during an elitest party. The man attempts to make a suicide jump, but they capture him first. Interrogating him psychically, they manage to learn the Purifiers HQ in Baltimore at an abandoned military base, the leader named Jonathan Standish, who's planning to execute a superhuman. As the X-Force team invades the base, they take out most of the defense, but you see a remote where Standish is about to kill the prisoner. Then there is a gunshot.)

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #2 (With the mutant boy killed, Standish has also caused the suicide of at least 3000+ people; he's also stated that another event, bigger than before, is coming. X-Force waits in the E.V.A. over the globe for signs. Standish decides to unleash Purity Death-borgs, about 10, across the States. X-Force goes after as many as they can, but they don't have the numbers. Psylocke tells them to keep one alive and she can psionically track it to Standish. Mission Accomplished, but Standish has a huge bomb ready in the last few panels of the issue.)

Fear Itself: Uncanny X-Force #3 (Using Psylocke's powers, she invades the mind of a Purifier, convincing him he went to heaven after his bomb went off. In his "afterlife", he then spills the secrets and whereabouts of Jonathan Standish's bomb: New York. X-Force regroups and intercepts Standish's plane minutes away from detonating the explosive. While the rest of the group keeps Fighter Jets from taking it out and inadvertently setting it off, Archangel slices his way into the plane and manages to get it to set down in a crash landing where it doesn't explode. He faces Standish, but gets his by a bullet. As Standish prepares to press the detonation button and fulfill his religious fantasy, Deadpool cuts his hand off in a split moment and the day is saved.)

The Lady Rider who wanted to burn the world.

Ghost Rider #0.1(Prelude to the new Ghost Rider series. Johnny Blaze is tied to Zarathos, but then he's given the chance to break his pact by a stranger known as Adam. In one scene, he's in a bar watching D.C. explode. After some events, Johnny finally agrees and his curse is removed. But Adam, at the end, says the war on sin can now begin. This doesn't directly belong to the Fear Itself event, but is useful to start with this series.)

Ghost Rider #1(Freed from his curse, Johnny believes his life is taking a turn for the better. Meanwhile, we cut to Dayton Ohio where Skadi and her forces are now rampaging. Wait! There's a new, female Ghost Rider, and after she takes out Deathwatch and Blackout, she takes on The Worthy with full force. The battle almost seems even until The Rider touches Skadi's Hammer and transforms back to her alter ego. And in one of the last scenes, Johnny is confronted by Mephisto who's suggesting they need to fix some things.)

Ghost Rider #2 (Blaze, at a bar, ends up realizing he's in Hell when Mephisto shows up. It turns out that Mephisto needs Johnny's help because Adam and Alejandra, the new Ghost Rider, are destroying human sin, which is a necessity. Mephisto shows Blaze by whisking him to the Serpent's lair in Antarctica, where the All-Father is waiting for his rise to power. Blaze decides to take Mephisto's offer. Meanwhile, Alejandra is questioning Adam's intent or his ability to lead, not certain she's going to follow him exactly. Blaze shows up afterwards and tries to convince her to stop her tirade of vengeance, but she decides Blaze has got to go.)

Ghost Rider #3 (Johnny gains support from the "Seeker" who chose Alejandra as the new Ghost Rider before she can kill him; as Adam begins embuing her with power, she starts a devastating wave of force about to explode a hole in the middle of Nicaragua. Johnny and the Seeker ride off, but don't escape the blast; in its wake, all sin is burned from every living thing, but Blaze and Seeker remain unscathed. It turns out that the Seeker can reduce the effects of the Ghost Rider, so he protects them. Adam then turns Alejandra towards a rocket facility and prepares for the two to board it. In some way, it appears they are going to perform a sin-burning nuke over the western hemisphere.)

Ghost Rider #4 (In a desperate attempt to save the world, Johnny Blaze heads back to Mephisto and begs him for a "space" cycle that can get him to Adam and the new Rider. Mephisto eventually agrees, but pulls Johnny into a new contract. Blaze finally boards the space rocket and find Adam forcing the new Rider to burn sin from the world; that's when he learns that this is nothing but retribution from Adam for all the centuries he's been forced to exist as the creator of the first sin. This causes Alejandra to backlash at Adam and take everyone out. When Johnny wakes up, he's back on earth; he offers to help Alejandra, but she shoves him away and rides off.)

Herc #3 (Coinciding around Fear Itself #2, where The Raft has been hit.)(Mostly focuses on Hercules battling the Griffin, Basilisk, and Man-Bull. He also gets a new costume look. In the end, he's confronted by Hecate.)

Herc #4 (In the midst of his battle, Hercules confronts Hecate and Kyknos, son of Ares. He barely escapes the ordeal, flying off on a magically transformed Griffin whom is willing to aid him now. Mere moments later, he attempts to thwart a robbery, but it stabbed in the back by a little girl. He flees to recover; everyone is in fear; utter chaos. He awakes to see the effects of Hecate's magic; a spell that has transformed Brooklyn.)

Herc #5 (With Griffen as a steed, Herc flies into battle, but then they are damaged and Griffen is grounded. Matters look worse, but then Man-Bull and Basilisk return to help[they are unable to flee, apparently]. Hercules makes a please to Zeus, but only Mercury appears, saying that his father will grant him Godhood if he returns to Olympus. Herc refuses and continues his quest to Coney Island, where Ares is being resurrected. In the end, he makes a plan to be turned to stone and presented to Kyknos.)

Herc #6 (While Hercules is "stoned", Kyknos faces battle against Griffin, Man-Bull and Basilisk; he wants nothing but their blood. He then tells Helene to kill her father. She struggles internally, but Hercules breaks from his stone form to stop her slash. Basilisk, Griffin and Man-Bull decide to help against Kyknos, but it's not enough. The Son of Ares catches the Son of Zeus by the throat. But suddenly, Kyknos has lost his strength; Hecate's spell no longer feeds him; instead, the fear empowers Basilisk, Griffen and Man-Bull. They become ultra-powerful against him until Helene blasts him in the head. Hecate's spell fails and Herc claims Brooklyn as his town.)

Heroes For Hire #9(24 hours after hammers hit around the world, Misty's Heroes For Hire encounter Angrir on Yancy Street. Specifically, Paladin faces off against him, asking her for more support. Gargoyle shows up to help him out. On the Raft, The Shroud scouts the area, telling Misty of the destruction. As he faces some minor-league villains, it's becoming clear he also needs support. Elektra shows up. One other story that occurs in the issue is of Brady Briedel, a "chemist" who sells drugs. In Angrir's rampage, he gets buried under rubble and somehow changed into a creature of monstrous demeanor and proportions. In the last sequence, we see Elektra and The Shroud encountered The Purple Man. Bad News!)

Heroes For Hire #10(While Shroud and Elektra are fighting The Purple Man and his horde, Shroud decides summons darkness, an advantage he and Elektra can use. Over on what used to be Yancy Street, Paladin and Gargoyle are recovering from their battle against Angrir. But something monstrous lurks about; in the end we see Gargoyle turned to stone and Paladin lying in a broken heap. And back at The Shroud's battle, Purple Man controls Elektra and tells her to kill him.)

Heroes For Hire #11 (Misty shows up at The Raft to help her team. Gargoyle and Paladin, thankfully, are not dead, but they warn her there's a new monster out there, one that turns into the thing you fear most. When Misty encounters the creature, it turns into a little lost child; she sinks to the ground as it runs off. Back inside the Raft, Elektra is about to kill Shroud, swayed by Purple Man's pheromones. When he gets near her, he realizes his mistake: Elektra has been holding her breath for 5 minutes. She beats him down, but he escapes and flees The Raft by swimming The Hudson.)

Note: I verified that Heroes For Hire #12 is not involved in Fear Itself.

Hulk #37(As the hammers have fallen and the Avengers are taking the fight to D.C. Mockingbird and Hawkeye realize that Manhattan is exposed to enemy attack. Suddenly the Red Hulk appears, saying he was send by Rogers to confront any problems in the area. That's when they notice a building falling over; it's Angrir on his rampage. The Red Hulk fights Angrir until he's completely knocked out. During this entire issue, his battle is being observed by two different enemies: M.O.D.O.K, who helped create him, and a vehicle in stealth with an assassin named Black Fog, onboard.

Hulk #38(With M.O.D.O.K. and Zero/One trying to kill him, Red Hulk is in an equally dangerous predicament as Angrir has dropped Avenger's Tower on him. He's about dead. Zero/One sends Black Fog to kill Red Hulk but M.O.D.O.K. stops him. They fight and M.O.D.O.K. is almost killed. Zero/One intercepts them first and communes with him. They realize they share dual goals and both send their forces after the Nazi robots attacking. At the end, we see Red Hulk has been knocked quite a ways away [Vermont], but he's alive.)

Invincible Iron Man #503 (Although scheduled as a "Fear Itself" release, it's actually more of a prologue, with Tony Stark finishing his face-off against Doctor Octopus and later getting permission from the Asgardians to use his repulsor technology to rebuild Asgard on earth. At the end, though, we see comets streaking across the sky, which correlates to the end of Fear Itself #1.)

Invincible Iron Man #504 (Once the comets hit, Stark volunteers to head to Paris. There, he's overwhelmed by the number of statues in the streets and across the city. Searching for survivors, he comes upon a shattered remnant of the Grey Gargoyle, now evolved into one of the Worthy. After taking a sound beating, Stark wakes up, surrounded by huge amounts of rubble, the bodies of petrified victims.)

Invincible Iron Man #505 (Iron Man is in the battle of his life, and after having been laid out by the Worthy-Empowered Grey Gargoyle, he decides to flee the battle. But not before Detroit Steel enters the fray, hoping to turn the tides. Too late! Before Iron Man can do anything, his ally is also turned to stone. Using the distraction, Iron Man delivers The Worthy a killing blow, slicing half his head off. Detroit Steel crumbles to rubble and Iron Man flees back to America; something isn't right; the Grey Gargoyle isn't dying.)

Invincible Iron Man #506 (As Stark, now drunk, petitions Odin at the World Tree, his prayers are heard. Odin gathers him to Asgard and has him join his Dwarves to make greater weapons. Meanwhile, on Earth, Pepper heads to France as the superhero "Rescue" to find that Hammer Industries is already there attempting to recover Detriot Steel's armor and Lt. Johnson. Mokk is nearby, watching them, and about to strike. In the final sequences, we see that Tony is having a difficult time getting along with the Dwarves of Asgard, until he finally has an all out brawl with one. And at that point, he's excepted into their group. They decide to go drinking before the really heavy work begins.)

Invincible Iron Man #507 (From a fight with one of the Dwarves in Svartelheim, a sample of Tony's hair is gained and passed to an agent of The Serpent. With this, the agent kills the dwarf and makes a golem to kill Tony. Meanwhile, while Pepper is facing Sasha Hammer and the Hammer Corps in Paris, Mokk attacks and cuts through them easily. He's about to kill Pepper and Sasha in the last few panels. Back in Asgard, we eventually realize that Tony plans to immerse himself, armored, into the hot Uru metal to be enchanted by Odin. [Did someone say Iron Man Uru?] But before that happens, he's attacked by the golem.)

Invincible Iron Man #508 (Tony battles for his life against an golem created by minions of the Serpent. He manages to pull himself free, only to see that the creature is forming into an Iron Man doppelganger, just like his suit. As he struggles against his adversary, it's clear that this creature is perfectly suited to defeat him. And almost does. Suddenly his allies, the Dwarves spring into the battle and fight the golem back. Tony, with help, finally has it outmatched and destroys it. With short, stout, and drunk friends surrounding him, they're in a hurry, though; Odin is ready for them to present the weapons for his blessing. Among them all, though, is Tony's Armor; he wears it and prepares to be lowered into the burning cauldron. In the last scene, we see that Tony Stark, Iron Man, comes up from liquid flames. He's intact. And now his armor is made of the magical Uru metal. Side plot: Pepper is still fighting Mokk while HAMMER flees. Her helmut is ripped off and she has to close her eyes to avoid being turned to stone.)

Invincible Iron Man #509 (Tony emerges from the cauldron...alive. His armor is now a thing of Uru; enchanted, unbreakable and blessed by Odin. And it's just in time, the All-Father then warns him that his brother The Serpent is on his way with forces to the World Tree in Broxton. As Tony prepares to leave, he encounters his allies the Dwarves; they want him to slay the smoke elves. After some consideration, though, he rejects the notion and realizes that mob mentality is the same in Asgard as it is on Midgard. Tony heads out, newly-fashioned weapons of Odin in tow, and presents them to his fellow Avengers on the last page.)

Iron Man 2.0 #5 (Rhodey, also known as War Machine, witnesses the battle waging over Capital Hill with Ant-Man, The Beast, and The Prince of Orphans. Out of nowhere, he and the Prince are summoned to Beijing, where the Gates of the "Eighth City" has opened. The Prince tells him that the Immortal Weapons, including Iron Fist, will shortly be summoned there as well. At the end, an Asgardian Weapon is seen there, with Titania, now Skirn, the Breaker of Men, and Crusher Creel preparing to acquire it.)

Iron Man 2.0 #6 (As the Immortal Weapons [and War Machine] gather in Beijing at the gate to the Eight City, Titania and Crusher Creed have reached their hammer...but the Monkey King is trying to steal it. Titania knocks him out, but has to face off against the Iron Fist and the rest as Crusher approaches it. Too late; he reaches the hammer and officially becomes Greithoth, Breaker of Wills.)

Iron Man 2.0 #7 (Iron Man and the Immortal Fists awaken to realize Greithoth and Skirn have departed. [Probably to Dubai at this time.] On a hill, the Monkey King vows to reclaim his hammer, the one that Greithoth stole from him. Meanwhile, the Weapons come together to close the gate of Hell. But surprisingly, Iron Fist is possessed and capable of soundly defeating all the rest. That is, except for War Machine. He manages, with the mystical aid of Dr. Strange, to knock Iron Fist out, de-possess him, and have the gate closed.)

The New Avengers #14 (From the perspective of Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird, as she relates how she came back from a near fatal gunshot wound and joined in against Sin's Nazi Warbots in New York. In this issue, we have a large amount of chronology. It starts with Bobbi rejoining the team after her wound, Spider-Man quitting the team over Mrs. Hand, Blitzkrieg USA, and their fights.)

The New Avengers #15 (An interview, from the perspective of Squirrel Girl, leading into her battle and encounters in New York as Skadi's invasion begins. She manages to hold her own and get back to Avengers Mansion, relieving Jessica, so the Avengers can get back in action. At the end, Squirrel Girl has her work cut out for her as the Mansion goes into lockdown, surrounded by Nazi warbots.)

The New Avengers #16 (Continuing in interview format, the story takes off where the previous issue ended. This time, it focuses on Matt Murdock, Daredevil, as he participates in the battle in New York against the Nazi Warbots. Single-handedly, he embarks on a battle to fight them and finally ends up at the Avenger's Mansion while the warbots surround it. From the previous issue, we know that Squirrel Girl is alone with Luke Cage's child inside. Daredevil manages to get there and time and take the entire unit down. The issue then skips to a point three weeks later. Supposedly now the Fear Itself event is over; Cage meets with Daredevil, thanks him, and offers him a position within the Avengers. At first, Matt turns him down, but soon after he is convinced to become a member.)

New Mutants #29 (In the midst of the X-men battling Kuurth, Cyclops sends Dani Moonstar to Las Vegas to find clues, but she never gets there. Instead, she's pulled into the realm of Hel, where her mistress Hela summons her aid. The other New Mutants are distressed when they learn she has disappeared. Conferring with Illyana, Cypher studies and prepares a dangerous transport spell to the Dimension of Death. Unfortunately, he fails and the group ends up in Hell, before Mephisto.)

New Mutants #30 (Taking a dove-tail into two distinct problems, we first go to Dani Moonstar, fighting her way to Hela in Hel, taking on the Draumar. She's holding her own, barely, but not gaining any ground. Suddenly, she's ingested by Bonegrinder, their leader. Meanwhile, back in Hell, Cypher's miscast spell has them facing Mephisto. The Lord of Hell, obviously overpowering them makes a deal: Magma has to give him a date and he will whisk them to their original destination. The group is stunned when Amara accepts the conditions. Regardless, Mephisto is pleased and sends them on their way.)

New Mutants #31 (While Dani is caught, digesting slowly in the stomach of Bonegrinder, the remaining mutants are making their way towards Hela's Fortress, facing the Draumar. Their fights are long and draining; that's when they learn they are facing the Draumar, with special abilities in killing death and absorbing spirits. A small Raven grabs Cypher's badge and somehow appears, giving it to Dani; that's when she knows her friends are fighting Bonegrinder and his forces during that moment. Using all her might, she carves her way out of the creature and rejoins her friends. The battle is momentarily in their favor, that's when Dani summons Brightwing and a pack of winged steeds to fly them into the goddess of death's fortress. But as they poise to enter, they see the deity impaled on a spire, seemingly already dead.)

New Mutants #32 (As the Draumar advance against Dani and her team they prepare for the inevitable end; there seems to be no way their numbers can hold off these dead gods. But she is not yet undone, seeking wisdom before the slain form of Hela and wondering for what purpose she was summoned. Suddenly, a crow that has been accompanying her enters Hela's body and the death goddess comes to life. That's when she explains: knowing she would fall, she put her soul in the crow and set off to bring Dani to Hel. Now returned to her domain, Hela instills Asgardian strength into the mutants, but the increase isn't enough; there's still too many against them. Before they can be beaten, Nathan Grey finds their weakness; using him as a conduit, Hela takes his life's experiences and transfers the memories to the enemy troops. This causes them to become awash in waves of fear and loathing, eventually dispersing them. In the final pages, Hela then returns the heroes back to Midgard, preparing for her role in other Asgardian duties.)

Missions across the battlefield.

Secret Avengers #13 (Tie-In) (Centers mostly on The Beast. Ties into Fear Itself #3 at the beginning. As the Secret Avengers drop into the battle over DC, Beast is called for a debriefing and given the mission to rescue Rep. Leonard Gary from inside Capital Hill. He heads in, but it turns out the Congressman won't leave. Instead he wants the Beast to help turn the cameras back on him in the midst of the fight. Surprisingly, we also find out that Rep. Gary is a powerful mutant who can do some reality bending. In the end, Rep. Gary finishes his televised speech, but then the building is hit and possibly blown up.)

Secret Avengers #14 (Tie-In) (We learn that D.C. has been decimated and Skadi has headed towards New York. In the story, you meet two lovers Stevens and Hayes, who are also infantry about to drop into the battle, led by the Secret Avenger Valkyrie. As the conflict unfolds, the Avenger has flashbacks to the moment she was gifted with the power of the Valkyrie. In the end, Hayes dies, Stevens seems to go into shock, and Valkyrie carries his body out of battle.)

Secret Avengers #15 (Tie-In) (The Black Widow gets wind of a newspaper tabloid claiming that Bucky Barnes didn't actually die during the clash in Washington D.C., so she goes to their business and demands information they have pertaining to the matter. As it turns out, it's a hoax; a false story. They're doing it because they figure, somehow, Bucky will come back. It's all about money to them and this infuriates Widow, who loved Bucky. During the issue, the discussion is about superheroes vs normal people, and how they each cope with life, tragedy, and death. In the end, the false story about Bucky is deleted.)

Thunderbolts #158 (Happens simultaneous with Fear Itself #2)(Starting with the Thunderbolts B-Team fighting undead in Iraq with A-Team for backup, the issue quickly centers on the explosion at New York City, where Juggernaut gains his hammer and becomes one of the worthy. At the end, they head back to regain control of The Raft and its escaped inmate population.)

Thunderbolts #159 (As The Raft is shattered, this issue covers four stories. 1. While the Thunderbolts are rounding up prisoners, the beta team, led by Centurius, uses the emergency to reprogram their nanites, giving them the chance to flee when they choose. 2. Arriving at the Women's Ward, Moonstone is de-powered and captured by Indali, and wants her to lead them to the Man-Thing. Before this can happen, they run into some men escapees and tussle, giving Moonstone the chance to power back up. Indali and the men are defeated and Moonstone takes control of the women. 3. Warden Walker joins up with Ghost to give trek through the underground wreckage and save the lives of gaseous inmates whose air is running out. 4. Crossbones joins forces with Man Mountain Mario as he's being ambushed in the prison yard. Then the hammer hits; now they are caught underneath wreckage. They all join forces, but Crossbones double-crosses them all. In the end, all their bodies, including Mario's, are identified, with no sign of Crossbones.)

Thunderbolts #160 (The battles and chaos are heavy. While Centurius and his plans are in stasis, waiting for a better chance to escape Man-Thing is going crazy with all the fear. As The Thunderbolts head to Chicago to route their friend, Man-Thing disappears. Satana says he's evolved. Meanwhile, they take on The Juggernaut, now an unstoppable member of The Worthy. Using Satana's magic and Ghost's infiltration, they manage to get into his psyche, only to be rebuffed. On the last page, Kuurth/Juggernaut releases an incredible blow that looks like a radiation mushroom cloud.)

Thunderbolts #161 (Kuurth has left the Chicago area, but a huge crater remains. The Thunderbolts are licking their wounds. Suddenly, Fixer spots an ICBM headed towards the area; Moonstone goes to intercept. She makes a great effort, but fails...until it changes its course and heads into Lake Michigan. The issue then cuts to Eastern Europe where Baron Zemo reveals his plan. The ICBM was his design; he's unleashing a race of "add water" amphibian creatures into the lake to invade. Back in Chicago, The Man-Thing returns and transports Thunderbolts A-Team to lake shore. The fight is on. At the end, the Warden is out on the prison grounds trying to stifle a riot, but when he turns around Thunderbolts Tower...has vanished.)

Thunderbolts #162 (Facing a strange amphibian invasion near the shores of Chicago, the Thunderbolts move to protect the the great city before being overwhelmed, but it's not enough; they're supported as the Thunderbolts Raft Tower shows up, having detached itself from the rest of the foundation. The masses of creatures are too many and their efforts are futile. That's when Moonstone notices Man-Thing acting weirder than normal; he's absorbing the creatures into himself. Within minutes he's a huge as Chicago's highest skyscraper, with floods and floods more of the creatures being absorbed. In the end, something else sinister may have occurred; it looks like the most of the team is using the opportunity to escape. Mach-V, Songbird and a few others have been abandoned.)

Note to Readers: Although Thunderbolts #163 was slotted as the end of their participation in the Fear Itself event, Thunderbolts #162 is the last issue actually happening in the midst of The Serpent's attack. In Thunderbolts #163, they reference that the attack is now over; it also appears the Man-Thing problem is over; if you notice the ending, he is burning up in flames as Satanna steals a bulb from his body, saying he "no longer needs this form".).

Uncanny X-Men #540 (Starts off with Kuurth landing east of San Francisco from the sky. Before he heads west, he turns an innocent human into some form of herald. The story then cuts to Scott Summers discussing the turmoil with the Mayor; she wonders why San Francisco hasn't had any trouble. Meanwhile, throughout this issue, Colossus has to deal with his sister's imprisonment. At the end of the story, we see that Kuurth has arrived in San Francisco. Scott tells the Mayor to mobilize all their forces; they're going to need it.)

Uncanny X-Men #541 (Working deliberately with Mayor Sadie, Scott has areas of San Francisco evacuated as he and the X-Men prepare their defense. First, he has Emma try to dissuade his followers; once Kuurth loses them, he kills them. Next, they perform a scouting mission; almost nothing works against Kuurth, but they figure they can get his helmet off for a psychic attack. As they regroup, Scott has Storm, Angel, Psylocke, and Dazzler to slow him down and distract. And in the finally, they perform their main assault. In the end, they manage to get the helmet off, but once Emma psychically assaults him, she's counterattacked, and realizes that his mind may be unassailable. At that point, Kuurth heads directly into the city.)

Uncanny X-Men #542 (Opening with the numerous attempts to thwart Kuurth's advance on San Francisco, Cyclops and the Mayor are faced with the possibility of his ultimatum: Either the mutants kill the humans, or the humans kill the mutants. But Cyclops is trying one magical possibility; he sends Illyana to face Cyttorak, Juggernaut's deity, telling the god that his avatar is no longer worshipful. Cyttorak becomes enraged and offers the juggernaut power to her. Colossus steps forward and takes the mantle. He becomes the next Juggernaut, preparing to face Kuurth.)

Uncanny X-Men #543 (Kuurth and his herald face Cyclops, preparing for him to join them until the powers of Cyttorak are called away; The Worthy has now lost his Juggernaut abilities. That's when Colossus arrives, the new unstoppable avatar. Explosive powers between the two, Kuurth proves he is strongest on all fronts but one; Colossus calls on his new powers and drives forward without mercy, steamrolling Kuurth until they way outside of San Francisco limits. Back at the medical treatment center, Emma Frost is seen by Namor, attempting to smother Hope. He snaps her out of it with a shake and a kiss, revealing that Kuurth's influence had overwhelmed her. Returning to the fight scene, we see that the mutants have succeeded in creating a distance, but the act also caused a magical side effect; now Kuurth's runs are achieving critical mass. Before they explode, The Serpent calls Kuurth back to him. As the rest of the mutants arrive at the blast, Cyclops sees that Colossus has survived. San Francisco is now safe from attacks, at the moment, but Scott has a meeting with the Mayor and makes certain that she knows where he stands on Mutant vs. Human affairs.)

Mentioned in Fear Itself #4, you'll be privy to text only known as "The Prophecy", which goes something like this:

Nine paces fares the Son of Odin, and,

slain by The Serpent,

fearless, he sinks.

And what this means is Thor will die in a showdown battle against this fear-inspiring All-Father, but he will also kill the The Serpent in the contest. This exchange is also supposed to culminate with the further suffering of Odin.

Special Note: "Fear Itself: The Worthy" is an 8-comic release that started April 27,2011. As of 06/21/2011, I've seen all issues up to #5. They are free digital releases. Once #8 shows up, I'll incorporate them into the Reading Order.

First Appearances:

From Fear Itself #1: one Worthy appeared, certainly their most powerful: Skadi, Herald of "The Serpent".

From Fear Itself #2, The following Worthy appeared:

Juggernaut becomes "Kuurth, Breaker of Stone".

The Hulk becomes "Nul, Breaker of Worlds".

Titania becomes "Skirn, Breaker of Men".

Attuma becomes "Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans".

From Invincible Iron Man #504: Grey Gargoyle has acquired his hammer and becomes "Mokk, Breaker of Faith".

From Fear Itself: #3:

Coinciding with Iron Man 2.0 #6, Crusher Creel, The Absorbing Man becomes "Greithoth, Breaker of Wills".

Ben Grimm, The Thing, becomes "Angrir, Breaker of Souls".

Current Locations:

* After having decimated Washington D.C. and Captain America, Skadi turned her army of Nazi War Machines North towards New York. Her battles were mainly against Avengers and Secret Avengers. She's now beside The Serpent in his citadel over Oklhoma, preparing for the final battle.

* Skirn and Greithoth faced War Machine and The Immortal Weapons in Beijing, China in the Iron Man 2.0 series, but then headed to Dubai fighting Pym and Avengers Academy in the Avengers Academy series. There, Pym, sent them through a dimensional door to Alaska where they stayed for a very short time, eventually transporting themselves to Pym's pocket dimension. Whatever they faced there has been concluded and they are with The Serpent, speeding towards Oklahoma now.

* In Paris, France, Mokk has completely defeated Iron Man and killed Detroit Steel. He's currently facing HAMMER Industries bots and Pepper Potts as Rescue. His battle there has finished and he's now with The Serpent on his citadel in Oklahoma.

* In Brooklyn, New York (on Yancy Street), Angrir first battles his friends at the FF and then clashes with Red Hulk, ultimately destroying Avenger's Tower. Later that evening he has a run-in with Spider-Man and members from Heroes For Hire.. His last fight was the next day with Nul against the god of thunder. Thor almost killed him, but he was revived by the Richards kids.

* After facing Namor, then Alpha Flight on Canada's Pacific Coast, Nerkkod was teleported to the Atlantic Coast of Newfoundland. Recently, he has washed up in Salmon Arm, B.C., Canada surrounded by thousands of bodies in the water. Attuma's encounters are now over and he's joined with The Serpent, awaiting the final battle in Oklahoma.

* In Brazil, Nul faced off against a series of Avengers. After he walloped them good, he headed to New York and joined with Nul, taking on Thor. Eventually Thor beat the heck out of them and Nul was smacked into the stratosphere, landing in Romania, the domain of Dracula and his vampire clans.

* Kuurth (Juggernaut); He's been the strangest of all. After leaving The Raft, he headed from New York, through Chicago against his fellow Thunderbolts, to Salem, Missouri (vs. Speedball), and across the continent to Las Vegas, to face The Initiative. After that, he faced the X-Men in San Francisco, a battle which is about to conclude. Most recently, he has joined up with The Serpent and is preparing to take on Avengers in Oklahoma.

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