The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Episode Guide 01 Breakout I

This is the first proper episode. The first non compilation episode. I'd decided to add a section at the end where I will take care off all the references and possible references I spot. since I've noticed I tend to start to ramble when I start talking about those things.

Original Air Date: 20/11/2010 Production Code:006

Titles Assembled:Hulk, Giant Man, Iron Man, Wasp and Thor.

The Title of the first two episodes is Breakout, which is referring to the first arc of the New Avengers, not the current one, the run before it, by Brian Micheal Bendis in 2004. The basics of the story are similar to, about how the team comes together in the first place to handle a bigger more imminent threat. 

We start with an orbital view of Earth, and zoom in on the Gerlach Mountain Range, Slovakia, we switch to Infra-red and we see the location of our prey. We see Lucia Von Bardas buying weapons from A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics). With that Iron Man, our eye in the sky lands, in a traditional pose¹. Iron Man reveals he is here to put a stop to stolen and bootlegged StarkTech, following up from "Iron Man is Born". He takes down A.I.M. and says to Von Bardas even her master² shouldn't think he is able to buy StartTech without Iron Man coming a knocking. Iron Man Alerts the Vault to prepare for some new guests.

"See what happens when you steal kids, Iron Man comes and beats you up"

Now we see the Cube, Leonard Samson is making his way to talk to Bruce Banner, who is chained up in a very grubby looking cell. Infact most of the Cube is very dingy looking. Samson believes he is helping the inmates as Banner tries to tell him Ross is leading him on, and wants Gamma powered weapons. He calls the Cube a Gamma bomb waiting to go off.

Thor perched high atop a building surveying Midgard. Balder the Brave appears before him to once more plead with him to return to Asgard, especially now that it is at its weakest with it's King in the Odinsleep. He asks his brother in arms, what he sees here, what his connection to Midgard is. Thor says here he makes a difference, that the endless cycle³ of fighting in Asgard is meaningless, One Earth everything matters. A Siren down below makes Balder casually ask "Troll?"(That's pure gold right there).

"I wasn't following you . . . I just happened to be here . . ."

Jane Foster is tending to injured at the scene of a traffic accident. A speeding car looses control and careens her way, luckly Thor has been  stalking  following her, to learn the ways of Midgard . . .. The look Thor gives her is priceless. Then he start rubbing Mjolnir in a slightly creepy way. You're about 3,000 years too old for her Thor.

Iron Man is bringing his collars into the Vault, and Jimmy Woo⁴ (the guy I couldn't Identify from "Iron Man is Born" he says his name clearly this time) clears him for landing. Woo wants to talk to Iron Man about containment security, he tells him to scheduling a meeting with Pepper and takes off.

"Woo, Jimmy Woo"

In the Big House, Hank Pym is questioning the Mad Thinker about what he said to Whirlwind in "The Man in the Ant Hill" about something happening at the Super Prisons. Maria Hill and Wasp are talking about the Pyms joining Shield again. Hank is still against it, but Janet wants to do more, maybe joining Shield is "too serious" but she still wants to help. Black Widow also walks by and Hill says she is classified. Then the lights start going out . . . uh oh.

In the Vault similar power problems are occurring. We see Hawkeye still in solitary. A few back ground characters I don't recognise, one guys looks like Captain Cold, but this is the wrong universe for that. We see Grim Reaper is happy at the power going out, Perhaps its part of Hydra's plan, and it certainly has piqued Von Strucker's interest. Same thing at the Cube all the cells are now open. Wrecker,Zzzax and Absorbing man are free. At The Big House Constrictor, Grey Gargoyle, Mandrill, Arnim Zola and Whirlwind just walk out of their cells, and Griffin sticks his ugly mug straight into the camera. It is them the Big House's De-Bigulator system fails and it enlarges to its full size, in the middle of the Heli-Carrier causing catastrophic damage. Radiation levels in the Cube are going through the roof, with the power off and Gamma people loose, its starting to effect Samson. The display tells us its at fatal levels.

"Fatal, it's just a guideline. Has Gamma radiation ever actually straight up just killed someone in the Mavel Universe?"

The Heli-Carrier is going down Clay Quartermain⁵ tells Fury they have lost communication with the other prisons. The Super Villains are just walking through the Shield Agents like they are not even there. Wasp and Hill are trying to find out what's going on. Pepper calls Stark, Tony mentions be ticked someone off today who ryhmes with Boom ² She tells him that the Heli-Carrier is going down, Jarvis tell him the Vault has gone quiet. Iron Man decides to head back to Vault to see what's goin on.

Meanwhile Jane Foster has taking Thor out for Ice-teas and a chat, Not how I'd deal with a 2 metre stalker with a giant stone hammer, but that's just me. The drinking straw seems be a wondrous marvel that captures Thor's attentions as he explains the Odinsleep to us. All the passers by are wondering what the giant man is doing. Jane says humanity can survive, we have Police, Firemen and Superheroes, and that Thor should go talk to his father and sort things out so we wont have to devote a few episodes to it later . . . with that They hear the explosions from Heli-Carrier and Thor flies off to investigate.

"Verily Midgard doth have its wonders."

Back in the Cube Banner is pinned under some rubble, and an now irradiated Doc Samson ( I can call him this now since his hair is green) Samson tries to free Banner and demonstrates the Gamma rays have increased his strength. Zzzax blasts him from behind and down he goes. The Armoury at the Vault is opened by the Living Laser allowing the villains access to there weapons and uniforms, we see Whiplash who is now a girl (yeah I thought they just made her a girl too, but apparently there have been two female Whiplashes one was a Mutant, the other was unnamed, and judging from the bondage wear this is the later). Luckily Hawkeye is there and is trying to contain the situation.

Wasp is trying to find Hank, who is still in the Big House and is fighting Mandrill, The Rape Monkey and Cobra. The Red Ghost and his amazing Hypno Apes . . . are taking out Synthezoids (Ultrons) its chaos in there. Why Shield kept his Apes in the Heli-Carrier is a question for Nick Fury. The Heli-Carrier hit the water finally. Iron Man arrives at the Vault, doesn't realise Hawkeye is on his side and start shooting at him and Whiplash. "Captain Cold" seriously who is this guy? shoots down Iron Man allowing teh Living Laser to seriously compromise Iron Man's Armour. Then if just gets worse. The Crimson Dynamo shows up to crush Stark's head. Stark orders and evac of the Vault. Fury says forgot about everything else. the biggest priority is the Raft, The secret forth prison. Turns out its hidden right under New York bay, not where I'd put it, but then I'm not the director of Shield.

We see why it was secret, all sorts of bad dudes in there ⁷ Then we see the baddest one of all, in all sort of crazy containment, and he gets loose.

"And Tonights Bout Features: Not a Nazi Vs Super Rapist"

Zzzax is playfully zapping Banner (wow so much is happing in this episode) giving him enough incentive to Hulk out. We see the Leader, (Voiced by Jeffrey Coombs, SQUEEE!) observing what's happening and sends Creel and Abomination after the Hulk. Leaders has decided he will keep the Cube for himself⁷

Woo has gotten all Shield Agents out of the Vault, turns out he is aware that Iron Man is Tony Stark. I just realised who Captain Cold is, Its meant to be Blizzard, with a new look. Hawkeye rescues Iron Man, and attempts to use him armour to take control of the Vault, and initiates self destruct, and jets out of there as fast as he can.

"I just like in armour head shots"

Hulk is carrying Samson trying to get him to safety, when Abomination and Creel catches up to him. Hulk realises Samson has little time left, caves in the hall to buy time and high tails it out of there. Leader calls his mean back, saying they have work to do.

"Hi Nick, You come here often?"

Fury is leading a unit into the Raft to secure it, Tells Hill she is acting Director⁸ and to start rounding up escapees. With that the mysterious prisoner lifts the enitre prison into the sky, Fury sees who it is and orders everyone one to run. He picks up Fury, and Fury tells us his name . . . Graviton . . .

Check Your References:

1 The Pose Iron Man lands in, is his trademark pose, seen in the Movies and the comics.

2 The Mysterious Master who rhymes with Boom, is no other than Victor Von Doom
3 Ragnarok the endless cycle of Death and Rebirth of the Norse mythology, where history essentially keeps repeating, Thor is referring to anything you do is meaningless because the outcomes are always the same in Asgard in the end.
4 Jimmy Woo, is an old marvel character predating Marvel actually, he a super spy type, currently leading the Agents of Atlas in comics continuity.

5 Clay Quartermain, is a long time Shield Agent often associated with the Hulk.
6 We see Baron Zemo and Purple man were inmates of the Raft. Zemo (non Nazi Super Villain) Mad Super scientist who dislikes Captain America. Purple Man, Zebediah Killgrave he has chemical based powers that make you do whatever he says, most notable for traumatising Jessica Jones (Mrs Luke Cage) for months, he is a very not nice person.
7 Noh Varr of the Kree/Marvel Boy and now "The Protector" was once imprisoned in the Cube, when he escaped containment he took over the prison and declared it the new Capital of his empire, this was during Civil War.
8 In comics Maria Hill was made director of Shield when Nick Fury disappeared after the Secret War, making her acting director in Fury's absence is an allusion to this.

Well that was the first action packed episode, hard to believe they actually keep getting better from here. I love that this show can take D-listers and make them credible threats, even in the comics Mandrill, the Rape Monkey is considered a joke, the characters even comment on this. I can't wait to see who else they are going to pull out their hats, since they don't seem to limited to using characters who have some popularity or higher profile.

See you next time for Part II of the Beakout.