Avengers: The Initiative (2007)

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Status

Ongoing

Author

Christos N. Gage, Dan Slott

Artist

Harvey Tolibao, Rafa Sandoval

Publisher

Marvel Comics

Genres

Action Military Drama Mystery Sci-Fi Superhero

Characters

Cloud 9 (Abby Boylen) Jim Rhodes / War Machine Joseph Green / Gauntlet Komodo (Melati Ramos) MVP (Michael Van Patrick) Taskmaster (Tony Masters) Trauma (Terrence Ward) Yellowjacket (Hank Pym / Criti Noll)

Summary

Avengers: The Initiative (2007) is an acclaimed, military-focused Marvel Comics series born directly out of the fallout of Marvel's monumental Civil War storyline. Created by writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli, the series shifts the spotlight away from established A-list heroes onto recruits, trainees, and drill instructors attempting to make government-sanctioned superheroics work on an unprecedented scale.

Following the implementation of the Superhuman Registration Act (SHRA), the United States government launches the "Fifty-State Initiative"—a federally backed program designed to place a licensed, fully trained superhero team in every single American state.

All young super-powered recruits, mutant survivors, and rookie heroes are funneled into Camp Hammond, a state-of-the-art military boot camp built upon the ruins of Stamford, Connecticut. Under the grueling command of drill instructors like War Machine, Gauntlet, and Hank Pym (Yellowjacket), these recruits are drilled in squad combat, legal obligations, and federal enforcement. However, beneath the patriotic propaganda lie deadly secrets, cloning experiments, casualties covered up by federal bureaucracy, and Skrull sleeper agents waiting to strike during the Secret Invasion.