Hard Choices

• Writer - Chuck Austen
• Penciler - Clayton Henry
• Inker - Mark Morales
• Colorist - Transparency Digital
• Lettering - Paul Tutrone
• Editor - Mike Raicht
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  They say the flap of a butterfly's wing can change the weather. Today, Iron Fist is that butterfly; he heads Heroes for Hire, which employs every superhero on this world. His partners, Power Man and Colossus, tell him Magnum is threatening to sink Japan unless he is made ruler (cf. X-Men I:118-119); the Silver Samurai demands the "Avengers package," but Iron Fist hangs up on him, since Japan isn't willing to meet his price. Business.

  The Exiles pop into a devastated Tokyo; Mariko immediate worries about her parents. The Tallus tells them the Avengers were supposed to have been killed there, so Magnum can take over the world; Calvin and Illyana are willing to follow orders, but Heather and Mariko don't.

  Iron Fist, Power Man, Colossus, Black Knight, Black Widow and Scorpion jet to Japan. Iron Fist blames himself: millions are dead now.

  The Tallus says Japan is suppose to be wiped out; Mariko refuses to hear of it; Kevin agrees this is more like a Weapon X mission; Illyana says since the Timebroker is a construct of their subconscious, it's different without Clarice; Calvin isn't sure he believes that. Illyana just wants to kill the Avengers and go home; Mariko refuses to countenance genocide; Calvin says he's killed heroes on many worlds already (iss. 15); Mariko insists they shouldn't blindly follow the Timebroker but do what they know is right.

  Calvin is convinced. He splits the team, to find Magnum's lair in the Kuril Islands and to help the Tokyo victims. Illyana, steely-eyed, goes to greet the Avengers.

  She waves down their jet; Colossus recognizes her as his little sister all grown up; as they land, she slices the jet in half. Scorpion falls to earth, his legs and an arm torn off; Illyana tells him to stop whining, since he won't need them anymore.

  Calvin and Heather find Magnum's volcano base, and they attack the guards.

  Scorpion tries to defend himself, but Illyana just slices off his tail. Black Widow is dead on the ground beside him. Illyana tells him he's supposed to be dead, and she stabs him in the face with a dagger. Iron Fist, Power Man and Colossus arrive and tell her to drop the sword; Illyana is disturbed to see she'll have to kill her brother.

  Calvin interrogates a guard, who tells him Magnum has gone to Tokyo to kill some do-gooders.

  Mariko notes Kevin hasn't told a joke in an hour; he looks at the rows of dead and wounded and says it's hard to find the humor in it; Mariko says he's more interesting when he stops joking; he asks if she'll sleep with him now; she jokes maybe if he looks like Spider-Woman (iss. 21). Magnum, Namorita and Atlantean guards arrive.