These three issues of Avengers wrap up the Kang Dynasty storyline that began in issue #41. In issue #49, the Earth—and the Avengers, represented by the Wasp—surrendered to Kang, but the team has not finished fighting, especially after Captain America learned of the surrender at the end of issue #50. Also, we have two pages from Tigra’s first miniseries, in which she plans to begin a new mission with the help of a certain former New York City police officer.
In Avengers #52, several members of the team free Janet from the “imperial prison,” ignoring her fears of Kang’s retaliation, after which she finds herself facing a number of impossible decisions. Although she is cheered on by President George W. Bush—who has been all over recently—she really wishes someone else were there. But alas he is still in space, where we left him in issue #50.
There, he encourages the power-boosted Triathlon to get them back to Earth, where the situation has definitely gone south…
…and after they get there, Cap has another ask.
And it may be both the dumbest and the coolest thing ever…
…giant fighting holograms in space!
As we see in issue #53, these giant holograms can make contact, but…
…otherwise, according to our hero, everything is going well. (Look, they’re even bleeding—these are the best holograms ever!)
Even Kang has to admire Cap’s ability to adapt quickly to new battle circumstances.
While he continues to use his holographic avatar to fight Kang, inside the pyramid Cap is urging Triathlon on as well.
As the attacks on both Kang’s ship and the pyramid intensify, both sides lose their holographic projection capabilities, at which point we return to ordinary outer-space warfare. Triathlon raises an uncomfortable point about the source of the power they’ve been using all along: the souls and spirits of the those killed by the Triune Understanding’s original enemy, the Triple-Evil. Cap struggles with this revelation alongside their desperation to defeat Kang…
…but his conflict is rendered moot when Jonathan Tremont, the leader of the Triunes, steals the power himself and uses it to turn the tide against Kang.
The battle concludes in issue #54 as Kang’s damaged ship falls to Earth, and Cap deeply feels the loss in human lives…
…made clear by the scene below.
Heralded by an ominous POONT, Kang emerges to once again engage in one-on-one combat with an Avenger, and there is never any doubt which one will come forward to face him.
Thor holds the rest of the Avengers back, assuring them that verily, Captain America will prevail.
We get an homage to Jack Kirby’s classic nine-panel wordless battle scenes (like this one from Tales of Suspense #85)…
…before Kang besmirches the concept of honor by refusing to surrender to obvious defeat and wishing to be killed in combat instead, which makes Cap really upset.
Cap presents his version of honor in this situation, and Kang cannot help but acknowledge his worthiness.
When his colleagues try to congratulate him, Cap will have none of it, grateful it’s over with full of regret over the costs.
On the way home, Cap acknowledges their obligation to help out with the aftermath and the long work ahead of them.
A future fellow Captain interrupts with something she feels she needs to say about something that happened in issue #48 (but not shown here)…
…and even though Tony and Vision try to defend her preemptively, she insists on clearing her name officially, which we can safely assume Cap appreciates.
We’ll see how this resolves in the next issue, but before we end this post, we have a couple pages from Tigra #1, in which the title hero wants to go undercover in the New York Police Department, a group Cap is more than familiar with.
Later, Cap checks in with Tigra and wants to make sure her heart is in the right place… and it seems like a good question.
(As they say in the movies, Ms. Nelson will return in Tigra #4, included in the next Avengers post.)
ISSUE DETAILS
Avengers (vol. 3) #52, May 2002: Kurt Busiek (writer), Ivan Reis (pencils), Randy Emberlin (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Richard Starkings and Saida Temofonte (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Avengers (vol. 3) #53, June 2002: Kurt Busiek (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Rick Remender (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Richard Starkings and Comicraft (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Avengers (vol. 3) #54, July 2002: Kurt Busiek (writer), Kieron Dwyer (pencils), Rick Remender (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Richard Starkings and Comicraft (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in Avengers Assemble Volume 5.
Tigra #1, May 2002: Christina Z (writer), Mike Deodato, Jr. (pencils and inks), Chris Sotomayor (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in Tigra: The Complete Collection.
PREVIOUS ISSUES: Avengers #50 and 52 (January and March 2002)
ALSO THESE MONTHS: Captain America: Dead Men Running #3 (May 2002), The Order #2-3 (May-June 2002), Captain America #1 (June 2002), and Captain America #2 (July 2002)
NEXT ISSUES: Avengers #55-56 and Tigra #4 (August-September 2002)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
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