54 Years Ago, One of the Avengers Biggest Crossovers Ended With the Return of Some Classic Heroes

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The Kree-Skrull War was an early and incredibly significant storyline for the Avengers, and it’s still considered one of their most important adventures. Beginning with issue #89 and concluding with issue #97 of Avengers, this nine-part story introduced readers to the ancient, galactic conflict between the Kree and Skrull empires – a war that unfortunately pulled Earth into the fray. The event involved a huge number of characters, took the Avengers to the far corners of Marvel’s cosmic universe, and established key storylines like the romance between Wanda and Vision, as well as the powerful Destiny Force.

Released on December 7, 1971, Avengers #97 brought a dramatic end to a massive war. This cosmic conflict caused the public to turn against the Avengers, fractured the team, almost killed Captain Marvel, and put the entire world in danger. Surprisingly, the battle between these two powerful empires wasn’t won by the Avengers themselves, but by Rick Jones, who displayed an incredible new power – a fitting tribute to the origins of Marvel comics.

A War That Started With Three Cows

As a huge comic book fan, I always loved the backstory of the Kree-Skrull War. It’s kind of amazing how it started – totally by accident! Back in the early days of the Fantastic Four – issue #2, to be exact – the team fought these four Skrulls and, in a pretty hilarious moment, turned them into cows. But if you look closely at the last panel, you only see three cows! That tiny detail drove fans wild with speculation, and it gave writer Roy Thomas the perfect opening to really explore the conflict. Turns out, one Skrull hadn’t been cow-ified and cleverly disguised himself as Senator Craddock, turning public opinion against the Avengers and freeing the rest of his people. They then worked to dismantle the team from within. And to make things even more chaotic, Ronan the Accuser was trying to conquer Earth at the same time, which just pulled our planet right into the middle of this massive interstellar war – especially since Captain Marvel was a key player both sides were after.

Honestly, it was Rick Jones who really saved the day. While the Avengers were busy stopping those world-ending missiles, he got blasted into the Negative Zone by the Supreme Intelligence. Things looked really bad for him, but somehow, he triggered this incredible evolutionary potential – they called it the Destiny Force. Basically, he could make anything he imagined become real! And to end this endless war, he pictured the greatest heroes from Marvel’s Golden Age – Captain America, Namor, Blazing Skull, Fin, Patriot, the original Human Torch, Vision, and Angel. They totally crushed Anihilus, and Rick used the last of his power to stop the war completely. It was amazing to witness!

The Ultimate Homage to Heroes

This war was a huge moment for Marvel, celebrating everything that made the universe special up to that point. It showcased modern heroes like the Avengers, cosmic adventures with Captain Marvel, and honored the classic, wartime roots embodied by Rick Jones. Every hero played a crucial role in winning against the Kree and Skrulls, and it was particularly fitting that the Golden Age heroes were the ones to ultimately succeed, providing a perfect ending to their legendary careers.

Comics during the 1940s, often called the Golden Age, were largely shaped by World War II, with many heroes centered around wartime adventures. This era introduced iconic characters like Captain America. However, as interest in war stories declined after the war, many of these heroes lost popularity and were eventually forgotten by Marvel. Characters such as Patriot and Blazing Skull, being so closely linked to the war, simply didn’t fit into the evolving world of superhero stories and faded into obscurity.

Bringing these heroes back for one last mission was the perfect way to honor them. Not only did it return them to the comics, but it allowed them to conclude Marvel’s largest cosmic conflict. Created during times of war, it felt right that their final appearance would bring an end to such a massive battle. This was their last chance to fight, a spectacular and fitting finale that let them save the day one final time in their unique style. It was a truly fitting tribute and a fantastic sendoff for these beloved characters.

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2025-12-02 00:13