Avengers #7
Avengers Vol. 4 #7 fires the starting gun on the 'Infinity Quest' arc — the first time Bendis used the Infinity Gems as the engine of a major Avengers storyline since the concept migrated from Jim Starlin's cosmic corners into the franchise's mainstream monthly. The issue formally marks Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross / Red Hulk's entry into the Avengers' orbit, a rehabilitation arc for one of the Hulk's oldest adversaries that would culminate five issues later when Steve Rogers officially invited him onto the roster. It also deepens the Hood's evolution from street-level crime boss to genuine cosmic threat, a character trajectory with lasting implications for how Marvel positioned the villain.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series was launched in July 2010 as part of Marvel's 'Heroic Age' initiative following the conclusion of Siege, pairing writer Brian Michael Bendis with artist John Romita Jr. for the first time on the flagship Avengers title. Each issue of the run carried a backup prose feature — 'Avengers Assemble: The Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes' — also written by Bendis; issue #7 contains Chapter 11 of that serialized text piece, which was later collected in a standalone trade paperback. Editor Tom Brevoort oversaw the line during this period, and the Infinity Gems plotline was designed to cross over with the concurrent New Avengers Vol. 2 series, with the two books trading off chapters of the same story.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Issue title: 'Infinity Quest' (Avengers Vol. 4 #7); released November 17, 2010 with a January 2011 cover date.
- Written by Brian Michael Bendis with pencils by John Romita Jr. — the primary creative team on Avengers Vol. 4 throughout its 2010–2013 run.
- Kicks off a six-issue Infinity Gems arc (issues #7–12) in which the Hood (Parker Robbins) attempts to reassemble the Infinity Gauntlet, acquiring the Reality Gem from the ruins of the Inhuman city of Attilan and the Power Gem from the Baxter Building.
- Red Hulk (General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross) makes his first appearance within the Avengers' storyline as an associate, crashing through the window of Avengers Tower — a precursor to his official membership, extended by Steve Rogers in issue #12.
- Iron Man and Thor confront Wonder Man (Simon Williams) in the issue; Wonder Man refuses to rejoin and demands the Avengers disband — an ongoing subplot running through the arc.
- Contains Chapter 11 of the serialized backup feature 'Avengers Assemble: The Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes,' written by Bendis and illustrated with classic Avengers artwork; all 23 chapters were later collected in a standalone trade paperback.
- The story thread begun here continues directly in New Avengers Vol. 2 #7, with the two monthly series functioning as co-chapters of the same crossover narrative.
- The entire Infinity Quest arc (#7–12), along with Avengers Prime #1–5 and the 2012 Annual, was later reprinted in Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection Vol. 1.
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Reprinted in Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis #2 (2011), Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis #2 (2011), Avengers: Infinity Quest #1 (2011), Marvel Heroes #7 (2011), Los Vengadores, the Avengers #7 (2011), Avengers Assemble: An Oral History of Earth's Mightiest Heroes #[nn] (2012), Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection #1 (2017), Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis: The Complete Collection #2 (2017)
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