In Marvel’s All-Out Avengers #4, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are stranded on an alien world, and one encounters a creature straight out of Star Wars.
The following contains spoilers for All-Out Avengers #4, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
The Marvel Universe is filled with numerous bizarre aliens and creatures, ranging from symbiotic goo creatures to the Flerkins from the Captain Marvel film. However, All-Out Avengers #4 (by Derek Landy, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Frank D’Armata, and VC’s Cory Petit) just pulled a creature from a whole other franchise to battle the Avengers. Whilst on an expedition on an alien world, members of the Advanced Ideas Mechanics (or A.I.M) found themselves beset by legions of Drahl Hunters.
With their executive leaders refusing to send aid, the besieged A.I.M scientists were forced to plead to the Avengers for assistance. Unfortunately, both A.I.M and the Avengers soon learned that the Drahl were not the only danger to this alien planet. Burrowed near the A.I.M research base was a massive creature that appeared as a pit filled with teeth and tentacles. Within the Marvel Universe, the creature is called a Grexxle, however, Star Wars fans would notice that this creature has an uncanny resemblance to the Sarlacc Pit from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of The Jedi.
Black Widow Was Nearly A Snack For Star Wars‘ ‘Sarlacc Pit’
As has become the reoccurring theme of the All-Out Avengers comic series, the fourth issue starts right in the middle of the action. After suffering from selective amnesia for the last few days, Avengers member Black Widow found herself almost devoured by the Star Wars-inspired monstrosity. Despite the mysterious amnesia, the highly-trained operative was able to quickly shirk away from danger by grabbing onto the hovercraft of a spectating Drahl Hunter. She was then able to pilot it away from the maw of the Grexxle.
Regaining her bearings, Black Widow rendezvoused at the A.I.M base she was supposed to be guarding, only to learn from her teammate Captain Marvel that she had been missing for nearly three days. Meanwhile, Avenger members: Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, and Spider-Woman had been protecting the AIM scientists against droves of Drahl warriors attempting to prove themselves as part of a native three-year hunting ritual. Once reacquainted with the situation, Black Widow leads the Avengers to a secondary A.I.M Research Base to acquire a component meant to repair their spaceship to evacuate the scientists.
The Avengers Are Having Their Minds Altered By A New Psychic Threat
Before escaping the planet with the faux Sarlacc Pit, Captain Marvel was attacked by an unknown Kharradun Royal Guardswoman while escorting an A.I.M Scientist to the abandoned research base. The Kharradun claimed that she was not loyal to the Drahl hunters, but that she was instead the ’emissary’ to an advocate of justice. The identity of the Kharradun’s master was not revealed within the issue, but Spider-Woman deduces that he may be the one that has caused the Avengers to lose their memories throughout the All-Out Avengers series.
This new psychic threat has apparently been able to alter the memories of people all over planet Earth, and potentially even further. When the team of heroes was finally able to return to Earth, Iron Man proposed another theory, that this unknown psychic attacker may be divine in nature. This prompted the Armored Avenger to consider plans for a new planetary shield that could hold back the various godly threats that the superhero team has faced before. However, the synopsis for All-Out Avengers #5 seems to indicate that Iron Man’s plan won’t work, with the Avengers and Spider-Man seemingly being manipulated into fighting one another by this psychic figure.