"Battle Lines, Part 3"
By Brian Reed and Roberto De La Torre

A Civil War Tie-In!

Synopsis & Review by DarkPhoenix89. Thanks!
Synopsis: Avengers Tower: Anya and Simon watch through a two way mirror and Anya asks Simon if this is normal. He tells her that it's new but she just wants to know if it's normal. Simon assures her that things are different now and she points out that is what everyone keeps saying.

As Simon and Anya look on, Max is strapped down to a chair and he tells her that he knows she is going after Julia no matter what he says. This is true replies Carol and Max asks why does it matter then? Carol says its because until a few months ago, Julia Carpenter was in a wheel chair. Her S.H.E.I.L.D. file said she lost her powers and was crippled in the process yet here she is back in action; operating at full capacity.

Max tells Carol that his company was able to recreate the formula that originally gave Julia her super powers. She was paralyzed at the same time and in the months afterwards, her body healed all her wounds but she still couldn't walk. At first there was nothing, then after several days of failure her powers returned. It took weeks and weeks but she finally learned to walk again. She trained and worked hard every day and it paid off. She was soon able to walk and eventually they fell in love; she was able to play with her daughter and she was whole again. But how can Carol do this, she was a friend, how can she hunt someone down like an animal. She was an Avenger! Carol tells him that so was Captain America and although she loves him like a father, he crossed a line. Max asks if she is that far gone? The government say jump and she asks how high, only now they say hunt Captain America. they says hunt a single mother. her keepers say to hunt them down and all she says is Sir! Yes Sir!

Anya wonders about Carols "keepers" and then thinks Carol can't do any wrong because she is a hero. Carol points out that Julia did wrong and Max asks if she is doing right? Carol tells him she is doing what's best. Max tells her that there is a difference between what's best and what's right. What's best might be different tomorrow or the next day but what's right and wrong will remain the same for a thousand years and what she is doing right now, the road she is heading down is the wrong road. The whole country went insane after Stanford and Carol went along with them, She is one of the good guys and she is acting like a thug.

Carol asks if Julia is one of the good ones. Max tells her yes, last time he checked. Carol tells him that there are two dozen S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers in hospital right now because of her, his girlfriend, Julia Carpenter. She put them there, helping him escape his apartment. She slammed Carol into a barrier at one hundred miles an hour; she broke the law and attempted to help others do the same. She disgraced the name of the Avengers and put innocent lives in danger. It is now her obligation to take her down. It is her duty as a hero and her pleasure as an Avenger. Anya just keeps watching.

Denver, Colorado: An old man is collecting his mail and above him is a helicopter containing a bunch of SH.I.E.L.D. Officers, Carol, Simon and Anya. Carol tells Anya that this is her first combat drop and to listen only to her and to do exactly what she says, when she says. Carol continues by saying that Rachel, Julia's daughter is staying with Julia's parents, Elizabeth and Walter Cornwall. She wants both Rachel and her grandparents are out of the way in case Julia arrives and there is trouble. Anya asks if they are expecting trouble? Simon tells her to always expect trouble. That way it doesn't surprise you. Mr. Cornwall looks up and sees the helicopters. He starts running as soon as Carol, Simon, Anya and a bunch of soldiers storm his house.

He runs to the front door but Simon stops him. Carol introduces herself to him and but he just tells her that he knows who she is. Simon goes to ask if Julia is there but Walter tells him that Julia is in New York. Simon tells Walter that's she ain't in New York anymore. Carol tries to tell him that they just want to get them to safety she arrives. Elizabeth overhears them talking and runs upstairs to Julia. Rachel is complaining that she doesn't know anyone in Canada. Julia reassures her that she will get to know new people but Rachel tells her mother that she doesn't even speak Canadian. Elizabeth enters the room and says there is a problem. Julia tells her mother that she knows, she heard the helicopters but Elizabeth tells her that there are more then just helicopters. Why doesn't she just let her take Rachel down stairs? Julia tells her mother no but Elizabeth says that they just want to take them someplace safe. Julia tells her mother that Rachel is safe with her but Elizabeth says that she is scared to death and there is an army out there. Julia thinks about for a second and says that there is something she must do.

Outside: Carol is talking to Walter. She tells him that he is wrong, Julia has committed some very serious crimes and it isn't about legislation, it's about good people she put in the hospital. A voice from inside the house call for Carol and its Julia and her daughter Rachel. They step out and Julia tells Carol that it needs to end, she is taking Rachel and they are leaving the country. Carol tells her it's too late for that but Julia tells her there is no reason for anyone to follow them. Carol reminds Julia she broke the law but Julia tells Carol that she isn't going to be a super hero anymore. Carol reminds her there are people in hospital because of her. Julia tells Carol to let her do this, let her just walk away and she inches closer to the car. Carol tells her to step away from the car.

Rachel asks what's going to happen? Julia tells her that she loves her and to never forget that. Rachel asks if they are going to leave but Julia tells her to just sit right in the car and then she shuts the door. Rachel tries to open it but she can't and she cries out for her mother.

Carol asks Julia if she thinks they were just going to let her just drive away. Julia tells her no she didn't and Carol asks why did she bring Rachel outside? Why not just surrender? Julia says that as much as it pains her, her little girl has to grow up someday. She has to learn the difference between right and wrong. She has to learn that something's are worth fighting for and she punches Carol in the face. Julia then leaps in the air and Simon goes after her. Carol tells Arana to protect Rachel and keep her safe.

Arana goes to the car and Rachel asks what she is. Arana says its ok and introduces herself to Rachel and says that she ish ere to keep her safe. Rachel tells her to get away from her and runs off. Arana tells her come back.

Julia kicks Simon off the roof and fires some webbing at a few of the soldiers. Carol stomps on Julia's head and she goes crashing through the roof and lands a floor below. Carol flies down and asks her to stay down but Julia gets up and tackles her through a glass door. She then grabs Carol by the hair and asks her how she cannot see what's happening? How can she not see how wrong this all is? And she punches Carol again. Carol is mad and screams at her to stay down. She hits Julia and she goes through the wall and hits two soldiers. Carol comes out and her fist is glowing with energy. Rachel calls out to her mother and runs up to her. A soldier tries to pull her away and Julia asks him to let her go. The soldiers then pull Julia and Rachel away from each other and Rachel begins to cry. Anya watches on in horror and takes off her armour as Simon finally gets up. Carol just watches as they take Rachel away as she screams for her mother.

Back in New York, on top of a building: Carol and Anya are sitting on the edge of a building. Anya asks Carol if this is what good guys do? Take their kids away from their mothers because if it is what they do, then she wants no part of it. She'll move to another country or have an operation or see if Dr. Strange can cast a spell or something. Something that makes it so she doesn't ever have to do that ever again. She doesn't want to be the bad guy. She wants to help people and do what's right and today, it was wrong. Carol tries to assure her it wasn't wrong, it was hard. Anya tells her as a tear rolls down her cheak that she doesn't want to separate mothers from their daughters. She lost her mother when she was little and she doesn't want it to happen to anyone else, not ever.

Stark Tower: Carol admits to Simon that she didn't know what she was doing today. Simon assures her that they did what they had too but Carol just says it was easy to stand there and say what they did was for the best. Simon reminds her that even she said it herself, Julia broke the law, and she hurt people. They wouldn't let anyone walk away from that. Carol tells him no, she supposes they wouldn't but that poor little girl. No one should have gone what she went through today. Carol wants to do something for her but what? She could pay for her college but she would still be the person who took away her mother. Carol begins to cry and she wipes away a tear. Simon asks how Anya is taking it. Carol tells him that she is shaken up but she'll make it. Same as the rest of us? Asks Simon, Carol just tells him yeah and dozes off.

One week later: Carol arrives back at her place and is happy hat for once she hasn't found some stupid surprise waiting for her; it's kind of nice. Carol hears a click and notices someone is in the kitchen. She asks if its Chewie but then hears a thud. Carol says to herself that she is willing to believe Chewie might know how to open the refrigerator but she wasn't willing to believe he knows how to close it.

She wonders into the kitchen and someone grabs her arm. Carol falls over and asks who it is while changing into costume. She then throws them into the other room and flips on the light to see that it's Rogue! Carol asks what she is doing here and Rogue tells her that they have a problem and they're going to solve it.

Review: First things first, I would just like to point out that the ads they put in comics are becoming ridiculous. There are too many! I was reading an old issue of Runaways the other day and I noticed that every second page wasn't filled with ads. Now if you look at a current issue of any title, there is nothing but ads on every second page. It's just really annoying.

Now on to Ms. Marvel. I can't believe she did that! She separated a mother and her daughter, I felt so sorry for Rachel and Julia but I loved her fight with Carol. I had a feeling Max had something to do with Julia getting her powers back. I just hope to see more of him in future because it would be such a shame if he went away after this.

As for Arana, she has pretty much been set up as a sidekick to Carol. I like the fact that she is staying around in this title for a lot longer.

Now Rogue's appearance at the end. WHAT THE HELL?! Wrong costume! She was wearing her pre-Mike Carey costume. Her new one is way cooler.

As for the art, Roberto De La Torre's art in this issue isn't as great as it usually is. It looks good on a few pages but then it goes a bit bad to good to crap to great back to good.

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