Christine Everhart, Daily Bugle.

written by Trina Robbins art by Marguerite Sauvage

— TONI MORRISON, from ‘Beloved’.

written by Greg Rucka art by Mike Perkins & Paul Mounts

July 3rd, 2018. The day that ash rained from the sky. No, it wasn’t from the sky that the ash came from. This dust was composed of our sisters, our brothers; our mothers and fathers. Those we loved and those we didn’t were ruthlessly turned to nothing but ash and dust when someone that most of the world had never even heard of snapped his fingers and started the end. By now, most have heard the name Thanos after he enacted the Cleanse while fighting against the Avengers and Wakandan forces in the country. With the use of the Infinity Stones he managed to create a version of the world that he saw fit: one where half of the population was gone and resources could be dispersed in full so that prosperity and peace could finally be achieved.

Much to no ones surprise, Thanos was wrong.

The world that has passed in the last two years has been one of sorrow, fear and terror. It has been one of great mourning and grief with a healthy dose of chaos. When the Cleanse occurred there were massive amounts of plane, car and boat crashes as the drivers operating the vehicles were suddenly gone. Production has been halted in many ares of industry that once allowed America and the world at large to succeed. As a result we have been living with less food, less commodities and less hope than ever before. The world that was supposed to be perfectly balanced has instead been ravaged in ways reminiscent to an apocalypse.

An overthrow in power has been a defining factor as well. Wakanda, a nation that had been recently revealed as a self sufficient powerhouse, lost both their newly crowned King, T’Challa, and their princess, his sister Shuri who acted as the head inventor and scientist, were both lost. The well liked President of the United States, Matthew Ellis, was confirmed to also be a causality per the White House. In a surprising move the former Senator Robert Kelly was elected to office via his capitalization of the fear culture in order to take control. Others, of course, were lost and heroes such as Iron Man ( Anthony Stark ), Spider-Man ( the recently unmasked Peter Parker ) and the Falcon ( Sam Wilson ) have been mourned as heroes who tried their best and ultimately failed. For more news on the state of the superhumans, please see page two.

One question that has haunted the world ever sense the Cleanse is the following: how were we so unprepared? It seems that both the previously defunct S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers had at least a baseline knowledge of Thanos but did nothing to alert the public to the impending doom. Even when the first of Thanos’ Black Order ships took over the sky the only thing that was announced was that citizens should stay inside. Inside did not save them ultimately.

In lieu of the changes that everyone has been forced to endure, the first ever Cleanse Support Group is currently being coordinated. The inaugural event at the New Avenger’s Facilities recreation center and other ones open to the public will be occurring in designated spots around New York. Should the support groups be a success, they will be unrolled across the country. If you want to answer the question ‘Where do you go, now that they’re gone?’ then sign up online and stop on by for a time of hopeful healing and venting.

Despite all of these words, I personally do not have an answer to the Cleanse. I have watched those I care about suffer and everywhere you turn in the streets there is no way to deny the dramatic changes that have transpired. Even though it will be hard, maybe there’s a chance we can move on. Nothing will ever be the same. That is for sure. Some of us, however, are here and that means that we can continue to live in honor of those who do not.

During the Stark Foundation’s charity gala in honor of those lost, Empire State University student Mary Jane Watson gave a speech with poignant words that have stuck with me ever sense. After revealing that her deceased boyfriend, the aforementioned Peter Parker, was Spider-man she went on to say that “We all have powers of one kind or another. In our own way, we are all Spider-Man. And we’re all counting on you. [ …] we’re all Spider-Man and we’re all Captain America and we’re all Iron Man. Thanos can’t take that from us. Nobody can.“

As we forge into the days and months ahead, let’s try to remember that. We are all Spider-man. We are all Iron Man. We are the survivors and we will do exactly that. We will keep on surviving.

                — Reported by Ben Urich, Daily Bugle News

The road has been a rocky one for the Avengers. Once lauded as heroes and even saviors, the team of heroes that consisted of Iron Man ( Anthony Stark ), the Black Widow ( Natalia Romanoff ), Thor Odinson, Hawkeye ( Clint Barton ) and the Hulk ( Dr. Bruce Banner ) later faced scrutiny after causing destruction in New York, Washington D.C. and Sokovia. Their downward spiral only continued despite the addition of new team members the Scarlet Witch ( Wanda Maximoff ), the Falcon ( Sam Wilson ), War Machine ( James Rhodes ) and the Vision due to continued disruptions such as the destruction of a hospital in Lagos. All of this cumulated in the Sokovian Accords, a United Nations approved bill that made the identities of superhumans known and all unauthorized activity by metas illegal. A refusal to follow the Accords made once adored heroes like Rogers fall out of favor, but now they may be receiving a hall pass.

Despite the fact that they failed in stopping Thanos from creating the Cleanse, the efforts of the Avengers have not been ignored and a spokesperson has officially announced that a new iteration of the Avengers has been created to help the post Cleanse world and strive to try and fix things. The confirmed members of the team are as follows: Rogers, Romanoff, Odinson and Banner from the original Avengers along with new member Rocket, the talking the talking raccoon who was a self-proclaimed Guardian of the Galaxy. There has been no official confirmation on if Barton, believed to have survived the Cleanse, will be affiliated to the team but there have been rumors that the Asgardian, Valkyrie, who has recently been linked to Odinson may have some kind of presence.

The arrival of the New Avengers is just one part of a changing landscape for superhumans. The Fantastic Force is currently led by Dr. Susan Storm, PhD, after the death of former leader Dr. Reed Richards, PhD, and has made a commitment to be actively participants in creating change. A new faction of the Avengers has popped up on the West Coast and while the Young Avengers have disbanded new and obscure teams like the Web Warriors and the Slingers have now made themselves known.

Whether this is a good or bad turn of events is currently up for debate. On one hand, having order is something that our society needs. On the other we run the risk of once again relying on beings who can cause great damage and destruction. Even if we love them, the Cleanse has proved that even the mightiest are just flesh and blood. Only time will tell if the New Avengers can succeed or if they are doomed to fail from the moment they were conceived.

       — Reported by Christine Everhart, guest reporter

For many, the fact that we are not are not alone in this universe was first cemented during the Battle of New York in 2012. Since then people’s understanding of existence at large was widened from the arrival of the Asgardian’s Thor and Loki and other presences have since made themselves known. Among these is also Thanos, but his name has been uttered so many times he requires no discussion here.

Among the new visitors to the Earth are the Asgardians. Instead of the Avenger and attempted madman who wanted world domination, the emergency escape pods that touched down two years ago near Edinburgh contained survivors of a Thanos attack on the Asgardian War Ship. These refugees were accepted into Earth due to the positive work that Thor Odinson had done for the planet, but now as time has gone on people doubt their presence. In a world already suffering for resources, can we sustain another population?

Even if only half of the Asgardians managed to make it to Earth, the fact that they are the ‘other’ continues to unsettle people despite their human appearances. Odinson has acted as their reigning King by all accounts, and he has been linked to the Valkyrie, which could be plausible as Thor and the renowned astronomer, Jane Foster, were confirmed to have parted ways as early as 2017. Despite the relations between the two, they appear to be a united front in the protection of the Asgardians.

Odinson was quoted as saying, “Even as it goes without saying— our presence here is not without due cause. It is understandable to feel uneasy at the idea of sharing your planet after so much has been lost, and I will not turn a blind eye to any who have concerns. But what I hope we can achieve is to simply reach an understanding— to coexist for as long as is needed. I have nothing but respect in my heart for Earth and its people. That is why we came here. Asgardians are without a home and it is with grace and humility that we accept your generosity. My people and I thank you.”

The Asgardian’s aren’t the only ones who have made visits to Earth either. Aside from aliens such as Rocket Raccoon and various Kree and Skrull members, a new species known as the Inhumans have made themselves known. Records show that S.H.I.E.L.D. has had connections with an Inhuman named Daisy Johnson, codename Quake, since 2013.  Popular Champion’s member Ms. Marvel is also believed to be an Inhuman. On a more extreme note, the Inhumans have recently sent a diplomatic party from their home of Attilan helmed by their Princess, Crystalia Amaquelin. So far the Princess has remained tight lipped about how the Inhumans can help the people of Earth or if the King or Queen will make an appearance, but the Daily Bugle will be updating the story as it continues. As it stands Princess Amaquelin will be housed at the New Avengers Facilities along with her party.

       — Reported by Betty Brant, junior reporter

@christineverhart liked for a one liner