The Mighty Avengers #20
Mighty Avengers #20 serves as the formal epilogue to Brian Michael Bendis's Secret Invasion mega-event, closing out both his run on the title and the era of the Tony Stark–led, government-sanctioned Avengers in one quietly devastating issue. At its narrative heart is the funeral of Janet Van Dyne — the Wasp — making this the primary on-page mourning scene for one of the founding Avengers following her death in Secret Invasion #8, and the issue crystallizes the emotional wreckage of the Skrull invasion through the lens of Hank Pym: a man who missed years of Marvel history while held captive, returned only to bury the woman he loved. The issue also functions as a deliberate transition panel between two eras: Norman Osborn's wordless occupation of Avengers Tower in the closing pages signals the beginning of Dark Reign before a single issue of that storyline had shipped, making this a genuine narrative hinge point in the 2000s Marvel Universe.
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Written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by a trio of artists — Lee Weeks, Jim Cheung, and Carlo Pagulayan, with Jeffrey Huet on inks — the issue was published in December 2008 with a February 2009 cover date, timed to ship the week after Secret Invasion #8 concluded the parent event. The cover was painted by Marko Djurdjevic and carries the Secret Invasion trade dress. This was Bendis's final issue as writer of Mighty Avengers; with the conclusion of Secret Invasion he moved directly to Dark Avengers and the Secret Invasion: Dark Reign one-shot, handing the Mighty Avengers title to Dan Slott beginning with issue #21. Editor Tom Brevoort oversaw the issue, with Jeanine Schaefer as associate editor and Joe Quesada serving as editor-in-chief.
Trivia · 8 facts
- The issue is titled 'Epilogue' and is the final chapter written by Brian Michael Bendis for Mighty Avengers (Vol. 1), concluding his run on the series with issue #20.
- The primary story is the funeral of Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp) at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, following her death in Secret Invasion #8 — this is the main on-page memorial service for the character in the immediate Secret Invasion aftermath.
- A key flashback sequence is set during Avengers #4, depicting Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne watching over the newly-revived Steve Rogers / Captain America, giving the issue an emotional anchor that spans decades of Avengers history.
- Carol Danvers recaps for the returning Hank Pym (who was a Skrull prisoner) the major Marvel events he missed: House of M, the Super-Hero Civil War, the death of Captain America, World War Hulk, and the Skrull invasion — a rare single-issue 'catch-up' that names the entire Bendis-era event arc.
- Norman Osborn's closing scene — taking up residence in Avengers Tower — is among the first visual portents of the Dark Reign status quo, with Victoria Hand in attendance; it was published the same week as Secret Invasion #8's conclusion.
- The art was split between three pencilers: Lee Weeks (flashback sequences), Jim Cheung, and Carlo Pagulayan, with inkers Lee Weeks, Jim Cheung, and Jeffrey Huet — the multi-artist approach was used deliberately to distinguish present-day and historical storytelling registers.
- The issue is collected in Mighty Avengers: Secret Invasion (trade paperback, ISBN 0785142614), which collects Mighty Avengers #12–20, and also appears in the Secret Invasion Omnibus (ISBN 9781302912154) alongside the core event issues.
- Clint Barton (Ronin/Hawkeye) and Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird) confront Norman Osborn at the funeral, with Osborn threatening Barton's arrest under the Registration Act — an early dramatic clash that foreshadows the Clint/Osborn conflict that runs through Dark Reign.
Cast · 40 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Hank makes preparations for Jan's funeral as Carol fills him in on all he has missed since being replaced by a Skrull. At the funeral, Hank tears into both Tony Stark for the Civil War and Norman Osborn for the Secret Invasion. Norman moves into Avengers Tower.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).