EN - Avengers: The Initiative, Vol. 1: Basic Training (hardcover)

The super-hero Civil War is over, and Iron Man's government forces have won. Super-beings and costumed heroes must now register with the authorities, and many have been drafted into America's new superhuman armed forces: the Fifty-State Initiative. Federally-controlled super heroes are being deployed throughout the nation - and the heart of the operation is Camp Hammond, where new recruits train under Avengers veterans like armored base commander War Machine, size-changing scientist Yellowjacket and telekinetic youth counselor Justice.

The Initiative's newest young cadets include one-woman arsenal Armory, meek mist-manipulator Cloud 9, cocky energy-generator Hardball, lethal lizard-girl Komodo, athletic prodigy MVP, superstrong man-child Rage, cartoonish clown Slapstick, neo-goddes Thor Girl, fear-master Trauma and perky powerhouse Ultragirl. Can they live up to the superhuman standards of Camp Hammond and its relentless drill sergeant, the Gauntlet? Even if they succeed, Initiative duty will pit them against the terrorist hordes of Hydra, the criminal Sinister Syndicate, the man-monster Hulk and the outlaw hero Spider-Man. Every mission's a new adventure - and a quick, painful education for the new recruits who survive.

Meanwhile, the Initiative's senior staff struggle with the ethical implications of their bold new venture. Cover-ups, civil-liberties violations and covert operations abound as the program's ruthless goverment overseer Henry Peter Gyrich attempts to shape the Initiative into an amoral instrument of U.S. superhuman military supremacy - and dissension simmers in the ranks as certain recruits cling to their old pre-registration ways.

Writer Dan Slott and artist Stefano Caselli craft a memorable mix of character drama, political intrigue and all-out action featuring heroes from every corner of the Marvel Universe - including the Beast, Bengal, Constrictor, Doc Samson, Hellcat, Dani Moonstar, Mutant Zero, Nighthawk, She-Hulk, Stingray, Thing, Tigra, Trithlon, the Rangers, the Mighty Avengers and more!

Collecting Avengers: The Initiative #1-6