Loki's Assault on New York

3/14/2020 --

After the Cask of Ancient Winters is discovered on Earth, Loki passes this information first to the Dark Elves and then to the Frost Giants, promising each his help in attacking Earth and claiming the Cask for themselves. Deals struck Loki appears on Earth at the Statue of Liberty causing SHIELD to send a response team. Loki allows himself to be defeated but secretly mind controls a few of the agents to later free him and steal the technology used by the Fantastic Four and Superman to lock away Zod and Annihilus in the Negative Zone. Combining the device with his magic Loki is able to rip open portals to Jotunheim and Svartalfheim across New York letting the armies of Frost Giants and Dark Elves spill out into the streets. With the Fantastic Four off-world, Superman dead and the JLA scattered, Captain America, Iron Man, The Wasp, Ant Man, Thor and the Hulk work with SHIELD to contain the chaos and defeat Loki, keep the Cask out of the hands of both armies and use Reed Richards' device to send the armies back to their home dimensions and seal the rifts.

Dubbed the Avengers, the heroes form their own team in NYC in order to protect Earth from future threats; they are soon joined by other heroes.

During the same battle many street level heroes step up to defend their neighbourhoods in the midst of the chaos. Four of them, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Power Man, band together in an informal alliance called (over protests of some of their members) the Defenders, in honor of the street heroes of yesteryear. Other street level heroes join and leave the group's fluid roster.

In the aftermath of the battle Tony Stark holds a press conference to unmask his secret identity and announce to the world that he is Iron Man.