Operation: Galactic Storm was a 19-part crossover story featuring the Avengers defending Earth from the consequences of an intergalactic war between two alien empires, the Kree and the Shi'ar. It proved to be a crossover of lasting significance, with enduring impact on both the Avengers characters and Marvel continuity as a whole. It was one of Marvel's most tightly plotted crossover events, every chapter being relevant to the central storyline; it was the last story prior to the current Avengers series to feature a large group of Avengers together; it brought together and built upon a lot of established Marvel history; and it was one of Marvel's better crossover events, a story of genuinely epic sweep with engaging emotional resonance as well. In this writer's opinion, it was even substantially better than the acclaimed "Kree-Skrull War" storyline from Avengers [v1] # 88-97 that established the cosmic epic genre to which Galactic Storm belongs.

Operation: Galactic Storm was published in 1992 in the pages of Captain America 398 (part one), Avengers West Coast 80 (part two), Quasar 32 (part three), Wonder Man 7 (part four), Avengers 345 (part five), Iron Man 278 (part six), Thor 445 (part seven), Captain America 399 (part eight), Avengers West Coast 81 (part nine), Quasar 33 (part ten), Wonder Man 8 (part eleven), Avengers 345 (part twelve), Iron Man 279 (part thirteen), Thor 446 (part fourteen), Captain America 400 (part fifteen), Avengers West Coast 82 (part sixteen), Quasar 34 (part seventeen), Wonder Man 9 (part eighteen) and Avengers 345 (part nineteen, the conclusion). Epilogue stories of sorts followed in Captain America 401, Avengers West Coast 83 and Quasar 35.

Brief descriptions of the above comic books follow. For each issue, this text provides a plot synopsis, an Avengers roster, an additional cast list, and notes on odd or otherwise significant things not covered by the other sections.

Captain America # 398 (OGS 1)

Rick Jones has a disturbing dream of the alien Kree being wiped out and calls Captain America for advice. When the two meet to discuss the situation, the alien Warstar of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard attacks them in search of Rick. Captain America defeats Warstar, but other Shi'ar agents capture Rick Jones anyway. Meanwhile, the Supreme Intelligence, deposed ruler of the alien Kree, revives his robot servant Supremor.

Avengers Assembled: Rick Jones (honorary), Captain America; Hulk II (cameo; voice only).

Other Characters: Delphi, Peggy Carter, John Jameson, Warstar, Supremor, Supreme Intelligence; Oracle, Electron and Tempest of the Imperial Guard are present behind the scenes as Jones's abductors, and Oracle's telepathic voice is heard.

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Avengers West Coast # 82 (OGS 2)

The Imperial Guardsmen Oracle, Electron, Tempest and Warstar lead other alien Shi'ar warriors in forcing their captive Rick Jones to locate a forbidden Kree matter-restructuring device, the psyche-magnetron. Captain America leads the Avengers' western roster in rescuing Rick, but Oracle, Electron and Tempest escape and flee Earth with the psyche-magnetron.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Rick Jones (honorary), Captain America, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Mockingbird, USAgent, Quasar III, Spider-Woman II and Living Lightning.

Other Characters: Carlos (AWC butler), Imperial Guard (Oracle, Electron, Tempest and Warstar).

Note: Living Lightning gets a new costume as of this issue.

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Quasar # 32 (OGS 3)

After failing to overtake the Imperial Guardsmen who stole the psyche-magnetron, Quasar notices that their departure resulted in increased flare activity in the sun, and a consultation with the crew of the Starcore solar observation outpost confirms that the use of alien space warps (such as the one through which the Imperial Guardsmen escaped) is destabilizing Earth's sun. Quasar then receives word that someone has broken into the tomb of his predecessor as Protector of the Universe, Captain Mar-Vell, so Quasar joins Starfox in investigating. Once there, they fight with the Kree agents Captain Atlas and Doctor Minerva and the Shi'ar Imperial Guardsmen Impulse, Magique and Manta, all of whom are trying to steal Mar-Vell's nega-bands from his body. The Imperial Guardsmen and Minerva are defeated, but not before Captain Atlas dons the nega-bands, slamming them together so that he unwittingly exchanges places with Rick Jones, a human uniquely linked to the bands. Meanwhile, the rogue Kree warrior Korath the Pursuer makes his debut on the Kree homeworld Hala.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Rick Jones (honorary), Captain America, Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Starfox, Quasar III. Honorary member Captain Mar-Vell also appears, albeit as a corpse.

Other Characters: Talia Kruma, Peggy Carter, Epoch, Kayla, Ken, Captain Atlas, Doctor Minerva, Imperial Guard (Magique, Impulse and Manta), Korath the Pursuer.

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Wonder Man # 7 (OGS 4)

Captain Atlas manages to elude capture by using the nega-bands to repeatedly trade places with Rick Jones, but Wonder Man eventually gets a sense of Atlas's timing and decks the Kree soldier, subduing him. A grateful Rick goes home. The Avengers take Captain Atlas and Doctor Minerva prisoner and prepare to call a mass meeting of all available Avengers members to discuss how to deal with the Kree-Shi'ar war threatening Earth's sun. Meanwhile, the Supreme Intelligence recruits the amnesiac, superhuman immortal known as the Demon Druid into his service, revealing that Demon Druid is a Kree whom the Intelligence dubs Ultimus; and the Starcore outpost finds itself on the verge of being engulfed by a solar flare.

Avengers Assembled: Rick Jones (honorary), Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Starfox, Quasar III.

Other Characters: Captain Atlas, Doctor Minerva, Ultimus, Supreme Intelligence, Neal, Alex Flores, Gloria, Starcore crew.

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Avengers # 345 (OGS 5)

Vision, Quasar, Sersi and the new Thor rescue the crew of Starcore from the latest solar flare in time to witness the source of the flare, a Shi'ar armada of starships passing through Earth's space by means of a wormhole. A mysterious Shi'ar crewman--who may have been a Skrull spy, or the Imperial Guardsman Hobgoblin, or both--provokes a battle with the Avengers, who capture a Shi'ar ship, which surrenders on threat of being destroyed. Back on Earth, Captain America is appalled at Sersi's use of death threats against the Shi'ar but presses forward with the mission, splitting the Avengers into three teams led by himself, Captain Marvel and the Wasp. Captain America's team will embark on a diplomatic mission to the Kree Empire to seek an end to Kree-Shi'ar hostilities, or at least a promise that the warring forces will cease endangering Earth; Captain Marvel's group heads to the Shi'ar Imperium with the same diplomatic goals; and the Wasp's team remains on Earth to monitor the situation there. Black Widow remains at headquarters to coordinate the teams and Quasar stays behind to guard the stargate through which the Kree and Shi'ar delegations warp to their respective locations.

Other Characters: Philip Corbeau, Talia Kruma, Praetor Alake, Hobgoblin (AKA Shifter), Her, Empress-Majestrix Lilandra, and Deathbird; Doctor Minerva and Captain Atlas are present behind the scenes as shrunken captives.

Note: Captain Marvel and Wasp are identified as the leaders of their respective contingents of Avengers in subsequent chapters of the story. The significance of the Hobgoblin scene in this issue (if it is Hobgoblin) has never been made clear. Machine Man, Quicksilver and Tigra also answer the general membership summons sent out in this issue, but do not appear in the story until AWC # 83. All other absent Avengers are either missing for obvious reasons (such as deceased or inactive members like Swordsman or Jocasta) or inexplicably unaccounted for. Sersi begins displaying violent, ruthless tendencies in this story that are later revealed to be the result of mental manipulation by Proctor. Living Lightning is incorrectly depicted in his previous costume in this story.

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Iron Man # 278 (OGS 6)

Captain America's contingent of Avengers docks at a Kree space station, where they battle Shi'ar troopers who mysteriously disintegrate when defeated. At the behest of the Supreme Intelligence, the Kree agent Shatterax leads Kree forces against the Avengers, and Iron Man surrenders on the team's behalf without consulting group leader Captain America, the second time Iron Man has disregarded Captain America's authority during the mission.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye (as Goliath II), Hercules, Black Knight III, Sersi, Crystal.

Other Characters: Supreme Intelligence, Shatterax.

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Thor # 445 (OGS 7)

Captain Marvel's contingent of Avengers reaches Shi'ar space, where they happen upon a Kree starfighter strafing a Shi'ar outpost. The starfighter is shot down, but when Captain Marvel and Living Lightning scout for survivors they discover that the starfighter was manned by Skrulls, who disintegrate themselves rather than risk capture. Apparently, the Skrulls, ancient enemies of the Kree, have been exacerbating Kree-Shi'ar tensions to destabilize two rival empires at once. Meanwhile, the Shi'ar Imperial Guardsman Gladiator attacks the Avengers in the mistaken belief that they are Kree allies, and Thor barely manages to defeat Gladiator with an assist from Living Lightning; Thor then throws Gladiator through the stargate back to Earth and collapses it, determined to keep Gladiator out of the conflict since he is too powerful to remain unchecked. That leaves the Avengers effectively stranded in Shi'ar space, though, and to make matters worse the team is surrounded by a Shi'ar spacefleet.

Avengers Assembled: Scarlet Witch, Vision II, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, Living Lightning, Thor II.

Other Characters: Gladiator II.

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Captain America # 398 (OGS 8)

Captain America's contingent of Avengers is taken to the Kree homeworld Hala, where they escape Kree custody. Iron Man insists on going scouting on his own, and Hawkeye tags along to keep an eye on him. Meanwhile, the Kree warriors Ultimus, Shatterax, Korath and Supremor gather at the behest of the Supreme Intelligence, and Korath attacks the Avengers on behalf of the Supreme Intelligence, but Captain America defeats him.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye (as Goliath II), Hercules, Black Knight III, Sersi, Crystal.

Other Characters: Ronan The Accuser, Shatterax, Korath the Pursuer, Ultimus, Supremor

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Avengers West Coast # 81 (OGS 9)

While most of the Avengers are in outer space trying to directly effect an end to the alien Kree-Shi'ar war threatening Earth, AWC members Spider-Woman and USAgent join Avengers reservists Doctor Pym, Wasp, Falcon, She-Hulk, Mockingbird and Gilgamesh in guarding captured Kree and Shi'Ar warriors (including the Shi'Ar Imperial Guardsman Warstar and the Kree agents Captain Atlas and Doctor Minerva) at Project: Pegasus. When the Shi'ar Imperial Guard attack, Warstar is recaptured and his teammate Nightside is subdued--but not before Imperial Guardsmen Scintilla and Shifter (AKA Hobgoblin) abduct Captain Atlas and escape, taking his nega-bands to serve as the latest of several Kree components the Shi'ar are assembling to create a super-weapon. Quasar pursues the escaping Shi'ar into space, but he and his ally Her are delayed by the assault of Imperial Guardsmen Neutron and Starbolt, giving the rest of the Shi'ar time to flee through another space warp. .

Avengers Assembled: Doctor Pym, Wasp, Falcon II, She-Hulk, Mockingbird, Gilgamesh, USAgent, Quasar III, Spider-Woman II.

Other Characters: Captain Atlas, Doctor Minerva, Her, Imperial Guard (Warstar, Nightside, Scintilla, Shifter, Neutron and Starbolt).

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Quasar # 33 (OGS 10)

Quasar defeats Neutron and Starbolt, freeing him to pursue the rest of the Imperial Guard. Upon catching up to them, he forces them to free the captive Captain Atlas but finds that they have already transported Atlas's nega-bands to their superiors. Quasar and Atlas go in search of them but are ambushed by another Imperial Guard contingent, who battle Quasar and leave him stranded in an unfamiliar sector of deep space. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel's contingent of Avengers demands an audience with the Shi'ar empress Lilandra despite the interference of her Prime Minister Araki; and Atlas is rescued from the Imperial Guard again, this time by Shatterax.

Avengers Assembled: Scarlet Witch, Vision II, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Quasar III, Living Lightning and Thor II (Starfox is also present behind the scenes); and Binary (partnered with Imperial Guard as adversary).

Other Characters: Her, Captain Atlas, Kayla Ballantine, Angler, Shatterax, Imperial Guard (Neutron, Starbolt, Electron, Oracle, Scintilla, Nightside, Tempest, Manta, Warstar, Shifter, Onslaught, Solar Wind, Voyager, Moondancer and Glom).

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Wonder Man # 8 (OGS 11)

Shi'ar empress Lilandra reveals what her people have been constructing with the stolen Kree technology: a "nega-bomb" capable of wiping out the entire Kree empire, killing countless billions in the process. Wonder Man is so horrified at the concept that he stows away aboard the bomb during its launch, taking Vision with him, in hopes of sabotaging the device. The two Avengers battle the doomsday device's escorts, the Starjammers, and convince them to abandon their mission lest they be partially responsible for a galactic slaughter. But the bomb is accidentally set adrift in the confusion, with Wonder Man and Vision still trapped aboard.

Avengers Assembled: Scarlet Witch, Vision II, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, Living Lightning, Thor II.

Other Characters: Lilandra, Corsair, Ch'od, Hepzibah and Raza.

Note: Living Lightning is incorrectly depicted in his previous costume in this story.

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Avengers # 346 (OGS 12)

The Supreme Intelligence assembles his own elite band of Kree warriors, the Starforce, and dispatches them against the Avengers, claiming the Earth heroes intend to assassinate the Kree leaders Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn. As the Supreme Intelligence planned, though, his unwitting pawn Deathbird, the mad Shi'ar warrior, kills the rulers herself while the Avengers and Starforce fight, and the Avengers are imprisoned afterward as accomplices while the Supreme Intelligence seizes power, sending the Starforce to kill Lilandra and gloating to himself over how his master plan is in motion, dooming the Kree empire.

Avengers Assembled: Captain America, Hercules, Black Knight III, Sersi, Crystal.

Other Characters: Ael-Dan, Dar-Benn, Ronan the Accuser, Supreme Intelligence, Deathbird, Starforce (Captain Atlas, Doctor Minerva, Supremor, Ultimus, Korath and Shatterax).

Note: Black Knight suggests killing the Starforce in battle in this issue, a radical attitude shift on his part that's never really been explained to date. Sersi creates rather pointless little "A" emblem jackets for herself and Crystal (ostensibly to keep the ladies "warm and snug") in this issue; these jackets inexplicably become favorite accessories of most of the active Avengers members in months to come.

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Iron Man # 279 (OGS 13)

Iron Man stages a suicidal attack on Hala's Citadel of Judgment, trying to free the imprisoned Avengers there, and engages in a death struggle with Ronan the Accuser. Meanwhile, Hawkeye captures Deathbird and forces her to help him free the captive Avengers--all except Captain America, who has been imprisoned elsewhere. Before Deathbird escapes again, she tells the Avengers about the nega-bomb, and the team sets out to stop it; Hawkeye insists on staying behind to find Captain America, but Iron Man knocks him out and takes him along on their mission. Meanwhile, a Skrull starship has found the nega-bomb adrift in space.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye (as Goliath II), Hercules, Black Knight III, Sersi and Crystal.

Other Characters: Supreme Intelligence, Ronan the Accuser.

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Thor # 446 (OGS 14)

Captain Marvel's contingent of Avengers wins an audience with Lilandra, but Lilandra's aggressive Prime Minister Araki and the Imperial Guard provoke a shouting match with the hot-tempered Thor, ending the discussion. Just then, though, the Kree Starforce arrive to assassinate Lilandra, and the Avengers join forces with the Imperial Guard to defeat them. Starfox personally saves Lilandra's life, and she is so touched by the Avengers' heroism that she resolves to recall the nega-bomb and call off the war, not knowing that the bomb as already been hijacked by Skrulls.

Avengers Assembled: Scarlet Witch, Vision II, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, Living Lightning, Thor II.

Other Characters: Imperial Guard (Titan, Hussar, Earthquake, Smasher, Astra and Hardball); Lilandra, Starforce (Korath the Pursuer, Supremor, Ronan the Accuser, Ultimus and Shatterax).

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Captain America # 400 (OGS 15)

The Supreme Intelligence pits Captain America against mental re-creations of his deadliest foes, hoping they will kill him so that the Supreme Intelligence can absorb the deceased Captain's intellect, but Captain America triumphs through force of will and the Supreme Intelligence decides that Captain America's mind would be too independent to assimilate. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Falcon and USAgent join forces to rescue amnesiac Avengers associate Demolition Man from the terrorist group ULTIMATUM and its leader, Flag-Smasher.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Doctor Pym, Wasp, Captain America, Hawkeye (as Goliath II), Hercules, Black Knight III, Falcon, She-Hulk, Mockingbird, Demolition Man, Gilgamesh, USAgent, Sersi, Crystal.

Other Characters: Supreme Intelligence, Peggy Carter, Flag-Smasher, ULTIMATUM.

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Avengers West Coast # 82 (OGS 16)

Captain Marvel's contingent of Avengers tries to persuade Shi'ar empress Lilandra to negotiate a peace treaty with the Kree or at least stop endangering Earth, but Lilandra's antagonistic advisor Araki spurs her to treat both her Kree prisoners and Avenger guests with contemptuous suspicion. This hostile stance finally sparks a battle between the Avengers and Lilandra's Imperial Guard, one that ends when Living Lightning exposes "Araki" as a shape-shifting Skrull infiltrator, new proof that the Skrulls have been secretly provoking this war between their Kree and Shi'ar enemies. Given this revelation, Lilandra agrees to begin peace talks but is forced to admit that a more immediate threat has presented itself: the Shi'ar super-weapon, the Nega-Bomb, has disappeared, stolen away by the Skrulls with Vision and Wonder Man trapped inside and Quasar on their trail. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Doctor Pym, Wasp, USAgent and Spider-Woman return to Avengers Compound.

Avengers Assembled: Doctor Pym, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision II, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, USAgent, Quasar III, Spider-Woman II, Living Lightning, and Thor II; Quicksilver, Mockingbird, Tigra and Machine Man are also present behind the scenes, as revealed in AWC # 83.

Other Characters: Star Force (Korath, Supremor, Ultimus, Ronan, Shatterstar), Lilandra, Imperial Guard (Smasher, Hussar, Titan, Earthquake, Hardball, Astra), Antro, Arachne, Therak.

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Quasar # 34 (OGS 17)

Quasar, Her and Binary try to stop the Skrulls from transporting the nega-bomb to Kree space, but they are forced to let the Skrulls pass when they realize the bomb's presence has sparked a chain reaction of anti-matter consuming Earth's sun. Binary siphons off the anti-matter, nearly killing herself in the process, and Quasar takes her to Earth for medical attention before pursuing the nega-bomb.

Avengers Assembled: Binary, Quasar.

Other Characters: Her, Super-Skrull, Angler, Kayla Ballantine, Epoch, Keith Kincaid, Edwin Jarvis.

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Wonder Man # 9 (OGS 18)

Wonder Man tries to sabotage the nega-bomb from within, aided by a reluctant Vision, while the Kree and Shi'ar contingents of the Avengers arrive to help them from outside. The nega-bomb is accidentally triggered during the Avengers' struggle with the Skrulls, though, and explodes on the fringes of the Kree empire.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Hawkeye (as Goliath II), Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Vision II, Black Knight III, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, Sersi, Living Lightning, Crystal, Thor II.

Other Characters: Lilandra

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Avengers # 347 (OGS 19, conclusion)

The nega-bomb detonates, wiping out most of the billions of beings who populate the Kree Empire. Among the few survivors are the Kree and Shi'ar contingents of the Avengers, who join forces with Quasar to seek out Captain America on the Kree homeworld, Hala, where the Supreme Intelligence gloats of how he conspired to bring about the nega-bomb's use in hopes of ending the Kree's genetic stagnancy, since any unshielded Kree survivors would be mutated in some way by the radiation. Captain Atlas is so demoralized by this revelation that he seemingly kills himself, taking Doctor Minerva, the Supreme Intelligence's willing accomplice, with him in the blast. Iron Man then leads a contingent of rogue Avengers--Hercules, Vision, Black Knight, Wonder Man, Sersi and Thor--in executing the Supreme Intelligence for his crimes, despite Captain America's orders to the contrary and despite the protests of the majority of the membership. A grim Lilandra then arrives to declare all Kree territory property of the Shi'ar, and appoints her sister Deathbird as viceroy of the remnants of the Kree empire. A disillusioned Captain America and the rest of the Avengers head home, not suspecting that the Supreme Intelligence has survived and escaped Hala.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye (as Goliath II), Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Vision II, Black Knight III, Wonder Man, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, Quasar, Sersi, Living Lightning, Crystal, Thor II.

Other Characters: Captain Atlas, Doctor Minerva, Deathbird, Supreme Intelligence, Lilandra, Imperial Guard (Tempest, Oracle, Impulse, Electron and Titan visible) and Starforce (Ultimus, Shatterax and Korath visible).

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Captain America # 401 (OGS epilogue)

When the assembled Avengers vote against punishing the rogue members who seemingly slew the Supreme Intelligence, Captain America puts forth a motion to step down as Avengers leader, but all present assure him this is an unnecessary gesture. The meeting adjourns, though not before Captain America announces he'll be giving a lecture on superhuman ethics that evening.

Quasar then tells Cap he's taking a leave of absence from the Avengers to better pursue his Protector of the Universe duties, beginning with a tour of the devastated Kree empire. Cap is further depressed when he learns that his associates John Jameson and Diamondback are missing, and his depression grows as he broods over how unreliable Avengers reservists such as Spider-Man and Namor have proven. Finally, when only three Avengers--Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch and Black Widow--show up for his ethical lecture, Captain America is completely demoralized. Hawkeye decides to cheer him up by taking him out for a drink and a pep talk. While they're out, they meet Tony Stark (Iron Man), who apologizes to Cap for the recent bad blood between them and asks forgiveness for his failings. Cap agrees, and the two men part as friends. Buoyed by the conversation with Hawkeye and Iron Man, Cap becomes outright elated when he is reunited with the recently rescued Demolition Man, and he starts becoming more hopeful for the future.

Avengers Assembled: Iron Man, Doctor Pym, Wasp, Captain America, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Vision II, Black Knight III, Black Widow II, Falcon II, Wonder Man, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel II, Starfox, Mockingbird, Demolition Man, Gilgamesh, USAgent, Quasar III, Sersi, Spider-Woman II, Living Lightning, Crystal and Thor II; Quicksilver, Tigra and Machine Man may be present behind the scenes at Avengers Compound, as seen in Avengers West Coast # 83.

Other Characters: Edwin Jarvis, Crossbones, Diamondback, Peggy Carter.

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Avengers West Coast # 83 (OGS epilogue)

When the original Human Torch receives a challenge from his old foe the Hyena, he calls on the AWC for help but finds only his fellow reservists--Doctor Pym, Wasp, Quicksilver, Tigra, Mockingbird and Machine Man--who are filling in while the active AWC members are otherwise occupied with the aftermath of the Galactic Storm mission and other pursuits. The seven reserve Avengers join forces to thwart the Hyena's plot, a plan to trick the Human Torch into causing an explosion that would have killed thousands had the Torch succumbed to the temptation of using Hyena's special machine to restore his lost flame powers. The Hyena returns to prison, a bitter and broken old man.

Avengers Assembled: Doctor Pym, Wasp, Quicksilver, Tigra, Mockingbird, Human Torch and Machine Man.

Other Characters: The Hyena.

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Quasar # 35-36 (OGS epilogue)

In addition to other events, Quasar surveys the devastated Kree empire alongside Her and Makkari. In the process, they discover a "soul-eater" feeding off the spirits of the deceased Kree and destroy it, freeing the Kree souls to proceed to the afterlife. Quasar and his allies also briefly skirmish with Deathbird and the Starforce.