Young Avengers: Alternative Culture (v2 #7-9)

Writers: Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

Cover artist: Jamie McKelvie

Collected in:

•  Young Avengers: Alternative Culture (Marvel Comics, Feb 4 2014)
•  Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie Omnibus (Marvel Comics, Dec 16 2014)
•  #7-9 are available on Comixology and as part of Marvel Unlimited.

-      Much of the content in this three-issue cycle actually occurs across multiple dimensions, including Earth-212, which has already been seen in the prelude The New World. As such, #8 and much of #9 are not included in the 616 chronology.

#7 "Breakfast Meet"

Continuity Notes

-        This issue skips the narrative forward three months, as noted by internal captions and the issue's solicitation. We see various flashbacks - and Instagram posts - to what has occurred during those intervening months.

-        The third flashback, to two months ago, shows the Young Avengers celebrating Spring Break. By that logic, this would therefore place the first issue in February, and the present in May.

BILLYKAPLAN666: This is one small step for

man, one giant leap for smooching.

LOKIOFASGARD: I hereby ban the use of

the word "Smooch."

BILLYKAPLAN666: Smmooooch.

-        The fourth flashback shows Teddy celebrating his birthday. Although the exact date is not stated in issue, later issues, and Kieron Gillen's own intentions on the subject of aging, this is his 18th rather than 17th birthday. If we do some subtracting, then Teddy would therefore have been born in March 1995.

-        The sixth flashback shows Kate's "interview at finishing school," which would suggest she is around college age.

-        Are Wiccan and Hulkling the first to kiss on the moon? Or the first same-sex couple to kiss on the moon? Debatable, but I can't think of anything else which says otherwise.

-        The Young Avengers are introduced to Prodigy, who has been pursuing them following his solo appearance last issue.

-        This issue occurs around breakfast.

Pop Culture

-        Loki refers to Prodigy as "Mr. Young, Gifted and Black," a reference to Nina Simone's song 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black'.

#9 "The Kiss and the Make-Up"

Continuity Notes

-        The Young Avengers return to their own dimension. Prodigy says "We've spent weeks being led by the nose of this guy." Whilst weeks have passed for the Young Avengers, it's unknown whether they return to the point at which they left, or weeks or months later.

-        Teddy's client bio on the title page give his age as 18.

-        This issue occurs across two separate days.

-        This issue picks up immediately after #8 left off; Prodigy explains about his sexuality:

Prodigy: "I'm bi. Never said that out loud. I realized, well, you know how my power works? Picking up everything except powers from people? Well, I got everything. Skills, talents...and some other stuff. And when my mutation went crazy, and I got everything I'd ever absorbed...I got everything." 

Hulkling: "Oh, wow. That's a trip. Wasn't it strang--" 

Prodigy: "No. That's the strange thing. It was like an awakening. It was like realizing something that was always true and I just couldn't see it until now. It was like all the rooms in my head opening."

-        Hulkling splits with Wiccan temporarily, taking a leave of absence from the team.

-        Leah reappears for the first time since Journey Into Mystery, as an adult version. She isn't, however, the Leah we all know and love, as #13 explains.

Pop Culture

-        Hulkling says that Prodigy's "Wiki page needs an update" (about his sexuality.)

-        Well...