Preview art by Carlo Pagulayan

By Tim Stevens Since Norman Osborn usurped the Avengers brand, the New Avengers have been looking to punish him for it. On May 20, they will settle for taking their frustrations out on another group in AGENTS OF ATLAS #5, orchestrated by writer Jeff Parker and artist Carlo Pagulayan. "The New Avengers don't know much about [the Agents of Atlas] but that they're in cahoots with Osborn. The New Avengers are looking to do anything they can to hurt Osborn's machine and Atlas looks to fill the bill," says Parker, describing the situation. The Agents, for their part, would prefer not to go down this road for several reasons. In the first place, many of the members continue to wrestle with their sense of self in the face of an undercover mission that forces them to be anything but. "They aren't crazy about it as a whole," admits the writer. "It most bothers Venus and Jimmy Woo. Both would be much happier operating in the open, presenting themselves as they are—and Venus doesn't like to be reminded that she used to be a Siren who lured men to watery graves all the time."

Preview art by Carlo Pagulayan

This dissonance between how they view themselves and the act they're perpetrating becomes sharpened when facing off with the New Avengers, who the Agents know to be heroes and would just assume by allies with, if such a possibility existed. Plus, the Avengers seem to have a severe power advantage. "The New Avengers are a pretty big threat to almost any team they would run into!" exclaims Parker. "You've got the physical power of Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man, the battle skills of Captain America and Ronin, and the sheer ferocity of Wolverine—it's a recipe for the emergency ward!" Further complications come from the relationships the Agents may or may not have developed in the past with members of Earth's Mightiest Outlaws. These stories have been fleshed out in flashback sequences, including a team-up with Wolverine back when he still went just by Logan. This earlier encounter ties into the current storyline. "It's not one of those back-up stories that are fun but don't matter; what happened then directly affects what happens in issue 5," Parker explains.

Preview art by Carlo Pagulayan

Whether or not the current Captain America might share a similar history with the team the writer chooses to remain mum on for the moment. However, he promises, "You do get some insight into Bucky Barnes probably in a way you didn't expect. And certainly in a way the Agents don't expect." See if the Agents can survive their encounter with the New Avengers with their cover—and lives—intact when AGENTS OF ATLAS #5, from writer Jeff Parker and artist Carlo Pagulayan, lands on shelves on May 20. Also, check out more AGENTS OF ATLAS on Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited! Check out the official Marvel Shop for your favorite Marvel Heroes! Download episodes of X-Men: Evolution now on iTunes!