Opening with a bit of good old fashioned déjà vu, Wasp is chasing Whirlwind through New York City. The difference is that this time, it's not Whirlwind. It's actually the Enchantress in disguise and she has brought all the members she's been collecting along. Crimson Dynamo, Executioner, Wonder Man, Abomination and Baron Zemo all step up, and with a quick laser blast, disable the wasp.
The villain team then goes after the rest of the Avengers at the Mansion. The Crimson Dynamo infiltrates the basement levels and takes Stark out while he's working on his armor while Hulk is sent to Jotunheim by the Enchantress. Simon Williams and the Executioner double-team Captain America and Thor is lured back from his date with Jane Foster, and surrounded. With all the superpowered Avengers taken down, it is now up to Hawkeye and Black Panther to save the team.
While Zemo and the Enchantress have their way with Captain America and Thor, respectively (again, not remotely what we meant, though the Enchantress would probably beg to differ), Panther distracts Crimson Dynamo and Zemo's "Wonder Man" long enough for Hawkeye to slip into the underground base. Both are captured after a short battle, but they bought just enough time for Ant Man to sneak back into his lab and retrieve a few things.
Namely, some kind of particle splitter to deal with Wonder Man. Quickly making short of Abomination, the 3 avengers get to work freeing the others first by injuring the enchantress in order to free them from their magic bonds, and then Thor brings back a very frosty and very angry Hulk from Jotunheim. The ensuing battle (which features the first ever shot of all 8 avengers together in the show) more or less tears the Mansion apart but the villains are driven off.
While Zemo is understandably irritated by the loss, The Enchantress says it matters little and communes with a shadowy figure, informing him that the pieces are now all in place.
Tropes:
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Abomination keeps questioning Zemo's decisions and why someone without powers is leading them. Zemo asserts his authority by effortlessly bringing Abomination to his knees.
- Badass Boast: "And you wish to know why I lead? Because I am better than you."
- Batman Gambit: The distraction Hawkeye and Panther pull on the Masters. They're very smug about it when they explain it to Zemo.
- Big Damn Heroes: Twice. In the same scene. First, Hawkeye and Black Panther bust in to take on the villains in a Batman Gambit. Then comes the real example: Ant-Man, with the tech to eliminate Wonder Man from the battle and the strength to kick Abomination through the ceiling.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: All of the defeated Avengers are restrained but still very much alive. Only Abomination thinks this is a bad idea.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Zemo was right to not underestimate any of the Avengers. Abomination was right that Bond Villain Stupidity was bad and that Zemo was caught off guard by there being two extra Avengers.
- Continuity Nod: This episode explains why Thor didn't answer a distress call earlier in the series from his ID card: because he doesn't even know how to use it until Jane explained it to him.
- Divide and Conquer: Most of the Avengers were off doing everyday activities separately. The Masters took advantage to pick them off one-by-one.
- The End... Or Is It?: The villains are defeated, but Amora's final scene means it isn't over by a long shot.
- Face Death with Dignity: Well...Black Panther: I am an Avenger, and I will meet my end with pride!
Hawkeye: I'm gonna meet mine with kicking and screaming. - Foreshadowing: The Enchantress offers to take Thor away to a place where they could be together. Thor refuses, but she'll later force the issue.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: A guy in one scene is reading a newspaper asking “Secret School for Mutants?”.
- Idiot Ball: Even fresh off "Gamma World", the Abomination neglected to tell Zemo that the Avengers have added two new members (Hawkeye and especially Black Panther) since Zemo's last run-in with them, thinking that only Ant-Man was the last one standing.
- Ironic Echo:
- To top off the ironic call back opeing, Zemo channels Iron Man's after the capture of Mandrill.
Baron Zemo: One down.- After the Masters capture Cap, Zemo takes out the Wasp's ID card.
Baron Zemo: The Thunderer and Ant-Man remain. Avengers...assemble. - It Amused Me: Thor questions why the Enchantress is playing lackey to Zemo. She says she considers Zemo a toy that she'll discard after she's had her fun.
- Kneel Before Zod: How Zemo greets Thor's arrival to the mansion. Thor balks, at which point the other Masters teleport in.Baron Zemo: As I said, kneel before your masters.
- Lampshade Hanging: Hawkeye questions being part of a team that he has to rescue every week.
- Legion of Doom: The villains of the episode are a team made of the Avengers' archenemies.
- Megaton Punch: Or Megaton Kick — Giant-Man to Abomination.
- Mirrored Confrontation Shot: Naturally, the final clash between the Avengers and the Masters of Evil begins with a Big Heroic Run version of this.
- Mythology Gag: Kirby Kibble dog food, "with the Kirby Dots with real beef that dogs love."
- Not Using the "Z" Word: They didn't refer to themselves as the Masters of Evil in-story. The closest the episode got was when Zemo is trying to have Captain America kneel before his 'masters'.
- No Ontological Inertia: When she's knocked out, the Enchantress's magic holding Thor, Wasp, Captain America and Iron Man goes away.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Hulk vs. Frost Giants.
- Oh, Crap!:
- The Enchantress when faced with an even angrier-than-usual Hulk.
- Abomination apparently wasn't aware that Hank Pym is also Giant-Man. He is now.
- Pre Asskicking Oneliner:Iron Man: All right, team, I want this scum out of my house right now!
- Properly Paranoid: Thor thinks the Masters were driven simply by revenge for past defeats. Cap is uncertain because Zemo said the world was promised to him.
- Tactical Withdrawal: "Enchantress, we are leaving!"
- Underestimating Badassery: Abomination laughs at the idea of considering Ant-Man a threat, but Zemo thinks any Avenger is a threat that must be dealt with.
- Villainesses Want Heroes: Not that Thor is interested in the slightest.Thor: What do you want?
Enchantress: You, of course. You have always been my heart's desire. We could leave Midgard and Asgard behind, and we could be together.
Thor: I say thee neigh! - We Need a Distraction: Hawkeye and Panther buying Ant-Man time to prepare.
- "You!" Exclamation: Hulk after seeing the Enchantress upon his return.
