The Avengers, Vol. 5: Masters of Evil

The Avengers (2023)

by Jed MacKay, Valerio Schiti (Artist), Andrea Broccardo (Artist)

The rise of the all-new, all-different Masters of Evil! While the Avengers are busy dealing with Doctor Doom taking over the world, the new Masters of Evil seize their moment to strike - and the Impossible City is under siege! Who will be left to defend Earth while Doom remains in power? And can even the mighty Avengers fight a war on multiple fronts? Perhaps the Black Panther's return will help turn the tide! The Avengers continue their hunt for the "Missing Moment" - but what does Reed Richards have to do with cracking the code? When their quest takes them to the last place anyone expected - the ruins of SECRET WARS - the relentless Marvel Zombies await! But while Earth's Mightiest Heroes are away, someone needs to protect the world in their absence. Luckily, they know just the group of misunderstood the X-Men! Collecting AVENGERS (2023) #25-30.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Paperback

Published December 23, 2025

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.2 stars

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first four issues chronicle an attempt by the newly-reformed Masters of Evil to take over the Avengers flying city. The last two deal with the search for the "Missing Moment" and the anti-climactic reveal of who exactly Myrddin is (saw that from miles away). There's nothing connecting the two, just a sudden, jarring shift from one story to the next. The Masters seem particularly inept this time, never a real threat at all, even for Captain America, who's feeling sorry for himself since he's not a superhuman and has been injured in the fight against Doctor Doom. It also doesn't help that there are 3 very different, very distinct artists at work through these 6 issues. It's really not a terrible collection, just not especially well tied together. I'll echo another critique--I, too, think maybe MacKay is better off focusing on individual characters rather than writing a team book.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the Impossible City comes under siege by a brand new Masters of Evil, lead by the Mad Thinker. And then the mystery of the Missing Moment comes to light at last, as the Avengers face off with Kang in the ruins of Battleworld!

You know what I like by now - and it's pretty much whatever Jed MacKay writes. The first Masters of Evil story showcases exactly how well he understands the characters he writes, from the heroes to the villains to the Impossible City itself, while the Kang story that begins in the second half of the book turns up the heat on continuity references and the big culmination of a lot of plot threads from before.

Excellent, as always.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "One World Under Doom" story isn't very good and it's the first 4 issues. This iteration of the Masters of Evil is more like the Losers of Evil. They try and take over the Forever City while the Avengers are on Earth dealing with Doom leaving Sam Wilson to fight them. Then we find out what the "missing moment" is and who Myrridon is behind the mask. The more this and X-Men go on, the more I think Jed MacKay is better off doing solo characters than team books because this is the first time I can recall not loving a Jed MacKay book.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you do if almost your entire cast has been hijacked by a company cross-over. You produce an entirely derivative storyline one part stolen from the Masters of Evil attack on the Avengers mansion in the 90s and one part stolen from Die Hard, except it has none of the shock value of the first and none of the cleverness of the last.

MacKay gets things back on track with the last two issues returning to his main plot, but then he cliffhangs us rather than completing the storyline.

[Mateusz Nowowiejski · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 - 2025

[Andres Pasten · Rating 2 out of 5]

6 numeros en que avanza muy poco la historia central, a pesar del tie in con Doom que es como si no fuera tie in, ya que no aporta en nada a dicho crossover

[Rafael Suleiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good graphic novel.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's official...
The Masters of Evil still suck (HARD)

Their roster:
- Mad Thinker (he smart)
- Mister Hyde (he brutal)
- Exterminatrix (daughter of Doctor Midas [Grant Morrison creation...don't ask])
- Madcap (crazy healing factor and just plain crazy)
- Dreadknight (armored baddie that hates Doom. Shadey type of Black Knight)

They decide they can steal the Impossible City while the Avengers are out...

Also, the Myrddin Quest comes to an apex point. Moments are explained. Characters are thrown under the bus. Backstage universal creation is dusted off and explained.
--
Bonus: The Captain America/ City hybrid suit is very much Blue Beetle from DC
Bonus Bonus: Several plot twists in this make me question the WHOLE RUN
Bonus: Kang? Cmon, now...