WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Union #2 by Paul Grist, Andrea di Vito, Le Beau Underwood, Nolan Woodard, and VC's Travis Lanham, on sale now.
It seems like it was only yesterday that the United Kingdom unveiled the Union, a superhero squad comprised of capes from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with national icon Britannia standing tall and proud at the head of the pack.
And almost just as soon as they assembled, the Union was interrupted by the arrival of one of Knull's symbiote dragons as part of the King in Black crossover. And before the dust even settled, Marvel's newest team has gone their separate ways.
Britannia heroically jumped into battle against the dragon, lopping its head off with a single stroke of her sword, only to be mortally wounded in the process. As Union Jack cradled his fallen comrade, the remains of the dragon crept their way among the soldiers gathered, and the Union found themselves surrounded on all sides by Knull's forces. The possessed soldiers close in on the team quickly, who are all able to take care of themselves except for Choir. When the frightened heroine makes a run for it, she's chased down and overpowered before anyone can help her, and in the moment unleashes a devastating superpowered scream. It's enough to get her free of her assailants, but not enough to keep her from becoming bonded to the living darkness and a part of Knull's Hive.
Union Jack is knocked out by Choir before she leaves, and when wakes up, the skies have been blacked out by the dark god's tendrils. Kelpie and Snake are both still in fighting shape, and with the former's help, the team makes their way up the coast to catch up with their possessed teammate. They don't have much of a plan, especially considering Union Jack doesn't even know what the rest of his new allies are even capable of, Kelpie proves stronger than he had expected when she brings a tidal wave down, clearing the field for them to confront and take down the Choir. It's a hard-fought battle, but the Union are able to free Choir and the others of Knull's possession while the news runs headlines regarding Britannia's death.
When the team has regrouped and announced their departure, Union Jack tells the others that what they'd done today would have made their former leader proud, but he didn't understand what they meant. Choir, Kelpie and Snake aren't going home for the night, they're leaving the team. The Union, it seems, died with Britannia.
Britannia wasn't just the leader of the Union; she was the reason they existed in the first place. An opening flashback shows Choir running from the police, and when she finds herself cornered, Britannia is there not to bring her in, but to offer her a way out. With her out of the picture, Snakes, Kelpie and Choir have no interest in sticking around.
During her time under Knull's influence, Choir even told Union Jack that he didn't understand why the team existed in the first place. Though he chalked it up to the King in Black controlling her, it seems that she was being more than genuine with her words. Not only has the United Kingdom lost its newest team of superheroes, it was never really a team to begin with.
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