Secret Avengers #23 (2012)

Father's Adaptoids fly through a portal on the desert floor that takes them to a city near the Earth’s core. They’re bringing the “Descendant” Yalda and her son back to Father; unknown to them, a miniature Ant-Man has hidden himself in one of the Adaptoid’s clothes. They land, and are greeted in a large windowed room by Lady Deathstrike, Skullbuster, and Father himself. Father welcomes Yalda, and tells her they are going to change the world together. Father proceeds to tell Yalda that she is the next stage of evolution, Homo synthezoidus - a “marriage” of nature and science. Father shares that his goal is to help all of humanity join a “communal universal consciousness”, and that he’ll teach Yalda and her son, Parvez, to harness their powers once they join the consciousness themselves. When Yalda rebuffs him, Father orders his minions to kill her so that the boy can realize his true potential without Yalda standing in the way. At that moment, Ant-Man enlarges and knocks the Adaptoids aside. However, The Urn uses the bow he stole from Hawkeye to shoot an explosive arrow that hits Ant-Man directly in the helmet. Father then aims a gun at Ant-Man and fires, but Yalda uses her power to absorb the energy. Unfortunately, it proves to be too much for her and she is killed. Though his helmet is severely damaged, Ant-Man grabs Parvez and jumps out the window. As they fall, Eric is able to repair the helmet just enough to allow him to shrink them both. They fall through a grate into the rushing water of the sewer. Meanwhile, Beast is doing exterior maintenance on The Lighthouse while Hank Pym works with the Venom symbiote, which is being kept in a capsule. Pym has managed to shut down the symbiote’s consciousness in order to allow its host to more easily keep it under control. Elsewhere in the station, Hawkeye is reviewing footage of the team’s failed mission in Pakistan. Black Widow tells him to get some rest, but he refuses. Back on Earth, Captain America recruits Jim Hammond and Flash Thompson for the Secret Avengers’ next mission. Cap reassures the skeptical Hammond - who as a sythezoid is a precursor to the more-evolved Adaptoids - that Flash can be trusted to control Venom. On the Lighthouse, Beast explains to Flash that Venom’s consciousness can only be suppressed if the symbiote is returned to its containment unit within 24 hours. Hawkeye enters the lab in disbelief. He lashes out at Captain America for not telling him about his plans to bring Agent Venom onto the team. Clint accuses Steve of wanting him to fail as team leader, and refuses to allow Flash onto the roster. He tells Beast and Jim Hammond that Hank Pym has located Ant-Man. He then orders Cap and Flash off the space station. The Secret Avengers track the signature of Ant-Man’s Pym Particles to the location of the portal to the Earth’s core. The portal suddenly comes to life beneath their feet and Hawkeye and Beast find themselves falling through the air above Father’s city. Beast grabs Clint and uses his agility to guide their descent until they land on the street below. They’re immediately accosted by Deathlok versions of Wasp and Miss America, who state their mission: to “kill all Avengers”. Ant-Man runs through the streets of the city with a busted helmet, Parvez in his arms, and the Adaptoids close behind. He ducks into an alley, but the Adaptoids cut him off. In a desperate effort to finally do something good with his life, Ant-Man tells Parvez to run and stands between him and the Adaptoids. He puts up a valiant fight, but the Adaptoids prove to be too strong and proceed to beat the Avenger to death.