"Velvet Rope?? BAH!"

It's not every day that the Avengers throw a "housewarming" party for a new headquarters building. But when they left their Hydrobase digs (after the base's destruction during "Acts of Vengeance"), the team decided to step into the '90s not with another Avengers Mansion, but a state-of-the-art "Avengers Headquarters":

(Though, these days, obviously not everyone was convinced of the Avengers' neutrality.)

It's a "Who's Who" affair indoors, however, with Captain America's hand-picked security team overseeing the sophisticated monitoring and safeguarding measures put in place by Tony Stark himself. And they're probably busy tuning their screen to artist Paul Ryan's exquisite two-page spread of the Avengers and their guests. How many celebrities can you pick out?

Can we all agree that Quasar makes the "worst-dressed" list?

And what a security team. Former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Peggy Carter, Chief; overseeing former astronaut Col. John Jameson, former Guardsman Michael O'Brien, as well as the once-infamous Fabian Stankowicz, who's been known to challenge Avengers security more than once. Tonight, their brand-new building and equipment are going to be tested by one who is unmatched in entering where he wants, when he wants.

Fortunately, the best security Avengers Headquarters could have is in the diligence of the Avengers' long-standing butler, Jarvis, who knows an uninvited guest when he sees one:

And so Peggy's team quietly and discretely puts out the alert--starting with Captain America, who picks the Sandman and the Vision to assist with searching the building for signs of infiltration--and of Doom.

Meanwhile, another Avenger makes the scene. Nothing out of the ordinary, of course, for Iron Man to pay a visit, if unannounced. And he certainly is compliant enough with security measures:

As for Cap and his scouting party, they've each struck paydirt! Wait--each of them?

The final surprise of the evening comes when the entire security grid fails, though that depends on your perspective. Because Doom's security is in full operation--as is Doom himself!

All right, what's going on?? Why has Doom taken such elaborate steps to break into Avengers headquarters? The only clue you get right now is that it has something to do with "Plan D," an obscure Avengers tactical maneuver that has become of interest to Doom--and when we continue to Part Two of this story, we'll find out why!

Avengers #332 Script: Larry Hama Pencils: Paul Ryan Inks: Tom Palmer Letterer: John Costanza