After saving the capital city, Norman is able to successfully manipulate the media to promote himself and the team as patriotic heroes, as well as undermining the CSA and his former industrial rival Tony Stark, who appeared to retreat in the heat of battle. He subsequently leads the team to New York, joining the final battle. His heroic status is exemplified when numerous TV cameras capture his gunshot killing the Skrull Queen Veranke. When the President of the United States shuts down S.H.I.E.L.D. and indicts Tony Stark, Norman is given the role of running the SHRA and the Avengers Initiative. He then meets with the newly established "Dark Illuminati", consisting of Doctor Doom, the Sub-Mariner, Emma Frost, The Hood, and Loki. They have been pulling the strings to help Osborn and them gain control of all governments and business empires, the desire of most supervillains.
Norman first shuts down S.H.I.E.L.D., claiming it is too corrupted due to Skrull infiltration. He reforms it into H.A.M.M.E.R., putting himself as head and firing Tony Stark. Tony is now seen as a coward and Osborn has him hunted down as a fugitive, making the public declare him the reason for the Skrull Invasion. Norman then shuts down the 50 State Initiative, claiming it was a failed program from the mind of Stark. He creates only one government-sponsored Avengers team to do the job, the Dark Avengers. Osborn next ceases the Thunderbolts Initiative, claiming it has done its job. By doing this, he actually turns the current Thunderbolts team into his and the Dark Illuminati's own black ops team. With Black Widow leading it, this team will do the dirty work for them, starting with taking down any and all superhero threats to their plans, and find and destroy Nick Fury who is building a group called the Secret Warriors to counter them now that S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone.
Director:
Norman Osborn
Members:
Victoria Hand
Alisande Morales
Agent Young
Typical H.A.M.M.E.R. Agents
H.A.M.M.E.R. Rapid Response
Equipment:
H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier
Allies:
Dark Avengers
