BAB Classic - Continuity, Part Three: When You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

This post was originally published on February 26, 2010.

Doug: Last chance to weigh in on continuity, O Faithful Followers. Our little triad of posts on this love/hate topic is drawing to a close. To recap -- in Part One, Karen and I just gave some general venom toward events over the course of the life of the Amazing Spider-Man. In Part Two, we examined the fall-out from DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths. Today we'll wind down with a look at a couple of things that have been bugging Doug and Karen, and then close things out with some suggestions of very good out-of-continuity stories.
Doug: What happens when you don't like continuity for a character? How do you feel when a good guy you really like just seems to get treated like dirt? Now I know in the real world we're not all alike, that some of us have advantages over others, more money, better-looking spouses -- whatever. And I'd even submit that there might be some among us who have it so rough they just feel like born losers. But when it's a fave comic do-gooder and the poor guy gets put through the wringer for, oh, almost 50 years, at some point continuity could maybe be ignored and the guy could get a fresh start. I'm talking about Dr. Henry Pym and the burden he's borne from the panels to the right.

Doug: I am not always a big fan of retcons, but if ever a guy needed one it's Hank Pym. I don't know where longtime Avengers fans rank Pym's court martial in terms of "great stories" -- while I have a complete run of the title, the DVD-ROM, numerous trades, etc., I've never read that story. I was out of comics during the years that was on the newstands and have just never gone back to read it. And you know why? I don't want to. Hank had been a long-tortured soul by many writers, starting with Stan Lee and moving to Roy Thomas and then to Steve Englehart and Jim Shooter. In my Pym essay that is supposed to be a part of Van Plexico's Assembled 3, I deal with these issues. Writers after the infamous "slap" have chosen to dwell on that singular incident, unsavory as it may be, and pigeonhole Hank Pym as some neurotic case. Even in the few moments where he's been close to redemption, another telling of his adventures slides him back into the muck. Maybe someday the guy will be made a hero again.

Karen: I've warmed up to Pym the last few years. I had no particular interest in him as a kid, and when the infamous slap (looks like more of a karate chop in that image!) occurred, I drank the kool-aid like many others and thought, "What a bum!" But as I've had time to go back and read more stories with Pym I have grown to appreciate him, and really wish that Shooter hadn't decided to go that route with him.

Karen: As I understand it, Shooter wanted to have a long-standing hero become a villain, and he chose Pym as his tool. Of course, we'd see this happen again with Phoenix over in X-Men. I think I've even read that Shooter liked the idea of her becoming a regular villain for the team, but this wasn't at all what Claremont wanted. But I digress.

Karen: I think writer Steve Englehart did a lot to try to redeem Pym in West Coast Avengers. When I contacted Englehart about one of the articles I was working on, he told me that he had pitched a Hank Pym series to Marvel which would take Pym from loser to a top hero. It was going to be called "A-Man", as in Ant-Man but also "the story of a man". I sure wish we'd had a chance to see that, instead of all the derogatory stuff that has been published. I think Brian Bendis has really propagated this idea that the super-hero community looks on Pym as a joke.

Doug: My biggest complaint is perhaps how Hank was treated by Mark Millar in The Ultimates. Millar had a tabula rasa and went with the old "crazy Hank" stereotypes that had come before in the 616 universe. Nothing new or redeeming; shoot, more brutal would be a more accurate description.

Karen: That depiction of Hank was one of the reasons I couldn't buy Ultimates for a long while. I really hated that; as it seemed to seep over into the regular universe, at least in the sense that everyone seemed to despise him.

Karen: You know, this is a small complaint, but another character that I wish they hadn't messed with is the Black Panther. We've got this whole back story now that he joined the Avengers so he could spy on them. This just really bothers me. The Panther was always a noble hero, just as virtuous as Captain America. But recently he's been transformed into Marvel's Batman - scheming, never trusting anyone, covered in gadgets. While I appreciate the elevated status he seems to be enjoying, I don't like the fundamental changes to his character. There was a way to increase his standing in the Marvel Universe without completely making him a different person.
Doug: Agreed. The Silver Age idea that Wakanda was this technological wonder of a country that controlled an infinitely important resource had so many story possibilities. For example, one complaint I'd seen about the Panther was that if he was such a benevolent ruler, why didn't Wakanda help the rest of Africa? Many possibilities there, and some poignant stories could be written even today with all of the unrest on that continent involving Sudan, Congo, etc. All written without him being a jerk, that is.

Doug: Shifting gears, we'd like to recommend some fine out-of-continuity stories that can just be enjoyed without any fear of baggage.

1. Justice (DC) -- Alex Ross paintings over Doug Braithwite pencils. Doesn't get too much better than that. Throw in words from Ross's buddy Jim Krueger and a bevy of Silver Age/Bronze Age good guys and bad guys, and it's a really, really fun ride. Ross provides cameos from just about everyone, including the Teen Titans and the Metal Men. While the premise of the story may not be entirely original, the pretty pictures more than make up for it.


2. Superman: Secret Identity (DC) -- Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen made a nice story about a real guy named Clark Kent who suddenly discovers that he has the powers of the fictional Superman. It's a quaint tale that gave me a smile as I read it. A feel good story that's part superhero yarn, part slice-of-life.


3. Kingdom Come (DC) -- As we discussed last time, this one may no longer be considered "out of continuity", and that's a shame. This apocalyptic story, from Mark Waid and Alex Ross, is very, very good. The panel where Captain Marvel shows up to combat the Man of Steel is among the finest splash pages ever crafted, in my opinion. This mini-series is one I return to often.


4. Hulk : Future Imperfect (Marvel): I don't think this is in continuity -at least, I hope it's not! Modern Hulk vs. Future Hulk, who happens to be ruling what's left of Earth. Great Perez art, a well-written script by Peter David, and a story that makes it easy to understand why the heroes would feel the need to shoot the Hulk off into space.
5. Superboy's Legion (DC): The Legion in their classic Silver Age costumes, the Fatal Five, and Alan Davis on the artwork -- what's not to like?

BAB Classic: Nice Job, Hank! Bride of Ultron Part 1

This post was originally published on 6 August 2010.

Avengers #161 (July 1977)
"Beware the Ant-Man!"
Jim Shooter-George Perez/Pablo Marcos

Doug: Today begins a 4-part series that I can only call "one of my all-time favorites"; to call it anything less would be a lie. It's been long known by anyone I've ever discussed comics with that the Avengers are my favorite team, and surely somewhere in that conversation it's come up that if John Buscema is my #1 Avengers artist, then George Perez is #1A. Toss in a script by Jim Shooter, a long-ago superstar with another favorite title of mine, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and the formula for a winner is all here.
Doug: I am going to mix into these reviews some thoughts from my essay on Hank Pym, scheduled to appear in Assembled, Volume 3. To begin, the splash page by George Perez showed Ant-Man lurking in a ventilation shaft while Cap, Iron Man, Vision, Wonder Man, and Wanda enter the room. Making himself known via the use of a magnifying glass, Ant-Man addressed the group. It doesn’t take any time at all for us to know that Hank is not right. Seeing him like this, I felt that the potential seemed great for a mental breakdown along the lines of that suffered through Avengers #59-60 – and that is indeed what came to pass.

Doug: Hank was enraged that the Avengers were not present for their “first official meeting” – no Hulk, no Thor, and Iron Man not in his old, clunky yellow armor. Referring to Wanda as “the chick in the swimsuit” and Cap as a “two-bit imposter”, Hank asked for answers and when receiving only stunned silence launched a one-man (and mega-ant) attack against his friends. As the Beast and the Black Panther entered the fray, Hank single-handedly dismantled the team in a great scene by Perez that evoked the equally great cover. During the fracas, Hank's speech was unlike anything we’d seen from him. In response to the Vision’s suggestion that Hank is somehow putting them on, Ant-Man snapped: “Back off, Red Puss! And you can drop the weird hollow voice bit! Special effects don’t impress me!” It’s only when the Wasp suddenly appears, startling Hank and attacking him with her stings, that he is subdued. After containing him and restoring him to his normal height, Jan related the recent backstory of their personal lives, as she said, “It’s been…building for a long time…and I’m afraid his mind…has finally snapped.”

Karen: It's pretty cool to see the oft-denigrated Ant-Man wiping the floor with the Avengers! Obviously, he had the advantage, seeing as how his pals were both stunned by his actions, and unwilling to actually hurt him. Even so, he shows that he can be more effective than I think most of us ever considered.

Doug: Jan took the team back to shortly after she and Hank were married. She mentioned the accident that led to Hank taking the Yellowjacket identity and that subsequent to that his lab work began to go awry. Hank had begun to respond with rage and violence, often destroying machinery and other resources. Jan said that in days past it was always she who went to Hank for strength and support, but during this period their roles reversed. Jan mentioned that she had suggested therapy but that Hank would never have agreed to it; she went instead and was told to try to bring Hank back to life as it had existed before he had become YJ. She stated that things had been going well, and that she was excited when he agreed (seen in Avengers #151) to join her back on the team. But, as they flew back to the lab mere days before this, Hank sped away from her. And then the attack in the guise of Ant-Man…

Karen: I know Jim Shooter wanted to turn a Marvel hero into a villain, and eventually did that with Hank. Was he already planning that here? He planted the seeds certainly, with Jan's story about how Hank was often violent and unhappy. I mean, we saw some dissatisfaction on his part over the years, but I never got the feeling prior to this that he was capable of such rage. It also seems like Jan does a bit of blaming herself for Hank's issues here, and that would be magnified later.

Doug: The Avengers decide that Hank needs to be subjected to the "subliminal recall-inducer". Lord, if that isn't straight out of the Batman TV show!! Anyway, they put him under this old-fashioned hair dryer doohickey and... nothing. So, Wanda decides that maybe more of his close friends might bring him back. Cap attempts to contact Thor, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye, but no dice. We do get to see Hawk and Two-Gun living the dream out on a dude ranch, and that's a fun interlude.

Karen: That device was first seen back in issue 99, when it was used on Hercules. So you can blame Roy Thomas if it seems hokey!

Doug: Back in New York, the Beast is asked to drive Jan to her house to pick up some things. Shooter uses this little vignette as an opportunity to expand Hank's character, and Jan's too. It's a really nice scene. But, when Jan enters the house, she's struck down by an intruder who in turn takes out the Beast. Hank manages to make it back to Avengers Mansion in time to announce the arrival of Ultron! Last seen in Fantastic Four #150 at the wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver, Ultron was reconstructed and apparently made meaner than ever. He begins to knock down Avengers in a cool, calculated manner. No one staggers him, until Wanda begins to mess with his computer mind. Even that is temporary. Iron Man is drained of energy, the Vision goes down early, Wonder Man (who Ultron had done homework on) is taken out, and then the less-powerful members fall; most are taken out by Ultron's encephalo ray, a deadly neuro-neutralizing beam.

Karen: Great stuff in this fight sequence. I don't know if Ultron had ever seemed so menacing before. We get more of Wonder Man's fears,and Wanda's assertiveness which seems to have carried over from the Englehart era.

Doug: I'm certain some among our faithful throngs of readers are just dying for the scheduled BAB rip-job on Pablo Marcos' inks. Well, from my perspective Mr. Marcos did a pretty bang-up job here. As was stated in our first Open Forum, perhaps an inker's main job is to enhance a bad penciller and to stay out of the way of a good penciller. I feel Marcos does the latter here. My complaints earlier about harsh faces, muddy panels, etc. just aren't found.

Karen: I have to agree with you Doug: I have no complaints about the inking here. Perez' art comes through and looks as slick and detailed as I would expect. It's a fantastic looking issue.

Doug: The story ends when Hank, overwhelmed at the events of his day, decides to lash out at Ultron. Ultron seems surprised, but then calmly holds a finger toward the small hero, sucking him into a chamber as a prisoner. In a brilliant bit of foreshadowing, Ultron gloats over the defeated Ant-Man, ending his comments with a single word -- "father". The scene fades to black as the robot exits the mansion, only to return to light as Jarvis enters the room -- to a fabulous last-panel by Perez.

BAB Firsts (the 1st Versus): Who ya Got? Kang the Conqueror or Ultron?

This post was originally published on February 17 2010

Doug: The New Year brings with it some new features here on the BAB blog. Today we'll begin a semi-regular series called "versus", where we'll pit two opposing yet similar entities against each other -- not in some faux battle, but more along the lines of who we've liked better, why one is better than the other at "X", and so on. Today it's the two greatest nemeses of the Avengers, but who knows? Next time it could be Elton John versus Billy Joel! Maybe later it'll be Karen's favorite baseball player versus my nominee. So let's get on with the debate.

Doug: I guess any discussion like this can't help but start with one's personal preferences -- hey, throw objectivity out the window! So I'll begin by saying that I like the "Celestial Madonna" storyline better than I like the "Bride of Ultron" (but close -- how does one choose between two masterpieces?) -- those would be my favorite Avengers stories involving these two do-badders.
Karen: Well, you already know I'm biased! I mean I did write a whole article on Ultron for Back Issue! (on the shelves now! -Doug). Both Ultron and Kang are great adversaries for the Avengers, but I give the edge to the mad robot because of the emotional response he always evokes from the team. He's definitely the black sheep that no one wants to talk about. The son of Hank Pym, father of the Vision, and he's tried to make wives out of both the Wasp and Mockingbird. There's a lot of twisted history there! On top of that, throw in indestructible adamantium skin, and you've got a heck of a threat.

Doug: Yeah, I wouldn't discount any of that, and I would never say that I don't like Ultron. I don't know... there's just something about Kang, time travel, and the possibilities. I will admit that I've read some bad Kang stories -- the "Council of Cross-Time Kangs" that ran in the Avengers #290's didn't do much for me. I think the intent was good, and there were some good elements, but overall I didn't like it.

Doug: I really like "Celestial Madonna" 1) for the scope of it and 2) for the little extras: the Legion of the Unliving (good Kang add-on), the origin of the Vision, as well as the origin of Mantis. Kang's certifiably maniacal, he has an interesting goal, and scribe Steve Englehart executes a grand tale. I'll admit that the story ends on a clunker in GS Avengers #4 when Kang is ridiculously shoe-horned back into the story, but there's redemption in the pages of the "Serpent Crown Affair" that ran shortly thereafter. Kang's the star of the substory involving the Wild West heroes and Hawkeye, Thor and Moondragon, and meets a memorable end in combat against Thor. Really good stuff, with art by a young George Perez.

Doug: I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to two fine Kurt Busiek stories -- the "Kang Dynasty" and Avengers Forever. Although Perez was not along for either ride, the art in both stories was ably handled by Ivan Reis, Brent Anderson and Keiron Dwyer and Carlos Pacheco (respectively). While "Kang Dynasty" is a bit long (I believe 16 issues total), either would be recommended as two latter-day Kang classics.

Karen: Kang has given Earth's Mightiest a huge heaping of trouble time and again (no pun intended). Doug, you know I am also a fan of the "Celestial Madonna" saga, and it was fascinating how Englehart explored the different identities of Kang -how he connected Kang, Rama Tut, and Immortus. That's one of the cool things about time travel stories: you have endless possibilities to play with.

Karen: That being, said, I think I can toss out some of Ultron's greatest moments here and find that they measure up nicely. I think his rebirth as an adamantium-coated nightmare in Avengers 66-68 is a great early example of just how devastating he could be. The "Bride of Ultron" storyline upped the ante quite a bit; now, instead of just wanting to kill Pym, we saw Ultron also wants to supplant him and take what is his - his wife! Disturbing on a lot of levels, and it certainly left the Avengers shaken.

Karen: But Kurt Busiek -funny how that name has popped up again, isn't it? - came up with the most dangerous and devastating Ultron story yet, "Ultron Unlimited", in the third volume of Avengers. Not only does the maniac take over an entire nation, slaughter its people and turn them into cyber-zombies, he kidnaps five Avengers with plans to use their brain patterns to create an entire android race under his dominion! The remaining Avengers have to battle their way through hundreds of Ultrons to get to the true villain, giving Thor a chance to utter the famous line, "Ultron, we would have words with thee." Besides the thrilling battles, we also learn a startling fact, one that makes absolute sense, of the kind where you slap yourself in the head and say, "Of course! Why didn't I see that before?" It is revealed that Pym used his own brain patterns when he created Ultron - in effect, Ultron really is Pym's son, he has a piece of him inside him. No wonder these encounters always weighed so heavily on Pym - Ultron's actions were reflecting something inside of Pym!


Doug: That Thor line you cited is one of the all-time greats! You're making a great argument here -- were you a lawyer in a former life?? But seriously, let's evaluate: both characters have evolved through different incarnations involving technology as well as personality, both have taken on Avengers teams showcasing line-ups that could truly be called Earth's Mightiest Heroes, both have raised some serious Cain on the Earth in terms of destruction, human casualties, etc., and both seem to keep popping up every few years. You could argue, too, that Kang's constant pining after Ravonna creates a love interest somewhat akin to Ultron's quest to make himself a complete man/robot by fulfilling that need with Jocasta, etc. Kang and Ultron are head and shoulders above any other nemesis the Avengers have faced, based on longevity alone!


Doug: So if our faithful followers determine that your argument was stronger, should I feel badly? Negative -- because in this "versus", could one really go wrong on a rainy day with a stack of comics featuring either super-baddie?

Readers' Write (15): Who's the Best...Sub-Mariner Artist AND Version of a Character With Multiple Versions?

While Karen and Doug are on vacation in January, our readers have been entrusted with carrying on the daily conversations.  Today's "Who's the Best?" is a do-it-yourselfer.  As we've done in the past, the first commenter gets to pick today's topic of conversation.

Generally speaking, "Who's the Best?" is for historical topics.  For example, in the past we've started conversations such as "Who's the Best -- Thor Artist?" and "Who's the Best -- Frankenstein Monster?"  Start a conversation that is broad enough to elicit an ongoing conversation, and that even might lend itself to tangential musings.

Thanks for holding it down for us!

I'm going to exercise a bit of editorial control today.  Reader M.P. brought up the topic of the Sub-Mariner, which we discussed at length a few years ago.  However, frequent commenter Rip Jagger took M.P.'s mention of Jack Kirby's treatment of the character and turned the conversation toward Who's the Best... Sub-Mariner Artist?  That's a worthy topic, and one I don't think we've covered in the past.

Then our pal Osvaldo Oyola suggested a topic that plays off one we ran about 18 months ago when he asked Who's the Best... Version of a Character With Multiple Versions?

So that's what we're doing today -- two topics for you to mull over.  Thanks, everyone, for your participation over these weeks in January.  Karen and I return with new material next Saturday!

Doug

Breaking Ant-Man Movie News

Doug:  Bleeding Cool News has important casting information on the 2015 Ant-Man film.  How does Michael Douglas sound to you as Hank Pym?

BAB Classic: The Avengers: The Top 10 Stories

NOTE:  This post was originally published on 9 October 2009

With all due respect to David Letterman and all of the other Top 10ers out there, we're going to start with the #1 Avengers story of the Silver/Bronze Ages and move down the list from there. The method to the madness of this more conventional reveal is to show how each story led to the next, or at least how the stories (although all are outstanding) somewhat declined in importance as each order on the rank is discussed.

1. Return of Captain America. Avengers #4

You might assume that the first issue of the magazine would be the most important. While I would not argue that it has a revered place in Avengers history, it doesn't crack my Top 10, giving way instead to stories that have played specific influence on the mythos. The most important story in all of Avengerdom is Avengers #4, and that is due to Captain America being the single most important member of all who have worn the mantle "Avenger". While not a founder (although later to have that status conferred upon him) of the team, Cap nonetheless soon became the face of the team, the glue that held it together, and its undisputed "go to" leader. And from the depths of the ocean to the bitter cold of the Antarctic, with his Golden Age comrade the Sub-Mariner playing a key role in his revival (as a new Human Torch had played a role in the revival of the Sub-Mariner), Stan Lee and Jack Kirby crafted a tale that would go on to influence the team over the next 45+ years.

2. Intro./origin the Vision. Avengers #57-58

If Cap is the face of the team, then the Vision is the body -- it was the Vision who graced the famous corner box for almost eight years (issues 93-184). While I don't have such a statistic handy, I would argue that the Vision has made more appearances in the Avengers than any other team member besides perhaps Captain America. His first appearance and original origin story, crafted by the classic Silver Age team of scribe Roy Thomas and artist extraordinaire John Buscema, stand as a classic and set up numerous plotlines that would be dealt with for years to come -- the relationship between the Pyms and Ultron, the relationship between Wonder Man and the Vision, the introduction later of the Grim Reaper, the ongoing struggle for humanity that would lead to the Vision becoming a father, his ascension to the chairmanship and proposed takeover of the world's computers, and of course his love for and eventual marriage to the Scarlet Witch. His quiet nobility and incomparable range of powers prove him the most dangerous of team members in combat.

3. First big line-up change. Avengers #16

There was nothing more exciting than those times when the Avengers formally assembled to draft a new roster. Despite ongoing tweaks in the membership with a member coming or going here or there, it was the wholesale changes that defined the team as a book set apart from other team books. Issue #16 is significant for tying up the Captain America/Baron Zemo conflict that had raged over the previous year, and showed that although members of a team, individuals would still be free to tend to individual business. But the dynamics of this new roster -- of bringing in three virtually unheard of characters, all three of whom had been criminals and all three of whom had certainly been untested in an arena as large as any the Avengers usually clashed in -- would shape the book for the remainder of the Silver Age. Scaling down the roster from five heavy hitters to four less-powered characters helped to focus on characterization, which was necessary to bring along the development of Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch. In spite of Quicksilver's on-again, off-again tenure, Hawkeye and Wanda are in that next level of importance to the team directly below Cap and the Vision.

4. Hank's problems begin. Avengers #59-60

Hank Pym holds down the 4th spot on the list, and not for any of the right reasons. I am a big Hank-booster, and it has pained me to no end to continue to read the raw deal the man has received since the infamous wife-slap panel that occurred early in the 1980's. But prior to that the mental health ball got rolling early, even earlier than Avengers #'s 59-60. Almost from the beginning Hank had feelings of inferiority when in the presence of Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk; later, he marvelled at the leadership of Captain America. Shortly after, he found himself stuck at a height of 10-feet. All of these things began to put pressure on him, culminating in his breakdown in Avengers #59 when he took on the identity of Yellowjacket. In my opinion, to make matters worse, Janet agreed to marry Hank while he was unbalanced -- cementing the notion that while "normal", he was unfit to be her husband. But with his new powers and (temporary) personality he became someone whom she could spend her life with. Of course, Hank's downfalls would become a regular theme in the book, and we'll get to another one shortly.

5. Intro. Ultron. Avengers #54

We conclude our look at the individuals who have shaped the book over its long and (mostly) glorious history with a discussion of their most dangerous adversary -- the adamantium-armored robot Ultron. A construct of Hank Pym, Ultron has grown in the annals of Avengers history to be severely entwined in the team's legacy in a sort of perverse family relationship. From his "father" and "mother" Hank and Janet Pym, to his "son" the Vision, to his "wife" Jocasta, Ultron has left his mark time and again against virtually all team line-ups. His indestructibility, his lethal encephalo beams, and his computer mind make him not only the team's most dangerous adversary physically, but perhaps its most dangerous emotionally as well.

6. Bride of Ultron. Avengers #161-162, 170-171

This story celebrates the brilliance of author Jim Shooter and penciller George Perez, and delves further into the fragile psyche of Henry Pym. Appearing in Avengers #161 in his Ant-Man garb and possessing memories dating to the time in between the first and second issues of the title, Pym attacks the Avengers while in the employ of his creation Ultron. The Oedipus complex of Ultron is heightened by the fact that he wants to imbue his self-created wife Jocasta with the life essence of his "mother" the Wasp. My only argument with the execution of the story is the fact that in the intervening issues, there is no mention of Hank's collapse into the Ant-Man era. It was a great plot device, yet dropped seemingly immediately.

7. Kree/Skrull War. Avengers #91-97

Roy Thomas. Neal Adams. John Buscema. Sal Buscema. The Inhumans. The Kree. The Skrulls. Heroes from Timely Comics. The fate of the universe at stake. At the time this was written it was perhaps the longest story in comics history, at seven issues. Epic is the only appropriate adjective. A timeless tale that spanned galaxies and included an Avengers line-up without peer. Don't miss the wonderful scene where Ant-Man has to enter the body of the Vision.

8. Celestial Madonna -- true origin the Vision. Avengers #129-135 and Giant-Size Avengers #'s 2-4

If the above is Avengers Epic #1, then this would be Epic #1A. We've not discussed Kang the Conqueror yet, who most Avengers fans would place either in front of or behind Ultron for the Avengers vilest villain. This is Kang's (and author Steve Englehart's) magnum opus. Focusing on Mantis and her potential to birth the child who will rule the universe, the tale takes the Avengers across time and around the world. Kang's multiple identities as Rama-tut and Immortus are dealt with. Several dead characters are resurrected, including Wonder Man (in a try-out for his future return to the book?), an assemblage of Silver Age baddies including the Crimson Dynamo, the Titanium Man, and the Radioactive Man attack the team in Saigon, the Swordsman meets his fate, and the marriage of the Vision and the Scarlet Witch is witnessed. There isn't much time to catch one's breath. Oh, and did I mention that the true origin of the Vision (bah! to John Byrne) is revealed?

9. Korvac Saga. Avengers #167-168, 170-177

Oh, you want epics? Yeah, all of the above factors of greatness, with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector, and an old minor Thor villain who becomes a god thrown in. My only quibble with this story is that George Perez did not illustrate the entire run. But that's pretty small, as the plot and writing carry it through. Many have commented that the cover of #177 was one of the most impactful images of their young Avenger-reading.

10. Serpent Crown. Avengers #141-148

In some regards, this arc is the sequel to the Celestial Madonna storyline in that Kang is heavily featured in issues 142-144. As a kid I found the subplot with the team journeying to the Old West and interacting with the Two-Gun Kid, Kid Colt, the Rawhide Kid, and the Night Rider just a blast! The Squadron Supreme appears throughout in the main plot, which involves the Avengers attempting to wrest the Serpent Crown from the control of the alternate-reality president, Nelson Rockefeller. Silver Age ditz Patsy Walker becomes the Hellcat, Captain America returns to the team after the Nomad saga in his own book, and a young fellow named George Perez takes over the artistic chores. Not bad...

Now, if I were to name one other story, sort of a best-of-the-rest, it would definitely be Avengers #56, "Death Be Not Proud". To start, it has a powerful cover drawn by John Buscema. A very memorable image of Cap and the fallen Bucky, surrounded by that Avengers famous cover device, the floating heads. The story is incredibly emotional, and fleshes out the true end of Bucky's life in a time-travel tale that actually spills over into Avengers Annual #2. A classic, classic tale.

So, where did I err?

How Small Problems Become Big Problems: Avengers 140

To Everyone Here in the States, a Very Happy Memorial Day (and a special "thank you" to all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom) -- Bring on Summer!

 

Avengers #140 (October 1975)

"A Journey to the Center of the Ant"

Steve Englehart-George Tuska/Vince Colletta

Doug:  When we originally set up this post, we'd included the cover scan from the Comic Book Database, our usual source for the covers we display at the top of our reviews.  However, when scanning for the art samples I decided to switch it out with a scan of the cover of my personal copy.  I want you to direct your eyes to the "A" in Avengers and notice the date written on the cover of this magazine.  I bought this at a corner grocery store (yep, can actually remember exactly when I came into possession of this issue).  Do you have books in your collection with such defacing?  I know that retailers could tear the tops off of the covers and return them to the magazine distributors for partial refunds; my assumption is that what we see here is part of that process.

Doug:  As a youngster, I'll admit to being totally confused by this issue!  I had never seen an issue of Amazing Adventures featuring the Beast, and had really only read the character a time or two in reprints (notably in the Avengers/X-Men crossover that ran in Avengers #53 and X-Men #45 -- albeit in reprints).  But Steve Englehart wrote this one largely as if we were all in on the entire backstory.  When I was nine I found that to have placed a veil over my eyes; on the re-read, I was taken back to that time almost 40 years ago.  We've grown so accustomed to recaps, that this tale without any sort of detailed one included was just a whirlwind (pun intended)!  But enough about me...

Doug: We open on the steps to the hospital at which Janet Pym is a patient.  After helping Yellowjacket defeat the Whirlwind, the Beast has walked his new teammate back to the place where his wife lies in grave danger.  However, as the Beast ascends the steps to the building, he turns to notice Hank Pym stagger and attempt to support himself before crumpling to the ground.  As the Beast bounds over to give aid, he notices that a) YJ's passed out, and b) he seems to be growing!  Hank McCoy deduces that this must be fall-out from a microbe YJ had gotten as Ant-Man some months before.  Panicking, the Beast eschews the stairs or elevators of the building and instead scales it from the outside.  Entering the Wasp's room, he greets Thor, who continues to stand watch.  Thor ushers the Beast out into the hall, where the Thunder God is debriefed on Hank Pym's condition.  The two Avengers make their way to the street, where Pym has already grown to 20 feet!  A doctor comes out and suggests that they move YJ while they still can; Thor says "nay", as he's pretty sure the fallen hero will soon fill any enclosure.  At that, the Beast gets an idea and bounds away without explanation.

Karen: I liked the Beast's simple explanation for why YJ had used his size-changing powers even though he knew it was dangerous: "He wanted to hit somebody so bad..."! That pretty much sums it up. I'm with you, I was fairly confused about the Beast and what he was up to the first time I read this, having not read his Amazing Adventures series.

Doug:  To be fair, Englehart does give us an ever-so-brief reflection by McCoy on his days at the Brand Corporation working as a chemist -- it still went over my head.  Hank wants to break into his former place of employment, as he thinks a project he was working on may help his new friend.  But Brand has a fair amount of security, so the next 3 1/2 pages give us the break in and then subsequent break out by our furry would-be Avenger.  He's able to locate the serum he was after, but has to take out a few guards along the way.

Karen: I think I've commented on this before, but it's odd to think that the Beast had a healing power at this point, much like Wolverine's, and actually I believe he had it before Wolverine's was ever mentioned. But it seems to have been forgotten at some point. He's also got a sort of stream-of-consciousness thing going, where he just keeps rambling on from one thing to the next. I think Steve Englehart must have felt very simpatico with the Beast.

Doug:  Subplot #2 (from last issue):  A redhead knocks on the front door of Avengers Mansion and is told by Jarvis that the Beast is not home.  Really?  You could just walk right up to the front door?  No wonder "Under Siege" took place!  She refuses to leave, and parks herself on the front porch.  I had no clue who she was, and as I recall, a few issues later during the big reveal I still had no idea.

Karen: Shouldn't there be a gate at least?

Doug:  Subplot #3 (again, from last issue):  The Vision and the Scarlet Witch return to NYC via quinjet, and as Wanda continues to lament their honeymoon being cut short, the Vision looks out the window and spies a very large Yellowjacket lying prone in the middle of the street.  He quickly whips the quinjet around and executes a landing, and then hurriedly greets Thor for the 411.  I'll use this space to comment on a bone I've often picked with artists who have to draw giant-sized characters, and I alluded in an earlier post that I'd be bringing this point up when we reviewed this issue.  YJ looks great in this panel -- perfectly proportioned, and he really looks like he might be 50 feet tall.  However, George Tuska's depictions of the supposedly ever-growing Hank are all over the place throughout the rest of the story, and that bugs me.  There must have been some frame of reference that Tuska could have used for consistency's sake.  As long as we're at it, I'll reiterate that Vinnie Colletta isn't the best inker for Tuska.

Karen: Vision's sort of peeved that everyone's surprised they're back so soon, and Wanda's certainly not happy to cut the honeymoon short, although I think at this point she should just be glad Mantis is not around any more. I agree about the ever-changing size of Mr. Pym -he looks 40-50 feet tall when seen by Wanda and Vizh above, but then perhaps 25 feet tall when they land. It is a bit distracting.

Doug:  Wanda emerges from the quinjet as well, and figures that if Hank Pym's troubles are physical and/or organic that she'll be able to fix it.  Nope -- witchcraft is a no-go.  The Beast arrives back on the scene, and among the Avengers they determine that a blood sample from Jan is what McCoy needs to complete his analysis of his wonder-serum and adapting it to Hank Pym's needs.  But when they get back in the hospital, Jan's attending physician says he won't allow a blood draw.  Say what?  I thought this was a somewhat silly plot device, as no doctor should leave any stone unturned when saving a life is at issue.  But what this did do was get an appearance by Dr. Don Blake, who convinces Jan's doctor to help out the Beast.  He relents, and McCoy is able to get a lab to hole up in and do his work.

Karen: Don Blake -- always showing up just at the right time. But really, how does the man have any credibility at all in the medical community? I got a good laugh out of this. The character was such a plot device. I was glad when they finally got rid of him for good.

Doug:  Subplot #1 (again - last time - from last issue):  Moondragon and Iron Man are just about to leave Doc Doom's castle after having gone there in search of Hawkeye.  Finding no evidence of the bowman, Iron Man follows the priestess from the chamber when he hears something -- the time travel platform suddenly materializes, and with blood on it.  Iron Man declares that he smells a trap!

Karen: Although I tend to connect Hawkeye with Cap, because of their time together in the early days, Iron Man has a strong connection to Hawkeye too of course: Hawkeye first appeared in Iron Man's book (well in Tales of Suspense anyway) as an enemy. So Shellhead's intense motivation to find Clint is understandable.  Just one question here though: Why is Moondragon drawn with pointed ears?

Doug:  Back at the hospital, the Beast is finally successful in getting the formula he wanted to create.  After his five hour ordeal, he looks in on Jan.  Passing by a window, he sees that Hank Pym has now grown to 150 feet (but looks much smaller than he did from the Vision's previous aerial view).  Racing to the elevator and down, McCoy joins Thor, the Vision, and the Scarlet Witch beside their fallen comrade.  The Beast declares that the serum has to get into YJ's bloodstream fast.  The Vision offers to take it, and climbs the arm and chest of Yellowjacket.  Once on his chest, the Vision turns intangible and enters the giant.  Of course this is reminiscent of a turned table from several years past, when Hank Pym as Ant-Man saved the Vision in similar fashion.  I found it puzzling that it seemed unclear to the Beast how Pym would be administered the drug, yet once inside YJ the Vision remarked to himself that he didn't know how McCoy had made the drug with properties of tangibility/intangibility.

Karen: Beast creates the formula but apparently isn't sure how he's going to get it into YJ. Then the Vision volunteers, and says he can take it, as he can control not only his own density, but that of his costume and everything within it, and with that pours the formula into his cape. OK, fine. But then a few minutes later, the Vision is inside YJ's chest and declares he doesn't know how the Beast has made the liquid intangible like himself. I think what happened here is old Steve wrote the first part, then went and had dinner, or went to bed, who knows, then came back and wrote the second part and completely forgot what he had written before!

Doug:  Inside Yellowjacket, the Vision makes his way toward and then into the giant's heart.  Along the way he's attacked by the very microbes that have caused this problem.  In a move that I guess I would not have recommended, the Vision slightly solidifies himself so that he can combat the little nasties.  He's then able to release the serum and exit the body.  Once outside he's hailed as a hero, while standers by note that Yellowjacket is already beginning to shrink.  It's mere moments before he's conscious, and then sitting up shortly thereafter.  Once back to his normal height, he quickly jumps to his feet and begins to run toward the hospital -- against the advice of his teammates.  Undeterred, Pym finds his wife's room, where she has also snapped back to "normalcy".  The two share a reunion, as the Avengers bask in their love, and a mission accomplished.

Karen: Man, did he recover quickly or what? I thought that was a little hard to swallow, but then we're talking about a guy who can grow to 150 feet tall, so I guess all bets are off. I have to say the trip inside YJ was pretty underwhelming, particularly when compared to the similar trip inside the Vision as drawn by Neal Adams in issue #93. I think my favorite part is Thor raising his hammer and yelling at the end.

Doug:  I have always liked this two-parter, probably mostly due to the fact that it was among the first consecutive issues of the Avengers that I owned.  As I've said before, I had quite a smattering of this title as well as the Marvel Triple Action reprints, but this may have been the first complete story that I owned -- I know that very early on I had copies of #'s 111 and 119 as "new" issues.  I really enjoyed the battle the previous issue with a giant Yellowjacket, and the pacing of this conclusion, with the Beast working to beat the clock, the return of the Vision and Scarlet Witch, and the various subplots all served to give me the impression that this was a must-read comic series.  And as I've loved these heroes for over 40 years now, I'd say the creators did a good job at selling to this guy.

Growing Pains: Avengers 139

Avengers #139 (September 1975)

"Prescription: Violence!"

Steve Englehart-George Tuska/Vince Colletta

Doug:  What in the world is there not to like about a floating heads cover?  Well, no matter what you might suggest to the contrary, I'll always argue that there is nothing not to like.  And there's no place better to find them than featuring Earth's Mightiest Heroes!  Hey, this 2-parter was my suggestion to Karen a few months ago when we were plotting the spring after our January hiatus.  It's never been a secret that I'm in Hank Pym's corner -- have been since I read this story, Avengers #28, and on and on.  This book also shows that Steve Englehart had truly mastered Stan Lee's formula of angst, subplots, and characterization.  And there's not just a little bit of action in this one.  Shall we?

Doug:  When this book was new, I had only read a smattering of tales of the Avengers.  I knew of the Kooky Quartet and the team just after, I'd seen parts of the "Celestial Madonna" arc, and some of the Giant-Size issues.  But in terms of having any sort of a consistent run on the title, I'd not amassed anything approximating that as of yet.  So as we go through this, with all of the aforementioned subplots, I'll say that it wasn't exactly a jumping-on point for this 9-year old!  But I will say that with this issue, I did start a string of issues that didn't stop until just before #200 when I stopped collecting for a few years.  We open in a hospital room, where it's pretty crowded.  An apparently naked Janet Pym lies asleep while her husband threatens the Toad.  You see, in the last ish Magneto's former lap dog had impersonated the Stranger and Janet had suffered grave injuries.  Now Hank ain't happy -- not a bit.  The rest of the roster is present as well, and it's a pretty impressive line-up:  Thor, Iron Man, the Beast, and Moondragon.  This was the line-up, along with Cap, Vision, and the Scarlet Witch, that Englehart would use in the conclusion of his run as writer.

Karen: I suppose I'm repeating myself, but I jumped on to the Avengers bandwagon with issue #92, right at the start of the Kree-Skrull War, and the Pyms didn't have a role in the saga at that point, so my real introduction to them was via reprints in Marvel Triple Action and elsewhere. But Hank already seemed like a tragic figure to me because of his troubles getting stuck at giant-size way back when. He always seemed very dedicated to Jan too, which made their later problems all the more painful. Doesn't it seem weird that Jan is apparently nude under the sheet?

Doug:  It's a complete artistic faux pas, because when our baddie arrives she's clearly wearing a hospital gown.  Anyway, as Hank gets madder and madder, his teammates try to calm him down.  Hank yells at the doctor, at Iron Man, at Thor -- really, everyone.  In the midst of the turmoil, who should show up but the Whirlwind?  And just like a Whirlwind -- seriously, out of the blue (well, he was on the cover...).  He rolls in, hurls a few insults, brushes off the Beast and Thor, makes a dope of Iron Man, and cracks Yellowjacket in the noggin.  It's not until Moondragon gives him a mind blast that he abandons his plan of kidnapping the Wasp.  He retreats, and it's right back to the yelling.  I thought this opening scene was a little strange, to say the least.  While I had, at the time, read other Marvel books with this sort of in-fighting, this was over the top.  Hank all of a sudden winces with pain, and then runs off.  Thor and Iron Man are incredulous at Hank's behavior under stress.  In fact, Iron Man makes a snide remark:  "To think he helped found the Avengers!"

Karen: Hank certainly seemed to be cracking up. It's not like he hadn't shown signs of mental instability before -- let's not forget that his whole Yellowjacket persona came about because of a  mental break. But I don't think we'd ever seen him behave quite so erratically as this. Of course, Englehart was trying to ratchet up the tension here. As for Iron Man's remark -- did you notice that Englehart developed distinct personalities for all of the team members during his run? Even the heroes who had their own books, like Iron Man and Thor, were consistent within the Avengers title (even if they didn't conform to their depictions in their own title). His Iron Man tended to be a bit of an arrogant, headstrong old timer.

Doug:  Yes, Englehart's team was ever-fighting, and at the drop of a hat.  I recall the scene in Avengers #130 when Thor and IM tangle -- short fight.  Hey, even though we're really just starting, let's take a time-out from the plot and look at the art.  First off, I always liked the "nose mask".  I know it is much maligned, but it always made sense to me -- why would you want your nose all scrunched under the flat faceplate?  So I like this era.  But a third of the way through the book and George Tuska has used nothing but straight-on camera angles!  I know I'm going to comment on a couple of cool panels later in this review, but to begin this one, with all of the angst and confusion, the art just doesn't sell that idea!  And Vinnie Colletta just isn't the guy to help Tuska, although they were often paired up in the Bronze Age.

Karen: The nose mask on Shellhead took a little getting used to, but it didn't bother me, because as you say, it actually made sense. Although visually, I think the flat mask is more dramatic. I think Alex Ross' version, where the face plate bends out slightly, is probably the best all-around version. But back to the art -- I've said before I'm not a Tuska fan, and I'll pretty much leave it at that.

Doug:  At the conclusion of the hospital scene, after Hank had stalked off, Iron Man grabs Moondragon and tells Thor and the Beast that they will go in search of Hawkeye.  Ol' Hawk had used Doc Doom's time machine two issues prior and had not returned.  Thor, chairman at the time, chafes at this insubordination.  I'll declare that I did not care at all for Iron Man at this time, and this very issue may be a big reason why.  It's pretty obvious why he wants to sneak away with her, and a few pages later we'll find that I'm right.  But we cut away as Thor begins his own Asgardian meltdown, and pick it up with Dr. Pym on the street.  Waiting outside the hospital is Charles, Janet's chauffeur.  The Pyms had fired him during the Ant-Man series that ran in Marvel Feature (of which I've never read an issue).  Charles says something like Janet might benefit from a familiar face -- Hank of course tells him to get lost.  We then see Charles enter the hospital anyway, and get a peek at his thoughts.  Charles is in reality the Whirlwind, and has always been close to the Pyms.  But when Charles enters Jan's room, he finds the Beast and Thor still by her side.  Thor greets him, as he backs out the door to scheme again.

Karen: I had perhaps two issues of Marvel Feature when Pym was playing "Incredible Shrinking Man" but I honestly can't recall much about them, other than Egghead and his niece appearing in an issue. I also haven't read many of the old Tales to Astonish when Pym headlined. So this whole backstory with Whirlwind is news to me. It sort of makes the Pyms look clueless. Of course, Whirlwind doesn't appear too bright when he saunters into the hospital, expecting to find the Wasp left alone. Really? You think the Avengers would leave one of their own alone and vulnerable to attack? Duh!

Doug:  Subplot #1 -- Iron Man and Moondragon rocket across the Atlantic Ocean on their way to Latveria.  Iron Man, in all his best (or worst) smarminess, comes on to Moondragon.  She turns the tables on him, which takes Tony off guard.  But in a preface to her conversations with Thor some months in the future, she yells to her companion that although she was born on Earth, she is not an Earthwoman!

Karen: I thought this was a hilarious comeuppance for playboy Stark. "Should I now turn to you like this and press my yielding lips to your cold metallic ones?" Stark is completely dumbfounded, not used to having a woman refuse his come-ons. More than any other writer at that particular time, Englehart had a sensitivity to women and their issues, and managed to create scenes like this which were not heavy-handed but did manage to get across a point.

Doug:  Subplot #2 -- A female hand grasps a newspaper announcing that the Beast has joined the Avengers.  She crumples the paper, turns on her heel, and cries, "Look out, Beast!  You won't escape me again!"

Karen: Now we know where this is going, but at the time, as I hadn't read any of the Beast's solo stories in Amazing Adventures, I had no idea what this was about. I'm sure I was not alone.

Doug:  Oh, so it's somewhat self-serving by the author, a la Brian Bendis and all of his "pets"?

Doug:  Back to the main action, Hank's at home, reminiscing on the good times he and Jan have had.  It's really nice, and we believe that they have a deep love.  As he turns to leave the house, Whirlwind attacks him on his front lawn.  Hank immediately calls on ants to weaken the ground, which throws Whirlwind off balance.  Then Hank draws his cellular-disruptor pistol and Whirlwind flees immediately.  Here is a very nice series of five panels where Tuska and Colletta really shine.  The page you see here with the aerial shot of Whirlwind followed by Hank looking pensively at the gun is really well done.  A little detective work in his brain, and...  Hank calls the hospital and checks on Jan.  He asks the Beast a question, and gets the answer he assumed he'd get.  He turns down the Beast's offer of help.

Karen: I agree, the art here was pretty dynamic. But I just didn't buy the whole bit here about Whirlwind running from the cellular disruptor pistol --"a weapon he shouldn't have recognized." If Whirlwind already knew about YJ and his powers, and he was so scared of the pistol, why would he have attacked earlier? I thought it was a little weak but I'm probably being nitpicky.

Doug:  Subplot #1, part 2 -- Iron Man, all sarcastic with Moondragon now, lands the quinjet and together they enter Doom's castle.  IM makes a comment about not being with the team when last they visited, in Avengers #56.  Surprisingly, this was one of the first issues of the title I owned, and a great one at that.  But, no time machine, and no Hawkeye.  We know where he is, don't we?

Karen:  Boy, Iron Man really is stinging from Moondragon's rebuff! It must have been a very uncomfortable trip to Latveria. But yes, the time machine is gone. Oh that crazy Hawkeye!

Doug:  Subplot #3 -- We see the Vision and Scarlet Witch, in full costume on their honeymoon (duh...).  Wanda wants to stay in paradise longer, but the Vision wants to return to the team.  I thought that this was appropriate, as he'd been the face of the team for years at this point.

Karen: I know way back when, we had some discussions about the Vision and Wanda's marriage, and I opined that in some ways it was a comic-book stand-in for an inter-racial relationship. I still feel that way -- Englehart had people protesting their relationship, even going so far in issue #113 to become suicide bombers. Here, Vision tells Wanda they need to go back and face the public and whatever reactions their marriage may cause. Vision almost seems anxious to do this, like he can't wait to see what the reality of their life together will be, for good or ill. But largely, the public disapproval angle was dropped, and the two mostly faced problems from Wanda's brother, Quicksilver, and the Vision's pseudo-brother, the Grim Reaper.

Doug:  Back in New York, we find Charles the chauffeur come staggering out of a bar.  But as he gets to his limo, Yellowjacket emerges from the back door.  Jig's up -- Hank grabs Charles and tells him exactly why the Whirlwind fled from Hank's pistol -- only Charles and a few others had ever seen the gun and knew what it could do.  And since the Whirlwind knew...  Charles immediately spins into costume and it's game on!  But the wild card in this fight?  Hank suddenly shoots up to 20 feet -- heck yeah!  I knew enough about Yellowjacket to know that this didn't happen -- never!  So I was totally taken aback and simply glued to the remaining pages.  For my criticism of the camera angles in the earlier parts of this issue, the improvement shown over the last five pages is astonishing.  This is fast-paced, all-out action.  The words and pictures really paint Hank Pym as a man possessed, and the Whirlwind as so cocky it costs him.  After a battle across a few city blocks, Hank shrinks to ant-size and gets up under Whirlwind's chestplate.  At close range the stings send his nemesis into a frenzy.  But just as he's about to put Whirlwind away, Hank inexplicably falls from the chestplate.  As Whirlwind readies to stomp the tiny Avenger, a big furry blue fist knocks him out cold.  While the Beast's sudden entrance might be a deus ex machina, I thought it served to further show Hank McCoy's wanting to make the Avengers his new home -- and bonding with a teammate to prove it.  In fact, the Beast hoists Whirlwind over his shoulder and the two heroes head back to the hospital.

Karen: One would think that suddenly growing to 20 feet tall, then down to bug-sized, couldn't be healthy for a person. Next issue we'll see just what a strain it put on Pym. As for the Beast's fortuitous arrival -- hey, that's what friends are for! However, it did make for a rather abrupt ending to the story. But the team regroups and things get really wild next time around.