Avengers #150

TITLE: The Avengers #150

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

COVER DATE: August 1976

COVER PRICE: $0.25

18 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

As I mentioned on the last post, I just recently reread this issue so the events are pretty fresh in my mind. It doesn't help, that this issue serves as a vehicle for reprinting bits and pieces of stories that any Avengers or Marvel fan should know by heart. And honestly, if you don't know what happened in Avengers #4, you should probably just hang it up.

I'll cut the non-Avenger reader some slack if they're unfamiliar with Wonder Man's introduction in #9, and I might even be lenient about ignorance with the first big wholesale line-up change in issue #16 if you catch me on a good day.

And you know what? Today is a good day, because this issue reprints those exact issues. So while we don't get a new Avengers line-up until the next issue, we are treated to some highlights of the first year and half of Avengers history, courtesy of Messrs. Lee and Kirby. If that wasn't enough, we also get a framing sequence by Steve Englehart and George Perez.

Let's get right to it, and in the interest of still having something to say when and if the Randomizer picks issue #9 or 16, I'm going to forgo the full on review and just geek out for the remainder of this issue and soak up all that Lee, Kirby and Perez have to offer.

Since this was the anniversary of 150 issues of The Avengers, let's see if I can find 150 things to geek out about in these eighteen pages. Everybody synchronize your watches, and we're off...

1. Awesome cover by Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia! That right there is just about the perfect Avengers line-up. Swap out Hawkeye for Hellcat, and I could read about these guys all day long.


2. It only cost two bits!


3. Great issue title. Avengers Assemble! It's also a great catch-phrase, but why does it work as well as it does? It's not like assemble is the most action-packed verb around, and it definitely doesn't translate to other super-hero teams nearly as well. Champions Congregate! Fantastic Four Forgather! Metal Men Muster! It's a true mystery for the ages.


4. Stan Lee


5. Jack Kirby


6. George Perez

I'm probably cheating by listing the creative team separately, but I gotta get to 150 somehow. Besides, those guys are legends and deserve the honor. And while I've acknowledged that I'm playing fast and loose with the rules, these guys ain't nothing to sneeze at either...


7. Steve Englehart


8. John Tartag


9. Duffy Vohland


10. Dick Ayers


11. Denise Wohl


12. Artie Simek


13. I love time travelling villains


14. Irene Vartanoff


15. Archie Goodwin


16. Avengers Trope #41: The assembled mass of people and reporters outside of Avengers Mansion. I love this visual, as it really drives home the accessibility of these heroes. You couldn't do this with a moon base.


17. Yellowjacket. You can keep your Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath, Wasp, Scientist Supreme, or Dr. Pym identities. To me, Hank Pym will always be Yellowjacket (although I do kinda like the sound of that Scientist Supreme one).


18. Crazy wild coincidence! That just happens to be the 150th different costume that the Wasp has worn in her tenure with the Avengers so far.


19. Another crazy wild coincidence! I think I may have just made that last fact up out of thin air.


20. It's not named here, but one can only wonder if that is Korr that Yellowjacket is riding on.


21. The Wasp's fiery streak! She's come a long way in the past 118 issues.


22. A bonus shout out for referencing continuity from the previous year...and in a Marvel book, no less. Those were the days.


23. Jarvis' striped pants and tails. There's a butler who dresses for success.


24. Avengers Trope #81: Monogrammed chairs! Nothing says super-hero headquarters like monogrammed chairs.


25. Although, for each of them supposedly having chairs "especially reserved for them", it would appear that the Beasts and Hellcats are pretty interchangeable. One can only assume that their decals are waiting if they make the cut into the new line-up.


26. Appropriate that Iron Man's symbol is that of both iron and man.


27. Avengers Trope #68: Overly dramatic resignations!
    
    But I guess when you're dealing with the god of thunder, you should expect a little bluster every now and again.


28. Thor's abrupt announcement leads us to our first flashback to Avengers #1 and the formation of the team, helpfully recapped by the local newscaster reporting from outside. It was pretty awesome that the news station had Kirby on staff to provide some artist's renderings of the action.


29. It turns out, it's actually George Perez that they had on staff. I just checked the panels that I assumed were reprinted from Avengers #1 with the actual issue, but they're not the same. So there you go, a little Perez after Kirby for you. Here's another...


30. I like how Iron Man keeps his options open. You know, just in case this whole Avengers thing doesn't pan out.


31. This was obviously the Hulk from his more verbose, catch-phrase spewing youth.


32. Overly officious membership by-laws.


33. Wait a minute...isn't everyone here? Couldn't you just do a show of hands and get the new chairman installed with an actual mandate behind him? We all know what happens when a leader gets appointed, rather than elected.


34. Here's Perez' take on Kirby's classic scene of a frozen cap from Avengers #4.


35. Followed shortly by a nice Perez ala Heck re-imagining.
    
    
36. There's something right about George Perez drawing Wonder Man. He's one of the few that can make his myriad of questionable costumes seem not quite so questionable.


37. With the flashbacks coming this quickly, it's only a matter of time until we're at the formation of the new Avengers in Avengers #16. And with it, our first glimpse of actual Kirby art.
    
    And not a moment too soon, as the old Avengers seem to be in a spot of trouble!


38. Avengers Trope #92: Nothing says let me onto your team more than an "I just kicked your teams ass" introduction!



39. Hawkeye!


40. Flashbacks within flashbacks. Were there no editors back then. But it's Hawkeye, so we'll give him a pass.
    
    


41. And what of old Jarvis tied up in the corner? No hard feelings I'm sure, but we'll see how quickly your tea and biscuits gets delivered the next time your feeling a bit peckish, eh Hawkeye?


42. ZZZZZZZIT!


43. TWANNNNNG!


44. SSSSSSST!


45. Three arrows loosed from the same bow at the same time, and only one of them sounds like an actual arrow. Although in all fairness, I think that last sound effect is actually coming from the snake that Hawkeye used to tie up Jarvis' legs with, so we're all good. It's probably a good thing he was around to get that snake before something drastic happened, eh?


46. More by-laws! Good thing there's an employee manual to get the new members up to speed.


47. Watch that wandering eye, Jan! You know your man is a bit of a loose cannon, right?


48. One reformed villain joined up, so why not offer a spot to Namor, The Sub-Mariner?


49. Denied!


50. He'd come around in about a hundred issues or so, and end up palling around with the Avengers for a good few years. I actually have a lot of love for Namor in the Avengers as his arrival came right around the time I started reading the books on a regular basis.


51. Don't fret Iron Man, there's plenty of b-list villains hanging around that are just dying to join up.


52. Old-timey social networking at its finest. I long for the days when you could have a membership drive using the want ads.


53. Quicksilver's hair, the beta-testing for Logan's hairdo.


54. Self-deprecating Stan.
    
    I guess even Stan gets tired of Magneto boasting in those early issues, as we have yet another flashback in a flashback dealing with the origin of Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch.


55. Old-timey social networking at its finest, part two.
    
    I guess the equivalent today would be tweeting your request for membership to #avengersmemberdrive.


56. Quicksilver has lovely penmanship for someone who, and I'm only assuming here, writes really fast.


57. Captain America fighting jungle beasts! Why? Who cares, as we've had a real lack of action in this issue.


58. If only he would've fought a gorilla, we would've come full circle from our last post.


59. I guess this is still early in Cap's career, as he hasn't mastered the art of ricocheting his shield back to him with every throw. There's nothing more foolish than a super-hero picking his shield up off the ground.


60. Back in the states, Cap is still on his jungle high and looks to avoid the assembled reporters in true, man of action style.
    
    Surely there has to be a secret door somewhere, eh?


61. Reunions!
    
    Just because the other Avengers are kid-sized to Giant-Man, shouldn't give him permission to treat them as such.


62. Time-travelling villains! Although isn't there some sort of paradox being violated by having two disparate versions of the same character commenting about the same thing in real time?


63. Did I mention that I love time-travelling villains? Maybe I'll go back in time and mention it there too!


64. The drama...oh, the drama!


65. Really Rick Jones? I mean really? (with apologies to Seth and Amy)


66. Tip for Rick Jones on getting into the Avengers. Try robbing a bank or subjugating mankind first. It seemed to work out all right for the new line-up.


67. I think Tony Stark is the poster child for personal reasons.


68. Overly dramatic exits...


69. ...and new beginnings!

And that brings the 150th issue extravaganza to a close. Let's see how we did on our quest to find 150 interesting things about Avengers #150. After totaling up the judges scores, it looks like we got to 69...so close, so close.

Lucky for you, you won't be going home empty-handed. That's right, along with the home version of the Random Longbox board game, every reader will also be going home with the identity of the new line-up that was teased in this very issue, but never revealed.

Here it is, enjoy...

(oh, and spoilers I suppose, for those of you not up on your 34 year old continuity)

As far as line-ups go, it doesn't get much better than that.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

The Vision And The Scarlet Witch #5

TITLE: The Vision and the Scarlet Witch #5

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: February 1986

COVER PRICE: $0.75

22 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

Regular readers of this blog are well aware that The Avengers was the first comic book that I started collecting, and in pretty quick order The Vision would become my favorite Avenger. It was only natural, that this series would then be a no brainer for me.

This series actually has a couple of firsts for me, as it was the first mini-series that I remember buying off the rack. It's also the first mini-series that I remember abandoning before it was finished. Whether it was the twelve-issue commitment that scared me off, or the lackluster story, or a combination of the two is something I can't quite remember. The Vision (and the Scarlet Witch by extension) would remain one of my favorite characters for a long while, so I would imagine it was the story.

If I remember correctly, this series chronicled the Vision and Wanda as they left the Avengers with the news that Wanda was pregnant. How an android and a mutant witch could conceive a baby is something that this series would explore. And honestly, what better way to capture the imagination of a teenage boy than with the trials and tribulations of a couple pregnant with their first child!

Am I being too hard on this series? Or are we in for a real treat now that I'm a more world weary and mature reader? Let's find out...

The others call it...All Hallow's Eve!

• Story: Steve Englehart
• Pencils:Richard Howell
• Inks: Jack Abel & Mike Esposito
• Colors: Adam Philips
• Letters: Rick Parker
• Editor: Jim Salicrup
• Editor in Chief: Jim Shooter

It's Halloween in the Marvel Universe, and the Vision is all dressed up in a tux and hitting the town. After relocating to the suburbs, the Vision and the Scarlet Witch have made friends with their new neighbors, who just happen to be heroes in hiding with the power of molecular control. Instead of using their powers to fight the good fight, they became magicians using their powers to create realistic illusions. It is the premier of their Halloween show, and that has brought Vision back to the city.

This being Halloween night though, means that Wanda is back at the house getting ready to flex her magick ability to take advantage of the nature of the night to communicate with her recently deceased mentor, Agatha Harkness. Before that however, she had just enough time call her brother Quicksilver to let him know that he is going to be an Uncle.

Really Quicksilver? You're going to give your sister a hard time about her robot husband, when you live on the moon with your wife who is a member of a race of humans that were genetically evolved by an alien race!

Quicksilver actually turns out to be really happy for his sister, and promises to be back on earth for Thanksgiving. It's really amazing how much these two characters have been changed (not necessarily for the better in my opinion) over the last five years. Heck, you can even throw in the Vision here as well. If you've never read a comic before the 21st century rolled around, you'd be asking yourself who the hell are these people? And why are they so damn happy?

Back to Wanda's seance, and things aren't going quite like she planned. She manages to contact Agatha only briefly before she dissipates to be replaced by her undead grandson Thornn! Ooopsie...

Back at the magic show, Agatha Harkness is able to materialize briefly to warn the Vision that Wanda is in trouble and it all leads back to the Druid Tome. Vision informs us that they had tussled with Samhain and his Druid Tome years ago, and if Samhain is back then they are in real trouble. His tie to the physical world was the Tome, which they had destroyed last time. If he's back then they won't be able to use the Tome to send him back to the dead realms.

Meanwhile, Wanda finds out that she's in more trouble than she thought as Thornn has brought a whole cadre of undead supervillains with him. It turns out that the baby that Wanda is carrying is holding a spark of magickal life within it that the demons want to use to help them rematerialize into the living world.

That seems to make some logical sense. Vision, on the other hand, has the more fantastical unbelievable part of the adventure to come. To defeat Samhain, he must rebuild the Druid Tome. But wasn't it burned? It was, but luckily (and conveniently) the powers of the Vision's new magician friends will allow them to rebuild the book with just a single speck of ash.

But how to find a piece of ash from years ago? Easy...track down the child who was turned into a ghost from the previous adventure with the Tome and hope that the sheet that she wore for her Halloween costume that night is still intact, and that it has never been washed so that they can collect a piece of ash that must have been deposited on it when the Vision transported them through the smoke of the burning book.

You got all that? I hope so, as I'd be hard pressed to find a better way to recap that.

Seeing as how this is a special Halloween issue, the Scarlet Witch is visited by all sorts of dead relatives clawing their way back from the dead to torment her and try to reclaim her baby's life for their own.

She eventually comes face to face with Samhain, who...surprise, surprise...wants the slice of magickal life contained in Wanda's child for himself. These demons and creatures of the undead are a rather single-minded lot, are they not?

Naturally, Vision finding a two year old speck of ash proves far easier than finding a storyline that doesn't rely on wild coincidences and happenstance. That's not important now, as we have a book that needs burning!

Summoning all the power contained in his solar jewel, Vision reduces the Tome to atoms, forcing Samhain into a form of pure energy. Normally you'd think that would be bad, but Agatha Harkness is back to let us know that everything is going according to plan.

Now that Samhain is pure energy, she can control him and redirect him as never before. Taking advantage of the nearby hordes of undead super-villains and demons, she redirects his energy that he had hoped to put into the baby's essence and deposits them bit by bit into the assembled undead horde.

Her job now done and the baby safe, Agatha disappears to once again rest in peace. Wanda and the Vision are reunited in the living worlds, and all is right with the world.


SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

I think we learned why I never did stick with this mini-series originally. It wasn't bad per se, it was just decidedly average. How this story warranted a 12-part mini-series seems a bit of a mystery. I suppose the standards for mini-series was a bit more lax back in the day. In fact, on the back cover of this issue in an in-house ad for Secret Wars II. At least Marvel had the good sense to limit that series to nine issues, but I think I would still take all twelve of Vision and Scarlet Witch's series to one featuring the Beyonder.

Anyways, Steve Englehart and Richard Howell do a serviceable job with this particular issue. It's Halloween, so of course all of the usual tropes and trappings of the holiday are in full display...ghosts, zombies, witches, magick spells, underworld dimensions...heck, even Dracula makes a cameo!

At the end of the day, however, it's a throwaway story about some characters who are nigh unrecognizable in today's continuity. It's a shame, as these characters deserve better.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

Related links for your surfing pleasure...

• Jason over at Marvel Comics of the 1980's clues us in to the crossover with West Coast Avengers that kicked this series off. We apparently just missed this title being good.
• We've come across books dealing with Wanda and the Vision here and here earlier.

X-Statix #25

TITLE: X-Statix #25

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: September 2004

COVER PRICE: $2.99

22 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

I'm pretty sure that this title was one of the last X-Titles that I ever really enjoyed. Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men had just wrapped up a couple of months before, while this title was winding down. It would be the last time I actually looked forward to reading about Marvel's Merry Mutants!

Perhaps I'm being a little harsh, as there have been a couple of bits of good stuff in the last five years. Like Peter David's Madrox mini and one or two of Mike Carey's issues. But the good is far outweighed by issues both bad and mediocre, best exemplified by the storyline whose name I dare not speak for fear that even that will acknowledge it's place in continuity (psst..it's The Draco, but don't let anyone know I told you).

If my fascination with all things X had to end, I suppose Morrison, Milligan, and Allred were the perfect messengers with which to lay them to rest. They both took wildly different directions to tell their stories. Morrison took the core concept and amped it up about 1000%, while Milligan and Allred took the core concept and through it out the window.

I fear that the X-Titles will never be as good as they were at this time. But then I thought that back when Claremont originally left in the early 90's, so hope springs eternal. But for now, let's relive the last great days of the mutants.

The Good And The Famous

• Writer: Peter Milligan
• Pencils: Mike Allred
• Inks: Nick Crane
• Colors: Laura Allred
• Letters: Blambot's Nate Piekos
• Color Assisting: Jennifer Lee
• Editor: Axel Alonso
• Chief: Joe Quesada
• Publisher: Dan Buckley

This issue is part five of five of the big throwdown with The Avengers. All you basically need to know to bring you up to speed is that Doop (the globulous green guy on the cover) was kidnapped. While in custody, his brain explodes and scatters to the far corners of the earth. Fearing that his brain could be used as a weapon in the wrong hands, The Avengers decide that they must track the pieces down. They really don't trust X-Statix, so five issues of wackiness ensues.

The story is told in the old Justice League of America style, with the team splitting up to achieve individual goals, before coming back together. In the previous issues, there was Captain America vs. the Anarchist...Dead Girl vs. Scarlet Witch...Mr. Sensitive vs. Iron Man...Hawkeye vs. Vivisector...Ant Man vs. Venus Dee Milo. I'm not going to tell you who won, as you'll just have to dig your old issues out and reread 'em again (you do have them, right?).

At the beginning of this issue, the Avengers have three pieces of Doop's brain while X-Statix only have two. As you can see from the cover, the last battle is between Doop and Thor.

A piece of Doop's brain has found itself on mighty Asgard. Doop and Venus Dee Milo teleport there to find it, but are waylayed by Thor, who is after the brain for the Avengers. One whack by Mjolnir puts Doop down for the count, while Thor continues his search.

It doesn't take long for the citizenry of Asgard to bring the brain to Thor, but no sooner does he have it in his grasp when he is sucker punched by Doop. Thor wrestles free from Doop's grasp and hurtles Mjolnir at Doop. To his surprise, Doop absorbs the hammer into his body.

Boasting about the taste of Thor's hammer, Doop is unsettled as Thor begins to summon Mjolnir to return to his grasp. Instead of vomiting up the hammer, Doop shows that he is not to be underestimated by regurgitating a horde of hammers. While Thor attempts to find the real Mjolnir, Doop claims his brain as his own once again.

As Thor attempts to summon Mjolnir, all of the hammers begin to rise and rocket upwards, bringing down the walls around them. Doop drops the brain in all the excitement, and it is Thor's once more.

All of the destruction taking place on Asgard has awoken the Fatal Sisters, three long dead valkyriur who have been summoned by the call of battle. And arise they have, trampling the Odinson in their path, causing him to drop Doop's brain.

Doop takes possesion of his brain once again, but if he thought he had regained the upper hand, think again.

Standing in front of him know are the rest of the Mighty Avengers...Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Ant Man.

They claim that they are here to help Doop, but only if he surrenders his brain to their custody. While Doop ponders their request (i.e. demand), Thor returns with a grave warning. The matter of Doop's brain will have to wait, for the awakened Fatal Sisters are on their way to earth to reclaim the world of man for Asgard.

They won't have to take them on by themselves, however, as the rest of X-Statix are teleported to Asgard by Venus Dee Milo. In classic Marvel style, the two teams of heroes realize that they shouldn't be fighting each other after all, as a common foe needs their attention.

The sheer might of the thirteen assembled heroes convinces the Fatal Sisters that now is not the time for their battle, as they return to their slumber. Wow, that was easy. But things have a habit of never going smoothly for X-Statix. Captain America is impressed by the way X-Statix put aside their differences to help defeat the Fatal Sisters, but X-Statix being X-Statix, they have some chips on their shoulders that need tending to.

The Vivisector is upset that Hawkeye led him on into thinking they had a future together, while the Anarchist pulls the race card against Captain America. Cap demands an apology, but the only one forthcoming from Tike is his fist.

While it would appear another dust-up is inevitable, Doop starts to go into convulsions. It would seem the back-up brain located in his butt is breaking down. Mr. Sensitive convinces the rest of X-Statix to hand over their pieces of the brain, as the Avengers are the more responsible party and they should allowed to look after Doop.

Captain America is impressed once again by their act of selflessness, and allows them to keep Doop in their custody...for now. Cap pays them a compliment by noticing that they're not quite "the devil-may-care, irresponsible, fame-seeking, image-obsessed poseurs" that they've made themselves out to be.

Little does Captain America know, that he just insulted the entire team. Back at their base, X-Statix begin to reflect on exactly what they want out of the team. It seems everyone is just in it for either themselves, or the fame, or both. As it's suggested that the team disband, everyone falls silent.

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

So here's a bonus fact about this issue...it turns out that this was probably the last issue that I enjoyed reading about The Avengers as well. So that makes this issue a two-fer, and it's a damn good one at that.

Peter Milligan gives us another absurdist issue, all the while playing the Avengers relatively straight. So in the end, we get the best of both worlds. I've always enjoyed Milligan's stories when they run slightly askew, and his run of X-Statix definitely fits that bill. Dare I say it, but he actually made us care for this bunch of characters that were basically one-note gags.

Mike Allred's art has always intrigued me, but for whatever reason I could never seem to keep up with his series Madman. The fact that he kept such a high level of quality for 40 some issues of this team, cemented his place in the Random Longbox hall of fame.

He has only gone on to bigger and better things, continually reinventing his storytelling techniques tenfold. Currently, you can find his work in Wednesday Comics, teaming up with Neil Gaiman on the Metamorpho strip. And if you haven't seen it already, you have to pick up issues #8 and 9 just to see them take the Periodic Table of Elements and transform it into a two-page action scene! Action nerds unite!

Rereading this issue of X-Statix reminded me just how good this series was. There's a serious hole in my hardcover collection that is just screaming for an X-Statix Omnibus. I mean, seriously...if they can publish a Secret Wars II omnibus, they can get around to publishing this one too!

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

Avengers West Coast #50

TITLE: Avengers West Coast #50

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: November 1989

COVER PRICE: $1.00

23 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

The Vision was the first character that I became attached to, where I started collecting his key books from the back issue bins of the local comic book stores in around metro Detroit in the mid-to-late 80's.

His first appearance in Avengers #57 was the first back issue that I ever bought where I laid down some serious cash for it. I still remember hemming and hawing after asking to look at that issue from behind the glass counter top. I mean, that was $7.00 for one book! One book! That was crazy! The last time I checked, that issue is now up to about $150 dollars in it's present condition. Not too shabby for a first time investor.

So what does that have to do with this issue? Well that's the original Human Torch on the cover of this issue, bursting forth from his grave. And as any Vision or Avengers-phile can tell you, the Vision was built using the body of the original Human Torch android.

When John Byrne had come onto this title eight months earlier, he made the Vision a centerpiece of his run by having him dismantled and dehumanized. As if the history and real origin of the Vision wasn't convoluted enough, Byrne now dares to bring back the original Human Torch, casting doubt once again on the true origin of the Vision.

How does it all make sense? Let's dive in and find out...

Return Of The Hero

• Writer: John Byrne
• Artists: John Byrne & Mike Machlan
• Inker: Mike Machlan
• Letterer: Bill Oakley
• Colorist: Bob Sharen
• Editor: Howard Mackie
• Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story opens up with a hysterical women being questioned by the Avengers. It seems that she has attempted to break into the west coast compound to appeal for their help. Her name is Ann Raymond, and she is the widow of Toro, the sidekick to the original Human Torch.

I'm already tired of typing "original" in front of Human Torch. Johnny Storm appears nowhere in this issue, so any further mention of Human Torch implies that I am referencing the original Human Torch.

She has heard about the recent issues with Vision, and has come to ask the Avengers for help. After all, if they were wrong about the Vision's true origins, maybe they were wrong about Toro and the Torch's death and her husband might still somehow be alive.

All of this is too much for Wanda to bear, and in some foreshadowing that she's become slightly unstable emotionally, she flies off the handle and accuses Ann of trying to implicate the Vision in the death of her husband. She would soon have good reason for flying off the handle, as Byrne continues his one man quest of messing with the Vision and Scarlet Witch by retconning their kids out of existence.

Ann continues her story about how her husband got mixed up with the Master Thinker and Egghead after attending the funeral of the Human Torch. A funeral, it turns out, that was previously never known to have existed. He was also brainwashed by them into thinking he was the Human Torch, and later died while trying to stop the Master Thinker from escaping.

I was going to recap it in more detail, but honestly it would take me more words than Byrne uses in the book, and believe me...it's a lot of words.

Suffice it to say, Ann thinks her husband may still be alive and Wanda's pissed. Let's move on.

Hank has a hunch that this all somehow leads back to Immortus, and they decide to investigate her story by checking out the grave site of the Human Torch.

While Hank tries to convinced the mayor to let them exhume a body from a funeral that never existed, The Vision and Scarlet Witch take the more direct approach. Using his intangible powers, the Vision confirms that the body of the Human Torch is indeed buried in the graveyard. Wanda uses her hex powers to reignite the Torch, and he comes blazing out his coffin.

Back on the ground, introductions are made and the Vision meets the hero who, up until now, it was always assumed his body was constructed from. Back at the base, Hank Pym explains his theory about what this means for the true origin of the Vision.

After all that, it turns out that the Vision was built from the same molds and parts that the Torch was, but not his actual android body.

Thinking ahead that everything would work out, Jan presents the Human Torch with a new costume and offers him a spot on the roster. It's all too much for the Torch, who gets a little emotional, proving the fact that twenty years later...Even an android can cry!

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

The big takeaway from this issue is that it's near impossible to do a story dealing with the origin of the Vision without needlessly complicating things.

Seriously...the big reveal this issue is that the Vision was built from spare parts leftover from the creation of the Human Torch. That's all well and good, but to get to that reveal we had to read through close to half of this issue devoted to either flashbacks or characters talking about what happened previously.

Now I'm a fan of the Vision and continuity, so this stuff is like crack cocaine to me. But I pity the person who picked this book up as their first comic book. Literally, the only action in this book is the Torch flying out of his grave and Wonder Man chasing after him. Even with that, most of the action takes place off panel, to allow more pages for people talking.

The artwork by Byrne is what you expect for a storyteller of his talent. This book looks a lot more Next Men than Uncanny X-Men. I personally prefer his more fluid earlier work, but I still enjoy seeing his work to this day. I was even glad to have him back on Action Comics a few years ago. His style may be a little outdated in today's market, but I still dig it.

I owe a big hearty thank you to the Randomizer for picking yet another Avengers issue. I swear I could read these books from the 70's and 80's all day long. One of these days my hope for a readable Avengers book set in current continuity will come to pass. Dare I hope?

Comic Book Review: The Avengers #189

TITLE: The Avengers #189

PUBLISHER: Marvel

COVER DATE: November 1979

COVER PRICE: $0.40

17 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

The 70's was an awesome period for The Avengers. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. The stories were fun and fantastic, and moved at a frenetic pace from issue to issue. If that wasn't enough, you had the likes of Neal Adams, George Perez, and John Byrne contributing to the artwork. It was truly a golden age for The Avengers.

The Randomizer gave us a treat with this pick, as it features artwork from John Byrne, with a story focusing on Hawkeye. I can't wait, so let' get right down to it.

Wings And Arrows!

• Plot: Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, Roger Stern, and David Michelinie
• Script: Steven Grant
• Pencils: John Byrne
• Inks: Dan Green
• Jim Novak
• Colors: Ben Sean
• Editor: Roger Stern
• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story opens up after The Avengers have vanquished the villainy of Arsenal!

Yeah, I had to look him up too.

I was looking at this opening page and admiring John Byrne's pencils, and I realized that he never really drew Thor on any sort of consistent basis. Or at least not that I ever remember. It's a nice opening shot, and I suppose if I never really got the chance to draw him, I'd put him in the classic hammer twirling pose as well.

Thor barely sticks around for two pages, as he is off to Asgard to deal with those pesky Celestials.

Iron man, ever the polite host, waves him off from the front door of Avengers Mansion.

So caught up in his thoughts on the troubles that await him in Asgard, he nearly flies into The Falcon, who is returning to the team after a leave of absence to deal with a personal case.

The Falcon arrives to a bit of a full house, as all of the heroes from the last adventure (minus Thor) are still hanging around. That poses a problem, as this is the period when the Avengers are running under a government charter and their roster is limited to just seven members.

Their government liason was Henry Gryich, and he was quite the taskmaster back then. Since The Falcon is back, one of the others must leave. Unfortunately for Hawkeye, that someone is him. Another unintentional victim of racial quotas.

But it's not like Hawkeye to hold a grudge, eh? Who am I fooling...that's why I love him, as he tends to act first and think later (if he remembers to).

In fact, let's start keeping track of just how much of a badass Hawkeye really is.

Case Study #1 for how awesome Hawkeye is...

He's not afraid to let the other Avengers know he's better than them...To their face, no less!

Back to the story, Captain America and Falcon head to the control room to check in with Gyrich and inform him that the roster is back down to size. Gyrich lets them know who really holds the leash, as he congratulates Cap for filling out their paperwork on time.

You see, this is why we need thought balloons to make a comeback. Where else would we get a peek into the simmering racial tensions of the Marvel universe.

Hawkeye, meanwhile, has made his way to his rented apartment to lick his wounds after being replaced on the team. He's been looking for a new job, but doesn't have any luck until he decides that maybe it should be Hawkeye, and not Clint Barton, who should be out hustling the streets looking for a new gig. He spies an ad in the paper for Cross Technological Enterprises, who are looking for a new Security Chief.

As Hawkeye is a man of action, not words, he decides the best way to interview for the job is to break into the building himself to show them just how damn good he is. The head of Cross Tech, duly impressed with Hawkeye's initiative, offers him the job on the spot.

Case Study #2 for how awesome Hawkeye is...

He has a work ethic second to none!

Luckily for Hawkeye, he doesn't have to wait that long for some action as the alarms start rattling about a break in at warehouse 12. He rushes in to find the guards unconscious and a hole burned through the ceiling. Down swoops Deathbird, with a strike of her razor sharp wing that barely misses Hawkeye.

What is it with all of these winged people picking on our boy Hawkeye?

Hawkeye lets loose with a sonic arrow that disorients Deathbird. She pulls out her energy javelins and tries to fry Hawkeye, but he fires a grappling arrow and swings himself up and around, striking her from behind.

Case Study #3 for how awesome Hawkeye is...

He knows how to keep the ladies in their place!

Sensing the battle is going against her, Deathbird resorts to a more direct attack and throws her javelins directly at Hawkeye. She connects with his shoulder, sending a shock to Hawkeye that paralyzes his arm. Unable to use his bow, he takes an electro-arrow and hurls it into a nearby fusebox.

In the darkened warehouse, Deathbird mistakenly assumes Hawkeye has fled. She decides to abandon her quest for the technology that she came to steal.

Why she's so worried that a blackout is going to bring more people to the warehouse, when a full on, no-holds-barred battle between the two of them wouldn't is beyond me. I guess that's why I'm not a galaxy-spanning super villain.

Hawkeye didn't flee, however, and he soon traps Deathbird in a titanium steel net that I guess he found laying around? I can't imagine he was able to roll that netting up tight enough to fit into one of his arrowheads. Although this is the Marvel universe we're talking about, where the laws of physics bend to the demands of the plot. If Captain America can run around with his shield strapped to his back under a suit jacket, anything is possible.

The regular security detail for Cross Tech Enterprises soon arrives and takes Deathbird into custody. Deathbird yells to him that she will not forget this encounter, as she is being led away.

Case Study #4 for how awesome Hawkeye is...

He knows what the ladies really want!

But wait, he's not done yet...

Case Study #5 for how awesome Hawkeye is...

He wears the pants around here!

Finally, back at Avengers Mansion, Henry Gyrich has paid the team a personal visit to inform them about more membership stipulations. It seems the Scarlet Witch wants a leave of absence, but Gyrich ain't having it.

That's right, Iron Man! You tell him!

It's just like Iron Man to take a stand against the government when it tries to impose it's will on who can, or can't be, a super-hero.

I know I feel safer knowing that a stand-up guy like Iron Man has my back. Right Cap?

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

Just because you're a world-famous Avenger doesn't mean that you can't take the time to flirt with the ladies, even if that lady happens to be a galaxy spanning supervillain!

I told you Hawkeye was the man, right? One of these days he'll be back in the purple and blue.

So finally, let's check the facts to see if the cover was just hyperbole, or did they actually manage to cram that much story into just 17 pages.

Why must Thor leave The Avengers? To battle the Celestials, or course.

When will the government stop harassing our heroes? This one's a gimme...never, as long as Gyrich is around.

Who is the surprise super-villain Hawkeye battles alone? Deathbird, making her Avengers debut.

Where does destiny take Captain America and The Falcon? Unless I missed something, the only place destiny took them was to the communications center of Avengers mansion. Hardly worthy of a cover blurb, if you ask me.

What strange new problems plague the Scarlet Witch and the Vision? Beats me...all we find out this issue is that the Scarlet Witch wants a leave of absence, which was apparently news to the Vision as well.

Three out of five isn't bad, I suppose. A cover that's 60% accurate as to the contents inside is actually pretty good by today's standards, where the generic cover reigns supreme.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics.