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 West Coast Avengers #23

TITLE: The West Coast Avengers #23

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

COVER DATE: August 1987

COVER PRICE: $0.75

22 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

Now, the West Coast Avengers...I have a lot of love for the West Coast Avengers. The funny thing is though, is that that the title has always been mediocre at best. Aside from the Byrne run in the 40's and 50's, and Roger Stern's original mini-series, I can't really think of another run on this series that sticks out for me. I'd probably give Roy and Dann Thomas the benefit of the doubt for the longevity of their run, and for the fact that they kept a personal favorite of mine around in the form of U.S.Agent.

So why does this title generate so much good will in my collection? First off, I've always assumed for the last decade or so that X-Factor was the first new title launch that I collected as a week-in and week-out comic book buyer. That turns out to not be true, as West Coast Avengers beat it to the punch by almost six months.

I'm sure that's part of it.

The other thing, is that it always featured some of my favorite Avengers.

Hawkeye? Naturally.

Vision? I, for one, loved the pale-Byrne Vision.

Scarlet Witch? I always dug her hex powers.

U.S.Agent? The Damian of the Avengers.

The Great Lakes Avengers? Their debut issue is one of my favorite books from the 80's.

These were all characters that didn't have their own book, so most of the time this title was the only place you could catch 'em.

But we're here to talk about this issue, and to tell you the truth, when I reread it to prepare for this review it turns out that I had literally no memory of this issue whatsoever. I'm sure the only reason that I remember the Mockingbird/Phantom Rider showdown was that it has gotten so much play in the recent issues of Hawkeye & Mockingbird.

So how could this issue have slipped through the cracks so completely, on a title that I generally read month in and month out? Let's find out...

Showtime!
Lost in Space-Time: Conclusion!

• Writer: Steve Englehart
• Penciller: Al Milgrom
• Inker: Romeo Tanghal
• Letterer: Tom Orzechowski
• Colorist: Christie Scheele
• Editor: Mark Gruenwald
• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

As you can tell from the title of this issue, this is the last chapter dealing with a time-strewn team of Avengers. Hawkeye and that gang are stuck in ancient Egypt, while Mockingbird's being stalked in the old west, and the only one that can save them is Hank Pym and some WCA also-rans. And here we get my first clue as to why this issue is such a cypher to me. Hank Pym comes to the Fantastic Four for help, but why he comes dressed in disguise is beyond me.

That disguise is so good, it totally made me forget this meeting (or anything else about this issue) ever happened.

But seriously, doc...who told you that Phantom Stranger meets Where's Waldo was a good look? Fortunately for him, that's not the worst costume design in this issue.

With his help, Mr. Fantastic soon fixes up the FF's time machine so that Hank and company can act on a clue left for them by Hawkeye from over 5000 years in the past. Off they go, leaving the FF to look after Hank's fancy new Quinjet that's been outfitted with an artificial intelligence based on a loyal ant that he had known named Korr.

How could I have possibly not remembered that? It just gets curiouser and curiouser.

Now, remember that costume I mentioned earlier? Let's catch up with Avengers in ancient Egypt.

Look at that awesome costume on Wonder Man...and by awesome, I mean horrible.

Anything that makes this look downright dapper by comparison is a lost cause.

So the Avengers are on the run in Egypt, and end up taking refuge in a local temple. Coincidentally enough, it's the temple of the shunned god Khonshu, patron saint of Moon Knight. Trapped in the temple, with no hope of rescue anytime soon, Hawkeye sets out to build some weapons with which to arm the acolytes for the oncoming siege from the restless natives.

Wait a minute...Did that statue just wink at Hawkeye?

Two pages of tedious recapping of Moon Knight's origin later, we find out exactly why Khonshu was so keen on Hawkeye. He was only using him for his toys.

That's right...Hawkeye created the weapons that were handed down millenia later to Moon Knight. How could I have forgotten about something as random, coincidental, and completely out of the blue as that? I actually know the answer to that question, as I've never been able to muster up much enthusiasm for Moon Knight. I'm sure I probably saw these two pages and flipped forward until I got to the good stuff.

And speaking of good stuff, here's Mockingbird having her big throw down with the Phantom Rider. I don't feel quite comfortable cracking wise about her plotline here, so let's let her have her moment of vengeance and move on.

We're back to the present, just in time to catch up with Mr. Fantastic sending Hank Pym, Moon Knight, and Firebird Espirita back to rescue Hawkeye and crew.

It's nice to know that you can always count on Reed to help send you through time when you need it. He may have a snide comment or two about you after you leave, but he's got your back.

Now that we have a working time machine, this issue should be wrapped up in no time. A quick jaunt back to ancient Egypt sees the West Coast Avengers reunited. Unfortunately, most of their reunion is taken up with the Priests of Khonshu speaking gibberish about prophecies and fists and vengeance...and honestly, I just can't be bothered to wrap my head around it.

I'm with you Hawkeye, let's get movin' already.

Trading in his time machine for a form of transportation more appropriate to the old west, Hawkeye swoops in and rescues his girl.

Now, with the team finally reunited as a whole, they're off to the time stream one last time to head back to the present and deliver a good smack down to Dominus for sending them all back to the past in the first place.

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

A couple of things, actually.

First, don't piss off Mockingbird. She'll take you down. Just ask the Phantom Rider, it's a long way down.

Second, don't underestimate Hawkeye. No sooner are you stuck in the past, and he figures out a way to get help that would do Grant Morrison proud.

Third, don't let Hank Pym or Wonder Man help you with your wardrobe. Ever.

I gave this issue a fair amount of grief during the review, but it wasn't that bad. It's biggest sin is probably that it's decidedly average on most counts. The only aspect of this issue that's had any lasting effect is Mockingbird's story, and that gets a scant four pages. All the rest is Hank and his crew talking about the emotional journey they've been on, and why this time they're good enough, smart enough, and doggone it people like them! And then there's all of that Khonshu nonsense.

So yeah, not much to see here. If you really want to know about Mockingbird's vengeance, pick up the Hawkeye & Mockingbird trade as you'll get a much better story out of it.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics

The Avengers #32

TITLE: The Avengers #32

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

COVER DATE: September 1966

COVER PRICE: $0.12

20 pages


WHAT I REMEMBER...

So this is the first of three reprint issues from Giant-Size Marvel Triple Action #2 that we'll be reading and reviewing. I was actually quite pleased when this issue came into my possession late last year, as the three stories are all ones that I haven't read yet.

My Avengers collection starts around issue #90, with a handful of earlier issues sprinkled here and there. Most of those early issues feature two of my favorite characters, either the Vision or Kang, including their first appearances. This story that we're reading today includes neither, so it's a new one for me.

Who do we have in this issue? Well Hawkeye's here, and any Avengers story worth its salt features Hawkeye. Hank and Janet are back, but Wanda and Pietro seem to be missing. And as always during these early years, Cap is leading the way.

"The Sign Of The Serpent!"

• Writer and Raconteur: Stan Lee
• Artist and Bon Vivant: Don Heck
• Letterer and Patron des Artes: Artie Simek
• Scapegoat, Junior Grade: Irv Forbush

Before we actually get started, there's a helpful tip from Stan about something we should be aware of with this issue.

I did a little googling about this issue, and it would appear that it never did win any prizes, so I'm assuming that Stan Lee is using a bit of his trademark hyperbole. In fact, it might be a good idea to turn on our patented Hyperbole Meter so we're not caught off guard and accidentally hurt ourselves when we come across it.

We barely even get a chance to introduce it and it's already going off!

So here come the Avengers back from their latest adventure when they're attacked..by their own headquarters!

That's right, deactivation codes are for wimps! Who needs 'em when you can use your own super-powers to shut it down. Which then begs the question...how secure is your base when your defensive measures can be thwarted with cutting edge stone age technology like a shield and a bow and arrow?

They don't get much of a chance to rest however, before Hank goes into one of his "woe is me" episodes. It seems he's been stuck in an enlarged state and is depressed about not being able to shrink back to normal size.

We're hitting the yellow on the meter, I'd look out if I was you Hank!

It may seem like Cap has lost his mind, but it's all part of some tough love as he tries to get Hank to snap out of his depression. A page and a half of fighting later, and Cap is able to break through to Hank and make him realize the his problem will not by solved by moping around. Off to the lab goes Hank, as Cap receives a kiss from the Wasp in thanks.

So now that everything's hunky-dory with the Avengers, let's check in with the general populace of New York City as the Sons of the Serpent are in the middle of a new recruiting drive. Who are the Sons of the Serpent, you ask? Well let's check in with the old Hyperbole Meter.

Hello? Is this thing on?


I guess old Stan was ahead of time as the Sons of the Serpent just don't sound that crazy today. In fact, there's a certain modern day "patriotic" political movement that they'd probably be right at home in.

Yep, the Sons of the Serpent are looking to rid the country of all of those "furriners".

And who is that working undercover to get inside the inner serpent circle? It's none other than Natasha Romanoff, giving the Black Widow her first (if brief) appearance here at the Random Longbox.

I guess this thing is working after all, and we're pushing the red zone. Let's check back in with the Avengers to see what all the commotion is about.

Wait a minute...Did Hank just hit Janet? It was just an accident, but honestly...there's just no place for a "chattering female" in the lab. After all, Hank is under a lot of pressure to get himself back to size. Janet's a strong-willed woman, however, and she storms out of Hank's lab as she will not be talked to in such a fashion.

A quick call to Tony Stark, and Hank soon has the the star of Stark's Baltimore Plans and Research Division to come over and lend a hand. Coincidentally enough, Hank's new assistant is African American. I smell trouble brewing with the Sons of the Serpent.

That didn't take long. Luckily for Bill, Hank heard the struggle and comes outside just as the Sons of the Serpent are making a hasty retreat. Enraged by their actions, Hank calls a stop to his labwork so that the Avengers can be assembled to take on this venomous group personally.

Captain America decides to check in with Nick Fury to see if S.H.I.E.L.D. knows anything about these jokers, while the rest of the Avengers strategize about the best way to take 'em down.

The next day, the Avengers call a press conference to announce that they are declaring war on the Sons of Serpent. After their recent attempt to kill a travelling foreign dignitary, they can't wait any longer. Luckily for them, they don't have to as Captain America is soon sucked up into a mysterious looking cloud.

It turns out it wasn't a cloud after all, but the hidden base of the Sons of the Serpent. And now that he's on board, he gets a personal introduction to the sons themselves.

Alas, they're just too many snakes and Captain America is soon captured. It's all part of the Serpent's plan, as now that they have an Avenger at their mercy they're using him to blackmail the rest of the Avengers to stay out of their business...or else they'll never see Captain America alive again.

So with their backs against the wall, how quickly do the rest of the Avengers get their stuff together to take the fight to the serpents in the cloud?

Unfortunately you'll have to get the next issue to find out, as Hank has a plan and it involves making the world think that the Avengers have gone soft.

SO, WHAT DID WE LEARN...

Now if you remember, right off the bat we were told to expect one of "the most deeply-moving, off-beat thrillers of the year." We never did get the ol' Hyperbole Meter up to the red zone during the course of the story, but I imagine if we fired it up now, that prologue blurb would be enough to do the trick.

Stan Lee was nothing, if not the mediums greatest pitch man. He's in full force here, as I found this story neither deeply-moving, or very off-beat. I think even calling it a thriller is a bit of an overstatement.

I can definitely see the story that Stan was trying to tell here, and it's a story worth telling, but I'm not sure Stan's your man. I realize that you have to view a story in the context of the era in which it was written, but...

We have a story dealing with the serious topic of racism, but how are we supposed to take it seriously when this is how the Avengers deal with the female members of their own team.

Quiz time...which one of these statements was actually said to the Wasp, to her own face no less.

• "Butt out of this lady!"
• "Look lady -- I know you've been trying to help and I appreciate it -- But it's just no good"
• "And I'll get one -- A top notch scientist -- Not a chattering female!"

The answer? All of 'em!

So all of Hank's blustering about the injustice and bigotry involved with what the Sons of the Serpent stand for, and that's how the Avengers treat a fellow hero just because she's a girl? Remind me to tell Hank and the boys about pots and kettles and the color black the next time I see 'em.

Don Heck handles the art chores on this issue, and while he's not one of my favorite Avengers artists, he does okay with this issue. The story doesn't leave a lot of space for visual fireworks, but he has some good action panels when the story picks up.

A regular reader (thanks Thelonious Monk) recommended that I pick up The Defenders #21-25 last year when the I reviewed another Defenders issue, and the Son of the Serpent are the main villains of that story arc. Now I'm doubly curious to track those down to see how these jokers and this topic are handled by the likes of Steve Gerber writing the story.

All characters and artwork reproduced are (c) Marvel Comics