Synopsis
Avengers, The (1963 series) #336 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
Thane Ector, leader of the Brethren, decides to make New York City their base on Earth; the World Trade Center is transformed into a gleaming alien citadel, from which Ector announces to the world that his people’s destiny is to conquer the universe thus he claims Earth for the Brethren. Armored warriors are teleported down to the streets to establish defensive parameters, exterminating all humans caught in those zones….
President George H.W. Bush contacts Captain America, seriously wounded in battle last issue, for a progress report. Cap explains that all Avengers and the Fantastic Four are doing what they can though it isn’t enough. After the President signs off, Cap addresses the Avengers present (Black Knight, Black Widow, Hercules, Iron Man, Vision, Rage), giving them a brief pep talk, interrupted by Peggy Carter reporting that Ector is launching a major campaign from the WTC. The Avengers depart but Natasha stays behind to try to encourage the immobile Cap but he won’t have it….
Meanwhile, the miniaturized Beast, Black Panther, Quasar, and Collector are under attack by the Bruruthianparamecium rex in its eco-cell. The Collector is snatched up by a tentacle, leaving Quasar to rescue him with an energy blast. Collector confesses that he has never seen his specimens so closely and he finds the experience exhilarating. Outside, Hank Pym is concerned for his pals and then Beast contacts him, asking him to turn around—and his tiny teammates are watching him. But then the miniaturized Avengers are approached by some primitive tribesmen who accuse them of trespassing. Black Panther explains that they are seeking information about Thane Ector—so the chief orders them killed….
The Avengers again assault the Brethren near the World Trade Center and each one attacks the foe and falls before their superior tactics and weaponry….
From his citadel, Thane Ector shows respect for the Avengers, attacking even though their defeat is certain. He promises them an honorable death, to the praise of Sybyl Dorn. He excuses himself but Sybyl knows he is going to see Sersi, calling his obsession with an alien disgusting. He responds that she is not to question him and stalks out. The Fool rationalizes the Thane’s choices and she kicks him for his trouble….
Meanwhile, Sersi is finding it near impossible to escape from her manacles when Ector enters and tells her that her teammates have been vanquished; her concern for Cap suggests to Ector that she is in love with him and offers himself as a rival suitor, kissing her. He departs and the Fool meets him to condemn his attention to Sersi, underlining it with a mental blast at his master’s head and threatening more. He mentions that the secret of the Brethren lies heavy on him and perhaps he would like to die to be freed of it….
In the eco-cell, the heroes are fighting the primitive tribesmen and it’s only when Panther explains that Thane Ector is also their enemy that the chieftain calls off the hostilities. The two groups talk and the primitives reveal that their distressed condition is the result of the Brethren’s conquest and occupation, after escaping their cell. The chieftain indicates the moon as the Brethren’s point of entry, actually a circulation vent, so Panther decides they will go there….
The Brethren’s warriors have encountered a pair of police officers and prepare to extinguish them when Captain America arrives (with Black Widow) to stop them, hurling his shield as an interruption. The bad guys hurl it back, seriously injuring Cap, but he persists in denouncing them. They open fire, showering Cap and Natasha with rubble and debris. But when Cap goes on the attack, he sees the Brethren vanishing into the ground and is puzzled. Crystal and Lockjaw arrive, explaining that the Brethren are also surprised as she and the dog apply for membership in the Avengers….
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: President George H. W. Bush (
George H. W. Bush), Rage (
Elvin Daryl Haliday).