Avengers #145: Review

Mar 1976

Tony Isabella, Don Heck

Story Name:

The taking of the Avengers

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #145 Review by Rob Johnson (April 29, 2014)

This issue and the next are out of sequence. The Official Index places them after #149. They are fill-in issues because the next Steve Englehart/George Perez issue wasn't ready. (Noticeably that's what's advertised in this issue's Checklist.) The story, mainly by Tony Isabella and Don Heck, was originally intended for Giant-Size Avengers #5, which instead was all-reprint when it was published late. According to an editorial comment the 'films' are flashbacks to Avengers vs Zodiac (#120), Avengers vs Grim Reaper and Hydra (#108), Thor vs Destroyer (Thor #224), Captain America vs the original Moonstone (CA#175), Iron Man vs Dr Spectrum of the Squadron Sinister (IM#63), Vision vs Magneto (#110) and Hawkeye vs Zzzax (Hulk #166). I'm sure some of these would be less than 1 year ago in Marvel time. Those are the 5 Avengers that are targeted by the Assassin here and next issue, and they are the ones depicted on the cover. Of course Hawkeye leaves the team in #147. Presumably he's visiting here after hearing about Cap's situation. Hawkeye has appeared with his new partner Two-Gun Kid in Marvel Tales #100 since #147. Only Cap and Iron Man have made appearances between #149 and here. Cap has only been in CA Annual #3 (marking [in continuity terms] the return of Jack Kirby to the character). But Iron Man has been busy in IM #82-87 and Black Goliath #3-4. Iron Man and Thor leave here to fetch a Thor Life Model decoy that Tony Stark has constructed, so that Dr Blake can operate on Cap next issue while Thor appears to remain on guard.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #145 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

After they view films of various Avengers' exploits a man hires a hooded Assassin to kill the Avengers. he represents a consortium of the team's enemies, and they will pay 1 billion dollars. The Assassin insists on 1 year to prepare.

Now, presumably 1 year later, Captain America takes down a bunch of jewel thieves wearing Cap masks. 1 of them gets away and turns out to be a very good runner. This is all part of a plan to lure Cap into position to be shot by the Assassin. The zap gun is designed to not quite kill him. Cap needs to not die yet for the rest of the plan to work.

The Assassin now phones an old lady who has been hired by a woman to report Cap's body to the police. The Assassin sends the fake jewel-thief to pay the old woman off. Thinking as the hireling leaves that the money is coated with deadly slow-acting poison, as is the Cap mask the thug is wearing. The Assassin never leaves loose ends.

Later that night at a hospital Thor and Iron Man are worried because no-one knows what is killing Cap. Iron Man suggests Thor turns into his alter-ego Dr Don Blake who might be able to help. Thor is worried in case the unknown enemy strikes again, and his power is needed. Shellhead cryptically says Cap will be safe as long as Thor appears to be present. But then they both head off to Tony Stark's Long Island factory to implement the plan.

Hawkeye arrives at the hospital and is confused by seeing the big guns flying away. He thought Cap was supposed to be kept under 24-hour guard. On his way to Steve Rogers' room Clint Barton wanders down the wrong corridor and sees 2 guys who look like aliens. After an exchange of rays and arrows the bad guys escape under cover of a smokescreen.

In fact Cap is still being guarded by Beast, Scarlet Witch and Vision. Hawkeye joins them, and Beast and Wanda leave to get some rest. The team was more worried than usual about Cap's condition since they experienced the death of Swordsman (Giant-Size #2) a few months ago and the almost-deaths of Wasp and Yellowjacket (#137-140) a few weeks ago. Hawkeye remembers how Steve won his respect and trained him as an Avenger. And Vision recalls how Cap believed in him when he was tempted by Grim Reaper and Space Phantom in #108.

The Assassin is monitoring all this. The 2 'aliens' who allowed themselves to be seen by Hawkeye have been disposed of. This was the only thing that wasn't part of the Assassin's plan. Now the Assassin will personally finish it.