Avengers #150: Review

Aug 1976

Steve Englehart, George Perez

Story Name:

Avengers assemble

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #150 Review by Rob Johnson (June 3, 2014)

The Lady Liberators were only seen in #83 where a disguised Enchantress formed the team, including Avengers' ally Black Widow and Inhuman Medusa. Iron Man's faceplate lost the controversial nose in IM#85, but the change was bigger than that. The OI just calls it an upgrade, but the Iron Man Armory gives it a new number Model 6 - the depolarising armour. Tony's permanent chestplate is now soft when not in action. But at a signal it extrudes the rest of the armour and then the whole thing stiffens. The early Avengers took turns to be chairman. Cap was probably undisputed (except by Hawkeye and Quicksilver) chairman after #16 until he left in #47. Thereafter the chairmanship probably rotated again, even after Cap, Iron Man and Thor 'permanently' rejoined in #93. Vision is seen chairing a meeting in #98, while Iron Man takes charge in #112. Some time after that Cap presumably became permanent chairman, because Thor says in Giant-Size #4 that *he* took over from him when Cap left after GS#1. Despite the promise of an election Iron Man will remain chairman for while now. The mention of Wonder Man in the TV summary is a set up for the end of next issue.

This is a disappointment for something billed as a 150th anniversary special - two-thirds is a reprint of #16 (because Steve Englehart couldn't finish the script on time), and some of the rest is a review of even earlier issues. Archie Goodwin is editor for just this 1 issue. The full cast from recent issues is here:- Beast, Captain America, Hellcat, Iron Man, Moondragon, Scarlet Witch, Thor and Vision along with the returning Wasp and Yellowjacket. Hawkeye is off in the mid-West with Two-Gun Kid. Hellcat hasn't been in any comics designated as occurring since #149, and Moondragon was only in Marvel Team-Up #44,51. W&YJ are *not* just released from hospital. According to the Official Index since their release in #148 the couple visited the Mansion in the out-of-sequence #146 and even stayed overnight in the equally misplaced CA#224. So dialogue must be changed to say either that they are deliberately here for the roster change or just happened to pop in without knowing it was going on. George Perez 1st draws here the chairs with personalised emblems on the back that will be a feature of his Avengers meeting room. Of course Sal Buscema introduced the idea back in #72, but I'm not sure anyone apart from him reused it since then.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #150 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Wasp and Yellowjacket arrive on flying ants at Avengers Mansion to find it besieged by newsmen and crowds. They turn full size to be asked if they are new Avengers. The duo have just flown here after release from hospital and didn't know that the team were arranging a new lineup. Jan jokingly comments that the Avengers were doing that when they went in to hospital.

Jarvis lets them in and takes them to the meeting room where the prospective team is assembled. Everyone welcomes them, and Scarlet Witch jokes that they could reform the Lady Liberators (from #83) now that Wasp is here. And Captain America joins in the fun by commenting on Iron Man's new noseless mask (since IM#85).

Chairman Thor starts the meeting by announcing that he will be taking a leave of absence, and hands the chairmanship over to Iron Man until an election can be held. He says he has recently (last issue) realised that he restrains his full might while with the team. And that his previous absences (for a lot of time after #16) have shown that the team doesn't necessarily need him. So he will bow out, but remain on call.

Iron Man reluctantly accepts this, and asks Cap if he will be leaving (again) too. And we're left in suspense for his answer until next issue.

While the meeting has been going on a TV news report has been reviewing Avengers history. The team (Ant-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Wasp) got together accidentally in #1 to fight Loki. We see them revive Cap from suspended animation in #4. The report makes it seem that Hulk left in #5 (rather than #2, #3&5 were guest apps), They mention Wonder Man's brief stint in #9, and Rick Jones transferring his allegiance from Hulk to Cap. The report finishes (for this issue) with a reprint of most of #16, where Giant-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Wasp left the team to be replaced by Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.