Avengers, The (1963 series) #154

This story follows on from ANNUAL #6.

In Annual #6 Vision left the battle in California to take the Serpent Crown away from Living Laser. Now we see him drop it in the Pacific Ocean. And we find out why he never returned to the fray as an Atlantean sub surfaces and attacks him. When he enters the sub he is rendered unconscious by a sonic weapon. The Atlanteans don't bother to search for the Crown because they have what they came for.

Meanwhile the other Avengers return to New York by quinjet and take Whizzer to hospital. The old man with a heart condition is in critical condition again after he saved them from his son Nuklo in An#6.

Meanwhile (again) in Avengers Mansion we find Scarlet Witch with her arm in a sling (after being shot last issue). A flying craft lands in the garden and Triton of the Inhumans climbs out. he claims that his race is in danger caused by the Fantastic Four, and they need the Avengers' help. He won't say more until the rest of the team is present.

Vision awakes in an Atlantean battlecruiser shackled with an atomo-collar that stops him from using his powers. Lord Arno takes him to Attuma, who is wearing Vision's cloak as a trophy. The villain plans to attack the surface world, and also get revenge on Sub-Mariner for his latest defeat by him on Hydrobase in Super-Villain Team-Up #3. He escaped from captivity there, and now plans to pit the Avengers against Namor. But he has a bigger plan than that which will give him world domination.

Back at the Mansion Scarlet Witch is having trouble contacting her team because the quinjet they are using is a not-quite-ready backup. (The main 1 got blown up in the middle of An#6 with Captain America and Iron Man in it - the other Avengers flew to their aid in this backup.) Triton suggests she sends her brother Quicksilver to find them. Wanda realises that the real Triton would have known that Pietro is now living with the Inhumans with his wife Crystal. So this must be an imposter.

Even with only 1 working arm the Witch can summon up enough of a hex to shatter the Triton disguise and reveal an Atlantean within. Who announces himself as Tyrak the Treacherous, Attuma's master spy. Tyrak and Wanda then fight, but her injury hampers her spell-casting. Jarvis joins in, but of course is easily repulsed. Then the villain subdues the heroine with gas.

But then Beast, Cap and Shellhead burst in, closely followed by Wasp and Yellowjacket. (Wonder Man has stayed at the hospital with Whizzer.) Beast rescues the unconscious Scarlet Witch, while Tyrak reveals that Attuma's scientists have multiplied his strength and speed, enabling him to hold off the other heroes. The gas takes out W&YJ. Tyrak crumples the Golden Avenger's chest power pack. And he brings a wall down on Cap.

Beast is the only 1 left standing. He chooses to go for help. And Tyrak calls in 2 Atlanteans from his aircraft, and they carry off the downed Avengers including Scarlet Witch. He repeats that Attuma intends to send the Avengers against Namor, but adds that the plan includes the destruction of Hydrobase and reviving the Atlanteans from suspended animation.

This story continues in SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #9.