Avengers #301: Review

Mar 1989

Ralph Macchio, Don Heck

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Story Name:

Super-Nova Unbound! (The Super-Nova Saga Part 1)

Synopsis

Avengers #301 Synopsis by T Vernon

After many months of negotiations, the Avengers have received permission to moor Hydrobase in New York Harbor and rechristen it “Avengers Island.” So Thor tows the island into place, Reed Richards makes sure everything is hooked up correctly, and Gilgamesh pounds the mooring posts into place. Captain America wonders if Reed misses being the leader of the Fantastic Four; Invisible Woman has similar questions. Jarvis introduces the team to Michael O’Brien, the new security chief….

A giant A lights over the city; the Avengers locate it at the site of the old Avengers Mansion. It’s a badly injured Starfox carrying Firelord’s baton. He explains how they were pursuing Nebula to bring her to justice when they encountered Super-Nova, last survivor of the planet Xandar, destroyed by Nebula, and he easily defeated them in battle. Super-Nova is now headed for Earth….

Starfox’s health is seen to, then the team takes a rocket into space to meet the super-being. They approach his massive ship; the heroes don lightweight space suits and board the ship, Sue creating a bubble to keep them all together. They are then set on by a legion of brains; Thor responds by hurling Mjolnir as Reed tries to warn him that the brains may be friendly. Well, if they were before they aren’t now and the Avengers battle the living brains. Reed determines they are electrical devices not biological so the team need have no compunctions about killing them. They win but Cap notes that they didn’t win as a team and they need to work together more. Reed speculates they are components of a Xandarian computer and takes one for later study. They then discover Firelord, hooked up to machines by a web of wires; Reed uses Firelord’s baton to burn it all away from him, while Cap needs to remind Reed who is in charge. Then Super-Nova, a giant, challenges them, demanding they turn over Nebula to him. They explain how Nebula was with them only briefly, until they discovered she was evil. But Super-Nova does not believe them and so he takes off for Earth, intending to ravage it until Nebula appears, and blowing apart his own ship, with the Avengers on-board….

Review / Commentaries

Rating:

Avengers #301 Review by T Vernon (July 12, 2024)

Comments: Part one of three parts. Michael O’Brien first appeared in IRON MAN #82, brother of the Guardsman, Kevin O’Brien, seeking revenge against Tony Stark; eventually the two men became friends, and Michael filled in as Iron Man occasionally; he became head of security for Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. in AVENGERS #236. Starfox was last seen in issue #261. First appearance of Super Nova, who returns in NEW WARRIORS and NOVA. Nebula destroyed Xandar in issue #260. The letters page includes one from future comics creator Mark Hicks and one from future Comics 101 scribe Scott Tipton.

Review: Well, this guy looks like he’s going to be trouble. And I don’t mean the villain, I’m talking about Reed Richards. Clearly Reed is so used to being the guy in charge of the FF that he can’t easily be a team player, a matter which will cause Cap concern over the course of the three-issue story. Oh and Super-Nova is a formidable baddie, superpowered beyond all reason and immune to reason as he assumes the Avengers are all liars, protecting Nebula. Very nice lead-in to two action-filled issues.

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Ralph Macchio

Don Heck

Christie Scheele

Bob Hall (Cover Penciler)
Tom Palmer (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)