Synopsis
Avengers, The (1963 series) #338 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
In the Collector’s ship, Beast, Black Panther, and Quasar hold a small funeral for Nakka, the tribal chieftain who died from exposure to the Brethren’s eco-cell. They must explain to the Collector that all life is valued so he was owed a memorial. T’Challa and Hank study the land and air and discover the place is dense with microbes. Then a tentacled creature arises though Nakka’s grave and Quasar must blast it to free himself from its clutches. The zombie-like creature calls itself Olar, oldest of the Brethren, left here to die….
At the Brethren Citadel in New York, Sybyl Dorn tells the Fool that Thane Ector has betrayed them and must die….
On the roof of Avengers Mansion, Captain America, Black Widow, Rage, and Hercules await the return of their teammates from the Collector’s ship. They arrive via Lockjaw with Crystal: Beast, Black Panther, Quasar, Hank Pym, with Vision and the Collector, plus Olar in a containment tube. Beast tells Cap that the Brethren are a bacterial life form despite looking humanoid. Hercules opines that this should make them easy to kill but both Vision and Cap insist all sentient life deserves respect. They are unaware that the Fool has been spying on them via a mechanical globe; it informs the Fool that the Avengers have captured Olar who should be dead and that the Collector stands with them, giving him an idea how to save Thane Ector and the secret of the Brethren. He dashes to the meeting room…
…where Ector has been brought before the Brethren and accused by Sybyl Dane of treason for his attentions toward Sersi of the Eternals. The Fool interrupts, claiming that Ector was secretly gathering information from Sersi about their enemies. He shows them all the spy eye to prove that the Avengers, far from being good guys, are allied with the Collector. Ector accuses Sersi of lying to him and he throws her over and leads his people out. Remaining behind, Fool tells Sersi he cares nothing for the Collector but is merely trying to protect the Brethren’s secret—which Sersi has figured out….
In the lab, Beast and Pym are running tests on Olar when they are suddenly knocked out by an eerie noise. The mystery enemy wants to preserve the secret of how to defeat the brethren; Olar thinks he will be freed but instead, he is killed….
The Avengers are summoned to the conference room by their highest alert; Jarvis informs them that millions of Brethren have come flying out of their citadel and now Thane Ector has arrived at the Mansion, with his followers. He demands that the Avengers turn over the Collector to him. Hercules attacks Ector who fells him with an eye beam and tears up the floor to upset Rage and Beast. He contends with Iron Man and Crystal. Ector is sensitive about the Brethren’s origins, insisting on proving himself and his people to be warriors. He pushes aside Cap and Black Widow to seize his enemy…but the Collector strikes back, unleashing a blast that flattens everyone. The Watcher appears, admitting he was deceived as they all were. The Collector assumes his true form, a more powerful, fearsome one and reveals that he engineered the Brethren’s escape and flight to Earth—and he swears that the human race shall die that day….