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Avengers #60: Review

Jan 1969
Roy Thomas, John Buscema

Story Name:

Till Death Do Us Part

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Avengers #60 Review by (November 8, 2011)
This comic appears (anachronistically) in several episodes of the TV series MASH, set during the Korean War (1950-53).


Avengers #60 Review by (November 9, 2011)
I think it's a gaping hole in the plot for the current Avengers to send all the other heroes away. But then it's equally astounding that the Circus really thought they could defeat all the Avengers, especially Thor. And their dialogue indicates they also expected to kill all the other heroes too. I suspect Jan is wrong, and the marriage probably isn't legal. But not particularly because Hank got married using the wrong alias, more because he got married using a superhero alias at all. Hank's mental instability will turn out to be more deep-seated than an accidental dose of chemicals. It will precipitate various plotlines, including him being thrown off the team in #213. Issues 61-65 don't have any of the big 3 as guest stars. While Hank and Jan are on honeymoon the remaining 3 members of the core group are joined by Black Knight and Dr Strange (following immediately from DS#178) to fight Surtur and Ymir in #61, and then then (without Strange) to fight Man-Ape in Wakanda in #62. Hank (still using the hero identity Yellowjacket) and Wasp return for #63-65, which centre around Hawkeye. We finally learn his name Clint Barton. Barton swaps the Hawkeye persona for a new Goliath. And Black Widow's mystery mission for SHIELD, which took her via Captain Marvel #12, is resolved. Then Iron Man and Thor are back for another battle with Ultron in #66-68.

Captain America claims to be in the middle of a project, but the Indexes just put him between his origin recap in CA#109 (published the same month as this issue) and the start of a Hydra storyline in CA#110. This issue says Thor can't be here because he's fighting Silver Surfer in the next month's SS#4. But the chronological scheme behind the Indexes has that story elsewhen, and instead the Indexes have him in Asgard in the previous month's Th#159 learning the origin of his alter ego Don Blake. The heroic Black Knight involved in Avengers stories is actually the 3rd character with that name in Marvel history. In #48 we learned that he inherited the name and a US castle from his villainous uncle who died in Tales of Suspense #76. He also helped the Avengers in #54-55. But since then in Marvel Super-Heroes #17 Dane Whitman also visited his English castle where he learned of the 1st Black Knight, his ancestor Sir Percy of Scandia and of King Arthur's court (and of his own 5-issue series in the 50's), and gained a magic sword the Ebony Blade. (It is only a replica of that sword that is used to cut the wedding cake here.) When we see him again in Dr Strange #178 we will find that Dane has moved to England. The Fantastic Four appear between FF#81 and #82 after Crystal of the Inhumans joined the team as a temporary replacement for Invisible Girl, who had given birth to Franklin Richards in FF Annual #6. The reference back to Th#147 concerns the period Th#145-147 when Thor, stripped of his powers except his strength, temporarily worked for the Circus of Crime.




 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #60 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Captain America gets an invite to the wedding of Wasp and Yellowjacket, a character who only appeared a few days ago. Last issue he claimed to have shrunk her boyfriend Goliath to smaller than ant-size and left him to die. But still Wasp wants to marry him. And YJ wants to be an Avenger, even as his brash personality rubs everyone up the wrong way.

As Jarvis prepares for the wedding at Avengers Mansion, the caterers suddenly turn out to be Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime. They intend to make a name for themselves by killing the Avengers and all the other super-guests, especially Thor in revenge for their defeat in Thor #147.

Invisible Girl and Crystal of the Fantastic Four help Wasp get ready. The guests are a who's who of marvel superherodom. As well as the rest of the FF and the current Avengers (minus Goliath), we see the senior Avengers Cap and Iron Man (Thor is absent) and their ally Black Knight. The X-Men (without Prof X), Daredevil, Dr Strange, Spider-Man and Nick Fury are also present.

After the ceremony Hawkeye hides his anger by going to see what's holding up the cake, and is KO'd by the Circus. When the cake itself arrives, it turns out to contain Princess Python's python.

The current Avengers send all the guests away, including Cap and Iron Man. The Circus get fed up waiting for Thor to show, and attack. Of course they don't get very far until the python grabs Wasp again. But Yellowjacket can't abide to see her in peril, and suddenly starts growing, revealing himself to be Goliath all the time.

The Avengers now make short work of the villains. Hawkeye revives to find it all over. Hank explains that an accident with some chemicals gave him an alternate personality, one who was able to do what he had been reluctant to, propose to Jan. Jan says she recognised him when he kissed her last issue, and adds that the marriage is legal, even under the wrong alias.



John Buscema
Mickey Demeo
?
John Buscema (Cover Penciler)
George Klein (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)


Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Angel
Angel

(Warren Worthington)
Beast
Beast

(Hank McCoy)
Black Knight
Black Knight

(Dane Whitman)
Black Panther
Black Panther

(T'Challa)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Cyclops
Cyclops

(Scott Summers)
Daredevil
Daredevil

(Matt Murdock)
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange

(Stephen Strange)
Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Clint Barton)
Human Torch
Human Torch

(Johnny Storm)
Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman

(Sue Storm)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Tony Stark)
Marvel Girl
Marvel Girl

(Jean Grey)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)
Spider-Man
Spider-Man

(Peter Parker)
Thing
Thing

(Ben Grimm)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)
Wasp
Wasp

(Janet Van Dyne)



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