Avengers #7

2nd story:- This is Chapter 11 of the Oral History. The preceding entry in New Avengers #6 was misnamed Ch12, and the following NAv#7 will erroneously say Ch14. But the contents are in the right order. Captain America says he thinks he first met T'Challa on a recon mission in Africa, but he's not sure. This probably reflects the existence of 3 different stories of first meetings with a Black Panther. Tales of Suspense #97 told how T'Challa the Black Panther called Cap to Wakanda to help with a problem with (apparently) Baron Zemo. Black Panther (1998) #30 claimed that Cap met T'Challa's father T'Chaka, also a Black Panther, while on an African recon mission in WWII (but it didn't show Cap meeting young T'Challa). This tale was expanded in the 4-issue Flags of our Fathers where Cap *did* meet the Black Panther's son. But this time Black Panther was T'Challa's grandfather (to fit with the widening gap between WWII and the present), and the young prince was T'Chaka. Cap is right to be confused. It was always something of a mystery why T'Challa would abandon leading his people to become an Avenger (even taking on a secret identity as a schoolteacher). Panther here says it was to represent is kingdom to the outside world. But in #8 of BP(1998) he admitted that he had considered the Avengers a potential threat to Wakanda, and joined to spy on them! Hank Pym says he had suppressed his memory of creating Ultron until the presence of Vision helped him come to terms with it. But in #58 it was established that Ultron hypnotised him into forgetting.

In true Marvel tradition the characters Wonder Man mourns aren't all as dead as he thinks. Jack of Hearts died in Avengers v3 #76, but Scarlet Witch temporarily recreated him during Avengers Disassembled, and he will genuinely be brought back to life in Marvel Zombies Supreme. Ant-Man died in Avengers Disassembled, but will be saved in Avengers: The Children's Crusade. Scarlet Witch herself has been missing presumed dead since House of M, but Children's Crusade will bring her back too, (Recent sightings in Mighty Avengers were Loki in disguise, and the Crusade will cast into doubt times when Hawkeye and Beast separately (more than) found her.) Wasp died at the end of Secret Invasion, and is the only one still dead (do far). Reed's secret room might be a trophy room, a la the Batcave. But the only thing I recognise is a broken Galactus helmet, and maybe the head of a Doombot Hood likens learning to use the Infinity Gems to learning to use the Asgardian Norn Stones, which Loki gave him during Dark Reign. Noh Varr met Annie in Dark Avengers Annual #1, and they were together in Ms Marvel #50. Captain America (Bucky) presumably isn't here because he's undergoing the Trial of Captain America in his own book.

The 1st Infinity Gem we ever saw was the green Soul Gem given by High Evolutionary to Adam Warlock in Marvel Premiere #1. The existence of 5 other 'soul gems' was revealed in Marvel Team-Up #55, where Stranger had one (later identified as the yellow Reality Gem) and Gardener had another (orange Time Gem). Soon Thanos initiated his long involvement with all 6 gems in Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2. The Elders of the Universe (including Gardener) gained possession of the gems within Silver Surfer vol 3, except Warlock's Soul Gem which went to the In-Betweener. However Thanos got hold of them again in the 2-issue Thanos Quest. He renamed them the Infinity Gems. It was here that we learnt their individual names and powers. After more adventures, in New Avengers: Illuminati #2 Mr Fantastic persuaded the Illuminati to help him collect all the gems. He then split the set between the group's members, telling them to hide them without telling each other where. The disposition shown then doesn't match the ownership in this current story. But I'll return to that subject next issue. The Infinity Gems made 1 more appearance between Illuminati #2 and now, in the Lockjaw & the Pet Avengers mini-series. There Mr Fantastic was searching for the gems and the animals found them for him. I don't know how canonical this story is supposed to be, but it sounds like an alternate version of Illuminati #2. The Reality Gem basically grants wishes, so I'm not sure why you'd need the other 5. The Power Gem gives you physical strength and invincibility, and I understand can emulate any physical superpower. It also boosts the other gems.

This is the 2nd Avengers arc between Dark Reign/Siege and Fear Itself. The 1st arc has been given the title Next Avengers taken from its 1st episode (the only issue of this series to *have* a title). This arc doesn't have a handy name. But as the 1st arc concerned Kang and time travel (and Ultron and the Avengers' future children and ...), this one is equally cosmic and features the Infinity Gems. The Hood started out in his own limited series, and has used various mystical objects in his career. he worked his way up from a low-level criminal to being the leader of a large gang of crooks and super-villains. During Dark Reign they worked for Norman Osborn, but he was imprisoned at the end without any power-objects. In Avengers Academy #8 we will learn that Parker Robbins got free, after arranging for a substitute to take his place in jail. Hood swore vengeance on the Avengers, and was determined to get some replacement powers. He bought an advanced weapon from Hydra, which he uses here to kill his guides and break open the red sphere housing the Reality Gem. In #9 we will learn how he knew about the Gems, or at least the Attilan one. Hood seems surprised to find no city. In #9 he will be told that the Inhumans have left Earth, but maybe not that they took the city with them. But next issue I will reveal a major chronological problem surrounding Black Bolt hiding his Gem under Attilan.