Synopsis
Avengers West Coast #102 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
The West Coast Avengers (Scarlet Witch leading Spider-Woman, U.S. Agent and War Machine) have been called to a meeting to discuss their future by the (East Coast) Avengers (Black Widow leading Black Knight, Captain America, Crystal, Giant-Man, Hercules, Sersi and Vision). Widow allows Vision to head the meeting because he was the instigator of the WCA (back in Av#243).
Over protests from Wanda Maximoff and USA, Vizh describes the team as a failed experiment which hasn't lived up to the standards of the parent organisation. He criticises the constantly-changing membership (definitely the pot calling the kettle black here) and the small current roster. He understands Hawkeye leaving after the death of his wife Mockingbird, but he doesn't understand Wonder Man's long absence from the team (allegedly last seen in his #26-27 fighting Hulk in Kanem). He also mentions that their Compound is in ruins after many attacks, and Spider-Woman's young daughter Rachel has been endangered there.
The Agent makes a loud riposte, but chairperson Scarlet Witch restrains him because it's *her* job to shout at the other team, which she does - accusing them of ignoring all their achievements. Natasha Romanoff tries to calm the waters but Vision continues his attack by saying the cost of rebuilding the Compound will be beyond the WCA's means and they'll have to be bailed out by the Maria Stark Foundation. (Excuse me but I thought that the Stark Foundation funded *both* teams, and they had *no* other income. I didn't think the United Nations actually paid them anything, or the US Government before that.) It's not worth the money for such a weak 4-person team. Wanda snipes that the East Coasters always get the gods (ie Thor and Hercules, not to mention Eternals Sersi and Gilgamesh and Titan Eros/Starfox).
Captain America asks the Witch to be reasonable. He reminds her of when the Avengers was just the 2 of them plus Hawkeye and Quicksilver (from Av#16). (He could also have mentioned when it was just Hawkeye, Goliath and Wasp in #51.) (However surely this point counts against *Vision*'s argument, not Wanda's.) He then shows excerpts from the just-concluded Bloodties Avengers/X-Men crossover:- War Machine allowed Exodus to beat him using racial taunts. US Agent was sent to guard Prof X, and Cap gets in a dig that it was for his strength not for his lack of restraint. (Seems to me they got what they asked for.)
Vision sums up that the West Coast branch has been a failure and should be closed down. (USA earlier referred to this as a kangaroo court, and IMHO he was right.) The members will become reservists for the East Coast team until they are individually evaluated for full membership. Scarlet Witch understandably bridles at this. Giant-Man (Henry Pym), who like her has been a member of both teams tries to mediate by suggesting keeping both teams but appointing a committee to oversee both and co-ordinate them. The committee would be long-serving members like Cap and Vision ... He was probably being diplomatic in not proposing himself, but Wanda interrupts his list, interjecting that *she*'s been here longer than Vision.
Then another voice chimes in claiming to have been an Avenger even before Captain America (which Pym could also have claimed). It's Iron Man (newly-arrived and newly-mobile in his new modular armour since IM#300). He suggests that they need to reconsider the whole Avengers operation, not just take it out on the WCA. War Machine (James Rhodes) has fallen out with his ex-boss Tony Stark and so isn't happy to see him even though IM seems to be on their side. Stark reminds them that the Avengers were split over whether to kill the Kree Supreme Intelligence at the end of the Galactic Storm event. Cap led a faction that opposed the idea, and Iron Man led a faction that went ahead and did it (Av#347). (Both factions still exist within the East Coast team.)
Various hotheads have to be restrained from starting a fight, when Jarvis defuses the situation by announcing lunch is ready. Tony Stark privately thanks his family's ex-butler, who's loyalties are torn between the various people he's served over the years. Rhodey has no stomach for food or Stark, but the other 3 WCAers ask if he's returning to the team. Tony doesn't want to answer that yet, and also dismisses questions from the other side. When he tries to call a truce with Jim, the angry War Machine quits the whole franchise.
Steve Rogers' anger over Galactic Storm makes him accuse Stark of driving War Machine away. US Agent cuts in because of his long-standing resentment of Cap. (And I suspect part of the Vision/Witch clash was because they used to be married.) But again cool heads calm things down and suggest they restart the meeting.
Vision has more to say but Iron Man calls for an immediate vote and Black Widow supports him. Cap, Widow, Knight (hesitantly) and Herc vote yes. Witch, Agent and Spider vote no. So far the lines are plainly drawn. Crystal abstains. Sersi surprises everyone by saying no, but because she doesn't want the WCA to be part of her team. Hank Pym votes no because he thinks there must be another solution. Then Vision says yes, making it a 5-5 tie. Iron Man has the deciding vote. And he shocks both side by voting to disband his old WCA team.
He gives as his reason that the WCA obviously can't continue as it is with such bad feeling from the East Coasters. Cap moves straight to discussing the take-on of the WCA as reserve members. Fuming Wanda Maximoff quits. As does Iron Man even though this was his idea. US Agent walks out too, and Spider-Woman makes it unanimous.
Impulsive John Walker/Jack Daniels has already left the Avengers Mansion grounds. But Iron Man meets up with Scarlet Witch and Spider-Woman and tells them to meet him at the LA Compound in 2 days where he'll explain his plans for their future. He flies off, and the duo ignore calls from the other team to reconsider or at least think about it.
This is all being watched by a shadowy group whose use of the word 'Hala' indicates they are Kree. They seem mainly interested in Vision and the absent Wonder Man.
We pick up John/Jack on a ferry passing the Statue Of Liberty. He admits to himself that his time with the WCA had been almost good. But his time as US Agent is over now, and he throws his shield and costume into the water.
Later Wonder Man turns up at the WCA Compound ready to rejoin the team to find it in ruins and almost deserted. The only occupant is someone he *didn't* expect, Iron Man, who tells him the WCA has disbanded.