Synopsis
Avengers West Coast #51 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Iron Man has returned to the Avengers West Coast and is now confronted by 4 of the current members - none of them completely happy to see him. Leader U.S. Agent is the most outspoken and states the facts as the world knows them. The Iron Man who founded the Avengers is dead, and his replacement doesn't automatically rate Avengers status. He decides to go and check with Washington (ie his superiors at the Commission on Superhuman Activities).
Janet Van Dyne confers with her ex-husband (and it seems current lover) Henry Pym. Hank says IM's voice modulator means they can't tell who's in there. Wonder Man adds that they know James Rhodes subbed in the armour (in the original West Coast Avengers mini-series). But now that untrusted newcomer USA is no longer there they can ask him directly "Are you still Tony Stark?". (They don't mention that TS is currently paralysed.)
We know he is, and his thoughts remind us that for health reasons he's having to spend more time in his armour these days. He figured in that case he might as well use the time more effectively as an Avenger again. But at this point he says that he can't tell them who he is.
We leave them now to find the other team members (not counting Tigra who's currently a cat) Scarlet Witch and Vision walking across the Compound to their quarters. Vision is more robotic since he was taken apart and rebuilt in #42-45. He tries to use more human turns of phrase in order to sound more human again to his wife. But Wanda tells him not to bother - as a mutant she doesn't care about humanity. Vizh reminds her she has spent years with the mostly-human Avengers. But she says she now regards that as a mistake.
Then they enter their house to find Agatha Harkness (and her cat Ebony) waiting for them. SW is surprised because she believed her mentor in witchcraft was burned to death (V&SW (1985) #3). Miss Harkness dismisses that as a triviality for 1 such as her.
Agatha tells the couple that she is concerned about their children Thomas and William. Wanda protests that they are normal children, but Miss Harkness says that how could that be for offspring of a mutant and a synthezoid. She claims that whenever Wanda isn't thinking about them they disappear. SW vehemently claims that they are always in her thoughts, by AH points out that there are times of danger when she must concentrate only on herself, and times when she has been unconscious. (Presumably being asleep doesn't count.) She reminds her ex-pupil that she has sacked various nannies who have tried to tell her about this. Wanda desperately tries to block the message out.
So we'll look in next at the 2 guests of the Compound. The WWII android Human Torch is flying around exulting in his new life and marvelling at the new world he's in. He's also been asked to join the team. When he lands he's seen by a woman who hesitantly calls him Tom. He introduces himself and discovers that she is Ann Raymond, the grieving widow of his once-youthful sidekick Toro - Tom Raymond.
But before they can commiserate with each other they are attacked by a horde of demons. And Ann's scream attracts most of the other Avengers as HT is knocked into the swimming pool. Wasp bio-stings them, Wonder Man bashes them and Dr. Pym shoots them with guns he enlarges out of a pocket. Pym guesses they are emissaries of their old enemy Master Pandemonium. Iron Man queries didn't they last see him in the River of Oblivion in Mephisto's domain. Hank replies that the Fantastic Four saw him back on Earth recently (FF#315) - and wonders to himself how the 'new' IM knew such details about their exploits.
US Agent joins the fray and bashes demons with his shield. Torch climbs out of the pool, flash-driers himself, flames on and starts burning baddies. But Wasp and DP start to suspect this fight is merely a diversion ...
... as more demons burst into SW&V's main room. Agatha Harkness prepares to hold them off when Master Pandemonium follows them and spits a blast of demonfire at her. Vision puts his hand into MP's chest but the villain claims to have no heart to be stopped. Scarlet Witch's hexes seem to have more effect. But then Pandy calls his demons off and vanishes with them. And Wanda realises the twins are gone.
The Master has the children in his hellish domain, and he of course tells them his origin. Martin Preston had a car accident which ripped off his right arm. Mephisto appeared at the crash sight and replaced both arms with demon's versions. But he also removed Preston's soul and scattered it in 5 pieces, and left him with a 5-pointed hole in his abdomen. He has so far retrieved 1 piece (in West Coast Avengers #15), which has closed up 1 point of the pentagram.
Back at the Compound all the super-characters have gathered together in SW&V's wrecked dwelling. Henry Pym tries to enquire further into how come Miss Harkness is still alive, but angry Wanda brings the subject back to her kidnapped kids. Wasp wonders whether they've just vanished again like the nannies said, which earns the shrunken heroine a slap from SW.
The Witch curses them as 'prattling humans' and demands that the witch send her where Pandemonium has gone. Agatha says she mystically tagged him before he left so she can find the target. The other heroes want to go with SW, but Dr Pym tells Torch to stay behind because the team isn't used to working with him. With Wanda's help to get past some magic barriers Miss Harkness opens a portal for them.
As usual Immortus is watching the proceedings from his palace in Limbo. He fears his long-range plan could be derailed if anything happens to Scarlet Witch. And he can't see into MP's realm.
That realm appears peaceful. But Agatha Harkness mentally warns the team to beware as the local plants leap into life and attack them. They battle their way through towards a citadel. Wanda is the 1st to get there and blasts the door open. But inside she finds Master Pandemonium with her babies attached to his arms, and 2 more points of his pentagram gone.