Comic Browser:

The Avengers #127

Sep 1974

Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema

Story Name:

Bride and doom

Synopsis

The Avengers #127 synopsis by Rob Johnson

Rating:

Jarvis is just about to serve a (Thanksgiving?) turkey dinner to the Avengers when Gorgon and Lockjaw of the Inhumans teleport into the dining room to fetch them to the wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver. He's angry to find that Qucksilver never sent their invites. Scarlet Witch remembers how her brother Pietro swore never to speak to her again in #110 after she refused to stop loving the android Vision. And this shows he still means it. But they decide to go anyway.

In his lair in the Inhuman city Attilan, Maximus the Mad welcomes an ally. But one who strikes him down.

The rest of the Inhuman royal family (Black Bolt the king, Crystal, Karnak, Medusa and Triton) are there to greet them, along with their friends the Fantastic Four. Medusa is currently a replacement for Invisible Girl (as she was still then called) in the FF. But Sue Richards is here too, with young son Franklin and his governess Agatha Harkness. However Quicksilver is keeping away.

Mantis asks about a giant statue called Omega, and Medusa explains about the Alpha Primitives, a sub-race of Inhumans that the powered elite used as a workforce. In FF#131-132 Black Bolt's brother Maximus created Omega to lead a revolt of the Alphas, which resulted in them being given more rights.

But now we see a group of renegade Alphas led by RN-62 (for some reason having a distinguishing fin on his helmet) meeting with Maximus' ally. As various Avengers and FFers put on a display for their hosts, Iron Man and Medusa inexplicably start attacking Alphas, before falling unconscious. And RN-62 uses this as ammunition to incite his fellows.

Meanwhile Crystal begs her fiancé Pietro to reconcile with his sister Wanda, but he refuses. Human Torch wishes his ex-girlfriend Crystal all the best for her marriage. And Swordsman demands to know from Mantis whether she loves him or Vision. Mantis avoids answering by saying she doesn't even know who she is, after learning in recent issues that her Saigon street orphan memories may be a lie, and she may have been trained in martial arts by a mysterious sect.

But then those 2 see the Omega statue come to life and abduct Crystal. They raise the alarm. Black Bolt sends the still-conscious Avengers, led by Thor, on the delicate mission of seeing what the Alphas know of this. Quicksilver goes with them, as an ex-Avenger. Meanwhile the Inhumans and FF (minus Medusa) go check on Maximus, who they find unconscious too.

RN-62 and the Alphas are in no mood to talk. So hot-headed Pietro attacks them, worried about his fiancée. Mantis stops him, but uses more force than necessary. And then she too falls asleep.

The Avengers then retreat from rampaging Primitives, where they meet up with the Inhumans carrying Maximus on a stretcher. Suddenly Max leaps from his bed shouting anti-Alpha slogans like Iron Man and Medusa did, grabs a gun and starts shooting the Primitives. Torch tries to stop him, but gets blasted for his pains. Swordsman zaps Maximus with 1 of his sword's powers. But then he too succumbs to whatever is knocking people out.

Omega appears on the scene, and more of the heroes start dropping like flies. Some of them are only paralysed and remain standing. Vision is the last to go. But before he does he thinks he recognises the mind-control tactic that is being employed. With all his foes defeated Omega rips off his face and Vision sees it is his creator Ultron-7, who previously controlled his mind a couple of times.

This story continues in FANTASTIC FOUR #150.

Review / Commentaries

The Avengers #127 Review by Rob Johnson (January 7, 2014)

Crystal and Human Torch fell in love almost as soon as they met in FF#45. But later she rescued Quicksilver beind the scenes in Av#104 and fell in love with *him* as she nursed him back to health in Attilan. HT found out he had lost her to the speedster in the aforementioned FF#131-132. Sentient robot Ultron-5 created the Vision before the android's 1st appearance in #57-58, and controlled his mind there. He took control again in #66-68 as the upgraded Ultron-6, but ended up as a bodiless head. We'll find out in FF#150 how he got from there to being Ultron-7 with the body of Omega. It is these 2 instances of his own mind being controlled that Vision belatedly recognises in the other heroes this issue. There is no explanation in FF#150 why Ultron captured Crystal here. Unless it was because he knew it would cause Pietro to react and inflame the Alphas. But Ultron doesn't really make use of the Alpha revolt anyway.

Sal Buscema returns as penciller for a short run, and Joe Staton joins as inker for the same run - his only stint on this series. Meanwhile Steve Englehart makes a very rare appearance as colourist as well as writer for this issue only. The cover was mainly done by Gil Kane and Mike Esposito, but John Romita did some last-minute changes. The Avengers lineup has shrunk to Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor and Vision plus their guests Mantis and Swordsman. Black Panther left last issue and Steve Rogers quit being Captain America in CA#176 after Giant-Size Avengers #1. Medusa has been a member of the Fantastic Four since the events mentioned here in FF#131-132. Invisible Girl left the team in FF#130 after disagreements with Mr Fantastic over parenting issues. Their estrangement worsened after Reed was forced to cripple his son's mind in FF#141. But they reconciled in FF#149. (This issue continues in FF#150.) Medusa will remain Sue's replacement until FF#159. Franklin Richards was born in FF Annual #6, and Agatha Harkness became his governess in FF#94. She turned out to be a witch, and next issue she will start tutoring Scarlet Witch in real magic.

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Steve Englehart

Sal Buscema

Joe Staton

Steve Englehart

Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
John Romita (Cover Penciler)
John Romita (Cover Inker)
Mike Esposito (Cover Inker)

Additional Credits

Letterer: Tom Orzechowski.
Editor: Roy Thomas.

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Agatha Harkness

Avengers

Black Bolt

Crystal
(Corystalia Amaqulin Maximoff)

Fantastic Four

Franklin Richards

Gorgon

Human Torch
(Jonathan Storm)

Invisible Woman
(Sue Storm)

Iron Man
(Anthony Stark)

Jarvis
(Edwin Jarvis)

Karnak

Lockjaw

Mantis

Medusa
(Medusa Amaquelin Boltagon)

Mr. Fantastic
(Reed Richards)

Quicksilver
(Pietro Maximoff)

Scarlet Witch
(Wanda Maximoff)

Thing
(Ben Grimm)

Thor
(Odinson)

Triton

Vision

Maximus
(Maximus Boltagon)

Ultron

Plus: Alpha Primitives.

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