Synopsis
Avengers, The (1963 series) #141 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
Beast is bouncing along merrily when he's attacked by a troop of costumed soldiers intent on killing him. But Captain America wades in to help him and soon they have the gang on the run.
Cap explains how he got involved. As Nomad in CA#181 he saved Hugh Jones, President of Roxxon Oil from an alliance of Warlord Krang and the Serpent Squad. In repayment in CA#185 Jones told Cap where to find Red Skull. Then in CA#186 troops like those that just attacked Beast also attacked Skull's men. Cap suspected a Roxxon connection so he staked their HQ out. Sure enough he saw some of the troops and followed them here.
At Avengers Mansion the mystery redhead is still waiting outside for Beast to return with the Avengers. Jarvis tells her they're at Mercy General Hospital with the ill Wasp and Yellowjacket.
Hank and Jan Pym are now in adjacent hospital beds while they recover from the last few issues. Scarlet Witch, Thor and Vision are there when Cap and Beast burst in. The mobile Avengers leave to figure out what to do about this new private army. And the mystery woman just misses them. Jan thinks she's familiar, and Hank says they met her at Reed and Sue Richards' wedding in Fantastic Four Annual #3.
Before Cap and the Avengers can pursue their quest they see a quinjet heading for Avengers Mansion. They too head there expecting to find Iron Man and Moondragon and hopefully Hawkeye returned from his time trip. But the returning duo think the archer is trapped in time, and that it's a trap laid by Kang the Conqueror. Moondragon suggests that she and the Thunder God go seek Hawkeye, while the rest handle Cap's case.
Just then the redhead catches up with them, and Beast recognises her as Patsy Baxter (from his series in Amazing Adventures). But she hotly declares she's back to being Patsy Walker again. Hank McCoy takes her to a private room so they can talk, while Moondragon and Thor head off.
After a heated argument Hank and Patsy rejoin the others, and Patsy announces that Beast is really Hank McCoy. But she is dismayed to find out that the team already know. Beast says his ID isn't a secret anymore, and so she can't blackmail him with it. But he admits he did make her a promise, and to keep it he asks Cap if she can tag along as an observer. Cap's not sure about this until Hank reminds him that he once took Rick Jones under his wing.
Thor is on the roof with Moondragon when he tells her he prefers not to mention his godhood in front of his teammates. But she dismisses his democratic tendency as she mentally calls out to Immortus. Who appears and agrees to transport them through time. Moondragon senses where and when to go to find Hawkeye.
But they are intercepted en route by Kang, whose force field this time is Mjolnir-proof. Immortus asks Kang if Giant-Size Av #2-4 weren't enough to prove that he's destined to fail against the Avengers. Kang refuses to accept the prophesy that he will grow to become the peace-loving Rama Tut. He's here for revenge over his failure to mate with the Celestial Madonna Mantis and become father to the Celestial Messiah.
But Thor manages to hold off Kang's assault and rebound his ray upon him. And the villain disappears back into the timestream. The trio continue on their quest.
Meanwhile the other Avengers are stealthily approaching Brand Corporation where Beast used to work as Hank McCoy. Cap had detected a connection between Roxxon and Brand, which the troop's attack on Beast (after he broke into the site last issue) seemed to confirm. Now they enter the complex fully expecting to be noticed. And Patsy refuses to stay outside.
In fact they are detected by Hugh Jones (another confirmation of a link with Roxxon) and head of security Col Buzz Baxter, Patsy's ex-husband. But instead of the costumed troopers, the Avengers find themselves confronted by 5 super-characters who pop out of nowhere. It's some members of the Squadron Supreme, superhero group from an alternate reality previously seen in #85-86.
4 of them are recognisable as Dr Spectrum, Hyperion, Lady Lark and Whizzer. The 5th looks like Golden Archer, an alias of Hawkeye from CA#179. This guy was called Hawkeye when we 1st met him in his home world, but wants to avoid confusion with this reality's Avenger. So confusingly he uses the costume and name of Hawkeye's temporary persona.
Golden Archer attacks Cap. Whizzer takes on Iron Man. Beast has to dodge Hyperion, while Dr Spectrum can't seem to affect Vision. Scarlet Witch squares off against Lady Lark and scores an early hit. But Patsy Walker leaps on the downed Lark preventing Wanda from following up. And giving Lady Lark time to emit a sound which takes the 2 other women down.
Vision is distracted by what's happened to his wife, and Dr Spectrum fells him. Whizzer succeeds against Iron Man, and Hyperion finally catches Beast ending that unequal match. Cap is holding his own against the Archer's arrows when Lady Lark's song takes him out too.
Hugh Jones congratulates Col Baxter on his security measures. And the Squadron take the unconscious Avengers to an escape-proof cell.
Meanwhile Immortus, Moondragon and Thor find themselves in the Wild West in 1873 facing someone we don't get to see this issue.
EnemiesPlus: Buzz Baxter, Dr Spectrum (
Squadron Supreme), Golden Archer, Hugh Jones, Hyperion (
Squadron Supreme), Lady Lark, Whizzer (
Squadron Supreme).