Synopsis
The Avengers have returned to Avengers Mansion after fighting Graviton. Most of them now go their own ways. Thor flies off carrying Captain America to SHIELD HQ. Iron Man takes Whizzer back to hospital. And Wasp and Yellowjacket fly to Hank's lab, where he intends to beef up his powers. That leaves Beast, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Vision and Wonder Man. And an ominous scythe behind them.
These 5 have some brief personal interactions before they're plunged back into battle again. Beast wonders about having a life outside the Avengers, and remembers his old 'family' the X-Men. Vision and Wanda have abruptly reverted to being loving husband and wife, after the android's sulking about Wonder Man in the issues leading up to their fight in #158. Now it's Simon Williams' turn to look put out. And Black Panther feels unease in the presence of WM, while he thinks that he can't stay with the Avengers long.
The introspection is brief. Beast bounds off to tidy up the lab that Vision and Wonder Man wrecked. And is immediately sent flying back singed and unconscious to be caught by Wonder Man. The other 3 enter the lab to find Grim Reaper. Simon follows them and recognises the villain's voice. Reaper removes his mask to reveal his brother Eric.
No-one had told WM about his brother's activities while Simon was 'dead'. But they fill him in now (and remind us readers). Eric blamed the Avengers for that death in #9, and attacked them in #52 as Grim Reaper. Wondie knows that Vision was given his brain pattern. Now he hears that GR offered to give Vision Simon's preserved body (or later that of Steve Rogers) if he would help destroy the team (#102,106-108).
Beast joins them only to be knocked out again. Simon can't attack his brother. So Scarlet Witch launches a hex bolt. But Reaper uses his scythe as a helicopter rotor to rise above the blast, and his return fire takes out Wanda, and T'Challa as well. The villain has put the Avengers in comas which only he can bring them out of (as he did in #52). Now he renders Vision and Wonder Man unconscious too.
When the 5 Avengers regain consciousness they are sitting round their meeting table, with wrist bands attuned to their individual physiologies that Eric says will punish them if they don't behave.
Eric says he's not convinced that Wonder Man is his brother come back from the dead. He intends to hold a trial to see which of Vision and WM is entitled to be considered his brother. The other will die. And Panther will act as defence council for them both.
Reaper calls on Vision to relate his origin. Vizh says Ultron reanimated the android body of the WWII Human Torch, but overwrote his mind with that of Simon Williams (as explained in #58 and #135). Thus he is not Simon. Eric counters by reminding Vision that he agreed to help Reaper in #107-108 in return for having his mind transferred to the body of Captain America, and even acted to save Eric's life. These were the marks of a brother who wanted his humanity back.
T'Challa asks Vision to explain the truth. He went along with Reaper's plan temporarily because Cap told him too. And he saved Eric's life because Avengers don't let people die. Panther continues that Vision has made his own life, even marrying Wanda (GS#4). This must be news to Reaper because he denies that his brother would ever marry a mutant.
Now it's Wonder Man's turn. He tells how Baron Zemo, the Enchantress and the Executioner gave him is power in #9, and sent him to destroy the Avengers. Eric believes the Assemblers then killed him. But Simon sets his brother straight - Zemo killed him when he rebelled. In #151-152 he was again sent against the Avengers by Black Talon as a zombie. But since then he has returned to full humanity.
Eric is ready to accept that WM is indeed his bother. But BP intervenes. His persistent unease has led him to conclude that this Simon Williams is not human. Which Wonder Man confirms by removing the goggles of his uniform - his eyes are a seething energy.
Vision steps forward and tells Grim Reaper to kill him if he must. He is not Simon Williams - he is the Vision. But he suggests that if Wonder Man is indeed more than human, then perhaps they 2 are now the true bothers.
Eric Williams won't allow that! He triggers the wrist bands to render the Avengers unconscious again, and prepares to execute Vision. But Wonder Man's wrist bands had no effect, because his molecular structure is not that of Simon Williams.
The brothers now fight. Amidst the battle Eric gloats that he paid Black Talon to revive WM's body as a zombie. He was supposed to kill the Avengers for GR. But all Reaper's attacks are of no avail against Wondy's invulnerable body. Until at last his scythe is shattered against Simon's chest. WM then decks him with 1 blow, and pushes a button on the scythe's gauntlet to reawaken his comrades.
The Avengers leave Simon to contemplate the unconscious body of his brother.
Characters:
Enemies