The Avengers #162

Conclusion of a two-part story. First appearance of Jocasta, though she is not named until AVENGERS #171. Two-Gun Kid is seen reading an issue of RAWHIDE KID (he likes Kirby’s art). Captain America, Scarlet Witch, and Beast are seen only very briefly, being loaded into an ambulance.

Wonder Man hangs back in this fight because he's afraid of dying, having already experienced it once. This theme will continue. Ultron's actions are likened by Black Panther and Iron Man here to an Oedipus complex. He wants to kill his 'father' (Hank Pym) and marry his 'mother' (Jan transferred to the robotic Bride). Which doesn't really explain why Ultron buys into this in #170-171 and names the female robot Jocasta after Oedipus' mother. That is the next appearance for the pair. Hawkeye and Two-Gun Kid will guest star in Ghost Rider #27, and then will be dragged into the Collector & Michael storyline in #168. We now have another little break before #163. Captain America will visit Iron Fist #12, while Iron Man is in Godzilla #3 and his own Annual #4. Then they 2 will be joined by Black Panther for the out-of-sequence #169. #163 itself will only feature Shellhead and Beast. The whole gang won't be back together until #164.

Ultron says he caused Henry Pym's memory loss. But Ant-Man's hatred of the Avengers goes far beyond that, so he *is* suffering a breakdown as Jan feared last issue. Iron Man says the 'Stark L I' message refers to Tony Stark's abandoned aerospace research centre on Long Island. However it has been established in eg IM#69 that Stark has his HQ on Long Island. However IM#83 puts the HQ in Queens, whereas the facility here is in Nassau County. So maybe that's 2 separate sites on Long Island, and Stark obviously picked the abandoned 1 because Ultron could hardly be in his HQ. Thor is brought here by Collector again from his space journeying, this time from after Thor #256-257 where he battled Sporr. He will be returned to face Grey Gargoyle (in deep space) in Thor#258-259. Ultron put some of the Avengers in a death-like coma last issue, which will soon kill them unless reversed (but we never see *how* they are saved). He says he gave the same technology to Grim Reaper, who used it in #160. But GR did the same thing to the Avengers in his 1st appearance in #52. Just how *long* has he been working with Ultron?

Wonder Man flies using jets on his belt in this issue. I think this is the only time he does this before it becomes a regular feature of his safari jacket costume from #171.