Synopsis
Avengers, The (1963 series) #222 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
She-Hulk is spectacularly failing to mend her cadillac that Hawkeye broke last issue, so she trashes it. Janet Van Dyne arrives just then and commends her decision - the pink colour didn't go with her green skin. And speaking of fashion statements, she's designed a load of new clothes for Shulkie.
At Stark International Scott Lang has a word with his boss about Henry Pym, in jail awaiting trial. Scott can't explain that he's concerned because Yellowjacket helped him become the 2nd Ant-Man (Marvel Premier #48). Tony Stark is also worried about Hank, but he's also concerned about the affect this and the divorce are having on Wasp.
It's time for the weekly Avengers meeting, and Steve Rogers shakes off the exhaustion from an all-night art job to attend as Captain America. In Chicago Don Blake changes to Thor to fly to Avengers Mansion. And Hawkeye leaves his Cross Technological Enterprises job to make it by cab.
When Cap, Iron Man and Thor arrive they compliment She-Hulk on her new 'Arabian Nights' outfit. But Clint Barton jokes about the green Amazon trying to be a fashion model. He's already for a fight when she grabs him. But she takes the wind out of his sails by kissing him.
Meanwhile in his laboratory Egghead bemoans the fact that Pym wrecked his chance to get hold of some adamantium to build super-robots with (#217). His French maid gives him the idea of discovering the secret of eternal youth, which he thinks the world would pay anything for. So he sets out to recruit some supervillains to do the heavy lifting for him.
His 1st act is to send a missile to Atlantis to free Tiger Shark.
The 2nd stage happens in Ryker's Island prison where Henry Pym is incarcerated. Fellow inmate Dave Cannon (Whirlwind) gets revenge for the times Pym defeated him by promising to 'take care of' his ex-wife Jan when he gets out today. Hank loses it and attacks him, which earns him some time in solitary.
But Cannon may have been lying about his imminent release because he readily goes along when Tiger Shark breaks into the jail and rescues him, Scorpion and Moonstone. The 4 villains wait impatiently in a safehouse until the mastermind behind their freedom reveals himself as Egghead. Elihas Starr explains his plan, which will start by the 4 of them stealing data and supplies he needs from a medical research centre. He makes Moonstone the leader.
The raid will be that night, so in the meantime Whirlwind decides on a little side-trip of his own. The Avengers meeting breaks up and everyone leaves apart from She-Hulk who's living in for the moment. Jan finds that Danny Cannon has replaced her chauffeur Carrothers and tries to kidnap her. But Wasp fights back.
Hawkeye is sneaking back in to get some food because his own cupboards are empty. He runs to Jan's aid but the others 3 supervillains turn up looking for Whirlwind - calling themselves the new Masters of Evil. Clint figures that he and Wasp are outmatched, and sends up a flare arrow. Moonstone blasts him in the back, and Tiger Shark swats Wasp.
But Thor and She-Hulk answer the distress signal. Wasp recovers and forbids Jennifer to damage her new outfit. So Shulkie has to take the time to get undressed before fighting in her undies. Then Hawkeye joins in too, and Egghead watches by remote as his gang are beaten and carted off by the police.
Clint pays Shulk a genuine compliment. Jan's limo got totalled in the fight, so she and Jen go shopping for new cars.