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Avengers Solo (2011 series) #5

Apr 2012
on-sale: Feb 22, 2012
Jen Van Meter | Roger Robinson

Avengers Solo (2011 series) #5 cover

Story Name:

Pathfinder (part 5)

Synopsis

Avengers Solo (2011 series) #5 synopsis by Rob Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
Hawkeye (Clint Barton) is helping a group of victims bring an end to a corporation that experimented on them and many other women to develop drugs that would give people superpowers. Dr Seth Forrest whose genuine medical drug trial was taken over by the bad guys claims to be helping them too and has taken Alicia and Emi to their HQ on a 'boat' on New York City's Hudson River. But as they expected Forrest betrayed them last issue. Meanwhile Hawkeye and Jake wearing the group's Trace armour were watching from the Palisades and began to put their part of the plan into action by firing an arrow line to the boat. But Iron Man dropped in to ask Clint what he was up to.

Barton tells Trace to go down the line while he deals with the Avenger. But IM says that he and Captain America identified the Trace armour as a prototype stolen from an Estonian private research facility. The Black Cat has been blamed but he wants to know the truth. Trace thinks Hawkeye has betrayed them. Tony Stark knows Clint has been hiding things from his team. Trace finally takes the zip line while Hawkeye confronts the armoured Avenger. He says he can't involve the Avengers, just like Tony didn't when he went hunting villains who were using his armour tech (in Armour Wars). IM concedes the point and jets off.

Inside the boat Alicia and Emi meet other victims held by the bad guys, and tell them they're waiting for a signal to start a breakout. Hawkeye fires an arrow which knocks out the boat's electricity before sliding down the wire himself, and that's the signal. Trace is attacking guards with his fire-generation power when Hawkeye joins the fray. Meanwhile the other member of the group Mel is using her power to drastically slow her metabolism to appear dead floating in the water next to the loading bay. She subdues the guard who fishes her out but then has to fight another 1 until Clint and Jake arrive to take him down.

But then Forrest turns up eager to see the only subject who successfully gained the fire power, who he knew as Nita, and wants to know what was so special about her. (He doesn't know that Nita was taking the treatment to turn her into Jake at the same time as she was taking part in the drug testing.) Also it turns out the Doc has given himself force field powers like Emi's. Hawkeye distracts him with an arrow in the leg but he fends off other arrows. He claims he's doing this for a better world, but also for the fame. And he calls his enhanced guards the Pharmy.

Emi and Mel have got the prisoners into a boat. Alicia joins Trace in fighting of any guards who try to stop them. The battle has caused the big boat to start sinking and the guards rebel when the big boss Angela Golden shows up and orders them to recapture the subjects. Alicia tells Trace to get in the boat and leave her with Golden, who explains that she helped Forrest get Karl Malus off the Board Of Directors so they had control. Forrest told her he'd give her powers but he lied. Alicia takes pity on her and they both swim to the shore.

Hawkeye is still with Forrest but has been captured by some of the enhanced (but in a monsterish way) guards. The Doc explains that he got them via a deal with a prison. Hawk guesses they've been working for him with a promise of a cure, which he also guesses doesn't exist. The Doc confirms it and his guys turn on him. It turns out Trace didn't leave with the others and he's here now to help the Avenger, and Hawkeye gets him to create a firewall to drive the bad guys to more boats to get away in. And Clint grabs the Doc's folder of notes on the way. But the monsters refuse to get in the boats and they keep Forrest with them, and use powers to expel the heroes from the big boat. And there's a big explosion which destroys it and at the same time propels the duo further away. Hawkeye dives down into the river but can only find 2 guards to rescue.

A bus has been organised (by Millie Collins and Toni Turner from #1?) to take the rescued victims somewhere safe. The 2 guards and Angela Golden are waiting for the police to take them away. The rescuers intend to help get the rescued back to their lives and then try to locate other subjects of the drug trials. Then whoever is willing to be publicly identified can go to the police. Clint hands over Forrest's notes which might help. They say their goodbyes and then Barton phones Jarvis to get the State police.

Later Hawkeye meets with Captain America and Iron Man and tells them everything that wouldn't compromise the identities of his allies. There's still a corrupt prison to be dealt with and the Power Broker (Karl Malus)'s involvement to be followed up. He explains how they'd been using Cap's name to sell their idea to investors. He knew Cap wouldn't be involved but the victims weren't convinced, so he kept the Avengers out of it. But he doesn't mention to Stark that the victims were also scared that *he* or the government would take them in for investigation of their powers. And so he lies about the info he handed over to them about other victims.


Characters
Good (or All)
CAP
HAWKEYE
IRONMAN

Enemies
Golddigger (Angela Golden).

Story #2

Extra credit

Writer: Jim McCann. Penciler/Inker: Karl Kesel. Colorist: Chris Sotomayor. Letterer: Dave Sharpe.

Synopsis

By Rob Johnson
Rating: 4 stars
Giant-Man (Hank Pym) brought his Avengers Academy students Finesse and Striker to investigate activity at an old lab of his in Death Valley. There they found the robot Alkhema who'd created robot replicas of members of the old West Coast Avengers. Last issue ended with Giant-Man down but the Avengers robots defeated and the students managing to break off 1 of Alkhema's forearms.

But this issue begins with Pym and Tigra studying footage of the battle and we realise that everything's not what we thought. It seems that they set up the fight and had closed-circuit cameras installed to record it. And Alkhema was a fake?

We see the end of the fight as Finesse uses A's arm to block her blast, Striker zaps the robot with electricity and F knocks her head off with her own arm. But then interference obscures what happened next. Hank admits to Greer Nelson that he really was unconscious until some time later, so he didn't see it either. But he notes that A's head isn't shown where it was when he woke up.

Jeanne Foucault and Brandon Sharpe join them and are told that the teachers have been reviewing feed from surveillance cameras in A's lab. Finesse seems worried but Striker asks for a copy for his fans. Dr Pym lets them know that the the recording ends just after they defeated the foe. Jeanne regains her composure and asks if the way they handled the situation was acceptable. Pym gives Striker the copy he wants and sends them off for well-earned R&R.

We finally get it plainly stated that this was a manufactured test, but Pym is sure Finesse worked out they were being tested. And when they examined the robot's head they found its CPU was missing, and he suspects F took it. But if she tries to use it Henry will still be able to control it.

We see Striker graphically describing his fight to Lightspeed and Mettle. And Finesse examining the CPU and making plans.


Characters
Good (or All)
FINESSE
GIANTMANHP
METTLE
STRIKER
Plus: Lightspeed (Julie Power).

Enemies
Alkhema.



> Avengers Solo (2011 series) comic book info and issue index


Avengers Solo (2011 series) #5 cover

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Excelsioring your collection:
statue
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Roger Robinson
Roger Robinson
Fabio d'Auria
John Tyler Christopher (Cover Penciler)
John Tyler Christopher (Cover Inker)
John Tyler Christopher (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Clayton Cowles.
Editor: Thomas Brennan. Editor-in-chief: Axel Alonso.



Review / Commentaries

Avengers Solo (2011 series) #5 Review by (June 7, 2025)
Declan Shalvey helps Roger Robinson with the art in story 1, and Antonio Fabela & Jordie Bellaire help Fabio D'Auria with the colouring.

This is the last we'll see of most chars in the main story in this series, including Angela Golden/Golddigger.

Captain America, Hawkeye and Iron Man will appear next with other Avengers in Mighty Thor (2011) #9 where the new Thor Tanarus helps them defeat Terminus.

In the backup story all the Avengers Academy chars will move on to their #21. And Hawkeye will join them as a new teacher.

Nothing will be said after this about Finesse having Alkhema's CPU.

Whatever her status here, Alkhema herself will appear in a tale in the 2020 Iron Age 1-shot as part of Iron Man 2020's robot revolution.

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