Synopsis
West Coast Avengers (1985 series) #10 synopsis by
Rob Johnson
Rating:
The opening page is attached to last issue as the West Coast Avengers congratulate Thing on finally accepting their offer to join the team, ignoring disconsolate Firebird. Hawkeye arranges a press conference for some days later to make a formal announcement.
But the day arrives and Thing doesn't show up. Henry Pym can't contact him at his home or the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation. Clint Barton sends Wonder Man to check at the UCWF and Tigra to look around his home. But she wants to get it over with fast so they can get back to tracking down Master Pandemonium. Hawkeye doesn't like having his priorities questioned. In private Mockingbird calms her husband down. The effects of Greer's added cat personality are making her unpredictable (but the situation should be resolved with the help of the Cat People).
Firebird meets them and says she's really leaving this time. (Things happened the previous 2 times she said that.) Bobbi Barton asks her to stay - she's still working on convincing Clint to make her a team-member. But Bonita Juarez says it's God's will that she take time to think about her life. Hawkeye asks her to call them when she's sorted herself out. And suggests also she investigate the vision she had in #8 (about a woman being shot in the back in California in the 19th Century).
Hank has a report from Simon Williams who says Ben Grimm collapsed during a fight and was taken to hospital. She-Hulk and a new Ms Marvel are there and they say that Thing has smashed out of the hospital and run off (in Thing #36). Hawkeye tells WM to check the airports and Tigra to check bus and train stations. Then he tells the assembled press that he called them here to announce that Thing is missing and the team are searching for him and checking all exits.
Thing, bundled up in a trenchcoat and hat, sees the news at an airport as Wonder Man arrives to ask the staff to be on the lookout. But Simon stops to give an interview about his parallel movie-star career as Ben hurries past him to escape.
The 3 WCA'ers left at HQ contact Mr Fantastic to see if the Fantastic Four have any news of their ex-member. But Reed Richards only knows what She-Hulk has told him. (Jennifer Walters has been Thing's replacement in the FF since Grimm left after Secret Wars I.) And Reed is surprised to hear that Ben intended to join the Avengers.
Next they call the (East Coast) Avengers and get chairman Wasp. She too didn't know that Clint had asked Thing to join. But she also informs him that the Government rule limiting an Avengers team to 6 members no longer applies since the Gov't removed their priority clearance in Av#258. When Jan has switched off Hawkeye realises that his insistence on recruiting Thing rather than Firebird was irrelevant. And now he seems to have neither.
Henry Pym tells them that someone has reported seeing Thing to the north of Zuma Beach. And that WM has finished his round of the airports. Clint decides they should follow this up, and Hank should tell Simon and Tigra to join them.
Tigra gets the message as she finishes her task too. But she brushes past the disguised Ben as she rushes to her sky-cycle. On the way to Malibu she muses on her determination to kill Master Pandemonium so that the Cat People will remove the cat half of her soul. (The WCA of course don't know about this.)
Grimm tries to buy a ticket to New York but is asked for ID for the WCA. Instead he hails a taxi.
The WCA gather at the beach and find a cloaked figure who they assume called them. But the guy drops his cloak to reveal a costumed skeletal body, and calls himself Headlok. He boasts of his mental power, but instead of attacking them directly he calls on the beast called Griffin who he has under mental control.
Wonder Man thought Griffin was dead after he and Spider-Man fought the beast in Marvel Team-Up #78. But Headlok explains that Griffin had burrowed his way out from under the burning quinjet. Having already turned completely from man to beast by then, he's since been roaming the Adirondacks where the villain found him.
Griffin attacks his old foe WM. Tigra and Iron Man lunge at Headlok and Hawkeye shoots an arrow at his head. But it turns out that the baddie isn't where they see him, due to his mental meddling. But Griffin's attack on Simon was only meant to distract him while Headlok took control of him. And now Wonder Man joins Griffin in attacking the others.
Bobbi suggests the other 3 hold off their attackers while she fights Headlok's mental influence. It's Iron Man vs Wonder Man while Hawkeye and Tigra tackle Griffin. But Greer tells Clint to stop shooting. Griffin is part lion, and she uses her cat nature to calm him down.
Then Mockingbird manages to see where Headlok really is. His surprise at being detected makes him lose contact with Griffin, and Tigra's ploy succeeds. Clint still can't see Headlok where Bobbi points, but he follows his wife as she chases their foe. But then Headlok turns and concentrates his mind on the duo alone. As he feels his mind going Hawkeye triggers a couple of rocket arrows in his quiver, and goes sailing over Headlok's head.
When he recovers from his landing he sees Bobbi standing over a fallen Headlok. But she can't remember doing anything to him. As Griffin and the others join them Thing makes himself known at a distance. It was he who KO'ed the villain who didn't realise he was there.
Ben tells them he's got to go away, and for the sake of their friendship they must let him go. Reluctantly Hawkeye wishes him luck.