Under Siege: Avengers 276

Avengers #276 (February 1987)

"Revenge"

Roger Stern-John Buscema/Tom Palmer

Doug:  I'm not messing around with these guys you see above.  But wait -- Dr. Druid?  Ugh.  Remember when we had the post last week asking where your jumping off point was for certain titles?  Well, while Dr. Druid certainly proves helpful in the concluding two issues of this story, he was part of my personal "beginning of the end" in terms of my love for this title.  I like Mantis, but for all of you out there who don't?  Dr. Druid is my "Mantis" -- see what I'm saying now?

Karen: It truly is an enigma how this guy ever wound up on the team. Really, was he anybody's favorite?

Doug:  We pick the story up back at the hospital where Hercules lay in a coma, suffered from the beating he sustained in Avengers #274.  The Wasp and Ant-Man (Scott Lang) despatched Titania and the Absorbing Man the previous issue and are being interviewed by the police.  Jan is burning to make the whole situation right, and with Lang's offer of help flies off to pursue a plan.  As we remarked previously (and our readers blew up the comments section on that post), Roger Stern has really deepened the personality of Janet Van Dyne, and I like it.  The subtle bits of characterization that we'll find in these last two issues, of Thor and Cap deferring to her leadership, are great pieces of the overall puzzle that has been the creation of this richer Wasp.

Karen: She's as take charge as any male leader but still seems to be the same character, somehow. I don't know if part of it is my willingness to accept the change, since I never liked the Wasp's flighty personality, but I bought into the idea that this really was just a more mature Janet Van Dyne here.

Doug:  Back at the Mansion, Mr. Hyde continues to give Jarvis a brutal beating, laughing about it the whole time.  Cap and the Black Knight, both still bound, are forced to watch... and listen.  Dane continues to try to reach his ebony blade mentally; but the Fixer's stasis field holds both the sword and Cap's shield.  Outside, the U.S. Army has gathered and headquartered in Central Park.  Jan and Ant-Man meet with the commanding officer, and the three of them mull strategies.  Jan asks for time, and to be allowed to do things her way.  With few options, the Colonel agrees.  Jan tries to raise Thor, using the biggest cell phone ever invented, but finds him unavailable.  We then shift scenes to the dark dimension that holds Captain Marvel.  She continues to fly around, looking for some way out.  As we saw last issue, she was drawn to a pinpoint of white light, only to see it disappear as she drew near.  But again this issue, she sees one.  Launching herself toward it, we then immediately scene shift to a dock in San Francisco of all places!  The Shroud, he of Super-Villain Team-Up fame,  has a baddie cornered.  As the Shroud begins to emit his Darkness, who should suddenly blast out of the inky mists but Marvel?!  Stunned, she is helped to her feet by the Shroud, and they quickly deduce that the Darkness that the Shroud taps into must be the same dimensional force used by Blackout.

Karen: Jarvis must be a pretty tough guy, because Hyde really seems to be whaling away on him. Even though very little is shown, it's still hard to take, as we mentioned last time. The gigantic cell phone was just a sign of the times. I remember those bricks! No wonder so few people were interested in having a phone back then. But I didn't recall that the Shroud had the ability to manipulate the darkforce. I had to go back and read the Wiki entry on him to see that he gained that power later on in his career. I guess it was appropriate for the character.

Doug:  I remember really liking the Shroud back in 1970-whatever, but man, on those SVTU re-reads was it disappointing.  Time was definitely not kind in this guy's eyes!

Doug:  We then look in on a Dr. Anthony Druid and his personal secretary.  Druid is concerned about the news of the Avengers Mansion takeover, and decides to attempt to clear his mind and learn what he can.  He picks up on Dane Whitman's efforts to reunite with the sword, and having seen the dark force surrounding the Mansion soon changes into his "fightin' duds".  Back at the army camp, Ant-Man and the Wasp are doing a little crying in the coffee as they commiserate about all of their strike-outs for assistance -- no West Coast Avengers, no Fantastic Four, no Vision and Scarlet Witch, no Falcon.  Just as they decide they'll attempt to scour the city for the likes of Spider-Man and Daredevil, Captain Marvel arrives.  As she tells them about her ordeal, who should literally walk up but the God of Thunder.  Alriiiiiight...

 

Karen: The shot of Druid's eyes and the image of the Knight above them was pure Buscema to me. Did ol' Doctor D seem like a huge dude -I mean tall and big -to you? He looked about 6'6" when he stormed out! It's a bit hard to believe that Wasp and Ant-Man were having such poor luck getting a hold of anyone -are there no telephones in Wakanda? - but it was good to see Thor show up, even with that silly beard.

Doug:  Well if he's that big, then he's that ugly, too.  And I remember the Panther's cool entrance in issue #159 when they were fighting Graviton for the first time.

Doug:  Inside the Mansion, the thugs continue to loot the place.  Moonstone finds every opportunity to be alone with Blackout, continuing to attempt to sway his loyalty from Zemo to her.  No dice.   In the Assembly room, Hyde holds up the nearly-dead Jarvis and gloats to Cap and the Knight.  In a control room, Zemo oversees Yellowjacket and the Fixer as they attempt to steal the memory discs from the Avengers' mainframe.  Suddenly the lights go out, alarming Zemo.  The Fixer moves quickly to find the source of the problem.  Oops -- when the power went out, so did the field locking down the Avengers' weapons.  The sword is gone!  Now possessing the ebony blade, the Knight frees himself and Cap, while Hyde bellows threats.  Using the darkness for stealth, the Knight and Cap mete out their revenge against Hyde, frustrating him into an even deeper mad rage.  Captain Marvel suddenly materializes through the floor, followed by the Wasp and Thor.  Hyde is knocked out while trying to head butt Thor.  This was during the time when Thor's bones were becoming brittle, if memory serves.  If I also recall, the Thunder God would soon have to wear a special suit of armor to protect his degenerating condition.

Karen: I believe you are correct, amigo. It did give me a little smile to see that Thor didn't have to raise a finger to stop Hyde-he just stood there and let him knock himself out! How was Hyde ever a major Thor villain? Of course, all our heroes seem to get more and more powerful over the years, but the villains -particularly the grade C listers -don't keep up.

Doug:  You ask how Hyde was a big-time baddie?  Because his partner was the Cobra.  Duh...  OK, I'll admit I almost laughed out loud while typing that.

Karen: Yeah, I was thinking about that partnership too. What an unbeatable combo. If you're Ka-Zar, maybe.

Doug:  Now the tide begins to turn.  The Avengers reunite to inspect the damage done to Jarvis.  Thor swears revenge as Yellowjacket eavesdrops.  She scurries back to Zemo and tells him of the danger the Masters are now in.  Zemo decides to flee immediately, leaving everyone to their own devices.  He takes YJ with him.  Outside, Dr. Druid has arrived at the Mansion, cloaking himself from the notice of the assembled soldiers.   He contacts Blackout and orders him to remove the darkforce cube that has encased the Mansion.  It falls, and Druid enters the grounds.  Inside, Ant-Man has snuck up on the Fixer and KO's him with one punch!  There's a cool moment back in the Assembly room, as Jarvis has been laid prone on the meeting table.  Thor looks at him, and in what at least to my ears appears to be Dr. Don Blake's voice, examines and passes judgement on the condition of the Avengers' faithful servant.

Karen: Seems like they were still getting some mileage out of the Blake identity, at least in moments like these. Ant-Man's one punch takedown of the Fixer was also great fun.The way poor Jarvis was drawn, with his shirt shredded, you'd think he'd been attacked by a wild animal. Then again, the way Hyde was drawn, I suppose he was.

Doug:  Jan begins to give the team orders, when Captain Marvel reports back from her tour of the building.  She reports that the trouble will arrive, and soon.  And wouldn't you know it?  It's Cap, unarmed, who takes the battle to the Wrecking Crew.  Thor quickly follows, and using Mjolnir removes the Asgardian enchantments the group had received from Karnilla.  But, in removing the magic, it had to be channeled through the Wrecker -- more on that later.  There's no time to gloat, however, as Goliath grabs Thor's cape from behind and begins to swing the Son of Odin back and forth, each time striking his body against the floor.  Remember, this Goliath was once Power Man, and is infinitely stronger than Hank Pym or Clint Barton ever were with the growth serum.  Outside, Druid has levitated to the roof, where he encounters Moonstone, in one last gasp to wrest control of Blackout's mind from Zemo.  But as Druid arrives, so does Captain Marvel.  Moonstone hurls Blackout toward Marvel, and takes to the skies in an effort to flee.  Monica gives chase, cutting off Moonstone's path time and again.  They dodge and dart, until Moonstone suddenly crash lands, head first, into the rocky banks of a river.

Karen: That's a good point about this Goliath being stronger -I hadn't thought of that but I do believe you are right. He really tosses the thunder god around like a rag doll, and the expression of shock on Cap's face says it all. It's rather convenient though, that Thor is able to steal back the Norn power from the Wrecking Crew. Not that it isn't in line with dozens of Lee/Kirby era stories, as far as the miraculous powers wrapped up in Mjolnir. But it does wipe the battlefield of about half the bad guys!

Doug:  Druid has moved near to Blackout as Zemo and Yellowjacket emerge from the stairs.  Zemo shoots Druid with a stun gun, dropping the mental mage.  Zemo helps Blackout to his feet, and tells him that enemies are all around.  At the river, Captain Marvel inspects Moonstone's condition.  She's paralyzed, apparently, but tells Marvel that it's Baron Zemo who controls Blackout.  On the Mansion's roof, Zemo implores Blackout to send the Mansion and all of their enemies... into the dark dimension!

Supplementing That Retirement Income...

Doug:  Today's post is just silly, geeky fun.  The last time I flew, which is almost exclusively when I go to Washington, DC, I had to stand in one of those full-body scanners at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.  I'm not a tattoo guy, no piercings, slight spare tire around the 46-year old middle, and I only have one scar and it's on my left arm.  So I'm sure I was quite the bore for the TSA fellow sitting on the other side of the monitor.  Lordy, what those people must see.  Yuck.  Trying in my mind to make the best of the situation, I thought to myself -- jeez, this is what a guy like Daredevil does all day long!  He's got this dude's view 24-7!

Doug:  And then that made me smile a little bit (never a good idea to look like you're up to something when the TSA hawks are watching), and I thought, hmmm -- I wonder what other jobs superheroes could get after retirement?  So that's what you're tasked with today -- you tell me.  And be just as silly and geeky as you want to be; no one's watching if you smile a bit or even laugh out loud!  Have fun with this.

You Choose the Band, and Their Best Album

Karen: Today let's do a little exercise where we each choose a band or artist we like, and then select what we believe is their best album. You have to say why you think it is their best album, and it can't be a compilation/greatest hits album either!

Karen: I'll get it going with one of my favorite albums. I've actually mentioned this album before, three years ago in a post on "perfect albums," which I defined as 'all meat, no filler' -in other words, every track was worthwhile. It's Girlfriend by Matthew Sweet, that 90s purveyor of power pop. While I enjoy many of his albums, particularly 100% Fun and Altered Beast, I think Girlfriend has the best all-around songs and musical artistry. The album came out in 1991 and gained some notoriety briefly on MTV for its use of Japanese anime in the video for "Girlfriend." Sweet was going through a divorce when he wrote the songs and it appeared to have provided a great deal of inspiration for him. The guitar work of Richard Lloyd and the late Robert Quine is also fabulous; the sizzling solo on Girlfriend is unforgettable. The lap steel guitar by Greg Leisz is also noteworthy -you don't hear that particular instrument on a lot of pop/alternative music.

Sweet is, for my money, a fantastically talented songwriter, equally capable of lush, heart-breaking slow tunes like You Don't Love Me, upbeat love songs like I've Been Waiting, or rockers like the title tune. The album is all about relationships, with the occasional political song (Holy War), but it all holds together -like I said, a perfect album, a very solid 15 songs.

Here's something to think about as you consider your choice today: has the album as a product become obsolete? In these days of 'ala carte' music shopping, what with iTunes and MP3s, most people seem to eschew buying a whole album and typically buy individual songs.  I'm going to be a dictator here and say you can only answer this second question if you first tell us your choice for artist/album!! 

Dang, Those Are Cool-Looking Animals! Tarzan 212

Tarzan #212 (DC issue #6, September 1972)
"The Captive"
Joe Kubert:  Words, Pencils, and Inks

Doug:  A long time ago, back in the days of the BAB Two-In-Ones, I reviewed the first four issues of Joe Kubert's Tarzan run at DC Comics.  For those not in the know, DC acquired the Tarzan license from Gold Key, and rather than renumber the series from a #1 (wow, those marketing guys at National Periodical Publications couldn't find work today!) they chose to just continue the Gold Key sequence.  As you see above, this is actually the sixth DC issue; for whatever reason the fifth issue didn't look very good to me.  And I don't mean the story -- I'll be using Dark Horse's Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years Archives as my source material, and at least in that book the art was muddy.  But this one today is a beauty!  Let's see --

Doug:  Joe Kubert's inaugural storyline of the Lord of the Jungle adapted Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes.  Today's fare is based on a later Burroughs novel, Jungle Tales of Tarzan.  As we begin, many denizens of the jungle have taken note of activity by a local tribe of the gomangani (Black Africans).  The natives are seen digging a huge hole in the earth; but what is curious to the ape-man is that they then covered it with sticks and grasses and leaves!  Upon closer inspection, Tarzan noted that there were sharpened sticks lining the bottom of the hole.  Still unclear of their motivations, our hero decides to go and consult Tantor the elephant.

Doug:  Tantor and Tarzan, we are told, have a compatibility unlike that of any other jungle creatures.  While Tarzan is not sure that Tantor understands the language of the great apes, he enjoys the giant's company.  Later, Tarzan takes leave of his friend to rejoin his tribe, still unsure of the purpose of the pit.  As the day goes on, Tarzan suddenly hears the drums of the gomangani, and the panicked trumpet of Tantor!  Suddenly it becomes frightfully clear what the great hole is for.  Taking to the trees, the ape man traverses the miles quickly through the upper terrace.  Sensing the urgency of Tantor's dilemma, Tarzan lights on the ground and plans to finish his trek through the fringe savanna.  However, his appearance has caused fright for the birds of Buto, the rhinoceros.  It is Buto who now charges across the veldt.  With no time for delay, the ape man avoids the conflict in an effort to save his friend.  As Tarzan emerges again from the trees and grasses, he finds that he is just in time to divert Tantor from certain doom.  But as the gray giant turns to crash back into the jungle, Tarzan loses his balance and himself falls into the hole.  Knocked unconscious, the gomangani see him and determine that where there should have been an elephant and now lay a man, the only explanation is that this must be the evil one of the forest.

Doug:  The chief, M'Bonga, orders his fellows to bind the white devil.  Spirited back to the village, Tarzan is bound in the center of the boma -- one hand each roped to a post inserted into the earth.  As the sun sets, it's clear what is going to happen.  Huge pots of water are set to boiling, and dried kindling is placed about the ape man's feet.  After discerning the situation and it gravity, Tarzan throws back his head and cuts loose with the cry of the bull ape (and yes, I completely saw Johnny Weissmuller in my mind as I read that).  The crowd instantly grew silent.  Tarzan, hearing not a sound from the aid he'd just requested, went with Plan B.  In a superhuman effort, he wrenched his right arm free from its binding, uprooting the post in the process.  The tribe immediately descended upon him.  Fighting as an animal backed into a corner, Tarzan dealt much damage before succumbing to the superior weight of the numbers against him.  But as M'Bonga moved to strike the death blow, Tarzan's aid did arrive -- Tantor crashed through the walls of the boma, scattering the Africans.  Using his mighty trunk, the elephant hoisted his near-unconscious friend atop his bony head and left the enclosure.  As he neared the jungle, M'Bonga stepped into the giant's path.  Tarzan groggily urged Tantor to spare the chief, for his bravery.  The pachyderm seemed to understand, and continued on his path after circumventing the warrior.  Tarzan was saved, and M'Bonga was left to wonder why the large beast had not killed him.

Doug:  I've not been disappointed in any of the Kubert Tarzan stories I've read -- even the fifth installment that I'd mentioned at the top was a decent-enough story.  For some reason it seemed that Kubert had received an art assist (uncredited) in places, as there were seemingly multiple styles on display.  Anyway, this is a nice adaptation of a Burroughs vignette.  Kubert's care in depicting the animals is on par with anything John Buscema has done -- high praise indeed from me.  Kubert's script is somewhat minimalist, often letting the art do the talking.  The pace is good, the action exciting, and overall I can guarantee you that reading today's story was time well spent!

Love -Who Needs It?

Karen: This being Valentine's Day, it seems appropriate to discuss super-heroes and their romantic lives -or lack thereof. With some characters, it seems that their love lives are integral to who they are; for example, I can't imagine any version of Superman, pre-, post- or mid-life Crisis that wouldn't have Lois Lane as a love interest! On the other hand, I've never thought Batman needed a steady love interest, nor have I ever felt convinced that any woman was 'the great love of his life.' He's too devoted to his crusade.

Karen: But what about other characters? There are some that seem to be more interesting when they are actively in a relationship, but you could argue about who their greatest love was. For Peter Parker, was it Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson? Some might argue that Peter's marriage to Mary Jane sucked a lot of the excitement out of the Spider-Man titles, but was it really the marriage itself, or how it was handled?

Doug:  Which begs the question -- were you (read: any of us) more exciting as a single than as a spouse?  Does marriage not offer tribulations, or in this specific case plot points?  The answer should be that marriage just brings a different set of dynamics.  To me, the fault in the Parker situation was making MJ a supermodel.  Money had always been one of Pete's hang-ups -- it wasn't anymore and that took away a huge antagonistic force working against his personality.  Additionally, he'd always been monogamous anyway (from Betty Brant to Gwen to MJ), so I'm not sure what "making it official" really did that put such a creative wall up against the story makers.

Karen: Comic book marriages seem a lot like real-life ones: some work fine, while others...well, don't. Reed and Sue Richards have had rough patches but generally seem solid (why she puts up with him I have no idea). The Pyms started well, but didn't last. Once the Vision and the Scarlet Witch got married, the Vision in particular seemed to become a lot less interesting.

Doug:  I think in the Vision's case his latent humanistic qualities, struggling to free themselves from the inorganic aspects of his persona, must have evolutionally come to the fore... lest why would Wanda continue to be interested in him if she would no longer feel that his "humanity" could be redeemed?  I've always felt the Reed and Sue relationship was the most "real", and as was commented by a few of our readers last month was really tried during the Gerry Conway era.  While most of us would agree that we didn't care for the way the Pyms' marriage ended, creators along the way certainly could have played up the inter-generational aspect of their union -- but did not.  Recall that when Hank first set eyes on Janet, he remarked that she was just a child, yet looked so much like his lost Maria.  That could have been a great source for love triangle stories:  Hank-Janet-the age gap, Hank-Janet-a woman Hank's age or a man Janet's age as antagonist, etc.

Karen: I have to admit, I have only read a handful of the Pym stories in Tales to Astonish; most of my exposure to their relationship came through The Avengers.  I was aware though of the resemblance to his former wife, and the age difference. But you're right, it never seemed like anything was done with it. If anything, Stan Lee played up the Wasp's flirty side and had Hank get jealous a lot, but he usually kept it to a slow boil. When Roy Thomas took over, he seemed to de-emphasize that.

Karen: There are also those confirmed bachelors out there, guys like Tony Stark who I can't see ever really settling down. It's just not in their personalities.

Doug:  Thor by necessity must fall into this category, at least Earth-wise.  However, I'm not sure why he's been dragging his feet with fair Sif!  Johnny Storm on the other hand, should stay single because he's a doofus.  Although he can hook a Skrull...

Karen: The less said about that the better. The Ben Grimm -Alicia Masters relationship was one of the best, at least prior to all the unnecessary shenanigans with Skrulls. 

Doug:  I'm going to rely on our DC-loving friends to help us out with the machinations of the marriages of the Flash, the Atom, and the Elongated Man (and we can leave out the events of Identity Crisis and it will be OK by me).  In the case of the former two, I think they had pretty long courtships.  Why was it OK for Supergirl to fall for Brainiac-5, but Superboy never had a love interest among the Legion ladies?  Yeah, yeah -- I know Lana Lang was awaiting his return to Smallville, but were they ever serious?

Karen: I would presume they couldn't be, because it was preordained that he hook up with Lois! Just like the Adult Legion stories forced writers to pair up certain Legionnaires. Speaking of the younger set, there was Colossus and Kitty in the X-Men and their sort of on/off relationship. Although it seemed kind of dicey to me, as I was never sure exactly of the age difference. 

Karen: Let's hear it folks -there's a lot of ground to cover!

Discuss: Star Trek novels

Karen: When I was a youngster and just starting to read science fiction, some of the first books I picked up were James Blish's novelizations of Star Trek episodes. These were fairly light paperbacks, and each episode was perhaps 25 pages or so in length, basically a short story. It was fun for me to see where the written word diverged from the television episode, or where Blish expanded upon something only briefly mentioned in the episode itself. Plus, the library had most of them.

Karen: Since the time of the original series though, Star Trek novels have become a huge market. Practically anything one can imagine in the Star Trek universe has probably been written about by someone (and this is not even counting the enormous number of  fan-published books). Despite being a big Trek fan,  I never had much interest in reading Trek fiction; I did pick up a couple of books here and there over the years but for the most part was not impressed. The exception was The Final Reflection by John M.  Ford, which looked at Klingon culture back before the Klingons became so very popular. I don't think his ideas became canon, but they were quite intriguing, with the Klingons essentially dividing all races into either conquerors or servitors. When viewed that way, their actions seemed to make more sense, although the brutality remained.

Karen: I know we have some Star Trek fans around here. Have you read any Trek novels? What do you think of them?  

Who's the Best... Licensed Comic Book?

Doug:  Bad grammar again today, kids -- of course, it would sound better if it read "What's the Best... Licensed Comic Book?"  Have at it -- any company, time period, genre, etc.  What is your favorite and why?

UPDATED @ 12:25 CT, USA

Doug:  This thread just became a 2-for-1 today, kids.  Whilst eating my lunch, I was perusing some ToyFair reports and came across this image.  If you click here, you will be taken to a gallery of Mattel's 2013 offerings.  For those of you so inclined, you'll not only find more Batman 1966-era figures, but it looks like there will be a Phantom Stranger figure coming to the main 6" inch line of DC figures.  I also saw on another site that DC is soliciting a new hardcover in their Legends of the Dark Knight/Tales of the Batman line of reprints, this one featuring the tales penned by Archie Goodwin.  Edo, you'll be happy to hear that the entire Manhunter line is included in it.

Under Siege: Avengers 275

Avengers #275 (January 1987)
"Even a God Can Die!"
Writer:  Roger Stern
Pencils:  John Buscema
Inks:  Tom Palmer

Karen: Howdy folks, we're back with part two of our review of "Under Siege." Last time around, I made a remark about how many muscle-headed dopes Zemo had under his command, and that if he had Sandman and Crusher Creel (aka the Absorbing Man), he'd have a full house. Well, guess who shows up in this issue? Mr. Creel! Yup, I completely forgot he was a part of this story. We begin though, with a one page recap of last issue in the form of a news broadcast, which explains that Avengers Mansion has been taken over by villains, with several of the team members having been captured, and Hercules having been beaten so badly that he is in critical condition at Newhope Memorial Hospital. Inside the mansion, Baron Zemo and Mr. Hyde watch the news and gloat in front of Captain America. Back at the hospital, the medical staff rush around trying to help Hercules. The Wasp waits outside in the hall and is surprised by the appearance of Ant-Man -but it turns out to be Scott Lang, not her former husband, Hank Pym. Lang offers his help to a Wasp who clearly feels terrible about everything that has happened.

Doug:  I think this was my first exposure to the Scott Lang version of Ant-Man.  Isn't that a classic costume?  I just love it.  The helmet is cool, and today's cover makes a bold statement.  Not quite as bold as when Hank donned the duds on Avengers #161, but I get a little giddy nonetheless.  Jan had to be a mess at this point, didn't she?  When Hercules was taken to the trauma unit, I wonder what was going through the minds of the assembled medical staff?  Even though they went through the protocol of filling out the medical information, they had to assume that Herc's physiology was out of their league.  One doctor does acknowledge the impermeability of Hercules' skin -- but could they possibly have been equipped to really save him?  I'll stand by my assessment of Hyde, made last week.  What a total nutjob! 

Karen: Back at the mansion, Zemo begins recording a message to be sent to the media, but Cap interrupts him, demanding that he free Jarvis and the Black Knight so that they can get medical attention. Cap says that this whole attack is really about Zemo wanting revenge on him anyway, so why not let the others go? All this does is infuriate Zemo more, and he smacks Jarvis around. He tells Cap he wants to cause him pain, as he's realized that the Avengers are Cap's surrogate family now. Cap tells Zemo that no matter what he does, the Wasp is still free and she'll never stop -she'll organize another team of Avengers and eventually bring him to justice. Zemo decides to make another move, and makes a call to Creel and his companion Titania, directing them to the hospital.  Meanwhile, Captain Marvel struggles, unsuccessfully at this point, to free herself from the darkforce dimension that Blackout has trapped her in.

Doug:  I understand that Zemo had all the cards, but doesn't the story at this point smack of the classical Silver Age baddie-motif of toying with one's enemies?  Really, with the exception of heroes strapped to a conveyor heading toward a huge buzzsaw, this scenario has all the hallmarks.  I felt really badly for Jarvis in this scene.  Who's a better human being, a more giving soul than he?  And Zemo let him have it -- tied up and all.  Cap's resolve is something, isn't it?  In the dictionary next to "hero".  I liked the rendering of the dark dimension that encased Captain Marvel -- it was reminiscent of Kirby's drawing's of space, the Negative Zone, etc.  I've always found the Absorbing Man to be a fun villain, yet one who you know is always going to last just an issue until he's tricked into absorbing the properties of toilet paper or whatnot.

Karen: Back at the hospital, the Wasp confides to Ant-Man that it's her fault that all of this has happened. Her security measures weren't good enough, she couldn't earn Hercules' respect -Jan is questioning herself as leader. Ant-Man tries to tell her that she's being too hard on herself but she won't hear it. A doctor comes out of the emergency room and informs them that Hercules has passed away.  It hits Jan hard. She asks to have a few moments alone with him. As she ponders what she could have done differently, the heart monitor suddenly beeps -Hercules isn't dead! She calls the doctors back and they discover he is still alive, but his heart is beating very slowly. As the medical staff attempts to revive him, the whole building shakes -they're under attack from the Absorbing Man and Titania! 

Doug:  Having been out of comics during the entire Yellowjacket fiasco, my memories of Jan were of her designing sexy costumes to entice Hank, mega-shopping sprees, etc.  So I missed any organic transition of her personality from ditzy socialite to strong-willed leader.  I must say -- I like the change.  As a founding member, it only made sense that eventually some writer would tap into that history and make her a major player in the upper echelons of the roster of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.  Roger Stern did a fantastic job of blending her soft side with her iron will in the hospital scene.  She really runs the gamut of emotions, all believable and well-played.  Creel's entrance, with the properties of the bullets he's been shot with, was colored well -- very cool panel.  Love the ball and chain as a weapon as well -- great visual.

Karen: At the mansion, Zemo and Hyde begin their psychological torture of Cap. They watch the assault on the hospital but Cap has faith in Wasp, despite the overwhelming odds against her. Zemo takes a picture of Cap and Bucky and shreds it before his face, while Hyde grabs Cap's original shield and crumples it. Cap remains calm but says, "I'll remember this, Zemo." Unable to get a reaction out of him, Zemo decides to up the ante and has Hyde begin beating Jarvis. It all occurs off-panel, but seeing the expressions on both Cap's and the Knight's faces lets one's imagination fill in the blanks -and it's not pretty. 

Doug:  Stern writes a real psychological angle into this story in this scene.  We expected all of the slam-bang stuff, but the tearing of the photo and crumpling of the shield really struck a cord with me.  This was a just a very personal assault, I suppose not unlike the Goblin's kidnapping of Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man #121 -- really hits where you live.  Again, the beating of Jarvis really sickened me, and the sound effect "KRAK" didn't help me any. 

Karen: Back at the hospital, the Wasp and Ant-Man manage to hold off Creel and Titania with a mix of strategy and pure luck. It really helps that these two villains have a combined IQ of about 80. They're able to force Creel into human form and knock him out, and Titania -well, Ant-Man shrinks her down to ant size, and Wasp zaps her! The fight, which they appeared to be hopelessly outmatched, turns out to be a confidence booster. That, and the news that the doctors believe Hercules is going to live, give Wasp the resolve she needs to go after the bad guys. "The Masters of Evil still have control of the mansion...they still have hostages. But I swear they have won their last round! Now it's our turn!"

Doug:  Absolutely loved the fight scene at the hospital.  It was a real underdog story, and if it was a film the audience would have been jumping and cheering.  Really thought it was smart and a great visual when Lang hit Titania with the shrinking gas.  However, I have a question about Jan's powers -- when was it that Hank retooled her growth powers to allow her to shrink to a height of only 4 feet and retain her flight wings?  I am pretty certain it was way after this story -- jeez, it wasn't into the storyline when she actually became bug-like, was it?  Any help from our readers would be welcomed by this dude with the declining memory banks!

Doug:  We're just getting rolling with this one -- Jan, Ant-Man, and Cap are all alive and well.  Have to find a way to spring Cap and the Knight -- think they will?

Spotlight On: Chris Claremont

Doug:  Chris Claremont is a guy whose name is almost synonymous with the Bronze Age, and unfortunately also with everything that went wrong with comic collecting in the 1990's.  We all know him from his quality runs on Iron First, Marvel Team-Up, and of course the All-New, All-Different X-Men.  He showed up a few times in the Sean Howe book we recently discussed, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.  We won't bore you with our own personal rehashing of Claremont's career -- nope, that's your job today.  You can use this link to see a chronological listing of his writing -- you may be surprised where he showed up back in the day!

Doug:  So share with us some personal favorite moments from his career, as well as some low points that maybe left you cold.  If you're like me, his increasingly convoluted X-universe drove me not only away from the mutants, but was a step on the way toward quitting new comics altogether.  I now prefer to dwell on his output from the 1970's, which is of course the general focus around these parts of cyberspace.