Avengers #58: "Even An Android Can Cry"

Stan Lee- Editor, Roy Thomas- Writer, John Buscema- Artist, George Klein- Inker, Sam Rosen- Letterer

Avengers: Black Panther, Hawkeye, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Goliath, Wasp

Guest: Vision (would become an Avenger by the end of the issue)

Once again the word has gone out... AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! The Black Panther is the last to arrive at the mansion where he sees a roomful of Avengers standing with the Vision! It is the first time he has met Thor and Iron Man. The Vision has a request, he wishes to become an Avenger! Hank Pym has called this special meeting together to decide. The Panther agrees that Vision could add much raw power to their ranks, but Iron Man begins playing Devil's Advocate, and wants assurances. "Becoming an Avenger is not a RIGHT... but a PRIVILEGE!" Thor wants more information on the newcomer as well.

Captain America has been thinking about how they could determine Vision's powers, and sneaks up behind him. He tells Goliath that he is going to find out if Vision has what it takes. Wasp and Black Panther urge caution, but Hawkeye sits back to enjoy the show! Cap sneaks under Goliath and flings himself at Vision who turns intangible, allowing Cap to pass through and fall to the ground. Vision tells him that he could have increased his density so that Cap would have felt like he'd slammed into a brick wall. Iron Man says that brick walls are nothing to him, and he prepares to cream the Vision. Iron Man is amazed that his repulsor rays have no effect on the android. Vision lifts Iron Man over his head with one hand! Thor tells him to put Iron Man down, so Vision throws him over at Thor.

This incenses Thor to the point where he decides to fight! He strikes a mighty blow that is evenly matched by Vision's now diamond-hard fist. Thor strikes again and send Vision across the room. Goliath steps in and stops Thor before striking again. He has to explain to Thor what Cap was trying to do: test Vision's powers. Cap asks Thor and Iron Man for opinions on the newcomer: "'Tis apparent that the newcomer would be a welcome adjunct to ANY group... if only..." "If only we knew WHO... or WHAT...he was!" Vision doesn't have the answers, but Hank assures him that they will help find those answers.

Vision sits down and starts brooding while an official meeting begins. Thor is chosen as the chair for this meeting, and he begins by stating that "There be no figures more looming... no names more inscribed in untarnished glory... than those who have swelled the proud ranks of... The Avengers! Both those who have been chosen... and those who were but called..." At this point, there is a splash page of everyone that fits that description: Goliath, Wasp, Hulk, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Hercules, Thor, Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Panther, and for some reason Spider Man. The team wants him to join these ranks, but they want to probe his memory. Vision concentrates and makes a breakthrough!

He sees the metal face of Ultron-5 in his mind's eye as the robot gives life to his creation. Ultron-5 explains Vision's powers to him, but does not tell him who he is. "Who am I? What name is mine?" "No name, CLOWN! What need has an inhuman slave of a name... even a number? I gave you a mind so that you could obey me... not dispute me!" Ultron-5 sends his creation out to destroy the Avengers. Vision says that's all he knows.

Hank says that the Vision is sun-powered: "A walking solar battery similar to a type of artificial human I worked on months ago... and termed a synthozoid!" Hank realizes that he cannot remember what happened with his experiment. It is Cap's idea that they head to Hank's suburban place to check out the lab. They reach the rooftop where Thor swirls his hammer and transports the assembled crew on air currents created by his swinging hammer. They arrive at Hank's place only to find it boarded up and abandoned. Hank remembers a fight with Dragon Man that ruined much of the equipment. He doesn't know how the machinery was rebuilt. He sits down in a machine he calls an "electronic memory bank". Jan flicks a switch and Hank begins to remember...

He sees himself begin to clean up from the fight with Dragon Man. He comes across his latest experiment: "a crude, yet workable robot... a faltering step on the path to synthetic life!". Before Hank's astonished eyes, the machine begins to move and speak: " Da-da... want Da-da" then "No need to plug me in, Daddy... I'm alive just like you... Hold still, Dad don't you know I want... to play with you?" Hank is astonished that his creation is calling him "Daddy". He grows to avoid a shock-bolt and hits his head on the ceiling. The robot fires another shot: "You are down, father dear" as he prepares to fire an "ultro-blast" Hank struggles to understand what is happening: "In seconds that robot's called me everything from Da-da to Father... changed in speech patterns from infancy... through adulthood! And now, it wants to kill its imagined parent! It's like a living mechanized Oedipus Complex!" The robot continues firing blasts at Hank until he is nearly unconscious. The robot stops just before delivering the coup-de-gras and commands Hank to turn and face him. He plays a hypnotic beam over Hank's face: "You shall forget this incident, Henry Pym... and make immediate arrangements to abandon this dwelling... forever!" With that, the robot goes crashing out through the wall, leaving Hank in a shattered lab where Jan finds him later that day. It is at this point that Hank decides to move his experiments to Avengers laboratory.

Hank removes the machine from his head and Cap figures that Hank's renegade robot is in reality Ultron-5. Hank takes a quick inventory of his old lab and says "at least he left all my instruments here intact!" Iron Man reminds him that the memory tape they made of Wonder Man is missing. Hawkeye asks who Wonder Man is, and Iron Man explains: He recounts the events from the immortal classic Avengers #9 that explain how Wonder Man was created by Baron Zemo as a weapon to attack the Avengers. Wonder Man calls the team and sets up an ambush for Giant Man, Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. As the team arrives, Wonder Man attacks them and even manages to stagger Thor "with a blow as unexpected as it is powerful!". Zemo strides in and Wonder Man is surprised to find out that he plans to have the Avengers killed. He has a change of heart, and then frees the captured Avengers. Zemo explodes the tunnel as he makes his escape with Enchantress and Executioner. Wonder Man then "dies" from lack of Baron Zemo's antidote. The Avengers take the body of Wonder Man to their lab where Hank Pym takes a copy of his brain patterns for preservation.

The Vision is the first to put the pieces together, it is he that surmises that his mind was created from "the amnesiac brain patterns of a murdered man!" Vision feels that he has learned enough, and the team departs for the final reckoning. A short meeting is convened when they reach the mansion while the Vision waits outside.

Minutes later, Henry Pym speaks the news: "Vision, you are now... an Avenger!!" The rest of the team congratulates the new member. Vision is silent during the congratulations, and then suddenly excuses himself. Iron Man: "Funny... for a second there, I thought I detected a trace of sentiment! But his voice is so unspeakable cold!" Hank: "He can't help that Avenger! And yet, if you saw his eyes right now, I'm sure you'd learn that... EVEN AN ANDROID CAN CRY!"