EMA-14 part 2
by Sean McQuaid

PAGE NINE 

Panels 1-2: 
Beast has a way with women, due in part to the attractive influence of the
mutant pheromones produced by his body. 

Panels 3-4: 
It has been demonstrated on several occasions that Vision is capable of
simulated eating and drinking even though his body requires only solar
energy for sustenance. 

Panel 5: 
As Simon says, Beast, Vision and Wanda are probably the closest friends he
has. The only other Avenger Simon has been truly close to in the past is
Tigra, with whom he had a close friendship and a brief romance during their
days as members of the early western Avengers roster. Simon was fascinated
by and friendly with the original Ms. Marvel (now known as Warbird) when
she first became affiliated with the Avengers, but she left the Avengers
before they had a chance to become close. Wonder Man has usually been on
good terms with longtime teammate Hawkeye, and was one of the most reliable
members of the western Avengers roster founded and led by Hawkeye. Wonder
Man has occasionally regarded longtime teammate Thor as a rival, and had a
bitter  extended rivalry with longtime teammate Iron Man during their stint
as early members of the western Avengers. Wasp was Simon's confidant during
the days when he was secretly pining after Wanda while refusing to help
restore the reconstructed Vision's mind. Simon has referred to Hank Pym as
a friend, ending his romance with Tigra partially because of Pym's own
romantic interest in her. Hercules briefly helped Simon pursue his acting
career by offering Simon some of his show biz contacts. There are
indications that Simon was friendly with the Two-Gun Kid during the
latter's time in the 20th century, but that has never been explored in
detail. In addition to the various characters mentioned above, Avengers
Simon has worked with on a recurring basis include Captain America,
Quicksilver, Black Panther, Jocasta, Mockingbird, Jim Rhodes, Moon Knight,
USAgent, Firebird, Jim Hammond, Spider-Woman [II] & Living Lightning. 

Panels 6-7: 
As Simon says, he met someone (or something) that appeared to be and
claimed to be his dead mother in Wonder Man [v2] # 22-25, but Martha
Williams is alive and well in New Jersey (last seen in West Coast Avengers
[v2] # 39, when she helped babysit Vision & Wanda's kids). During his time
in and out of Mephisto's netherworld, Simon remembered and discussed a
version of past events in which his parents died in a fire while he was
still very young, an event for which he and Eric blamed themselves; this
memory is false, but how and why Simon came to believe this is unclear. The
then-current writer of the Wonder Man series has admitted he simply didn't
know Wonder Man's mother was still alive at the time, so it was a mistake,
but Busiek is apparently going to try to reconcile it with established
continuity. The Wonder Man ongoing series was often contradictory or
confusing when it came to continuity and characterization. Martha Williams
first appeared in West Coast Avengers [v2] # 2, when she first met the
Vision and came to regard him as an additional son. 

Wonder Man was physically and emotionally unstable for much of his ongoing
solo series, due in part to the events of the Avengers' "Galactic Storm"
mission, during which Simon tried unsuccessfully to prevent the detonation
of the Nega-Bomb, a doomsday device that wiped out most of the population
of the interstellar Kree empire. Emotionally traumatized by the experience,
Simon also found himself mentally and physically unbalanced by the
Nega-Bomb's radiation. His powers became erratic and shifted with his
moods, which became more angry and violent than before. Disturbingly,
Simon's powers now seemed to thrive on anger. 

The Operation: Galactic Storm storyline was chronicled in Captain America
[v1] # 398 (part one), Avengers West Coast # 80 (part two), Quasar # 32
(part three), Wonder Man [v2] # 7 (part four), Avengers [v1] # 345 (part
five), Iron Man [v1] # 278 (part six), Thor [v1] # 445 (part seven),
Captain America [v1] # 399 (part eight), Avengers West Coast # 81 (part
nine), Quasar # 33 (part ten), Wonder Man [v2] # 8 (part eleven), Avengers
[v1] # 345 (part twelve), Iron Man [v1] # 279 (part thirteen), Thor [v1] #
446 (part fourteen), Captain America [v1] # 400 (part fifteen), Avengers
West Coast # 82 (part sixteen), Quasar # 34 (part seventeen), Wonder Man
[v2] # 9 (part eighteen) and Avengers [v1] # 345 (part nineteen, the
conclusion). Epilogue stories of sorts followed in Captain America [v1] #
401, Avengers West Coast # 83 and Quasar # 35. 

During his ongoing post-Galactic Storm mental and physical instability,
Simon attacked the Avengers as shown here and quit the team in anger (a
resignation that took place in Wonder Man [v2] # 18 and took effect as of
Avengers West Coast # 92). In addition to Wonder Man and the Scarlet Witch,
Avengers pictured here include USAgent, Spider-Woman [II], Living Lightning
and Hawkeye. Living Lightning is pictured in his electrical form. Hawkeye
is wearing the version of his traditional costuming that he adopted in West
Coast Avengers [v2] # 12 and abandoned as of Hawkeye [v2] # 3. USAgent and
Spider-Woman [II] are pictured in their original and current costumes,
though USAgent currently wields a different shield than the one shown here.
The shield pictured here is USAgent's original vibranium shield. 

Scarlet Witch is wearing one of many variations on her traditional
costuming. Wonder Man is wearing a version of his sixth outfit, the first
version of which he adopted as of West Coast Avengers Annual # 2. He
abandoned this style of costuming as of Wonder Man [v2] # 25. Note that
Wonder Man has black hair and no sunglasses in this picture. He began
dyeing his hair black and stopped wearing sunglasses as of West Coast
Avengers [v2] # 12, when movie stardom and his growing ego convinced him
that he should look younger (hence the hair recoloring) and that he should
no longer bother concealing his bizarre eyes. Since Simon has abandoned the
hair coloring and taken to wearing his red sunglasses again, it seems the
recently reborn Wonder Man may be more humble and less superficial than he
was during his days with the western Avengers. 

USAGENT (John Walker, alias Jack Daniels) is a soldier who sought personal
glory and a sense of purpose as the nationalistic adventurer called
Super-Patriot, eventually landing a government assignment as the new
Captain America when the original Captain was temporarily stripped of the
role for refusing to unquestioningly serve the US government. Though a
loyal soldier, the egotistical and sometimes sadistic Walker proved to be
erratic, unpredictable and murderously violent under the pressures of his
Captain America guise, eventually resigning from the role in disgrace. The
government decided he could still be useful, though, and faked his death,
giving him a new identity as Jack Daniels, alias USAgent. 
	As USAgent, Walker has acted as a freelance crimefighter in addition to
working for various government agencies, and the US government assigned him
to western Avengers membership (West Coast Avengers [v2] # 44-45) so that
he could monitor the western AvengersÆ activities on the governmentÆs
behalf. Since he was violent and disruptive, the Avengers expelled him in
Avengers West Coast # 69 after the government order making him a member was
rescinded--but the team gave him a second chance and readmitted him in
Avengers West Coast # 74 after he assisted them against the Pacific
Overlords. Determined to atone for his past and make a name for himself out
of Captain AmericaÆs shadow, USAgent remained an active member of the
western Avengers until the Avengers disbanded their western division,
prompting him to quit and join the new rival super-team Force Works until
it disbanded. USAgent has assisted the Avengers on a few occasions since
his resignation from active duty, and last worked with the team in Avengers
[v1] # 1-3 when he aided the group against Morgan Le Fay. Despite this,
USAgent was one of the few inactive Avengers dismissed as a prospect for
renewed active membership during an Avengers roster reshuffling in Avengers
[v3] # 4, indicating a less than high opinion of him among the other
Avengers. 
	Most recently, USAgent found new employment as leader of the high-tech
vigilante group known as the Jury, currently employed by billionaire Edwin
Cord in an ongoing effort to hunt down the outlaw heroes known as the
Thunderbolts, a team currently led by USagent's former friend and Avengers
teammate, Hawkeye. The two teams first battled in Thunderbolts # 23. The
Thunderbolts won the fight and escaped, but USAgent vowed to continue
hunting them. 
	USAgent is superhumanly strong thanks to treatments purchased from the
Power Broker and currently wields an eagle-like, badge-shaped shield; when
the shield is thrown, its speed and direction can be remote-controlled by
devices in USAgent's gloves. Originally, USAgent wielded a circular shield
composed of nearly indestructible solid vibranium, a rare meteoric ore that
absorbs all vibratory energy (therefore cushioning any impact); USAgent
discarded this shield in despair when the western Avengers disbanded,
tossing it into New York Harbor. He intended to retire at the time, but was
convinced to come out of retirement as a member of Force Works. The new
team's founder and financier, Iron Man, supplied USAgent with gauntlets
that generate a photonic "shield" of coherent light which can also be
directed outward as concussive force. When his rival Captain America
recently began using a similar energy shield, USAgent adopted his current
remote-control shield, the basic concept of which came from one of Captain
America's earlier shields. USAgent discarded his original vibranium shield
in Avengers West Coast # 102, adopted his photon shield in Force Works # 1,
and replaced it with his current shield in Thunderbolts # 23. 
	USAgent first appeared as the original Super-Patriot in Captain America
[v1] # 323. He became the new Captain America (the sixth noteworthy
claimant to the title) in Captain America [v1] # 333. He first appeared as
USAgent when he joined the Avengers, in West Coast Avengers [v2] # 44-45;
however, the story of how he became USAgent first appeared in Captain
America [v1] # 354, a chronologically earlier story. 


SPIDER-WOMAN (Julia Carpenter) is a costumed adventurer who gained
spider-like powers--including enhanced strength & agility and the ability
to weave psychic "webs" of adhesive energy--in a government experiment.
Originally a government operative, she has since become a freelance
heroine. She first encountered the Avengers when she fought alongside them
during the Secret Wars orchestrated by the Beyonder, and she later defied
her superiors by helping the Avengers escape the Vault in Avengers Annual #
15 when they were falsely accused of treason. She joined the Avengers in
Avengers West Coast # 74 after aiding the team against the Pacific
Overlords (Avengers West Coast # 70-73) and served until the groupÆs
western division shut down in Avengers West Coast # 102. She then resigned
and joined the rival super-team Force Works, which soon disbanded. She has
since renewed her  association with the Avengers, though she is currently
an inactive member based in Denver, Colorado, where she lives with her
young daughter Rachel. She last worked with the team when she aided them
against Morgan Le Fay and Whirlwind in Avengers [v3] # 1-4. 
	Note: Julia Carpenter is the second of several Marvel heroines known as
Spider-Woman, and has no known connection to any of her namesakes.
Spider-Woman [II] first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars # 6-7.
In addition to her Avengers membership, her Force Works stint, assorted
guest shots and her role in the Secret Wars, Spider-Woman [II] also starred
in her own four-issue limited series. She is not appearing regularly
anywhere at present, and is unlikely to do so since Marvel has recently
applied the Spider-Woman name to a new character. 

The LIVING LIGHTNING (Miguel Santos) is a college student and occasional
costumed adventurer who gained the ability to transform himself into pure
electrical energy after the accidental explosion of equipment he was trying
to salvage from the headquarters of the Legion of the Living Lightning, a
militant patriotic group to which SantosÆs late father had belonged. Miguel
gained his powers in Avengers West Coast # 63 and joined the Avengers in
Avengers West Coast # 74 after aiding the team against the criminal Pacific
Overlords. He served with the group for a relatively brief time before
downgrading to reserve status in Avengers West Coast # 88 so he could
attend college full-time at UCLA. He last worked with the group when he
aided them against Morgan Le Fay in Avengers [v3] # 1-3. More recently, an
alternate future 21st century incarnation of Living Lightning appeared as a
member of an alternate future Avengers in the Avengers Forever limited
series. 


PAGE 10 

Panel 1: 
Beast and Wanda are publicly known to be mutants, and many ordinary
citizens of the Marvel Universe are prejudiced against mutants for one
reason or another; however, the overwhelmingly positive and prestigious
image of the Avengers in general is enough to overshadow most of the real
or imagined flaws of the team's individual members. As such, mutant
Avengers are regarded with less suspicion and mistrust than mutants in
general might be. 

Panel 2: 
Simon says he doesn't expect forgiveness for assaulting the team, but Wanda
says the Avengers understood that his powers had gone haywire, that he was
in emotional turmoil, and that the regrettable results of those events
don't make him a bad man. Various readers have sometimes cited Simon's
assault on Wanda and the other Avengers as evidence of Wonder Man's
unworthy character, but staunch Simon advocate Busiek has long argued that
the events were neither unforgivable nor unusual by comparison to other
Avengers. Busiek seems to be using Scarlet Witch as the mouthpiece for that
viewpoint here and in subsequent panels, telling Wonder Man (and the
readers) that Simon's not as bad as he fears he is. Of course, Wanda is a
perfectly legitimate voice for this viewpoint given her feelings for Simon. 

Panels 3-4: 
Wanda speaks of how she "flipped out, turned into Dark Scarlet Witch and
rejoined Magneto," a reference to the events of Avengers [v1] # 313 and
Avengers West Coast # 55-57 & 60. After an absurdly long series of
agonizing emotional traumas in West Coast Avengers [v2] # 42-46 & Avengers
West Coast # 47-54 (including Vision's dismantling, his resultant
estrangement from Wanda and the destruction of their children), Scarlet
Witch suffered a complete mental breakdown. She began slipping in and out
of catatonia in Avengers West Coast # 53-54. During one of her catatonic
periods, her father Magneto abducted her and manipulated the unstable Wanda
into rejoining his mutant terrorism crusade. A criminally insane and
suddenly much more powerful Wanda turned against the Avengers, battling
them in Avengers West Coast # 55-57 & 60. The conflict ended when the
Avengers drove off Magneto and Wanda lapsed into a catatonic state again,
this time as a thrall of Immortus, who had secretly engineered many of
Wanda's then-recent misfortunes as a means of grooming her for a position
as a "nexus being" whom Immortus would use to regulate the timestream's
alternate timelines (Immortus had also secretly augmented Wanda's powers
for this purpose). Wanda managed to regain her senses, reject her augmented
powers and shake off Immortus's influence with the help of Agatha Harkness
and the Avengers in Avengers West Coast # 61-62. She eventually recovered
and rejoined the Avengers over the course of Avengers West Coast # 63 &
65-68. 

MAGNETO (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr) is an infamous mutant terrorist with vast
powers over electromagnetic energy. His goal, to ensure the security of the
mutant race, is a noble one, and he has even made attempts at personal
reformation in the past, but his repeated willingness to justify any action
in pursuit of his goals has made him one of the most feared villains in the
world. Though the mutant X-Men are his usual adversaries and occasional
allies, Magneto has also encountered the Avengers several times over the
years, due in part to his strained relationship with his estranged
children, Avengers members Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Magneto
recruited them as founding members of his original Brotherhood of Evil
Mutants terrorist group in X-Men [v1] # 4 (at a time when neither he nor
they knew of their family relationship), but they were never comfortable
with his methods and soon abandoned the Brotherhood, going on to join the
Avengers. Magneto has made several attempts to reconcile with Quicksilver
and Scarlet Witch since learning he is their father, but the bad blood
between them and his continued criminal activity have prevented them from
forging any sort of lasting positive relationship. Magneto first appeared
in X-Men [v1] # 1. His Avengers appearances include Avengers [v1] # 47-49,
53 & 110-111; the Avengers: Emperor Doom graphic novel (cameo); X-Men vs.
Avengers # 1-4; Avengers (v1) # 312-313 and Avengers West Coast # 53-57 & 60. 

The costume Wanda wears in panel 3 is her "Dark Scarlet Witch" outfit, worn
in Avengers West Coast # 55-57 & 60-62 (she also cut her hair short for the
first time as of Avengers West Coast # 55 to complete her new look). This
was the first-ever major change in Wanda's costuming and appearance, albeit
a temporary one. Previously, she had always worn assorted variations on her
original costume design. The references to Wanda's period of insanity as
the "Dark Scarlet Witch" period echo the long-running "Dark Phoenix"
storyline that concluded in Uncanny X-Men # 137, a storyline in which X-Men
member Phoenix became supremely powerful and increasingly insane until she
was forced to destroy herself for the safety of the universe. John Byrne,
the artist and co-author of the "Dark Phoenix" storyline, has repeatedly
said that he considers the "Dark Phoenix" story one of the best comic book
stories of all time, and he has repeatedly complained about the fact that
Marvel editorial insisted on altering the story's ending (Byrne and his
collaborator Claremont originally planned for Phoenix to survive the
story). Many readers saw the "Dark Scarlet Witch" storyline (also written
and drawn by Byrne) as Byrne's attempt to revisit the Dark Phoenix concept
and rework it to his satisfaction, but he was removed from the series
before he could conclude the storyline. Byrne also did a similar "dark &
powerful superwoman" storyline with the Invisible Girl during his stint as
regular writer/artist on the original ongoing Fantastic Four series. The
Invisible Girl story was arguably Byrne's most complete and successful
application of his pet "Dark Heroine" theme. 
 
In panel 4, Wanda says part of the reason she "flipped out" was Vision
being dismantled by government agents (West Coast Avengers [v2] # 42-45) in
retaliation for his short-lived world takeover attempt while he was under
the influence of the alien computer ISAAC (a long-running storyline that
concluded in Avengers [v1] # 255). 

Citing the way the Avengers forgave her and Vision for their past misdeeds,
Wanda says the Avengers didn't and won't condemn Wonder Man for his
problems, either. Again, this echoes assorted statements about Wonder Man
by Busiek, who has repeatedly said that he can't understand why some
readers seem to be less sympathetic and forgiving towards Wonder Man than
they are towards most other Avengers. 

Panels 5-7: 
Like Wonder Man's violent resignation from the Avengers, Simon's sometimes
murderous post-Galactic Storm violent streak is another aspect of the
Wonder Man ongoing series that some fans hold against the character. When
Simon cites two fatalities from Wonder Man [v2] # 12 & 16, Wanda counters
in Busiek-like fashion by arguing that Simon's victims were killers,
threats to human life, and that the courts cleared Simon of wrongdoing. 


PAGE 11 

Panel 1: 
"I don't buy it," Simon says, recounting how he embezzled and let his
brother Eric take the blame, wallowing in guilt until he admitted his crime
to the world. Simon says he was forgiven then, but that he doesn't want his
more recent misdeeds swept under the rug for legal or political reasons. He
feels understandably guilty, and wants to take responsibility for his
actions. Furthermore, Simon adds, he wasn't under the influence of any
outside agent like Wanda and Vision were during their renegade periods. 

Simon was arrested for embezzling from his failed family business, Williams
Innovations, in Avengers [v1] # 9. This led to the Masters of Evil
recruiting the desperate Simon into their service, transforming him into
Wonder Man and pitting him against the Avengers, a conflict that resulted
in Wonder Man's seeming death when he turned against the Masters to save
the Avengers. When Simon returned to life years later and became an
Avengers member as Wonder Man, it was widely assumed that Simon's brother
Eric, a career criminal, was the one truly responsible for the
embezzlement. Simon allowed this misconception to persist for years until
the guilt finally prompted him to make a public confession of his crime on
the Tonight Show in West Coast Avengers [v2] # 4. The personal relief and
public acceptance that came with this confession played a large role in
boosting Simon's confidence and bolstering his movie career, leading to a
period during which Simon became an increasingly arrogant Hollywood
celebrity (West Coast Avengers [v2] # 5-25). 

Panel 2: 
Wanda says she wasn't under anyone's control during her "Dark Scarlet
Witch" phase, that she was "upset, berserk--just like [Simon]." This is an
important statement. The "Dark Wanda" storyline and subsequent texts have
been vague and contradictory in the past regarding the extent to which
Wanda was or wasn't controlled by outside forces during the "Dark Scarlet
Witch" period. At the very least, she was manipulated by Magneto at a time
when she was mentally and emotionally vulnerable; and Immortus was said to
be influencing her mind for at least part of the Avengers West Coast #
55-62 period. Regardless, Wanda herself seems to believe that she alone was
responsible for her actions during this period, though Simon (who was
present during and after her dark period) seems unconvinced of this;
however, his fondness for Wanda may be coloring his perceptions of these
events. The same, too, might be said for Wanda's charitable appraisal of
Simon's own dark days, given her feelings for him. 

As Simon says, not many people were hurt during Wanda's rampage (which
consisted of three skirmishes with the Avengers, none of whom were
permanently injured; ironically, it could be argued that Wonder Man himself
suffered the most at Wanda's hands, since she used her then-infinite power
to kill him, resurrect him and torture him before she came to her senses);
however, people were seriously hurt and even killed during Simon's dark
period, not to mention his assault on the Avengers. He has more serious,
more lasting crimes to answer for, and feels guilty as a result. Avengers
who have acted dishonorably usually face a team court martial, but Simon
dodged that bullet, too, by quitting the team before any action was taken
against him. 

Panel 3: 
Now that he's back, Simon says he doesn't know if he's fit to be an Avenger
anymore; but as Beast says, the mere fact that Simon asks that question
goes a long way toward answering it. If Simon weren't an inherently decent
person, he wouldn't feel as guilty about his misdeeds as he does. It's the
same basic situation as his embezzlement secret: he's gotten away with
criminal behaviour, but he feels too guilty to be content with his escape. 
 
Panel 4-5: 
Simon isn't sure he agrees with Beast, so he asks Vision's opinion, saying
Vision has a "similar" but "smarter and more logical" mind (they share
certain personality traits and characteristics in common due to their
shared brain patterns, but the computerized construction of Vision's mind
and his differing life experience have indeed resulted in a smarter, more
logical version of Simon). Simon asks Vision if he has any right to be here
at all. Vision does not reply at first, then says he was distracted by the
music. 

As was the case in issue 12, Simon seems well-meaning but monumentally
insensitive where the Vision is concerned. Simon and Vision have not been
on friendly terms in recent years, and Simon taking up with Vision's
estranged wife does little to promote better relations, but Simon seems
utterly oblivious to this--even after Wanda told Simon last issue that
Vision had regained his original personality, and that Vision therefore
still loves Wanda. Vision is sitting here with his self-styled brother, the
brother who formerly betrayed and renounced him, the brother who has begun
romancing Vision's estranged wife, and this same brother has the naive gall
to ask Vision if he thinks Simon deserves to be among them. Given the
context, one can hardly blame Vision if the question throws him somewhat
off-balance. 

Speaking of context, Vision may also be troubled or distracted by the one
major misdeed Simon doesn't mention while confessing his unaddressed sins:
Simon's refusal to help restore Vision's mind when government agents
dismantled and mind-wiped Vision during Byrne's West Coast Avengers run. At
the time, Simon admitted he'd always secretly resented the Vision's
creation (he didn't like the idea of someone duplicating his mind), and
that he had always secretly been jealous of Vision's romance with Wanda. As
such, Simon initially refused to help restore Vision's mind, though he was
ultimately shamed into offering his aid when Wanda suffered her mental
breakdown. 

In addition to recently awkward Vision-Simon relations and Simon's past
refusal to help restore Vision's mind, there is one other thing that may be
distracting or disconcerting for Vision during this scene: Wanda. He still
loves her, and given their respective positions at the table (seated
directly across from each other), it's quite possible that he's been
staring at her and lost track of the conversation. 

Two further thoughts before moving on from this scene: first, Firebird's
recent appearance in Avengers [v3] # 12 may have been something of a missed
opportunity since Wonder Man is seeking moral counsel--and as a devoutly
religious social worker, Simon's old teammate Firebird excels at moral
counsel (for instance, she helped a despairing Hank Pym rebuild his life
and his Avengers career when he was contemplating suicide). Second, much of
what Wonder Man discusses in this scene draws a further parallel between
himself and his old foe Atlas: like Simon, Atlas has super-powers that
originated with Baron Zemo's ionic ray process--and like Simon, Atlas found
that alteration of his powers led to violent mental and physical
instability over time. Whether this is coincidence or indicative of some
common factor remains to be seen.