EARTH'S MIGHTIEST ANNOTATIONS by Sean McQuaid AVENGERS (volume 3) # 7 August, 1998 "Live Kree or Die!" Part Four: "The Court Martial of Carol Danvers" By Kurt Busiek & George Perez with Al Vey (finisher), Tom Smith (colors), The Usual Suspects (letters), Tom Brevoort (editor) & Bob Harras (editor-in-chief). Avengers Assembled: Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision [II], Wonder Man, Warbird, Firestar & Justice. Other Characters: Supreme Intelligence, Lunatic Legion (Galen Kor, Talla Ron, Kona Lor, Dylon Cir, the bald twins and others). EXTERIOR COVER This issue's cover illustration (drawn by George Perez and colored by Tom Smith) features the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Justice, Firestar, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Captain America and Wonder Man) battling the Lunatic Legion. Firestar and Justice are mistakenly depicted as wearing new costumes that they will not adopt until next issue. Presuming that the core Lunatic Legionnaires are the ones depicted on the cover, there are several coloring errors: the bald twins should be caucasian rather than blue-skinned, Galen Kor should have light red hair, Dylon Cir should have brown hair and Kona Lor should have bright red hair. Warbird is present as a symbolic image hanging over the battlefield. INTERIOR COVER The events of recent issues of Avengers, Iron Man (v3) # 7, Captain America (v3) # 8 and Quicksilver # 10 are recapped in this space, along with introductions to the eleven featured Avengers and other significant characters (specifically, the Lunatic Legion and the Supreme Intelligence). There is one notable coloring error: Dylon Cir's hair should be brown, not black. NOTE: This story is the fourth in a four-part crossover storyline running though Iron Man (v3) # 7, Captain America (v3) # 8, Quicksilver # 10 and this comic book. See the annotations for parts one through three for more information on the characters and events of this story. PAGE 1 The Supreme Intelligence is revealed to be against the Lunatic Legion's plans to mutate humanity into Kree form--not surprising since the Supreme Intelligence considered his Kree subjects to be an evolutionary dead end by comparison to humanity, and all but wiped out the Kree race during Galactic Storm in the hope that a new, genetically superior Kree race would arise from the survivors of that disaster. As such, Galen Kor's plan to turn the genetically diverse human race into genetically stagnant purebred Kree would be contrary to the Intelligence's long-term plans for exploitation of humanity and the evolution of a new, genetically superior Kree race. The Supreme Intelligence is also revealed to be the guiding force behind the Skrull subversives featured in Captain America (v3) # 5-7, manipulating them into sparking a xenophobic panic on Earth, a panic that the Intelligence presumably hoped would flush out and destroy Kor's band of Kree soldiers. This is in keeping with the Intelligence's past modus operandi (including the events of the Kree-Skrull War and Galactic Storm storylines): mentally manipulating others from afar to facilitate its long-range plans. Kor is wielding a cosmi-rod known as the Universal Weapon, formerly standard issue for the Accusers, the enforcers and administrators of justice in the Kree Empire. The Universal Weapon taps cosmic energy for a variety of effects controlled by its wielder's will, including matter restructuring, concussive energy beams, gravity manipulation, force fields, "time-motion displacement fields" and interstellar teleportation via space warps. PAGES 2-3 (two-page spread) As shown in the past several issues of this series and the previous chapters of the "Live Kree or Die!" crossover storyline, Warbird's performance as an Avenger has suffered due to alcoholism. As Iron Man suggests, Captain America is handling Warbird's case somewhat harshly (a sentiment later echoed by Hawkeye); however, the seriousness of the matter and Warbird's unwillingness to address the situation herself make it necessary to take some form of action. Various Avengers have been guilty of many forms of misconduct over the years, but this is only the fourth time that an Avenger has been subjected to a full formal disciplinary hearing on his or her fitness to serve as an Avenger. The first such occasion was the court martial of founding member Hank Pym (in Avengers [v1] # 213), who had acted recklessly in combat since he was then suffering from a nervous breakdown. Captain America was team leader then, too, and in both cases he insisted on prosecuting the member in question despite other members' calls for leniency. To elaborate on the history of this process, Avengers members have been subject to internal disciplinary action since the earliest days of the team, beginning with Avengers (v1) # 7, when Iron Man was suspended for a week after failing to answer an Avengers alarm (the first in a long series of absenteeism problems for the armored Avenger). There have also been hearings on more serious matters, such as the Avengers inquest into Hawkeye's accidental killing of Egghead in Avengers (v1) #230. But prior to Warbird's court martial, full formal hearings on a member's fitness to serve have been held only three times before: Avengers (v1) # 213, Iron Man (v1) # 229 and Marc Spector: Moon Knight # 50. The first of these court martials led to Hank Pym resigning in disgrace after he played a dangerous hoax on the Avengers in an attempt to win back their confidence while they were trying him for reckless conduct. The second such hearing led to Iron Man's expulsion from the ranks on charges of illegal vigilante activities during his Armor Wars crusade. The third such hearing stemmed from similar charges of illegal vigilantism against Moon Knight, but Moon Knight resigned in anger before the philosophically divided Avengers tribunal could come to a decision regarding his status. Historically, these sorts of proceedings tend to end unhappily--a bad omen for Warbird. PAGE 6 Panel 1: Pietro's scornful tone is in keeping with his often judgmental character. As he says, he served as head of the Inhuman militia when he lived among the Inhumans as Crystal's husband. Panels 3-7: Warbird's testimony in her own defense is eerily reminiscent of Hank Pym's testimony from his court martial in Avengers (v1) # 213: a resentful, self-righteous, self-deluded refusal to take the proceedings seriously. And the Avengers react to Carol's testimony the same way they did to Pym's: with stunned disbelief. PAGE 7 Panel 4: Doctor Leonard Samson is a renowned and respected psychiatrist who specializes in the study and treatment of super-heroes, super-criminals and paranormal beings in general. His past patients include Avengers members the Hulk and Quicksilver. Panels 5-7: Wanda's handling of the vote is perhaps the most humane: she knows what she has to do, and is obviously poised to vote against Carol, but at least she acts as if Carol matters to her personally. The other Avengers address Carol in manners ranging from scornful to businesslike, making an already painful situation that much more unpleasant--though Hawkeye does try to suggest a less punitive alternative to dealing with Warbird. No one pays much attention to said alternative (Carol included), but at least the suggestion is made. As Wanda says, she and Carol became good friends during Carol's first membership stint (Avengers [v1] # 183-200); and as shown in Avengers Annual 10, Wanda was emotionally devastated by Carol's departure, especially the fact that the Avengers failed to prevent the tragic events that forced Carol off the team. As such, Carol's current situation is probably leaving Wanda with a rather sickening sense of deja vu. PAGE 8 Panel 2: As Cap says, Quicksilver is the Avenger most familiar with the Blue Area: Pietro lived there for years with his wife Crystal and the rest of the Inhumans. Panel 3: With Warbird suspended and Vision still immobile, it looks like Justice and Firestar are getting their shot at active duty sooner rather than later. PAGE 9 Panels 1-3: When Wanda says Carol left because the team failed to protect her from being "mentally controlled and seduced by a monster," she's referring to the awful storyline that climaxed in Avengers (v1) # 200, when Carol was mind-controlled into mating with otherdimensional evildoer Marcus Immortus so that she could give birth to Marcus on Earth and allow him to exist in our universe. Hawkeye forced Marcus back to his limbo dimension, but Carol, still under his mental influence, opted to settle down in limbo with Marcus. The Avengers, mistakenly assuming that Carol was in her right mind, let her depart with Marcus and never bothered to check up on her later. It was a crushing blow to the team's morale when they were reunited with Carol after she'd escaped Marcus (in Avengers Annual 10) and learned just how badly they'd failed her. Panels 4 & 8: This is the same portrait of Wonder Man (in his second costume) seen in issue 4. Panels 4-9: Wanda wants someone to talk to and Simon appears to reassure her, but vanishes when Vision interrupts them. As hinted in a similar situation in issue 4, Simon will appear to Wanda not just when she summons him for aid, but also whenever she needs someone for emotional support. As in the previous instance from issue 4, Simon disappears when a third party arrives (the third party in this case being Simon's rival for Wanda's affections, the Vision). Panel 9: This is a panel fraught with underlying tension. Wanda walks right through the holographic Vision, a subtle but graphic expression of how much they've grown apart, to the point that she'll walk through him as if he isn't even there. It's also very telling that she thanks Vision, after a moment's pause, for "warning" her--not just of the the team's imminent departure, but perhaps also silently warning her away from Wonder Man, since Wanda has previously indicated that she regards Wonder Man's recurring manifestations as somewhat ominous since she doesn't know what Simon's become or what he wants from her. PAGE 10 Panels 1-3: Justice is giddy with excitment about embarking on a space mission alongside the Avengers as a member of the Avengers. This attitude confuses and annoys Firestar, who reminds him that he's been on outer space missions before with the Warriors. Vance has even visited the Blue Area before (way back in New Warriors # 6). It's not the mission or the setting that has Justice excited, though; it's the thrill of going into action alongside his childhood idols as their peer, as one of them. He's living his lifelong dream. Panel 4: Pietro says Wanda seems more troubled than she has in "many a year," which is quite a statement considering her relatively recent history of mental illness and family tragedies. The combination of Carol, Vision and Simon must be weighing on Wanda's mind pretty heavily. PAGE 12 Panel 4: Galen Kor prepares to activate the omni-wave while Talla Ron, Kona Lor, Dylon Cir and the bald twins look on. PAGE 13 Panel 2: Carol sums up her career history, most of which Iron Man (v3) # 7 covers in more detail. She edited Woman Magazine for publisher J. Jonah Jameson during her short-lived ongoing Ms. Marvel series PAGE 14 Panels 4-5: Justice is so busy gleefully bragging about his victories that Firestar has to save him from an attack from behind, much to her amazement and annoyance. This is very unlike Vance: he's an experienced team leader and combat strategist, usually very reliable and level-headed. He's so giddy over being an Avenger that it's affecting his judgment (he's usually much more careful), his attitude (he's usually much less brash) and his ego (he's seldom as overconfident as he seems in this story). PAGE 15 Panel 1: As the footnote indicates, Wanda saw the omni-wave projector effect once before, when Mar-Vell created an omni-wave projector in Avengers [v1] # 96. PAGE 17 Panel 1: The Kree attacker looks like one of the bald twins--but if that's who he is, he should be caucasian, not blue-skinned. Panels 3-4: Thor's hammer can open interdimensional portals, a tactic the Avengers have employed in desperate situations since the earliest days of the team, though relatively infrequently. When all else fails, throw the menace of the month into another dimension. PAGE 19 Panels 4-8: Justice volunteers Firestar's microwave powers to energize the portal, and she objects about what happens "when I use my powers at that kind of level." As shown in various issues of New Warriors, Firestar has known for some time that her microwave radiation powers pose health risks to the people around her; more specifically, high-level usage of her powers threatens to render her infertile. Partly because of this, Justice and Firestar were considering retiring from super-heroics late in the New Warriors series, and retirement is reportedly what Warriors writer Evan Skolnick had planned for them before the New Warriors series was axed. Justice couldn't resist the chance to be an Avenger, though, and his reluctant fiancee Firestar is being dragged along for the ride despite her misgivings about continued super-heroics. PAGES 19-20 New kids Firestar & Justice save the day. They'd already proven their skills to Hawkeye when they captured Whirlwind in issue 4, but this is their first chance to prove themselves alongside the assembled team, and they do so in spades. PAGE 21 Panel 5: SHIELD and Starcore scientists arrive to study and secure the Blue Area and the Supreme Intelligence. SHIELD was first mentioned in this series in issue 1. Starcore is a US government project based in a satellite of the same name that orbits the sun in order to better study it. The Avengers last encountered Starcore personnel in Avengers (v1) # 345, when they rescued the Starcore staff from a solar flare. According to Avengers (v1) # 300, Starcore scientist Talia Kruma has worked for the Avengers as a physicist. Panel 7: Wanda watches while Justice tries to make up with Firestar. As someone who built and lost a marriage and a family, Wanda is probably especially sensitive to signs of trouble in Firestar's relationship with Justice, and she could no doubt sympathize intensely with Firestar's fears of being unable to have children since Wanda lost her own children through tragic circumstances. Wanda's feeling guilty about being unable to help Warbird, but if she keeps her eyes open she may see an opportunity to help Firestar. PAGE 22 Panel 7: The television is displaying a camera shot of the Avengers, a shrunken reproduction of the closing page from issue 4.