AVENGERS ANNUAL 1999
Annotations by Sean McQuaid
"Day of the Remains"
By John Francis Moore & Leonardo Manco
with Kurt Busiek (story idea & title), Richard Starkings & Comicraft
(letters), Tom Smith (colors), Tom Brevoort (editor) & Bob Harras
(editor-in-chief).
Avengers Assembled:
Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision [II], Firestar &
Justice (as active members); and Wonder Man (as a former member). The
extended flashback depicted in pages 12 through 17 is a new and previously
untold story featuring Black Widow [II], Quicksilver & Hercules (as active
members); Moondragon, Beast & She-Hulk (as inactive members); and War
Machine (as a former member). In addition, Giant-Man, Wasp, Hawkeye, Falcon
& Sub-Mariner appear in a flashback to Onslaught: Marvel Universe.
Other Characters:
Edwin Jarvis, Ultimator, the Carnelian Prime Minister, Colonel Timothy "Dum
Dum" Dugan, Archangel, Iceman, Scott Lang (Ant-Man [II]), Cassie Lang,
Daredevil, Sanford Chesney, Peggy Carter, Michael O'Brien, Fabian
Stankowicz, The Protectorate, Trish Tilby, Otis, Glory Garsen & Mrs.
Jarvis. In addition, Onslaught appears in a flashback.
EXTERIOR COVER
The Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man & Thor) battle the Protectorate in
this Leonardo Manco illustration.
PAGE ONE
EDWIN JARVIS, longtime butler and chief of staff in the service of the
Avengers, has been with the team since Avengers [v1] # 2 (though he first
appeared in Tales of Suspense # 59, and did not make his first on-panel
Avengers appearance until Avengers [v1] # 16). Glory Garsen, introduced in
Avengers [v1] # 298 and last seen in Avengers [v1] # 325, is Jarvis's
girlfriend. Jarvis still lives with his mother, Mrs. Jarvis, who was first
mentioned in Avengers [v1] # 55 and first appeared in Avengers [v1] # 201.
She was last seen in Avengers [v1] # 298.
Jarvis was the longtime butler and close family friend of Howard & Maria
Stark and their son Tony. After Howard and Maria died, Jarvis remained at
their midtown Manhattan mansion in Tony's employ. When Tony (secretly Iron
Man) donated the mansion to the newly founded Avengers as their
headquarters, Jarvis stayed on and became the team's butler. In the years
since then, he has been an invaluable servant and a trusted friend to the
team and its various members, sometimes even assisting in their adventures.
For an excellent summary of Jarvis's career with the Avengers, see
Avengers [v1] # 280. Notable Jarvis stories include...
Avengers [v1] # 54-55
(betrayed Avengers secrets to Ultron's Masters of Evil in exchange for
money needed for his mother's medical bills; risked life to save Avengers
from the Masters; forgiven by the Avengers and welcomed back into their
service)
NOTE: Avengers [v1] # 280 later revealed that Ultron had used his hypnotic
powers to convince Jarvis to aid him, something Jarvis himself did not
remember until much later, when the hypnotic effect wore off.
Avengers [v1] # 159
(rescued Judy Parks from Graviton)
Avengers [v1] # 200
(subdued time-displaced D'Artagnan)
Avengers [v1] # 201
(fought the Bruiser, a neighbourhood bully who robbed his Mrs. Jarvis)
Avengers [v1] # 230
(bade farewell to retiring Avengers founder Hank Pym)
Avengers [v1] # 273-278
(held hostage during the occupation of Avengers Mansion by Baron Helmut
Zemo's Masters of Evil; brutally tortured by Mister Hyde; rescued by
Avengers)
Avengers [v1] # 280
(while recovering from his injuries, reflected on his career with the
Avengers and decided to remain in their service despite an offer of early
retirement)
Avengers [v1] # 297-298
(closed down Avengers Island after the eastern Avengers roster disbanded;
fought "Inferno" demons in Manhattan; summoned the Captain [Captain
America] and convinced him to start reassembling the Avengers; met and
began dating Glory Garsen)
Avengers [v1] # 319-325
(alongside other Avengers employees, brainwashed by Skeleton Crew into
attacking the Avengers; defeated and freed from Skeleton Crew's control)
Avengers [v1] # 350
(feuded with Luna's nanny, Marilla)
Avengers: The Crossing # 1
(presided over anniversary celebration at Avengers Mansion)
Avengers: Timeslide # 1
(accompanied Avengers on time travel quest to recruit a tennage Tony Stark
from the past to battle the corrupt Tony Stark of the present)
Avengers [v3] # 1 & 4
(helped rebuild the Avengers after their Onslaught disbanding)
Avengers [v3] # 8-9
(first met his foster child Maria de Guadalupe Santiago in person; Maria
revealed to be the superhuman adventurer Silverclaw, who was coerced into
battling the Avengers by Moses Magnum and then aided the Avengers in
defeating Magnum, after which Maria started attending college in America at
Empire State University)
ULTIMATUM (an acronym for Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile
Army To Unite Mankind) is a terrorist group dedicated to undermining
nationalistic ideology and all national governments, since they believe
that countries are unnatural and unhealthy divisions of the larger global
community. Originally founded and led by the anti-nationalist fanatic
Flag-Smasher, ULTIMATUM first appeared in Captain America [v1] # 321. Cap
has fought them many times, and several other Avengers have encountered
them on occasion as well--notably in Captain America [v1] # 349 (when
Demolition Man joined the Avengers and fought ULTIMATUM agents only to be
lost in action on his first mission) and Captain America [v1] # 400 (when
Falcon & USAgent joined forces to rescue D-Man from ULTIMATUM captivity).
Moore's mention of a "Lion God" musical is both a parody of the successful
"Lion King" musical and a joking reference to an existing Marvel character.
The LION GOD is a powerful superhuman (presumably an otherdimensional
superbeing) who has been worshipped by certain African peoples as a god in
the past. His rivalry with the Panther God has led him to threaten the
Panther God's foremost follower, the Black Panther. The Lion God first
appeared in Avengers [v1] # 112. He has been defeated by the Avengers
twice, in Avengers [v1] # 112 & 114.
Carnelia is a fictional nation that has figured prominently in Marvel
stories before--notably the assassination of its ambassador, Sergei
Kotznin, in Iron Man [v1] # 124-127.
PAGE SEVEN
"Stan & Jack's Ice Cream" is, of course, a reference to Stan Lee & Jack
Kirby, the co-creators of the Avengers.
PAGE EIGHT
An illustration of some of the Avengers (Thor, Giant-Man, Falcon,
Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, Wasp, Scarlet Witch & Captain America) as they
looked circa Onslaught. Thor is wearing what some readers derisively
describe as his "Fabio" outfit, created by Mike Deodato in then-current
issues of Thor's original ongoing series. Giant-Man is wearing the costume
he adopted in Avengers [v1] # 366 and discarded as of Avengers [v3] # 1.
Falcon is wearing the second version of his winged costume, adopted in
Captain America Annual # 11. Sub-Mariner sports his then-current long hair
and spiked gauntlets, since abandoned in favour of his traditional short
hair and smooth gauntlets. Iron Man wears his then-current armor. The Wasp
appears in the weird, mutated form she assumed as of Avengers [v1] # 394
after Giant-Man used an experimental treatment to save her from fatal
injuries; after Onslaught, she reappeared in her normal form (without
explanation) in Avengers [v3] # 1. Scarlet Witch wears the costume she
adopted in Avengers: The Crossing # 1 and discarded in Avengers [v3] # 1.
Captain America wields his traditional shield.
PAGES NINE & TEN (two-page spread)
A flashback to the Avengers' seemingly fatal battle with Onslaught. Hawkeye
appears wearing his then-current costume, which he adopted in Avengers: The
Crossing # 1 and discarded as of Thunderbolts # 10. Oddly, the Vision--who
was present for this battle and among the Avengers seemingly killed--is
completely omitted from both the illustrations and the text on these pages.
Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Vision are all currently
active members of the Avengers. Giant-Man and Wasp are currently reserve
members of the Avengers. Hawkeye resigned to lead the Thunderbolts in
Avengers [v3] # 12. Falcon and Sub-Mariner are both currently inactive
members of the Avengers, and both last worked with the team in Avengers
[v3] # 1-4, when they aided the group against Morgan Le Fay and Whirlwind.
As a sometime partner of Captain America, the FALCON worked alongside the
Avengers as early as Avengers [v1] # 88, but did not officially join the
team until Avengers [v1] # 183, when he was drafted into the group at the
US government's insistence to fulfill a racial minority quota imposed on
the team's membership. Uncomfortable with the circumstances of his
membership and feeling out of place with the group, Falcon resigned in
Avengers [v1] # 194; however, he has been a reliable inactive reserve
member of the group since then, serving on many subsequent cases.
The SUB-MARINER (Namor McKenzie) is the mutant hybrid offspring of an
Atlantean woman and a human male; a volatile adventurer who has been both
an enemy and an ally to the human race over the decades, Namor first
appeared in the late 1930s and joined the Avengers only in recent years
after mending his ways to some extent. After encountering the Avengers as
an ally or adversary several times (beginning with Avengers [v1] # 3),
Namor accepted an offer of membership from his old friend Captain America
in Avengers [v1] # 262. He has not been an active member since leaving the
team to mourn the death of his wife Marrina in Avengers [v1] # 291-293. He
was a longtime founding member of the Defenders and also served as the
patron of the corporate-sponsored super-team Heroes for Hire until he sold
it to Stark-Fujikawa.
ONSLAUGHT was an immensely powerful, monstrously evil psychic entity
composed of the merged dark sides of superhuman mutants Charles Xavier
(Professor X) and Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (Magneto). This creature threatened
the world until it was destroyed by a coalition of super-heroes in the
Onslaught: Marvel Universe one-shot, but the Fantastic Four, most of the
active Avengers members and other heroes were seemingly killed in the
process. They actually survived in an alternate universe and eventually
returned to Earth, as seen in the Heroes Reborn: The Return limited series
and elsewhere.
PAGE ELEVEN
Panels 1-4:
An infamous Russian spy who deserted her masters and defected to the U.S.A.
after falling in love with her American pawn Hawkeye, the BLACK WIDOW has a
long history with the Avengers: she was their adversary (Avengers [v1] #
29-30) while serving as a brainwashed communist agent, became a recurring
ally to the group (Avengers [v1] # 32-33 and up) through her now-defunct
romance with Hawkeye, joined the group herself in Avengers [v1] # 111,
resigned for personal reasons after one case in Avengers [v1] # 112, served
infrequently as a reservist for years thereafter, and rejoined the active
roster for a long but largely undistinguished membership stint (Avengers
[v1] # 329-402) during which she served a lengthy but otherwise
unimpressive stint as team leader (Avengers [v1] # 348-402), a leadership
stint that ended with the group's disbanding. Now believing herself
unsuited for superheroics, she has since returned to freelance espionage.
She has been an inactive member of the Avengers since they regrouped,
though she aided the team against Morgan Le Fay in Avengers [v3] # 1-3 and
fought the Mandarin's forces alongside them in Iron Man [v3] # 10.
This story reveals the full circumstances of the Avengers' post-Onslaught
disbanding for the first time. Previously, this event was referred to in
other stories but never explored in any detail.
DUM-DUM DUGAN is a veteran of the celebrated World War II unit known as
the Howling Commandos. When the Commandos' former commander Nick Fury
became the director of the modern-day intelligence agency SHIELD, former
Commandos such as Dugan and Gabe Jones were hired as SHIELD agents and
became high-ranking members of the new agency. Dugan and Jones have
remained unusually young and vital over the decades--a phenomenon never
fully explained, though it has been theorized that their frequent contact
with colleague Nick Fury (whose aging was retarded by the Infinity Formula)
has affected them in some way. Dugan first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his
Howling Commandos # 1.
SHIELD director Nick Fury was believed dead at the time of this story,
seemingly killed by the Punisher.
Black Widow later took Dugan up on his offer to infiltrate the Russian
mob, as seen in a Daredevil storyline.
Panel 5:
Black Widow contacts three old friends and then-current members of the
X-Men: Angel, Beast and Iceman. Beast has a long affiliation with the
Avengers, while Angel and Iceman were part of the short-lived Champions
super-team under Black Widow's leadership.
The CHAMPIONS were a Los Angeles-based team of superheroes who billed
themselves as "heroes for the common man", striving to make their
operations visible and accessible to the public through publicity campaigns
and good relations with the authorities. The team's founding members
included Angel [III], Black Widow [II], Ghost Rider [IV], Hercules and
Iceman, who first joined forces to thwart Pluto's attempted conquest of
Olympus (in Champions # 1-3). They decided to remain together thereafter at
the insistence of the Angel, who conceived and financed the group while
Black Widow was elected team leader. The Champions fought alongside other
heroes thereafter (notably Black Goliath, Hawkeye, Two-Gun Kid, Iron Man
and the Avengers), but the only other person who came to be regarded as a
member of their group was the superhuman Russian defector Darkstar.
Disparate and quarrelsome, the Champions ultimately decided they could not
get along and disbanded after less than a year together.
The Champions first appeared in their own ongoing series, which lasted 17
issues. Their disbanding and its aftermath was covered in Peter Parker the
Spectacular Spider-Man # 17-18. They also made appearances in Godzilla # 3,
Iron Man Annual # 4, Super-Villan Team-Up # 14 and a Marvel Christmas
special before their disbanding. Their Avengers appearances included
Avengers [v1] # 151 (Champions watched news report about Avengers roster
reorganization) and Avengers [v1] # 163 (Champions attacked by
mind-controlled Iron Man, then joined forces with Iron Man and Beast to
defeat Typhon). Most recently, the five founding Champions briefly
regrouped alongside X-Force to battle a new Pluto-spawned menace in
X-Force/Champions '98. Also, a used Champscraft (one of the aircraft
custom-built for the Champions) was recently adopted by the Thunderbolts in
Thunderbolts # 27, a gift from the Black Widow.
The X-MEN are a controversial outlaw band of heroic mutant adventurers
founded by Professor Charles Xavier to offer sanctuary and education to
mutants while protecting the world from the threat of evil mutants and
other paranormal menaces. The X-Men were founded around the same time as
the Avengers and the two groups are longtime allies, though the X-Men’s
dubious reputation and outlaw methods have occasionally made the two groups
adversaries as well. The X-Men's founding members include Cyclops, Iceman,
Angel (a.k.a. Archangel), Beast, Marvel Girl (a.k.a. Phoenix) and their
mentor, Professor Xavier; all six first appeared in X-Men [v1] # 1, which
was published in the same month as Avengers [v1] # 1. The X-Men currently
appear in two ongoing series of their own (Uncanny X-Men [formerly X-Men
(v1)] and X-Men [v2]) as well as numerous spinoff comics.
The current X-Men roster includes Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm,
Colossus, Shadowcat, Rogue, Gambit and Marrow. Past members of the X-Men
include Professor Xavier, Cyclops, Iceman, Angel [III] (also known as
Archangel), Beast, Phoenix [IV] (formerly Marvel Girl), Mimic, Changeling,
Polaris, Havok, Banshee, Sunfire, Thunderbird, Phoenix [II], Phoenix [III],
Magneto, Psylocke, Dazzler, Longshot, Forge, Jubilee, Gambit, Bishop,
Revanche, Cannonball, Joseph, Maggott & Doctor Cecilia Reyes. During an
extended disbanding of the team, X-Men associate Moira MacTaggart organized
and led an alternate X-Men group that included Tom Corsi, Daytripper,
Sharon Friedlander, Legion, Alysande Stuart, Sunder and several past and
future members of the official X-Men. There are also several active and
inactive mutant groups that have splintered off from the X-Men over the
years, including X-Force (a team of young mutant adventurers who started
out as an X-Men apprentice team called the New Warriors), X-Factor
(originally a rival mutant super-team formed by the estranged X-Men
founders and later a government-sanctioned group that included some former
X-Men and occasional Avengers member Quicksilver), Excalibur (an X-Men
faction based in Great Britain), the X-Terminators (an X-Factor trainee
group later absorbed into the New Mutants) and Generation X (the students
of a new X-Men youth education program mentored by X-Men veteran Banshee
and former X-Men foe the White Queen).
The X-Men's Avengers appearances include:
Avengers [v1] # 3 (Xavier and founding members questioned by Iron Man
regarding the whereabouts of Hulk [II])
Avengers [v1] # 16 (flashback to Quicksilver's and Scarlet Witch's
conflicts with the founding X-Men as members of Brotherhood of Evil Mutants)
Avengers [v1] # 53 (Angel [III] recruited Avengers to aid the X-Men against
Magneto; remaining X-Men battled Avengers as mind-controlled pawns of
Magneto until freed by Avengers; Angel [III] battled Magneto & Toad
alongside Avengers; Avengers and X-Men escape destruction of Magneto's
headquarters together; X-Men allowed to keep one of the Avengers' aero-cars
for their own use following this adventure)
Avengers Annual # 2 (alternate timeline X-Men defeated by Avengers of that
timeline on behalf of the Scarlet Centurion)
Avengers [v1] # 60 (founding X-Men attend wedding of Wasp & Yellowjacket)
Avengers [v1] # 110-111 (Xavier, Cyclops, Iceman, Marvel Girl & Angel [III]
defeated and subdued by Magneto; Cyclops, Iceman & Marvel Girl are mentally
enslaved by Magneto but freed by the Avengers & Daredevil, who defeat
Magneto and his minion Piper; in the aftermath of the battle, Angel [III]
is missing)
Giant-Size Avengers # 1 (flashback to Quicksilver's and Scarlet Witch's
conflicts with X-Men as members of Brotherhood of Evil Mutants)
Avengers Annual # 10 (offered sanctuary to estranged Avengers member Carol
Danvers [now Warbird] while she was recovering from mental and physical
trauma suffered at the hands of Rogue; X-Men members appearing in this
story include Kitty Pryde [later Shadowcat], Nightcrawler, Professor
Xavier, Storm, Wolverine & Colossus]
Avengers [v1] # 234 (flashback to Quicksilver's and Scarlet Witch's
conflicts with X-Men as members of Brotherhood of Evil Mutants)
X-Men vs. Avengers # 1-4 (X-Men battle Avengers and Soviet Super-Soldiers
to protect fugitive Magneto [who had joined the X-Men in an attempt to
reform] until all three groups unite to save a sinking ship endangered by
ruthless Soviet agent Crimson Dynamo [V]; SSS make peace with Avengers &
X-Men and depart; Magneto surrenders to the Avengers to face the judgment
of the authorities, but uses a mind control device to influence the judge
presiding over his case and is released unpunished after the world court
declares him to be outside their jurisdiction as the self-appointed
represntative of a mutant people otherwise unrepresented in world politics;
X-Men involved in the conflict with the Avengers and the SSS included
Havok, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Magneto & Dazzler, though X-Men members
Longshot & Psylocke were also seen as observers of Magneto's trial)
Avengers [v1] # 350-351 (Cyclops and Professor Xavier visited Avengers to
brief them on forces that might menace Luna Maximoff due to her grandfather
being Magneto; witnesses conflict between Starjammers and Avengers)
Avengers [v1] # 368/Avengers West Coast # 101/Avengers [v1] # 369 (Avengers
and X-Men interfered in Genoshan civil conflict against United Nations
orders, battling provocateurs Exodus and Fabian Cortez in a joint effort to
end the bloodshed and rescue Luna Maximoff [daughter of Avengers members
Crystal and Quicksilver], whom Cortez had used as a hostage; Exodus was
routed, Luna was rescued, Cortez was seemingly slain, and peace was
restored to the island of Genosha; X-Men involved in the conflict included
Angel [III], Beast, Bishop, Cyclops, Gambit, Iceman, Jean Grey (also known
as Marvel Girl or Phoenix IV), Revanche, Rogue & Storm)
Avengers [v1] # 401 (alongside Avengers, confronted Onslaught threat; X-Men
who appear include Iceman, Rogue, Gambit, Bishop & Joseph)
Onslaught: Marvel Universe (X-Men defeated by Onslaught, witnessed Avengers
and other heroes seemingly sacrifice their lives to destroy Onslaught;
X-Men present included Angel [III], Bishop, Gambit, Iceman, Jean Grey,
Joseph, Rogue, Storm & Wolverine)
Avengers [v3] # 10 (X-Men watched Avengers Day parade on television,
commenting on how the Avengers are so much more beloved than the X-Men and
joking that longtime Avengers member Beast, as a founding member of the
X-Men, is the property of the X-Men; X-Men present include Nightcrawler,
Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat, Rogue, Gambit & Marrow)
A mutant gifted with an ape-like physique that grants him enhanced
strength, agility and dexterity, the BEAST left the X-Men to pursue a
scientific career before applying for Avengers membership during one of the
team's earlier membership drives (Avengers [v1] # 137). Following a
probationary period of unofficial membership, Beast won full official
membership in Avengers [v1] # 151. After a fairly lengthy active membership
stint, he retired to inactive reserve status in Avengers [v1] # 211. Though
he has gone on to membership in other groups, including the Defenders,
X-Factor and the X-Men, the Beast has remained affiliated with the Avengers
and works with them on occasion, most recently in Avengers [v3] # 14 when
he teamed with them to battle Pagan. He is currently among the team's
inactive members, but remains a close friend of Avengers member Wonder Man.
The focus of several long-running plotlines in the X-Men comics, the Legacy
Virus is a fatal communicable disease that was first and most frequently
observed in mutants, though it can also potentially infect ordinary humans.
The virus, which was apparently created and released by the insane
terrorist Stryfe, has infected prominent mutants such as Pyro & Mesmero and
killed notable mutants such as Mastermind, Revanche and Illyanna Rasputin.
Beast has been researching the Legacy Virus for some time in hopes of
finding a cure, and recently left the active X-Men roster to concentrate
more fully on this research. Muir Island is the home of renowned geneticist
and longtime X-Men associate Moira MacTaggart, and houses some of the most
advanced genetics research facilities in the world. MacTaggart herself has
been researching the virus for some time, even before she discovered she
was the first human known to have contracted the disease.
ANGEL (Warren Kenneth Worthington III) is a mutant adventurer whose natural
feathered wings enable him to fly with great speed, agility and endurance.
Like most of the X-Men founders, he served without interruption until the
team greatly expanded its membership following the Krakoa mission. At that
point, Angel and most of the other early members decided to retire from the
X-Men and pursue individual goals. Shortly thereafter, Angel's parents died
and he inherited the vast Worthington family fortune. Apart from
half-hearted attention to his family's business interests and occasional
action as a solo superhero, Angel occupied his time by financing
super-teams such as the Champions and a new incarnation of the Defenders
organized by his old teammate Beast. Both of those groups disbanded, and a
return stint with the X-Men didn't last any longer since Angel felt out of
place on the new roster, but the undaunted Angel became the financial and
organizational force behind a fourth team, X-Factor, which was really the
founding X-Men reassembled under a new name.
During his time with X-Factor, Angel was critically injured in a battle
with the Marauders and had his wings amputated, thanks in part to the
machinations of his lawyer and supposed friend Cameron Hodge, a closet
mutant-hater who had always secretly resented Warren. Angel was devastated
by the loss of his wings, and seemingly died in a plane explosion that
looked like a suicide attempt but was actually engineered by Hodge. Warren
was rescued and nursed back to health by the mutant would-be
world-conqueror Apocalypse, who physically and mentally twisted Angel into
his blue-skinned, metal-winged servant, Death. As Death, Angel fought for
Apocalypse until X-Factor shocked him back to his senses, and since then
Angel has gradually regained his mental and emotional health. He has also
regained a semblance of his original physiology after his metal wings
splintered away to reveal that his original feathered wings had regrown
inside them, though he still has the blue skin Apocalypse's mutations left
him with.
Hodge had illegally funneled a great deal of Warren's wealth into
anti-mutant causes such as the terrorist group called the Right, but Angel
has since rebuilt his fortune to some extent and has long since defeated
and destroyed Hodge, though not before Hodge killed Angel's longtime
girlfriend, Candy Southern. Since then, Angel has become romantically
involved with his X-Men teammate Psylocke. When Professor Xavier returned
to his role as X-Men leader after a long absence, Angel and the other X-Men
founders dissolved their X-Factor group and rejoined the X-Men; however,
the founders have again taken leaves of absence from the team after a
lengthy active membership stint. Of late, Angel has been concentrating on
his relationship with Psylocke and rebuilding the Worthington fortune. Most
recently, he fought Graviton alongside the Thunderbolts in Thunderbolts #
27-29.
Angel's mutant physiology is entirely adapted to flight, including
lightweight bones, enhanced senses and an augmented respiratory system. The
most visible aspects of his flight-oriented physique are the natural
feathered wings growing from his back, which allow him to fly with
phenomenal speed, agility and stamina. Though lacking in raw power, Angel
is an accomplished and surprisingly formidable aerial combatant after his
years of aerial combat experience.
Warren Kenneth Worthington III is the third Marvel hero known as the
Angel, but he is unrelated to the previous two Angels. The original Angel
was Tom Hallaway, a wealthy and ruthless 1940s vigilante crimefighter who
retired after an innocent bystander was killed by a criminal during one of
his cases (the second Angel was the original's brother, and merely acted as
an occasional stand-in for his sibling). In recent years, the original
Angel became the secret financier and organizer of the Scourges of the
Underworld, a group of masked vigilantes dedicated to stalking and killing
super-criminals. Angel's Scourge operation was ultimately exposed and
crippled by former Avengers member USAgent, but there was insufficient
evidence to imprison the Angel himself. The second Angel, the original's
brother, wanders the streets of New York City as an elderly, penniless
drunk. The modern-day Angel of the X-Men has never met either of his older
namesakes.
After his transformation by Apocalypse, the current Angel rechristened
himself Archangel to reflect his new form; however, he has recently begun
referring to himself simply as Angel again, perhaps in recognition of the
gradually returning pre-Archangel aspects of his physiology and
personality. Regardless, Archangel is still regarded as his "official"
costumed identity.
Angel [III] appears as a member of the X-Men in Avengers [v1] # 3, 53, 60
& 111; Avengers West Coast # 101; Avengers [v1] # 369; and Onslaught:
Marvel Universe. His other Avengers appearances include...
Avengers [v1] # 151 (alongside Champions, followed news reports of Avengers
roster reshuffling)
Avengers [v1] # 211 (attended impromptu Avengers membership drive staged by
Moondragon; considered joining but departed)
Avengers [v1] # 214 (aided Avengers in subduing renegade Ghost Rider [IV])
Avengers 1999 (offered Avengers membership by Black Widow but declined)
ICEMAN (Robert L. "Bobby" Drake) is a mutant adventurer and founding member
of the X-Men. Like most of the founders, he served without interruption
until the team greatly expanded its membership following the Krakoa
mission. At that point, Iceman and most of the other early members decided
to retire from the X-Men and pursue individual goals. Drake studied to
become an accountant (eventually securing his accounting credentials) but
continued to fight crime in his spare time as Iceman, either alone or in
partnership with recurring allies such as the second Human Torch and his
old X-Men teammate Angel.
Iceman and Angel were founding members of a California-based superhero
team called the Champions, a group that also included Darkstar, Ghost Rider
[IV] and sometime Avengers members Black Widow [II] & Hercules. Iceman was
smitten with Darkstar and tried to establish a romantic relationship with
her, but Darkstar was less interested and no lasting bond developed. The
Champions soon disbanded due to personality conflicts, and Iceman went back
to strictly occasional superheroics until he became affiliated with the
informal super-team known as the Defenders, whose core members then
included Iceman's old X-Men teammate, Beast. When Beast proposed the
reorganization of the Defenders into a more official group, Iceman and
fellow X-Men alumnus Angel both joined Beast's new version of the team.
Unfortunately, Beast's new Defenders soon disbanded after most of the other
Defenders were seemingly killed in battle with the Dragon of the Moon.
Shortly after the Defenders broke up, Angel, Beast and Iceman all joined
fellow X-Men founders Cyclops and Marvel Girl in founding a new group,
X-Factor, an alternate X-Men team that initially masqueraded as a company
of human mutant hunters; however, they soon decided that the mutant-hunting
pose was doing mutant-human relations more harm than good, so they became
an openly active mutant hero group like the X-Men (Iceman and the other
founders did not rejoin the actual X-Men since they distrusted the
then-current X-Men roster due to its alliance with their old foe Magneto
and the absence of their old mentor Professor Xavier). When Professor
Xavier returned from an extended sojourn in outer space and resumed his
duties as leader of the X-Men, Iceman and the other founders rejoined the
X-Men, dissolving their X-Factor team. After a long active membership
stint, Iceman and the other founders have again taken leaves of absence
from the team while newer members maintain the group.
Iceman's mutant physilogy enables him to drain heat from his surroundings
with incredible speed, creating freezing temperatures instantly. In this
environment, he can freeze available water vapor into
ice and snow, the shape and quantity of which he mentally controls. He
often forms ice into simple weapons or tools such as clubs, shields,
platforms, ramps and so on. More recently, Iceman learned that he can
actually convert his physical body to pure ice and reshape it at will, an
ability that has made him a more aggressive and more physical combatant.
Iceman appears as a member of the X-Men in Avengers [v1] # 3, 53, 60 &
110-111; Avengers West Coast # 101; Avengers [v1] # 368-369 & 401; and
Onslaught: Marvel Universe. His other Avengers appearances include...
Avengers [v1] # 151 (alongside Champions, followed news reports of Avengers
roster reshuffling)
Avengers [v1] # 163 (alongside Champions, battled mind-controlled Iron Man;
alongside Champions and Avengers, battled Typhon)
Avengers [v1] # 211 (attended impromptu Avengers membership drive staged by
Moondragon but declined membership)
Avengers 1999 (offered Avengers membership by Black Widow but declined)
PAGE THIRTEEN
Panels 1-2:
ANT-MAN was the first costumed identity assumed by Avengers founder Henry
Pym, though he later abandoned that guise to take on other costumed
identities. The second and current Ant-Man is electronics expert Scott
Edward Harris Lang, an ex-con and single father who was hired by Stark
International after getting out of prison. On Stark's behalf, Lang did some
electrical work at Avengers Mansion. Later, Lang stole Hank Pym's Ant-Man
costuming and equipment and used it to rescue Doctor Erica Sondheim (who
had been abducted by Darren Cross and imprisoned at Cross Technological
Enterprises) because only Sondheim had the skills necessary to save Lang's
daughter, Cassie, from a fatal heart condition. Cassie was cured, and Hank
Pym--who had observed Lang's activities as Ant-Man--offered to let Lang
keep the Ant-Man equipment as long as he put it to lawful use. Lang agreed,
and has since acted as a part-time superhero while raising his daughter.
His friendships with Pym and sometime employer Tony Stark (Iron Man) have
led to Lang becoming a close recurring ally of the Avengers, but he has
never accepted full membership in their group. He did, however, serve as a
substitute member of the Fantastic Four for a time; and more recently, Lang
accepted a position with the corporate super-team Heroes for Hire and
served with that group until it was purchased by the Stark-Fujikawa
company, which fired Lang due to his prison record.
As Ant-Man, Lang can reduce his bodily size using cannisters of Hank Pym's
shrinking gas, and can return to normal size using Hank Pym's enlarging
gas. He can also shrink and grow other people and objects using the gas,
though this can prove dangerous. He usually shrinks to a size roughly
comparable to that of an ant, at which size he actually has physical
strength equal to or greater than that of a full-size man. If necesary,
Lang can shrink to smaller sizes, and can even achieve submicroscopic
stature. His cybernetic helmet enables him to telepathically communicate
with and control ants. The helmet is also equipped with sound amplification
devices allowing Ant-Man to converse with normal-sized humans, a
retractable plexiglass face shield and a limited air supply. More recently,
Lang has also equipped his outfit with the disruptor stings formerly housed
in Hank Pym's Yellowjacket costuming, enabling him to stun opponents.
Scott Lang first appeared in Avengers [v1] # 181. He became the new
Ant-Man in Marvel Premiere # 47. His Avengers appearances include...
Avengers [v1] # 181
(as Scott Lang, did electrical work at Avengers Mansion)
Avengers [v1] # 195-197
(as Ant-Man, battled Taskmaster alongside Yellowjacket [Hank Pym], Wasp and
Avengers)
Avengers [v1] # 222-224
(as Scott Lang, asked Tony Stark how Hank Pym was doing after Pym was
jailed on charges of treason; became concerned for Pym's welfare; as
Ant-Man, defeated Taskmaster alongside Hawkeye and shut down Taskmaster's
Carson Carnival operation; as Ant-Man, visited Hank Pym in prison and
offered to help him escape and clear his name, but Pym refused the offer
since he wanted to prove his innocence legally)
Avengers [v1] # 229
(as Scott Lang, delivered cerebral scanner helmet to Avengers Mansion)
Avengers [v1] # 275-277
(as Ant-Man, protected comatose Hercules from attacks by Aborbing Man and
Titania [II] alongside Wasp; with Wasp, defeated Absorbing Man and Titania
[II]; alongside Avengers, liberated Avengers Mansion from the control of
Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil)
Avengers 1999
(offered Avengers membership by Black Widow in the wake of the Onslaught
disaster but declined)
It's curious that Lang says he refused Avengers membership to avoid
moonlighting as a superhero since he resumed his superheroic moonlighting
as a member of Heroes for Hire shortly after this story.
It's worth noting that Ant-Man, Angel and Iceman are among the very few
Marvel heroes to consistently refuse Avengers membership. Most heroes who
are offered Avengers membership accept it immediately (such as Justice or
Tigra); many others may refuse it at first, but reconsider and decide to
join later (such as Sub-Mariner or Spider-Man). Others decline full
official membership but become affiliated with the group in an informal or
honorary capacity (such as Captain Mar-Vell or the second Swordsman).
Heroes who have consistently refused Avengers membership of any kind to
date include Daredevil (Avengers [v1] # 111), Dazzler (Avengers [v1] #
221), Spider-Woman (Avengers [v1] # 221), Shroud (West Coast Avengers [v1]
# 1), Doc Samson (Avengers [v1] # 252), Angel [III]/Archangel (Avengers
1999), Iceman (Avengers 1999) and Ant-Man [II] (Avengers 1999). In
addition, Dazzler, Angel, Iceman and a variety of former Avengers were
called together by rogue Avengers member Moondragon for an unauthorized
Avengers membership drive in Avengers [v1] # 211. All three new recruits
ultimately refused membership, though Angel was tempted to accept at the
time.
Panel 3:
SHE-HULK is the cousin and close friend of the Hulk, and gained superhuman
strength and durability similar to his after he was forced to give her an
emergency blood transfusion using his own blood. She joined the Avengers
during a membership drive in Avengers [v1] # 221 and went on to serve
several stints with the group before drifting away from the team for
reasons never fully explained. She is currently an inactive Avengers member
and last worked with the team in Avengers [v3] # 1-4. She was recently
employed by Heroes for Hire until its disbanding.
ROXXON OIL is the world's largest oil conglomerate in the Marvel universe,
a multibillion dollar corporation with worldwide resources and influence.
First mentioned in Captain America [v1] # 180, Roxxon has appeared in or
been connected to countless Marvel stories since then, often engaging in
covert illegal activities in the pursuit of profit and power. Roxxon's
research subsidiary, the Brand Corporation, engaged in a major conflict
with the Avengers in Avengers [v1] # 141-144 & 147-149. Brand first
appeared in Amazing Adventures [v1] # 11. The Brand Corporation's Avengers
appearances include Avengers [v1] # 140-142, 144, 147 & 149. Roxxon Oil's
Avengers appearances include Avengers [v1] # 141-142, 144, 147 & 149.
Panel 4:
MOONDRAGON developed superhuman mental powers and peak human physical
skills under the tutelage of Titan’s Eternals and has come to regard
herself as a sort of benevolent goddess striving to better the lot of
lesser beings. Though she is well-intentioned, her sometimes extreme and
often self-righteous conduct has brought her into occasional conflict with
her fellow heroes, including her Avengers associates, though she has
reformed her ways to some extent since shedding the corrupt influence of
the Dragon of the Moon (see Defenders # 152 and Solo Avengers # 16, 18 and
20). Moondragon met the Avengers during a conflict with Thanos (circa
Avengers [v1] # 125) and later encountered them during the Celestial
Madonna affair (see Avengers [v1] # 133-135 and Giant-Size Avengers # 4).
She joined the Avengers on a probationary basis during a membership drive
in Avengers [v1] # 137 and made her membership official as a reservist in
Avengers [v1] # 151. She has been an infrequent reserve member since her
initial probationary membership stint, last serving with the group in
Avengers [v3] # 1-4, when she aided the team against Morgan Le Fay. She is
currently an inactive member.
Panels 5 & 6:
WAR MACHINE (Jim Rhodes) was a longtime friend, employee and confidant of
Tony Stark, who entrusted his Iron Man armor and identity to Rhodes after
succumbing to alcoholism. As Iron Man, Rhodes helped found the Avengers’
western roster (in West Coast Avengers [v1] # 1-4) and served until he was
sidelined by injuries in Iron Man [v1] # 199-200, allowing the newly sober
Stark to reclaim the Iron Man guise. Rhodes continued to act occasionally
as a substitute Iron Man thereafter, sometimes with the Avengers (as in
West Coast Avengers Annual # 1), and eventually became Iron Man full-time
again when Stark faked his own death. Upon learning of Stark’s survival,
Rhodes severed their friendship and struck out on his own, using a
variation of the Iron Man armor as War Machine. In this guise, he rejoined
the Avengers (Avengers West Coast # 94) and served until the dissolution of
the group’s western roster and a related argument with Iron Man prompted
him to quit the team in Avengers West Coast # 102. Shortly afterward,
Rhodes lost his War Machine suit but gained a new suit of alien armor,
which has since been destroyed as well (in Tales of the Marvel Universe #
1). Rhodes is currently on good terms with both Stark and the Avengers but
has decided to retire from adventuring, concentrating on his new salvage
business (as mentioned in Iron Man [v3] # 1). He last worked with the
Avengers during The Crossing. He is pictured here in the original War
Machine armor, which has since been adopted by a new, criminal War Machine
in Iron Man [v3] # 11.
The armor Rhodes wears here is the second set of War Machine armor, the
alien armor. Rhodey did succeed in destroying evidence of Tony Stark's
double life as Iron Man in Tales of the Marvel Universe # 1, but the alien
War Machine armor was destroyed in the process.
PAGE FOURTEEN
DAREDEVIL (Matt Murdock) is a lawyer who leads a double life as a costumed
crimefighter. He was blinded by radioactive waste; however, the radiation
augmented all of his remaining senses to superhuman levels and also endowed
him with a "radar sense" that allows him to mentally perceive all objects
and movement in his immediate vicinity even though he cannot see them. A
longtime Avengers ally, Daredevil was offered membership in Avengers [v1] #
111 but turned it down. He has, however, been a recurring participant in
the more informal (and currently defunct) Defenders super-team. Daredevil
also had a long-running romance and crimefighting partnership with the
Black Widow (Daredevil [v1] # 81-124), and they remain close friends
despite the eventual end of their romance and partnership. Daredevil first
appeared in the first issue of his own ongoing series, which lasted for
decades and hundreds of issues until it was recently suspended and reissued
as a new series (starting over with issue one again) under the Marvel
Knights imprint. Daredevil's Avengers appearances include...
Avengers [v1] # 60
(attended wedding of Yellowjacket & Wasp)
Avengers [v1] # 82
(liberated Manhattan from Zodiac occupation alongside Avengers)
Avengers [v1] # 111
(battled Magneto alongside Black Widow & Avengers; refused offer of
Avengers membership)
Avengers [v1] # 151 & 159
(cameos)
Avengers [v1] # 190-191
(as Matt Murdock, acted as legal counsel to the Avengers during their
Senate hearing; as Daredevil, battled Grey Gargoyle alongside Avengers)
Avengers: Emperor Doom graphic novel
(cameo as one of the billions of people mind-controlled by Doctor Doom
until he was thwarted by the Avengers)
Avengers [v1] # 332-333
(among the guests at the grand opening of the new Avengers Headquarters
crashed by Doctor Doom)
Avengers [v3] # 10
(watched the Avengers Day Parade and mused on his relations with the team)
PAGE FIFTEEN
Panels 2-4:
The mutant speedster QUICKSILVER (Pietro Maximoff) is a longtime Avengers
member who joined alongside his sister, the Scarlet Witch, in Avengers [v1]
# 16. He is curently an inactive member of the group, and last worked with
them in Avengers [v3] # 7 when he fought the Kree Lunatic Legion alongside
them. He is currently serving in the political cabinet of Genosha, the
mutant-dominated island nation recently taken over by his infamous mutant
terrorist father, Magneto. Pietro hopes he will be able to influence
Magneto's rule in a positive way, but Magneto's goal is to either make his
son as ruthless as himself or destroy him. How their conflict will play out
remains to be seen.
Quicksilver was one of the few then-active Avengers members who escaped
the Onslaught disaster. This scene reveals for the first time how he came
to leave the group thereafter--in a typical Quicksilver fit of temper. It's
understandable since Onslaught's victims (presumed dead at the time)
included Pietro's sister (the Scarlet Witch) and wife (Crystal), both
Avengers members.
Quicksilver is wearing his third and current costume (fourth if you count
an X-Factor uniform he very briefly wore during his time with that group),
adopted as of Avengers: The Crossing # 1.
Panels 4-6:
HERCULES (AKA Heracles) is the legendary warrior son of the Olympian
monarch Zeus and a mortal woman, and as such he is a super-strong demigod
(though he was recently stripped of his immortality and much of his
strength in a dispute with his father, as shown in Avengers [v1] # 384). An
early Avengers member, Hercules took up residence at Avengers Mansion in
Avengers [v1] # 38 after Zeus temporarily exiled him to Earth, and he
formally joined the group in Avengers [v1] # 45; that membership stint
proved brief (ending in Avengers [v1] # 50), but he later served for two
much longer membership stints (Avengers [v1] # 249-274 and 334-402), the
second of which ended only recently when the team temporarily disbanded
following the Onslaught disaster. Currently an inactive Avengers member, he
last worked with the team when he aided them against Morgan Le Fay and
Whirlwind in Avengers [v3] # 1-4. Always fond of his ale, Hercules
developed a full-blown drinking problem after the Avengers' seeming death
in battle with Onslaught, as shown in early issues of Heroes for Hire.
Hercules had been an active member of the Avengers at the time of Onslaught
but was absent from the battle, and felt horribly guilty about surviving.
At the time of this story, Hercules had settled into a look consisting of
long hair, a beardless face and a variety of drab, generic outfits. He has
more recently cut his hair short, regrown his beard and resumed wearing his
traditional costuming.
The Maria Stark Foundation, a charitable organization founded by Tony
Stark, provides the bulk of the Avengers' funding.
PAGE SIXTEEN
The MASTERS OF EVIL are a loosely organized team of costumed criminals,
many of them superhuman, who have banded together for mutual gain. The
original Masters were one of the first major super-criminal alliances since
World War II, and several groups have banded together under the Masters of
Evil name over the years since the original group’s disbanding. The various
Masters teams have fought many heroes, but their most frequent enemies by
far are the Avengers, the heroic equivalent of the Masters of Evil. Just as
the Avengers are the most formidable super-heroic team in the world, the
Masters of Evil represent the most formidable super-criminal force in the
world.
There have been six distinct incarnations of the Masters of Evil to date.
The original Masters were founded and led by Baron Heinrich Zemo until his
death in battle with Captain America, after which the original Masters
disbanded. The second Masters of Evil were founded and led by Ultron until
their initial defeat, after which Klaw took over the group and led them to
their second defeat. Those Masters never regrouped, but Egghead founded and
led a third Masters of Evil years later. These Masters disbanded after
their defeat by Hank Pym and the accidental death of Egghead at the hands
of Hawkeye. The fourth and most formidable Masters group to date was
founded by Baron Helmut Zemo, son of the previous Baron Zemo. The new Baron
organized a small army of super-criminals with whom he occupied and
demolished Avengers Mansion, but they were ultimately defeated by the
Avengers. A fifth Masters of Evil founded and led by Doctor Octopus later
made another assault on Avengers headquarters, but they broke up after
being driven off by the Avengers Crew (the Avengers' then-current support
staff) and the visiting Guardians of the Galaxy. Most recently, a sixth
Masters of Evil was founded by the mysterious new Crimson Cowl, who ran her
group as a mercenary operation and did not seem to have a vendetta against
the Avengers as previous Masters organizations did. Their principal foes
have been the Thunderbolts, a band of outlaw heroes founded by former
members of the Masters of Evil; in fact, it was the Thunderbolts who
ultimately defeated these Masters, thwarting their attempts to blackmail
the world through weather control and capturing most of the Masters.
Original Masters of Evil
Members: Baron Zemo (leader), Black Knight [II], Melter, Radioactive Man,
Enchantress and Executioner.
First Appearance: Avengers 6
Appearances to Date: Avengers 6 (temporarily brought New York to a
standstill using Zemo’s Adhesive X; battled and defeated by Avengers; all
but Zemo captured); Avengers 7 (recruited Enchantress and Executioner;
battled and defeated by Avengers); Avengers 9 (allied with Wonder Man
against Avengers; betrayed by Wonder Man and defeated by Avengers);
Avengers 10 (with Immortus, battled and defeated by Avengers); Avengers
15-16 (freed Black Knight [II] and Melter; battled and defeated by
Avengers; disbanded after death of Zemo).
Masters of Evil II
Members: Ultron (leader), Klaw, Melter, Radioactive Man and Whirlwind.
First Appearance: Avengers 54
Appearances to Date: Avengers 54-55 (infiltrated and betrayed by Black
Knight III; abducted Avengers; defeated by Avengers and Black Knight III;
Masters abandoned by Ultron); Avengers 83 (led by Klaw, battled and
defeated by Avengers and Lady Liberators).
Masters of Evil III
Members: Egghead (leader), Moonstone [II], Scorpion, Tiger Shark,
Whirlwind, Beetle, Shocker and Radioactive Man.
First Appearance: Avengers 222
Appearances to Date: Avengers 222 (battled and defeated by Avengers; all
but Egghead captured); Avengers 228-230 (freed Moonstone [II] and Tiger
Shark; recruited Beetle, Shocker and Radioactive Man; abducted Henry Pym
and framed him for criminal acts; battled Avengers; all Masters defeated
and captured by Pym and Avengers; disbanded after death of Egghead).
Masters of Evil IV
Members: Baron Zemo [II] (leader), Absorbing Man, Titania [II], Moonstone
[II], Grey Gargoyle, Screaming Mimi, Yellowjacket [II], Blackout,
Bulldozer, Fixer [II], Goliath [III], Mister Hyde, Piledriver, Thunderball,
Tiger Shark, Wrecker and Whirlwind.
First Appearance: Avengers 270-271 (formation), 273 (as a complete team)
Appearances to Date: Avengers 270 (recruited Moonstone [II]); 271
(recruited Yellowjacket II; Grey Gargoyle and Screaming Mimi captured in
battle with Avengers and Paladin); Avengers 273-277 (invaded and occupied
Avengers Mansion, torturing its captive occupants; driven out and defeated
by Avengers and their allies; Yellowjacket [II] surrendered; Bulldozer,
Piledriver and Thunderball disempowered and captured; Baron Zemo [II] and
Moonstone [II] captured and severely injured; Blackout killed); West Coast
Avengers 16 (Tiger Shark and Whirlwind captured by Hellcat, Tigra and Hank
Pym while on assignment).
Masters of Evil V
Members: Doctor Octopus (leader), Absorbing Man, Gargantua, Jackhammer,
Oddball, Powderkeg, Puff Adder, Shocker, Titania [II] and Yellowjacket [II].
First Appearance: Guardians of the Galaxy 28
Appearances to Date: Guardians of the Galaxy 28-29 (invaded Avengers
Mansion in hopes of looting its technological resources; betrayed by
Yellowjacket
[II]; driven off by the Avengers support staff and the visiting Guardians
of the Galaxy).
Masters of Evil VI
Members: Crimson Cowl [III] (leader), Cyclone [II], Flying Tiger, Klaw,
Man-Killer, Tiger Shark, Aqueduct, Bison, Blackwing, Boomerang, Cardinal,
Constrictor, Dragonfly, Eel [II], Icemaster, Joystick, Lodestone, Man-Ape,
Quicksand, Scorcher, Shatterfist, Shockwave, Slyde, Sunstroke and
Supercharger.
First Appearance: Thunderbolts 3
Appearances to Date: Thunderbolts 3 (battled and defeated by Black Widow
[II] and Thunderbolts; escaped capture); Thunderbolts 18-20 (tried to
coerce Thunderbolts into joining the Masters, battled and defeated
Thunderbolts when the offer was refused, Thunderbolts rescued from Masters
by Hawkeye, Masters escaped); Thunderbolts 0 (Crimson Cowl [III] followed
media coverage of Thunderbolts); Thunderbolts 23 (spied on Thunderbolts;
saw and reacted to Hawkeye's televised vow to hunt down and capture the
Masters of Evil); Thunderbolts 24 (battled Thunderbolts; used weather
control technology to destroy Robinette, Nebraska in an attempt to kill the
Thunderbolts; revealed to have recruited nineteen new members, including
Aqueduct, Bison, Blackwing, Boomerang, Cardinal, Constrictor, Dragonfly,
Eel [II], Icemaster, Joystick, Lodestone, Man-Ape, Quicksand, Scorcher,
Shatterfist, Shockwave, Slyde, Sunstroke and Supercharger; from Mount
Charteris base, plotted to blackmail the world using weather control
technology; trailed and spied upon by the Thunderbolts); Thunderbolts 25-26
(terrorized entire planet using weather control technology despite rescue
efforts by heroes such as the Avengers, the New Warriors, X-Force, Union
Jack, the Winter Guard, Big Hero Six and the Lightning Rods; defeated by
Thunderbolts, who captured all the Masters except for Cyclone [II],
Man-Killer and the Crimson Cowl herself, who left Dallas Riordan behind in
a Crimson Cowl costume as a decoy to take the fall; Mount Charteris
headquarters usurped by the Thunderbolts)
PAGE SEVENTEEN
For years, Jarvis was the only full-time, in-house staff member in the
Avengers' employ. Then Captain America began hiring the civilian support
staff known as the "Avengers Crew" circa Avengers [v1] # 300-301, so that
the Avengers' operations could be sustained even if the Avengers themselves
were incapacitated or otherwise engaged. The Avengers Crew was originally a
large staff including Peggy Carter (communications), Robert Frank Junior
(groundskeeper), John Jameson (pilot), Keith Kincaid (physician), Talia
Kruma (physicist), M'Daka (vehicle maintenance), Diane Arliss Newell
(secretary), Walter Newell (oceanographer), Michael O'Brien (security),
Genji Odashu (pilot), Donna Maria Puentes (administrator and later
receptionist), Arnold Roth (publicist), Fabian Stankowicz (machinesmith),
Inger Sullivan (lawyer) and Gilbert Vaughn (physicist). Some were based
outside Avengers headquarters and worked with the team on a part-time or
consulting basis, but most of them worked full-time on Avengers Island
(then the team's principal headquarters). After the sinking of Avengers
Island, most of these staff members were let go, though some remained
affiliated with the team in a consulting capacity. The remaining full-time
staff members included Jarvis, Carter, O'Brien, Jameson, Stankowicz and
Puentes (who became the Avengers' receptionist after the elimination of her
administrative position). Jameson eventually resigned for personal reasons
and was replaced by Zachary Moonhunter. Moonhunter and Puentes apparently
both resigned at some point, though, since neither were still on staff as
of this story. As of this story, it seems the last three full-time Avengers
Crew employees prior to the team's disbanding were Carter, O'Brien &
Stankowicz.
None of the Avengers Crew were rehired on a full-time basis following the
reorganization of the Avengers. Current Avengers writer Busiek regards the
Crew as excess baggage since the Avengers and Jarvis got along okay without
them for years, and can presumably do so again.
PEGGY CARTER was a heroic freedom fighter with the French underground
resistance during World War II when she met and fell in love with Captain
America. She and Cap became lovers as well as partners in action, but they
were split up when Cap was reassigned elsewhere. Shortly before the war's
end, Peggy suffered a head injury that left her mentally confused and
partly amnesiac. She was sent back to her parents in the U.S.A. to recover,
but the subsequent news of Captain America's seeming demise in action
pushed her into a sort of long-term breakdown that saw her spend decades in
mourning.
Eventually, Cap returned to life when the Avengers freed him from
suspended animation in Avengers [v1] # 4. This led to a joyful reunion with
Peggy, though their mutual happiness was tainted by two inescapable facts:
they were no longer the same age since Cap had spent decades in suspended
animation; and Cap had fallen in love with Peggy's younger sister, SHIELD
agent Sharon Carter. These things meant that Cap and Peggy could never
renew their romance, a state of affairs that left Peggy angry and anguised
at first; she gradually got over this, though, and has become one of Cap's
dearest friends. She also became a SHIELD agent in her own right, which led
to her meeting high-ranking SHIELD agent Gabe Jones, another veteran of
World War II who was closer to Peggy's physical age. The two became good
friends and have dated on occasion, but whether they ever established any
sort of lasting relationship remains unclear.
Peggy left SHIELD to become the Avengers' communications chief circa
Avengers [v1] # 300, and was a full-time member of the Avengers Crew until
the Avengers' post-Onslaught disbanding resulted in the Avengers Crew's
termination (as seen in Avengers 1999).
Peggy first appeared in Tales of Suspense # 77. Her Avengers appearances
include Avengers [v1] # 302, 311, 319, 322-325, 329-332, 334 & 336;
Avengers Annual # 18; and Avengers 1999.
MICHAEL O'BRIEN was a police officer when his brother Kevin O'Brien died in
a battle with the original Iron Man (secretly Kevin's employer and close
friend Tony Stark). The death occurred when Kevin was wearing
malfunctioning Guardsman armor--an alternative version of Stark's Iron Man
armor--that made him act violently irrational, forcing Iron Man into a
battle in which Kevin was accidentally killed. Iron Man was cleared of any
wrongdoing in the incident, but Michael suspected a coverup and continued
to investigate even after the police department officially closed the file.
Eventually, O'Brien obtained and wore the Guardsman armor himself, falling
prey to the same criminal insanity that plagued Kevin until Iron Man
subdued him. Through a subsequent series of events, Stark revealed his dual
identity to Michael and tried to convince O'Brien of his innocence, an
effort that remained unsuccessful until O'Brien saw Stark in action as Iron
Man. Impressed by Stark's heroism and convinced of his sincerity, O'Brien
made peace with Stark and even assisted him in his adventures on
occasion--once while wearing a spare suit of Iron Man armor, and later by
wearing the Guardsman armor, which Stark had modified so that it was now
safe for use.
As the new Guardsman, O'Brien hoped to redeem both his brother and himself
as an adventurer. He had left his job at the police department since
beginning his unauthorized investigation of Stark, though, and needed
employment. He found a job at the U.S. government's alternative energy
research facility Project: Pegasus as their security director. As the
Guardsman, O'Brien protected the Project from various menaces but suffered
his share of setbacks, including a humiliating defeat at the hands of the
Scarlet Witch (who invaded the Project when her husband Vision was being
held there in Vision & Scarlet Witch [v2] # 1) and major damage to his
armor in battle with the Lava Men (in Avengers [v1] # 236).
The subsequent repairs to O'Brien's armor were financed by the U.S.
government, which declared itself the owner of the reconstructed armor.
Taking advantage of this, the government mass-produced dozens of copies of
the Guardsman armor for its own use. O'Brien was reassigned to the Vault
(then America's foremost prison for the incarceration of superhuman
criminals) as its security chief, acting as commander of a small army of
similarly outfitted Guardsmen wearing copies of O'Brien's armor.
Unsatisfied with this new arrangement, O'Brien did not stay on long.
Instead, he accepted Captain America's offer to work for the Avengers as
their full-time security chief. O'Brien joined the Avengers' staff in
Avengers [v1] # 301, and was a full-time member of the Avengers Crew until
the Avengers' post-Onslaught disbanding resulted in the Avengers Crew's
termination (as seen in Avengers 1999).
Michael O'Brien first appeared in Iron Man [v1] # 82. His Avengers
appearances include Avengers [v1] # 236-237 (as Guardsman [II]); Avengers
[v1] # 301, 311, 319-320, 323-325 & 329-332 (as Michael O'Brien); and
Avengers Annual # 18-19 & Avengers 1999 (as Michael O'Brien).
FABIAN STANKOWICZ is an inventive mechanical genius who won the lottery and
decided to use his mental and monetary resources to become famous and
respected as a super-criminal. Choosing his idols, the Avengers, as
opponents, Fabian called himself the Mechano-Marauder and attacked them
with his high-tech gadgetry on three occasions, suffering three humiliating
defeats. Finally realizing the stupidity of his actions and scared of
serving a major prison sentence after his third and most destructive
outing, Fabian resolved to reform and won early release when Captain
America spoke up for him in court, describing Fabian as more misguided than
criminal. Fabian tried out for Avengers membership and was rejected, but
the team did hire him for their Avengers Crew as an inventor and
machinesmith. Extremely grateful for this second chance, Fabian became
intensely loyal to the Avengers in general and Cap in particular, and was
fanatically devoted to the team.
Fabian's Avengers appearances include...
Avengers [v1] # 217
(as the Mechano-Marauder, fought Iron Man outside Avengers Mansion and was
easily defeated)
Avengers [v1] 221
(as Mechano-Marauder, crashed Wasp's Avengers membership drive tea party
and harassed the guests, who mostly ignored him but managed to fend off his
attacks with relative ease regardless; subdued by Wasp and She-Hulk)
Avengers [v1] # 239
(attacked the Avengers on the Late Night with David Letterman television
show; saw the Avengers defeat his attack machines; defeated by David
Letterman and subdued by Mockingbird)
Avengers [v1] # 311
(alongside Quasar and Avengers Crew, tried in vain to prevent Doctor Doom's
robot army from sinking Avengers Island)
Avengers [v1] # 319, 321 & 323-325
(alongside Avengers Crew, brainwashed by the Skeleton Crew into attacking
the Avengers; freed from the Skeleton Crew's control)
Avengers [v1] # 330-332
(further appearances as member of Avengers Crew during team's conflicts
with Tetrarchs of Entropy and Doctor Doom)
It should be noted that most of the Avengers Crew staff members seldom
appeared in the actual Avengers comics, and that some of the characters
identified as Avengers Crew members never so much as made an on-panel
appearance in that capacity. It was Avengers editor Mark Gruenwald who came
up with the idea for the Avengers Crew, and he introduced them in a text
piece in Avengers [v1] # 300, but the writers of the actual Avengers comics
have generally shown little interest in the Avengers Crew characters. They
made more frequent and more significant appearances in the original Captain
America ongoing series, which was then written by Gruenwald.
As Jarvis says, the Avengers have disbanded before--notably Avengers [v1]
# 21-22 (team briefly disbanded under pressure from authorities after being
framed for crimes by Enchantress & Power Man but soon cleared their names
and regrouped), 92 (team hoaxed into briefly disbanding by Skrulls posing
as Avengers founders) & 297 (eastern roster disbanded after death or
departure of almost all then-active members) and Avengers West Coast # 102
(western roster disbanded during internal reorganization dispute). The
post-Onslaught disbanding was easily the darkest and longest-lasting of the
lot, though, made more trauamtic and more seemingly final by the apparent
deaths of so many core members.
PAGE NINETEEN
This is the first appearance of THE PROTECTORATE.
PAGE TWENTY
The Richards' Archive is a reference to the files compiled and maintained
by Reed Richards, genius leader of the Fantastic Four, the only modern
super-team that has been active longer than the Avengers. Pepper Potts is a
close friend and executive assistant to Tony Stark, and is one of the very
few people (since Iron Man/Captain America '98) who knows that Stark is
secretly Iron Man. Hannah is Jake Olson's fiancee.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
The SENTINELS are sophisticated, super-powerful robots designed to hunt
down mutants and (depending on their programming) either subdue or
exterminate them. The original Sentinels were created by anti-mutant
activist Bolivar Trask, who sacrificed his life to destroy them after he
realized that all mutants were not inherently threatening and that his own
robots had become a menace. Trask's son Larry (unwittingly a mutant
himself) mistakenly blamed mutants for his father's death and created a
second, more sophisticated generation of Sentinels, but they turned against
him and became uncontrolled renegades after learning he was a mutant. They
battled many mutants, notably the X-Men, who tricked the Mark II Sentinels
into leaving Earth. The Sentinels returned to Earth, however, with a plot
to sterilize humanity. This plot was thwarted by the Avengers (in Avengers
[v1] # 102-104), and most of the Sentinels were destroyed. Later, insane
anti-mutant fanatic Steven Lang constructed a third, inferior generation of
Sentinels using resources derived from his U.S. government employers and
the subversive Hellfire Club, neither of whom were fully aware or approving
of Lang's plot to exterminate Earth's mutants. Lang's Sentinels were
destroyed by the X-Men, but further generations of Sentinels have been
created by various parties since then. The original Sentinels first
appeared in X-Men [v1] # 14. The Mark II Sentinels first appeared in X-Men
[v1] # 57. The Mark III Sentinels first appeared in X-Men [v1] # 98.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
Originally a supporting character in the X-Factor ongoing series, reporter
Trish Tibly has dated the Beast and is a friend to the X-Men.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
How Fabian ended up with long, shaggy gray hair and matching beard after
just "a few weeks" is unclear. Fabian was revealed to have a drug problem
in the "Streets of Poison" storyline from the original Captain America
series, but he beat it with Cap's help. Fabian mentions Spider-Man and
Daredevil since they were two of the few surviving high-profile heroes in
the wake of Onslaught.
PAGE THIRTY-SEVEN
This may be the same "ice cream shoppe" Cap introduced to Thor in Captain
America [v3] # 5.
PAGE THIRTY-EIGHT
Jarvis's mother is a longtime fan of professional wrestling.