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.