Avengers (1st series) #141

‘Man, it’s wonderful that both Yellowjacket and the Wasp are on the mend! This bouncing baby Beast’s bow with the big boys had a happy ending after all!’ Henry McCoy a.k.a. the Beast, newest recruit to the Avengers, exclaims as he bounds down a street, unaware that men in green uniforms are running behind him, dropping down from buildings above, they are armed with rifles. The Beast supposes that things will be quieting down now, when suddenly, he somersaults forward, just in time as one of the men fire their weapon at a car, which explodes near the Beast. ‘Red unit! Dust his tail, on the double!’ one of the men calls out. ‘Don’t make me laugh!’ the Beast exclaims as he leaps towards one of his attackers and slams him to the ground, he then bounds into the air, and grabs a lamppost, boasting that he is as limber as the average limburger, and twice as tricky. He lands on two of the men, clanging their heads together, when suddenly, one of the other men fires their weapon, striking the Beast with some sort of energy ray.

‘Now - waste him!’ one of the men shouts. Several of them lunge at the Beast, who decides that the blast struck him like  thousand cold needles. He can’t maintain his current attack, and one of the men shouts ‘Kill him!’, when suddenly, ‘Only if and after you kill me, Mister!’ Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America declares as he zooms towards the men, shield first, he lands amongst them. This separates the men, enabling the Beast to get to his feet. Cap and the Beast defend themselves against the attacking men, as the Beast thanks Cap, explaining that was all his manic metabolism needed to recover itself. ‘You don’t mind if I give you a hand though, do you?’ Cap asks as his fist strikes one of the men in green. ‘Listen - be my guest!’ the Beast replies as he slams two of the attackers to the ground. But suddenly, the men start to run. ‘I don’t think they’re as liberal as you, Beast!’ Cap remarks. ‘Can’t you ever stay out of politics?’ the Beast replies.

‘Hey, no joke, Cap - your showing up right then got me out of a tight spot… dare I assume it was only a coincidence?’ the Beast asks. Captain America replies that there is very little coincidence in this line of work, as the Beast well knows. He reveals that he has been tailing that crew’s sergeant, and explains that several months back, a friend of his called Nomad saved Hugh Jones, President of the Roxxon Oil company from Warlord Krang and the Serpent Squad, and at the time, that seemed like all there was to it, but later, when he and the Falcon were tearing up Washington, searching for the Red Skull, Jones just drove up and told us where to find the Red Skull - as repayment, he said. Cap informs the Beast that Jones refused to tell him how he knew, and all he said was that he had sources. Cap continues, explaining that he had the Skull on his mind back then, so he put Jones on the back burner - but later, at the Skull’s hideout, strange troops burst in and massacred his men.

‘Once I gave it some thought, I did some snooping around the Roxxon building - and tagged our friend as a probably trooper. Tonight, I watched him pick up some of his pals and go on the prowl!’ Cap tells the Beast, who asks ‘For me! But why?’ The Beast adds that this is the first time he and Cap have met face-to-face in years. ‘Heck, we’re not even going to be contemporary Avengers!’ the Beast remarks. ‘Did you say - Avengers?’ Cap smiles.

‘Avengers?’ Edwin Jarvis asks a mysterious, glamorous woman with red hair who stands on the porch of Avengers Mansion. ‘Yes, I’m still waiting for them - or, at least for their new recruit, the Beast!’ the woman declares, adding that she will keep waiting until doomsday, if she has to. ‘Perhaps it won’t take quite that long, Ms. I just tuned in the evening news and learned they are at Mercy General Hospital’ Jarvis reveals. ‘Hospital?’ the woman asks, querying whether the Beast is hurt. Jarvis informs her that he understands it is Yellowjacket and the Wasp. ‘Oh, that’s good! I mean - that’s bad for the Pyms, but good for me! Oh, I don’t know what I mean! Goodbye!’ the mysterious woman babbles as she turns and races down the stairs, adding And it’s “Miss”, not “Miz”!’ Jarvis watches her leave and thinks ‘A strange young woman!’

At that moment, at Mercy General Hospital, Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym a.k.a. the Wasp and Yellowjacket are in hospital beds in the same room, as a doctor and a nurse check on them, they both hold bunches of flowers, while Thor, the Vision and Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch visit their injured teammates. Jan tells Hank that she hasn’t had this many flowers since their wedding, to which Hank reminds her that she said she wanted some, and points out that he has to lie here and mend, too. ‘But if I ever find the guy who sent this extra bouquet to me, I’ll be out of this bed so fast -’ Hank begins, but Wanda announces that it was her fault, explaining that she ordered them for herself, for as a true witch, she has come to like having flowers around. The Vision reveals that it is a habit she acquired on their honeymoon island. ‘I knew she couldn’t come back to New York without -’ the Vision begins, when suddenlyCap and the Beast rush into the room.

Cap tells his former teammates that he is sorry to interrupt, but the Beast and he are in hot pursuit of a private army. ‘This is Avengers business! Can we talk?’ he asks. Cap goes over to Hank and tells him that he is sorry to cut this so short, but that from what he hears, Hank and Jan need their rest, anyway. ‘Okay, Cap! Have fun - but stop back again! We haven’t had a chat in months’ Hank points out. ‘Good then!’ Thor decides, before bidding the Pyms farewell.

“Avengers business” Thor thinks to himself as he, the Beast and the Vision leave the room, wondering if the Star-Spangled Avenger has returned to them at least. ‘Take care you two. And Hank… ditch those roses, huh?’ Cap suggests. ‘May the power within you grow’ Wanda remarks to Jan and Hank as she follows Cap out of the room.

Hank hands the flowers to Jan, who tells him that they are good people, and that whatever knocks they have taken, she is glad they helped found the Avengers. ‘I’m undecided about that, honey’ Hank replies ‘Here! Take these goofy flowers!’, to which Jan tells him that he is the one who is goofy, lusting after test tubes instead of red-blooded adventure! ‘It’s red-blooded all right!’ Hank replies, when suddenly, the mysterious, glamorous women enters their room. ‘Oh, hello! Aren’t the Avengers here?’ she asks. Hank tells her that he is sorry, but she just missed them, and they are headed for their Mansion. The woman turns and leaves the room as quickly as she entered, while the Wasp calls after her: ‘Wait! Don’t I know you?’ ‘Yes! Thanks! Goodbye!’ the woman calls back.

Jan tells Hank that she is sure they have met that girl before, but she doesn’t remember when. ‘I do. It was at Reed and Sue Richards’ wedding!’ Hank announces. ‘You know, Tall Socks, you don’t have to be so smart all the time’ Jan mutters.

Meanwhile, on the streets to home, Cap, the Beast, the Scarlet Witch, Thor and the Vision walk close together, as Cap announces that there is some tie-in between Roxxon Oil and the Brand Corporation - tonight’s action proved it. He adds that this is a case the Falcon should steer clear of since it hits so close to the core of his new personality, and since the Avengers were already involved, he thought it was time to join forces again. Thor tells Cap that it is good he did, when suddenly Thor declares ‘Hold!’, as everyone turns their attention skyward, where several civilians are looking in awe. ‘What now transpires to excite the crowd?’ Thor wonders, while one of the civilians exclaims ‘Look! It’s a Quinjet!’ The Beast turns to Thor and points out that means Iron Man and Moondragon are back - with or without the missing Hawkeye. He hopes they don’t have a double crisis on their hands.

The Avengers quicken their pace towards their headquarters, as Thor fills in Cap on the background of the Bowman’s strange absence. The Avengers stride past Jarvis, who begins ‘Good evening, Sir. There was a young lady -’, but Thor interrupts him, ‘Enough, Jarvis. Later’. They find Tony “Iron Man” Stark and Heather Douglas a.k.a. Moondragon. Iron Man greets everyone and remarks that it looks like they timed their arrival about right. He notices Wanda and the Vision and tells them that he didn’t expect to see them back so soon. ‘That was a short honeymoon’ he points out. ‘We know, Iron Man!’ Wanda replies, while Thor notices Hawkeye is not with Iron Man and asks if he is lost. ‘Worse than that, Thunder God. If our suspicions are correct, your friend has been trapped in time - to lure the rest of us to our doom!’ Moondragon explains, while Iron Man remarks that it doesn’t take much of a genius to figure out who did it, either.

‘We’ve been had by Kang the Conqueror!’ Iron Man declares. ‘Again? This is getting monotonous! Didn’t any of you suspect it might happen?’ the Vision enquires, while Thor wonders who could expect the man to be obsessed. Moondragon replies that for that reason, they alone should seek Kang. ‘As gods, you and I are easily best suited to the task’ Moondragon boasts. Cap tells Thor that is fine with him, if he has walked into an ongoing situation, adding that they will have to split the team anyway, and what he mostly needs is numbers. Before Cap can say anything further, a voice shouts ‘So there you are!’ and everyone turns to see a glamorous red-haired woman rush past Jarvis, declaring that no butler is going to keep her away from him this time. ‘You’re mine, at last, Beast!’ she shouts. The Beast covers his mouth with his hands: ‘Oh my heavenly days! Patsy Baxter!’ he gasps. ‘It’s Patsy Walker again these day, fella - not that you’d have bothered to keep track of me!’ Patsy snaps.

The Beast tells Patsy that he is in the middle of some important business here, before deciding ‘Ah, the heck with it! You caught me fair and square!’ He puts an arm on her shoulder and leads her into the next room so they can talk in private. Moondragon remarks that this may take time, and asks Thor if they are agreed to go. ‘Aye’ Thor agrees, before bidding farewell to Captain America, and Cap wishes the Thunder God best luck. ‘Okay, Beast: talk turkey!’ Patsy exclaims in the other room. The voices outside the cramped room fade, as Thor and Moondragon make their exit, but the voices inside crescendo in controversy for ten long minutes. Then, at last the Beast and Patsy approach Cap, Iron Man, Wanda and the Vision, and Beast remarks that Patsy has an announcement to make. ‘Go ahead, Pat - don’t be shy’ the Beast tells her. ‘Just you watch me! Listen everybody - the Beast is really Hank McCoy!’ Patsy announces.

‘So? Miss, we know that already’ Iron Man replies. ‘You do?’ Patsy asks, surprised. ‘They do. I told ‘em. Who cares? I don’t have a secret ID any more - so you don’t have anything to hold over my head any more’ the Beast explains to the young woman, before admitting that in a moment of weakness, he did make her a promise. ‘If it’s all right with you, Cap, I’d like to have her come as an observer on this action tonight! Let’s go, everybody!’ the Beast declares.

The others turn to leave the room, with Patsy following Wanda, the Vision and Iron Man, as Cap pulls the Beast aside and tells him ‘Now just a minute, Beast! As I understand it, you haven’t been officially designated an Avenger’. ‘No, but I hope you’ll play along with me’ the Beast smiles, explaining that he wants to show Patsy what super-heroing involves, for reasons of his own. Cap remarks that even observation might be dangerous. ‘Maybe - but despite her school-girl charm, Pat Walker’s got grit’ the Beast reveals, before reminding Cap about a kid named Rick Jones that he used to take around with him. ‘Besides, I’ll watch out for her’ the Beast assures Cap. ‘That’s true…’ Cap admits.

On the rooftop of Avengers Mansion, Thor informs Moondragon that he did agree to go with her because he has sworn vengeance upon this villain from the void, but insists to her that she must not mention his godhood any more. ‘You dislike being called a god before men, eh?’ Moondragon asks. ‘You are so - so egalitarian!’ she exclaims, and with barely a furrowed brow, the mysterious Titaness fires a brain bolt across countless centuries. Despite himself, Thor stands astounded at such unguessed power, and the ease with which it was wielded. And shortly, a figure appears before them: ‘Who calls - Immortus!’ the Time Lord booms. ‘One who learned your brain patterns when last we met, o Master of Time’ Moondragon announces, adding that they seek Kang the Conqueror. ‘You wish for me to transport you through time?’ Immortus asks. Moondragon reminds Immortus that he has aided the Avengers before, and that they want to avoid mechanical time machines. ‘So be it! Follow my image from your era - to the present of forever!’ Immortus declares, and an instant later, Thor and Moondragon find themselves floating through space and time.

‘And then once more - to the forever of now!’ Immortus declares as the trio disappear into blankness, then re-appear floating through the strands of time. Moondragon announces that she senses Hawkeye in this direction, and instructs Immortus to lead them towards the beginning. ‘By my troth! None of us truly knew the extent of her skill!’ Thor thinks to himself as he watches Moondragon in action. ‘Farther…farther…wait!’ Moondragon calls out, but suddenly, ‘Too late!’ a voice booms, as an energy blast is fired at Moondragon. ‘You have fallen into the trap of Kang the Conqueror!’ the diabolical villain declares as he appears before Thor and Moondragon. ‘Are you certain, Kang? No one is trapped until he is helpless’ Moondragon remarks, as Thor throws his hammer, boasting that he will find them far from helpless.

But Thor’s hammer just bounces of Kang, who boasts that even mighty Mjolnir cannot harm him while he wears his personal force field. ‘Kang!’ Immortus shouts, ‘Cease your madness! Have I not proven you cannot prevail?’ he remarks. But Kang declares that the minute he ceases to try, is the minute he fulfils Immortus’ prophecy of his coming weakness. ‘We will never see that time!’ Kang exclaims furiously. ‘You and the Avengers kept the Celestial Madonna from my hands! If it takes forever, I shall destroy you for it! Kang boasts, firing a blast of energy, Thor tells Kang that it is he who shall suffer destruction, and uses Mjolnir to absorb his evil ray. Thor concentrates, and hurls Kang’s ray from Mjolnir back at the villain. Kang is knocked backwards through the strands of time, and Moondragon comments on Thor’s exceptional mastery of his beloved combat. She then alerts him to the fact that Kang is falling back into the haze from which he came. ‘Falling - or fleeing! In either vase, twill avail him naught!’ Thor replies, swearing that this time there will be the end of Kang. ‘Am I correct, Immortus?’ Thor asks. Immortus replies that he does not make predictions, but follows the road he has already traveled. ‘Come!’ he tells the Avengers, as the trio continue on through time.

And though the gods now know no time, the remaining Avengers would consider this “at the same moment” elsewhere in eternity. The six have arrived at the Brand Corporation, just outside its gates, where the Beast reports that this is as far as they can go without being seen. Cap remarks to Iron Man that if he and the Beast are right, there is at least part of an army inside, so five super-heroes should be able to take them, but it is still going to be a fight. Iron Man informs Cap that Stark Industries has dealt with Brand, and got bitten badly. ‘I’ve always thought they played the game too fast and loose!’ Iron Man reveals, adding ‘That - and your smiling face - are what kept me here when I could have gone after Hawkeye and Kang’. Iron Man assures Cap that he is with him all the way. ‘So am I! This is great!’ Patsy exclaims, but Beasts tells her that she is not going beyond this gate. Wanda is about to say something, too, but then stops and thinks instead of her shortened honeymoon, and the Vision’s swift return of them to the Avengers life. Aglow with love as she is, Wanda still finds she doesn’t really like it.

In an office within the Brand Corporation, ‘Sitting ducks!’ Hugh Jones exclaims as he watches the Avengers on a monitor. ‘The Beast, there, must think our security is still at its 1973 level, eh, Colonel?’ he calls out to another man in his office. ‘That’s affirmative, Mr Jones’ the other man replies. ‘He couldn’t know - what Roxxon and Brand can do when they put -’ Jones begins, when suddenly, ‘Hey! Colonel! Isn’t that your wife with them?’ Jones calls out when he sees Patsy on the monitor. The other man approaches the monitor, ‘Good Lord, it is!’ he exclaims. ‘But whatever hare-brained scheme that twerp’s got cooking this time - it won’t slow Colonel Buzz Baxter!’ he boasts, picking up his radio communicator, he adds that she is his ex-wife, anyway.

Outside, the Beast leaps over the high fence surrounding the Brand Corporation, ‘I’m getting good at this. My “Break-in at the Brand” bit is close to perfect’ he decides, but looking at the Vision phase through the gate, he knows that it will never match his. The Beast thinks that of all the Avengers he has met, the Vision is the hardest to figure out. ‘I mean, he really could be a vision, he’s so spooky - and after my years as an X-Man, I know spooky!’ As the Beast opens the gate to let Cap, Wanda and Iron Man through, eh realizes that, speaking of spooky, there are no guards around. Suddenly, ‘Halt, intruders!’ a voice booms as they rush towards the main building, and a glow of energy appears before them. ‘Wouldn’t’cha just know it!’ the Beast tells himself, while five beings emerge from the energy glow - ‘Halt and face the fury of the Squadron Supreme!’ one of them exclaims.

‘That’s “Supreme”, not “Sinister”, Avengers! Just so you’ll know who creamed you!’ another declares. Cap looks at them, shocked, ‘That doesn’t make any sense! The Squadron Sinister was a creation of the Grandmaster, those men were evil - but the Squadron Supreme, though they looked similar, were actually heroes from a parallel dimension!’ Cap explains. He sees a man dressed in gold and remarks that he looks like the Golden Archer, only that was a disguise of Hawkeye’s. ‘That’s why I chose the name, Gov’nor!’ the Golden Archer replies.Firing an arrow at Cap, he explains that on his world he was called Hawkeye, but here he has to avoid confusion! ‘It was a good joke to take his name and costume, wot?’ the Golden Archer jokes, while Cap blocks the arrow with his shield.

‘G.A always overreacts! It’s his trademark! All you Avengers will be just memories soon anyway!’ the man dressed in blue and yellow exclaims as he speeds past Iron Man, dodging his plasma blasts. Iron Man keeps missing, and realizes that the Whizzer lives up to his name, and without Quicksilver around, he has forgotten what speed can mean. ‘Have to sharpen up, or I’ll leave myself wide open -’ Iron Man begins, before the Whizzer lunges at him, pushing him to the ground, the Whizzer exclaims ‘In case you’re still in the dark, Iron Jaws, I’ll put it in words of one syllable: We sold out!’ The Beast leaps backwards, dodging the punch of Hyperion, whose fists goes through the wall. ‘I thought I smelled something rotten in the state of Roxxon!’ the Beast exclaims. ‘You shan’t insult the Squadron Supreme, creature! So swears Hyperion!’ the powerful being exclaims, only for the Beast to kick him in the face, ‘That’s all hype!’ the Beast jokes.

‘You expected to only find a army here! What a laugh! Roxxon has whatever it needs always at the ready!’ Doctor Spectrum boasts as he fires a energy blast at the Vision, but it passes through the android who remarks that he is beginning to realize the truths of his statements. ‘But you will need more than a power prism to stop one who can will himself to virtual nothingness’ the Vision points out. Patsy Walker has entered the grounds and stands near the fence as she watches Wanda confront the female member of the Squadron Supreme. ‘And a true witch is more than enough for you, Lady Lark’ Wanda boasts. ‘You remember me then?’ Lady Lark asks. ‘No - I remember a better woman!’ Wanda declares as she stretches out her hands, and the living earth beneath Lady Lark’s sandles explodes. And so, does Patsy Walker, who rushes forward and puts her hands on Lady Lark’s neck. Wanda reminds Patsy that she was told to stay back, but Patsy exclaims ‘I want some of this action, Witch!’

The tides of battle are turned, for before Wanda can follow up her first hex, Lady Lark emit’s a single, shrilling sound, one that distorts all thought and matter - and Patsy and Wanda are taken out by the strange sound. ‘Wanda!’ the Vision shouts, concerned for his wife. If she could see her husband now, she would know how much he loves her. But she is unconscious - as is the Vision when he falls to an attack from Doctor Spectrum. ‘That’s three down. How fares the Whizzer?’ Doctor Spectrum calls out. ‘Almost done, Doc!’ the Whizzer replies as he lunges at Iron Man once more, forcing him to the ground, he spins his arms creating funnels so that he lands safely, while pointing out that Iron Man’s armor slows him down, and even with his foot jets, he can’t fight a man whose super-fast body lets him literally walk on air.

‘Then it’s time I showed my true worth - and a bit of my unearthly speed!’ Hyperion boasts as he grabs the Beast by his feet and slams him hard into the nearby wall. ‘You’re the last, ‘American!’ Golden Archer exclaims, firing another arrow, he tells him to face up to it - ‘You’ve bitten off more than you can chew!’ As if to echo the bowman’s words, Lady Lark sings once more - and ends the recital for this evening, as Cap falls to her strange sound. Hugh Jones and Colonel Buzz Baxter have been watching the battle on a very large monitor. The Squadron can be seen picking up the unconscious bodies of the Avengers, and Patsy Walker, as Jones declares ‘That got them all, Colonel Baxter! After our troops’ failure earlier, tonight, we need a strong defense - and as always, you’ve provided I’.

Jones adds that he doesn’t understand what Baxter’s ex-wife is doing here. ‘Neither do I’ Buzz admits, explaining that he always sensed that she had some connection, a pact or something with the Beast. Buzz remarks that when the Squadron Supreme delivers their prisoners to the escape proof cell, Dr Spectrum and Brand Corporation technology cooked up, he is sure they will get any answers they want. ‘Then we’ll begin out final march to victory - and no one will be able to stop us!’ he shouts.

On the other side of time, Thor, Moondragon and Immortus materialize in a barren landscape which Immortus reports is the place to which Kang fled. ‘To my ancient eyes, it appears to be the American Far West in the year 1871!’ Immortus announces. Suddenly, a strange voice calls out to them: ‘It is, rather, 1873, demons - the last year you shall ever know!’ ‘By my troth! That is not Kang!’ Thor declares, while Moondragon announces ‘It is - incredible!’ as they look on in shock and awe….