Solo Avengers #15

1st story:

'Move it, Widow! Find cover before he nails you with an electro-blast!' Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye calls out to Natasha Romanoff the Black Widow as they dodge the energy fire towards them from the robot known as the Attackoid. 'Careful – Hawkeye! It looks like you are his primary target!' Black Widow calls back. They are in this facility after Hawkeye received a distress call from the Black Widow, and he rescued her from the AIM scientist holding her captive, before the Attackoid confronted them. Hawkeye tells the Black Widow not to worry, and shoots and arrow at the Attackoid, which strikes the robot's head, then curves around the Attackoid's body, it's a cable arrow and it wraps around and around the robot, with Hawkeye hoping that it will ground the Attackoid and prevent him from using their electricity against them. Suddenly, 'Wait! What's he doing?' Hawkeye asks as the cable suddenly goes slack.

Black Widow points out that it looks like the Attackoid is using those containers on his chest to raise his temperature. Hawkeye adds that he has heard about androids like this, and he knows that those containers are full of chemicals – which he can use to change the physical composition of his body – and suddenly, the Attackoid releases flames towards the Black Widow, who uses a rope to swing above the ground, the fire misses her, as she tells Hawkeye to try and distract him, as she has a plan. Hawkeye fires a foam arrow at the Attackoid and tells Natasha not to try anything foolish. Clint adds that the foam arrows may not stop him, but they will sure slow him down. The Black Widow tells Hawkeye that he brought her enough time to swing around to the Attackoid, and  she slams into him, toppling him to the ground – but as Hawkeye points out, it's not good, as the Attackoid rolled with Natasha's blow, like he instinctively knew the best defense against it.

The Black Widow jumps over the Attackoid as it attempts to kick her, and Natasha remembers that this android had been programmed with her physical prowess – as well as her knowledge of martial arts. 'It's like fighting a larger, more powerful version of myself' Natasha realizes, as the Attackoid slams her to the ground. The Attackoid gets back to its feet, and Hawkeye leaps onto its shoulders, while telling the Black Widow to take a breather while he fasions a good old fashioned strangle-hole. 'Don't do it! He's too powerful!' the Black Widow calls back. 'YEOW! You ain't kidding!' Hawkeye shouts as the Attackoid violently flips Hawkeye off his shoulders and tosses him across the lab. 'He beat my bow with a bow!' Hawkeye exclaims, while Natasha thinks to herself that Clint will need a few moments to recover, so she leaps in front of the Attackoid and fires her Widow's Sting right in the Attackoid's face. She hopes that the sting will hold off the chemical monstrosity until he has had time to plan his next move.

But barely an instant passes before the Attackoid releases some kind of noxious gas, and Natasha stumbles backwards, unable to breathe. 'Head's up, Tasha! Clean air is on the way!' Hawkeye calls out as he fires an arrow towards the gas, which disperses some of it. He then tells Natasha to stand asidre and let him at the Attackoid. 'You're a super-spy! I'm the Avenger! Fighting super-creeps like him is my job!' Hawkeye declares. Natasha coughs and tells Hawkeye that he won't get an argument from her.

Meanwhile, just outside the laboratory, several AIM operatives have gathered, and one of them announces that they have to stop the Avengers before they ruin everything. 'Now's our chance, while they're distracted by the Attackoid!' one of them shouts. 'They'll never know what hit them!' another remarks, as the operatives raise their weapons. 'And neither will you!' a voice down the corridor calls out. 'Who said that -' one of the operatives asks, as Barbara Morse-Barton a.k.a. Mockingbird cartwheels into the middle of the AIM operatives, knocking several of them over, 'I did!' she shouts. Bobbi uses her trusty staff to whack the weapons from the operatives, while telling herself to move quickly, to flatten these clowns before Hawkeye spots her. She doesn't want him to know that she secretly followed him here – because she heard that he broke his date with her to meet his old girlfriend, the Black Widow. Mockingbird raises her arms into the air, while two operatives rush towards her. 'Ha! Just look at her!' one of them exclaims. 'While she's posing – we'll be disposing of her!' another shouts, but before they can grab her, Bobbi converts her staff into two battons, and moves her arms backwards, hitting the operatives with the battons. 'That's what you think!' Bobbi declares.

And, as Mockingbird strikes, back in the lab, the AIM scientist known as Third Level AIM Scientist looks up and sees Hawkeye and the Black Widow continue to hold their own against the Attackoid. He is surprised that they have been able to immobilize his creation. 'I hope your plan works, Hawkeye!' Natasha calls out. 'Trust me! I know what I'm doing!' Hawkeye calls back as Natasha wraps her rope around the Attackoid's neck, and Clint fires an arrow towards the Attackoid's face. 'Just get your Widow's Line around his throat – and leave the rest to my explosive-tipped arrow!' Hawkeye declares, as the arrow enters the Attackoid's mouth. 'Good shot, Hawkeye!' Natasha exclaims as she pulls back on the rope around the android's neck. 'Forget the compliments! Clamp his jaw shut!' Hawkeye tells Natasha, who then leaps from the Attackoid's shoulders, as the android's head explodes. 'JUMP!' Hawkeye shouts. 'No need to shout! I heard you the first time' Natasha calls back as she lands on the ground.

'No! NO! This cannot be!' the Third Level AIM Scientist exclaims as the Attackoid falls back, energy bursting from its neckhole. The scientist declares that the Attackoid is supposed to be their deadliest, most sophisticated mobile combat unit, to which Hawkeye suggests that maybe they had better check their warranty and file a complaint with the Consumer Action Line. The Third Level AIM Scientist decides that he needs reinforcements, and that Hawkeye and the Black Widow need to be neutralized before they can become a danger to Project Brain Drain. Hawkeye alerts Natasha to the escaping scientist, and tells her that he will snag him with a quick arrow, but Natasha tells Hawkeye not to, and suggests that he might lead them to his superiors. They run after him, and Natasha reminds Hawkeye that the AIM has been secretly collecting perfectly preserved human brains – and she needs to know why. Hawkeye admits that he is curious about their source.

As Hawkeye and the Black Widow race into the corridor, they run past dozens of AIM scientists who lay sprawled across the ground. 'I see that you had an interesting time reaching me' the Black Widow remarks. 'All in a day's work, kiddo' Hawkeye replies, while looking worried, as he doesn't remember taking down all these bozos. 'Either I'm a heckuva lot tougher than I thought, or  I have a very active guardian angel' Clint thinks to himself, while Mockingbird watches, unseen from the shadows. Hawkeye and the Black Widow continue to follow the Third Level Scientist, who leaps into a rocket sled. 'Pour on the speed, Hawk!' Natasha calls out as they increase the pace. 'If we don't reach it before he fires the ignition -' Hawkeye begins, as he and Natasha jump onto the side of the rocket sled as it speeds down a track. 'This must be our lucky day!' Hawkeye remarks. 'We made it without a second to spare!' Natasha adds, while Hawkeye tells her to hang on tight, that it is going to be a rough ride. An instant later, the rocket sled is further down the track, a large flume of smoke trailing behind it as Mockingbird arrives on the platform, too late to hitch a ride. 'Oh, swell!' she thinks.

Inside the front of the rocket, the Third Level Scientist picks up a communicator and announces himself as Scientist 47-B. He states that he needs some assistance immediately and reports that his base has been compromised by Hawkeye and the Black Widow, and now Project Brain Drain is in severe jeopardy.

Scientist 47-B is not aware that he is being monitored via a video monitor observed by the Imperial Council of the AIM, who sit around a table and observe the monitor. 'The fool doesn't realize he is carrying passengers!' one of the Council exclaims. 'He could endanger us all!' another calls out. 'Your point is well taken, Number Three' the Council member known as Number One replies, before stating that the time has come for the Imperial Council of Seven to take an active hand in these proceedings. He calls out to another figure who enters the room, Enforcer Fourteen, and entrusts this assignment to his tender mercies. Number One informs Enforcer Fourteen that his primary responsibility is to protect Project Brain Drain. 'I understand, Number One!' responds Enforcer Fourteen, who wears the same yellow jumpsuit as other AIM operatives, but with orange boots, gloves, belt and helmet. 'I will not fail' Enforcer Fourteen replies as he starts to leave the meeting room, adding that to a true agent of AIM, death is the only acceptable excuse for failure!

Enforcer Fourteen strides through a laboratory where other Attackoids are being created, in various stages of development, and announces that at long last, he has been given the ultimate opportunity – a chance to prove his loyalty and true value to the secret rulers of the AIM. He adds that the Imperial Council will not regret their decision to activate him.

Minutes later, as the rocket sled finally brakes to a sudden stop, and Scientist 47-B emerges, he is surprised to see the Black Widow and Hawkeye. 'Thanks for the lift, chuckles' the Black Widow tells him. 'What the! How'd you get here?' the scientist asks, to which the Black Widow tells him that she thought the answer would be obvious. But, suddenly, Enforcer Fourteen and dozens of other AIM operatives appear, surrounding Hawkeye and the Black Widow, who are backed up against the rocket sled. 'Alas, it was a little too obvious...for your own good' Enforcer Fourteen shouts, while warning the Avengers that resistance will only prove futile, and quite fatal. Hawkeye raises his bow overhead, 'Sheesh! If this is how you guys treat hitchhikers, I'd hate to be caught jaywalking!' Hawkeye jokes. Hawkeye then tells Enforcer Fourteen not to do anything hasty, and that in case he doesn't recognize them, he happens to be the chairman of the West Coast Avengers, and the lady is a renowned super-spy. 'Since there are barely a hundred of you, and the odds are so heavily weighted in our favor, I'm going to be sporting and give you a chance to surrender' Hakweye tells Enforcer Fourteen, who replies 'I like you, Hawkeye'.

Enforcer Fourteen continues, stating that it is refreshing to see a man who can joke about his own death, and that few people have such a an accurate sense of their own self-worth. Hawkeye goes wide-eyed, 'Your voice – it sounds so familiar, but that's impossible! It can't be YOU!' Clint gasps. 'Of course it can, old friend' Enforcer Fourteen replies, as he starts to remove his orange mask. 'From the horrified expression on your face, it's quite obvious you recognize me despite my disguise!' he exclaims, and the mask is completely removed, the angry face of Hank Pym snarls back....

(2nd story)

The Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, where the massive head of Red Ronin is on display – and someone suddenly falls into Red Ronin's gaping mouth. 'Someone help him!' a shocked civilian calls out. 'He's getting eaten alive!' another calls out as dozens of civilians watch in horror. 'I'm not gonna grab him – you grab him!' someone calls out. 'I'm not gonna grab him – hey, let's get Mikey to grab him!' another exclaims, while an older stuffy-looking man with white hair and a white beard frowns and thinks to himself 'Tasteless display. Typical'. He wears a badge that says “Cord Inc” on his suit jacket. 'But, then again, leave it to Stane to ruin this trade show with the most theatrical and ostentatious display of the entire electronics hardware community!' the old man thinks to himself.

Large billboards advertising Stane International surround Red Ronin, and while civilians stand on a platform Red Ronin's head, the rest of the torso sticks up above the ground level inside the Silverdome, where the electronics hardware trade show is currently in full swing. 'What's going on up there?' someone asks. 'Is someone hurt?' another asks. 'Ms van Dyne – did you hear that?' a woman calls out as she rushes over to where Jan van Dyne a.k.a. Wasp is sitting at her booth for Van Dyne Industries. 'Yes, I did, Barb – and if there's someone in trouble that means this is a job for the Wasp!' Jan replies as she suddenly shrinks down to wasp size and flies towards the platform where the civilians are at the large open mouth of Red Ronin. 'Why didn't that sound right?' Jan thinks to herself, as she arrives on the platform, 'Is everything – what's going on here?' she asks as a young man is climbing out of the gaping mouth of Red Ronin. The young man smiles and tells Jan that he is glad to see the president of Van Dyne industries can become interested in the wonderful works of Stane International.

The Wasp stands on the edge of a railing and addresses the young man as Mr Inoyawa and tells him that she doesn't see the humor. 'Ah, Janet – may I call you Janet?' he asks, explaining that he was merely demonstrating how harmless Red Ronin is – as would a lion tamer by sticking his head in the lion's mouth. Jan doesn't look impressed. 'In your case, Karaguchi – may I call you Karaguichi? - the appropriate analogy would be sticking a foot in the mouth'. Jan's memory flashes back as she tells Karaguchi that she knows how dangerous Red Ronin can be, as she was with the Avengers when they had to stop the robot's mad rampage through Long Island, and that it took everything they had just to slow him down – luckily, through teamwork – and Ronin's own weaponry, they were able to cut him apart. 'Is this the kind of “toy” Stane is now selling the public?' Jan asks. 'Ah, Janet, you wound me. Ouch' Karaguchi smiles, before explaining that it took them months just to properly transport the various pieces of Ronin's body to a suitable location, and that more time passed as he redesigned Ronin for peaceful purposes – he was able to sell the board on the idea, and he stepped on a lot of toes – but the construction of Ronin was completed.

Karaguchi throws his hands into the air as he explains that now, Ronin is ready to serve the public good – in construction, terraforming – the possibilities are endless. 'Would you care to discuss them over dinner?' Karaguchi enquires. The civilians nearby applaud Karaguchi, while the old man narrows his eyes and thinks to himself 'Yes, you stepped on quite a number of toes, didn't you Inoyawa? Well, I guess I'm all healed now, you pompous fool – and it's time to step on you and crush you like the insect you are!' At that moment, Jan reverts to her regular sized form, 'I don't think so. You're a little too brash for my tastes, Inoyawa' Jan replies. 'Ah, you prefer a man unlike you, then? I understand...come back to Stane anytime, Ms van Dyne' Inoyawa replies. Jan isn't impressed, and thinks to herself 'A little stuck up, eh? The hammer on the head method doesn't work with this girl!' while the older man is now standing next to her, and thinks to himself that Inoyawa's overbearing nature will be the end of him.

Jan thinks to herself that Karaguchi is kind of cute, and the old man realizes that Karaguchi has a lot of friends. Jan frowns and tells herself not to do it, as the old man wonders what will happen if he fails. 'Oh, do it! Do it!' he thinks to himself, and as thje platform lowers to the ground, they all go their separate ways, and the old man calls himself Joe Kilman, and boasts that it is time for him to become the big fish in this pond. 'I wonder if he likes sushi?' Jan wonders to herself as she walks off. Kilman walks towards the booth for Cord Inc and decides that Stane will realize firing him was the biggest mistake they ever made. 'Hey, Joe – if you were still with Stane, you'd be standing on top of the world, eh? Or are you afraid of heights?' one of Kilman's colleagues asks. The old man ignores them, and thinks that they are idiots, as they don't realize he was responsible for reprogramming Ronin – and can still gain access to that program – access to Ronin – and access to revenge. His frown turns into a grin as he puts a disc into a computer, touches some of the control keys – and suddenly, someone screams!

There is a loud creaking, and one of the large scaffolds surrounding the Red Ronin begins to topple over, as Red Ronin raises one of his arms. Someone else screams, 'Help!' another calls out. 'We'll fall!' another shouts from the platform. 'Oh, what now – oh, no! This is for real!' Jan realizes as she turns around and looks up at the Red Ronin. Jan knows that if the scaffolding tower falls it will crush dozens of people, so switches to her insect form and flies up to the platform, where she uses her wasp's sting to break the platform rail, which unhooks a cable mooring – which then begins to swing down, and, as Jan hoped, the mooring carries the scaffolding tower backwards into the empty stands, away from any people. 'Thought that only worked in comics and bad Roger Moore movies. But – what's it doing now?' Joe Kilman wonders as there is a rumbling, and Red Ronin begins to move. 'Oh-oh' Jan thinks to herself.

The Red Ronin then suddenly moves backwards, straight out of the stadium, creating a huge hole in the building as it moves along on its knucles. 'It look silly!' someone calls out, while cars in the parking lot suddenly find themselves tossed upwards and knocked aside as the Red Ronin slams into them. As the billboard for Cord Inc catches fire, Jan decides that this is quickly getting out of control. She flies down to investigate, and laments the fact that she could have been in Cancun today with sun and sand. Jan then sees the old man, Kilman, lying motionless on the ground, she remembers him riding the elevator platform with her earlier. She wonders what happened, but as she looks up, she sees a computer screen, with Red Ronin's schematics.

Jan flies back to the platform, where Karaguchi is still standing, and tells him that she needs him. 'I knew you'd come back!' Karaguchi exclaims, to which Jan warns him that his humor is on shaky ground right now. 'Was that a pun?' Karaguchi asks, before Jan grabs him and flies him down to the Cord Inc station, announcing that she has something to show him. Karaguchi recognizes Joe Kilman and reveals that he fired him a while ago. He adds that he has seen Kilman looking better, not much better, but better nonetheless.

Soon, some medics carry Kilman away on a stretcher, and Jan tells Karaguchi that, for what it is worth, he will be okay – but the question is, how do they stop Ronin? Karaguchi explains that Kilman was always an average hacker at best. 'Just give me a few seconds with his program override and i'm sure I'll be able to... hmmmm...' Karaguchi's voice trails off. 'Hmmm what?' Jan asks as she removes her business suit, revealing an orange costume underneath. Karaguchi looks at the computer and mutters that he can't believe he is playing with the computer while she is taking her clothes off in front of him. 'Listen, Mister, I've -' Jan begins, before Karaguchi looks serious and reports that Ronin has been locked on an assembly mode, which means he will search for the rest of his parts until he is whole, then await further commands. 'Great, then we can just let him get his act together and we'll be okay!' the Wasp exclaims. 'Could take a while. His legs are in Chicago' Karaguchi reveals as a security guard approaches them.

'You're kidding me!' Jan shouts. 'Moi? Never!' Karaguchi replies, before handing Jan the security guard's beeper and headset, and tells her that this way they can communicate. Karaguchi adds that he can track Jan's movements and direct her. 'Wait a minute – while you're here nice and cozy, what'll I be doing?' Jan asks. 'I was afraid he'd say that!' Jan thinks to herself as she flies out of the stadium towards the Red Ronin who is making its way out of the carpark. “Just fly inside Ronin and I'll guide you to the central wiring outlet and we'll pull the plug on this programming override” Jan repeats Karaguchi's words in her head, while wondering what they tell the owners of all these cars. Suddenly, 'That was my Jaguar!' Jan shouts, wide-eyed as she looks down at her crushed car. 'That does it!' Jan calls out as she flies up into Red Ronin, and reaches some mechanical control area. She contacts Karaguchi on the headset and asks him if he can hear her. 'Loud and clear!' Karaguchi responds, before asking Jan where she is.

Jan reports that she is in some sort of turbine, and Karaguchi explains that is what would power his legs if he had any, and instructs Jan to move straight ahead. 'Sure' Jan replies as she flies onwards, while Karaguchi warns her not to trip any of the electric eye beams – but as if on cue, Jan trips one of the electric eye beams. As pellets are fired towards her, Jan dodges them and tells Karaguchi that next time he should tell her about things like internal defense systems and electric eye beams before he tells her to move ahead. 'Geez, make one little mistake...' Karaguchi mutters, while warning Wasp that the pellets are heat-seeking, so she should try not to let them hit her. 'Just keep spouting out those pearls of wisdom at your leisure, Karaguchi!' Wasp mutters as she flies into another part of the Red Ronin. 'Watch out for the -' Karaguchi begins, as nozzles suddenly spray the Wasp with a foam. Jan looks unhappy, 'Flame retardant foam?' she asks. 'Uhm – yeah. That would be it' Karaguchi replies.

'That does it!' the Wasp shouts as she suddenly starts tearing at wires and other parts within Red Ronin. 'That makes two “That does its”. Is that allowed?' Karaguchi asks over the communicator. Jan declares that she has a quota of six per adventure, before asking what she just did by ripping apart those cables. Karaguchi tells Jan that he believes she has torn into Red Ronin's internal logic circuitry. 'What does that mean?' Jan asks, as Red Ronin begins to stumble about. 'Well, he's going to act a little...drunk' Karaguchi explains. 'Drunk?' Jan asks. 'Inebriated. Intoxicated. Toasted. Plastered. Looped. Picked. Potted. Smashed' Karaguchi adds. 'I get the idea already!' Jan retorts as Red Ronin falls backwards with a loud CLUNK.

The Wasp is suddenly knocked about inside Red Ronin, 'Wh-wh-at-at n-n-o-ow?' she asks Karaguchi, who flails about on its back, as Karaguchi explains that Ronin is at his most vulnerable now – and his most dangerous, and that his actions will be beyond the limits of the Wasp's imagination. He warns her to expect the unexpected, a whole new universe of danger awaits her. 'Do I sound ominous enough?' Karaguchi asks. 'Yow!' the Ewasp exclaims as a small blast hits her behind. 'This really steams my buns!' Jan frowns, clenching a fist, before she starts flying fast through the Red Ronin's various chambers, 'Let's get this over with!' Wasp shouts, while Karaguchi tells her that she is getting close now, through the casing tube, and that she needs to be careful, as Ronin is activating its blocking system.

The Wasp announces that she is through, but Karaguchi tells her that she is just getting started. 'Oh, brother!' Jan exclaims, as she comes to a piece of equipment with lots of wires connecting to it. Karaguchi tells her that this is the central wiring outlet, and Jan asks him which ones she should unplug. 'The red one!' Karaguchi replies. 'They're all red!' Jan snaps. 'Just kidding' Karaguchi jokes, while Jan calls him “Guchi” and tells him that they better hurry up, as Ronin keeps rolling over – and they might be close to the highway now. 'Guchi? Okay – describe the wires to me' Karaguchi responds. Jan asks him if he is still kidding around, and declares that they all look alike. Karaguchi tells Jan to just start pulling all of them, as she is bound to get the right one sooner or later! 'It's the later part I'm worried about' Jan replies.

Later, Jan has escaped from the Red Ronin's insides, and stands with Karaguchi as they watch soldiers start to wrap large bands around the fallen Red Ronin. 'What do you mean women aren't mechanically inclined? It only took me eight wires to get the right one!' Jan exclaims, adding that she can't get over how easily Ronin was defeated compared to the last time. 'Janet, I'm a lover, not a fighter' Karaguchi responds, adding that the creation will always bear the mark of the creator. He then tells Jan that if she wants real excitement, perhaps she should take him up on that dinner proposal. Red Ronin releases a loud burping noise, and Jan smiles, telling the unimpressed Karaguchi that it seems the big galoot doesn't agree. 'But then again, he's too stupid to understand anything! You said it yourself – he takes after his creator!'