Avengers #238
Unlimited Vision!
Starfox has been assigned to watch the Vision who is still in a coma and finds the task incredibly boring.[1] He wishes he could go on a exciting missions like Thor and Captain America, who are both away on personal business.[2] Starfox is surprised when the Vision suddenly starts talking to him. As it turns out, the synthezoid has been conscious for quite some time but until now was unable to move or speak.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Monica Rambeau is shopping for a boat for her new business but can’t focus on the sales pitch because her mind is preoccupied with her recent battle with Blackout.[3] When she finally realizes that the salesman is waiting for her to answer his question, she asks him if he has anything bigger.
Back in New York, Eros has finished hooking up a speaker and microphone which will make it easier for everyone to communicate with the Vision. When the android admits that he doesn’t know why his body is taking so long to heal, Starfox comes up with an idea that might help him out of his situation. Getting Jarvis’ permission to access the Avengers microwave transmitter, he sends out a message to ISAAC, the super-computer that controls his home on the Saturnian moon of Titan.
Elsewhere in the city, the Wasp continues to help She-Hulk who is still apartment hunting. Joining them this time is the Scarlet Witch. The trio find an ideal location but the landlord takes issue with renting to a woman with green skin. Annoyed by his bigotry, the three women leave but not before Wanda uses her hex powers to drench the property owner with the fire sprinklers.[4] By this point, Monica has returned to her apartment and decides against radioing back to base to learn if they got a lead on Blackout and decides to show up in person instead. She gets to Avengers Mansion in moments thanks to her ability to travel at the speed of light and when she arrives she is surprised to see a bunch of complex machinery levitating down to one of the labs. Following these devices, she finds Starfox overseeing their installation around the Vision’s immobilized body.
Eros explains to her that these machines will allow the Vision to not only interface with the computers in Avengers Mansion, but also link up with ISAAC on Titan.[5] Once the machines are all hooked up and activated, the Vision is able to project a holographic image of his face anywhere on the property. He uses this newfound ability to appear before Wanda, Janet, and Jennifer as they are returning home from apartment hunting and greets them. They are pleasantly surprised to see the Vision is back up and running, somewhat, and he assures them that with his increased computing power he will be able to be an even bigger asset to the Avengers than ever before.
Elsewhere in the city, Moonstone and Blackout are hiding out in an abandoned building following their escape from Project PEGASUS. Blackout who has been mentally unhinged after months of captivity insists that his powers are black light based, something that is not scientifically possible since he is able to construct objects out of some strange black matter. Suspecting there is something more than this, Moonstone hypnotizes Blackout to find out the truth. In this state, he tells her that his name is Mark Daniels and he was once a lab assistant for Doctor Abner Croit who was experimenting with a device that could tap energies from another dimension. Not liking how Croit spoke to him in a condescending manner, Mark attempted to use the device on his own and it blew up in his face. He soon found himself charged with energy that allowed him to tap into the Dark Force dimension. With this newfound power he fashioned himself into a super-villain named Blackout. However, was unable to control his power and was banished to the Dark Dimension until he was freed recently.[6]
Moonstone believes she can use her psychology skills to manipulate Blackout into doing her bidding. However, before she can plan their next move they are interrupted by the Vision, who appears before them in his holographic form. This is merely a distraction giving the other Avengers the opportunity to ambush the two villains from all sides. Blackout tries to use his powers to help them get away, but instead ends up sucking himself and Moonstone into the Dark Dimension. Having overtaxed his new abilities, the Vision abruptly vanishes before his teammates, prompting them to rush back to headquarters to make sure he is okay. The Vision assures them that he is fine and once again assures them that his new abilities will become quite an asset.
That’s when the Avengers get a panicked call from their former teammate, Tigra. She is in Los Angeles and tells them that she needs their help right away as she is being haunted by the ghost of Spider-Woman.[7]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision, She-Hulk, Starfox, Captain Marvel), Blackout, Moonstone, ISAAC, Edwin Jarvis, Tigra, Spider-Woman
Continuity Notes
The Vision was knocked out during the Avengers battle with Annihilus back in Avengers #233.
At the time of this story, Thor is off on a mission to save his former lover Jane Foster, as seen in Thor #334-336. Meanwhile, Captain America is busy shutting down the Brand Corporation’s Nth Command, per Captain America #286-289.
Monica found that her powers were almost useless against Blackout’s dark matter powers, see Avengers #236-237.
Wanda’s hex powers are referred to in the narration as a mutant ability. However, she’s not really a mutant. It’s later revealed in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4 that she was experimented on by the High Evolutionary when she was a baby. In order to cover up his work, he made it so that all future genetic tests had her register as a mutant.
Here the Vision exchanges pleasantries with Captain Marvel, stating that he has been to her home town of New Orleans. The Vision visited the area back in Avengers #152, when the team was investigating the bizarre resurrection of Wonder Man. It was a whole thing that involved voodoo, kind of, long story.
Blackout’s origins were told back in Nova #16.
Spider-Woman’s spirit was separated from her body at the end of Spider-Woman #50, when she seemingly died. Avengers #240 reveals that in actuality her spirit was merely separated from her body and is now trapped in the astral plane. Tigra had a brief stint on the Avengers from issue #211 to 216.
