Avengers (vol. 3) #10
Pomp and Pagentry
It is the anniversary of the day the Avengers first formed and the city of New York is throwing a parade in their honor.[1] A massive crowd of people have come from far and wide to catch of glimpse of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.[2] The parade is a nationally televised event hosted by the Stuntmaster and Chili Storm. Soon, a central float carrying the current roster — Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, the Wasp, Vision, Justice, and Firestar — passes down the street to much fanfare.
Observing from the rooftops is Spider-Man, who wishes he could be down there with the rest of the team, but figures with his luck it’d only spoil the festivities.[3] Although the wall-crawler believes the Avengers deserve it, Captain America is uncomfortable with the situation.[4] He is also concerned about Iron Man, who is still recovering from recent injuries, but Tony insists that he’s fine.[5] Meanwhile, the Vision has noticed that Hank Pym is wearing a variation of his original Goliath costume and wonders if a new version of Yellowjacket will be coming soon. Hank says that it won’t happen as he became Yellowjacket while he was mentally ill and wants to put that troubled part of his past behind him.[6][7] Justice is loving every minute of it, while Firestar isn’t overly enthusiastic since she only joined up with the Avengers for Vance. Giant-Man takes the opportunity to tell Angelica that he can try and help her with her problem by running a few tests after the parade.[8] Thor observes the crowd quietly, thinking about how much has changed since the Avengers first formed, particularly his recent merger with the mortal Jake Olsen.[9]
As the parade continues, Stuntmaster and Chili go over the Avengers illustrious history, recounting how the team was first formed to battle Loki.[10] They also recollect how Captain America was revived and joined the team shortly after,[11] and how Cap would later lead the next generation of Avengers when the original team took a leave of absence.[12] This marked the beginning of an ever evolving team which has included nearly 60 members over the course of their history.[13]
Watching the events on TV are members of the X-Men, with Shadowcat complaining about how the X-Men aren’t getting a parade despite being around just as long as the Avengers.[14] The other X-Men are quick to point out that it is not how the media treats them, but for the good they actually do. Marrow makes a point of saying the two groups aren’t in competition with one another. That’s when they see a man in the crowd with a sign proclaiming that the Beast is born to be an Avenger. Wolverine scoffs at this idea, saying Hank is one of them. Bruce Banner also catches some of the coverage from display televisions in a shop window. Banner figures if there is anything good that has come out of his tortured existence as the Hulk, it was the formation of the Avengers.[15] However, he decides not to linger around since he has just found a lead on who murdered his wife, Betty Ross.[16] While at the offices of the Commission on Super-Human Affairs, Hawkeye perks up when he hears his name mentioned on television. But, before he can check it out he is called into the meeting he has arranged.[17]
The other Avenger missing from the festivities is the Scarlet Witch, who has driven to Whisper Hill in New Jersey to see her former mentor, Agatha Harkness, and learn more about her changing powers.[18] Unsurprisingly the old crone has been expecting Wanda to come for some time and asks her to explain how he powers have changed. She recounts how things shifted when the Avengers were attacked by Morgan le Fay and how Wanda was used as a focal point in altering reality.[19] From that point on she was able to channel her powers in new ways, such as summoning Wonder Man back from the dead, and negating or detecting power sources during recent battles with the Squadron Supreme and Moses Magnum.[20] In the case of bringing Wonder Man back from the dead, Wanda has gone under a battery of scientific tests to find out how she has been able to do this and they have not been able to turn up any satisfying explanations. Agatha tells Wanda that coming to her was the best thing because she is undergoing many changes and properly understanding and controlling her new powers will prevent something disastrous from happening.
As this is going on, the coverage of the Avengers Day parade continues with the commentators moving on to discussing the many foes that the Avengers have faced over the years.[21] Watching this portion is Imus Champion, who is now in prison, discussing his release with his lawyer.[22] Elsewhere, Ultron also watches as he prepares his next attack against his hated foes.[23] While in the afterlife, the Grim Reaper observes things through a mystical portal and prepares to strike.[24] Also watching the festivities from the rooftops is Daredevil, who remembers how he was once offered membership on the team. However, being in a group would wreak havoc on his enhanced senses and he figures his lot in life is to fight crime alone.[25]
Back in Whisper Hill, Agatha Harkness tells Wanda that although her powers are mutant in nature, her affinity for magic stems from the place of her birth.[26] She recounts how her mother, Magda, fled to the High Evolutionary’s Citadel of Science to give birth to Wanda and Pietro.[27] This was in the shadow of Wundagore Mountain, where the demon Chthon had been imprisoned for centuries. The demon imbued in Wanda the magical potential that she is now exhibiting. From there, Wanda and Pietro were left in the care of their adopted parents, Django and Marya Maximoff.[28] However, undisciplined in the use of her powers, Wanda and Pietro were chased away by villagers when she accidentally set a fire. They were rescued by a mob by Magneto who, known to them was allegedly their father.[29] Deducing that they were mutants, Magneto believed that Wanda was an energy wielder like him. While Wanda’s powers did affect probabilities, she was actually channeling magical power to do so. Unschooled in the use of her powers, Wanda still managed to use them with much success first as one of Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and later the Avengers.[30] When Agatha Harkness first met Wanda, she knew the truth and taught her how to control her hexes so that she would be prepared when it came to learning more about the mystical arts.[31] Concluding her explanation, Agatha not only can Wanda learn to finally control her power, but she’ll need to for what is yet to come.
Back in New York City, the Thing is watching the coverage complaining about how the Fantastic Four deserve the spotlight that the Avengers are getting. This is just as Captain America is getting ready to make a speech in Central Park. Suddenly, there is an unexpected flash of light in the sky, prompting Ben to call the other members of the Fantastic Four to come see what’s going on.
On the ground, the spectral form of the Grim Reaper appears before the Avengers and accuses them of being murderers who deserve no praise from the public. The Reaper then uses his magic to resurrect past Avengers as undead zombies including the original Captain America, Swordsman, Doctor Druid,[32] Hellcat,[33], Mockingbird,[34], Thunderstrike, and Wonder Man. The Avengers soon fight themselves fighting their former friends whose personalities have been twisted by the Grim Reaper’s hatred for them. The Vision tries to reason with the Reaper and get him to stop this attack, but has his holographic projector shattered in the process.[35] As the Avengers are defeated one by one, Agatha Harkness reveals to Wanda that the reason why she has been able to bring Wonder Man back from the death in the past is due to his love for her and the only way to bring him back permanently is to return that love back.[36] At that very moment, there is a massive explosion in the middle of the battle in Central Park and none of the Avengers are left standing. Standing over his defeated comrades, Wonder Man proclaims that the Avengers have fallen.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Firestar, Justice), Grim Reaper, Legion of Unliving (Wonder Man, Captain Marvel, Doctor Druid, Hellcat, Swordsman, “Mockingbird”, Thunderstrike), Agatha Harkness, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Megan McLaren, Chili Storm, X-Men (Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Rogue, Gambit, Marrow), Bruce Banner, Imus Champion, Ultron, Daredevil, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Ebony
Continuity Notes
There are a bunch of flagbearers here wearing some of the many, many costumes worn by the Wasp over her storied career. These costumes were first seen in Tales to Astonish #47, 59, Avengers #68, 194 and 315.
One guy states that he had come to see an Avenger in person, any of them, even Deathcry. Hope he wasn’t holding his breath because she returned to outer space in Avengers #399.
Here, Spider-Man states that he was an Avenger for a little while. He was offered a spot on the team when he helped the Avengers fight Nebula in Avengers #314-318, but noped out after one mission because he felt out of his depth. He later accepted reserve status in Avengers #329, but not much came of it. He won’t become a member of the team again until New Avengers #1-5.
Captain America is concerned about being worshiped after his public profile was manipulated by the Skrulls back in Captain America (vol. 3) #5-7.
Tony Stark got the shit kicked out of him by the Espionage Elite as part of a plot against him by the Mandarin. See Iron Man (vol. 3) #8-10.
Hank Pym has fought crimes under a number of identities over the years: Ant-Man (Tales of Suspense #35), Giant-Man (Tales of Suspense #49), Goliath (Avengers #28) and Yellowjacket (Avengers #58). The latter of which, Hank developed after suffering a mental breakdown. Never say never in the Marvel Universe since Hank will become Yellowjacket again in Avengers (vol. 3) #43.
The Vision appears here as a hologram because his physical body was severely damaged by Morgan le Fay in Avengers (vol. 3) #3 and won’t be repaired until issue #12.
Justice and Firestar were founding member of the New Warriors as seen in New Warriors #1. They had just recently joined the Avengers in Avengers (vol. 3) #4. Firestar’s “little problem” is the fact that if she uses her full microwave powers she runs the risk of making herself sterile, as revealed in New Warriors #63-64. Hank will devise a mech that will correct this problem as seen in Avengers (vol. 3) #12.
Thor was merged with Olsen only recently at the time of this story, as seen in Thor (vol. 2) 1-3. This will remain the status quo until issue #79 of that series.
The Avengers formation and first battle with Loki took place in Avengers #1 (obviously).
Captain America ended up in suspended animation near the end of World War II. Frozen in ice, he was found and revived by the team in Avengers #4.
Captain America took leadership of the team of new recruits Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch in Avengers #16.
Another Avengers roll call. I’m just going to copy and paste from my index of Avengers (vol. 3) #1. Most everyone here rejoined the team briefly from (vol. 3) issue #1-4 with few exceptions:
Machine Man: Fought alongside the Avengers in Avengers #287-290 and again in Avengers West Coast Annual #5/Avengers Annual #19. He was given reserve status on the team in Avengers West Coast #69 (nice). However, he only served on the team once in Avengers West Coast #83.
Falcon: Reluctantly joined in Avengers #184 as a favor to Captain America so the group could fill an employment equity quota. He resigned from his post in issue 194, but had returned for brief stints in issues #312, 341-342, 345, Annual #17 and 19 as well as Incredible Hulk #445 and Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1.
Black Widow: Had been an ally of the Avengers since issue #32 but wasn’t given official membership until Avengers #111, she quit the following issue. She would return for her second stint from Avengers #173-177 and was forced to quit in issue #181. Her longest stint was from Avengers #329 until issue #402. After the most of the Avengers seemingly died in Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1, Natasha attempted to keep the team going, as shown in Avengers Annual 1999, but this plan fell through.
Hercules: Was an ally of the team starting in Avengers #38. He was given official membership in issue #45 but left in issue #50. He had shorter stints on the team in issues #98-100, 173-177 and was forced to quit in issue #181. He returned from issue #249-285 when a brain injury couched him. He briefly returned in Avengers Annual #17. He next stint after that was 329-399. He was passed over on Natasha’s failed team from Avengers Annual 1999 because he was too drunk.
She-Hulk: Had a couple of long running stints on the team. The first was from Avengers #221-243. She left to join the Fantastic Four from issue #265-301 of their own series before returning to the Avengers for a second time from Avengers #278-297. She returned again briefly in Avengers #305-310 and #329-333, 340, and 345.
Warbird: Had been an associate since Avengers #171-177 and 181. She officially joined the group as a reserve member from 183-200. She quit the team in Avengers Annual #10. She rejoined in issue #4, but quit in Avengers (vol. 3) #7 when she was confronted about her drinking problem.
Sersi: Had been an ally of the group since Avengers #247. She was officially made a member in issue #314 and served almost continuously until issue #375.
Rick Jones: Has been an Avengers associate since Avengers #1. He was briefly associated with the team until issue #17 before he got fed up with them not making him an official member.
Darkhawk: Had a very short lived career on the West Coast team (despite living in Queens, quite the commute!) serving on the team from Avengers West Coast #93 to 95.
Crystal: Got membership in issue #336-337 and served the group consistently and was part of the group “killed” by Onslaught. However, she was not one of the Counter-Earth Avengers.
Starfox: Joined the Avengers on a whim in issue #232 and remained on the team until Avengers #260. He left in order to learn what connection Nebula might have to his brother Thanos and has been a reservist ever since.
Swordsman and Magdalene: Started off as enemies of the Avengers in Avengers #343 as members of Proctor’s Gatherers. Betrayed by their master, the pair joined the Avengers in issues #357 and 363 respectively. They were intermittent members and were last seen operating with the group in issues #391 (Magdalene) and 397 (Swordsman) respectively.
Sandman: Was given reserve membership status in Avengers #329. He quit over a misunderstanding with Captain America in Amazing Spider-Man #348.
Moondragon: Had been an associate of the group since Avengers #125. She officially joined the group in issue #137 as a trainee but passed up full membership in issue #150. She was back briefly in issues #174-177, but left again in issue #181. She attempted to force her own team in Avengers #211, but abandoned this goal. She has maintained reserve status despite being an annoying bitch.
D-Man: Was offered membership on the team in Captain America #348, but he seemingly died in that same issue. The D turned up again in Captain America #384.
Black Panther: T’Challa was invited to join the Avengers in issue #51-52. He served until Avengers #88, returned briefly in issue #100. He had a second stint from issue #105-126 before leaving again. His third tenure ran from Avengers #159-181. He briefly rejoined in issues #305-308 and 335-339. He was one of the Avengers who sacrificed themselves in Onslaught, but was not part of the Counter-Earth Avengers.
Spider-Woman: Became an associate of the west coast team in Avengers West Coast #71 and formally joined in issue #74. She remained with the group until they disbanded in Avengers West Coast #102. She joined up with Iron Man in Force Works #1-22.
US Agent: Assigned by the US government to work on the West Coast team in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #44. He remained on the west coast roster until it disbanded and was also a member of Force Works afterwards.
Photon: Joined the Avengers as Captain Marvel in Avengers #227, she served on the time consistently until significant losses to her body mass while in energy form forced her to resign in issue #294.
The Black Knight: Dane Whitman was an associate of the team dating back to Avengers #47. He was offered official membership in issue #71. However, he only had brief stints on the team due to the fact he was living in England at the time, as we saw in issues 84-85, and issue #100, he didn’t join as a full time member until issue #225 until issue #297 when the blood curse of his Ebony Blade took him out of commission for a while. Once cured, he rejoined the team in Avengers #329 and remained with the group consistently until issue #375.
Stingray: Had been an ally since Avengers #262. He was closely associated with the team from issues #289-290 because the Avengers had relocated their headquarters to Hydrobase, an artificial island Stingray owned. He was given brief membership from issues #319-324.
Quasar: After helping the team in Avengers #302-303, he was given full membership in Avengers Annual #18. However, his membership record was spotty due to his role as Guardian of the Universe only helping the team on select missions in issues #305-308, 311, 317-325, 329, 331-339, and 345-347. After Operation: Galactic Storm he resigned in Captain America #401.
Vision: A long standing member since his creation in Avengers #57-58. His membership on the team mirrored that of the Scarlet Witch until they joined the Avengers West Coast. After his emotional connections were erased he moved over to the eastern team in Avengers #311 where he served nearly consistently until Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1. He also was part of the Counter-Earth Avengers.
Tigra: Had a short stint on the Avengers from issues #211-216, she quit because she felt out of her depth. She did end up joining Hawkeye’s eastern team in West Coast Avengers #1 and remained on that team until she went feral in Avengers West Coast #49 and fled (She got better in Avengers Spotlight #38).
Living Lightning: Was associated with the west coast team from Avengers West Coast #63 until issue #100 of that series.
Firebird: She was never actually an Avenger. She courted the west coast team from West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #4 through 10, but the team chose the Thing over her. She later helped the group from issues #17-27. When Hawkeye asked if she wanted to join, she turned him down.
The Thing: Was courted to join the west coast team from West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #4, accepting a position in issue #10, but quit immediately after.
The original Captain Marvel is pictured but was never officially a member. He fought alongside the team in Avengers #89-97 and again in Captain Marvel #25-33 and Avengers #125. He died of cancer in Marvel Graphic Novel #1.
The Whizzer: Was associated with the Avengers since Giant-Size Avengers #1, but was never given official membership. He died of a heart attack in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4.
Wonder Man: Infiltrated the group for the Masters of Evil in Avengers #9 but died. He was later resurrected in Avengers #151. He was with the group almost consistently until issue #211 when he quit to focus on his acting career. He joined the west cost team in West Coast Avengers #1 and remained with the group until he quit in Wonder Man (vol. 2) #18. He’d join up with Force Works and died in the first issue of their series. Wanda has been bringing him back from the dead for brief periods since Avengers (vol. 3) #2. He won’t be fully restored until the end of next issue.
The Guardians of the Galaxy (Vance Astro, Nikki, Charlie-27, Starhawk, Martinex, and Yondu): were never offical members. They were associates while on present day Earth hunting down Korvac during the Korvac Saga circa Avengers #167-177.
The Beast: Joined in Avengers #137, was a mainstay on the team until issue #211. He briefly returned to the team in issues #335-339.
Thunderstrike: Was a member from Avengers #343 and served until issue #383. He died in Thunderstrike #21.
Yellowjacket: Was never officially an Avenger. She stole Hank Pym’s costume in Avengers #264. She was killed at Avengers Mansion in Avengers: The Crossing #1.
Human Torch: The android Human Torch joined the team in Avengers West Coast #50 and served on the team until issue #83.
Mockingbird: Joined the Avengers in West Coast Avengers #1. She served on the team until her alleged death in Avengers West Coast #100, we’ll get into than in more detail below.
War Machine: War Machine joined the west coast team in Avengers West Coast #94 and served until it disbanded in issue #102.
Hellcat: Associated with the Avengers from Avengers #139 until issue #151. While she was offered membership she never officially joined.
Masque: Began associating herself with the team in Avengers #393 until she was kidnapped in issue #399. Her fate is detailed in Avengers (vol. 3) #32.
The original Swordsman: Infiltrated the group in Avengers #19-20. Briefly returned in issue #100. Joined the team full time in Avengers #114 until his death in Giant-Size Avengers #2.
Two-Gun Kid: Never officially joined by was affiliated with the Avengers from Avengers #143-147 and again in issues #161-175. He helped out the west coast team in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #18-23.
Moon Knight: Was a member of the west coast team from West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #21-37.
Doctor Druid: One of the most shameful Avengers of all time. He was a member of the team from Avengers #278 to 297.
Mantis: Joined the team with Swordsman in issue #114. She left the team in Giant-Size Avengers #4 to pursue her destiny as the Celestial Madonna. She was briefly associated with the west coast team in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #37-39.
Deathcry: Joined up in Avengers #363 and left in issue #399.
Gilgamesh: Was a short-lived Avenger, joining the team in Avengers #300, he left only 10 issues later.
Jocasta: Had been associated with the Avengers since Avengers #170. She ran away in issue #211 before they could give her full membership. She briefly joined the team in Avengers Annual #17.
Marrina: Never officially joined the team. She was associated with them through her then-husband the Sub-Mariner starting in Avengers #286 until her alleged death in issue #292.
Indeed, the Avengers and X-Men both debuted the same month in September, 1963, as such their origins are considered as having happened around the same time.
The Hulk did help form the Avengers in their first issue. However, he quit in the following issue when he discovered that his teammates didn’t actually trust him.
At the time of this story, Bruce Banner had been married to Betty Ross for a number of years, as seen in Incredible Hulk #319. However, more recently, Betty appeared to tragically die of radiation poisoning in issue #466 of that series. The killer responsible turned out to be the Abomination as revealed in 473-474. However, Betty isn’t really dead, but being kept in stasis and she’ll be resurrected later in Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #62.
Hawkeye left the Avengers last issue so he could investigate the Thunderbolts. Prior to this, it was publicly revealed in Thunderbolts #12 that the team was former members of the Masters of Evil. Although they were exposed they continued to operate as heroes afterwards having grown to like their new position. Hawkeye will ultimately join the group in Thunderbolts #20-21.
Agatha Harkness trained the Scarlet Witch in the art of witchcraft from Avengers #128 until Giant-Size Avengers #4. Here, Wanda recounts he saw Agatha burned at the stake and return to life from it. She is referring to the events of Vision and the Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3 and Avengers West Coast #50-52.
Wanda was the lynch pin of Morgan’s attempt to alter all reality as seen in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-3.
The battles with the Squadron Supreme and Moses Magnum took place in issues #5-6 and 8-9 respectively.
Oh boy, another splash page brimming with characters. This time it is brimming with enemies that the team has fought in the past. They are:
Terminus: The Avengers first fought Jarro, a Deviant who was posing as Terminus while working for the alien in Avengers #256-257. They later faced the real deal in Captain America Annual #9/Iron Man Annual #11/Thor Annual #15/Avengers West Coast Annual #5/Avengers Annual #19.
The Grandmaster: Who first fought the Avengers back in Avengers #69-71.
Red Ronin: A giant robot that the team had to stop when it went on a rampage in Avengers #197-199.
The Supreme Intelligence: First encountered the Avengers during the Kree/Skrull War in Avengers #89-97.
Korvac: A cosmic powered cyborg from the 30th Century of Earth-691. He fought the team in Avengers #167-177.
Morgan le Fay: First fought the Avengers in Avengers #240-241.
The Super-Adaptoid: An AIM created android that could assume the forms and copy the powers of others. First fought in Avengers #45.
The first modern day Black Knight who first fought the Avengers as a member of the original Masters of Evil in Avengers #6.
Man-Ape: A foe of the Black Panther he first clashed with the team in Avengers #62.
Proctor: An alternate reality version of Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, who conspired against the Avengers of Earth-616 from Avengers #344 through 375.
The Red Guardian: Alexi Shostakov, former husband of the Black Widow. He battled the team in Avengers #43-44.
Whirlwind: David Cannon was a foe of Giant-Man and the Wasp to start, but first fought the Avengers proper in Avengers #46.
Brain-Child: A telepathic child who terrorized Earth-712, home to the Squadron Supreme. The Avengers stopped him in Avengers #85-86.
Graviton: As his name suggests, he can control gravity. He first battled the Avengers in Avengers #158-159.
Ultrana: Who attempted to invade the Earth with the Ultroids in Avengers #36-37.
The Living Laser: Whose obsession with the Wasp first put him in conflict with the team in Avengers #34-35.
The High Evolutionary: Who wouldn’t clash with the Avengers until Avengers Annual #17.
Power Man: Who would later become the Smuggler, the criminal Goliath, and later Atlas of the Thunderbolts. He first fought the Avengers in issues #21-22.
Ares the God of War: First clashed with the group in Avengers #98-100.
The Zodiac Crime Cartel: Both versions of the team are present, the original criminal organization who fought the Avengers in Avengers #72 as well as the Life Model Decoy who fought the west coast team in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #26-28.
Imus Champion: Who first clashed with the Avengers in issue #109.
A Lava Man, one of the many species of creatures that live below the Earth. The Avengers prevented an invasion by these creatures in Avengers #5.
Radioactive Man: A Thor foe who also fought the group as an original member of the Masters of Evil in issue #6.
The Melter: Same deal as the Black Knight and Radioactive Man.
Count Nefaria: Head of the Maggia crime family, he first fought the Avengers in issue #13.
The Collector: Has been trying to add the Avengers to his collection for years. The first time was in Avengers #26.
Wonder Man: We covered that whole deal above.
Cactus: Was a genetically engineered cactus created to fight the west coast deam by Dominus as seen in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17 & 24.
The Absorbing Man: A long time enemy of Thor, Carl Creel wouldn’t fight the Avengers themselves until issues #183-184.
Klaw: Another Black Panther foe, he would join the Crimson Cowl’s incarnation of the Masters of Evil in Avengers #54-55.
Master Pandemonium: A frequent foe of the west coast team, he first ran afoul of the group in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #4.
Attuma: The Atlantean warlord first clashed with the Avengers in Avengers #26-27.
The original Swordsman: We also covered his deal above.
The Ringmaster’s Circus of Crime: First encountered Captain America’s team of raw recruits in Avengers #22.
The Executioner and Enchantress: This pair ended up as Baron Zemo’s second team of Masters of Evil starting in Avengers #7.
Mordred: The nephew to Morgan le Fay, he fought the team in Avengers (vol. 3) #1-3.
The Grim Reaper: Brother to Wonder Man, Eric Williams frequently went after the Avengers for what happened to Simon. The first time was in Avengers #52.
Arkon the ruler of Polemachus first encountered the Avengers when he attempted to destroy Earth to save his own planet. See Avengers #75-76.
Immortus: The future version of Kang the Conqueror, he first clashed with the Avengers in issue #9.
Egghead: A frequent adversary of Ant-Man, he would end up fighting the team in Avengers #63-65.
Magneto: The master of magnetism and frequent foe of the X-Men. He first tussled with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers #47-49.
Doctor Doom: Latverian monarch and frequent foe of the Fantastic Four. Chronologically, he fought the original Avengers as seen in Avengers #1.5.
The Mandarin: Frequent adversary to Iron Man, he tried to get Swordsman to infiltrate the team as seen in Avengers #20.
Kang the Conqueror: A time traveler from the 40th Century of Earth-6311. He originally fought the group in Avengers #8.
Ultron: The homicidal robot created by Hank Pym. As the Crimson Cowl he formed a new team of Masters of Evil to fight the Avengers in issues #54-55.
Thanos the Mad Titan: The Avengers first faced off against him alongside the original Captain Marvel in Captain Marvel #25-33 and Avengers #125.
Taskmaster: An assassin who specializes in training criminals he first ran afoul of the team in Avengers #195-196.
The Space Phantom, secretly an operative of Immortus he fought the Avengers way back in Avengers #2.
Front and center we also have the Avengers first opponent, Loki the god of mischief, whose machinations led to the Avengers formation in Avengers #1.
Imus Champion was incarcerated after he was busted by the Avengers and Squadron Supreme in Avengers Annual 1998.
Ultron’s latest scheme will be chronicled in Avengers (vol. 3) #0 and 19-22.
The Grim Reaper has been trapped in the neither realm after failing to please the demon Lloigoroth in Avengers #352-354.
Daredevil was offered a spot on the Avengers at the same time as the Black Widow in issue #111, but he turned it down.
Here it is stated that the Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver were mutants. However, it’s later revealed that they never were. As explained in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, they were experimented upon by the High Evolutionary. In order to cover up his work, he made it so the pair would register as mutants if they ever had their genetics tested.
Avengers #185-187 and Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 state that the Maximoff twins were born to Magda — the wife of Magneto — at the High Evolutionary’s Citadel of Science and it is there that she was influenced by Chthon. However, it is later revealed that this parentage was a lie and that Wanda’s real mother was Natalya Maximoff, as revealed in Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3 and 11. These stories would also state that the Maximoff twins were kidnapped and brought to the Citadel of Science. The possible truth is her being born under the shadow of Wundagore Mountain, while not impossible hasn’t been confirmed or denied at the time of this writing in May, 2022.
Per Avengers #185-187, Django and his wife were stated as only being Wanda and Pietro’s adopted parents. As detailed in the above mentioned Scarlet Witch stories, it has been revealed that they are actually the Maximoff twin’s aunt and uncle.
Magneto was shown to have rescued Pietro and Wanda from an angry mob in X-Men #4. However, the false revelation that he was their biological father wasn’t revealed until much later in Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4.
The pair were members of Magneto’s Brotherhood from X-Men #4 through 11, before they quit and joined the Avengers in issue #16 of their series. The flashback sequences here are from Avengers #47 and 133.
While Agatha appears to believe all the falsehoods regarding Wanda’s past, it’s later revealed in Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #4 that she knew the real truth all along. She isn’t telling Wanda the real truth here because Agatha has decided it isn’t time for her to know.
Doctor Druid was murdered by Nekra in Druid #4.
Hellcat was driven to commit suicide by her husband, Hellstorm in Hellstorm: Prince of Lies #14.
As stated above, Mockingbird appeared to have died in Avengers West Coast #100. In reality, she had been replaced by a Skrull back in issue #91. This revelation will not be made until Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2. This undead version of Mockingbird is presumably the Skrull impostor who, despite being dead, is still following her mission parameters.
The Vision states here that the Grim Reaper often targeted him due to the fact that the brain engrams of Wonder Man were used to create his personality. This is actually a quite complex claim. Here are the details:
As revealed in Avengers #56-57 and 134-135, the brain engrams of Wonder Man — taken after he apparently died in Avengers #9 — were used to create the Vision’s mind and personality and was the key to his ability to experience emotions.
However, the Vision was later kidnapped by an organization called Vigilance, which wiped his memory and disassembled him in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #42-45. This also erased Wonder Man’s brain engrams from his mind preventing him from experiencing emotions. Wonder Man refused to offer his engrams a second time.
Not long after that, the Vision’s mind received the brain engrams of Alex Lipton to correct a software error giving him the capacity for emotions again, as seen in Avengers Spotlight #40.
In Vision #1-4, the Vision was infected with a virus that affected his personality causing a conflict between the Simon Williams and Alex Lipton portions of his programming. He purged the virus and then went on a brief leave to sort out his newly emerging personality.
This story marks the first time the whole Alex Lipton thing had been ignored in favor of stating that Vision’s Simon Williams based personality is still present. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #13’s profile on the Vision suggests that the Lipton personality had become dormant between the Vision limited series and the post-Onslaught stories.
Wonder Man discovered that he loved Wanda back in Avengers West Coast #49. Although they briefly dated for a time from issue #65 through 69, but Wanda ended it before things got too serious.
Topical References
All the TVs in this story are depicted as CRT models, which are now obsolete and their appearances here should be considered topical.
Wanda’s people are referred to as gypsies here. This should be considered a topical reference as it is no longer the correct term used to describe the Romani people. In fact, to many the term is considered offensive to use.
