Avengers West Coast #96
Many Are Called
Infinity Crusade continues from Thor #463…
Goliath and Spider-Woman are training on the grounds of Avengers Compound. They are getting pretty rough around the damaged main building when both Mockingbird and War Machine and tell them to stop.[1][2] War Machine saw someone in the rubble and when they dig through it they find Roberto, the compound gardener. They figure he must have been hurt during Morning Star and Klaw’s recent attack on their headquarters.[3] However, Roberto tells them that he was actually attacked by their teammate, the Living Lightning.
While everyone was away, Roberto saw the Living Lightning return to headquarters where he entered a trance like state and began talking about needing to get to a church. When Roberto went to check if Miguel was feeling ok, he was jolted with electricity when Santos suddenly transformed into his Living Lightning form.[4]
Concerned for their friend, the Avengers decide to go looking for the Living Lighting. With US Agent away on arms training, they try to call the Scarlet Witch at her private apartment off site. Unfortunately, there is no answer when they try calling her. The team decide to split up and check on everyone: Goliath and Mockingbird will go check in on the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Woman heads to the home of Miguel’s mother to see if she knows what’s going on, while War Machine goes to collect US Agent. As they go their separate ways, Mockingbird admits that she has a bad feeling about all of this.
When Goliath and Mockingbird arrive outside Wanda’s apartment, they go knocking at the window but she doesn’t answer. Peeking inside they see that the Scarlet Witch is sitting in the middle of a pentagram she drew on the floor and is in a deep trance. When they invite themselves inside, Wanda comes out of her trance and becomes very upset with them. When they explain they came because of the situation with the Living Lightning, Wanda assures him that he is fine as he has transcended just like she has. The Witch then tries to leave without offering any explanation to what she means. When Clint tries to stop her, Wanda unleashes a hex that causes him to grow to giant-size against his control.[5] Smashing out of the building, Clint and Bobbi try to stop Wanda she passes through a strange portal that appeared and closes the moment she crosses through it. With no idea of what’s going on, the pair are even more confused than ever.
Meanwhile, War Machine arrives at the Beverly Hills shooting range where US Agent has been practicing. The owner is happy to see an Avenger come because the Agent has been stuck in a weird trance for a while now. When War Machine tries to snap him out of it, US Agent begins spouting the same non-sense that both the Scarlet Witch and Living Lighting said before. At first, he threatens them with the gun in his hand until he realizes that “she” doesn’t like guns and crushes it with his strength. When War Machine tries to stop US Agent from leaving he is attacked. Recovering from being tossed through a wall, War Machine tells the owner to evacuate the building as things are going to get hairy.
By this time, Spider-Woman has discovered that Miguel hasn’t returned home and his mother suggests he might have gone to the local church. Sure enough, the priest shows her that the Living Lightning has been kneeling in prayer in front of a holy cross since he arrived a short while ago. When she interrupts him she is attacked as well as the Living Lightning tries to flee the church. She tries to stop him with her psi-webs, but he jolts her with electricity before disappearing through a similar portal as the Scarlet Witch. Moments later, the other three Avengers arrive and confirm that they all had a similar experience as well. That’s when they get a call from the Vision out in New York. He tells them that similar things have been happening among the Avengers out that way as well as the super-hero community at large. He then asks them to send a representative for the team to meet with the other unaffected heroes at the Four Freedoms Plaza.[6] Spider-Woman volunteers to go since she feels close to both Miguel and US Agent because they all joined the team at the same time.[7]
While Spider-Woman goes to this meeting, War Machine decides to go over the Avengers database to see if he can find any clues as to what’s going on. Goliath and Mockingbird decide to use the downtime to have some time together.[8] However, the pair don’t get peace for very long. Stopping at a café for some coffee, the couple are ambushed by Quantum’s Power Platoon!
… Infinity Crusade continues in Thor #464.
Recurring Characters
Avengers West Coast (Goliath, Scarlet Witch, “Mockingbird”, US Agent, Living Lightning, Spider-Woman, War Machine), Vision, Power Platoon
Continuity Notes
The woman who appears to be Mockingbird here is actually a Skrull spy named H’rpra who took Bobbi’s place between issues #90 and 91. This is all part of a years long plot by the Skrulls to invade the Earth. However, nobody will not learn this until many years later in New Avengers: The Reunion #2. The real Mockingbird will be rescued from the Skrulls in Secret Invasion #8.
Avengers Compound was heavily damaged when it was attacked by Ultron in Avengers West Coast #89.
Klaw and Morning Star also attacked the compound. This happened in Avengers West Coast #93.
It’s not clearly explained here but Miguel and the other entranced AWC members in this story are being influenced by the Goddess. The “good” side of Adam Warlock personified, the Goddess is attempting to bring peace to the entire universe. To aid her in this quest she is enthralling many of Earth’s heroes who are religious and/or spiritual in one fashion or another. What nobody knows is that the Goddess’ plans for universal peace is basically destroying the current universe. This is all covered in a lot more detail in Infinity Crusade #1-6.
Here, Wanda is referred to as a mutant. However, years later, we’ll learn that she never actually was. In reality, she was kidnapped as a baby and experimented upon by the High Evolutionary. In order to cover up his work he made it so later genetic testing would have her register as a mutant. See Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5.
For more on this meeting see Infinity War #2.
Spider-Woman, Living Lightning, and US Agent all joined the team after the AWC battled the Pacific Overlords. See Avengers West Coast #70-74.
When Hawkeye states that he feels uncomfortable being out in public in his costume, “Mockingbird” reminds him that he’s been a carnival performer for years before becoming an Avenger. Here, she says that he has been a performer since he was eight years old. This is clearly meant as a joke. Hawkeye ran away from home and joined the circus when he was a young teenager as told in Avengers #19.
Infinity Crusade Reading Order
Infinity Crusade #1, Iron Man #294-295, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #18, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #54, Alpha Flight #122, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #56, Terror Inc. #13, Thor #463, Avengers West Coast #96, Thor #464, Warlock Chronicles #1, Infinity Crusade #2, Web of Spider-Man #104, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #55, Thor #465, Alpha Flight #123-124, Darkhawk #30, Warlock Chronicles #2, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #19, Cage #17, Web of Spider-Man #105, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #57, Infinity Crusade #3, Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #56, Avengers West Coast #97, Darkhawk #31, Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #16-17, Warlock Chronicles #3, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #20, Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #83, Infinity Crusade #4, Warlock Chronicles #4, Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #84-85, Infinity Crusade #5, Deathlok (vol. 2) #28, Web of Spider-Man #106, Warlock Chronicles #5, Thor #466, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #21-22, Infinity Crusade #6, Deathlok (vol. 2) #29, Thor #467
