Solo Avengers #17
Even and Octopus Needs Arms!
Hawkeye has received an anonymous tip about an illegal arms deal that is going down at a warehouse on the Los Angeles waterfront. Peering through the skylight he confirms that the tip was accurate and that a villain named Madame Menace is selling super-villain tech. However, before the archer can jump in, he is stopped by the Sandman. The reformed villain called Hawkeye because he needed help and is under the impression that Clint is employed by Silver Sable, Sandman’s boss. Hawkeye tries to explain that he’s not, but Sandman tells him to focus on the arms deal.[1]
They wait until the buyer shows up before ambushing the arms deal. The buyer turns out to be another old Spider-Man foe, Doctor Octopus. In the ensuing battle, Hawkeye and Sandman not only have to deal with two super-villains and a team of thugs, but also various high tech weapons. Madame Menace attempts to bombard the pair with a sonic weapon. However, Hawkeye counteracts this by turning down his hearing aid and using his bow and arrow to destroy the weapon.[2] With the battle turning against them, Madame Menace tries to escape by fleeing with a jetpack. Sandman tries to go after her but she uses a massive rocket-powered gauntlet to keep him distracted while she makes her escape.
Doctor Octopus also decides to cut his losses and escapes in his helicopter. When Hawkeye tries to climb up Doc Ock’s mechanical arms he is quickly swatted off. Luckily, he is saved from a nasty fall from the Sandman. Although they failed to capture the villains, they did manage to stop the arms deal from happening. As the pair leave, the Sandman continues to insist that Clint works for Silver Sable, something that Hawkeye refuses to accept.
Recurring Characters
Hawkeye, Sandman, Madame Menace, Doctor Octopus
Continuity Notes
One of the weapons reminds Sandman of the equipment used by the Trapster, his teammate from his Frightful Four days. Sandman and Trapster were founding members of the Frightful Four when they first formed in Fantastic Four #36. Since then, Sandman reformed, as seen in Marvel Two-In-One #86 and started working for Silver Sable in Amazing Spider-Man #281.
There are conflicting stories about how Clint became deaf and required a hearing aid. In Hawkeye #4, he was shown to have intentionally damaged his hearing to prevent the villain known as Crossfire from using a sonic mind control device on him. However, years later, in Hawkeye (vol. 4) #19, it was stated that Clint was made deaf by the abuse his father heaped on him as a child. As of this writing (March, 2022) no explanation has been provided. I have a theory on this here.
Greed
The Sub-Mariner is searching the ocean for the offspring of his late wife, Marrina.[1] Although he has no idea where they went he vows to search all the oceans of the world to find them. As he searches he comes upon a family whose boat has capsized while they are out fishing. Namor saves them and brings them back to their home which is little more than a beach-side shack. They explain that they have little money and need to fish in order to live. Feeling sorry for their plight, Namor offers them gold coins he had collected form the ocean floor he had intended to use to pay for a lawyer in an impending lawsuit.[2] The family is flattered and the boy gives Namor a wood-carved fish shaped necklace once worn by his father. The Sub-Mariner is flattered and tells the family that he will wear it with honor.
Returning to the sea, Namor decides to search the Great Puerto Rican Trench for sign of Marrina’s children. Instead, he discovers a huge mound of gold that has been shaped that looks like a building. That’s when Namor is confronted by a submarine operated by the United States government. He is ordered to come aboard and surrender. Namor has no interest in the gold or a fight, so he decides to comply. Inside, he meets with Charles Anderson a special presidential agent. He explains that a few months back a office building in New York City was somehow transformed into solid gold. This sudden mass of gold had the potential to ruin the surface world’s economy.[3] In order to prevent this from happening, the entire building was removed and dumped into the ocean.
Namor agrees to leave and Anderson heads back to shore to repair his vessel. As he exits the trench, Namor spots a second submarine trying to steal some of the gold. This second ship is piloted by Goldbug, who needs gold more than ever to pay for his expensive cancer treatment.[4] At first, the Sub-Mariner decides to leave it be, but then he thinks about the family he met earlier and how their lives are hard enough already. Namor then attacks Goldbug’s sub and sends him fleeing. That’s when Charles Anderson comes back and is furious that Namor is still hanging around and attacks. Namor boards the Sub-Mariner again and explains the situation. When Anderson doubts his story, he relents when the Atlantean threatens to sink their vessel. After Namor is gone, Anderson thinks it might be a good idea to move the gold.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Goldbug, Charles Anderson
Continuity Notes
Namor married Marrina in Alpha Flight #40. In Avengers #291-293, Marrina transformed into a monstrous creature called Leviathan and gave birth to children before Namor was forced to kill her with the Black Knight’s Ebony Blade. Namor won’t find Marrina’s children until Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #4. As for Marrina, she doesn’t stay dead for long, she will turn up alive again in Dark Reign: The List - X-Men #1.
At the time of this story, Namor was being sued by a number of New York property owners who sustained damages to their properties during one of Namor’s many invasions of the city. See Avengers #270.
This building was transformed into gold by the Beyonder in Secret Wars II #2. Its containment and disposal was chronicled in Web of Spider-Man #6 and Amazing Spider-Man #268.
Goldbug made the mistake of stealing irradiated gold. Don’t do that, you’ll get cancer. See Spectacular Spider-Man #62.
