The Power Unleashed!

Following their battle with the Collector, Goliath had collapsed trying to return to his normal height. Trapped at 10-feet and in a coma, he is rushed back to Avengers Mansion for immediate medical treatment. However, none of the equipment there seems to work and the group needs to call a medical professional. They attempt to call Doctor Donald Blake but learn from his voice mail that he is out of town for the foreseeable future.[1] Instead, Captain America calls Doctor Carlson, who has had a wealth of experience serving in the Army Medical Corps. Janet blames herself for what happened,[2] but Hawkeye points out that anyone would risk their lives for their loved ones, wishing he could have done the same for the Black Widow.[3]

When Doctor Carlson arrives he examines Goliath but can’t find a way to restore him to his normal height. He also warns the Avengers that it could be fatal if Goliath attempts to change his size again. When he finally wakes up from his coma, Goliath is left alone with the Wasp. Speaking with Carlson in private, Captain America asks if the situation is really as hopeless as it appears. The doctor admits that nothing is 100% certain in medicine, but as far as his understanding goes, it seems like Goliath will be trapped at his 10-foot height for the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, in China, the Black Widow had been turned over to the Chinese government to undergo brainwashing so she can continue to serve the interests of both communist nations. Once the brainwashing is completed, Doctor Yen presents her to Hu Chen, his superior.[4] After her past failures, due in part to her past affiliation with Hawkeye, Hu Chen wants to make sure she is loyal to their cause again. When the Black Widow pledges her life to the communist cause, she is then given orders to destroy the Avengers.

Back in the United States, Goliath has just been given the bad news and he is deeply upset at being trapped at his current height because it makes him a freak. Captain America tries to get Hank to get ahold of himself but when Janet checks on him later, she discovers that he is gone.

While at a nearby circus, the Swordsman has completed his sword throwing act for another night when he is visited by the Black Widow. When she offers him the opportunity to get revenge against the Avengers, the Swordsman accepts. Word that the Black Widow is back in the United States soon reaches Captain America who shares this information with Hawkeye. The archer is happy to hear that Natasha is back in the States and asks for permission to seek her out on his own. When Hawkeye leaves, the Wasp expresses her growing concern about the Goliath as he has not come back yet. In order to take her mind off her worries, Cap sends her to tail Hawkeye in case he wanders into a trap.

Later that night, Hawkeye arrives at the Black Widow’s old hideout and is pleased to find her there. The Widow offers Hawkeye a chance to fight by her side, but he refuses to betray his country. When he refuses her offer, the Black Widow then orders her minions — the Swordsman and Power Man — to attack. Although Hawkeye gives his best, he is eventually knocked out by the two villains.[5] Seeing that Hawkeye is in trouble, the Wasp heads back to Avengers Mansion to get help. Along the way, she has to avoid being eaten by a sparrow. Hitching a ride on the bird until it lands on a tree, the Wasp resumes her normal size to scare if off. Unfortunately, the tree branch she is sitting on cannot support her weight and she falls from the tree and is knocked out when she hits her head.

By this time, the Swordsman and Power Man have arrived at Avengers Mansion and ambush Captain America.[6] The Star-Spangled Avenger puts up a good fight but is eventually squeezed by Power Man until he blacks out. When Captain America wakes up in a dungeon he uses his communicator to call the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver for help. Following the signal from the tracking device in Cap’s communicator, Pietro and Wanda race to the rescue. At that same time, the Wasp returns to Avengers Mansion and discovers that she was too late. Fearing for the lives of her friends, Janet uses one of Hank’s old cybernetic helmets to try and reach him and get his help.

Meanwhile, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch arrive at the Black Widow’s hideout. However, they are quickly incapacitated and imprisoned as well. The Black Widow is in the middle of explaining to her minions how she plans to brainwash the heroes, Goliath comes crashing through the front door. While Goliath is busy fighting the Swordsman and Power Man, the Black Widow retreats into a back room to activate an electro-bolt to stun the intruder. However, the Wasp has arrived and knocks the Widow out with her Wasp’s sting. She then removes a barrier from the dungeon, allowing Quicksilver to free the others. With the Avengers free, the Black Widow and her allies retreat, putting up a laser barrier between themselves and their attackers.

With the battle over, Hawkeye apologizes for getting the team caught, but Captain America tells him that there is nothing to apologize for. Hearing how reassuring Cap is being makes Hawkeye feel awful for treating him so poorly since joining up for the Avengers. When Captain America thanks Goliath for coming back and saving the day, Goliath bitterly says things can’t be back to normal while he’s stuck at his current height. He then makes the lonely walk back some since he can’t fit in the car to ride back with the others.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch), Black Widow, Swordsman, Power Man, Hu Chen, Chao Yen

Continuity Notes

1. The Avengers do not yet know that Donald Blake is also Thor. At the time of this story, Thor is helping free Hercules from being forced to rule over Hades by Pluto. See Thor #128-129.

2. The Wasp was captured by the Collector last issue, forcing Goliath to come out of retirement even though his size-changing powers were negatively impacting his health.

3. Hawkeye was once partnered and fell in love with the Black Widow, dating back to Tales of Suspense #57. As revealed in Avengers #16, Natasha was recently taken away from him by her Russian handlers.

4. Doctor Yen’s full name is not revealed here. He is identified as Chao Yen in the China entry of Marvel Atlas #1.

5. Power Man states her that he got his powers from a ray created by Baron Zemo. See Avengers #21-22. This was the same process that was used to create Wonder Man in Avengers #9.

6. Captain America mentions how the Avengers defeated the Swordsman in the past. This was in Avengers #19-20.

Topical References

• Don Blake is said to have an answering service. This could be considered topical since traditional answering services that existed when this story was published in 1966 are now obsolete in an era of e-mail, voice mail, and digital receptionists.

• Captain America states that he saw Doctor Carlson perform medicine under combat conditions when Carlson was part of the Army Medical Corps, implying he saw Carlson in action during World War II. This should be considered topical since the Sliding Timescale pushes the Modern Age forward in time, making it eventually impossible for someone who practiced medicine during World War II to still be alive, let alone still practicing medicine. For more on the length of time between World War II and the Modern Age, read this. Modern readers could assume that Captain America heard about Carlson’s medical skills instead of witnessing them. Perhaps he was recommended by Nick Fury? Use your imagination.

• Doctor Yen responds by saying “Ah So!” which is not even Chinese. It’s a butchered version of ā sō desu ka? A Japanese phrase meaning “oh, is that so?” So not only is he speaking the wrong language, it doesn’t even make any sense in this context. However, this was a commonly used phrase when Asians were depicted in western pop-culture at the time. These days, the use of the phrase in this fashion is dated and seen by some as racist.