The Sign of the Serpent!

The Avengers have just returned from South America where Goliath hopes to find a way of returning to his normal height.[1] When Pym goes back into a depressed state again, Captain America goads him into a fight in order to convince him to keep fighting. Hank realizes that he is the best bio-chemist there is and decides to devote his time to find a cure on his own. The Wasp is grateful to Cap for pushing Hank to overcome his affliction on his own.

Elsewhere, the racist organization known as the Sons of the Serpent has cornered a Latino immigrant in an alleyway and give him a beating. Two of Mister Gonzales’ neighbors watch the altercation from their apartment window but decide not to get involved. After the beating, the Sons of the Serpent leaves their calling card — a snake-head staff — as a warning to other non-whites that they are not welcome in the area. They then return to their hideout where their master, the Serpent Supreme, is currently recruiting new followers. He tells these would-be recruits that the Serpents take their name after the snake that drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and that their mission is to drive all foreigners from America as it is their patriotic duty. Among those gathered to hear this speech is Natasha, aka the Black Widow. Hearing people agreeing with the Supreme Serpent’s xenophobic rhetoric she decides to do something about this before their poison spreads across the country.

Meanwhile, Hank Pym is hard at work trying to find a cure for himself. Janet Van Dyne tries to help, however, her inexperience in a lab makes her a hindrance than a help. Hank decides that he needs another bio-chemist as an assistant. When he tells Jan that she keeps getting underfoot, she gets insulted and storms out on him. While back at Avengers Mansion, the Black Widow pays a visit to Hawkeye. She has come seeking help against the Sons of the Serpent and has come to Hawkeye to convince him to enlist the Avengers to her cause. Back at the lab, Hank calls Tony Stark to ask for help finding an assistant. Tony sends one of his best bio-chemists, Bill Foster, who also happens to be African-American. He and Hank hit it off and soon get to work. Eventually, Janet calms down enough to come back and gets food for the two scientists as they have been working around the clock. She secretly hopes that they find a cure for Hank’s condition soon.

While half a world away, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch have returned to their homeland to restore their waning powers.[2] After some time in their homeland, the pair is examined by a local doctor who reports that their powers have been restored to their peak. This is great news as the pair are eager to return to the Avengers. Quicksilver is so happy he begins speeding around the room so fast that he becomes invisible to the naked eye. They then send the news back to the Avengers, who look forward to the twin’s eventual return.

Meanwhile, Bill Foster is heading in to work with Hank Pym again when he is stopped by the Sons of the Serpent who tell him that he is not welcome in the neighborhood. Foster refuses to leave and he is attacked. Hearing the commotion outside, Goliath rushes out but is too late to stop the Serpents from fleeing in their ship. Furious that his assistant was beaten up for the color of his skin, Goliath meets with the Avengers to discuss dealing with the racists. Captain America agrees that the Sons of the Serpent need to be a priority because they have grown into a national organization. Deciding to see what SHIELD has on the racist group, Steve Rogers goes to the barbershop that operates as a front for the organization.[3] Taken into SHIELD’s secret headquarters, Steve Rogers confirms his identity and Nick Fury gives him access to SHIELD’s files on the Sons of the Serpent. Unfortunately, even though SHIELD has a wealth of information on the Sons of the Serpent, the spy agency doesn’t know where the organization is headquartered or the identity of its leader.

A short time later, the United Nations is accepting a visit from General Chen, an infamous military leader. His arrival is protested by people in the streets because Chen’s armies have clashed with American troops in Asia.[4] Upon his arrival, a beam of energy comes down from the sky and blows up a nearby taxi cab in a seemingly botched assassination attempt. General Chen blames the attack and the protestors on the Sons of the Serpent and asks the NYPD to do something about it. However, the police cannot act without evidence and make a point that without proof they can’t just lock up whoever they want in a democratic country, unlike how things are done in General Chen’s homeland.

The following morning, the Avengers hold a press conference to announce that they will be investigating the Sons of the Serpent. This enrages the Supreme Serpent who later captures Captain America by pulling him off the roof of Avengers Mansion with a tractor beam. Hawkeye watches Cap get pulled into a nearby cloud but is helpless to do anything. Aboard the Serpent’s floating headquarters, Captain America is ordered to pledge allegiance to the racist organization. When he is refused, the Supreme Serpent orders his men to attack. Although he is swarmed by enemies on all sides, Cap refuses to go down without a fight. While back at Avengers Mansion, Hawkeye sends an emergency call to Goliath and the Wasp to tell them what happened. That’s when they get an alarm that there is something on the roof. There, they find one of the Serpent’s calling cards. This snake-head staff also has a recorded message, ordering them to publicly pledge loyalty to their organization if they want to see Captain America alive again. With the message delivered, the snake-head self-destructs.

The three Avengers agree that they must fight back against the Sons of the Serpent, but Goliath insists that they do things his way. When the Attorney General calls the group to ask for the Avengers help dealing with the Serpents, Goliath orders Hawkeye to tell them that the Avengers aren’t sure the Serpents message is wrong. When the news of the Avengers apparent allegiance with the Sons of the Serpents reaches the media, the Supreme Serpent considers this a victory and believes that soon they will win the entire country.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye), Sons of the Serpent (Tai Chen), Black Widow, Bill Foster, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, SHIELD (Nick Fury), Tony Stark

Continuity Notes

1. Goliath has been trapped at a height of 10-feet since Avengers #28. He will not develop a cure until issue #35.

2. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch discovered their powers were failing in Avengers #30 and returned to their homeland in the hopes of restoring their powers. Their home country is not identified by name in this story and is later identified as Transia in Thor #133. The reason their powers are fading here is that the Scarlet Witch is sought after by the demon known as Chthon who seeks to possess her body. Something we will not learn until Avengers #185-187.

3. It is mentioned here that Captain America was given A-1 level clearance with SHIELD in Tales of Suspense #78.

4. General Chen’s full name is not identified here. The Sons of the Serpent entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #10 reveals that his full name is Tai Chen. The same profile also clarifies that he is a member of the Chinese military. The conflict he is involved in is likely the Sin-Cong Conflict, per History of the Marvel Universe #2.

Topical References

• The reporters at the Avengers press conference are all using dated video cameras and microphones to document the event.

• The Avengers are depicted as having a rotary phone in the mansion.