The Agony and the Ant-Hill!

The Avengers are relaxing at headquarters after their battle with the Super-Adaptoid. While everyone is in good spirits, Wanda can’t help but notice that Captain America is being morose. Little do any of them know that Steve is thinking about retiring as Captain America.[1] That’s when Hawkeye and Natasha come by for a visit. Everyone is glad to see Natasha is out of the hospital, and she confirms that after her last mission she is retiring as the Black Widow.[2] That’s when Janet comes by to introduce everyone to her new chauffeur, Charles. At first Goliath scolds her for breaking security protocols, but quickly forgives her. Eventually, Hawkeye and Natasha invite Hercules and the Wanda to join them on a walk. Everyone is shocked when Hercules goes to get changed and comes out clean shaven.

Once dismissed for the day, Charles drives home and begins plotting against the Avengers. Little does anyone know that Charles is actually David Cannon, who was once an enemy to Giant-Man and the Wasp as the Human Top. However, Cannon has reinvented himself as Whirlwind, having decided he needed a more menacing name.[3] Having scoped out the security features at Avengers Mansion, Whirlwind now plans to ambush his old foes.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Captain America and Quicksilver head out to catch a baseball game, leaving Goliath and the Wasp alone in the mansion. Hank is working on his shrinking powers again to become more of an asset to the team. To this end, he is working with a colony of red ants since — as Ant-Man — he ever really had much control over this species.[4] That’s when Whirlwind comes crashing in through the wall. Goliath and the Wasp quickly realize that they are fighting their old foe the Human Top. However, they are too slow to stop Whirlwind from using a nearby shrink ray on them. Disorientated by the sudden size-change, the couple are then dumped into the ant farm.

Not only are they trapped in the ant-farm, but because they were shrunk by a ray and not Pym’s size-changing capsules or gas, they don’t have their human level strength. Fleeing the red ants, the couple are helpless to stop Whirlwind from planting a bomb in their headquarters. Fleeing the ants, the Wasp finds a metal wire sticking out of the dirt and Goliath uses it to gore some of the ants, but they soon swarm him. While Goliath and the Wasp are fighting for their lives, Captain America and Quicksilver return to headquarters because the ball game was rained out. There they catch Whirlwind and a fight breaks out.

Back in the ant-farm, the Wasp manages to slay the queen ant, causing the drones to stop being aggressive. Unsure if this is a lasting situation, Goliath leads the Wasp to a cybernetic control-center he set up in the colony. He salvages it for parts to create a new control helmet that allows him to take control of the red ants. This allows them to escape the ant-farm. By this time, Captain America and Quicksilver have Whirlwind on the ropes. That’s when Goliath warns them about the bomb. Quicksilver quickly finds it and races it out to the river where it harmlessly explodes. While he is gone, Cap uses the ray to restore Goliath and the Wasp to their normal sizes, although they feel as though their powers might have been affected by the process. When Quicksilver returns he is furious that Whirlwind got away, figuring this is what he gets for trusting a normal human.[5]

Captain America manages to calm Quicksilver down, and the speedster apologizes for his outbursts. Despite the harrowing ordeal, Goliath’s work was a success and he can now add his renewed Ant-Man powers to the Avengers arsenal.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Hercules), Whirlwind, Natasha Romanoff

Continuity Notes

1. This story takes place prior to Captain America’s brief retirement that took place in Tales of Suspense #95-96.

2. The Black Widow was on a mission for SHIELD that took her into China to destroy the Psychotron. She was shot in the process and was recovering in the hospital until this issue. See Avengers #38-44. Her retirement will prove short lived as well, as she’ll be back again in Avengers #57.

3. Whirlwind recounts his origins as they were originally told in Tales to Astonish #50. Goliath used to call himself Giant-Man until he changed his name and costume in Avengers #28.

4. Before becoming Giant-Man, Pym was Ant-Man from Tales to Astonish #35 to 49. The real reason he is working on his shrinking powers again is because he fears that growing has become too dangerous, as we’ll learn next issue.

5. Quicksilver refers to himself as a mutant, however he is not. As we’ll learn in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were experimented upon by the High Evolutionary when they were babies. To cover up his work he made it so they would register as mutants if their genetics were ever tested.