Avengers #54
… And Deliver us From — The Masters of Evil!
After the last number of attempted break-ins at the mansion, the Avengers have just finished upgrading the security systems.[1] After a successful test of the security systems, they share the details with Jarvis, the Avengers’ butler. Although the Avengers implicitly trust their butler, Jarvis then goes into another room and makes arrangements to meet with someone. He becomes nervous as he heads out, since the Wasp decides to go for a walk and joins him until he reaches the nearest subway station. There, Jarvis parts company with Janet Van Dyne and takes the subway downtown to a rundown part of the city.
There, in an empty lot, Jarvis takes a secret passage into the secret hideout of the newly reformed Masters of Evil. This new incarnation includes Klaw, the Radioactive Man, the Melter, Whirlwind, and the Black Knight. Jarvis is welcomed by their leader, the mysterious Crimson Cowl who demands that Jarvis hand over the plans to the Avengers new security systems. Jarvis hands over the plans after being assured he will be paid in due time. However, the other members of the Masters have grown impatient with all the talking. Klaw is eager to get revenge against the Black Panther. He recounts how he lost his hand to a young T’Challa and later fled into his vibranium converter during a later battle with the Black Panther, leading to his transformation into a being of solid sound.[2] The Radioactive Man also wants revenge against the Avengers, reminding everyone that he was a member of the original Masters of Evil and how he was defeated by Iron Man using a lead-foil balloon to defeat him.[3] The Crimson Cowl understand where they are coming from, pointing out that the other members of the Masters have vendettas against the Avengers.[4] With is business over, Jarvis tries to leave but is gassed in unconsciousness by the Crimson Cowl. He then dismisses the Masters of Evil until he is ready for the next phase of his plan.
The Black Knight leaves on his flying horse Aragorn. As it turns out, the Crimson Cowl has apparently mistaken the Black Knight for his uncle, Nathan Garrett who was a villain until his death. This Black Knight, aka Dane Whitman, is actually a hero and he now heads for Avengers Mansion to warn them of the impending attack.[5] When he arrives at Avengers Mansion he is ambushed by the Masters of Evil who beat him into unconsciousness.
However, his arrival is announced when Hawkeye spots Aragon flying away on one of his monitors. That’s when the Melter comes crashing in through the wall. He knocks out the archer by melting some equipment on the ceiling, causing it to fall on Hawkeye’s head, knocking him out. Whirlwind then ambushes the Black Panther in the garage as he is leaving the mansion. Caught in the Whirlwind hurricane force winds knocks him out as well. Klaw ambushes the Wasp in her bedroom and when she shrinks down in size and tries to fly out the door, he slams it in her face. In the lab, Goliath is working with his assistant Bill Foster when they are attacked by the Radioactive Man. The villain still has a supply of Baron Zemo’s Adhesive X. Although he incapacitates Bill, Goliath’s size-changing powers make it hard for Radioactive Man to nail him as well. Instead, he lures Goliath toward one of the security devices which they have reprogrammed to restrain the Avengers.
With the Avengers restrained in their meeting room the Masters of Evil use their communicator to contact the Crimson Cowl. The Cowl is pleased to see the Avengers have been defeated. However, they are shocked when a second Crimson Cowl enters the room and unmasks the first one, revealing it to be nothing more than a robot. The second Cowl then unmasks himself, revealing that he is none other than the Avengers own butler, Jarvis.[6]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, Black Panther), Black Knight, Masters of Evil (Crimson Cowl, Whirlwind, Klaw, Melter, Radioactive Man), Edwin Jarvis, Bill Foster, Aragorn
Continuity Notes
These break-ins included the Grim-Reaper in Avengers #52 and the Angel last issue.
This recounting of events of the Black Panther’s clash decades long rivalry with Ulysses Klaw is on par with the version told in Fantastic Four #52-53. There are some conflicting issues about T’Challa’s origins, go here for more info.
The Radioactive Man’s humiliating defeat was chronicled in Avengers #6. He also mentions here how his powers make him able to repel Thor’s hammer. This has been the status quo since Journey into Mystery #93.
Whirlwind thinks about how he works undercover as the Wasp’s chauffeur. He took on this job in Avengers #46.
The criminal Black Knight was active from Tales to Astonish #52 until his death in Tales of Suspense #59. Radioactive Man mentions how the Black Knight was a member of the original Masters, see Avengers #6 again. Dane Whitman discovered his uncle’s criminal past and became the heroic Black Knight, the details can be seen in Avengers #47-48.
The Crimson Cowl isn’t really Jarvis, as we’ll learn next issue, this is a bait-and-switch and the real Cowl is the robot whose name is Ultron. Ultron’s origins and motivations for destroying the Avengers are not revealed until Avengers #58. Avengers #280 clarifies that Jarvis actually betrayed the Avengers because he was hypnotized by Ultron.
