Avengers #103
The Sentinels Are Alive and Well!
The Scarlet Witch has been kidnapped by the Sentinels, prompting the Avengers to have an emergency meeting. Even with information provided by SHIELD, they have very little to go on. Iron Man fears that this is part of something bigger that could spell doom for the human race. Unfortunately, the only person who could give them the edge in battle is Quicksilver who has raced -of to save his sister on his own.[1]
At that moment, Quicksilver is racing across the state to the Sentinels former base of operations in the Androndinack Mountains. He is frustrated when he finds the facility deserted. Allowing himself to calm down he looks around and sees evidence that equipment was recently moved out of this location. Trying to remember anything about where the Sentinels might be, he recalls back to when he and his sister were captured by the Sentinels.[2] At the time, the robots were controlled by Larry Trask, the son of Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask, and Judge Chalmers, a friend of the Trask family.[3] After the X-Men defeated the Sentinels, Larry and Chalmers freed the other captives which included Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, the Blob, Vanisher, Mastermind, and the Toad. The others were spoiling for payback until they were convinced to leave before the authorities showed up. Recalling this moment, Quicksilver notes that his powers felt weaker whenever he was around Larry Trask.
Remembering where Judge Chalmers lives, Quicksilver speeds to his suburban home. There he finds Larry Trask and the Judge. Chalmers instantly knows what Pietro has come for and tries to pull a gun. Quicksilver easily disarms the human and grabs Larry and runs. When the alarm draws the police they are unaware of what to do since Pietro is a member of the Avengers. At that same moment, the Avengers try contacting Nick Fury for more information again. However, Nick has no further information for them. That’s when Iron Man gets an important call from Peter Corbeau back on Star-Core One. The Vision, dwelling on the Grim Reaper’s offer of humanity, enters the room just as the news is coming in. He tells the heroes that a beam of energy coming from the Australian outback is being fired into the sun causing it to grow unstable. Corbeau fears that this might cause the sun to go nova, wiping out all life on Earth.
With time of the essence, the Avengers prepare to leave in a Quinjet which can now travel get them to Australia in moments when powered by Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. As they prepare to leave, Rick Jones arrives and tries to tag along. However, Captain America tells Rick that it is too dangerous for the boy to come along. This rejection upsets Rick who tells Cap not to expect him to hold his breath waiting for the Avengers to call on him in the future.[4]
As his teammates race across the glove, Quicksilver stops running because his powers have felt weaker ever since he snatched Larry Trask. He realizes that the medallion that Larry is wearing is some kind of power dampener. Ripping it off, Larry shrieks in pain as his mind is flooded with memories that have been suppressed. He remembers that his father built a second Sentinel base in Australia. By this time, the Avengers arrive at the Sentinel base in Australia which resembles a massive ant-hill in the middle of the outback. Their presence is detected and they are soon attacked by Sentinels. However, these robots prove harder to destroy as they are able to adapt defenses against the powers of Earth’s mightiest heroes.
Meanwhile, Quicksilver has used his Avengers credentials to commandeer a commercial airliner and set a course to Australia. However, the trip is taking too long and Pietro grows impatient. That’s when it is discovered that Larry is a mutant himself when his powers manifest and teleport them closer to their destination. More shockingly, Larry also has precognitive abilities and in the future he sees the Avengers falling before the Sentinels, the sun flaring out of control, and the destruction of planet Earth followed by nothing but darkness. Larry fears that he has just witnessed the end of the world.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, the Vision), Rick Jones, the Sentinels (Number 2), Robert Chalmers, Larry Trask, Nick Fury, Peter Corbeau, (in flashback) Toad, Blob, Vanisher, Mastermind
Continuity Notes
This story refers to Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch as mutants multiple times. However, this turns out to be false. Years later, in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, it is revealed that they were experimented on by the High Evolutionary as infants. In order to cover up his work, the Evolutionary made it so genetic tests would have the twins register as mutants.
Pietro and Wanda’s last encounter with the Sentinels was chronicled in X-Men #57-59. This issue incorrectly attributes it to issues #59 (the last part of the Sentinel story) and 60 (the X-Men’s battle with Sauron).
Bolivar Trask invented the Sentinels in X-Men #14. He sacrificed his own life in issue #16 of that series to stop the lead Sentinel, Master Mold, from destroying humanity.
A footnote here states that Rick will appear again in Captain Marvel #22. At the time, the series had been revived after it was canceled 2 years earlier.
Topical References
Dated pop-culture references: Marcus Welby, M.D.
