Your Young Men Shall Slay Visions!

The Statue of Liberty has been recently been damaged by a creature called Gog and the Avengers have been called in to make repairs on the iconic statue.[1] When the Scarlet Witch suddenly tumbles, the Vision is there to save her. Instinctively the lovers then kiss, the first public display of their affections. This deeply bothers a bystander who decides to report this to the Daily Bugle. The romantic moment is hardly interrupted when Captain America accidentally drops the statue’s crown, but luckily Iron Man is there to catch it.[2]

The news about a romance between an android and a mutant spreads like wildfire and soon the press has gathered outside Avengers Mansion.[3] Wanda, no stranger to being persecuted, fears that the publicity surrounding her romance with the Vision could make them both targets. Her fears seem justified as Captain America goes through the recent mail and finds a disturbing letter from a religious nut who thinks Wanda and Vision’s relationship is ungodly.[4] This disgusts Steve who crumples up the letter and tosses it into a nearby fireplace.

Elsewhere in the city, one fanatic who is against this union has decided to act and has called a meeting with like-minded individuals in an abandoned storage facility in a run-down part of the city. This gathering includes seemingly normal Americans who are all deeply upset by the news. Their leader fears that this is the start of a trend that will see androids and robots be given rights enjoyed by human beings. He fears that if this is allowed, soon artificial life will supplant their own. Drawing inspiration from the Kamakazi pilots of World War II, this group has all agreed to sacrifice their own lives to kill the Vision. Strapping themselves with explosives and putting on garish costumes, this group of suicide bombing terrorists — dubbed the Living Bombs — head out to find the synthezoids.

Meanwhile, the Avengers have come to the aid of a neighborhood being terrorized by a gang of Neo-Nazis. Once the fascists are put down, a crowd gathers to thank the Avengers for their help. One of the Living Bombs uses this opportunity to get up close to the Vision. Pulling off the trench coat that covers his bomb equipment, the woman pushes down on the ridiculous plunger built into her helmet, causing her to blow up. The Vision survives the blast but is seriously injured. Familiar with the Vision’s internal workings, both Thor and Iron Man race the Vision back to Avengers Mansion to work on repairs.[5] Learning that the first attempt on the Vision’s life was a failure, the rest of the Living Bombs mobilize to attack the injured android all at once. Soon Tony Stark, Donald Blake, and T’Challa have gathered at Stark Industries to effect repairs on the Vision. While the delicate surgery begins, T’Challa assures the Scarlet Witch that they will do what they can to save the Vision.

Elsewhere, Mantis and her mystery lover have both agreed to petition the Avengers for membership. With the bags packed they then head for New York.[6]

Back in the United States, Captain America is shocked when the Living Bombs force their way into the building. Cap is incapacitated by one of their ray guns, but when one of the suicide bombers tries to blow him up, Steve is saved thanks to Wanda’s hex powers. While Captain America keeps the terrorists at bay, the Scarlet Witch races into the lab and asks Tony Stark to get Iron Man. Tony excuses himself so he can secretly change into his alter-ego and joins the fight. When another Living Bomb member tries to detonate his explosives, Iron Man carries him outside where the explosion goes off harmlessly. Having done all he can, Iron Man retreats to change back to Tony Stark and carry out his part of the surgery. Since Don Blake has done his part, Tony tells him to go get Thor, as both men have deduced their true identities.

Blake quickly changes into Thor and joins the battle. By this time, the Living Bombs begin opening fire with their rag guns. When Wanda uses her hex power to disable the weapons, Thor uses Mjolnir to whip up a tornado. The powerful winds whip the Living Bombs up into the air where they harmlessly explode. In the aftermath of the battle, Tony Stark emerges from the lab and tells them that the Vision is going to pull through. However, Wanda is furious that she and the Vision have been persecuted like this. She then warns her fellow Avengers that if she and her lover have to face the world it had better watch out.[7]

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, the Vision), Swordsman (unidentified), Mantis

Continuity Notes

1. Gog trashed the Statue of Liberty in Astonishing Tales (vol. 2) #18.

2. Captain America mentions how he has super-strength here. He recently became endowed with enhanced strength due when the Viper’s poison interacted with his super-soldier serum in Captain America #157. These powers will remain until issue #193 of that series as explained in Captain America #218.

3. Wanda is referred to as a mutant multiple times in this story. However, she actually isn’t homo superior. As explained in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, Wanda was experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as an infant. To cover up his work, he made it so future genetic tests would have the Scarlet Witch read as a mutant.

4. Cap states here that the Avengers had not gotten this much mail since the marriage of Yellowjacket and the Wasp. That happened in Avengers #60.

5. Thor and Iron Man learned about the Vision’s internal components when Ant-Man made repairs on the android back in Avengers #93.

6. The mystery man with Mantis is unidentified here. He is revealed to be the Swordsman next issue.

7. Wanda mentions here that even her brother disapproves of her relationship with the Vision. Pietro learned of the romance in Avengers #110 and denounced it.

Topical References

• One of the well-wishers is a Native American woman who has baked a cake for the Vision. She refers to herself as a “red skin”, which is a totally offensive term describing the indigenous population of North America.