Avengers #174
Captives of the Collector
Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, and the Wasp have teleported aboard the Collector’s ship to rescue their teammates that have been captured by their foe. The Collector is pleased to see the four remaining Avengers because it saves him the trouble of having to collect them himself. When the quartet tries attack, the Collector unleashes various weapons he has in his collection from a Vandarian Power Wand to energy creatures from the world of Erdile, to a gas pellet cannon from Dergos.
Soon the last Avenger standing is Hawkeye who has to face off against flying lizard. When Hawkeye downs this creature, the Collector tries to flee. As he does so he drops some incendiary capsules on the floor to try and prevent Hawkeye from following him. However, the archer manages to swing over the flams with a grappling hook arrow. Just when he thinks he has the Collector defenseless, the ancient being used his seldomly seen cosmic power to try and make the walls collapse around Hawkeye. Luckily, Hawkeye manages to fire a stun arrow that causes the Collector pain the likes of which he has not felt in centuries and he quickly surrenders.
With his foe defeated, Hawkeye then frees the other Avengers who all demand to know why the Collector has always sought to add the team to his collection. The Collector reveals that he is an Elder of the Universe, all of whom focus on a specific passion. He notes that the Grandmaster is his brother and that while he is obsessed with games of chance, the Collector does as his name implies. His obsession came from the need for preservation as he had the ability to see the future and he foresaw the coming of Thanos who would bring death upon the world. By the time Thanos was born, the Collector had spent eons gathering specimens for his collection, despite some setbacks.[1] However, eventually, Thanos was destroyed and the threat had come to pass.[2] Still, the Collector followed his endless pursuit as he sensed an even greater threat to the universe.
At that moment, in Forest Hills, Michael has just learned that his wife Carina has betrayed him despite the fact that she loves him with all her soul. She reveals that she is the daughter of the Collector and that her father foresaw Michael’s coming and knew that he would seek out a mate. As such, the Collector sent his own daughter to be that mate and then, when the moment was right, to warn him. Furious at this deception but forgiving Carina, Michael instead sends a bolt of energy out that seemingly destroys the Collector just before he can reveal to the Avengers who the threat is.[3] As the Avengers try to make sense of what just happened, Michael tells Carina that she is now an orphan.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Yellowjacket, the Wasp, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Black Panther, the Vision, Black Widow, Moondragon, Wonder Man, Jacosta), Captain Marvel, Two-Gun Kid, Collector, Korvac, Carina Walters
Continuity Notes
A footnote here mentions one of these setbacks as happening in Incredible Hulk #198.
At the time of this story, Thanos has been turned into stone following the events of Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2. He will remain in this state until Silver Surfer (vol. 3) #34.
The Collector genuinely dies but is brought back to life during the so-called Contest of Champions. See Marvel Superheroes Contest of Champions #1-3.
