Avengers #181
On the Matter of Heroes!
Wonder Man and the Beast have gone out to the theater to watch a screening of the 1938 classic The Adventures of Robin Hood. Simon can’t understand why people flock to the cinema to entertain themselves.[1] Exiting the theater, the Beast points out that most people need escapism from their normal lives, which are far more different than those led by the Avengers.
When they return to Avengers Mansion, they somehow trigger the security alarm, and mechanical arms snake out of the front door and try to subdue them. They easily break free and rush inside where they find a man working at a control panel. Wonder Man is about to pummel the technician when he is stopped by NSA agent Peter Gyrich and Tony Stark. They explain that the technician, named Scott Lang, is installing new security systems so the Avengers can get their government security clearance back. Gyrich then asks Tony to send Iron Man to the meeting room as he has an announcement to make to the Avengers. Tony retreat to his private office where he can secretly change into Iron Man. Stark doesn’t like having to deal with Gyrich, but the Avengers need to get their clearance back, particularly with Tony’s recent troubles dealing with SHIELD.[2]
While outside, a taxi cab pulls up outside Avengers Mansion to let out an elderly man who traveled all the way from Europe to get there. Once he has paid the driver he begins preparing himself because his goal is within sight.[3]
Back inside, Henry Gyrich has called all of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy who assembled during the Korvac crisis to make an announcement: There are too many Avengers. As this poses a huge security risk, Gyrich tells the assemblage that the Avengers roster needs to be cut down to seven core individuals at any given time, the rest will go on reserve status to be screened back in when they are needed. The Avengers are also unimpressed to hear that it will be Gyrich himself who will decide who stays and who goes. He announces that the team will remain under the chairmanship of Iron Man and will include the Vision, Captain America, the Scarlet Witch, the Beast, the Wasp, and lastly the Falcon. This comes as a shock to Hawkeye who thought he would be guaranteed a spot on the team.
When Hawkeye demands to know why he has been excluded, Gyrich explains that the team needs to meet an equal opportunity quota for African-Americans, and the Falcon is the best fit since the Black Panther will not be available. Iron Man finds this an absurd requirement pointing out the team is already inclusive since it has mutants and androids on the roster already. Quicksilver also protests this move, saying the Avengers are an elite group whose roster should not be dictated by government quotas. Suddenly, the speedster stops taking mid-rant and passes out on the floor. Unaware that this was the work of the elderly man standing outside the mansion, Thor rushes Pietro to the med-lab where he begins examining Quicksilver in his mortal identity of Doctor Donald Blake. He tells Wanda he won’t know what’s wrong until he runs a full diagnostic and will inform her of his findings.
Meanwhile, the Avengers are bidding farewell to those who will not be staying on the team. Jarvis and Iron Man see off the Guardians of the Galaxy who are returning to the future of the 30th Century now that the threat of Krovac is over.[4] While inside, Wonder Man is packing up his things. He tell the Beast and the Vision that he is looking forward to a life outside the Avengers as he has developed an interest in acting. While elsewhere in the mansion Yellowjacket and the Wasp are looking forward to the time off so they can focus on Hank’s research and their romance. While down in the training room, Hawkeye tries to blow off some steam with some target practice. He is joined by the Scarlet Witch who tries to cheer him up by saying that the Avengers will always have room for him and will call whenever he is needed.
With many of the reserve Avengers taking off, Henry Gyrich is pleased and tells the remaining team that he will reinstate their security clearance so long as the remaining reservists are gone within the next 24 hours. That’s when the Scarlet Witch suddenly collapses, affected by the same affliction as her brother. When they take her to the lab, Donald Blake has finished his preliminary examination. He informs the Avengers that while Pietro’s heart has stopped beating, his body remains in a form of stasis that keeps it from beginning decomposition.
Meanwhile, the old man who came to Avengers Mansion has now retreated to a run-down rooming house. Once in the privacy of a rented room, the old man removes two cages containing animated dolls of both Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. He tells the two prisoners that he is happy to finally be reunited with his children.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Yellowjacket, the Wasp, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Black Panther, the Vision, Black Widow, Moondragon, the Beast, Wonder Man, Ms. Marvel, Jacosta), Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy (Charlie-27, Martinex, Nikki, Starhawk, Yondu), Henry Gyrich, Scott Lang, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
It’s interesting to note that the movie poster for The Adventures of Robin Hood says it is starring Errol Flynn and Kurt Wagner. This is an Easter Egg nodding to the fact that, at the time of this story, the X-Man known as Nightcrawler uses an image inducer to pass as a normal human and regularly takes on the appearance of Errol Flynn as he is a fan of the actor. He was first seen deploying the device in X-Men #97 but eventually stopped using it as he stopped being ashamed of his appearance and embraced being a mutant.
At the time of this story, SHIELD has been trying to use NATO to pressure Tony Stark to give up his weapons technology to the spy agency. See Iron Man #117-119.
This old man is identified as Django Maximoff next issue. Avengers #182-187 leads readers to believe that Django adopted Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch after they were abandoned by the Whizzer, who at this time they believe to be their father (see Giant-Size Avengers #1). In reality, per Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5 and Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #4, Wanda and Pietro are actually the children of Natalya Maximoff and an unidentified man, and Django is actually their uncle.
The Guardians have been on present-day Earth since Avengers #167. This story states that the Guardians come from the future of Earth-616. However, their timeline will diverge from the Prime Marvel Universe following the events of Marvel Two-In-One #69. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Realities 2005 #1, their timeline has been designated Reality-691.
Topical Reference
Wonder Man and the Beast are depicted watching the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn. This would not be considered a topical reference as they intentionally have gone out to watch an old film and, as Avengers #137 points out, the Beast has become an aficionado of classic cinema.
