Assault on a Mind Cage!

When the Wasp took off to help Selbe, a man from the Solomon Institute for the Criminally Insane who claimed his life was in danger, the Avengers are forced to go after her. Accompanying them on this mission as two other size changing heroes, Yellowjacket — the Wasp’s husband — and the new Ant-Man. After Captain America and Iron Man get them up to speed, the two men shrink down to insect size to infiltrate the institute and find Janet and Selbe.[1]

Inflating the facility is an army of ants, the pair find it suspicious that the Solomon Institute employs heavily armed guards. In another room they find men in combat training. Overhearing some of the men talking, they make a shocking discovery: The Solomon Institute is a secret training facility that trains mercenaries and hires them out as henchmen for super-villains.

In a secret lab they find Janet who has been captured and kept sedated thanks to an oxygen tent that is administering knock out gas.[2] Yellowjacket and Ant-Man take out the guards and free the Wasp, who tells them how she followed after Selbe in an attempt to try and free him. She almost succeeded by sneaking into Selbe’s cell, but was gassed before she could escape with him. It is then that they are confronted by more guards and the administrator, Parnell Solomon. Janet is shocked to see that Solomon looks like an older version of Selbe. Amused by this, Parnell orders the three size-changing heroes to follow him into the study, promising to explain everything.

Outside, the other Avengers continue to wait outside in the freezing cold. As the Beast pours cups of hot coffee, Jocasta offers to take one to Ms. Marvel. She walks in on her discussing the current situation with Wonder Man. When Simon remarks that he and Iron Man should have just went crashing in, Ms. Marvel assumes that he is suggesting this idea because they are men and are more suited to the job of rescuing a woman. After Ms. Marvel finishes her feminist lecture, Simon interrupts to tell her that he suggested this course of action because Janet is their friend, and had nothing to do with the gender roles involved. This embarasses Ms. Marvel, prompting Jocasta to return to the Beast and suggest that he add more sugar to the coffee.

Back inside the Solomon Institute, its administrator makes a shocking revelation: Selbe is actually his clone. As it turns out Parnell has a heart condition that requires a transplant, however a rare blood condition makes this nearly impossible. As such, he funded the creation of Selbe, who was rapidly aged so his heart can be harvested for a transplant that Parnell’s body won’t reject. Horrified by how Solomon would treat a human life so callously, the trio fight back and go looking for Selbe to liberate him.

While outside, the Avengers spot a strange aircraft land on the roof and realize that there is trouble and prepare to move.

Back inside, the Wasp, Yellowjacket, and Ant-Man manage to get to Selbe’s cell. However, before they can free him they are ambushed by the man behind the henchmen training facility: The skull faced Taskmaster who decides to use his captives in a new lesson he’s calling Dismemberment 101.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Vision, Wonder Man, Beast, Ms. Marvel, Jocasta), Ant-Man, Taskmaster, Pernell Solomon, Selbe

Continuity Notes

1. Here, Ant-Man — aka Scott Lang — recounts how Yellowjacket allowed him to take on the Ant-Man identity. Lang recently took on the mantle at the time of this story. See Marvel Premiere #48.

2. Here, Yellowjacket curses not rejoining the Avengers when he was offered. This was in Avengers #192. He declined because he was more focused on his scientific work.