Avengers #221
… New Blood!
Down to four members, the Avengers have called a meeting to discuss adding new members to the roster. Filling out the team has become a great concern, particularly during their last outing where they were manipulated by Moondragon.[1] Although the Avengers aren’t sure that this recent push to gather new members isn’t yet another one of Moondragon’s manipulations. Still, each member has their own ideas for potential recruits. While Captain America hopes to find someone who works well on a team, Iron Man hopes to recruit someone with technical expertise, Thor desires someone with strength and nobility, while the Wasp hopes to recruit more women. With the team breaking to attend to their personal affairs, the Wasp suggests they meet back up in a week to finalize their decision.
As everyone departs, Iron Man and Captain America discuss potential recruits and they both agree that it might be good to bring Hawkeye back into the fold.[2] Thor is the only member who remains behind. The thunder god asks for Jarvis’ opinion on who would be an ideal candidate. Jarvis doesn’t have anyone in mind, but opines that the best Avengers have turned out to be the ones who started off as unlikely candidates. Thor had been reading a magazine article on Spider-Man and decides to seek out the wall-crawler and try to recruit him onto the team.
As the days pass, both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers still think Hawkeye is an ideal choice and agree to meet up with him as Iron Man and Captain America. Meanwhile, the Wasp has her personal staff compile a list of potential female recruits onto the team. She has already reached out to the Black Widow, the Invisible Girl, Dazzler, and Spider-Woman. She also wants to contact the She-Hulk but has no direct means of contact, so she arranges for full page ads to be placed in Los Angeles, the She-Hulk’s known stomping ground.
One evening, Thor goes out looking for Spider-Man in Central Park and uses his power over the storm to nab some crooks that the wall-crawler had been stalking. Thor gets all the credit when the police arrive. When the press begins showing up, Spider-Man agrees to talk with Thor, but only if they relocate to somewhere more private. Once atop a nearby building, Thor makes his pitch to Spider-Man. The web-slinger recalls the last time the Avengers asked him to join and while he is flattered by the offer, he decides that he’s not much of a team player and politely declines the offer.[3] Meanwhile, Captain America and Iron Man pay a visit to Hawkeye at Cross Technological Enterprises and offer the bowman a position. At first Clint tells them that he needs time to think it over but he quickly realizes he is bored with his current job and accepts their invitation.
The following day, the Wasp hosts a tea party with the female super-heroes she is considering as potential recruits. Answering the call are the Black Widow, the Invisible Girl, Dazzler, Spider-Woman, and the She-Hulk. There is some minor bickering between the Dazzler and Spider-Woman, but the meeting is interrupted by Fabian Stankowicz, the so-called Mechano-Marauder.[4] The Wasp explains that Stankowicz has been trying to prove himself by trying to defeat the Avengers in battle in the past, and notes that he is not much of a threat.[5] Attacking them in a new mechanized suit of armor, Fabian is no match for the super-heroines and is quickly defeated. All of the Wasp’s guests thank Janet for inviting them out, but most of them are busy with other pursuits. Only the She-Hulk has nothing going on and accepts the Wasp’s invitation to join the Avengers.
Soon, Hawkeye and the She-Hulk’s membership applications is sent through to the NSA and signed off by the President of the United States, making them official Avengers. Excited to get to his first meeting, Hawkeye takes a taxi to Avengers Mansion. Along the way, his cab is cut-off by a speeding Cadillac. Deciding to teach the reckless driver a lesson, Hawkeye uses one of his electrified arrows to short out the speeding car’s electrical system. The driver turns out to be the She-Hulk and she respond by knocking over the taxi before carrying her car the rest of the way to the mansion. Unaware, that She-Hulk was the second recruit into the Avengers, he is shocked to learn she’s part of the team when he arrives. Seeing the tension between Hawkeye and She-Hulk, Iron Man says that this could get interesting. The Wasp then welcomes the team’s two new members with a kiss on the cheek and the team making their battle cry: “Avengers Assemble!”
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Hawkeye, She-Hulk), Fabian Stankowicz, Edwin Jarvis, Spider-Man, Invisible Girl, Dazzler, Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Henry Gyrich
Continuity Notes
Moondragon tried to manipulate the Avengers into allowing her to enslave the entire planet of Bi-Bani. See Avengers #219-220.
Hawkeye hasn’t been a mainstay on the team since he was forced out by Henry Gyrich in Avengers #181. He later took a job at Cross Technological Enterprises in issue #189. He has returned to duty on a temporary basis in Avengers #198-204 and Annual #10.
The Avengers last petitioned Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3. At that time, they had charged the web-slinger with capturing the Hulk. A test that Spider-Man intentionally failed because he felt sorry for the Hulk’s alter-ego, Bruce Banner. Spider-Man will be given another opportunity on the team in issue #236-237.
Dazzler and Spider-Woman squabble over their last encounter, which happened in Dazzler #15.
Stankowicz previously attacked the Avengers in issue #217.
Topical References
The Wasp has a fashion show at the Tavern on the Green. This should be considered a topical reference as this is a real-world establishment. Although it is an iconic New York eatery, it has been forced to close in the past, such as in 2009 when the city of New York decided not to renew the Tavern’s license and the business went on a hiatus until 2014.
Thor is depicted reading about Spider-Man in an issue of Time Magazine. Again, this is a real-world publication and its appearance here should be considered topical.
The Wasp’s personal secretary is depicted using an computer with a CRT monitor. This should be considered topical as that technology is obsolete.
Speaking of dated technology, the security office at Cross Technological Enterprises is depicted as having reel-to-reel data storage. That shit is also super old and topical.
Yet another topical reference is the depiction of Ronald Reagan as the President of the United States. He served in this role from 1981-1989. He died in 2004. Topical AF.
Also topical here is the price of cab fare printed on the side of the taxi that Hawkeye rides to Avengers Mansion. Here it is stated that the minimum fare is $1.00 with an additional 10 cents charged based distance. This has changed due to inflation. At the time of this writing the minimum fare for a New York taxi is about $2.50.
However, the She-Hulk’s pink Cadillac convertible wouldn’t necessarily be considered a topical reference as it is established here that it is a vintage car. As a lawyer, Jennifer Walters could afford such a vintage car.
