Avengers #236
I Want to be an Avenger!
It’s a quiet day at Avengers Mansion: The Scarlet Witch is on monitor duty while Captain America keeps an eye on her comatose husband, the Vision.[1] Upstairs, Starfox and the Wasp relax in the living room. While upstairs, the She-Hulk looks for a new apartment while in the hot tub. Suddenly, the alarm goes off prompting the team to rush to the front door. Somebody has forced their way in and used webbing to tie up the security system. Rushing into the dining room, they find Spider-Man waiting for them in an improvised hammock made of webbing. The web-slinger has come to join the Avengers, stating that Thor offered him a position recently and he has finally decided to take them up on the offer.[2] Captain America tells the web-slinger that the team is at capacity but he can join their new trainee program. Spider-Man takes offense to this because he has been a super-hero for quite some time. When the priority alarm begins going off, the Avengers tell Spider-Man to leave while they deal with this emergency.
Feeling rejected, Spider-Man wishes that he could have gotten the job since it would not only help him with his negative public image as well as giving him some much needed money.[3] When he sees the Avengers Quinjet take off from the mansion, he decides to stow away on it to lend a hand anyway. Inside the cockpit, She-Hulk notices that something is affecting the controls of the craft, but things correct themselves and she thinks nothing of it. The group is heading to answer an emergency call from Project PEGASUS, the government’s secret research project that is looking for alternate energy sources. Captain America is concerned as the project is often a target from other organizations, such as the recent attack on it by Advance Idea Mechanics that he helped stop.[4]
When they arrive at the facility, the Avengers discover that Spider-Man stowed away on their ship and are quite upset since the wall-crawler has not been security cleared. Spider-Man tries to smooth things over by telling them that he’s been to Project PEGASUS before and this convinces them to at least accept his offer for aid.[5] En route to the lower levels, they are told that the facility experienced an earthquake, but the only Michael O’Brien the head of security could know what the emergency is.[6] Forcing their way into the sealed off section of the facility, they discover that O’Brien and his team have been defeated by some powerful foe that not even O’Brien’s Guardsman armor could defeat.[7] He tells them that the earthquake was caused by the project’s new magma tap accidentally burrowed into the domain of the Lava Men who then attacked the facility and that there is grave danger as the army is heading for the facility’s nuclear reactor. While Spider-Man cracks jokes, Captain America tells him to take it seriously as he has faced the Lava Men before and they are no laughing matter.[8]
Needing extra help, Captain America sends out a call to the other activate Avengers. The first to arrive on the scene is Captain Marvel, who had just finished up setting up a bank loan and is able to get to Project PEGASUS quickly thanks to her ability to travel at the speed of light. Also arriving at the Wasp and Scarlet Witch. Once the three women arrive, they take the project’s internal rail system to get down to the lower levels. Elsewhere in the facility, a trio of scientists are trying to get an energy stabilizer function again. When they do, they unintentionally release Blackout, who was trapped in another dimension by the device.[9]
Meanwhile, the Avengers are doing everything they can to keep the Lava Men from reaching the nuclear reactor. Ignoring Captain America’s orders, Spider-Man tries to web up a group of the Lava Men, but they melt through the webbing by increasing their body temperatures. This takes away an advantage they had against the creatures.
At the same time, Blackout is happy to be free, but his ordeal has left him mentally unhinged. Believing that his powers are black light orientated he tries to find his way out. He happens upon the cell where Moonstone is being held prisoner and she convinces Blackout to set her free so they can get out together. Blackout is confused and isn’t sure if he can trust her, but Moonstone manages to use her psychological skills to manipulate him into following her orders.
Back at the reactor, the Lava Men are about to breach the outer doors when Captain Marvel finally arrives in her energy form. Mistaking her for the goddess of light, the Lava Men stop and begin worshiping her. Taking advantage of this, Monica manages to convince the Lava Men that the “attack” on their home was an accident and that nobody wants any violence. When Captain America assures the Lava Men that Project PEGASUS will not interfere with their home again, the Lava Men agree to leave without further incident.
Although Spider-Man figures things have ended on a happy note, none of them are aware that Blackout and Moonstone have just released the Rhino and Electro and are planning to break out.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision, She-Hulk, Starfox, Captain Marvel), Spider-Man, Lava Men, Rhino, Electro, Blackout, Moonstone, Guardsman, Edwin Jarvis
Continuity Notes
The Vision was knocked out during the Avengers battle with Annihilus in Avengers #233. He will wake up in issue #238 and regain his mobility in issue #242.
Thor offered Spider-Man a position on the team back in Avengers #221. At the time he declined because he didn’t see himself as much of a team player. His motivation for joining now was learning about how the Avengers pay a stipend to their members, something he found out last issue.
Here Peter states that he just quit grad school, which happened in Amazing Spider-Man #243. He also states that the Black Cat is in the hospital and he needs to pay her medical bills. The Cat was seriously injured during Spider-Man’s battle with the Owl and Doctor Octopus which took place in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #73-76.
Captain America states he helped PEGASUS set up their security, that was in Marvel Two-In-One #42, and that he stopped AIM from attacking the facility in Captain America Annual #7.
Spider-Man was part of a team of super-heroes that helped prevent Set from taking control of Project PEGASUS through the Serpent Crown, see Marvel Team-Up Annual #5.
It is stated here that Wendal Vaughn, AKA Quasar, is no longer the head of security. Vaughn’s tenure as head of security ran from Marvel Two-In-One #53 until he quit in the aforementioned Marvel Team-Up annual.
Readers are reminded that O’Brien was last seen in Iron Man #109.
Cap and the original Avengers faced the Lava Men way back in Avengers #5.
Blackout was banished with this device back in Nova #19.
Topical References
The Wasp is depicted reading an issue of Cosmopolitan, this should be considered topical as this is a real world publication.
The Avengers stipend is stated as being $1000 a week. Which should be considered topical due to inflation. $1000 in 1983 money would be worth about $2700 in 2021.
