Avengers #242
Easy Come… Easy Go!
The Avengers are returning home from Los Angeles, after helping save the life of Jessica Drew, formally known as Spider-Woman.[1] The group have left Doctor Strange behind to help Jessica start the next chapter of her life and are on their way to drop Hank Pym off at home. On the way, the Scarlet Witch wishes the Vision would let Hank help him with his current bout of paralysis, but insists on freeing himself.[2] Hank also finds this odd since he once repaired the Vision in the past.[3] The ride home, however, has given Hank and his ex-wife Janet Van Dyne — aka the Wasp — an opportunity to talk about the initial awkwardness of his involvement in their recent case.[4] The former couple continue to make amends, admitting that they still have a lot of changes to get used to following their divorce.
As they drop Hank off, Captain Marvel is sent ahead to check in on things at Avengers Mansion. When she returns she is happy to report that both Captain America and Hawkeye are back. When they finally arrive at home, the Avengers arrive to a surprise party that is being thrown to celebrate Hawkeye’s recent marriage to Mockingbird.[5] Everyone congratulates Clint on his marriage and are all introduced to his new bride. The party is in full swing when Thor arrives to join the celebrations. However, there is one more surprise in store for them when the Vision reveals that his body is now fully operational, much to the delight of his own wife, the Scarlet Witch. The Vision’s return is celebrated, but the android insists that he couldn’t have done it had Starfox had not hooked him up to the Titan world-computer ISAAC.[6]
The festivities take a serious tone when the Vision announces that he wants to return to the team with the Scarlet Witch. This raises some issues since the team has currently decided that their roster shouldn’t be larger than six.[7] That’s when the Vision warns them of the strange energy signals that he has been detecting recently and his fears that they are of some massively powerful cosmic threat.[8] These warnings prompt the Wasp to have private counsil with Captain America and Thor. This also kind of deflates the party as Hawkeye goes out into the backyard to think. He’s joined by Mockingbird and he expresses his concern that this might mean he’ll be shuffled out of the Avengers as they try to make room for the Vision and the Scarlet Witch on the team, something that has happened in the past.[9] However, now that he is married, suddenly the Avengers aren’t a major part of his life and the idea doesn’t seem so bad now that he has Mockingbird with him.
While in the communications room, the Vision keeps an eye out for the strange energy signature. Now that they are alone, Wanda tries to get the Vision to talk about his unusual behavior lately. The Vision points out the various trials and tribulations they have faced recently and Wanda can’t help but agree with his logic.[10] In the meeting room, the senior Avengers begin their meeting, starting with Thor telling them that he has abandoned his mortal alter-ego of Donald Blake and seeks to return to the fold now that he doesn’t have a double life to juggle anymore.[11] Unfortunately, the Wasp is having a hard time trying to decide who will remain on the team and whole will go. That’s when Captain America suggests that the team adopt a temporary expansion of the roster in times of emergency. The trio are agreeing to this new provision when the alarm suddenly goes off.
The Vision informs the team that the sensors have detected the same energy surge and this time he has been able to pinpoint it’s location to Central Park. When they rush outside there is a blinding flash of light from the sky. When they cross the street into the park they discover a massive alien structure has appeared there that their scanners cannot register. Among the team, Hawkeye, Captain America, Thor, the Wasp, She-Hulk and Captain Marvel suddenly feel compelled to walk through the archway and suddenly vanish in a blinding flash of light. Fearing the worst, the other Avengers and Mockingbird try to follow after their comrades but the structure suddenly vanishes, leaving them to wonder who kidnapped their teammates and why.
… This story is continued in Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Thor, Wasp, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Vision, She-Hulk, Starfox, Captain Marvel), Beyonder (unidentified), Mockingbird, Hank Pym, Edwin Jarvis, (in flashback) Doctor Strange, Jessica Drew
Continuity Notes
Spider-Woman had been in a near death state after her soul was pulled from her body in Spider-Woman #50. The Avengers, with the aid of Doctor Strange, saved her life in Avengers #240-241. Although Jessica was rendered powerless from this, she will ultimately regain her power and become Spider-Woman in Giant-Size Spider-Woman #1… sorta… Skrulls stole her identity. It was a thing. See Secret Invasion #8.
The Vision was rendered immobile during the Avengers battle with Annihilus in Avengers #233.
Hank fixed the Vision when he was damaged by Skrulls back in Avengers #93.
Janet divorced from Hank after he struck her in Avengers #213.
Hawkeye and Mockingbird got married following the events of Hawkeye #1-4.
Eros hooked the Vision up to ISAAC back in Avengers #238.
The Avengers decided on this membership cap in Avengers #211.
These strange energy signatures were detected by the Vision in issues #240 & 241. The source is revealed to be the Beyonder, who was probing the Earth to learn more about it. See Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12.
Hawkeye is still sore about the time he was booted off the team by Henry Gyrich in Avengers #181.
The things the Vision brings up are their recent battle with Necrodamus (Marvel Team-Up #130) and how his arm was recently damaged and repaired (Vision and the Scarlet Witch #2)
The enchantment that allowed Thor to change into Don Blake was transferred to the Stormbringer, the hammer wielded by Beta Ray Bill in order to give the alien the means of assuming a less menacing form. See Thor #337-340.