Deceptions!

Captain America has finally returned to the Avengers and, after being exposed to the Red Skull’s age accelerator, undergoes a test to make sure he is still at his peak fighting efficiency.[1] In the Avengers training room, Cap manages to survive five minutes alone in a session that was programmed for the Beast, proving that Cap is better than ever.[2] Hercules is looking forward to Captain America rejoining their ranks, but Cap points out that the team already has seven members and their current charter can’t accept any more active members unless the Vision decides to make a change to the team. Which is exactly what the android intends to do during their next meeting as he wants the team’s best tactician on the roster.

As everyone breaks for lunch, Starfox invites the Wasp to tag along with him and Hercules. However, Janet quickly comes up with an excuse not to go and takes off, leaving Eros confused.[3] When Captain Marvel and Captain America depart, Monica uses the opportunity to ask Cap if he has noticed how peculiar the Vision has been acting recently. He has noticed this for quite some time but he hopes that this is just an effort to prove himself as the leader of the Avengers, but can’t help but secretly wonder if there is something more going on with their android friend.[4]

Unaware of his teammate’s suspicions, the Vision uses the downtime to check in with ISAAC the world-computer on the Saturnian moon of Titan. ISAAC is growing impatient with the Vision’s mission. Although the android has constructed a special chair that will allow him to seize control of every computer on Earth, he has found himself reluctant to use it. The Vision only built the device as a last resort, but all of his attempts to boost the Avengers into a position of higher power have been thwarted by outside factors.[5] While it is looking like this might be the only option left for him to achieve his goals, the Vision is hesitant because going through with this plan will come at a great cost.

Meanwhile, Eros, Wanda, and Hercules are having lunch in Central Park. It’s there that Starfox brings up Janet’s strange behavior. Wanda points out that the Wasp was a little unnerved learning about his secret powers. Eros admits that he didn’t bring it up at first because he wasn’t certain that it was important and realizes that was a bad move on his part.[6] Thinking to herself, Wanda remembers that her husband learned of Eros’ powers first and also kept it a secret and wonders what else the Vision isn’t telling the rest of the team.

The next day, Janet Van Dyne has arrived at a resort in Utopia Cay for a much needed vacation. There she is given the VIP treatment, attracting the attention of another patron named Paul Denning, who is very interested to get to know the famous Avenger. Unaware of this, Janet meets up with her old friend, Tinky Weissman, who she hasn’t seen in years. Tinky looks forward to all the fun they are going to have together and the men they’ll meet while on vacation. She then introduces her to the wealthy Baron Walther Theodoric. The suave Baron warmly greets Janet and invites her to a private party he is having on his yacht. As Janet heads to her room, she ends up bumping into Paul Denning who invites her to dinner. Janet reluctantly agrees and the two hit it off and spend much of their evening together. Later, the couple run into Tinky on the beach who invites Paul to join them at the Baron’s yacht party.

That evening, back in New York City, the Vision has a nightmare where he is making all of Earth’s superheroes play a game of Simon Says. Appearing as a human in the dream, the Vision jokes around with the heroes and they all celebrate his leadership. As everyone cheers, Wanda comes to hug her husband, telling him that she was glad to have married him. The celebrations are interrupted when a robotic version of the Vision comes and pleads for his human counterpart to help him. The human Vision is disgusted by his robotic counterpart and knocks him aside. The dream ends when Starfox removes the robot Vision’s face plate revealing a human face underneath and Wanda pulls off the human Vision’s skin to reveal a robot on the other side. This horrific conclusion to the dream causes the Vision to wake up screaming, startling Wanda. When she asks her husband what’s wrong, the Vision assures her that it was all a bad dream.

The following night, Janet heads to Paul Dennings room so they can go to the Baron’s party together. However, when she arrives she finds a note telling her that Paul isn’t feeling very well and is cancelling their date. Concerned for Paul’s well being, Janet shrinks to wasp size and slips under the door to check on him. She finds his hotel room deserted and is horrified to discover that Paul has been spying on Theodoric. Finding an empty weapons cause leads her to conclude that Paul is an assassin who is trying to kill the Baron. She quickly flies to the yacht and demands to know where Walther is. Tinky tells him that the Baron is below deck and she heads there to protect him from his would-be assassin.

Little does anyone know that “Baron Theodoric” is actually the criminal known as Baron Brimstone. Below deck he and his men are preparing to rob the vault in the basement of the hotel’s casino. Brimstone teleports himself and his minions into the vault seemingly by magic. There they knock out the guards. However, when they open the vault they discover the mercenary-for-hire known as Paladin waiting for them on the other side. While Brimstone and his men are distracted, the Wasp — who had overheard the whole plan and stowed away in Brimstone’s cloak — makes her appearance. She has also learned that the Baron’s “magical” powers are actually due to a mechanical harness and burns out its power supply with a bio-sting, rendering Brimstone powerless.

After Baron Brimstone is defeated, Paladin reveals that he is really Paul Denning — however that name is just an alias. He explains that he’s not an assassin but was hired to capture Baron Brimstone who had been hitting casino resorts in the area. Relieved that her new love interest is not a killer, the couple resume their romantic getaway together.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Hercules, Vision, Starfox, Captain Marvel), Baron Brimstone, ISAAC, Paladin

Continuity Notes

1. Captain America’s ordeal with the Red Skull was chronicled in Captain America #294-301.

2. It is stated here that the Beast is a former Avenger and now a member of the Defenders. He was a long standing member of the team until he departed in Avengers #211. He joined the Defenders in issue #103 of their own series.

3. Janet just learned last issue that Eros has the ability to manipulate the pleasure center of the brain and fears that he might have been using it to influence her feelings toward him.

4. Cap has reason to be concerned, as the Vision has been working on a plan to take over all the world’s computers to force the planet into a utopia of his own making. This scheme began in Avengers #238 and will come to fruition in issues #252-254.

5. The Vision goes over the various plans he attempted to use to pivot the Avengers into greater political power.

   • Mentioned here is how the Vision was briefly put in a coma and was linked to ISAAC. The Vision was knocked out during the team’s battle with Annihilus in Avengers #233. He was hooked up to ISAAC in issue #238 and became fully functional by issue #242.

   • He took over leadership of the Avengers in the following issue after defending the Earth while most of the team was off-world during Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12.

   • Following everyone’s return, he tried to get the Avengers authority over dealing with an invasion from the Dire Wraiths, this happened in Avengers #244-245. Unfortunately, this authority was given over to SHIELD. For more on the Wraith War see Rom #51-65, Fantastic Four #276-277, and Uncanny X-Men #276-277.

   • He also mentions that when the world was threatened by Terminus, the President called on the Fantastic Four and not the Avengers. This happened in Fantastic Four #269-270.

   • He also talks about how he petitioned the President to make Avengers chairmanship a cabinet post within the government. He made this attempt in Avengers #246, however that didn’t go anywhere.

6. Starfox kept his pleasure power a secret, particularly after hearing Captain America get upset at Spider-Man for keeping his spider-sense a secret when they worked together against the Lava Men. See Avengers #236-237.

Topical References

• Starfox, Hercules, and the Scarlet Witch are depicted as going to Tavern-On-the-Green for lunch. This should be considered a topical reference as this is a real-world business. While the Tavern is iconic to New York, it has been closed down in the past such as when the city of New York refused to renew its permit from 2010 through 2012.