Even a God Can Die!

New York City is under martial law following the Masters of Evil’s capture of Avengers Mansion. The media reports that the Army Rangers have been dispatched but they cannot get through the Dark Matter barrier erected around the building by Blackout. Meanwhile, many of the Avengers have been captured and Hercules has been rushed to hospital after getting savagely beaten by the most powerful among the Masters of Evil.

On the roof Avengers Mansion, Moonstone continues to guide Blackout, telling him to do a good job. While inside, the Wrecking Crew and Goliath continue to trash the inside of the mansion. In the monitor room, Baron Zemo and Mister Hyde watch the news coverage, pleased with how things are turning out. After ordering Yellowjacket and the Fixer to prepare the final phase of his plan, Baron Zemo goes to check on his prisoners: Jarvis, the Black Knight, and Captain America. Captain America tells Zemo that it’s not over yet, but Zemo is certain that the Masters of Evil will achieve total victory.

Meanwhile, at New Hope Memorial Hospital, doctors examine Hercules and find a faint trace of life and rush him into surgery. As the Wasp is details to an administrator she is joined by Ant-Man who heard the news and has come to offer his aid.[1] Janet fills Scott in on what’s gong on and the situation with pretty bleak with Hercules injured, Captain Marvel missing, and the rest of the team captured.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Baron Zemo continues to gloat to Captain America. Cap tries bargaining with his enemy, asking him to release Jarvis and the Black Knight so they can get medical attention. Zemo refuses and strikes Jarvis, telling Captain America that he will utterly defeat the Avengers once and for all. Cap reminds Zemo that the Wasp is still free and that she will form a new team of Avengers to stop him. Captain America then asks how Zemo survived their last encounter, but the evil genius refuses to indulge him. However, as he walks away with the Fixer he confides in his minion, saying that he survived the mental barrage from the Red Skull’s daughter because she didn’t have a full handle on her powers.[2] That’s when Zemo gets a call from the Absorbing Man and Titania who report that they failed to recruit a new member onto their team thanks to some interference from Spider-Man.[3]

Meanwhile, Captain Marvel is still trapped in the Dark Force dimension. Flying around the pitch black void she begins to worry she’ll never be able to get out alive. That’s when she suddenly sees a bright light off in the distance. However, when she tries to race up to it, the light disappears. With a potential escaped denied to her, Captain Marvel begins to despair.

Back at the hospital, the Wasp and Ant-Man wait for an update on Hercules. As Janet reminisces on how she almost died in this very hospital, the doctor comes out and announces that despite their best efforts Hercules died on the operating table.[4] The news devastates Janet, who is finding the situation increasingly hopeless particularly since she has been unable to contact anyone for help.[5] When she goes in to see Herc’s body, she is shocked when his heart rate monitor comes to life and begins picking up a faint heartbeat. Somehow, Hercules has come back from the brink and the doctors are called back in to continue treating his injuries. This gives Janet some hope to continue on, however, as she and Ant-Man are planning their next move the hospital is attacked by Absorbing Man and Titania.

While watching the battle on television, Baron Zemo continues to torture Captain America by revealing that he has found Steve’s footlocker of mementos. He then forces Cap to watch as he rips up the only photo he has of him with his former wartime sidekick, Bucky, then has Mister Hyde crumple up Cap’s original triangular shield.[6] With that done, Zemo has Mister Hyde torture Jarvis right in front of Captain America in the hopes of breaking his spirit.[7] The Black Knight finally comes to hearing Javis’ screams. Tied up, he tries to summon his Ebony Blade via his link with the enchanted weapon. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work because the sword — along with Captain America’s shield — are being held in a stasis field while the Fixer examines them to learn their secrets. When Baron Zemo learns this, he orders the Fixer to go back to assisting Yellowjacket, who is having trouble hacking into the Avengers database.

Back at the hospital, the Wasp and Ant-Man defend the comatose Hercules from the Absorbing Man and Titania who have come to finish the job their teammates started. Despite the fact that the two villains are much more powerful than they are, Ant-Man and the Wasp fight back. They manage to gain the upper hand by working together and using their size-changing abilities to their advantage. Titania is the first to be defeat when Ant-Man uses his shrink gas on her, knocking her out while she is disorientated by the size change. Meanwhile, the Wasp manages to take down the Absorbing Man by giving him a full double blast of her bio-sting between his ears. In the aftermath of the battle, the doctors report that Hercules is expected to pull through.

With her confidence restored, Janet then gets back to the difficult task of liberating Avengers Mansion, swearing that the Masters of Evil have won their last victory.

Recurring Characters

Avengers (Captain America, Wasp, Black Knight, Hercules, Captain Marvel), Masters of Evil (Baron Zemo, Absorbing Man, Titania, Blackout, Moonstone, Goliath, Wrecker, Thunderball, Piledriver, Bulldozer, Mister Hyde, Yellowjacket, Fixer) Ant-Man, Edwin Jarvis

Continuity Notes

1. Janet remarks how much Scott Lang reminds her of her ex-husband, Hank Pym. Hank was the original Ant-Man starting in Tales to Astonish #35. Scott became the next Ant-Man with Hank’s blessing in Marvel Premiere #47-48. Hank and Janet were married from Avengers #60 through 113. Janet divorced him after Hank struck her.

2. Sinthea Schmidt, aka Mother Superior, nearly fried Baron Zemo’s brain with her telepathic abilities back in Captain America #301.

3. Absorbing Man and Titania were sent to recruit the Mongoose in Amazing Spider-Man #283. However, the Mongoose’s identity won’t be revealed until Thor #391.

4. This was early on in the Avengers career. Janet was shot during a fight with Count Nefaria and was only saved thanks to the expertise of surgeon Hjarmal Svenson. See Avengers #13-14.

5. The Fantastic Four are listed as being out of town at the time of this story. As pointed out last issue, this story takes place at the same time as Fantastic Four #297-298.

6. There is a lot going on here with Cap’s personal possessions:

   • Here it is stated that Bucky died during World War II while he and Captain America foiled the plans of Baron Zemo’s father. This was first depicted in Avengers #4.

   • However, Bucky never actually died. He survived the explosion and was recovered by the Russians who transformed him into the assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Steve won’t learn this until Captain America (vol. 5) #14.

   • The shield destroyed here is the first weapon Captain America used in Captain America Comics #1. It was quickly replaced by his iconic circular shield in the following issue. Captain America #255 and 303 detail how Steve got his second shield — made from a Adamantium/Vibranium compound — from President Roosevelt shortly after he became Captain America.

   • Although Cap’s personal belongings are destroyed here, Baron Zemo will later use the Wellspring of Power to restore these mementos in an act of atonement in Thunderbolts #105.

7. Mister Hyde comments about how Captain America interfered with two of his plans in the past. Captain America previously fought Mister Hyde in Captain America #151-152 and 251-252.

Topical References

• The network reporting the news about the attack on Avengers Mansion is depicted as CBS. This should be considered a topical reference as this is a real world network.

• Ant-Man makes a quip that they have about as much of a chance of defeating their foes as Steven Spielberg winning an Oscar. While Steven Spielberg had won many Oscars prior to this story, this is likely a comment about 1985’s The Color Purple, which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and didn’t win a single one. Similarly his follow up feature, 1987’s Empire of the Sun didn’t do much better. Although a prolific filmmaker, Spielberg hasn’t made many Oscar winners in the years since. That all said, this reference should be considered a topical reference since Spielberg is being referred to in the present tense and the guy is 74 now. He’s going to eventually retire and die sooner rather than later, making this joke dated.