Avengers #381
Sacred Ground
At a secluded cottage on Wundagore Mountain, Feydor and Bova wait for Quicksilver and his wife Crystal to return from the High Evolutionary’s Citadel of Science. They have gone hoping that the Evolutionary can save Bova’s life.[1] However, as time stretches on, Bova becomes concern. Feydor assures her that everything is right, wondering who can really harm an Avenger.
At that moment, Quicksilver and Crystal wake up inside the Citadel after being attacked by the High Evolutionary and his army of Ani-Mutants. The Evolutionary demands to know why the alleged son of Magneto has trespassed on his domain.[2] Pietro reminds him that being related to Magneto doesn’t make him a threat, pointing out that his mother died on this very mountain. When the Ani-Mutants start getting more aggressive, Crystal warns them to stay back as she will defend her husband with her dying breath. Impressed by the bond of the married couple, the High Evolutionary decides that there is no further need for violence and takes the pair to see why he finds their appearance suspicious on this evening. He explains it is getting colder around the Citadel of Science because of am energy beam from space. It is also being used to send a message from its point of origin. The recording is of a mutant named Scanner, a loyal member of Magneto’s Acolytes. She warns the High Evolutionary that Wundagore Mountain is considered religious grounds for her people and his presence there is an insult to their lord Magneto. She advises the geneticist to leave otherwise they will be forced to attack and his citadel destroyed.
When the High Evolutionary once again questions if Quicksilver has any part in this threat, Pietro finally explains that he had come to get help for Bova. Hearing that one of his earliest creations has fallen ill, the High Evolutionary ceases hostilities and agrees to come down the mountain to do what he can for Bova. They arrive just as Foydr is feeding Bova bowl of soup in bed. When the High Evolutionary appears before her, Bova praises the return of her creator.
Meanwhile, back in New York City, Taylor Madison is settling in with her new roommate Augustine Jones. She is telling Jones about how she had a brief romance with Hercules but ultimately decided that she couldn’t see him anymore because she didn’t believe it was fair to start a relationship that would eventually get cut short. Feeling unwell, Taylor decides to go lay down for a bit. As soon as she has left the room another call comes in from Hercules, as he has become desperate to see Taylor no matter what. Answering the call, Augustine tells Hercules that she has a set up a date for the two of them and tells him to meet up with Taylor at a fancy restaurant later that evening.[3]
By this time, the High Evolutionary has finished his examination of Bova and has determined that somebody has been slowly poisoning her. As Quicksilver wonders who could do something so horrible, Exodus appears before them as a holographic projection. He explains that he was the one responsible for poisoning Bova in order to draw Quicksilver back to his homeland in an effort to get the High Evolutionary to leave his base. He then reveals that Fydor was the one responsible. Suddenly, Bova’s caretaker undergoes a horrific transformation as his body changes shape into the monstrous form of Rakkus, who tells them that Fydor is no more. Moments later, the cabin explodes….
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Quicksilver, Hercules, Crystal), High Evolutionary, Rakkus, Taylor Madison, Bova, “Agustine Jones”
Continuity Notes
Here, the High Evolutionary refers to Bova as his “first and finest creation”. This is contradicted in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 which states that she was the 12th successful New Man created. Quicksilver #9 states that she was a second. I believe that the distinction depends on what criteria this is based on. In Quicksilver #9, Bova is stated as being the first New Man created using Isotope B. She was also the first creation he made while fully the High Evolutionary. I think this is the metric in which we can accept that Bova being the “first”. All prior New Men were created using Isotope A, which is stated as being a far inferior element to later creations.
The known facts about Quicksilver’s family tree and his status as a mutant are later revealed to be false. The details:
In Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4, Bova led Quicksilver to believe that he and his sister (the Scarlet Witch) were the children of Magneto and his estranged wife Magda. Magda fled her husband and apparently gave birth to these children on Wundagore Mountain.
It’s later revealed that they are neither mutants nor the offspring of Magneto. As explained in Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5, the twins were kidnapped as babies by the High Evolutionary who experimented upon them. In order to cover up his work, he made it so future genetic testing would have them register as mutants.
Scarlet Witch (vol. 2) #3 and 12 reveal that Pietro’s biological mother was Natalya Maximoff. However, the identity of his father (as of this writing) has yet to be revealed.
The High Evolutionary pretends like the Magneto/mutant back story is all true. Clearly he is lying as part of his own cover-up.
That said, it is has yet to be explained what happened to Magda Maximoff and if she was ever at Wundagore Mountain to begin with. I have a theory here.
Hercules first met Taylor back in Avengers #349 when he visited a hospital for sick children. They saw each other for a bit until she told him that she couldn’t date him anymore in issue #367. See, Taylor believes that she is terminally ill and her whole romance with Hercules is being manipulated by his step-mother, Hera, in an effort to break his heart. In fact, “Augustine Jones” is Hera in disguise. All this and the fact that Madison is a construct created by Zeus to catch Hera in the act of disobeying his law in Avengers #384.
Attack of the 50 ft. Jan
Believed to have gone insane, Hank Pym — aka Giant-Man — has been locked up in a mental health facilty by Colonel Glenn Manning. This has followed a rash of giant-sized insects that have started attacking civilians. Pym explains that all those exposed to Pym Particles are being affected adversely for some unknown reason. When Manning points out that Hank himself hasn’t been affected and asks why, Pym admits that he doesn’t know why that is. Hank insists that they need to let him go so he can get to the bottom of this, but they refuse as he is too much of a security risk. Suddenly, something dawns on Hank and he prays that he’s wrong.
Meanwhile, Ant-Man and Bill Foster are also trying to figure out what’s going on, particularly since Bill keeps on shrinking with no end in sight.[1] As Ant-Man conducts his examinations he starts getting forgetful when the phone rings. The call is coming from Janet Van Dyne’s psychologist Vincent Rosen and her agent Spencer Beck. They have been trying to get ahold of Hank Pym because Janet has grown to giant-size. Now the situation has become worse as Jan has finally woken up and is now going on a rampage through Beverley Hills. She blames Hank for what has happened to her and is trashing everything in sight in an attempt to find him. Unfortunately, as Vincent is explaining all of this, Ant-Man suddenly blacks out. Unable to do anything due to his microscopic size, Bill Foster wonders what else could go wrong. That’s when the alarm at Project B.I.G. goes off and is suddenly cut off by the intruder. It turns out to be the cat-woman known as Tigra, who has come looking for the monsters who have done something to her.[2]
At that moment, Hank Pym has shaken off the effects of the sedative he was given and attempts to escape from his cell by growing to giant size. Unfortunately, Colonel Manning is prepared for this and has the room flooded with gas, causing Giant-Man to pass out. Manning and Doctor Honda then start going over the information they got from Hank during interrogation, as the doctor believes it might offer insight into Pym’s state of mind. The footage is of Hank and Janet’s recent reunion and the rekindling of their romance. Having come up with a brand new research project, Hank had taken Janet to Project B.I.G., where he had hoped to use Pym Particles to create giant fruits and vegetables and solve world hunger. Manning is frustrated by the lack of evidence to support his theory that Pym is responsible for the attacks made by giant insects. However, before he can resume interrogation they are interrupted by Captain America who has arrived with a Presidential order to have Giant-Man released from custody as he is the only man who can solve the current crisis.
Soon, Hank is released from his cell and he boards a Quinjet with Captain America. He is shown how the situation has gotten more dire since he incarceration. In the middle of the California wilderness, Hawkeye has suddenly grown to giant-size and collapsed under the crushing weight of his own body.[3] Hank is then taken to California where the Avengers are trying to stop Janet’s rampage. As the Quinjet makes its approach, Hank asks what the date is and realizes that today is an important date of about nine* years, making what’s going on suddenly fit together.[4] Leaping outside and growing to his maximum height, Giant-Man tries to get Janet to stop her rampage. Unfortunately, she is might larger than him — topping out at 25 feet — and begins shambling toward a set of high tension wires. Hank tries to stop her, but is too late. The sudden surge of electricity added to the charged Pym Particles in her body has a rippling effect that causes every single person ever exposed to the particles — from Giant-Man, to Bill Foster, to Ant-Man, to Hawkeye, to Tigra — to scream in agony. Suddenly, a massive dimensional portal opens outside the Project B.I.G. lab and a creature from Kosmos emerges, the first of a full scale invasion of Earth…
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Giant-Man, Wasp, Captain America, Hawkeye, Vision), Bill Foster, Ant-Man, Tigra, Vincent Rossin, Spencer Beck
Continuity Notes
Here it is mentioned how Ant-Man recently joined the Fantastic Four as their resident scientist. This story happened at a time when Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, was believed to have died in Fantastic Four #381. Scott Lang was then hired on to take his place in issue #384 of that series. Richards is not really dead and will turn up again in Fantastic Four #406-407.
The reason why Tigra is being affected along with the other size changers is because Hank was forced to shrink her down to size when she had gone feral in Avengers West Coast #49. She was restored to normal again in Avengers Spotlight #38.
There is a huge dump of exposition about Hawkeye’s current situation at the time of this story:
The reason why he is being affected by the size-changing crisis is because of his two stints as Goliath. The first was from Avengers #63-98 and the second from Avengers #345 until Avengers West Coast #97.
It is also stated here that Hawkeye is trying to come to terms with the loss of his wife Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird. The pair had gotten married back in Hawkeye #4. She appeared to die during a battle with Mephisto in Avengers West Coast #100. However…
This wasn’t the real Bobbi Morse, but a Skrull impostor named H’rpra, as revealed in Secret Invasion #8 and New Avengers: The Reunion #2. She replaced Bobbi in Avengers West Coast #91.
This date is significant because, as explained next issue, it is the date when the first Creature of Kosmos came to Earth, murdering Janet’s father Vernon Van Dyne. This was the catalyst that led to Hank (then Ant-Man) to transform Janet into the Wasp so she could avenge her father’s death, as seen in Tales of Suspense #44. Here, Hank states that this event happened 7 years prior to this story, which is incorrect. See below.
Topical References
Ant-Man likens Giant-Man’s disappearance to a magic trick performed by magician David Copperfield. This is in reference to an illusion performed by Copperfield in 1983 wherein he appeared to make the Statue of Liberty disappear on live television. This should be considered a topical reference as it is very dated.
In this story, Hank states that it has been seven years since Janet Van Dyne first became the Wasp. This is not an accurate measurement of time based on the Sliding Timescale. Tales to Astonish #44 was published in June 1993, while this story was published in December 1994. This places each story in “Year One” and “Year Nine” respectively. So Hank is off by about two years.
Bonus Material
This issue also features profiles on Captain America,[1] the Collector,[2] the Kree Sentry robots,[3] as well as two pin-ups of the Vision.
Continuity Notes
Captain America’s profile mentions his then-current health problems. In Captain America #373 he was caught in a meth lab explosion that reacted dangerously with the Super Soldier Serum in his veins forcing him to eventually purge it from his body in issue #384. By issue #425 of that series, Cap’s health begins to go into decline. Cap will eventually be cured of this condition in issue #445 of Captain America.
The Collector profile mentions his recent transformation. The Collector assumed a more alien form in Avengers #338. He will retain this look until he reverts back to his more traditional form of a withered old man in Wolverine (vol. 2) #134.
The entry on the Kree Sentires recount how the Avengers recently fought an army of the robots that were unleashed upon them as revenge for a Nega-Bomb wiping out the Kree Empire. The fall of the Kree was chronicled in Captain America #398-400, Avengers West Coast #80-82, Quasar #32-34, Wonder Man (vol. 2) #7-9, Avengers #345-347, Iron Man #278-279, Thor #445-446, while the attack of the Kree on the Avengers happened in Avengers #364-366.
Publication Notes
This issue was printed in two formats. The standard edition that only included the story The Legends and the Lost. However at the time Marvel was also trying out two special Marvel Double Feature books for a dollar more. The first one featured that month’s Avengers title with a second story starring Giant-Man. The other book featured that month’s Thunderstrike story with a back-up story starring Code: Blue. These double feature books only lasted for four issues.
