Avengers (vol. 3) #0
Our Top Story Tonight
Wanting to keep tabs on his foes, the Avengers, Ultron tunes in to a special episode of “It’s Amazing”, which showcases the recent activities of the Avengers.[1] Hosted by Mac Sanders and Diane Cummings, the pair talk about the hype surrounding the Avengers since they returned from oblivion following the Onslaught crisis.[2]
They comment on the current team — consisting of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Wonder Man, and newcomers Justice and Firestar — and their recent public clashes with the Squadron Supreme, the Grim Reaper, and Pagan. Despite the bad publicity generated by the Triune Understanding in the later encounter, the Avengers are at the height of their popularity.[3] Watching this coverage is Justice and Firestar, and Vance is upset that the news is covering his recent injuries, which resulted in a broken leg.[4] Angelica tries to cheer Vance up, reminding him that his injuries stemmed from the Black Knight makes a mistake in battle and that he’ll be back on his feet in no time.
The story on TV continues, with Mac and Diane moving onto the subject of the romantic life of the Scarlet Witch. They remind viewers that she was once married to the Vision but in recent days she has been seen out on dates with Wonder Man. However, efforts by reporters to get the scoop have been rebuffed by the couple, who want to keep their romance life private.[5] At that moment, Scarlet Witch and Wonder Man have arrived at the mental health facility where Simon’s brother Eric, aka the Grim Reaper, has been getting treatment since his most recent defeat. Inside, they discover that the facility in shambles with most of the staff killed in the carnage. Wonder Man finds a survivor and she tells them that the facility was attacked by robots who kidnapped his brother.
The “It’s Amazing” hosts then talk about the Avengers recent PR nightmare when they fought Pagan outside the Triune Understanding headquarters in Texas. It’s noted that while the Avengers were tracking a strange energy signature they were denied access to the Triune Understanding building by their leader Jonathan Tremont.[6] Watching this segment is Tremont himself as well as the Triune Understanding’s resident superhero Triathlon. The young hero is insulted that Iron Man would suggest on national television that the group is up to something suspicious. Jonathan, however, tells Triathlon not to worry about it as this won’t affect their good standing and that they will deal with the Avengers in good time.[7]
It’s then that the “It’s Amazing” hosts reveal that they got permission to accompany the Avengers on their next mission and bring it live to viewers. They then get word that the Avengers have been called in to rescue the senior vice-president of Osborn Chemicals who has been taken hostage by the eco-terrorists called the Flaming Sword. The Avengers have allowed a camera drone to try and boost their public relations profile and know that Flaming Sword and their leader — Firebrand — are only using an environmental message as a smokescreen for their actual criminal enterprise. The Avengers make short work of the terrorists with Thor, Wonder Man, and the Scarlet Witch working together to take down Firebrand.
With the Osborn Chemicals VP safe and the criminals being taken away, the Avengers meet with members of the press to answer questions. However, rather than talking about their recent victory, the press has all sorts of questions about the team’s recent controversies, much to Iron Man’s annoyance. Seeing that they aren’t going to be presented in a positive light, Captain America ends the press conference asking the members of the media that the Maria Stark Foundation — the organization that funds the Avengers — will be putting out a statement.
Ultron has seen enough at this point and decides that now is the right time for him to strike.
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wonder Man, Justice, Firestar), Triathlon, Firebrand, Jonathan Tremont
Continuity Notes
This is a deep cut reference to Amazing Fantasy #18, which centers around Spider-Man appearing on the “It’s Amazing” TV show early on in his career.
For a time, the Avengers were believed dead after they sacrificed their lives to stop Onslaught in Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1. In reality, they were transported to a pocket dimension by Franklin Richards where they lived out alternate versions of their past as seen in Avengers (vol. 2) #1-13. They were later found and brought back to their proper reality in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4.
This of is recounting some of the more recent events in past issues of the Avengers including:
The reformation of the team in Avengers (vol. 3) #1.
Firestar and Justice joined the team in Avengers (vol. 3) #4
They later fought the Grim Reaper in issue #10-11, that was the same story where Wonder Man was resurrected.
Justice suffered a concussion thanks to a blow to the head from the flat of the Black Knight’s sword in a battle with the Wrecking Crew. Adding to that he suffered a broken leg in a later fight with the Doomsday Man. See Avengers (vol. 3) #16-18.
The love triangle between the Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Wonder Man is very complicated. The details:
Early on in his career, Wonder Man’s powers seemed to kill him so the Avengers took a copy of his brain patterns. As seen in Avengers #9.
Sometime after this, the robot Ultron created the Vision and used Simon’s brain engrams to program the synthezoid’s personality as explained in Avengers #57-58 and 134-135.
The Vision and Scarlet Witch eventually fell in love with one another and eventually got married in Giant-Size Avengers #4. Not long after this, Wonder Man was resurrected in Avengers #151.
Simon secretly pined for Wanda for years but kept his feelings to himself. They weren’t mentioned until the Vision was disassembled by an a government organization and his personality wiped out. Wanda tried to convince Simon to volunteer his engrams again but he refused because he saw this as an opportunity to pursue her. See West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #42-45.
The Vision eventually became estranged from his wife and she and Simon briefly dated from Avengers West Coast #65 to 69. Not longer after that, the Vision restored his capacity for emotion in Avengers Spotlight #40. Wonder Man later died in battle in Force Works #1.
The Vision kept his wife at arms length and by Avengers (vol. 3) #4 was actively pushing her away. Also during this time, Wanda was able to pull Simon back in the world of the living with her powers, starting in Avengers (vol. 3) #2. She fully resurrected him by admitting her love for him in issue #11 and they have been dating ever since, much to the Vision’s sadness but he has been encouraging the romance because he believes that Wanda deserves to be happy.
The battle with Pagan took place in Avengers (vol. 3) #15.
The Triune Understanding’s whole thing is to prepare the world for a coming invasion by Kang the Conqueror. Tremont believes that he is the only one who can stop this and is trying to discredit the Avengers so they don’t interfere with his plans for… reasons. See Avengers (vol. 3) #41-54 and Annual 2001.
Topical References
The TVs in this story are all depicted as CRT televisions. This should be considered topical as this this is now an obsolete technology.
Justice is depicted as having a plaster cast to treat his broken leg. This should be considered a topical reference as there are now better alternatives such as orthopedic boots now exist.
The History of Ultron
A special feature that, as the title suggests, recaps the origin and past activities of Ultron. It covers his created by Hank Pym, his first battle with the Avengers when he formed a new Masters of Evil while posing as the Crimson Cowl, the creation of the Vision and how he betrayed Ultron to the Avengers, Ultron’s sixth upgrade that armored him in indestructible adamantium, the creation of Jocasta and how she betrayed Ultron, the war between Ultron-11 and Ultron-12, Doctor Doom creating Ultron-13 during the Acts of Vengeance storyline, lastly Ultron’s latest creation War Toy/Alkhema and how she too betrayed him.
Continuity Notes
This feature has recaps of the events of Avengers #55-58 (Ultron’s origins, forming the Masters of Evil, and creating the Vision), 134-135 (the Vision’s origins expanded upon), 66-68 (Adamantium upgrade), 161-162 (the creation of Jocasta), West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #7 (the war between Ultron-11 and 12), Daredevil #275-276 (Doctor Doom building Ultron-13), and Avengers West Coast #90-91 and Annual #8 (the creation and betrayal by Alkhema)
