Avengers (vol. 3) #36
No Rest for the Weary
Earth has just been liberated after the Galactic Council briefly deemed it a prison world for alien criminals.[1] Although the Earth is free once more, the Avengers have been dispatched to deal with any remaining alien criminals who might not have left the planet.
Just such alien, calling himself Ten-Thirtifor, is now going on a rampage in Times Square. In response, Iron Man, Warbird, and the Vision arrive on the scene to stop the alien machine. The Vision is able to find records of Ten-Thirtfor’s race in the Avengers database and learns its weakness.[2] Iron Man then takes the space criminal down with a sonic blast. With the threat neutralized, the call in SHIELD to take the alien into custody. However, there is no rest for the wary, as the Wasp informs them of a hostage situation nearby. As the trio head off to their next destination, Warbird figures her date with the Vision will have to be postponed again.[3]
While at Avengers Mansion, Photon and Jack of Hearts are enjoying some down time following the ordeal in space. Jack in particular is excited to be back on Earth after so many years away.[4] He has such a big lost of things he wants to do, but wishes Quasar could be there to enjoy them with him. This cannot happen as Quasar became an incubator for the Ego spores and can no longer set foot on Earth again.[5] As the Wasp passes by, she can’t believe it is so quiet and feels like this is the calm before the storm.
While in the lab, Wonder Man has finished being examined by Hank Pym, who gives him a clean bill of heath after being enslaved by Count Nefaria.[6] Hank is oddly distant when Simon tries discussing a means of preventing anyone else from taking possession of his body, when he snaps out of it, Hank says that he’ll work on something. That’s when the Wasp walks in and asks Simon and the Scarlet Witch to give her some privacy while she talks with Hank.
Upstairs, a woman named Peggy Chandler has shown up at the mansion and is demanding that Jarvis let her inside right away. As Wanda and Simon are passing by they are curious enough to see what the woman wants. That’s when Triathlon happens by and Peggy starts accusing him of having done something to her husband. This comes as a surprise to everyone.
Back in the lab, Janet expresses her concerns over Hank, who has been acting strange ever since they got back from Costa Verde. Hank apologizes and promises to stop acting in a way that distresses her and decides to go out for a walk. The entire conversation is bizarre and has Jan even more worried about Hank than before.[7]
By this time, Peggy Chandler has set up an old film projector so she can show them old footage of a 1950s superhero known as 3-D Man. Peggy tells them that the hero had abilities three times that of peak human performance. 3-D Man also happens to be her husband, Hal Chandler. Although 3-D Man has been retired for decades, the two lived happily together until one day Hal went missing. Six months after this, the Triune Understanding appeared on the scene, and they had co-opted the symbol once worn by 3-D Man. Soon after that, Triathlon appeared with similar powers to Hal. Peggy is convinced that there is some connection between the Triunes and her husband’s disappearance. Unfortunately, Triathlon has no idea how they might be connected as he never heard mention of 3-D Man or Hal Chandler before.
At that moment, at the Triune headquarters in Texas, Jonathan Tremont meets with members of his inner council. They report that membership has slowed and this might be partially due to the fact that they haven’t been pushing public distrust in the Avengers since Triathlon joined up with the group.[9] When suggestions are made to renew their targeted attacks against the heroes, Jonathan vetoes this idea as Triathlon would be reluctant to leave the Avengers, and trying to have him operate as a solo hero would not generate the same level of publicity. However, Tremont needs more followers as the great evil he seeks to stop is fast approaching them. So rather than use their public relations to smear the Avengers, Jonathan wants it appear as though the Triunes are now embracing the heroes, and already knows a way they can make a huge public announcement.
Back at Avengers Mansion, Triathlon believes Peggy Chandler’s suspicions that there is a connection between her husband and the Triunes and promises to find out for her. That’s when Pagan and Lord Templar come crashing in through the mansion walls looking to fight the Avengers once more. As Jarvis leads Mrs. Chandler to safety, the Avengers swing into action. The Wasp is confused that Pagan and Templar are working together since it was Templar who defeated Pagan in the past.[10] Lord Templar explains that he had contained Pagan at his Celestial Stronghold and attempted to reform him. Although he made Pagan loyal to him, the brute had become obsessed with destroying the Avengers. Lord Templar then decided that in order to better control the beast, he would allow Pagan his wish.
As the Avengers try to battle Pagan, an alert goes out to all the Avengers in the area. This is received by Hank Pym who is still out on his walk. However, before he can head back to the mansion, he is knocked out by — Hank Pym!? This other Hank has come to take back the life he believes his double has stolen.
As the battle rages on, Iron Man and Warbird arrive having also received the alert. However, despite the Avengers great powers, nobody seems to be able to slow Pagan down. As the Wasp is trying to figure out strategy, a distress call comes in from Captain America. Cap is in the nation of Slorenia assisting SHIELD with the relief effort there. Things went south when Bloodwraith suddenly showed up and the situation has gotten to the point where he needs the Avengers help. Cap insists that this is a serious emergency. Even though this will make the fight against Pagan harder, Janet orders Iron Man, Wonder Man, the Scarlet Witch, and Photon to head to Slorenia immediately. This amuses Lord Templar, who wonders how the Avengers will defeat them now with depleted numbers.
While the others head out in a Quinjet, Photon is able to reach Slorenia first thanks to her ability to travel at the speed of light in her energy form. When she arrives on the scene she asks what Captain America what the danger is. He tells her to look over the horizon and she is shocked to see that Bloodwraith has somehow grown to giant size.[11]
Recurring Characters
Avengers (Iron Man, Goliath, Wasp, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wonder Man, Warbird, Photon, Triathlon), Ten-Thrifor, Lord Templar, Pagan, Jonathan Tremont, Bloodwraith, Jack of Hearts, Captain America, Peggy Chandler, Yellowjacket, SHIELD
Continuity Notes
This story follow the Maximum Security event which took place in: Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet #1, Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #22-24, Iron Man (vol. 3) #33-35, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #23-24, Captain America (vol. 3) #36, Maximum Security #1-3, Thor (vol. 2) #30, Uncanny X-Men #387, Black Panther (vol. 3) #25, Captain Marvel (vol. 4) #12-13, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #21, Bishop the Last X-Man #15, Thunderbolts #45-47, Marvel Knights #6, Gambit (vol. 3) #23, X-Men (vol. 2) #107, X-Men Unlimited #29, and Avengers (vol. 3) #35.
The Avengers records were filed by Machine Man, who faced other members of the Autocron race in Machine Man #3-6.
The Vision asked Warbird out on a date in Avengers (vol. 3) #32.
Jack of Hearts left Earth for deep space in Jack of Hearts #1-4, other than a brief return visit from Quasar #19-29, he has lived in space for roughly 4 years per the Sliding Timescale.
Part of the Maximum Security even included a plot by the Supreme Intelligence to infect the Earth with spores taken from Ego the Living Planet. This would terraform the planet into another extension of Ego, which the Supreme Intelligence could then sophon vast amounts of cosmic power. This process would have killed everyone on Earth. Ego first infected the Earth in Iron Man (vol. 3) #35. Quasar absorbed the spore in Maximum Security #3. Apparently, he will eventually purge these spores from his body by the time he appears on Earth again in Avengers #501.
For more on Wonder Man’s enslavement see Thunderbolts #42-44 and Avengers (vol. 3) #31-34. A footnote here also states that Atlas, who was also enslaved by Nefaria, didn’t get off so luck and suggests readers check out Thunderbolts #46-47. Atlas’ powers rage out of control to the point where he explodes and is seemingly killed. He will be able to reform his body over the course of Thunderbolts #56-74.
Goliath has been acting strange since Avengers (vol. 3) #28-30. This is because a magic spell split him into two distinct individuals, the intellectual Goliath and emotional Yellowjacket. The two will remain separate until their failing health forces them to merge together once more in Avengers Annual 2001.
The connection between 3-D Man and Triathlon is left a mystery here, so here are the details:
3-D Man was a hero that was active in the 1950s. When test pilot Chuck Chandler was caught in an exploding Skrull aircraft, it was witnessed by his brother Hal. The image of his brother was then imprinted on his glasses. Hal could then summon his brother — now the super-powered 3-D Man — to fight crime during the 1950s. See Marvel Premiere #35-37.
He then went into retirement for decades until 3-D Man made a brief return in the Modern Age, as seen in Incredible Hulk #251-252. He hadn’t been seen since.
Triathlon appeared on the scene in Avengers (vol. 3) #8. At the time, he claimed that his powers were the result of Triune Understanding’s Jonathan Tremont unlocking his full potential.
The connection will later be revealed in Avengers (vol. 3) #50. It explains that the Chandler’s 3-D Man powers were the result of the shard of an artifact that originated from a godly entity calling itself Trion. Tremont used his power over these shards to transfer the essence of Chuck and Hal Chandler into the body of Delroy Garret, Jr., turning him into 3-D Man. Delroy and the Chandlers will finally be separated in that same issue.
Peggy Chandler is depicted as a middle aged woman in this story, which would have been accurate when this comic was published in 2000. However, as the Sliding Timescale pushed the Modern Age forward, it will become increasingly impossible for Peggy to still be fit enough to drive across country, or be alive for that matter. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #12’s profile on 3-D Man states that Hal’s powers slowed his aging process. However, this does not explain Peggy’s slowed aging. One could assume that exposure to the source of Hal’s powers likely had the same effect on her as well.
The Triune Understanding targeted the Avengers for months as they were thought to be part of a looming threat. This smear campaign escalated in Avengers (vol. 3) #15, 19, 24, and has stopped since Triathlon joined in issue #27.
When the Avengers fought Pagan in Avengers (vol. 3) #15, it was Lord Templar who was somehow able to defeat the nigh unstoppable brute. What the Avengers don’t know right now is that the pair are in league with Jonathan Tremont, and are in fact an extension of him via the remaining lifeforces of his long dead brothers. See Avengers (vol. 3) #50.
Lots going on here that needs explaining:
Bloodwraith is actually Sean Dolan, former squire to the Black Knight dating back to Black Knight (vol. 2) #4. Dolan was transformed into Bloodwraith when he took possession of the cursed Ebony Blade in Avengers Annual #22. He was last seen in Avengers Unplugged #6, after the Avengers freed him of the curse and he vowed to master control of Proctor’s Ebony Blade.
The nation of Slorenia was wiped out by Ultron in Avengers (vol. 3) #19-22, as part of a plan to wipe out humanity and replace it with robotic life. It’s explained next issue that the unresting spirits of Slorenia entered the Ebony Blade, increasing the power of the curse to the point where Dolan turned into Bloodwraith again and grew to titanic size.
Topical References
The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are depicted as part of the New York City skyline in this story. This should be considered a topical reference as these buildings were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. They were subsequently replaced by the Freedom Tower.
When showing the Avengers footage of 3-D Man, Peggy Chandler uses a film projector that runs on film. This wouldn’t necessarily be considered a topical reference as the 3-D Man is a character rooted in the 1950s. As a such, it wouldn’t be that outlandish for her to have old film footage of the hero in action. So I guess either Peg lugged a projector up to New York or the Avengers happened to have one kicking around in the attic of the mansion or something. Not impossible considering the former Stark mansion has been around since the 1930s.
