West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #20
In the Meantime, In Between Time…!
Time Has Split in Four…
Trapped in the the 1776 with a time machine that can only go backward in time, the Avengers are making their way to Ancient Egypt so they can go further back in time and seek the help of a time-traveler named Rama-Tut…[1]
While a month later, Carlotta Valdez — an ancestor of La Espirita, an Avengers ally — is heading off with missionaries to San Luis Obispo and her destiny…
In the present day, La Espirita is convincing a suicidal Hank Pym that his life still has value by helping him figure out his own future…[2]
Lastly, in the year 1876, Mockingbird is under the spell of a love potion forced upon her by the Phantom Rider after he kidnapped her. The pair are now on the run from the Two-Gun Kid and Rawhide Kid, who are seeking to rescue Bobbi from her captor...[3]
Somewhere in America, July, 1776 AD
The Avengers are making their way to Egypt so they can use their busted time machine to go further back in time to enlist the aid of Rama-Tut. However, Hawkeye suffered serious burns during a clash with Spanish soldiers down south and is starting to get sick and needs proper medical attention. They decide to head up to Philadelphia to find a proper doctor to treat their friend. Along the way, Hawkeye tells them that he hopes that the message for the future he left with Carlotta Valdez will reach her descendant, Firebird, so they can be rescued. However, Wonder Man still thinks that their best bet is getting help by Rama-Tut. Since things have been tense between Simon and Iron Man, Tigra tells Williams that he needs to tone down his ego since he been picking fights with Tony since they have been on this mission and they need to stick together.
En Route to California, August 1776 AD
As per her destiny, Carlotta Valdez is among missionaries heading to California. Riding in the stagecoach with her are her chaperone and her priest. Along the way, she tells them about the fantastical people she met a month earlier in a cave. They find the story shocking but think she is making the story up. When she shows them the message written by Hawkeye, they are disturbed but her chaperone dismisses this as Carlotta’s willful imagination and personality.
Growing bored with riding in the stagecoach, Valdez convinces them to allow her to ride with the company of soldiers escorting their mission. It is then that they are ambushed by a Native American warriors. Carlotta takes a rifle and joins the fight but she ends up getting shot in the back by someone, but when she looks back she can’t see who it was. Seeing that Valdez is dying, the priest comes to her side to give her last rights and absolution. Confessing her sins, Carlotta’s final request is to pass the priest the note from Hawkeye and tells him to make sure it is either placed in her hope chest or family Bible so it can eventually be delivered in the future.[4]
Philadelphia, 1776 AD
The Avengers have arrived in the city so they can get Hawkeye medical attention. In order to find out, Wonder Man and Iron Man steal some clothes to blend in and not draw undue attention. The pair can hardly believe that they are in the birthplace of America and wish they had time to look around and experience history being made first hand. However, they need to focus on their mission. As the walk off to find a doctor, they just miss bumping into Doctor Strange and Clea who out with Benjamin Franklin as part of an different mission through time.[5] While in the nearby alley, Hawkeye has become delirious due to his injuries and begins calling out for his wife…
New Mexico, 1876 AD
The Phantom Rider has taken Mockingbird to the town of Lordsburg, where he works as the local marshal in his civilian identity of Lincoln Slade. Changing out of his costume, Lincoln tells Bobbi to wait while he goes into town and buys her an era appropriate dress. After, he sneaks her into his bedroom while he goes around and comes in the front way to greet his friend Bart who has been minding things since he was out of town.
As Bobbi changes into her dress she once again finds the strange arrowhead that she found in the Phantom Rider’s cave. Unaware that it is one of the trick arrowheads used by her husband, Bobbi finds it familiar and decides to wear it around her neck. She then comes out of the room, surprising Bart who had no idea that Lincoln had a lady friend staying with him. After introductions are made, Slade decides to take Bobbi out on the town to show her off to the locals.
Not far away, the Two-Gun Kid and Rawhide Kid continue to follow the Phantom Rider’s trail, not willing to give up searching for Mockingbird.
Somewhere over the Atlantic, 1776 AD
Hawkeye has been patched up by a doctor back in Philadelphia and is feeling much better. Iron Man and Wonder Man are now carrying their teammates and the broken Time-Platform across the Atlantic ocean, something that is taking time because they have to fly slow enough as not to injure their friends, Hawkeye and Tigra.[6]
Along the way, both Wonder Man and Tigra try to come up with alternate solutions to their situation, as seeking out Rama-Tut could be a huge risk. When they suggest seeking out Merlin in Camelot, and Prester John — to timeless entities — Hawkeye vitos these ideas as Merlin’s sanity is unreliable and Prester John is not a time traveler.[7][8]
Los Angeles, the Present
La Espirita has been trying to get Hank Pym find new purpose in life after he attempted to commit suicide. By this time, Hank is worried why the Avengers aren’t back yet since they had gone to Albuquerque to find Bonita. She suggests they read from her old family Bible as it is a great source of comfort for her. As she picks it up, the note written by Hawkeye hundreds of years earlier falls out. She picks it up and puts it back inside without looking as Hank tells her that while he appreciates her help, he’s a scientist and not big on religion.
Getting back to his past achievements, Bonita asks Hank to tell her about his creation of Ultron.[9] This is a sore subject for Pym, who created the artificial intelligence a little too well, as Ultron became self-aware and became a homicidal menace that constantly upgraded itself to become a greater threat. Most recently, the most recent iteration of Ultron, the Mark-12, did make peace with him recently before it was destroyed by the previous model.
Egypt, 1776 AD
The Avengers arrive at the Sphinx and are about to activate their Time-Platform, when they are suddenly attacked by local soldiers who believe the flying humans are an affront to their god. Not having time for this, the Avengers make short work of the soldiers. Hawkeye — starting to become sick again and unable to use his bow — helps out by setting off a gas arrow to incapacity their attackers.
They then set the time machine to send them back to ancient Egypt….
Egypt, 2920 BC
Materializing a few thousand years in the past, they arrive just as Rama-Tut is being interred within a pyramid to go into a state of suspended animation. His royal guard tries attacking the intruders, but the battle is called to a halt by Shamaz, the pharaoh's priest head priest. Hawkeye knows that Rama-Tut is entering suspended animation in order to sleep until the present day and prevent his past self, Kang the Conqueror, from kidnapping the Celestial Madonna.[10]
Shamaz says that it is too late but seeing how desperate the Avengers are to get back home to their own era, allows them to try and petition his king anyway. Inside the pyramid, they find Rama-Tut preparing to enter suspended animation. Unfortunately, the drugs involved have made the time traveler incoherent and offers no help. However, he does mention how he once had time travel technology during his first reign.
By this time, Hawkeye has become sick again and is too weak to do much. With his health failing, he puts Iron Man in charge much to Wonder Man’s chagrin. Iron Man pulls rank and decides that they need to go back further and try to enlist the help of Rama-Tut’s younger self. After thanking Shamaz for his help they reactivate their broken Time-Platform…
Egypt, 2940 BC
… However, when they arrive in this earlier time period they are blasted from behind by Rama-Tut with his ultra-diode ray. Not recognizing the Avengers, the vengeful Rama-Tut decides that these invaders must be put to death.
Recurring Characters
West Coast Avengers (Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Tigra), Hank Pym, La Espirita, Two-Gun Kid, Rawhide Kid, Phantom Rider, Doctor Strange, Clea, Benjamin Franklin, Rama-Tut
Continuity Notes
The Avengers found themselves trapped in the past with a bum time machine thanks to Dominus in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17. Rama-Tut (later Kang and Immortus) ruled ancient Egypt on two occasions. See Fantastic Four #19 and Giant-Size Avengers #2.
After a series of set back and losses, including a divorce, getting kicked out of the Avengers, being framed, retiring from heroics, losing his “son” Ultron, and being dumped by Tigra, Hank Pym was about ready to end it all in issue #17. See also Avengers #213, 217, 227-230, and West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #7 and 16.
The Avengers first stop in their trip back in time was 1876 in West Coat Avengers (vol. 2) #18. When they were preparing to go further back, Mockingbird was snatched away from the Time-Platform at the last possible moment by the Phantom Rider. He forced her to ingest a love potion last issue and they have been on the run ever since.
This scene was originally seen in a vision by Firebird back in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #10. Who shot Carlotta in the back is never revealed and, honestly, probably isn’t very relevant anyway.
Doctor Strange and Clea were in the past to stop the sorcerer Stygero. See Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #17-19.
Here, it is stated that Hawkeye was able to be treated without question as the doctors figured him for a circus performer. This is not too far off, as it was at a circus that Clint learned his archery skills. This story references Tales of Suspense #57, his first appearance, but that story doesn’t detail his origins. For that you’d have to read Avengers #19, 65, Solo Avengers #2, Hawkeye: Blindspot #1, Hawkeye (vol. 3) #3, and (vol. 4) #12 and 19.
Here, Hawkeye states that Merlin’s sanity is questionable saying that he has heard stories about him being evil and/or insane during various past encounters. Hawkeye is mixing up the real Merlin with an impostor who assumed his identity in the past. This impostor, later referred to as Mad Merlin, the Maha Yogi and Merlin Demonspawn. The facts:
He first appeared in Journey into Mystery #96, where he claimed to be the Merlin.
In reality, he was mutated centuries ago by the Caretakers of Arcturus and his life was extended by a fragment of the Bloodstone. See Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #27 and Incredible Hulk #210.
“Mad Merlin” took the real Merlin’s place during a time when the legendary mystic was off fighting Morgan le Fay with the original Black Knight. See Thor Annual #17, Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #11, Marvel Chillers #1, and Marvel Two-in-One #33.
Prester John hales from ancient Avalon and had been in suspended animation for centuries, as first seen in Fantastic Four #54. Tigra mentions his involvement in the Avengers/Defenders War that transpired in Avengers #115-118 and Defenders #8-11.
Hank created Ultron way back in Avengers #58.
Rama-Tut’s mission to the future to stop Kang was documented in Avengers #129-135 and Giant-Size Avengers #2-4.
Topical References
This story fames the present day as taking place in the year 1987 and all measurement of time between the different eras are calculated with that in mind. That said, the year of the present day should be considered topical due to the Sliding Timescale, which pushes the Modern Age forward in time. For example, the Modern Age has been pushed forward so that it no longer takes place in the late 20th Century, only beginning after the start of the 21st Century.
Carlotta and her fellow missionaries refer to Native Americans as Indians in this story. While this is not the correct term anymore (the preferred ones being Native America, Indigenous, or Aboriginal) its use here is historically accurate for the era in which the story takes place.
