Avengers West Coast #74
Operation: Overlords
Doctor Demonicus has succeeded in prematurely raising a new island to the surface of the Pacific Ocean.[1] He then has his fellow Pacific Overlords raise a flag for his new nation of Demonica. The island is the first step in the Doctor’s plan to dominate the Pacific Rim and then the world. However, despite this victory and the defeat of the West Coast Avengers, Demonica’s newest recruit the Living Lighting is having second thoughts about all of this.
It’s when Demonicus then orders the execution of the traitorous Pele and the Scarlet Witch that Miguel Santos decides to come to their defense because he doesn’t want to see anyone die. Turning into the Living Lighting, Miguel fends them off with the captured Avengers — Hank Pym, the Wasp, Iron Man, and Wonder Man — cheering him on. However, Demonicus and the Pacific Overlords outnumber him six to one.
That’s when reinforcements in the form of Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, US Agent, and Sunfire arrive on a rescue mission. Although Santos was protecting the Scarlet Witch and Pele, he is still devoted to the cause of the Pacific Overlords and tries to stop Sunfire from freeing the others. While US Agent fights both Jawbreaker and Cybertooth, Hawkeye clashes with Irezumi. While everyone is fighting, Spider-Woman makes her way to the controls and attempts to free the captured Avengers but is ambushed by Kuroko who manages to sneak up on the arachnid with her invisibility. In the ensuing clash, Doctor Demonicus attempts to take the Scarlet Witch hostage. However, the Living Lighting refuses to allow this to happen as it wouldn’t be honorable. When Demonicus threatens to deactivate the suit that allows Miguel to control his powers, he quickly blasts it to scrap with a jolt of electricity.[2] Finally realizing that he’s on the wrong side, Miguel then uses his powers to free the captive Avengers and Taifu, who also turned on the Pacific Overlords.
Joining the fight, the other Avengers help their rescuers take down the rest of the Pacific Overlords. The first one down is Irazumi whose ability to deflect attacks made on him is counteracted when Hank Pym uses his Pym Particles to shrink the former Yakuza down in size. When Cybertooth tries to bite his way through Iron Man’s armor, Wonder Man yanks him off and knocks him out with a single punch. Jawbreaker then tries to ambush Simon from behind, by the Scarlet Witch uses her hex powers to trip him up allowing Williams the chance to knock him out. Simon then thanks Wanda for the assist and once again apologizes for how much of a jerk he has been recently.[3] The Wasp then saves Spider-Woman from Kuroko who tries to flee the scene under her cloak of invisibility. She instead ends up running into Jawbreaker, knocking them both out.
With his Overlords fallen and his guards being mopped up by the Avengers, Doctor Demonicus decides to initiate his back-up plan. Pressing a device hidden in his glove, Demonicus activates the secret powers of his lead technician, Kain. This causes studs to jut from Kain’s head that charge him with energy. Kain then grows to giant size. As he attacks the Avengers on the ground, Iron Man and Sunfire try to counterattack from the air. However, Kain also has the ability to mentally control machines and quickly hijacks Iron Man’s armor, turning it against his comrades. The Living Lightning manages to keep Kain at bay, giving the Wasp an opening to fly into the giant’s ear and let loose with her bio-stings. This causes Kain to topple to the ground and revert back to his normal. size.[4]
However, despite their victory over the Pacific Overlords, Doctor Demonicus tells the Avengers that they have lost. He turns their attention to a video screen where someone posing as Doctor Douglas Birely — Demonicus’ alter-ego — is addressing the United Nations.[5] This Birely impostor announces the newly formed island of Demonicus a sovereign state and in order to be admitted into the UN, he pledges to share his new nations mineral wealth with the world. The impostor then presents the first citizen of Demonica, Kenjiro Sasaki, the son of Taifu and Pele who has been miraculously restored to normal. The pair are overjoyed that their son is no longer the mutated behemoth known as the Big One.[6] With Demonica now recognized by the United Nations, the Avengers West Coast quickly realize that they no longer have any authority to deal with Demonicus and when the Doctor orders them off his island they have no choice but to comply.
As the team heads home in their Quinjets, they get contacted by Tigra who tells them that she is safe and sound in the Australian Outback after being saved by a local Aboriginal tribe.[7] She tells the team that she has decided to stay and nominates Spider-Woman to take her place on the team. With Hank and Janet also planning on leaving the team there are two spots that need to be filled on the roster. US Agent pipes up and demands to take one of the vacancies, refusing to accept anything else.[8] Everyone agrees since US Agent proved himself on this mission. They are also impressed by the Living Lightning and offer him as spot as well. With a lot to atone for, Miguel accepts the offer hoping that he can live up to being an Avenger.
Recurring Characters
Avengers West Coast (Iron Man, Hank Pym, Wasp, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, Tigra, US Agent, Living Lightning, Spider-Woman), Taifu, Pele, Sunfire, Pacific Overlords (Doctor Demonicus, Jawbreaker, Cybertooth, Irezumi, Kuroko, Kain, Big One)
Continuity Notes
The Pacific Overlords have been working on raising an island nation since Avengers West Coast #70. They succeeded last issue.
Miguel was transformed into the Living Lighting in Avengers West Coast #63. Unable to control his powers he was dissipated in a battle with the Human Torch. Doctor Demonicus was able to reassemble Miguel in issue #70. He then built a containment suit that allowed Miguel to control his powers, but could shut it down remotely unless Santos gave unwavering loyalty to him, as explained last issue.
Wonder Man discovered that he was in love with the Scarlet Witch back in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #45. Not long after this, Wanda was abandoned by her husband who left for the east coast team in Avengers #312. The pair began dating around Avengers West Coast #62, but Wanda didn’t feel right about it and ended it in issue #69. Simon didn’t take it very well and was acting like a little bitch until last issue.
At the end of the fight, Iron Man admits to Hank Pym that he’s really Tony Stark. Recently, Tony Stark had discovered individuals were using unauthorized Iron Man technology and, as Iron Man, went on a one-man mission to shut them all down. This put him at odds with the government. Since Tony’s double-identity was a secret to the general public, he faked Iron Man’s death and then tricked everyone into thinking that he hired a new person in the suit. Even though many of his fellow Avengers knew that Tony was Iron Man, he put up the pretense with them as well. See Iron Man #225-232. Tony gave up on this pretense in Avengers West Coast #72.
Demonicus is using a proxy because his own face was hideously deformed due to contracting a rare form of cancer, this was also explained last issue.
As seen in Avengers West Coast #70, Demonicus had mutated Kenjiro into a massive brute called the Big One.
Tigra was injured during a fight with Irazume in Avengers West Coast #72 and crash landed in Australia last issue.
US Agent was recently turfed from active status in Avengers West Coast #69, he wasn’t happy with being a reservist and quit. However, he was pulled back in to help with the Pacific Overlord crisis by Spider-Woman in issue #71.
Topical References
In this story, Jawbreaker calls the Living Lighting a wetback. This is a racial slur used toward Mexicans living in the United States, particularly those who are undocumented immigrants. The term derives from how many immigrants illegally cross the US border by crossing the Rio Grande River into Texas. This term has always been incredibly racist. Since its use here is being used by a bigot and not an antiquated term that was a once common vernacular its use wouldn’t be considered topical.
When Doctor Demonicus attempts to take the Scarlet Witch as a hostage, the Living Lightning sarcastically calls him a “real John Wayne”. John Wayne was an actor best known for his roles many roles as a cowboy during a period in which westerns were incredibly popular in cinema. Wayne became the archetype for the heroic American manly man at the time. While this archetype is now considered by many to be an example of toxic masculinity now, Wayne’s name became synonymous with an honorable protagonist. This should be considered a topical reference since Wayne died in 1979 and attitudes toward what is considered an “idealized hero” have changed with the times. Particularly since a lot of John Wayne’s off-screen attitudes have been viewed as bigoted.
