Avengers West Coast #94
Pax Demonica Part Two: Personal Demons
With the Pacific Overlords becoming a threat again, the Avengers West Coast are in desperate need of a Quinjet.[1] Goliath, Mockingbird,[2] and US Agent head to Stark Enterprises to collect one, but the facility is under siege by an army of battle droids.[3] They are assisted by the man who took over as Iron Man after Tony Stark’s alleged death. After the battle droids are destroyed, this armored hero — now calling himself War Machine — reveals that he is Tony Stark’s oldest friend, Jim Rhodes. Rhodes is furious that Tony kept his survival a secret and asks to join the Avengers West Coast.[4] Since they are short staffed and now they know who War Machine is, Goliath gladly accepts his request.[5]
War Machine leads them to the hanger where a newly built Quinjet is waiting for them. They push past security and take the vehicle without signing off on it. When the head of security contacts Tony Stark to inform him of the theft, he tells them to let it go since it was going to be given to the Avengers anyway. He tells them to send along his blessings as well as an apology for faking his death.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Overlords have captured a commercial airliner that was flying over Demonica’s airspace. Doctor Demonicus is pleased and orders the passengers removed from the plane. Addressing them all, Demonics tells them that they will be the first tourists to visit the island of Demonica, but assures them that once they witness its secrets they’ll never want to leave again.
By this time, Goliath and the others have returned to Avengers Compound with War Machine. There they are caught up to date on what’s been going on with the Pacific Overlords. Since the kidnapping of the commercial airliner, Demonicus has issued a statement saying that the airspace over his island nation is now considered a no fly zone. It is only then that the United Nations finally calls the Scarlet Witch back and asks that the Avengers West Coast do something about the situation. As the Avengers mobilize, Wanda suggests that Darkhawk stay behind since he is not a member, but the hero came to lend a hand and insists on tagging along.[6] In order to get around the issue, Spider-Woman convinces the team to make Darkhawk a reservist on the team.
Soon, the Avengers are off in their Quinjet and flying towards Demonica with War Machine and Darkhawk following outside. As they approach the island, they are suddenly swarmed by the same flying creatures that attacked Kuroko when she escaped from Demonica. While War Machine and Darkhawk deal with the tiny monsters, the other Avengers have to fly as high as possible in order to prevent them from destroying their only means of transportation. They soon are able to land on the island where Doctor Demonicus and his minions greet them. The Doctor is furious that they have ignored his demands that none invade his airspace. The Avengers explain that they have come as a delegation on behalf of the United Nations. When Goliath demands to know what they did to Kuroko, Demonicus has her appear before them. Although she tells them that she was mistaken and is staying of her own free will, the Avengers don’t buy it given that she is now wearing the same talisman on her forehead as the other Pacific Overlords.[7]
Demonicus then reveals that he has made sweeping changing to the nation of Demonica since the last time the Avengers were there.[8] Demonicus has now made his nation a theocracy that worships the demon Raksasa. No longer considering himself President-for-Life, Demonicus is now a high priest devoted to the demon, whose creatures the Avengers fought in order to get to the island. With that, Demonicus orders the Avengers off his island. While everyone is spoiling for a fight, Wanda tells the Avengers to stand down. She then tells Demonicus that they will leave only after he has shown that the hostages are not being harmed in any way. Refusing to do any such thing, Demonicus orders the Pacific Overlords and his private army to throw the Avengers off his island by force.
A battle soon breaks out between both sides: While War Machine and Darkhawk deal with the armed guards, Goliath matches his size changing powers with those of Kaine, US Agent clashes with Morning Star in order to find out why she gave up her Russian nationalism to work for Demonicus,[9] at the same time Scarlet Witch and Spider-Woman clash with the Overlord’s Irezumi and Kuroko.[10] With the battle turning in the Avengers favor, Doctor Demonicus threatens to have his guards execute hostages if they don’t leave. He also demands that they hand over US Agent and Mockingbird as prisoners to ensure future compliance. While the pair agree to surrender, Goliath refuses to allow his wife to go forcing War Machine to incapacitate him in order to prevent any loss of life.
Demonicus has Klaw restrain US Agent with a solid sound construct and the two Avengers are then taken down into the cave where Demonicus first found the altar of Raksasa. There, the Doctor uses his power to summon the demon to begin the next phase of their world domination plot. As the demon begins transporting more of its winged demons to the earthly plane of existence, Mockingbird notices that she can reach out and press the button on Kuroko’s telescoping bo staff. Doing so, it extends out and hits Klaw in the back of the head with enough force to break his concentration causing the solid sound construct keeping US Agent restrained to disappear. Breaking Mockingbird’s shackles, the two Avengers fight against impossible odds. Witnessing the battle, Raksasa orders Demonicus to kill the two heroes, something that the Doctor is more than willing to do for his master.
Meanwhile, the Avengers West Coast land at the US military facility on Oahu, Hawaii. Goliath has since recovered and demands that they go back for Mockinbird and the other hostages. As he and Scarlet Witch argue over what to do next, Spider-Woman notices something in the sky and tells everyone to look. They are horrified to see that it is the demon swarm of Raksasa and it is heading their way.
Recurring Characters
Avengers West Coast (Goliath, Scarlet Witch, “Mockingbird”, US Agent, Spider-Woman, Darkhawk, War Machine), Pacific Overlords (Doctor Demonicus, Klaw, Kain, Cybertooth, Jawbreaker, Irezumi, Kuroko), Tony Stark
Continuity Notes
The Avengers learned last issue that Doctor Demonicus is plotting something last issue. However, the team lost both of their Quinjets during a recent battle with Ultron in Avengers West Coast #90-91.
The woman who appears to be Mockingbird here is actually a Skrull spy named H’rpra who took Bobbi’s place between issues #90 and 91. This is all part of a years long plot by the Skrulls to invade the Earth. However, nobody will not learn this until many years later in New Avengers: The Reunion #2. The real Mockingbird will be rescued from the Skrulls in Secret Invasion #8.
For more on the siege on Stark Enterprises see Iron Man #289-290.
Tony Stark had just recently faked his death in Iron Man #284 so he could undergo cryogenic suspension until a cure for his ruined nervous system could be found. He kept it all a secret from nearly everyone including Jim. When Tony revealed he was alive in Iron Man #289, Jim was so furious he quit.
Jim previously attempted to join the Avengers West Coast back in issue #89. At the time the team weren’t sure if they could trust the new Iron Man and Jim wasn’t ready to reveal his identity to them so they parted ways.
Darkhawk was called in by Spider-Woman last issue to temporarily help the team while they were short staffed.
Kuroko fled to California upon discovering that Doctor Demonicus was being influenced by some kind of occult forces that exist below the island as seen in Avengers West Coast #92-93.
The Avengers previously clashed with the Pacific Overlords in Avengers West Coast #70-74. During that time, Demonicus raised an island from the ocean floor and bribed his new nation into the UN with the offer of sharing mineral rights with the outside world.
Morning Star was previously a member of the Bogatyri a team of superpowered Russian nationalists who previously attempted to restart the Cold War in the hopes it would restore the former Soviet Union. See Avengers West Coast #87-88.
Irezumi refers to the Scarlet Witch as a mutant here. However, years later is will be revealed that she never has been. In reality, she was kidnapped and experimented upon by the High Evolutionary when she was a baby. In order to cover up his work, he made it so any genetic tests on her would have Wanda register as a mutant. See Uncanny Avengers (vol. 2) #4-5.
Topical References
One of the passengers recalls seeing a report on Doctor Demonicus on Headline News. This should be considered a topical reference as HLN is a real world television station.
Morning Star refers to the dissolution of the Soviet Union as though it happened recently. That historic event happened in 1991, a few years prior to when this comic was published. That said, references to the fall of the USSR happening recently should be considered topical.
