Avengers Spotlight #31
Hit and Run
At Avengers Compound, US Agent enters the garage and finds someone tinkering with Hawkeye’s sky-cycle and attacks. The man turns out to be Hawkeye in disguise and after realizing this, the Agent back down. Clint explains that he has been using this disguise to get leads on the Stone Perfs gang, which he has vowed to shut down after witnessing a brazen drive by shooting. Seeing how hard her husband has been working, Bobbi Barton — aka Mockingbird — suggests that Clint take the time off, something that he grudgingly accepts to do.
Later that evening, at the east end home of Monica Guiterrez, there is a knock at the door. Antia tells her children — Luis and Anita — that she’ll get it. The only thing waiting for her is a note warning her son to mind his own business. Sensing danger, Monica tells her children to go to their rooms and find cover. Moments later bullets spray into the living room window, striking Monica. Just as he did with Hawkeye weeks earlier, Luis calls for paramedics to help his mother.[1] Soon, Hawkeye gets a call from Captain Zamora of the LAPD who tells him how the Guiterrez family was targeted. This angers Clint, who realizes that he can’t take a night off as long as the Stone Perfs are still on the loose.
The following day, Stone Perf leader Fernando Torres — aka Prince Charming — is released on bail thanks to a high price lawyer. He represents Lotus Newmark, the real estate magnate that is secretly funding the Stone Perfs. As they take a limo back to Newmark Realty, the lawyer explains that Lotus is impressed with the way that Fernando kept silent and the boss wants to show him her gratitude.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye visits Antia Guiterrez at the hospital. She orders him to get out of her room, as she blames him for her situation. However, her son Luis is still greatful that Hawkeye is trying to stamp out the local gangs and thanks him for his concern. Hawkeye is concerned for the young boy’s safety, but Luis assures Hawkeye that he can look out for himself. Leaving the hospital, Clint meets with Captain Zamora and learns — to his frustration — that the police don’t have the resources to chase down the van involved in this recent drive by shooting because nobody died.
At that same moment, Fernando Torres is brought to one of Newmark’s safe houses. There he meets Lotus herself as well as Reynaldo Cortizar, a cocaine dealer from Columbia whom Lotus is working with to get the narcotic onto the streets. Lotus has summoned “Prince Charming” to show Coritzar around the Los Angeles area because he has been hired to deal with the problems they have been having with Hawkeye.
That evening, Hawkeye scours the city looking for the van involved in the Gutierrez drive-by. Eventually, he does find it and gives it chase. However, this is yet another ambush set up to try and kill him. Luckily, Hawkeye proves to be a better archer than his would be killers are marksmen and disarms them all. Capturing Reynaldo Cortizar, Hawkeye is about to question him when someone on a nearby rooftop shoots Cortizar in the back of the head and takes off before he can be captured.[2]
Recurring Characters
Hawkeye, US Agent, Mockingbird, Lotus Newmark, Luis Gutierrez, Auggie Slater
Continuity Notes
Luis witnessed Hawkeye get mowed down by crooks last issue and called for an ambulance that ultimately saved the archer’s life.
This shooter turns out ot be Luis Guiterrez as we’ll discover in Avengers Spotlight #36.
The Xenophobic Man, Part One: Rocks and Hard Places
A desperate family is illegally crossing the boarder between the United States and Mexico down near the Rio Grande. However, as they cross over into America a waiting gunman opens fire. Although the adults are mowed down, the children are saved at the last minute by the US Agent. The Agent has been dispatched to Texas on behalf of his government handlers to investigate a string of murders of undocumented immigrants trying to cross the border. After ensuing the children are safe, US Agent then leaps up the hill to catch the shooter but is too late to stop them from escaping in a pick-up truck. The shooter then returns home and strips off his disguise as his evening job is done for now. He then begins getting changed for his day job as a member of the United States Border Patrol.
The following morning, US Agent is at the hospital with the young children he saved. There he confronted by Captain Hitchuck of the Border Patrol. He is unimpressed that a superhero from out of state is coming in and telling his agency how to conduct their investigation. Their conversation is interrupted when Hitchuck’s two deputies — Bouting and LeRoue — show up late.[1] After reaming them out, Hitchuck explains that he is doing the best he can, saying that he is 75% understaffed but assures the Agent that they can focus more time and energy on the tracking down their serial killer since his actions has reduced the number of undocumented crossing over. As US Agent goes to leave the hospital, a nurse pulls him aside and tells him that if he wants to try and stop the killings, there is someone who can help him out.
The Agent is told about an organization called the Sanctuary Movement who operate along the Texas border with Mexico and assist the undocumented to establish their credentials and find a new life in America. Heading to the church that they operate out of, US Agent suddenly finds himself surrounded by gunmen. Seeing how the Agent used Holy Water and crossed his chest, the priest is curious to know if he is praying for what he has done, or what he plans on doing, before welcoming him to the Sanctuary Movement.
Recurring Characters
US Agent, Xenophobic Man
Continuity Notes
This sets up a whodunnit between Hitchuck, LaRoue, and Bouting here. Avengers Spotlight #34 reveals that the killer is Fred Bouting.
Topical References
This story refers to the Mexicans trying to cross over into the United States as “Illegal Immigrants” or “Illegal Aliens”, these are dated terms and their use should be considered topical. The current term being used now is “Undocumented Immigrant”, an effort to destigmatize people coming to America to find a better way of life… not that it’s worked overly much because racists going to racist but whatever.
