Avengers Spotlight #32
Hit and Run
Hawkeye has vowed to shut down the street gang known as the Stone Perfs. During his last encounter with the group, the Perfs had employed a Columbian hitman and cocaine dealer named Reynaldo Cortizar. However, during their confrontation Cortizar was shot in the head by a gunman who fled the scene.
The following day, Hawkeye and his wife Mockingbird meet with Captain Zamora of the LAPD to discuss the case. During the investigation, the police found that someone had painted the letter "T” in a circle at the scene of the murder, the shooters apparent calling card. However, Zamora doesn’t know why Cortizar was murdered, nor how a high ranking drug lord got involved with a lowly street gang. Regardless, Zamora figures whoever the mastermind behind all of this is must be getting nervous, which convinces Hawkeye that his plan is working and he needs to turn up the pressure. Mockingbird is still concerned about her husband’s one man crusade and tells him he needs to start thinking smarter since he is not very good at forward thinking. To illustrate this, she shows him that his sky-cycle is still in need of repair after his last outing.
Meanwhile, the person responsible — the so-called Terminizer — for killing Cortizar is ramping up his own one man war against the Stone Perfs.[1] He first strikes by tagging a wall with his circle-t symbol and spray painting insults about the Perfs. When some of the local gang members come to investigate and find out who wrote it the Terminizer appears and mows them all down with a machine gun.
With the heat turning up, Lotus Newmark — the real estate magnate that has been funding the Stone Perfs — sends her right hand man, Fenando Torres — aka Prince Charming — to take the vehicle involved in the Cortizar shooting to a local junk yard and blow it up. He completes this task and returns to Newmark’s hideout. She is pleased, but when he starts speaking out of turn she tosses a house plant at him and warns him against doing so in the future. To this end, she stabs him in the stomach with her razor sharp finger nails. She manages to draw blood, but she tells him that she could have killed him instantly, but only wanted to serve a warning that disrespect will not be tolerated.
Later that evening, Hawkeye is on patrol across the Los Angeles, singling out members of the Stone Perfs and interrupting their criminal operations. His goal is to make their crimes as unprofitable as possible forcing them to lose jobs and associates because of the increased heat. After each take down, Hawkeye leaves the crooks for the cops to collect. Unfortunately for him, the Termizier shows up and murdered each one instead leaving his calling card behind after each killing.
Unaware that this went on, Hawkeye wakes up the next morning feeling that he managed to accomplush a lot the night before and figures that he’ll have the Stone Perfs dealt with in no time. As he discusses next moves with Mockingbird at breakfast, Wonder Man comes rushing in to show them the news, which has a lead story about how everyone Hawkeye busted the night before was murdered by the “Circle-T Killer”. Clint is horrified to learn that this was going on and Bobbi worries that this will cause tensions to explode into an all out shooting war between rival gangs.
Recurring Characters
Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Wonder Man, Terminizer, Lotus Newmark
Continuity Notes
The Terminizer is later revealed to be Luis Guitterez, a young boy who saved Hawkeye’s life after he was shot in Avengers Spotlight #30. His mother was later shot in retribution last issue, prompting Luis to become the Terminizer. This will all be explained in Avengers Spotlight #36.
Topical References
When comparing Cortizar to the Stone Perfs, Captain Zamora says it is akin to Lee Iacocca hanging out with Plymoth salesman. Iacocca was the CEO of the Chrystler Car Company in the 1980s. This reference should be considered topical as Iacocca stepped down in 1992, died in 2019. On top of that, references to Chrystler are topical since that is a real world company.
Mockingbird quips that Hawkeye’s sky-cycle is a 1990’s modle “scrap cycle” after it had a run in with a 1971 Chevy. The years in question and the brand names should be considered topical.
The Xenophobic Man, Part Two: Methods and Standards
US Agent has been sent to the border between Texas and Mexico by his government handlers in order to investigate a serial killer that has been executing undocumented immigrants who have been crossing over into the United States. With the local Border Patrol unable to catch the killer, the US Agent has gone to a church that is the base of operations for the Sanctuary Movement, an organization helping the undocumented establish a new life in America. There he is surrounded by armed men who see him as a threat to the very people they are trying to protect.
US Agent easily trounces the gunmen and explains to their leader — Father Kevin Grass — that he hasn’t come to deport anybody, just stop the killer before he strikes again. Deciding to truth the hero, Grass takes him downstairs to see all of the people that his church has been sheltering. At first, the patriotic US Agent bristles at this illegal activity, but reminds himself that lives are at stake and that is more important than something as trifling as immigration. The Agent doesn’t understand why — with a killer on the loose — Father Grass didn’t warn the border patrol that they had people that were going to enter into the country the night before. That’s when Kevin explains that he did and suddenly makes a connection and asks the Agent if he knows what this means.
The Agent does and he heads down to the Border Patrol office to confront Captain Hitchuck, suspecting that he is the killer executing the undocumented people coming into the country. Hitchuck is attacked without explanation, however he is horrified when he learns what the US Agent is accusing him of. He calls in his men — LeRue and Hernandez — and asks them who was on the switchboard the night before. They tell him that it was Officer Bouting and when asked where Bouting is now, LaRue explains that he switched shifts so he could guard the surviving children at the hospital.
As it turns out Bouting is the serial killer that US Agent has dubbed the Xenophobic Man. Having changed into his disguise at the hospital, Bouting has executed two of the children and holds the last surviving child at gun point. He threatens the nurse in order to get her to reveal the hideout where the Sanctuary Movement is located. Not wanting the child to be hurt, she tells him the location of the church. When he gets what he wants, Bouting pumps two bullets into the child’s head.
Recurring Characters
US Agent, Xenophobic Man
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.
