Solo Avengers #15
— The Awesome Attacktoid!
Hawkeye has answered a distress call from the Black Widow who has been captured by Advance Idea Mechanics. While Hawkeye frees her and tries to figure out why the terrorist group is transporting a supply of brains they are attacked by their Attackoid. On top of being imprinted with the Widow’s fighting abilities, it can also utilize canisters of chemicals to spray various concauctions.
As the two fight for their lives, AIM mobilizes a strike team to help their android. However, they are ambushed by Mockingbird who has followed after her husband furious over the fact that he cancelled a date to meet with his ex-girlfriend.[1] Realizing that Clint is actually on a rescue mission, Bobbi has been secretly helping her husband out so he doesn’t find out she followed him out of jealousy.
Meanwhile, the Black Widow manages to get a garrote around the Attackoid’s neck forcing its mouth open long enough for Hawkeye to fire an explosive arrow into its maw. The resulting explosion destroys the Attackoid’s head, rendering it harmless. The scientist who created the Attackoid cannot believe his creation has been destroyed and decides to run for it before the two heroes can uncover the secrets behind Project: Brain Drain. Spotting the scientist fleeing the scene, the two follow after him. When they encounter a number of AIM soldiers knocked out in the hallway, Clint doesn’t remember fighting through so many soldiers, little knowing that they were actually taken out by Mockingbird.
When the scientist tries to escape on a rocket sled, Hawkeye and Black Widow jump onboard for the ride. They end up leaving Mockingbird behind as she has no way of keeping up with them without finding out that she has been following them.
When they arrive at the other end, Hawkeye and the Widow are quickly surrounded by an army of AIM soldiers led by an agent called Enforcer Fourteen. Completely surrounded, the two Avengers are forced to surrender. That’s when Enforcer Fourteen removes his mask and reveals to them that he is their former teammate, Hank Pym![2]
Recurring Characters
Hawkeye, Black Widow, Mockingbird, AIM
Continuity Notes
Hawkeye’s romantic situation is complicated to say the least:
He dated the Black Widow years ago, starting in Tales of Suspense #57. However, she broke up with him in Avengers #76 to focus on her career as a SHIELD agent.
Since then, Clint married Mockingbird in Hawkeye #4. However, their marriage has been in trouble since the events of West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #17-23. Bobbi was kidnapped by the Phantom Rider and when she got free she left him to die. When Clint learned the truth in issue #35, he was upset because she violated the Avengers code on killing instead of supporting his wife when she was sexually assualted. The two split up in West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #37, but have been trying to work on their relationship since last issue.
At the time of this story, Hank had left the Avengers following the events of West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #33-36. He had left the team so he could cure the woman he believes to be his first wife, Maria Troyvana, who had been experimented upon by the Hungarian government to increase the size of her brain. We find out next issue that the man here is not really Hank Pym, but a Life Model Decoy.
Ronin on Empty
At an annual hardware and electronics show being held at a stadium in Pontiac, Michigan, Stane International shows off their latest work: The recommission of the Red Ronin robot. Although only partially rebuilt, the robot is the crowning achievement of Karaguchi Inoyawa. He tries to drum up attention by pretending that the robot is trying to eat him.
Also in attendance is Janet Van Dyne, aka the Wasp, who is there representing her own company, Van Dyne Industries. Hearing the commotion and believing something is wrong, Janet shrinks down to wasp size to see what she can do to help. She is unimpressed that this was just a publicity stunt. However, he assures her that the Red Ronin is perfectly safe, explaining how Stane International purchased the machine after it was destroyed by the Avengers and that they are planning on using it for more peaceful applications such as construction of terraforming.[1] Karaguchi then boldly asks Janet out on a date, but she declines.
Little do they know that a man named Joe Kilman — who was part of the Red Ronin reconstruction project until Inoyawa fired him — has come to the convention to get revenge. When nobody is looking, he uses a backdoor program to hack into the Red Ronin’s programming and make the robot go berserk. Even though it does not have its legs, the Red Ronin begins crawling backward out of the stadium, seriously injuring Kilman in the process.
The Wasp and Karaguchi quickly discover the injured Kelman and deduce that he is responsible for the Red Ronin being reactivated. Suspecting that the robot might be heading to its missing components, Inoyawa borrows a walkie-talkie from one of the convention guards so he can walk Janet through getting into the Red Ronin and shutting it down.
Changing into the Wasp and shrinking down in size, Janet flies after Red Ronin and forces her way inside the massive robot. There she has to evade the various internal defense systems and deal with the robot thrashing around to disorientate her. Eventually, she makes her way to the central computer system. When Karaguchi tells her to pull the red wire, she informs him that they are all red. He then admits that he was just being dramatic and tells her to unplug them all. After unplugging them all, the Red Ronin shuts down.
As crews come to recover the massive robot, Karaguchi tries his luck again and asks Janet out for dinner yet again. This time, the Red Ronin answers for her by letting out a massive belch.
Recurring Characters
Wasp, Red Ronin
Continuity Notes
The Red Ronin was scrapped by the Avengers in Avengers #197-199.
Topical References
This story is stated as taking place at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. This should be considered a topical reference as this stadium was shut down in 2013 and completely demolished in 2018.
Kilman is depicted using a floppy disc to install his malware into Red Ronin’s computer database. This should be considered topical as this is an obsolete technology.
Speaking of obsolete, one of the things that the Wasp borrows from the security guard is a beeper. An odd choice since — especially back when they were common — it is functionally useless in an emergency situation. Regardless, this is another obsolete technology that should be considered topical.
