Spectacular Spider-Man 148 - Inferno

Betty Leeds and Flash Thompson encounter demons and not just the ones who've come from Limbo.

Spectacular Spider-Man #148

Script: Gerry Conway
Art: Sal Buscema
Letters: Rick Parker
Color: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

Betty Leeds has been staying with Flash Thompson since she was rescued from a cult. She has a vision in which her former husband Ned rises from the grave along with Gwen Stacey and Spider-Man who admits he isn't even dead. Coming to her senses she and Flash opt to stay in the flat, the only occupants of the building to do so, and keep out the demons. Flash tells her not to use the gas heater from his camping equipment indoors because of the danger. He goes up to the roof to board up the door only to be attacked by Spider-Man. Down in the apartment the decayed corpse of Ned breaks through a window and chases after Betty. Flash is webbed to the television antenna by Spider-Man who removes the connection to the lightning rod so that the next bolt to hit will kill Flash. Flash releases himself with a screwdriver and realises this isn't Spider-Man. He pulls off "Spidey's" mask to reveal a monstrous face. In the flat Betty hides in a living room and remembers the men she depended on who died including her brother Bennett and then Ned when she sees an image of Ned's ghost telling her she can't depend on them and she has to save herself. She determines to take control and confronts the corpse form which reveals itself to be a demon impersonating her husband. Flash and the demonic Spider-Man crash off the roof and into the flat whereupon Betty shoves the camping gas heater into one of the demons and tells Flash to run as she's broken the valve. They get out just before it explodes, killing both demons. Outside they see things returning to normal and the Empire State Building its regular size. Spider-Man swings by in the distance and they realise they were saved not by heroes outside but the heroes within them.

The final Spider-Man issue of Inferno is an oddity, detached from the rest. Was it a product of confusion over the schedules or did somebody feel that with so many other members of the supporting cast given moments throughout the crossover it was right to look in on Betty and Flash? Either way we get a very close and personal tale in which the star of the book only appears in one panel. Instead there's a focus on two individuals and how they have developed.

Betty Leeds (née Brant) has not a good time over the years. She was Peter's girlfriend but his responsibility as Spider-Man kept coming between them. Her brother was shot dead right in front of her. She married Ned Leeds but it was an unhappy marriage and she twice had affairs. Then she discovered was the Hobgoblin and he was killed not long after. She had a breakdown and ended up in the hands of a cult until Spider-Man and Flash rescued her. It's been a pretty rough ride for her and time and again she's come to rely on others, losing so many along the way. Now even Flash isn't present when the demon comes into the flat. The scenes as she realises that only she can save herself are strong though tempered by inspiration coming from what appears to be the ghost of Ned but could just be her subconscious speaking.

Flash also gets some good moments as he thinks about both the situation in the city and his own situation, reflecting on how he's come from the days as a high school sports star but also that he regrets some of the choices he took. Spider-Man is still his hero which makes the demon taking his form all the more hurtful. The demon plays on how he clings to past glories and his hero worship of the real Spider-Man. But Flash proves he still has what he needs as he manages to break free of his bonds and then use his sports experience to fight the demon (who unmasked looks rather like Spider-Carnage later would - was this where the inspiration came from?) and dodge the attacks. Again it's a tale of personal discovery.

This is a surprising good little tale that could be easily overlooked. It doesn't contain big name villains or major developments but instead gives two of the longest standing supporting cast members their own chance to shine in a situation where there's no help coming. It shows that you don't need flashy moments or big names but just good well told stories and strong characters.

Amazing Spider-Man 313 - Inferno

Multiple searches for family members see the unexpected slithering in.

Amazing Spider-Man #313

Writer: David Michelinie
Art: Todd McFarlane
Lettering: Rick Parker
Color: Bob Sharen & John Wilcox
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

Peter and Mary Jane take a taxi out to Aunt May's house in Queens, narrowly avoiding a giant shark swimming in the air of the Midtown Tunnel. In Queens they learn Aunt May has headed off to Manhattan to find them so Peter sets off again, missing Aunt May who returns as public transport is down. Meanwhile Martha and Billy Connors are driving into New York to see their estranged husband/father who has recently got control over his transformation into the Lizard. However in New York Curt Connors has lost control amidst the Inferno. Spider-Man searches for May and concludes she may have gone to the university campus so heads there, dealing with a giant parade balloon of himself that has come to life on the way. On campus a possessed security guard lures Martha and Billy into the library and unleashes demons from the card catalogue but the Lizard intervenes as he wants them for himself. Then Spider-Man arrives, knocks out the Lizard and administers the formula to cure him. At first it doesn't work and he realises he needs an electric shock to reinforce it. The Lizard's left arm proves to be under the control of Connors and grabs a cable and applies it to transform him back. Curt tells his wife and son they must stay away from him and he will make arrangements through an intermediary. Mary Jane arrives by cab and tells Spidey May is safe at home. Meanwhile in a prison Jonathan Caesar consults a lawyer about a plan to destroy Mary Jane.

It's hard to shake the feeling that the Inferno issues of Amazing Spider-Man were structured in part to allow Todd McFarlane the opportunity to draw a number of classic Spider-Man villains, many of whom haven't been seen in the title for a very long time. It's also hard to ignore the feeling that the Amazing issues are deliberate action heavy whilst the Spectacular and Web ones have many subplots due to the respective artists' strengths and interests.

The Lizard is one of the more difficult villains of the Lee-Ditko era to do much original with. Curt Connors only rarely transforms into him and his reptilian form is rarely able to engage in subtlety or planning. Instead a typical Lizard plot see Connors become the creature who terrorises those around him whilst planning some scheme to have lizards overrun humans often through transforming them. Spider-Man fights the Lizard and administers a serum to revert him to Connors who is seemingly permanently cured but a later story will show that is not the case. The main obstacle to development seems to be the determination to always rescue Connors from his reptilian form which means the latter can never do anything long term or have time to imagine. This issue follows much of the same pattern and indeed from Spidey first encountering the Lizard to Connors re-emerging happens across just five pages.

There are some other moments in the issue such as a random shark appearing in mid air or a parade balloon of Spider-Man coming to life and attacking some kids (including the winner of a competition to appear in an issue) that also requires McFarlane to draw Spider-Man's traditional look that he'd otherwise deviated from. And the final page is a set-up for an interesting plot that sought to solve the objection that Peter shouldn't be married to a high flying model and living in a luxury apartment - by having an obsessive stalker take revenge to get Mary Jane blacklisted in the industry and the couple evicted. It's brutal but it's a much better way to solve that objection than a deal with the devil.

Overall this is another issue that's big on images and light on original plot which was becoming all too common amongst books drawn by some of the future Image founders. McFarlane draws a great Lizard but the story follows the same pattern as many before making for a rather unimaginative outcome. Still it's nice to see the artist made to conform to house style at least once.

Spectacular Spider-Man 147 - Inferno

Spider-Man teams up with J. Jonah Jameson whilst the Hobgoblin tries to deal with demons.

Spectacular Spider-Man #147

Script: Gerry Conway
Art: Sal Buscema
Letters: Rick Parker
Color: Sharen & Wilcox
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

The Hobgoblin is frustrated after his battle with Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. Still seeking power and encountering the Limbo demons he decides to try seeking it from them. He goes to N'astirh and offers his soul for the power of a demon. N'astirh laughs at the idea he would want such a soul but rewards him for the amusement. A wounded Spider-Man staggers into the Daily Bugle office where he finds Jonah leading the staff in defence against demon attacks and the two find themselves fighting side by side. Elsewhere both Mary Jane and Harry Osborn see off demons whilst Robbie Robertson faces down a panicking neighbour.

This is another multiple cast issue again looking at how many of the supporting cast are handling the ever growing menace. And many are standing their ground firmly with especial courage shown by both Jonah and Mary Jane. When the demons attack the newsroom it's fun to see Spider-Man and Jonah teaming up but there's also a monologue about many of the frustrations of urban living and how for the staff this is just another thing to get through. I don't know if Gerry Conway was still living in New York when he wrote this issue but it does feel like a statement of defiance and pride in a city that had a lot of problems at the time.

But the big focus in this issue comes with the Hobgoblin. Let's cut straight to the chase - Jason Macendale was a lousy loser even long before he first donned this costume. As Jack O'Lantern he frequently screwed up and got his butt handed to him. He couldn't even take down the original Hobgoblin (as he and everyone else thought at the time) himself but had to resort to hiring assassins. As the second Hobgoblin his career so far has consisted of blundering through, getting chucked about to establish the credentials of new villains like Tombstone, equipment malfunctions and so forth. Other underworld figures openly mocked him including to his face. And he spent a lot of time whining about his situation including at the start of this issue.

It's now well established that this situation did not come about by design as briefly discussed when looking at Web of Spider-Man #47. To put a bit more detail the original Hobgoblin's identity was a mystery that got tangled up as multiple writers and editors came and went with their own plans that either made it impossible to establish intended characters as suspects or else ruled them out and the revelation issue was effectively a fill-in commission between regular writers with Peter David discovering to his horror that all the clues led to Ned Leeds who had just been killed off and no other suspect fitted. So came the unusual revelation that the Hobgoblin was Leeds and a replacement was hurriedly found in the form of his killer. And thus the legacy of not one but two of the biggest villains in Spider-Man's history was now held by a loser.

The Inferno issues of the Spider-Man titles seem to be trying multiple ways to resolve this. Putting Harry Osborn back into the Green Goblin costume may at first seem a one-off to allow for a long expected battle and set the Hobgoblin up for the next stage. But it might also have been a deliberate plan to have Harry back as the Green Goblin permanently though as it turned out this would take a little while to happen. However either way something still needed to be done up the Hobgoblin. And the end of the issue shows that's he's been changed by his meeting with N'astirh. Giving him enhanced powers seems a natural step. Having him transformed by a demon is a bit far out from the normal run of Spider-Man foes. Although the crossover provides the opportunity for it to happen, it does seem a rather odd route to go down. But how the changed Hobgoblin will work is a matter for later issues.

Otherwise this issue continues the pattern of Spectacular Spider-Man doing a lot of the subplot and character work whilst the other titles carry the main action. The battle in the Daily Bugle newsroom is hardly essential to the grand scheme of things but provides for a fun encounter and some great moments between Spidey and Jonah. Sal Buscema continues to provide the best Spider-Man art for the period able to capture the full range from the comedic to the dramatic with an especially strong final page as we see the Hobgoblin's face beneath the mask. This is a title living up to its name.

Amazing Spider-Man 312 - Inferno

Inferno brings out the goblins in more ways than one.

Amazing Spider-Man #312

Writer: David Michelinie
Artist: Todd McFarlane
Letters: Rick Parker
Color: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

Harry's memories of having been the Green Goblin have returned and he once more dons the costume to protect his family. Meanwhile Curt Connors is wondering if he still has the Lizard under control and Mary Jane is modelling as Cleopatra when gold snake jewellery comes to life. Spider-Man comes across the battle between the two goblins.

It's amazing to realise that the Green Goblin hadn't been seen outside of flashbacks for over a decade at this point. Instead an alternative had been created in the form of the Hobgoblin and although the original had twice confronted Harry Osborn over his father's legacy, Harry had got little further than picking up some pumpkin bombs to throw back. But the goblin legacy was always there and it was probably only a matter of time before someone realised what a mess of a character the second Hobgoblin was and looked elsewhere.

However at this point Harry is only concerned with protecting his family, nothing more, and shows no sign of remembering Spider-Man's identity or seeking revenge upon him. He scoffs at the suggestion that New York could use another crime fighter, declaring he has responsibilities as a married man. It's also clear he is utterly unready for this battle. Time and again he thinks how he's no longer insane and how that had given him an advantage in the past until he eventually realises that rationality could be the way out. The Hobgoblin is clearly the superior fighter but constrained by the intervention of Spider-Man and overconfidence to the point he doesn't realise the Green Goblin has outmanoeuvred him for an aerial bombardment. The Hobgoblin also continues to demand something without actually saying what until the end when Harry tells him it was destroyed years ago and "You're an idiot." A narrative caption adds "Sometimes -- the truth hurts!" Although not too blunt it continues the habit of treating the character as a fool and of little danger to a competent experienced foe.

Neither goblin is the original and with Harry having only just got back onto the glider there's a clear limitation to this battle that reduces the impact. But an eventual confrontation between the different heirs to the Goblin legacy had been much expected for several years and it's good to see it finally happen. A rematch when both have had further development is naturally anticipated here.

This is very much the action issue with limited development of subplots beyond showing that the Lizard is returning for a future issue and a surge of demons coming into New York to make things even worse. Presumably this is a deliberate structuring to put the main battle in the series with the future Image artist drawing a lot of splash artwork and leave the more character and plot focused developments to the titles with more traditional artists. As a result the main attraction is the long awaited battle and the art doesn't disappoint.

Spectacular Spider-Man 146 - Inferno

Harry Osborn is attacked by his factory pipes and a face in the mirror.

Spectacular Spider-Man #146

Script: Gerry Conway
Art: Sal Buscema
Letters: Rick Parker
Color: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

Spider-Man deals with a ventilation pipe that's come to life then heads home where Peter and Mary Jane are continuing to handle the problems of having MJ's young cousin Kristy living with them. Joe "Robbie" Robertson has decided to plead guilty to charges of not speaking out about a murder twenty years ago. A lot of mob lieutenants are found slaughtered in a sign someone is gunning for the Kingpin. J. Jonah Jameson is not happy with his acting editor-in-chief's choice of headline for the Daily Bugle. Glory Grant literally bumps into a man who sweeps her off her feet. Harry Osborn has moved his family back to his old home on Long Island but is suffering nightmares from a face in the mirror. Outside the Hobgoblin is flying around. He meets Peter at his New York factory when suddenly the pipes come to life and attack him. And it seems his memories of the past are returning.

This is an issue mainly advancing subplots. It had been less than a year since Gerry Conway had returned to the title and already a huge number of plot lines are in motion. Some will come to the fore in Inferno but others would run on afterwards. One that particularly stands out is Robbie's impending trial. Earlier issues had revealed how in his youth he had become aware of Tombstone's activities but pulled a story due to intimidation. Later he witnessed Tombstone murdering a man but did not report it at the time. When Tombstone re-emerged Robbie collected and supplied evidence of his crimes to get him sent down but found himself charged with "accessory to murder after the fact" or "misprision of felony" over his failure to report the murder twenty years earlier. There's something that doesn't sit right about the way a witness is prosecuted for being intimidated even if he has gone on to reach a highly respectable position in society. Robbie's acceptance of the situation and decision to plead guilty just makes it more awkward.

Other plots are more simmering and show Conway has a good grasp on the supporting cast. Together with Sal Buscema's artwork, which I much prefer to Todd McFarlane's over on Amazing Spider-Man, this gives this title quite a traditional feel that's also using the current situation to the advantage. Getting married usually doesn't bring just a spouse but also in-laws and so it's good to see Peter having to deal with the situation of one of Mary Jane's relatives staying with all the complications of having to conceal his identity at home and also with the problems she brings with her. There are also some fun moments, especially when Jonah comes onto the Bugle's editorial floor to berate acting editor-in-chief Kate Cushing about the headline and shows her how it should be done.

But the main focus in this issue and indeed of the Spider-Man Inferno issues as a whole involves Harry Osborn and the Hobgoblin. Harry has come to terms with his father having been the Green Goblin but long suppressed the memory of having taken on the role himself despite the original Hobgoblin having twice come after him. Now though his dreams are bringing memories back to the surface and it's not helped by the way his factory comes to life to attack him. The shadow of his dead father is looming again and the issue ends with him seeing the Green Goblin's face in the mirror.

This is very much a calm before the storm issue, building up the characters and especially re-establishing the backstory to Harry Osborn and the Green Goblin. It's good to see the series in such strong hands with a fantastic cliffhanger.

Amazing Spider-Man 311 - Inferno

Spider-Man must deal with the consequences of the death of a would-be hero.

Amazing Spider-Man #311

Writer: David Michelinie
Artist: Todd McFarlane
Letters: Rick Parker
Color: Bob Sharen & Evelyn Stein
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor in Chief: Tom DeFalco

Outside New York's main library two lion statues come to life and Spider-Man tackles them. Swinging down an alley he rescues a couple from a mugging when a wall suddenly turns into a giant and attacks him. One of the couple tries to help by hitting the giant's ankle and gets crushed into the ground. Spider-Man destroys the giant by throwing a car through it but the man's death eats away at him and over the next day Peter is permanently distracted. Then at a bar he steps in to help subdue a bully and Mary Jane explains that like the man in the alley Peter stepped in to help regardless because that's who he is and the man died of his own choice. Peter comes to accept the situation and as Spider-Man he goes to retrieve his camera from the alley - only to discover there's no sign of the fight as if it was all an illusion. After getting information from the mugger he locates and overpowers the true cause - Mysterio.

Up to this point the Spider-Man titles had generally avoided crossovers especially those that required the creative teams to all work together. Kraven's Last Hunt and Mad Dog Ward were each done by a single creative team and run over all three titles instead of in just one. Secret Wars II crossovers had dipped in and out of the three series but never involving more than two at any given point. The crossovers with Inferno were thus the first time all three books would come together to tell a linked story though at this stage the only hint is on the final page as Harry Osborn deals with dreams about a goblin not realising another is watching his house. It was quite a significant step forwards though it would take several years before all then four titles would regularly crossover for years on end. Reportedly it was also unpopular with some readers at the time who either only subscribed to one of the series or who didn't have all three easily distributed in their neck of the woods which in part explains why it remained a rare thing. But it makes sense to tie the series together when taking part in a bigger crossover rather than giving three separate storylines within one big event.

This first issue is surprisingly tame though and rather working through the obvious. In a scenario where everyday objects are suddenly coming to life and attacking people there's an obvious suspect within the Spider-Man rogues' gallery. So it makes sense to get him out of the way. This is a pretty straightforward Mysterio story in which he fakes a situation to make Spider-Man doubt himself with a showdown on the set of a science fiction movie ("Star Fight IV: The Return of the Sequel") with some special effects. It's perhaps over simple with the scenes with Mysterio over focused on splashy art at the expense of plot, a sign of what would come to be called the Image style growing in prominence at the time. As a result this is a rather dull start to the Spider-Man part of the crossover.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 22 - The Evolutionary War

Spider-Man and Daredevil team up to solve a drug wars murder but bigger plans are afoot.

Okay we've hit a publishing mistake here. The back-up feature "The High Evolutionary" has a strict chapter order and the next one should be Fantastic Four Annual #21. However the lead feature in that has the first recap of the event so far in chronological order and places it after this issue. So I've opted to publish these two posts simultaneously in lead feature order.

(And this is another annual with a lot of creators so some of the labels are in a separate post.)

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22

1st story: Drug War Rages
By Tom DeFalco
As told to David Michelinie
Photos: Mark Bagley & Mike Esposito
R. Parker signs on
B. Sharen in the red
J. Salicrup indicted
T. DeFalco shrieks

This is the first annual in The Evolutionary War to actually build on events earlier in the saga as New York deals with the consequences of the interruption of the drugs supply in Punisher Annual #1. Otherwise this annual feels quite traditional, perhaps in part because Tom DeFalco is plotting but also Mark Bagley adopts a very traditional approach to the artwork that stands in strong contrast to Todd McFarlane's contemporary work on the regular series at this time. It's a nice suitable retro feel for a story that also resorts to some traditional moves such as Spider-Man being falsely accused of a crime and J. Jonah Jameson being delighted at being proved right. There's a team-up with Daredevil and a good use of the Kingpin. But there's also the debut of a new superhero.

Speedball was the newest hero Marvel was about to launch in his own title and he's given a preview here. But it's not a very good one. There's no origin story, just a quick mention of an "accident" that gave him his powers, and the character comes across as a mess. When Robbie Baldwin encounters a force it triggers a kinetic power that sends him jumping all over the place which he tries to use to fight street level crime. There's a half decent idea in that and with some refinement to give him a degree of control that could at least all him to walk around without being terrified of brushing into anyone it might work. But the problem here is that we're given neither the origin of a new hero when he can be expected to have difficulty controlling his powers nor an appearance once he's fully come to terms with them. To add to the problems neither his creator Steve Ditko nor his regular scripter Roger Stern is working on this story and so Speedball is just thrown into this story to bounce around without contributing much that couldn't have been handled by either Spider-Man or Daredevil.

The story focuses on the mystery of the disruption to the drug supply which turns out to be down to the High Evolutionary's Purifiers killing several distributors and dealers whilst preparing a scheme to render everyone in New York unconscious and then sterilise everyone with unacceptable DNA. Although both aims have been pursued by the Evolutionary's forces in earlier annuals it's surprising to see the same team attempting both at the same time and the result is they attract too much attention with the Kingpin forcing the details out of a captured Purifier then manipulating Spider-Man and Daredevil into attacking the Purifiers' base whilst Speedball has also stumbled across the plan. There's a good complex take on the Kingpin, concerned not merely with the immediate profit margin but also with ensuring his city is kept safe and using his resources to help the heroes where necessary. He even gets the Arranger to clear Spider-Man's name by getting the real criminal to confess to the murder of the drug distributors at the start of the story. Then at the very end he is shown expressing real concern about the wider threat. It's a reminder how he prefers the stability of the existing order and is prepared to help preserve it if needs be whereas a more simplistic villain would simply throw in with the bigger foe in town.

Overall this is a pretty good example of a traditional Spider-Man story with a double team-up thrown in for good measure. Spider-Man and Daredevil work well together and the menace is pitched at the right level for them. It's just unfortunate that space is devoted to introducing Speedball who really adds nothing to this tale and does not get a very impressive introduction.


2nd story: He who laughs...
Plotter & Penciler: Steve Ditko
Scripter: Roger Stern
Inking: Jackson Guice
Lettering: Rick Parker
Coloring: Tom Vincent
Editing: Jim Salicrup

Yes that's that Steve Ditko doing the plot and pencils. It's his first work on a Spider-Man book since 1966 - but he always refused to return to the main character and so is only drawing a back-up feature. Over the next few years he would appear in several more Spider-Man annuals in this way and so it's natural to wish he could have opted to return to the main character just one more time. Instead here is what was then his newest creation.

This could almost be from Speedball's own series which launched at this time and had almost exactly the same creative team at the start. One of the curiosities of the series is how many issues have multiple stories. There were a number of anthology titles around this time - examples include Strange Tales, Marvel Comics Presents, Solo Avengers and, over at DC, Action Comics Weekly - that offered multiple shorter stories but headed titles tended to have a single story each issue or at most a back-up story that focused on some of the other cast members in a separate story strand. Doing an ongoing headed series with multiple tales of the title character(s) was an extremely retro step.

And this story feels very retro. It's about thwarted ambition fuelling false revenge as an unsuccessful ex actor tries to murder Speedball's mother, believing she turned a director against him and so he failed to get a key break part. Now working as a janitor in a theatre he plans to attack her when she visits a friend there but first has to dispose of her son. This results in Speedball (who doesn't actually call himself by that name yet; instead he thinks of himself as "The Masked Marvel", his book's subtitle) bouncing around trying to distract and knock out the would-be killer before his mother can see him.

It's a rather weak story that's constrained by the need to have Speedball's powers triggered at key moments to advance the plot. The villain's motivation is believable but his attempts get sillier and sillier. Nor is it even resolved by the hero. Again this is not a good advert for Speedball and his series.


3rd story: The High Evolutionary: Kindred Spirits
Story: Mark Gruenwald
Pencils: Ron Lim
Inks: Tony DeZuniga
Letters: Ken Lopez
Colors: Gregory Wright
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

This is another info dump heavy chapter that rushes through the introduction of the New Men, with Bova, perhaps their best known member, being shown being genetically accelerated from a Guernsey cow, then more explanation about the nature of the Werewolf, though the High Evolutionary remains sceptical about the supernatural explanations, before the body of Jonathan Drew returns animated by a sixth century ghost called Magnus to explain how the spirit of the demon Cthon has been bound to Mount Wundagore and could be awakened by the Evolutionary's work. That's a lot to take in in just six pages but it does once again reinforce just how Marvel had let Wundagore get overused in far too many characters' histories so as to produce this mix of technology and magic and even Mark Gruenwald was starting to struggle to make it all seem consistent.

One thing that does stand out is that Gruenwald (or Macchio) isn't always writing the Evolutionary's dialogue consistently as an interwar British scientist. So some of his dialogue includes stereotypical upper class phrases like "old girl" whilst he also uses the American dating format for recording his experiments. More consistent is the way the way Herbert Edgar Wyndham is now wearing his armour full time as a sign of how he is retreating ever more from the outside world into a shell. The character is portrayed consistently as a rational scientist refusing to believe tales of magic even though he admits he does not understand the Werewolf. Although the amount of backstory to wade through can be overwhelming at times this saga so far has done a good job of building up the lead character.

Other material includes the plans for Peter and Mary Jane's apartment plus two unused covers by Larry Lieber & Jack Abel and Bob Layton from the black costume era and a plug for the Spider-Man newspaper strip. This annual may not be the best example of its series at the time as the latter was in quite a bold experimental phase but it's good traditional Spider-Man and a good introduction to crossover visitors as well as making good use of the event to tell a strong story. It's just a pity that it's had a new hero thrown in to poorly promote.

Avengers West Coast 62 - Acts of Vengeance Aftermath

And so we come to the conclusion of the long-running Scarlet Witch storyline as Immortus seeks complete mastery over time through the Scarlet Witch's enhanced powers.

Avengers West Coast #62

Writers: Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas
Penciller: Paul Ryan
Inker: Danny Bulanadi
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

It seeks to wrap up the threads and resolve Immortus's aims. As a goal, becoming the "master all of time" sounds grand, but it's never terribly clear what this actually means. As a result this degenerates into a powerful being seeking an abstract role that other, more powerful beings come to restrain him. "...did we hero types really accomplish anything in Limbo?" "Yeah -- or were we just along for the ride?" ask the Wasp and Wonder Man at the end, as though the script itself recognises the problem, with Agatha Harkness arguing that by battling Tempus they provided the distraction to allow her to reach through to the Scarlet Witch and get her to expel the excess power. But it's still a little unconvincing.

There's an actual fight here with the aforementioned Tempus which comes on both a physical and temporal level as the Avengers struggle with the giant creature, who chillingly ages Wonder Man and brings the other Avengers to their knees. But it serves a higher purpose as it allows Harkness to send her spirit to communicate with the Scarlet Witch and appeal to her feelings for her friends to make her break from her catatonic state. It's good to see that Wanda ultimately frees herself and regains independence after the way so many have manipulated her, but it then brings on a threat to the whole universe as numerous timelines are spawned. This attracts the attention of the Time Keepers, a trio of mysterious beings who are ultimately Immortus's bosses and show up to put him in his place. The ultimate irony is that he achieves what he wants but not in the form he wants it.

It's ultimately hard to find much to say about this issue given the abstract nature of the goals and final conflict. As ever it's hard to lay blame on the current creative team who are working to conclude a storyline they didn't begin or lay the basics for. And though it's gone on for probably a few months too many, that again is a consequence of the abrupt changeover and emergency fill-ins. The Avengers themselves are generally well handled and these are promising signs for the future, but for now we've a storyline that has gone all over the place and it's a relief it's now all over.

Avengers West Coast #62 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)

Avengers West Coast 61 - Acts of Vengeance Aftermath

This issue sees the west coast Avengers confronting Immortus and transported to Limbo whilst back on Earth Agatha Harkness uses her magic to maintain a shade of the lord of Limbo on Earth and subject him to a magical interrogation.

Avengers West Coast #61

Writers: Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas
Penciller: Paul Ryan
Inker: Danny Bulanadi
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

For a character who's made very few appearances over the years - by my reckoning only about five substantial storylines before this one - Immortus comes with far too much baggage. It seems that many times when either he and/or his younger self Kang has been used over the years there's been a lengthy scene setting out the character's history, including some retcons to tidy things up. The result is a character whose origin and motivations keep changing with the writer, making it rather hard to keep track of it all. Continuity is not necessarily a bad thing, but if a character can't be used without a heavy infodump and a set of retcons then that character probably shouldn't be used until a writer is able to extract them from the weight of their own history. Unfortunately here we have one writer clearing up after another, as Immortus is a hangover from the Byrne run, including the revelation that the Vision wasn't the recreation of the original Human Torch and that Immortus had shown a lie.

But what also feels messy is the way the whole storyline continues to liberally copy "Inferno". Now we have the ruler of the realm of Limbo (although this appears to be a different one) seeking to utilise a woman for his goal of seeking power, as well as massive revelations about how lives have long been manipulated in order to bring about the situation whereby the woman can be used as a tool for long term conquest. Coming little over a year after such a major storyline it's hard to dismiss it as casual coincidence. Instead it feels like an attempt to set down some grand scale continuity for the Avengers on a similar scale to the X-Men.

While all this information is being dumped, the Avengers face another incarnation of the Legion of the Unliving, made up of foes from the past or future. In general the foes have been chosen for their connections to the current Avengers so we get the second Black Knight, an old foe of Hank Pym and the Wasp, the Swordsman, once mentor to Hawkeye, the Grim Reaper, brother to Wonder Man, Iron Man 2020, the future counterpart of the current one, Left-Winger and Right-Winger, US Agent's former sidekicks whom he fell out with badly, Oort the Living Comet, a foe from Quicksilver's future, and Toro, the original Human Torch's partner. The last is also retconned into having taken part in the original Legion of the Unliving rather than the Torch himself, so it's a particular pity that the Torch isn't present for what could have been an interesting meeting. Similarly this is the first time that Iron Man has encountered his 2020 counterpart, and it's thus a little annoying that the script can't decide if Tony is Arno's "ancestor", "great uncle" or "uncle" (and other stories have in fact made him a first cousin once removed or, more recently, an adoptive brother). The line-up is also distorted by the lack of any specific dead foes for Quicksilver, resulting in the creation of Oort. The conflict is rather formulaic with most Avengers facing down their counterparts on an individual page before cutting to a page of Immortus's interrogation and back.

This issue is clearly aiming at taking some of the Avengers' mythology and using it to develop some great continuity for the long-term, but it just comes across as a mixture of a retread of a classic Avengers battle combined with too much of a continuity infodump. As ever, it's difficult to blame a new writing team thrust in the middle of a complicated storyline in which retcons have already been introduced but not yet explained, but the result is still rather turgid.

Avengers West Coast #61 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)

Avengers West Coast 60 - Acts of Vengeance Aftermath

We return now to Avengers West Coast, skipping over issues #58 & #59. John Byrne's sudden departure clearly left the title scrambling, hence two fill-in issues by separate creative teams, neither continuing the Scarlet Witch storyline in any essential way. Issue #59 even reveals itself to have been set in an alternate timeline that Immortus soon eliminates. It's notable that collections of the "Darker than Scarlet" storyline have skipped over the two, albeit creating problems for fitting into sequential runs of the series. Hence, they can be left out here with precedent.

Avengers West Coast #60

Writers: Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas
Penciller: Paul Ryan
Inker: Danny Bulanadi
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Issue #60 opens with Immortus pruning yet another timeline. This one sees the events of the Kennedy assassination turn out differently from reality as officers stop Lee Harvey Oswald in time. However all this does is to confirm a second gunman on the grass knoll and the difference is that there is no question about a conspiracy. It's also notable that Ryan draws the car layout correctly given how misrepresentation of this has fuelled so much speculation.

The rest of the issue sees the writer first getting a grip on the characters through a protracted sequence as they deal with the aftershocks of an earthquake, then a showdown with Magneto. Although Quicksilver's real role has already been blatantly hinted at, there's a real sense of rush to these scenes as though the new writer is hurrying to remove Magneto from the storyline. In what may be another sign of the wider struggle within Marvel over the direction of the character, we get a strong suggestion that he's actually being manipulated by someone else, presumably Immortus. It may be a quick fix solution to what is already a potentially convoluted storyline, but it just serves to emphasise the mess that's been made of the character in a short space of time as different visions then multiple retcons have all piled on top of one another.

This issue also sees the return of Hawkeye to the team in a rather sudden move, having left Mockingbird with the task of refining the Great Lakes Avengers into an official team. Like a lot of things in the issue it feels slightly rushed just to get characters into place and undo some of what the previous run set up. The rest of the team are handled well, with Hank increasingly emerging as the unofficial leader of the team, in spite of US Agent's habit of barking out orders, whilst Iron Man continues to do a very poor job of hiding the fact he's really the original. The team's solution to taking down Magneto is both imaginative and well thought through.

Overall though this is an issue that shows a new pair of writings rushing to get a grip on a series, to quickly undo some recent changes and developments and to try to move an ongoing storyline towards its conclusion. It's an understandable approach but it feels over hasty in its handling of both Magneto and Hawkeye, with the result that this is a rather unsatisfactory continuation. In fairness, the Thomases may not have had access to Byrne's notes to know how things were meant to go, but it stands as a classic example of the problems when a creative team suddenly leaves a title midflow.

Avengers West Coast #60 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)

Avengers West Coast 57 - Acts of Vengeance Aftermath

This issue continues the saga of the Scarlet Witch's descent story, though it would turn out to be the last one written and drawn by John Byrne. Entitled "Family Reunion", it appropriately adds her brother Quicksilver to the mix.

Avengers West Coast #57

Writer and penciller: John Byrne
Inker: Paul Ryan
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

But it's an interesting inversion of the family dynamics. Traditionally the Scarlet Witch was the most dovish of the three but here she's a hawk whereas by contrast Magneto only attacks when necessary and will not harm restrained foes. Even Quicksilver is advocating more caution than usual, though there are some hints that all is not as it seems with him. The issue continues the move towards restoring Magneto as a noble but ultimately villainous fighter for mutant rights, even recreating his Asteroid M base. Otherwise it serves to show just how powerful both he and his daughter are, able to shrug off rescue attempts by first the original Human Torch then Iron Man and later an assault on Asteroid M. Such is his power he simply returns the Avengers to Earth secure in the belief they will not attack again and also offers Iron Man the chance to leave them alone. Tony Stark has clearly learned from past encounters with Magneto to equip his armour with anti-magnetic devices and benefits from the current claims that the original Iron Man has been replaced, meaning Magneto doesn't expect a foe with experience of him.

For all the talk of Magneto having been reverted to his Silver Age portrayal by "Acts of Vengeance", here Byrne is writing a more complex character, acting as much as a father seeking to protect and nurture his daughter as anything else. He speaks of protecting mutantkind but explicitly draws a distinction from "the destruction of humanity" and only acts when attacked. This is much closer to the complex Magneto who tried to reform but found failure pushing him back and then declared he was as much seeking to become a target to take fire away from other mutants than this has often been written up as.

If anything, the problem is taking too much from the recent X-Men titles. Barely a year after "Inferno" and we have another story of a mother twisted by abandonment, loss of her children and manipulated by dark powers into going bad and unleashing dark magic, right down to attacking her erstwhile friends and playing on her brother-in-law's feelings. The story also seems to be running rather slowly and this issue could surely have been combined with the previous one and still get from the revelation of Wanda's transformation to the asteroid without repeated conflicts that ultimately do little to advance the plot.

It's a pity that John Byrne's last issue on the series is both slow and somewhat derivative as his handling of Magneto has especially shown there was a lot more to the debate about the character than merely the Claremont vs the Silver Age debate it's somewhat caricatured as. This is a storyline with good ideas but taking too long to get through them.

Avengers West Coast #57 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Avengers West Coast: Darker then Scarlet (Panini pocketbook, 2015)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)

Avengers West Coast 56 - Acts of Vengeance Aftermath

Continuing the story of the Scarlet Witch's descent into darkness accompanied by Magneto there are actually three strips in this book. One back-up is a four-pager set during "Atlantis Attacks" and depicts the first modern meeting of the original Human Torch and Captain America, shown by reader demand. It's a straightforward piece showing the two war time comrades briefly reflecting on the old days, how things have changed and how both their partners have died. There's also a one-page strip (not always reprinted) in which John Byrne goes on panel to explain that Tigra's appearance in that year's annual was an error down to him getting muddled when he informed the writer which team members were available.

Avengers West Coast #56

Writer and penciller: John Byrne
Inker: Paul Ryan
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Howard Mackie
Ed.-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The main story focuses upon the Scarlet Witch who is changing in more ways than one. Capturing several of the other west coast Avengers she reveals how she has embraced her power and is preparing to take revenge on them. The scenes as she taunts and torments them are chilling, though it's probably for best that the editors modified half a page to avoid the implication that at one point she performs oral sex on Wonder Man. The big revelation is that her powers have changed. Rather than making the improbable happen, they now seem to be altering reality, such as recreating the house that was previously destroyed, bringing Wonder Man back to life and even, in the lab, altering the historic record of a sample piece of metal. Magneto also returns and it becomes clear the family reunion is a step towards a mutant-human war in which the Scarlet Witch will be on the mutants' side.

This quite a talkie issue, bringing various subplots up to date and re-establishing the Scarlet Witch's recent misfortunes. It's also pretty critical both for this storyline and the long-term history of the Marvel universe. Wanda's powers have long been poorly defined and so it helps to take time here to make clear just how they now work. At the same time after the crossover it's handy to catch up on the characters and subplots such as Tigra having gone feral and been shrunk down, as well as new ones such as the team's potential issue. But this doesn't detract from the chilling effects of the scenes of the Avengers suspended in air, prisoners of their own teammate and then a strong cliffhanger suggesting further darkness ahead. This continues to be a strong dark series.

Avengers West Coast #56 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Atlantis Attacks Omnibus (2011 - back-up story only)
• Avengers West Coast: Darker then Scarlet (Panini pocketbook, 2015)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)

Web of Spider-Man 65 - Acts of Vengeance

"The Last Act of Vengeance" is the title of this issue and many readers (and perhaps even some editorial staff) were no doubt going "We hope!" It concludes as the group of villains seek money from the Kingpin whilst Spider-Man has to find a way to get back down to the ground.

Web of Spider-Man #65

Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Keith Williams
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Spidey's solution of webbing a plane and then clinging to it until it lands and Graviton's power wears off is somewhat on the fantastical side but, as often with Acts of Vengeance, there's a famous Silver Age precedent, here Spider-Man's mission to repair a space capsule in the very first issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Elsewhere the Chameleon has abandoned the hideout and left faked documents implying he's working with the Kingpin, causing the six villains to go and seek the money they expect from him. It's such an obvious ploy it's amazing that they fall for it, but numerous villains have been gullible over the years.

After some localised subplots about the Daily Bugle building having been so damaged as to have to be condemned and Mary Jane discovering that Harry Osborn has the Green Goblin costume and equipment stored in his flat, we get to the final battle. Once again Spider-Man takes advantage of some of his foes' lack of experience of working with each other to pick them off one by one and it's a pretty straightforward fight. Strangely there's a moment where Titania leaps on Spidey and they both fall a long way before he breaks clear and leaves her falling, assuming she's strong enough it will only stun her. However on landing she gets hit by a bus and there's nothing in the story suggesting Spider-Man's even aware of this yet it's the classic type of situation that would give him a major guilt trip. The Kingpin watches the fight bemused, unaware that this is all a set-up by the Chameleon to destroy his rival's reputation.

This issue is ultimately almost as light as something Graviton has used his powers on. There's not much substance, the team-up between the six villains doesn't provide any further insights and Spidey quickly proves he's able to take each and every one of them down with greater strategy. This epilogue is ever more distant from the big crossover and it's a relief that this is the final book with an "Acts of Vengeance" banner on the cover.

Web of Spider-Man #65 has been reprinted in:

• Acts of Vengeance Crossovers Omnibus (2011)

Web of Spider-Man 64 - Acts of Vengeance

Three months after the conclusion of "Acts of Vengeance" came this issue of Web of Spider-Man with "Acts of Vengeance is Back!" on the cover. This issue and the next provide a further epilogue to the series. The story sees the Chameleon arrange the release of several of the villains Spider-Man defeated in the saga and then offers them $500,000 between them to kill Spider-Man.

Web of Spider-Man #64

Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciler: Alex Saviuk
Inker: Keith Williams
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

It's yet another throwback to the Silver Age where numerous villains sought to defeat Spider-Man in order to cement their position as the leading crime lord in the city. This time the Chameleon isn't bothering with trying to do it personally but has instead made an offer to a group of foes with mixed powers who all want revenge now that Spider-Man no longer has his powers. The villains are a motley group - Titania, Graviton, Goliath, the Brothers Grimm and Paste Pot Pete the Trapster - but they prove sufficiently willing to work together for a mutual goal, given leadership and incentive. It stands in stark contrast to the squabbling committee of the leading super-villains during the crossover.

As Peter Parker, Spider-Man is facing further problems as Nick Katzenberg, the sleazy rival photographer at the Daily Bugle, produces photos showing Peter dressed as Spider-Man for a shoot, leading to editor Joe "Robbie" Robertson sacking him with a rant about journalistic ethics, perhaps because of his own lingering guilt at having failed to report Tombstone in his youth that recently put him in jail. It's often been speculated that Robbie has deduced Spider-Man's identity but keeps it to himself, but his reaction here, even disagreeing with J. Jonah Jameson who is willing to overlook it all as it isn't a news photo, suggests otherwise. Peter storms off and has an angry confrontation with Katzenberg before storming off.

The later battle shows some repeat tricks, with Graviton once again lifting up the Daily Bugle building, but also the need for better leadership in the field as Spidey manages to trick the Brothers Grimm and the Trapster into taking each other out, but Graviton's powers proved rather harder to defeat with strategy.

This is an odd issue. After such a long crossover there wasn't really a crying need for yet more "Acts of Vengeance" issues. These also came out in the run-up to a major story in Amazing Spider-Man entitled "Return of the Sinister Six", reuniting more conventional Spider-Man foes so yet another story involving a group of villains teaming up feels repetitive even if it did manage to come out first. Nor does it present much of a lesson in how teams of villains can work effectively, since Spider-Man is able to play off the limitations and lack of expectations. This is just another demonstration of the problems of having three monthly titles for one character without distinctive purposes, leading to a speedy rehash of recent events.

Web of Spider-Man #64 has been reprinted in:

• Acts of Vengeance Crossovers Omnibus (2011)

Amazing Spider-Man 329 - Acts of Vengeance

It seems slightly surprising that the story of Spider-Man's cosmic powers has just run over the end of "Acts of Vengeance", especially as this arc has had a few too many chapters. It would have made more sense to follow the structure of "Inferno" and limit the main multi-part storyline to a handful of issues with others doing their own thing on the side, rather than padding things out so much and then needing an extra issue.

Amazing Spider-Man #329

Writer: David Michelinie
Penciler: Erik Larsen
Inker: Andy Mushynsky
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colourist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Jim Salicrup
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Still this final part does a lot to wrap things up, including a climax on the power stakes. Both Graviton and Sebastian Shaw are continuing to pursue Spider-Man, but the former is put off with a single blast. The latter is more cunning, opting to investigate just how Spider-Man got his powers and locating the scientist who was doing energy experiments at the time. From a modern perspective it's surprising that Shaw is able to blackmail Dr Lubisch by threatening to reveal to the board of Empire State University the details of how Lubisch was sacked from Heidelberg after performing a "rather unorthodox experiment". It seems strange that basic background checks were not performed, especially as by 1989 communication was already sufficiently advanced that universities would be able to contact one another quickly. Still it works that Shaw would turn to the same scientist to produce an "energy negator" to try to cancel out Spider-Man's powers - and that it instead cancels the block in the original transfer that led to Spider-Man acquiring them only slowly.

For Spider-Man has the powers of Captain Universe and now adopts the traditional look, albeit with a red webbed mouth mask. The Enigma force has detected great danger to humanity and empowered Spider-Man to defeat it, though why the powers to him so early is unclear, though Lubisch's experiments are the cause of the delay in fully adoption. One could also wonder if the danger was just the Tri-Sentinel (as Spider-Man's newfound cosmic awareness implies) or the "Acts of Vengeance" as a whole. The robotic menace turns out to be an after-effect of the Acts as Loki, looking rather freer than he was at the end of the final battle, opts to make a final mark on Earth by merging three prototype new Sentinels together. Given the steady step up in power levels of the foes encountered through this arc, a super robot enhanced by the magic of a deity makes sense as the ultimate threat level. And the Tri-Sentinel also evokes one of the classic Silver Age images, Spider-Man with six arms which was the very final panel of Stan Lee's original hundred issue run.

Three is a recurring theme in the issue, with the opening scene introducing the Sentinels set three days ago, Shaw blackmailing Lubisch three hours ago and Loki working his magic three minutes ago. The merged Tri-Sentinel has three faces, making it impossible to sneak up on, though Loki doesn't seem to have thought to reverse one set of arms for fighting in both directions. There's also a fusion to the logic circuits, so Shaw is unable to trigger a failsafe that would make the Sentinel turn in on itself. Instead it's down to Spider-Man to finish the task he received the powers for. Then the power departs, leaving Peter wondering if he could have done more with it to improve the world, a thought that we'll come back to.

At first glance, cosmic powers and Spider-Man are not a natural combination. But this storyline has taken the core philosophical line of the character - "with great power there must also come -- great responsibility" - and asked what happens when greatER power comes? As a one-off event it's been an excellent way to explore the character. The storyline may have had a few too many issues but the finale works in providing a clear explanation for the situation, delivering an ultimate threat and handling the foes who weren't previously captured. The art effectively captures Spider-Man's moves and the sheer scale of the Tri-Sentinel, making for a strong finish.

Amazing Spider-Man #329 has been reprinted in:

• Spider-Man: The Cosmic Adventures (1993)
• Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (2011)
• Amazing Spider-Man by David Michelinie & Todd McFarlane Omnibus (2011)
• Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Cosmic Adventures (2013)

Avengers West Coast 55 - Acts of Vengeance

"Acts of Vengeance" is concluded, officially at least, in this issue. It's been quite a journey, and there are a number of aftermaths to come, but for now we reach the showdown with the mastermind of the piece.

Avengers West Coast #55

Written and pencilled: John Byrne
Inked by: Paul Ryan
Coloured by: Bob Sharen
Lettered: Bill Oakley
Edited by: Howard Mackie
Ed.-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

But one thing that immediately leaps out is just how little of the issue is devoted to ending the crossover. Of the 22 pages, ten are given over to advancing other plots in the series involving either the Scarlet Witch's continued troubles or Immortus's mission to eliminate alternate timelines. As a result the issue ends on a cliffhanger involving the former. Collected editions were only just getting going back in the late 1980s so it's probable that the idea of "writing for the trade" simply didn't exist then, but it has been a notable feature of a lot of Byrne's later work for Marvel that it hasn't been the best for collecting, either not having neat cut-off points at the end of issues or using difficult story structures such as leaping from a cliffhanger against one foe to starting against another and filling in the gap in a flashback or even telling a story in reverse chronological order. Of course here one could make the point that crossover and subplots are handled on separate pages, and so the contemporary practice of excising repetitive or extraneous material could have allowed for a coherent trade, but in modern form it feels awkward. However the subplots do mean we get to see Abraham Lincoln star in the story, a rather unexpected guest appearance. And the Scarlet Witch storyline involves Magneto, thus building on his role in the crossover, so there is a natural flow in the narrative. Still it does suggest the main event has somewhat run out of steam.

Meanwhile the Avengers finally learn the truth of who's behind the attacks whilst their prisoner, the Wizard, escapes with a teleportation device hidden under his fingernail. It's an amazing piece of miniaturisation that seems fantastic but it's a technology that goes back to the early Silver Age including the very first Hulk adventure. But his return to the committee room infuriates the mysterious stranger as it's allowed the Avengers to trace them. And the stranger now reveals himself as Loki, shocking most of the villains and prompting the Kingpin to slip away.

The Avengers come for a showdown as we discover the committee room was based on the Isle of Silence, though the dialogue here suggests the name is metaphorical. It makes sense that the villain who inadvertently caused the Avengers to be formed in the first place would try to destroy them and that he's doing so from a realm where his powers are enhanced, making him a match for the ad hoc combined team of nine who arrive. The line-up has most of the biggest names on the team such as Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, the Wasp, Hank Pym, Hawkeye and the Vision plus Mockingbird who co-founded the west coast team and the Falcon. It feels quite an appropriate line-up for a sequel to the very first adventure. And it's also appropriate that it's Thor rather than Captain America who gets to make the grand speech at the end of the battle.

However we don't get a grand all-out attack on the Avengers by the combined forces of the super-villains and their henchmen. This annoys Loki as well as his plans have descended into a quagmire of egos, but reflects some of the general problems with the crossover best saved for an overview conclusion.

As a final chapter issue, this frankly feels lacking. It's really only half an issue devoted to the conclusion and doesn't feel sufficiently grand. The remaining super-villains all retreat with the Red Skull's suggestion they take the opportunity to strike quickly dismissed. This issue really should have been completely devoted to the conclusion and it suffers as a result.

Avengers West Coast #55 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (2011)
• Avengers West Coast: Darker then Scarlet (Panini pocketbook, 2015)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)

Avengers West Coast 54 - Acts of Vengeance

It had to happen. With John Byrne both writing and drawing the series and with the original Human Torch having returned, it was inevitable that there would be a cover homage to Fantastic Four #1. And this in turn drives the villains with the Mole Man appearing, accompanied by monsters such as Giganto (seen of the cover), Tricephalous and other beasts underground.

Avengers West Coast #54

Written and pencilled: John Byrne
Inked by: Paul Ryan
Coloured by: Bob Sharen
Lettered: Bill Oakley
Edited by: Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Of course this brings up the slight problem that the Mole Man has actually fought the Avengers at least twice in the past, with first Iron Man and then the Scarlet Witch on the team. One could rationalise it that the alliance of super-villains regard the west coast Avengers as a separate team from the Avengers (for some members that would be a more hurtful blow than anything else), or that as the Scarlet Witch is comatose and Iron Man is publicly a replacement for the original then it's still an original encounter. It's notable that neither of these heroes actually get to meet the Mole Man himself. And the cover scene doesn't appear in the issue, but then again neither did that of Fantastic Four #1.

The story is based around an attack on Los Angeles by the Mole Man's creatures, with the west coast Avengers quickly scattered into several groups. Thus Iron Man sets out to remove Giganto to a safe distance, determined not to harm the creature despite the urgings of US Agent. Wonder Man and the original Human Torch investigate underground to meet with the Mole Man. And the Wasp and Hank Pym seek to protect the comatose Scarlet Witch whilst their qunijet is attacked by Tricephalous. Meanwhile Magneto observes events, unaware that he in turn is being monitored by the mysterious stranger. There's a slight twist on the regular approach of the crossover in that rather than approaching the Mole Man and offering him a trade of enemies, the leading super villains (or perhaps one amongst them) have instead provoked an attack by staging an assault on the Mole Man's Monster Island pretending to be the west coast Avengers, thus pushing him into reprisals.

This is a relatively straightforward chapter of the crossover that manages a good bit of variety to the structure of foes whilst staying true to the core concept. However this the fourth of the six issues of the two main Avengers titles and only the final page seems to advance the main storyline as the two Avengers teams compare notes and deduce that everything else is a distraction but they're under direct attack. This doesn't feel like the major step forward that the crossover needs at this stage.

Avengers West Coast #54 has been reprinted in:

• Avengers West Coast: Darker Than Scarlet (2008)
• Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (2011)
• Avengers West Coast: Darker then Scarlet (Panini pocketbook, 2015)
• Avengers by John Byrne Omnibus (2016)