Marvel 1975.11 - Avengers #141

Avengers #141

Title: The Phantom Empire!

Writer: Steve Englehart

Artist: George Perez

Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Yellowjacket, Wasp, Moondragon, Beast, Scarlet Witch, Vision

Villain: Kang, Squadron Supreme (Hyperion, Golden Archer, Doctor Spectrum, Lady Lark, Whizzer)

Regulars: Jarvis

Guests: Patsy Walker, Immortus

Flashbacks: The Falcon, Krang, Red Skull

Whoa! That's a lot of Avengers in this issue! It all starts when the Beast is attacked by a small army, and Captain America comes to his aid. It's not a coincidence. Captain America has been suspicious of Hugh Jones, Roxxon Oil's owner, since Captain America #185. He visited Roxxon and saw the small private army leaving. He followed them and only intervened when he saw them attacking the Beast.

Captain America and the Beast go to the hospital where the Avengers are gathered around the beds of Yellowjacket and the Wasp. They're both recovering, but they need rest. Captain America tells them that he needs their help in investigating the private army. They return to Avengers Mansion, arriving just as Iron Man and Moondragon return from Latveria. They suspect that Hawkeye is trapped in time, but I don't understand how they came to this conclusion. Hawkeye might have been attacked before he even reached Latveria. There are so many other explanations.

Patsy Walker arrives at Avengers Mansion and asks to be taken along on the next Avengers mission. That's a strange request, and what's even stranger is that the Beast agrees.

Thor and Moondragon go up to the roof. Moondragon summons Immortus. They ask him for help in finding Hawkeye. Immortus transports them through time, holding an amazing speech as he does so.

"Follow my image from your era to the present of forever, and then once more to the forever of now".

How's anyone supposed to understand that? It sounds like the lyrics from a Hawkwind song.

On the way they're attacked by Kang. Thor easily defeats Kang. Kang disappears, and Immortus says he knows where he's gone. Immortus is Kang's future self, so he remembers the events of this day. They follow Kang to America in 1873.

Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers go to Brand Corporation, the Beast's former employer as Hank McCoy, because he knows that Roxxon and Brand work together. The Roxxon soldiers were sent to attack the Beast because he'd stolen from Brand. They're surprised to find that the Brand Corporation is being guarded by the Squadron Supreme.

For those who've forgotten, the Squadron Supreme is a nudge-nudge wink-wink parody of DC's Justice League of America. Let's see if I can match them all:

Hyperion is Superman.

Golden Archer is Green Arrow.

Doctor Spectrum is the Green Lantern.

Lady Lark is Black Canary.

Whizzer is the Flash.

The membership of the Squadron Supreme changes each time they appear, probably matching membership changes in the JLA. I'm not a DC fan, so I can't verify it for myself.

The Squadron Supreme wins the battle with the Avengers, and they carry their unconscious bodies to Hugh Jones.

I'd like to say something about the new artist, George Perez. He's been drawing Marvel's b/w comics for about a year. Last month he drew artwork for the Inhumans and Power Man. The Avengers is the first major series that he's drawn, but others will follow. I consider him to be one of Marvel's greatest artists, especially for stories about superhero teams, when a lot of characters appear in the same pictures. George Perez was the greatest artist to work with Steve Englehart for the Avengers.