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Publisher: Marvel Comics

Script: Stan Lee

Layouts: Jack Kirby

Artwork: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Artie Simek

Price: $0.12 (That’s 12 CENTS!!!)

Title: “The Old Order Changeth!”

Several years ago when I was just a young teen living in Michigan (I don’t remember why I was in the garage at the time), I happened to come across a box that was tied up by a string. Upon further investigation (wink, wink), I just happened to open the box to find something incredible inside. Here was this small stack of comics that had been sitting here all this time without my knowledge, just waiting for me to find them.

It turns out that these happened to be my Dad’s comics that he had when he was growing up. He told me that he had more but that his brother sold them for marbles (which was, for that time period, the great pastime). Here I had been buying comics for quite a while now and just found out that at one time, my Dad did the same thing. I love the pre-Bendis Avengers and I couldn’t believe my eyes to find this book.

In this issue, while Captain America is on his way back from South America after his battle with Baron Zemo, the Avengers known as Iron Man, Giant-Man and Wasp (minus Thor) decide that it’s time to take a break and contemplate the idea of disbanding the group. Their meeting is interrupted by Hawkeye, who quickly states his desire to join the Avengers and, before a live news conference, Iron Man announces the first “replacement” for the team with more to announce at a later date.

With news of the search for new members, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, better known as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, come to New York and meet with Tony Stark, who takes them to his mansion for their interview with Iron Man. As the crowd of reporters grow outside, Captain America arrives and takes an alternate route of getting into the mansion to find out what is going on. Once inside, he finds out that Iron Man, Giant-Man and Wasp are leaving for some time off and taking their places will be none other than Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. That will teach you, Captain America! Leave the country and the Avengers just fall apart!!!

With the original members gone, can Captain America keep the team going? Without Thor, Iron Man and Giant-Man, can the team even survive against threats of their power level? Only time will tell! And with that, this new Avengers team will go out in the next issue to find the Hulk and ask him to rejoin the group. Good luck with that – you’re going to need it!

Stephen Hatfield
stephen@comicattack.net