Hey everybody, it’s good to be back in the saddle once again (Aerosmith reference). Big thanks to Andrew Hurst for stepping up and doing a great job filling in for me while I was on vacation. Hopefully he’ll be up for another round soon!
With all the Avengers movie news swirling around the interwebs, I feel it necessary to talk about one of my favorite Avengers Tpb’s (trade paperback), Nights of Wundagore! This book was the first time the world saw the true origins in detail of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Their true lineage, and who exactly raised them and where. Also, we see the Avengers face some serious, but familiar foes. The story was originally published in 1979, written by David Michelinie, and penciled by John Byrne. Let’s get down to it right now!
The book begins with Beast and Wonder Man taking a night off to visit a movie theater. After some quick (but hilarious) chatter, the movie ends and the two men make their way into the streets of Manhattan. They discuss how the people of the world seem to want to live vicariously through superheroes. Wonder Man is trying to understand why, and Beast offers him some advice. As the two friends approach Avengers mansion, they are greeted by tendrils and an alarm intended for intruders. After ripping the tendrils apart, Wonder Man busts right through the front door. He grabs the first person he sees, which happens to be Stark Industries employee Scott Lang (future Ant-Man). Tony and Henry Gyrich quickly explain to the two Avengers that they are just trying to improve the mansion’s security. Gyrich then holds a meeting with the entire team to inform them that they must cut their numbers down to seven. This doesn’t sit well with the team, but Gyrich has the full weight of the government behind him, and threatens to remove the status of the team as having priority clearance to basically do as they please.
As the team gripes about the seven members, Gyrich tells them too bad and leaves. The new team is Captain America, Iron Man, Vision, Beast, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, and the Falcon. This infuriates Hawkeye, and he goes berserk at the fact that the Falcon is made a member, and he’s left off the list. Suddenly, Quicksilver objects to all this, but quickly falls to the ground in pain, then blacks out. He is rushed to the infirmary, where Dr. Donald Blake (Thor) checks him out. He tells the team that physically he seems OK, but he just isn’t responding to anything. The team then sends the Guardians of the Galaxy on their way home (from Avengers #177), and Hawkeye is still pouting about not making the team. As Wanda comforts him, she falls prey to the same thing that Pietro did. Outside, we see an old man with some sort of bird cage creeping around. Dr. Blake calls everyone into the infirmary, and there he tells the Avengers something startling. Pietro and Wanda have the exact same diagnostic readings. Both have no heartbeat, but are retaining life anyway! This cannot be explained by normal science, and the Avengers know this, but are puzzled as how to figure it out. The last thing we see is the old man who was skulking around the city earlier. And now, he doesn’t have an empty birdcage, but one that has Pietro and Wanda inside it, trapped and looking like Pinocchio!
Well, that’s it for this week, but be back here next week, when we’ll find out who this mystery man is, and also make a trip to the birthplace of the twins of Wundagore Mountain!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
I always loved when the Avengers were forced to trim there roster or decide on a main team. Anytime all the heroes were called together was awesome!
@Cape- Me too…depending on the characters. Gotta have Thor, Cap, and Iron Man though!
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