Synopsis
Avengers, The (1963 series) #342 synopsis by
T Vernon
Rating:
A racial incident called the Carmello Clubbing has led to a violent free-for-all between police, protesters, the Sons of the Serpent, the New Warriors, and the Avengers, inflamed by a new demonic Hate-Monger who feeds on all the dark emotions. The police fire tear gas. Captain America fights Night Thrasher and is overcome by Marvel Boy, rescuing his teammate and MB is taken down by Falcon. And as the heroes are fighting each other, the Serpents escape. Sated, Hate-Monger leaves as well. Cap suspects they were being manipulated while others merely think their passions got the better of them. The heroes all debate whether the actions they took served to solve the problem or to make it worse. Rage grows angry and stalks off, Silhouette of the NW following him discreetly. The two teams part on uneasy terms….
The New Warriors (Night Thrasher, Andrew Chord, Namorita, Marvel Boy, Firestar) talk to some local kids about the troubles in the neighborhood and the kids say they have been going on forever. NT then receives a message from Silhouette….
Rage’s grandmother is scolding him for seeing violence as a solution to anything when the New Warriors arrive, wanting to talk to him….
At Avengers HQ, the team (Cap, Falcon, Black Widow, Vision) are looking for the base of the Sons of the Serpent. They look into the Serpents’ most recent conflict with the Defenders and zero in on the vacant Richmond Building as the most likely location….
Meanwhile, Rage and the Warriors break into the butcher shop owned by Serpent leader Leonard Kryzewski and discover the address to the Richmond Building jotted down on note paper….
So that night, the Sons of the Serpent gather at their former hideout only to be ambushed by the Avengers and quickly subdued. Then the Hate-Monger arrives with a force bolt that knocks the heroes down. The New Warriors arrive to fight the baddie but he is surprisingly powerful. Rage challenges Hate-Monger, willing to unleash all of his anger—but Cap tells him that he is only feeding his enemy. So Rage struggles to overcome the hate and anger inside him and the Hate-Monger warns him that his resolve will not last and soon he will be feeding HM again. The villain departs. Cap tells Rage that, now that they know he is a minor, he can’t be an active member of the team but he is still welcome to train with them. Rage says he will be devoting himself to the problems of his own neighborhood for now. Night Thrasher gives him his card….
Epilogue: In a town hall meeting in an unspecified place, a gathering of African America citizens is being exhorted to fight back against discrimination by a preacher who is the Hate-Monger in disguise….
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Marvel Boy (
Vance Astrovik), New Warriors, Night Thrasher (
Dwayne Taylor), Silhouette.
Enemies
Hate-Monger (Animus), Sons of the Serpent.