Avengers, The (1963 series) #398

Masque, up to no good, creeps around Avengers Mansion at midnight until Hawkeye apprehends her. Masque draws a gun and shoots him, interrupted by Black Widow. Masque cooly goes off, leaving the uninjured Hawkeye to Natasha. Nat scolds Hawkeye for his taste in women which Clint interprets as jealousy on Nat’s part. They spar, she knocks him down then reveals what is really on her mind. A sophisticated tracking device used in the mansion has been destroyed and Masque’s traces are on it and she seems to be plotting against Iron Man; Clint points out that *they* are former enemies of Iron Man but Nat still doesn’t trust Masque….

Hercules finds Deathcry fixing up her spaceship for a trip to the moon and insists on joining her for her safety. As they banter, she trips him up and they end up in an intimate embrace but Herc becomes nervous and backs off, though both are uncertain over the incident. So they take off for space….

Vision enters the kitchen via the floor, surprising Quicksilver; the Synthezoid accuses Pietro of being jealous of his powers. Vision wants to know why Pietro is cooking so late at night; Scarlet Witch and Thor are returning that evening so Pietro thought his sister would like a meal and he invites Vision, who responds that he does not eat. Crystal enters, scolding Pietro for not having put their daughter to bed and concerned that she talks so much about Tuc; Vision discreetly departs through the ceiling and Pietro grows angry and walks out. Crystal stays behind to mind the stove and some metal tenacles shoot out and seize her by the neck, dragging her off into the dark….

Pietro meets Wanda and Thor at the hangar bay and the siblings greet one another warmly. Thor discreetly absents himself. Pietro mentions that he has prepared dinner and invited Vision to join them; Wanda notes that the Vision doesn’t eat, annoying Pietro….

The ship carrying Deathcry and Hercules arrives on the moon and she reveals that she has cracked the encryption on the disc K’rin sent her, revealing the location of the crashed probe. It’s in the Blue Area of the moon, former home to the Inhumans. And then something hits the ship’s tail and they go crashing to the ground….

Thor hears Wasp in trouble and she comes crashing through a door to show a construct of Henry Pym’s implanted at the base of her skull. As she departs to confront Hank, a multitude of mechanical tentacles enfold him, drain his will and then turn him intangible, passing him through a wall. Downstairs, Black Widow is telling Hawkeye to beware of Masque; Clint responds that everyone once warned him about Natasha so he is defending Masque. Then the intangible Thor passes down through the ceiling and through the floor….

On the moon, Deathcry drags the unconscious Hercules away from the wreckage and discovers the holo-scroll K’rin had mentioned in her message. But then she is captured by two Shi’ar guards; Lilandra appears to her via hologram, telling her K’rin is in prison and now they have the Sacred Scroll….

Pietro and Wanda are talking in the kitchen when Vision arrive and suddenly blasts the two of them with his eye beams. Then Vision collapses and the enemy stands revealed, a dark silent android with metal tentacles….