Avengers #11: Review

Dec 1964

Stan Lee, Don Heck

Story Name:

Spider-Man!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #11 Review by Kevin Hollander (February 15, 2010)

Kang states that he is a descendant of Dr. Doom

Avengers #11 Review by Rob Johnson (December 29, 2011)

When the Avengers grant Iron Man a leave of absence he is already absent. They just assume he is investigating Tony Stark's death. Tony's was assumed after Mandarin's ray struck the Stark estate from space in Tales of Suspense #61. Mandarin then took Iron Man away for the duration of ToS#61-62. Kang fought the Avengers in #8, and will fight them again next in #23-24. His claim to be descended from Dr Doom is part of the confusion surrounding his origin. In Fantastic Four Annual #2 it was suggested they might be the same person at different ages. The accepted version nowadays is that he is descended from Reed Richards father Nathaniel, who went into an alternate timeline. The Spider-Man robot claims that Iron Man has been captured by the Masters of Evil, who have bedevilled the Avengers in one form or another in #6,7,9,10. The robot directs them to the wrong part of South America, because the Masters are based in the Amazon. Spider-Man has already met Giant-Man and Wasp in Tales to Astonish #57, although they don't mention it here. The real Spider-Man will be asked to join the Avengers in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3 (but he'll turn the offer down).

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #11 Synopsis by Kevin Hollander

With the reported “death” of Tony Stark (Tales of Suspense #61), the Avengers agree to grant the absent Iron Man a temporary leave of absence.

The Avengers are unaware that they are being monitored by the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror. He is aware of the Avengers' recent activities and decides that the best instrument of revenge is a Spider-Man robot. He completes the construction of his robot and sends it against the Avengers.

The robot arrives in New York along and follows Kang's plan to “save” Captain America from a pre-arranged attack. He then asks to join the Avengers. Taking him to Avengers' Mansion, the robot informs the Avengers that he witnessed the kidnapping of Iron Man by the Masters of Evil. He “overheard” that they were taking him to the Temple of Tirod in Mexico. The Avengers set out to free their comrade, unaware that it is a trap.

When the Avengers arrive, the spider-robot is waiting for them and defeats them individually. When the robot prepares to send the Avengers to Kang in the future, the real Spider-Man appears and attacks his robotic other. He quickly shuts down the robot, allowing the Avengers to free themselves.

Although they never meet, Captain America – from his vantage point – determines that Spider-Man tagged along and saved them from the impostor. The Avengers collectively realize that only Kang could have created such a realistic replica of Spider-Man.