Avengers, The (1963 series) #132

The scene is Immortus' castle in Limbo. Kang has just snatched 6 dead characters from out of the past, and brought them here to face the Avengers whom he has also transported from Saigon. Immortus and Kang's future self Rama-Tut II watch impotently from their containment tubes. Kang leads his little army to find the scattered Avengers. But 1 of them, the Frankenstein Monster, wanders off.

Thor has been trying to smash his way out of the part of the castle he found himself in, but found it immune to both Mjolnir and lightning bolts. He had heard Kang declaring that they were in Limbo, and wonders if it is magic that is keeping him here. He reverts to Don Blake to see if the magic will let him go, but to no avail.

Suddenly the Frankenstein Monster comes upon him and blindly attacks. But Blake transforms himself back to Thor, only to find that the Monster is indestructible. Then he realises who his foe is and stops fighting him. The Monster shambles off and Thor follows hoping to be led to Kang.

Now we have a brief interlude in Saigon as the hooded figure from the last 2 issues tries to figure out where the Avengers have gone. He meets with the glowing green 'ghost' of Swordsman from last issue who assures him that Mantis will be OK because she's destined to be the Celestial Madonna.

Meanwhile Kang and his followers are still searching for Avengers to kill. Except Mantis who must be kept alive for Kang - the martial artist Midnight was summoned here to defeat her and he slips away.

The 1st Avenger they meet is Vision. Kang sends Wonder Man and the original android Human Torch against him. The android Vision is initially shocked to be facing Wonder Man who is the template for his brain. But he recovers fast enough to let Wondie smash his fist against diamond-hard skin. And then turne intangible to let Torch's flame pass through him.

Kang then sends in Baron Zemo and the Ghost of the Flying Dutchman. Vision's solar eye-beam stuns Zemo but can't harm him. The Ghost stands idle while the Avenger 'ghosts' through a wall, but then follows him the same way.

Midnight finds Mantis and they fight. Mantis finds herself equally-matched but senses that her foe is actually dead. And she runs away, chased by Midnight.

Another interlude has Immortus and Rama-Tut blaming each other for their captivity. With yet more musings on destiny.

Hawkeye and Iron Man find each other, but only just before Kang finds them with his 3 remaining troops. Shellhead and Wonder Man mix it up while Hawkeye smashes Zemo's paste gun with an arrow. Iron Man sends Hawkeye to find the others. Hawkeye obeys, with his usual chafing about being treated as the weakest member of the team. But now the Torch grabs the Armoured Avenger and melts his circuits. And without his heart-sustaining chestplate Tony Stark drops dead.

Ghost comes across Mantis but refuses to fight her, saying Kang wants the Celestial Madonna alive and he himself is seeking the Vision. Find him he does, and both characters try the solidifying-an-arm-in-the-other's-chest trick. But the dead Ghost seems unaffected, while Vision himself falls to his own signature move. And Mantis finds him dying, with Ghost nowhere to be seen.

The story continues in GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #3.