Avengers #180: Review

Feb 1979

Tom DeFalco, ?

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Berserkers' holiday

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Avengers #180 Review by Rob Johnson (November 19, 2014)

This is the last leg of my attempt to catalogue the appearances of the cast of #177 and #181 in the interim. Captain America returns from his solo adventures because he and Iron Man are around when Dr Strange comes to visit and repair Black Knight's statue in DS#35. Then Beast, Vision and Wasp are in the Mansion with Ms Marvel when Cap pops in during his #237 before leaving again for a 2-parter in #238-239. Round about here I throw in Captain Marvel's encounter with Eon in #3 of his series in Marvel Spotlight. And Thor has been away in the Squadron Supreme timeline in his #280, and Immortus takes away Mjolnir's time-powers in #281-282. Then the squad from this issue, plus Cap but minus BP and Thor (ie the regular cast), appear within IM#113-116 where the Avengers help out against Unicorn and Arsenal. Finally Cap and Spider-Man team up against Electro in Amazing SM #187. There are several no-shows in the above list. Jocasta, Moondragon and the Guardians of the Galaxy aren't seen at all between #177 and #181. Hawkeye and Quicksilver continue their absence since before #178. Black Widow and Hercules join them now, along with Black Panther from this issue.

Jim Shooter is now listed as editor-in-chief, but no separate editor is mentioned. This sort-of brings last issue's creator-list (of a fill-in story probably written as inventory some time ago) more up-to-date. Tinkerer is a technically-minded villain who debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #1, apparently 1 of a bunch of aliens. But his next app in ASM#159-169 showed that he wasn't an alien, and Spectacular Spider-Man #51 will confirm that the rest of the gang weren't either. He is credited with creating devices for many supervillains, but the 1st we actually saw him deliver was Big Wheel's Big Wheel in ASM#182. Stinger talks about wanting a complete collection of Avengers, but he has a strange notion of what a complete set is. He doesn't seem to care about Cap being absent. And Wonder Man is only classed as a guest at the moment, as in fact are Black Panther and Thor. But there are lots more guest members such as Quicksilver that he's ignoring. If we ignore the possibly added-in comment about where Cap is at the moment, we could try to find a time where this fill-in may have been originally set. But it's impossible to find a time when this *was* the complete set. Eg Cap has been a current member since before Wonder Man was brought back to life Unlike most Marvel characters Bloodhawk does *not* come back from death. Stinger isn't dead but he won't be coming back either.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #180 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Thor and Vision face a giant living (and talking) statue on the island of Maura, while Beast, Bloodhawk and his Teacher watch helplessly from their hovering quinjet. Beast thinks a recap for us. Bloodhawk and Teacher came to America to bring a museum artefact back to the island to protect it from this monster. These 3 Avengers decided to accompany them.

Hank McCoy leaps down to help civilians. Bloodhawk goes into 1 of his psychotic rages and takes the magic totem for himself. Teacher reaches Beast to inform him that the only solution to the problem is to replace the totem in a slot on top of the giant's head. During the fight the monster claims to be an invader from a distant star, whom the island's sorcerers immobilised a long time ago.

Thor and Vision continue to fail to subdue the stone monster. It even bats Vision's super-dense form nearly out of the atmosphere, to plunge back into the Pacific. And then traps Thor under a giant foot.

Beast bounds onto flying Bloodhawk's back and relieves him of the totem disc. But even he can't leap to the top of a 100-foot statue. Still-trapped Thor tells Hank to grab hold of Mjolnir, and then hurls him and hammer to his destination.

Beast slams the disc into place, and the giant reverts to a frozen statue. Thor uses his hammer's space/time ability to send their foe back to the other side of the galaxy.

Vision returns from his involuntary swim. Bloodhawk returns to his senses. And Beast persuades him (as a mutant) to come with them to be helped by Charles Xavier.

Meanwhile back in Avengers Mansion Iron Man returned from last issue's hissy fit, only to be felled by 1 blast from baddie Stinger (various Avengers are always easy prey when the plot demands it). He's now joined Stinger's other captives Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Wonder Man and Yellowjacket.

The villain was an unsuccessful legitimate businessman who decided that crime would pay better. He got weapons from the Tinkerer:- a temporary invisibility generator and his 2 wrist-weapons - a shock-blaster and a paralysing sting on a wire. Now he intends to auction off his captives to even bigger baddies. But 1st he intends to complete his collection with Beast, Thor and Vision.

The 3 heroes return with Bloodhawk and Teacher. Vision ghosts through walls to let the others know they're back, but Stinger's shocker works on him too. Beast hears this and bounds to the rescue, but falls to the paralysing stinger. Thor leaves their guests to stay safe, and of course proves more difficult to defeat.

Stinger uses invisibility to hide from his pursuer. But Bloodhawk decides to help his new friends. He sees now-visible Stinger about to blast temporarily-hammerless Thor from behind. The bird-man leaps to save him and takes the blast himself.

Invisible again, Stinger flees only to find himself surrounded by Avengers. (Beast's mutant metabolism allowed him to throw off the paralysis and free his teammates.) Thor uses his hammer to cause an indoor rainstorm which outlines the invisible foe. And the team of prepared heroes make short work of him.

But sadly Bloodhawk dies, as Teacher admits that he was actually his father. (Last issue Teacher claimed that Bloodhawk's father left him in his care as an infant - ashamed of what his genetic experiments had done.)

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