Avengers #192: Review

Feb 1980

David Michelinie, Arvell Jones

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Story Name:

Steel city nightmare

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #192 Review by Rob Johnson (April 7, 2015)

Jim Salicrup is the new editor. Arvell Jones pinch-hits as penciller this issue, but actually only does breakdowns. The Official Index switches the Avengers' chairmanship from Iron Man to Captain America here without explanation. Perhaps it is only because IM is out of town for this 2-parter. But it will facilitate a plot point in #194. #9 established that Simon Williams' company failed to compete with Stark's and he ended up embezzling funds and going to jail. The Masters of Evil turned him into Wonder Man, but he turned against them and 'died' a hero. To recover later and start his real career. Henry Gyrich will be more involved with the X-Men rather than the Avengers in the near future, starting with Uncanny XM #142 where he's 1 of the architects of Project Wideawake to build new Sentinels to counter the mutant threat. But after that issue he'll be back here in #221 to sign off on a new lineup. As Cross Technological Enterprises' Security Chief Hawkeye will fight Mr Fear in Marvel Team-Up #92. But then the Avengers will come to CTE in #198. Yellowjacket will come back in #195 because Wasp has been kidnapped. Scarlet Witch will change her mind and return in #197.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #192 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Tony Stark and Simon Williams are visiting the Paretta Steel Mill in Pittsburgh. Stark is thinking of buying it, and Williams used to own it before he lost all his money and became Wonder Man.

A worker named Joseph Conroy reminisces about when Thor mended his hammer here in Journey Into Mystery #120. He still has a 'lucky' chip of Uru metal. Another worker (named next issue as Tim Turpin) threatens him, and later knocks him into the maw of an electric furnace. The furnace tips over unleashing a flood of molten metal.

Tony starts to run off to change to Iron Man, but Simon grabs his briefcase (containing the armour) and hurls it at a switch which stops more metal being released. Wonder Man then leaps down and bends some I-beams to form a barrier to stop the flow.

A worker who was trying to escape got his foot caught in a groove in a stamp press and broke his ankle. The press is slowly closing down on him. Wondie leaps in and strains to keep it open. Tony Stark hauls the worker out. But Simon can't leap clear because the press has stripped its threads, and if he lets go it will snap shut on him. So Tony grabs him and yanks him out in 1 swift movement.

Meanwhile a man approaches the door of Avengers Mansion and inserts a card in a slot. The security system doesn't recognise it as a valid Avengers ID Card and snares him with tentacles and a net, and points guns at him. When Beast and government liaison Henry Gyrich investigate they find it's a neighbour come to ask the Avengers to stop another neighbour playing loud music, and the card was a credit card. Captain America is conciliatory (and Gyrich less so) when he explains that the team don't do things like that.

Gyrich is satisfied with the security system. And after the results of the hearing last issue he'll be leaving the team to get on with their Avenging without interference. But he'll be keeping an eye on them.

Now that Gyrich isn't limiting the team to 7 members chosen by him, Beast suggests they invite some ex-Avengers back in. Cap agrees, but cautiously. Falcon goes to call Hawkeye, to sooth Clint Barton's feathers over replacing him. Cap sends Wasp to contact hubby Yellowjacket, but doesn't want to go any further.

Sam Wilson rings the number of Clint's cheap rented apartment, but finds it out of service. He thinks maybe Barton couldn't afford his phone bill. He doesn't know that since #189 Hawkeye is Security Chief of Cross Technological Enterprises, and the job comes with a much better place (and a new phone number).

Jan calls Hank Pym to tell him he can come back to full-time Avenging, but he declines because he's enjoying scientific research again. Wasp thinks she'll have to entice him to change his mind when she gets home.

Beast suggests they go to Pittsburgh and see Wonder Man. He's sure Simon won't take much persuading.

But before that the team is going to shrink. Vision announces that his wife Wanda is leaving. Scarlet Witch has things to sort out on her own. She already has her bags packed and goes straight away.

Back at the steel mill a large ingot is craned into a special place with some others. This is a graveyard for men who fall into a furnace. Vince Paretta quickly assure his potential buyer Tony Stark that this is not a frequent occurrence.

After they have gone the ingot explodes open and a man made of burning metal bursts forth. Wonder Man dashes into action again, this time leaving Tony with his briefcase. The workers are referring to the monster as Inferno, as Wondie comes off worst in an exchange of blows. But then Iron Man flies in and attacks with repulsor rays, until Inferno encases him in molten slag. Reserve-Avenger Wonder Man sends an emergency signal to the team as the creature turns its attention back to him.

Jarvis is on monitor duty, and he and Ms Marvel get the signal. Carol Danvers reports it to Cap, worried because the signal was cut off.

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