Avengers #199: Review

Sep 1980

David Michelinie, George Perez

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Story Name:

Last stand on Long Island

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Avengers #199 Review by Rob Johnson (April 14, 2015)

The offscreen Dr Yuriko Takiguchi was co-inventor of Red Ronin in the Godzilla series and grandfather of its 1st operator Rob Takiguchi. Much later than this he'll become 1 of the X-Men's science team X-Club starting in Uncanny XM #506. Thor has just finished an epic in his own mag involving Eternals, Celestials and Asgardian history, with an epilogue in Th#302 where he returned to more mundane matters. Red Ronin will get rebuilt in Solo Avengers #15, and this time Wasp will defeat it by herself. Japanese organisations will fight over it in Wolverine Annual '96. Back in the US it will get involved with the Thunderbolts in New Tb#13 (against the New Avengers) and Tb#107 (during Civil War). And then Zodiac hijacks it in Dark Reign: Z#2.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #199 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

Giant robot Red Ronin invaded Cross Technological Enterprises last issue and Security Chief Hawkeye is firing blast arrows at it while the site is evacuated, hoping that 1 will penetrate some chink in the armour. Inside the armour its erstwhile controller Dr Cowan lies unconscious, and RR's on a mindless rampage.

Suddenly an Avengers quinjet arrives, and Wonder Man uses his belt jet-pack to escape as it hurtles towards the robot's head. But Ronin just cuts the craft in 2 with its laser blade. However it does then turn away and wade back into Long Island Sound.

Simon Williams explains to Clint Barton that he was knocked out while fighting Red Ronin in New Jersey last issue. When he awoke the robot and the other Avengers had gone, but the quinjet was still there. But once he got the jet into the air it was easy to spot the big robot.

Just then the SHIELD flying Behemoth turns up overhead, and Captain America on a sky-sled invites ex-Avenger Hawkeye to help out. The 3 fly up to Behemoth to join Nick Fury and more Avengers:- Iron Man, Vision, Wasp and Yellowjacket.

The assembled heroes compare notes. Fury says scientist Earl Cowan stole Ronin from SHIELD in #198. Jan and Hank Pym flew inside the robot last issue and learned that the neurotic Cowan believed he could relieve his and the world's fears by taking Red Ronin to Russia and starting World War III. The Behemoth used all its power against RR last issue, and now has nothing left to throw at it. Fury is trying to contact the robot's designers for fresh ideas.

Also Beast and Jocasta are inside the robot. So anything they do to destroy it might kill them too.

The intrepid pair are working their way up the inside of the robot from their entrance in its foot. They are now at the top of the chest, nearing the head where the control centre is. In that control room Dr Cowan wakes up to find that his cybernetic helmet has lost its connection to Ronin. And RR is obeying his last order - to destroy. A task it is now implementing against some Coast Guard cutters.

The bothersome pinpricks of their cannons does divert the robot back on to land in a Long Island shopping mall, where the Avengers attack it again. Vision, Wonder Man, Yellowjacket (full-size) and Hawkeye (with a borrowed jetpack) buzz it, while Iron Man strikes with repulsors standing on 1 of Behemoth's fan-jets (again). The craft deliberately stays out of range of RR's laser, so instead Ronin hurls the large disc/shield containing the laser cannon at Behemoth.

This was all part of the plan suggested by Red Ronin's creator Dr Takiguchi. Cap diverts the disc's flight with his sky-sled. The disc crashes to the ground, but unfortunately so does the sled. Iron Man climbs inside the disc and starts to wire his armour in to take control. Meanwhile the other Avengers delay Ronin retrieving its shield.

Then Iron Man activates the laser blade, and Vision and Wonder Man lift the disc into the air and aim it at the robot. With 1 swipe they sever 1 of its legs and it falls over. Inside, Beast and Jocasta tumble into the control room. Dr Cowan tells them he can't control Red Ronin. As he and Jocasta flick switches and push buttons hoping something will work, Henry McCoy sits and thinks.

Outside, the laser cuts Ronin in half and then runs out of juice. As the Avengers help Shellhead out of the disc, the top half of Ronin drags itself towards the Long Island Expressway. IM and Vision attack its exposed innards but nothing seems to give the robot pause. Until it freezes. Beast worked out a nexus point in Ronin's power flow, and pulled the plug.

After the cleanup SHIELD gives the Avengers a lift back home. Hawkeye comes with them for the debriefing. When they get back to Avengers Mansion they find a very pregnant blonde whom Scarlet Witch introduces as Carol Danvers - who they know better as Ms Marvel. With them is Dr Donald Blake (secretly also Thor) who's examining the patient. Carol's strange pregnancy has run its 9-month course in just 2 days.

The reunited couple Wanda and Vision retire to their own room. The others wait for Carol's labour to end. Until Dr Blake rushes out to say he needs help.

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