Avengers #27

Apr 1966

Stan Lee, Don Heck

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Story Name:

Four Against the Floodtide

Synopsis

Avengers #27 synopsis by Rob Johnson

Rating:

Last issue three Avengers answered a call from the Wasp to stop Attuma from flooding the Earth. Hawkeye missed the call because he was out with a broken communicator. He has now returned to the mansion but can't remember how to work the new message system, to find out where his compatriots have gone. We left him in a coma in a subliminal recall-inducer, being watched by the Beetle.

In a cliffhanger resolution worthy of old Dr Who programs, the coma only lasts a split-second, and Hawkeye is awake when Beetle attacks. They fight until Hawkeye entangles him in a bolo arrow, and knocks him out with a gas arrow. Now Hawkeye can read the message the Avengers left and follow them, borrowing an aero-sub from the Fantastic Four. We'll find out what Beetle was up to next time.

We last saw the other Avengers fighting Attuma in his giant submarine. They were doing well until Scarlet Witch's hex accidentally let the sea into the arena. Now Attuma has the advantage, even though the Avengers have helmets with a temporary supply of air. He KO's Captain America and grabs Quicksilver. Wanda uses another hex to let the sea into the sub's control room, threatening some of the delicate machinery. Pietro escapes from the sub in the ensuing chaos, but his air runs out.

Luckily Hawkeye arrives in time to save him. They follow the giant sub in the aero-sub, after first escaping from two guards in another sub by luring them into the grip of a giant octopus.

Captive Cap goads Attuma into showing him the controls for the flood-tide machine, which is already causing high tides and dangerous seas. Hawkeye and Quicksilver ram their way into the Attuma's sub. Cap and Wanda escape their guards. The other two Avengers are surrounded by overwhelming odds, until the Witch turns one of Attuma's machines against his men. Meanwhile Cap rigs the flood machine to turn on the sub itself.

Quicksilver can't find any sign of the Wasp aboard, so they leave the sub before it implodes. But when they get home they find a message from Henry Pym asking them to help find her.

Review / Commentaries

Avengers #27 Review by Rob Johnson (April 18, 2013)

Attuma will return to being mainly a Sub-Mariner foe, but with a sideline in being a general-purpose underwater baddie. Beetle has already started an early career as a general-purpose anywhere villain, fighting Human Torch & Thing in Strange Tales and Spider-Man in his own mag. Now he has his 1st henchman role working for a master who will be revealed next time.

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