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Avengers #88: Review

May 1971
Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema

Story Name:

The Summons of Psyklop


Synopsis

Avengers #88 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Image from Avengers #88

The Hulk is trapped by an electric snare devised by Mr. Fantastic, Professor X and Tony Stark as a means of containing him. Before they can transfer the unconscious Hulk to the specially created coma-crypt, however, the Green Giant is teleported away by Psyklop who needs the Hulk's energy to revive his dormant people and conquer Earth.

Panels sample #2

Meanwhile, following up on a clue from a friend of the Falcon (who was rescued from a voodoo cult), the Avengers (Thor, Goliath, Iron Man, and Captain America) arrive on a Pacific atoll inhabited by giant monsters. The Avengers find the entrance to Psyklop's lair, where the insectoid villain is shrinking Hulk for easier study.

Panels sample #3

A battle ensues, distracting Psyklop from his efforts and Hulk is inadvertently shrunk to microscopic size and vanishes.

Panels sample #4

The angered Psyklop turns an energy beam on the Avengers which teleports them back to New York City and erases all memory of their encounter.

Panels sample #5

Also in this story: Thunderbolt Ross, Glenn Talbot, Black Panther, the Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch.


 

Review / Commentaries

Rating:
3 stars

Avengers #88 Review by (February 15, 2010)
Story continued in Incredible Hulk #140.


Avengers #88 Review by (January 16, 2012)

Hulk descends into the micro-world K'ai where he meets his love Jarella in Incredible Hulk #140.

Psyklop will follow him and bring him back, but not in time to avert the wrath of his Dark Gods. Psyklop will return for 1 more round in Hulk #202-203, where it turns out the Dark Gods exiled him to K'ai.

Panther will actually go back to Wakanda even earlier than he intends, because he hears that Dr Doom is attacking in Astonishing Tales #6-7.

SF writer Harlan Ellison wrote (plot) this issue, and Hulk #140.

Cap, Iron Man and Thor aren't in the next 4 issues, which are the opening salvoes in the Kree/Skrull War. Captain Marvel escapes from the Negative Zone through the portal in the Baxter Building next issue. The Kree capture him and practice devolving people in Alaska at Wasp and Yellowjacket's scientific site in #90-91, until they hear the Skrull are invading their empire. In #93 disguised Skrulls stir up anti-Kree feeling, centred on Kree Captain Marvel, and on the Avengers for harbouring him. Disguised as Cap, Iron Man and Thor they order the Avengers to disband. This paves the way for the real big 3 to take control of the Avengers for the rest of the war. And they will stay as active members afterwards.

Sal Buscema will ink his own pencils in #90-91. But Neal Adams will take over as penciller in #93-96 and help write the finale of the war in #97.


This issue mainly features Captain America (and Falcon), Iron Man and Thor, with Goliath the only regular Avenger along for the ride. The other current Avengers are only seen in a flashback meeting. Black Panther quits to go home to Wakanda, because his regent died as mentioned last issue. Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and Vision stay home to monitor the Baxter Building for the Fantastic Four, with consequences that will unfurl next issue. It doesn't show how Hulk was caught, between Hulk #139 and here. Tony Stark isn't present at Hulk's imprisonment because he's with the Avengers as Iron Man. The voodoo cult and Psyklop both worship the same Dark Gods. Psyklop intends to feed Hulk to them, and they will restore his ancient race. This is the first depiction of the Avengers' meetingroom chairs with their symbols on the back. Iron Man's comment about the tunnel of statues reminding him of an abandoned subway tunnel in a comic-book is a reference to the non-Marvel Captain Marvel of Fawcett and DC.


> Avengers comic book info and issue index

Elektra

This comic is in the following collection:
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Collects Incredible Hulk (1968) #138-156, Avengers (1963) #88.

Excelsioring your collection:
KOTOBUKIYA BLACK PANTHER MOVIE BLACK PANTHER ARTFX STATUE
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Preview Pages




Sal Buscema
Jim Mooney
?
Sal Buscema (Cover Penciler)
Sal Buscema (Cover Inker)
Additional Credits
Plot: . Letterer: Shelly Leferman.
Editor: Stan Lee.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Black Panther
Black Panther

(T'Challa)
Captain America
Captain America

(Steve Rogers)
Falcon
Falcon

(Sam Wilson)
Hulk
Hulk

(Robert Bruce Banner)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)
Mr. Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic

(Reed Richards)
Professor X
Professor X

(Charles Xavier)
Quicksilver
Quicksilver

(Pietro Maximoff)
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch

(Wanda Maximoff)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)
Thunderbolt Ross
Thunderbolt Ross

(Thaddeus Ross)

Plus: Goliath (Hank Pym).