Avengers #53: Review

Feb 2022

Jason Aaron, Juan Frigeri

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Story Name:

The Death Hunters part 3: The vivisection of Avengers Mountain

Review & Comments

Rating:

Avengers #53 Review by Rob Johnson (February 11, 2022)

Mr Horse is written as though he hails from the North Of England. But 'wazzock' is I believe a Lancashire term and 'right champion' is Yorkshire-speak, except it should be 'reet champion'.

In Marvel's universe the Orisha are gods of Wakanda. But in the real world they are spirits of the Yoruba religion and have been exported to Brazil, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers #53 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

A bunch of friendly interdimensional Deathloks have arrived on Earth-616 to warn the Avengers about the threat of the Multiversal Masters Of Evil. They located Avengers on 3 sites:- Avengers Mountain HQ, Asgard and Kansas City. Unfortunately the MMOE are here too and they've already killed lots of DLs while attacking Avengers. Last issue in Kansas City Captain America, Captain Marvel and the young Starbrand faced Black Skull and Ghost Goblin. In #51 in Asgard Iron Man, Phoenix (Maya Lopez) and Thor were attacked by King Killmonger with a Dark Phoenix and her Hounds (Logan and an alternate Thor). The 1st 2 DLs turned up in #50 to meet Black Panther, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Sub-Mariner and Valkyrie. GR and 1 DL disappeared off to other timelines in the new Avengers Forever series.

But we begin with Kid Thanos remembering how he'd just dissected his mother when the MMOE leader Doom Supreme invited him to join the club. This Dr Doom has become the Necromancer Supreme by consuming the magic of powerful beings across the multiverse, and his armour is said the be made from his lover's skin. Now he unleashes a barrage of meteorites on the body of the dead Celestial that is Avengers HQ, plus knocking down the defending Wakandan helicarriers. He knows that spells have a cost but he has learnt to pass that cost on to innocents. And this example of mystical mass destruction claims many lives across the universe.

Inside the 'building' T'Challa reads off the damage. They've lost the finger hangers and the whole right arm. The teleporter's down and defences are failing. The remaining DL asks to be allowed to interface with the dead Celestial's brain. He claims that his leader Avenger Prime in the Tower At Infinity's End predicted that T'Challa would trust him because he's dead, and the dead can't lie to their king (which BP became in Fantastic Four #609, at least of Wakanda's dead).

They can't contact other Avengers. Valkyrie freely offers the support of her All-Weapon, and her talking horse (Mr Horse) also offers to "give some wazzocks a right champion tramplin'". Surly Namor agrees to help too because the damage is falling into the sea.

Thanos now enters on a flier until Subby knocks him of it and out into the Arctic. He tries to throttle the Kid who stabs him in the neck. Then Thanos regains his flier and enters to explore the dead God.

Winged Valkyrie leads her winged horse bearing the Deathlok towards the Celestial brain. Doom blasts Mr Horse but Val sends her All-Weapon Undjarn to provide DL with wings to get him to his destination. She then faces Doom weaponless and he unleashes a fearsome blast at her. Which she survives and then pummels him with fists with the power of Death. She scorns any Death magic thrown at her. But Doom claims to *be* Death and turns her back into mortal Jane Foster and brings her cancer back. Her horse comes trampling to the rescue.

Black Panther had gone to his quarters to don his anti-magic defence protocols:- the thrice blessed vibranium boxing cords, stones from the Wakandan necropolis and armour of metallicised Orisha blood. He now attacks Doom as the Red Panther. Deathlok has reached the brain and plugs himself in to try to wake up the Celestial. The All-Weapon rushes back to its mistress and turns her back into Valkyrie. She then uses it as a magic club to help T'Challa against Doom. Thanos is losing himself in a rapture of examining the Celestial innards. But Namor has followed him and interrupts his ecstasy.

But Doom chooses to retreat through a mystic portal, and takes Thanos with him. Panther realises what's happening and urges the others to get out as the Celestial explodes.

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