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Selector

Avengers Spotlight #25

Nov 1989
Howard Mackie, Al Milgrom

Story Name:

Forewarned is Disarmed!


Synopsis

Avengers Spotlight #25 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

Hawkeye, wounded and bowless, is trapped in the sewer by the main villain Crossfire and the legion of bad guys he has recruited against the heroic archer with his bounty on Clint’s arm: Mad-Dog, Bobcat, Death Throws, Bullet Biker, Brothers Grimm, and Razor-Fist. Crossfire is enraged that the “weakest Avenger” has beaten him on two occasions and so wants to shoot the hero but then he wouldn’t suffer. So he turns him over to the assembled bad guys, one of whom will take his arm and earn the bounty while Dr. Steinmetz, the phony marriage counsellor, is standing by to prevent Hawkeye from bleeding out after the amputation. Hawkeye is surrounded but then a light shines from above, a bow drops at his feet, and Mockingbird and Trick Shot also come down to join him. While the three good guys clobber the mass of villains, Bobbi explains how they used the tracking device Steinmetz planted on Clint to find him and come to his rescue. Crossfire flees, Hawkeye pursues and corners him on the edge of a spillway—but Hawkeye is out of arrows. So Hawkeye throws his bow, disarming the baddie and knocking him over the edge. Crossfire grabs on and Hawkeye leaves him wondering is he’s going to let his foe fall to his death before rescuing him….

As the police take away the villains, Trick Shot explains to Hawkeye that his cancer is in remission and he is trying to turn over a new leaf. Hawkeye and Mockingbird finally reconcile after their long estrangement….

“Best Seller!” 5/5
Writer: Glenn Herdling, Dwight Jon Zimmerman. Pencils: Rod Ramos. Inks: Don Hudson. Colors: Sara Tuchiasky. Letters: Don Hudson.
Synopsis: Rick Jones is publishing his memoirs and he (and his pal Betty Banner) are staying at the condo of the sexy Veronica who, after a night of romance, is hoping Rick will sign her as his agent. But they are interrupted by a visitor named Kholdsor, who claims to be a Skrull and he is offering an exorbitant reward for selling publishing rights for his memoir to the Skrulls. When Rick doubts his story, Kholdsor pulls a ray gun but Rick disarms him and throws him out. Veronica suggests they leave quickly as more quirky aliens after Rick’s book arrive via window, toilet, and a hole smashed in the wall, some nice, some nasty. After fighting them all off, Rick, Betty, and Veronica depart, only to be beamed aboard a spaceship where representatives of hundreds of alien races are prepared to bid for Rick’s memoirs. The auctioneer Beppe III apologizes for the aliens who have tried to contact Rick in advance of the auction—including Veronica, secretly Major Vron-Ikka of the Kree. Rick hands the manuscript over to Beppe who posts the relevant section on the end of the Kree-Skrull War for the assembled bidders to examine. But it turns out that the aliens all wanted the secret of how Rick Jones ended the War—but he doesn’t know himself so the memoir is worthless to the assembled aliens. Rick and Betty are sent home where Rick receives a visit from his musical agent Mordecai P. Boggs, offering a contract for his book. Then the phones rings—and the receiver turns out to be a Poppupian inquiring after the movie rights…..


 

Review / Commentaries


Avengers Spotlight #25 Review by (July 26, 2022)

Review: Enjoyable wrap-up to the four-part action/adventure with some comic banter and passable art.

The Rick Jones story is an inspired farce with the permanent Avenger sidekick becoming the center of attention for a ream of goofy aliens with ulterior motives. And the humor continues through to the goofy final panel.

Comments: First story: Part four of four parts. Title is a pun on the saying “Forewarned is forearmed,” meaning, prior knowledge of possible dangers or problems gives one a tactical advantage (Oxford) though the “dis-armed” is to be taken literally as Hawkeye’s arm is also supposed to be taken, literally. Hawkeye defeated Crossfire in HAWKEYE (1983 miniseries) #4 and CAPTAIN AMERICA #317. Trick Shot’s name is still spelled as one word, unlike in his first appearance in SOLO AVENGERS #1-5. Second story: Mordecai P. Boggs was introduced in CAPTAIN MARVEL #18 and his tenure in the title mainly coincided with Rick’s. The two female characters are named Betty and Veronica, a (possibly unintended) callback to Archie Comics. The Skrull’s name Kholdsor is likely intended to be pronounced “cold sore,” a medical irritant. The Kree-Skrull War was in the classic AVENGERS #89-97 (1971-72). And Betty Banner’s previous appearance was in THE INCREDIBLE HULK #360 where she suffered a miscarriage while believing Bruce is dead; I have no idea how she got over that trauma so quickly or why she is living with Rick Jones platonically.



> Avengers Spotlight comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
Iron Studios Hawkeye Statuette BDS Art Scale 1/10 Clint Barton 19 cm
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Al Milgrom
Tom Morgan
Paul Becton
Joe Jusko (Cover Penciler)
Butch Guice (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Jack Morelli.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Betty Ross
Betty Ross

(Elizabeth Ross)
Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Clinton Barton)

Plus: Brothers Grimm, Crossfire, Death Throws, Mad-Dog (Robert Baxter), Mordecai P. Boggs, Razor-Fist, Trick Shot (Buck Chisholm).