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Avengers Spotlight #34: Review

Jul 1990
Steve Gerber, Al Milgrom

Story Name:

Ashes

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Avengers Spotlight #34 Review by (September 27, 2022)

Review: After an exceedingly violent opening, including a mass murder and another cool Mockingbird action scene, everything sort of settles down, with more odd characterization for Lotus, who made for a better villain when she was a Japanese imperial fanatic in THE INVADERS. And she still totally befuddles Prince. The next part will wrap it all up in a satisfying manner—we hope, we hope.

And the U.S. Agent story concludes violently, matching its dark look. The oddest bit is U.S. Agent hoisting the huge cross on his back. Word of advice: It doesn’t help a muddled political story to tack heavy-handed religious symbolism on top. It doesn’t work. But at least this dark and ugly story is over.

Comments: First story: Part five of six parts; the final part will skip an issue and appear in #36. Second story: Part four of four parts.





 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Avengers Spotlight #34 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

The Stone Perfs are gathered in a quarry, unaware that they have been lured into a trap by Lotus Newmark; Hawkeye and Mockingbird are watching from above, expecting the vigilante killer Terminizer to attack. When he doesn’t show, the two Avengers go into action. Mounted on the Sky-Cycle, Hawkeye fires several of his trick arrows to terrorize and scatter the gang. Then a black helicopter appears and drops incendiary bombs on the Perfs, killing them all. Hawkeye follows the copter on the Sky-Cycle; Mockingbird leaps aboard the copter and fights the bad guys, jumping back to the Cycle as the copter heads down to a fiery crash. After they leave, Prince Charming, ex-Perf and minion of Lotus Newmark, emerges from hiding and paints a large Circle T on the ground nearby, symbol of the Terminizer, and disgusted with himself for betraying all of his friends….

That night, Clint is still upset over the carnage; the more cynical Bobbi comforts him, pointing out that a vigilante like the Terminizer doesn’t seem likely to have a helicopter, henchmen, and napalm….

Prince reports back to Lotus who explains about the cost of business, as she doesn’t care about the loss of a helicopter and henchmen. She seduces Price into forgetting about his betrayal of his friends in the Stone Perfs….

Bobbi advises a brooding Clint to concentrate on the one thing that worked to give him hope….

Auggie Slater takes Prince to a secret lab to show him that Lotus is preparing a synthetic drug to take the place of cocaine in the streets….

Anita Gutierrez is checking out of the hospital; Hawkeye stops by to give Luis the ride on the Sky-Cycle he promised. On the way, Hawkeye informs the boy that the Stone Perfs are all dead. It’s not clear whether the Terminizer is involved but Hawkeye is determined to bring him to justice; Luis looks worried….

“The Xenophobic Man Part Four: The Ends and the Means” 4/5
Writer: Fabian Nicieza. Pencils: Dan Lawlis. Inks: Keith Williams. Colors: Brad Vancata. Letters: Janice Chiang.
Synopsis: There is a standoff in the church: U.S. Agent versus Officer Fred Bouting over Father Grass and a wounded Mexican girl. Bouting fires, toppling the huge cross onto the pews. The Agent and Bouting fight brutally with the Agent subduing his foe. Then Father Grass tells him that the girl may be alive under the rubble. U.S. Agent lifts the giant cross onto his back so the priest can pull her out when the revived Bouting points his gun at U.S. Agent—and then Captain Hitchuck guns the rogue cop down. They take the girl to the hospital but they know they have only stopped this killer, more will come along….



Al Milgrom
Don Heck
Paul Becton
Steve Lightle (Cover Penciler)
Steve Lightle (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Gary Fields.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Hawkeye
Hawkeye

(Clint Barton)
U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent

(John Walker)

Plus: Lady Lotus (Lotus Newmark).

> Avengers Spotlight: Book info and issue index

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