Story #2Death & Texas!
Writer: Steve Englehart. Penciler: Al Milgrom. Inker: Al Milgrom. Colorist: Gregory Wright. Cover Penciler: Al Milgrom.
Synopsis
In the Houston Astrodome, the West Coast Avengers and their eastern counterparts are competing in a friendly game of softball, with non-members Moon Knight and Espirita in the stands. The match is interrupted by the arrival of the Silver Surfer with an urgent warning: one of the Elders of the Universe is plotting to kill the Avengers. The warning is too late, however: the West Coast Avengers look in the bullpen and discover their eastern teammates are already dead! The Surfer reveals that the enemy Elder is the Grandmaster, attempting to return from the realm of the dead where he was sent after the Contest of Champions when he chose to die to restore the Collector to life. The Collector, then, is their one lead, and they head to that Elder’s ship in deep space. The Collector welcomes them and explains how the Grandmaster offered the Avengers to Death in exchange for his own life and that to combat him the West Coast heroes must enter Death’s Realm. Unfortunately, to do that they must die. After some discussion, they agree to drink the Collector’s poison and die to rescue their friends. They do so but it turns out Espirita is immune to the poison, puzzling the Collector.
Meanwhile, the East Coast Avengers are met in the Land of Death by the Grandmaster who explains that the Collector has made a deal with Death, offering the lives of the West Coast Avengers for his own immortality, and that he (Grandmaster) has brought the heroes here to rescue their friends. When the West Coasters arrive, each team believes they are fighting to save their deluded compatriots. While Silver Surfer tracks down Death, Iron Man faces Captain Marvel; at first he is no match for her energy powers but eventually manages to absorb her light and throw it back in a single laserlike burst. Mockingbird pursues Captain America into a gigantic thorn tree, hoping to overcome him with her agility but Cap turns the tables on her and her long sleeves become trapped in the thorns. Hank Pym mixes it up with his ex-wife the Wasp and by pretending to be injured he tricks her into coming close enough to be grabbed. Thor and Wonder Man engage in an earthshaking slugfest that ends when the God of Thunder brings his opponent down with all the powers of nature. Tigra is cautious around Dr Druid but gains more confidence when the lack of smell tells her his monsters are illusions; however a real falling stone distracts her sufficiently for Druid to hypnotize her. Moon Knight’s array of weaponry can not overcome Black Knight’s enchanted sword until he pretends to impale himself upon it and snatch it away before bonking him with an ankh. She-Hulk wrecks Hawkeye’s bow and arrows giving her the advantage until he uses as knockout gas arrowhead to subdue her when she is taking a deep breath. As the heroes assemble before the Grandmaster he causes the bound figure of Death to appear before them; thanks to the Avengers’ distraction, he has been able to triumph over Death and win the universe!
Story continues in AVENGERS ANNUAL 16.