Tag: Frank Ray

Among Us Walks a Goliath

Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Frank Ray
Letterer: Art Simek

Plot Summary

Upon their return to Avengers Mansion, the team finds a message waiting for them from Hank Pym. As the good doctor reveals, Wasp was overdue returning to their ship and he is worried that something has happened to her. In order to get the Avengers to pick him up, Pym is forced to reveal his identity as Giant Man. Cap sends Hawkeye to pick up Pym.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that Wasp has been taken captive by the Beetle who subsequently brought her to the Collector who is interested in acquiring a complete set of Avengers. When Beetle offers to go attack the Avengers, Collector instead decides to make the Avengers come to them.

Although the Avengers welcome Pym back to the team, they also insist that he prove his claim of being Giant Man. Before Pym has a chance to demonstrate his powers, a mysterious voice contacts the Avengers and claims to be holding Wasp hostage. If the Avengers want to rescue her, they must come to the coordinates provided. Pym then swallows his doubts and concerns and clothed in the new costume provided by Scarlet Witch, he steps into an abandoned alley to change size. At first nothing happens and Hawkeye begins to doubt the doctor’s claim. But almost without warning, Giant Man grows to a height of 25 ft tall and Hawkeye is forced to eat his words. Cap comments that he is truly a goliath which Pym likes and decides to change his name to Goliath. Although he is able to grow much taller than previously able, Goliath must stay at that height for 15 minutes before changing size again. To do otherwise would cause his body too much strain and could prove very dangerous.

After waiting the allotted time, the Avengers board the their jet and head off to the location provided by the mysterious voice. On arriving, the Avengers make their way through the mountains until a rock wall slides open before them, revealing the Collectors castle. Leaving Hawkeye outside on guard duty, the rest of the team heads inside, only to become isolated from one another and gassed into unconsciousness. When the team awakens, they have all been captured, including Hawkeye and their captor introduces himself. Though happy to have the Avengers, the Collector is angry because he must have Giant Man for his complete set, and he doesn’t recognize Giant Man in his new guise as Goliath. Letting his anger show, Goliath grows to his full height, demands to know where Wasp is and then attacks the Collector. Collector manages to make his escape using several of the items in his collection, including a cape made from a flying carpet and roman catapult. Given Goliath’s size, he is unable to give chase, but the rest of the team follow after the Collector.

While Quicksilver gets ahead, the rest of the team is attacked by the Beetle who is waiting in ambush. The Beetle hopes that if he performs well then the Collector will give him the antidote to the obedience potion he gave him. Although the Avengers initially perform well against the Beetle, the villain manages to separate them and knock out Captain America.

As Beetle keeps Cap, Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch busy, Quicksilver and Goliath confront the Collector. Diving even deeper into his arsenal, the Collector manages to disable Quicksilver, but Goliath puts up more of a fight, going so far as to destroy the Collector’s crystal ball. The Collector’s final gambit is to use beans to summon giants to combat Goliath. Though outnumber, Goliath makes quick work of his new foes. Meanwhile the rest of the Avengers regroup and regain consciousness, once again pressing the fight. While the Avengers certainly have the upper hand, Collector threatens to kill Wasp unless the Avengers surrender. Fortunately Quicksilver is able to rescue the tiny Avenger and things are forced to a standoff until Collector reaches for his time machine and vanishes into else-time. With the love of his life now safe, Goliath attempts to return to normal size, only to stop at ten feet tall and collapse, his teammates rushing to his side.

Avengers

Captain America
Goliath
Hawkeye
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Wasp

Villains

Beetle
Collector

Four Against The Floodtide!

Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Don Heck
Inker: Frank Ray
Letterer: Art Simek

Plot Summary

Picking up from the last issue, Hawkeye is sitting in the Subliminal Recall Inducer in order to remember the special code so that he can access the message his teammates left for him. As the machine performs it’s intended task, Hawkeye becomes aware of the mysterious presence spying on him. When the stranger attacks, Hawkeye is prepared and is able to avoid the sneak attack. With his attacker revealed, Hawkeye counterattacks, and then seals himself in the room with the messaging equipment. Hawkeye is able to read the message before his unknown attacker manages to break into the room, just as the message disappears. Hawkeye is finally able to escape by wrapping up his foe in a bolo arrow and leaving him to be dealt with later.

As Hawkeye is battling with his mysterious assailant, Captain America, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch struggle for their lives against Attuma. Due to Scarlet Witch’s hex powers, the combat chamber in which the heroes were fighting Attuma  begins to rapidly fill with water. Even as Cap makes plans to defeat Attuma, he is taken by the barbarian from behind and disabled. Things begin to look worse as Attuma’s superior underwater skills make fast work of the team and only a well timed hex from Scarlet Witch allows the team to escape when the window of the observation deck is shattered. In the ensuing chaos, Quicksilver makes his escape in what appears to be an empty tunnel. Little does he know that it is in fact an ejector tube, and Quicksilver is jettisoned into the ocean and left for dead.

Fortunately for the speedster, he is saved in the nick of time by Hawkeye who, having just departed New York, has arrived on scene in an aero-sub borrowed from the Fantastic Four. On his way to their location, Hawkeye notices how violent the tides have become, an indication that the Tidal Expander is having it’s desired effect. Reunited with one of his teammates, Quicksilver takes control of the aero-sub and begins to search for Attuma’s submarine.

Although Attuma’s ship is not where they expect to find it, the duo are quickly intercepted by a patrol sub that Attuma left behind. As the ship gives chase, it is joined by a second and only Quicksilvers super human speed allows the aero-sub to escape. The patrol subs, operated by individuals lacking Quicksilvers reflexes are captured by a massive octopus.

Back on Attuma’s ship, Captain America takes advantage of Attuma’s hubris and taunts him in to revealing the location of his control room.

Having located their quarry, Hawkeye and Quicksilver make their entrance by crashing through one of the giant glass walls in Attuma’s ship. Fortunately for them, the wall quickly seals behind them, preventing the ship from flooding. Now onboard, Quicksilver wastes no time getting to work and quickly taking out several of Attuma’s guards. He works so quickly and efficiently that Hawkeye is left with almost nothing to do. Elsewhere, Cap and Scarlet Witch take advantage of the confusion generated by their teammates’ sudden arrival and manage to free themselves from captivity. Their timing could not be better as by this point Quicksilver and Hawkeye have been pinned down by the overwhelming numbers that Attuma has at his command. Even as the pair prepare to go down fighting, Scarlet Witch directs a Y-ray tank at their attackers, causing them to scatter in fear for their lives. Even Attuma is unable to stand against such a powerful weapon. With their enemy dispearsed, the Avengers make their escape. Attuma, however, isn’t finished and he attempts to use his Tidal Expander to destroy the fleeing Avengers. Unbeknownst to Attuma, while Scarlet Witch was attacking in the tank, Captain America snuck into Attuma’s control room and reversed the Tidal Expander’s controls. When Attuma attempts to destroy the Avengers with it, the Tidal Expander instead destroys Attuma’s ship.

As the Avengers arrive back at Avengers Mansion, they discover that Hawkeye’s mysterious attacker has escaped and what’s more, there is a surprising transmission waiting from them.

Avengers

Captain America
Hawkeye
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch

Villains

Attuma
Beetle