Tag: Sal Buscema

Brain-Child to the Dark Tower Came…!

Avengers #86

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Jim Mooney
Letterer: Shelly Leferman

Featured Issue: Avengers #86

Plot Summary

As the Avengers race across the sky, time is running short. With Nighthawk at the controls, the Squadron Supreme’s aircraft hurries towards the launch site or Brain Child One, the solar probe which will soon be responsible for the destruction of the Earth and the extermination of humanity. Little do the Avengers know that their every action is being closely monitored by a mysterious figure.

At the launch site the remaining members of the Squadron Supreme spot the incoming aircraft and wonder what it could possibly be doing at the launch site so close to launch. After landing, the Avengers rush out in an attempt to stop the launch while Nighthawk remains behind to power down the aircraft. Seeing four unknown costumed persons rushing towards them, the Squadron Supreme spring in to action, fulfilling their sworn duty to protect the rocket launch. When Quicksilver attempts to rush past, he is sent reeling in the opposite direction after a collision with Hyperion. Not waiting to see how the rest of the scenario plays out, Dr. Spectrum orders Whizzer to immediately launch Brain-Child One. Although Whizzer completes his mission the rocket is stopped by the incredible powers of Scarlet Witch’s Hex Bolts which cause the engines to misfire. Just as the Squadron Supreme is poised to take the offensive, Nighthawk intervenes.

With the situation diffused, Nighthawk and the Avengers take a minute to explain their apocalyptic experience and the encounter in Avengers Mansion. Again in their discussions the name of Brain-Child comes up and when the Avengers press the question, Dr. Spectrum fills in the heroes. Although Arnold was born a seemingly normal child, at a young age he began to show incredible intelligence, attributed to the radiation exposure both of his parents received. As he aged and his intellect grew he began to experiment on himself in order to further increase is brain power. As a side effect he began to suffer from a severely distended skull, causing others to treat him like a freak. At age 9 he began to work for the military designing missiles. Even this did not satisfy him and he soon moved to an island off the west coast where he could work in peace. The Avengers and Squadron Supreme decide that a visit to Brain-Child’s island is in order question the genius further. Back on Earth, Iron Man, Black Panther, and Thor work ceaselessly in an effort to find their friends and bring them home.

On that same island, named the Dark Tower, Brain-Child watches as the heroes make their way towards his home, his plans for world annihilation thwarted. Upon their arrival, the heroes are greeted by a metallic probe extending from Brain-Child’s complex. Over the probe’s speaker, Brain-Child fully admits that his rocket was designed to cause the end of the world. The probe then attacks the assembled heroes but is quickly destroyed by Dr. Spectrum. With this, the heroes break up into four teams, with one Avenger and one Squadron member on each team, and attempt to penetrate Brain-Child’s defenses. Quicksilver and Whizzer are initially confronted by a storm of rocks which they subdue by using their combined super speed to create a tornado to pull in all the rocks. Having escaped that fate, the speedsters make their way inside only to be trapped by a super adhesive. Scarlet Witch and Nighthawk enter and encounter a monstrous humanoid who quickly defeats Nighthawk and causes Scarlet Witch to forget her entire purpose. Vision and Dr. Spectrum don’t fare much better when they encounter an oversized amoeba. The creature quickly adapts to the powers of both heroes and they are overcome. All that remains is Hyperion and Goliath, who prepare to face off against Brain-Child himself. The pair are unexpectedly attacked by the very objects in the room which Brain-Child is controlling with his immense mind. After Hyperion is disabled and Brain-Child taunts Goliath with brain bolts through the skull, just like an arrow, Goliath uses the materials around him to construct a bow and launches the unconscious Hyperion directly at Brain-Child. The sudden impact and defeat start a chain reaction inside Brain-Child, causing him to physically revert to a normal child. With this, the Dark Tower and all his creations disappear as they were only creations of Brain-Child’s mind.

Their mission accomplished, the Avengers are suddenly pulled away from the island and returned to their own dimension. Their friends are overjoyed to see them and all but Vision retreat for some relaxation and to regale their teammates with the story of their latest adventure. On his way out, Quicksilver ask Vision if everything is alright and Vision admits that he can’t help but wonder if they’ve actually returned to their home dimension or yet another parallel dimension that is all but identical to their own. And, if that is the case, how would they ever really know.

Avengers

Black Panther
Goliath
Iron Man
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Thor
Vision

Villains

Brain-Child

 

The Man-Ape Always Strikes Twice

Avengers #78

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Sam Rosen

Featured Issue: Avengers #78

Plot Summary

On a quiet night Captain America makes his way to the rooftop entrance to Avengers Mansion, responding to a summons by his teammates. Upon his arrival Cap is immediately attacked by M’Baku, the Man-Ape. The mighty warrior quickly overpowers Cap, but in his arrogance he is fooled when Captain America feigns unconsciousness and strikes unexpectedly. Although Cap is no match for M’Baku’s unnatural strength, he has bought enough time for the rest of the Avengers to join the fight. Rushing to Cap’s rescue, Quicksilver and Vision manage to stop Cap from plummeting to his death on the street below. Now facing the combined might of the entire Avengers, M’Baku flee with the help of his former major domo, N’Gamo. As he escapes into the night sky, M’Baku vows to return and destroy the Avengers at a time of his choosing.

Having returned inside the mansion, the Avengers begin to fill Captain America in on their previous encounter with M’Baku. In spite of the beating he inflicted on Cap, Goliath insists that M’Baku is really a small time villain and that he was most likely waiting for Black Panther to show up so that he could finish their duel. Captain America is unfortunately forced to disagree with Goliath’s assessment given that he has a written note, signed by Black Panther, urgently telling Cap to come to the mansion. It is clear that even though M’Baku has never met him, Cap was his intended target that evening. The heroes can only wait for Black Panther to return in the hopes of shedding some light on this mystery.

North of the mansion, in Harlem, Monica Lynn expresses her frustrations at the government’s inability to help those people who are most in need. The former singer has given up her music career in order to take up social work after her close run in with the Sons of the Serpent. As her exasperation reaches its peak, Monica Lynn is surprised to once again see Black Panther. Despite initially sharing some tense words over what Monica perceives as Black Panther’s lack of devotion to the cause, the two quickly reconcile and Black Panther vows to do more and to show that the Avengers can be even better friends to their community. Black Panther soon leaves, telling Monica that he would like to speak again once he has reported in to the Avengers. Unfortunately for Monica she is attacked by M’Baku just after Black Panther’s departure.

In Avengers Mansion Black Panther is stunned when he sees Cap’s note and hears the Avengers’ story. When he last saw M’Baku, he had been crushed beneath a statue. Black Panther can only assume that N’Gamo and some secret herbs are responsible for the villain’s return. As if on cue, the image of M’Baku appears on the Avengers’ monitor demanding to fight Black Panther to the death. If Black Panther should decline M’Baku’s offer, then M’Baku insinuates that he would be forced to harm Monica Lynn, whom he shows to the Avengers so that they are aware it is not a hallow threat. The team prepares to mount a rescue mission when Black Panther demands to face M’Baku alone, saying that he must keep his word to face M’Baku in single combat. As the chief of Wakanda his word is his sacred bond and he is unwilling to break it,  even for one such as the Man-Ape.

Taking a Quinjet to face off against M’Baku, Black Panther arrives at the designated location and finds a massive helicopter waiting for him. Swinging aboard the helicopter, M’Baku attempts to ambush Black Panther but is given away by the sounds of his hiding place sliding open. As the pair fight, Black Panther uses his superior agility to bring the fight to M’Baku. While this works for a while, M’Baku is able to land a single punch that sends Black Panther sprawling. Just as N’Gamo is about to finish off Black Panther with a mace, Black Panther seizes the weapon and uses it to launch N’Gamo at M’Baku, disabling the pair. Using this opportunity, Black Panther scours the aircraft for Monica Lynn, eventually finding her trapped in a small room. On closer inspection however, Black Panther discovers that this Monica is in fact a mannequin. The dummy Monica subsequently explodes, knocking Black Panther unconscious. Having defeated his foe, M’Baku again contacts the Avengers in order to gloat over his victory and threaten the remaining Avengers with capture.

Having arrived at M’Baku’s underground lair, Black Panther and the real Monica Lynn are thrown into a small, dark room. In front of the pair is a mantle with statues of all the Avengers, formed almost like award statues. As he clutches the figure of Black Panther, M’Baku calls out to the others that he, the Man-Ape has drawn first blood. Slowly Black Panther’s begins to see several other figures entering the room. Soon the hero is confronted by the Living Laser, Power Man, Swordsman and Grim Reaper. Declaring their animus towards the Avengers, Grim Reaper calls the assembled group of villains the Lethal Legion.

Avengers

Black Panther
Captain America
Goliath
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Vision

Villains

Man-Ape