Tag: Sam Rosen

The Only Good Alien…

Avengers #89

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sam Grainger
Letterer: Sam Rosen

Featured Issue: Avengers #89

Plot Summary

A mysterious figure in a mask and trench coat makes his way through the shadows, but he is not alone. Following closely on his trail are three figures, more alike than foreign. Here on the streets of America, the Avengers hunt the alien known as Captain Marvel.

As Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Vision attempt to confront the mighty Kree warrior, their entreaties are met with fear and hostility. When their offers of friendship are rebuffed, Quicksilver attempts a more direct approach only to be sent reeling by a single punch. Captain Marvel then decides to take the fight to the Avengers, though his initial efforts are foiled by Vision’s density shifting abilities. Stopping the android with his photonic Uni-beam and not wanting to engage with Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel attempts to flee by flying to the roof of a nearby building. To his surprise, he is blasted by an unexpected figure, Rick Jones. With the help of Rick Jones, the Avengers load Captain Marvel into their waiting Quinjet and jet across the sky to the hospital at Cape Kennedy and a waiting Dr. Donaldson. Upon their arrival, Mar-Vell is strapped in to a decontamination chair in the hopes of saving his life, as well as preventing the destruction of the Earth.

As the assembled heroes wait to see what will become of Captain Marvel, Rick Jones takes a moment to reflect on the events which brought them all together. While playing a gig in a Bleecker St. club, Rick is suddenly overcome by the presence of Captain Marvel. Still trapped in the Negative Zone and linked to Rick Jones via the Nega-Bands, Captain Marvel informs Rick of a visit by Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. Unseen by both Richards and Annihilus, lord of the Negative Zone, Mar-Vell has spied a way for him to escape the Negative Zone. All he asks is that Rick make his way to the Baxter Building to seek the answer that may set both men free. On his arrival, Rick switches atoms with Captain Marvel one last time, so that Mar-Vell may use his superior abilities to enter the Baxter Building. Making his way deeper into the building, Captain Marvel triggers a silent alarm, one which the Avengers Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and Vision have been monitoring for at the request of Reed Richards. Their signal received, the Avengers quickly make their way to confront the unknown intruder. Just as they arrive, Mar-Vell is able to activate Reed Richards’ Negative Zone portal and free Rick Jones. Unfortunately, Rick is not the only one waiting and watching. Just before they are able to close the portal, Annihilus makes his way through. Immune to the attacks of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, only the quick wit and intangibility of Vision allow the heroes to send Annihilus back to his realm.

While the heroes are distracted by their brush with doom, they fail to notice that Mar-Vell has slipped out and stolen their Quinjet. As they realize what has happened, the Avengers discover something even more worrisome, Captain Marvel is nearly bursting with radiation, absorbed from his weeks spent stuck in the Negative Zone. If they are unable to catch up with the Kree, the radiation might kill him, or worse, start a chain reaction which will destroy the Earth. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel makes his way towards Florida’s Cape Kennedy in hopes of commandeering a rocket with which he can return to his home world. As a result, the Avengers are forced to pursue Captain Marvel and bring down his craft.

Back in the Cape Kennedy hospital, Captain Marvel’s condition is dire. His Nega-radiation has absorbed nearly all the power the hospital can muster. If they are unable to purge all the radiation from his system, the buildup will start all over again and their efforts will have been for nothing. In a last ditch effort, Vision offers to use the solar energy stored within his forehead jewel as an alternative power source. The process is successful, but it leaves both Mar-Vell and Vision in severely weakened states.

Galaxies away, the Kree criminal, Ronan the Accuser has escaped his imprisonment and has returned to Hala to confront the Kree Supreme Intelligence. Taking control of the Kree Empire from the Supreme Intelligence, Ronan unleashes a Kree Sentry to hunt down his hated enemy, Captain Marvel.

Avengers

Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Vision

Villains

Captain Marvel
Ronan the Accuser

Hostage!

Avengers #82

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

Featured Issue: Avengers #82

 

Plot Summary

In the early hours of September 21st, 1970, the island of Manhattan begins to awake to a new and horrific reality. As the sun rises, the citizenry is stunned to find that they are being held hostage by a small and well armed military force. Although the NYPD make a desperate stand, they are laid low by a gas attack, knocked unconscious by the non-lethal concoction. With the primary form of resistance under control, the army goes about destroying bridges and tunnels and then taking the mayor into custody.

Deep within the White House, the President receives the ransom demands from Aries, leader of the criminal cartel known as Zodiac. Aries makes it clear that he and his forces are in complete control of Manhattan, having just defeated an attempt by Army paratroopers to invade the island in an effort to retake it from Zodiac. Not only was the invasion defeated, but now all the paratroopers have been added to the island’s population as hostages. To make matters worse, Aries displays the motionless figures of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America and Quicksilver. Aries then demands one billion dollars in ransom or else he will begin to execute the entire population of the island. As the news makes its way across the nation, the remaining Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man all wonder what kind of help they might be able to render from outside the ensnared island.

Unbeknownst to the invading army, the Avenger, Black Panther remains free and on the run. Having recently aided Daredevil, Black Panther heads to Hell’s Kitchen in order to again illicit his aid in saving the city. Unfortunately, Daredevil’s alter ego, Assistant District Attorney Matt Murdock is wanted by the occupying army. Just as they are about to take him in to custody, Black Panther kills the lights in Murdock’s office allowing Daredevil to make quick work of the two soldiers. Black Panther then quickly catches Daredevil up on the current situation and that to the best of his knowledge the pair are the only two heroes left free in Manhattan. The duo decide that their first objective should be to rescue the Avengers from the television studio where they were being held.

Smashing their way through a skylight, Daredevil and Black Panther eliminate the waiting guards. Unfortunately for them, Aries had foreseen this possibility and moved the Avengers away from the studio shortly after recording his ransom message. Although he faces the heroes alone, Aries still holds the Key to the Zodiac, his supremely powerful badge of office. Using the emblem, Aries destroys the station, knocking out Black Panther. Fortunately for Black Panther, Daredevil faired better and manages to drag his comrade out of the burning building.

Knowing that his position is vulnerable, Aries decides to make an example of the captive Avengers as punishment for Daredevil and Black Panther’s defiance. Soon, Zodiac’s army has rounded up thousands of New Yorkers and herded them in to Madison Square Garden in order to watch the execution. Among those in the crowd is Daredevil, once again in the guise of his alter ego, Matt Murdock. When Aries’ plan becomes clear, Murdock begins to rouse the crowd into an angry mob, hoping to overwhelm their captors. While some members of the crowd join in, others are too afraid to resist. Murdock is quickly taken captive by the soldiers, but not before launching a fine wire out of his cane and into the machine holding the Avengers in suspended animation, causing it to fail. No longer immobilized, the Avengers break free of their restraints and with the help of Black Panther and Daredevil, quickly route Zodiac’s army. Aware that he is rapidly losing control of the situation, Aries flees in his aircraft but is pursued by Thor. Before the Asgardian Avenger is able to stop him, Aries directs the nerve paralyzing force field around the island to begin closing in, attempting to kill everyone in Manhattan. Thor then manages to land on the aircraft and using his enormous power, destroys the plane and shutting down the field. With their leader gone and a counter attack sure to begin any moment, Zodiac’s army surrenders to the Army. Back at Avengers Mansion, the reunited team realizes that their various missions were all related as Cornelius Van Lunt was using his land in order to train the invasion force. When the Avengers thwarted Van Lunt’s plans, Zodiac was forced to move up their time table so they wouldn’t be detected by the Native Americans. Their mission complete, Daredevil says he farewells and takes leave of the Avengers.

Avengers

Black Panther
Captain America
Daredevil
Iron Man
Quicksilver
Thor

Villains

Aries
Zodiac