AVENGERS #1: And There Came a Day…

“The Coming of the Avengers!”
Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Sam Rosen

The cover is fantastic! What a treat it must have been for the readers of the day to see all these superheroes on the same cover, and not only that, but Hulk is back, after an absence of several months.

And there’s ol’ Loki, bragging, “Bah! I’ll destroy you ALL!” A bold statement, but for anyone who’s been paying attention, it’s clear Loki hasn’t got a snowball’s chance in hell. He hasn’t been able to destroy Thor, so what makes him think he can destroy them ALL? The battle is won before it’s begun, but since we can see all the players, we know the sparring will be a ton of fun.

SOAPBOX
Now, before we go any further, let me step into my role as Female Advocate of the Marvel Universe and mention how unfair it is that Wasp is not listed on the top of the cover, and also is not pictured in the upper left, along with the other Avengers. Why not? The only explanation I can surmise is that we are supposed to assume that when you have Ant-Man, the Wasp will naturally come along for the ride, sort of like a bothersome kid sister.

But then, you know what happens when we…assume…

Nowadays, my grown-up son and daughter tell me that when they were little, I used to make blanket statements about “You kids,” which really only applied to one of them, and invariably the other one would feel wounded and insulted. Yes, it’s true: It’s not fair to group people, whether it’s kids, superheroes, or entire ethnicities. And Wasp is certainly no second-class citizen; she contributes to the action, even going so far as to pin the “Avengers” moniker on the group. So I repeat: Not fair to exclude her mention on the cover!

But at least Wasp is pictured, and also listed on the splash, though grouped with Ant-Man. I repeat: kid sister. What does she have to do to get her own billing? Not be small? Not be FEMALE? Could you imagine the cover excluding Thor or Iron Man? That would never be tolerated! So why is it okay to exclude the Wasp?

Well, I’m getting off my soapbox now, so we can get on with our story.

OLD ENEMIES
Immediately we find the first villain this team of superheroes must fight is Thor’s old enemy, Loki. Brother against brother—a plot twist that only increases the drama.

As if we need an increase in drama when so many superheroes meet on one stage! I’m awestruck by the action and activity going on at every turn. Page by page, you’re switching from Ant-Man and Wasp aggravating the Hulk, then to Thor dragging Loki back to earth magnetically attached to Mjolnir, and now back to Iron Man taking his best shot at Hulk. It’s one thing after another, as we travel from the Asgardian Isle of Silence, to an earthly circus tent, then back to Asgard, where the subterranean trolls are acting up.

Each superhero has a different power, and Stan doesn’t skip a beat in toggling the action from the mystical to the technological, from magic and trickery to displays of sheer brute strength.

ME…MISS…HULK…
Seeing that sheer brute strength of the Hulk in this issue, I surprised myself with the realization of how much I missed him. Sure, he’s a strong guy who “picks things up and puts them down,” but in him, more than any other character (with the possible exception of Spider-Man), we have the angst of the misunderstood hero. In Hulk’s case, you might even say “anti-hero.”

Oh, the poor dear! He only wants to be left alone, but when humanity is threatened, he steps in to help, and of course his acts of good will are misconstrued. Loki didn’t have to work his mischievous trickery on this one. The train engineers and newspaper reporters see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear: Hulk…BAD!!

Why does the newspaper report that Hulk tried to derail the train? The engineers see that Hulk is on the track, and immediately after that, they’re safe. Where is logic? Where is reason? Hulk didn’t try to kill you, he just saved your lives! But nobody wants to subscribe to that interpretation. Why does everyone always assume the worst about the Hulk? Because he’s big? Because he’s ugly? Because he’s green? Or is it because stories about big ugly green bad guys will sell more newspapers than stories about big ugly green heroes?

BACKFIRE!
Loki rejoices that “the humans will still think he tried to slay them…the hunt will be on!” hoping news of this event will bring Thor into the open. The Teen Brigade gets wind of the story—remember them? Teenager Rick Jones and his band of clean-cut do-gooders use their ham radio to send a signal to the Fantastic Four. Of course they have no idea that Loki is involved, but it’s interesting that their first thought is to contact not Thor or Iron Man or even Spider-Man, but the Fantastic Four. We’ve already seen that the FF utilize PR more than any other superheroes, and even in their non-hero personas they enjoy a certain level of notoriety (Reed, the famous scientist, Sue, the socialite appearing on the Molly Margaret McSnide Show). Heck, they’ve even appeared in a Hollywood film!

So it’s no surprise that in a time of great need, the first impulse would be to call upon “America’s most colorful super-combo” (Fantastic Four #17, August 1963). But do we call upon them because they’re colorful…or because there are so many of them? And each with a unique power? Hmmm…could it be that diversity of powers is what’s most needed at a time like this? Hmmm…could it be the world is ready for another group of do-gooders?

When the Teen Brigade attempts to contact the FF, Loki panics, diverting the radio waves to Don Blake. However, unbeknownst to him, those radio waves also reach scientist Henry Pym and millionaire industrialist playboy Tony Stark. And you know these guys cannot resist a chance to battle the Hulk.

What I most enjoy about this development is the delicious irony. You could say it’s Loki who is ultimately responsible for the Avengers. Now, I’ve no doubt that if it hadn’t happened this way, all these superheroes would have found a way to join forces at some point in the future. But that’s a story for an alternate universe. In the universe we’ve got, we can say a great big “Thank you very much!” to Loki, the God of Mischief, for having such a strong hand in the creation of the Avengers. I’m sure Loki is kicking himself in the pants for this one.

JEALOUS MUCH?
So! The gang’s all here, ready to fight the incredible Hulk and relieve the world of a major menace, but Wasp can’t seem to keep her mind on business. “Henry!” she exclaims. “Did you see that GORGEOUS THOR?! How can I ever make him notice me?” This is funny on so many levels. First, the obvious: if you want him to notice you, Wasp, you’ll have to be a little bigger than a wasp! Secondly, why is Janet asking Henry, “How can I ever make him notice me?” Doesn’t she have a fairly firm crush on Henry? Or, now that the mighty Thor has made an appearance, has her fickle heart flipped?

You know, I’m just thinking of something…Henry immediately responds to Janet’s question with an annoyed, “Stop acting like a love-sick female!” but do you think maybe he’s a little put out by her sudden interest in Thor? And how about this: did Janet perhaps make that remark about the gorgeous Thor, simply to get Henry jealous? And if so…did it work?

Oh, and by the way, when Wasp meets Iron Man, she decides he’s “hideous.” Of course, she has no idea who’s under that Knight in Shining Armor façade. If she did, she’d be a little less brash with the insults, potentially giving old Henry two rivals to worry about.

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
But moving on with our story, as you can imagine, everyone gets to fight in a variety of spellbinding situations. I won’t go into details here, except to reiterate that the action is non-stop, and no amount of talking is going to do it justice—just go read the book!! In the end, Loki is captured, the gang decides they work pretty well together and ought to meet up for future crime-fighting gigs. All agree, and when someone says they need a name, Wasp suggests “The Avengers.” Again, all agree. So! The little girl who couldn’t even rate a billing on the marquee is ultimately the one who dreams up the name that will become a best-selling title for Marvel Comics and nearly fifty years later, the third highest grossing film in history.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you go, girl!

IT’S HULK TIME!
Now, I’ve got one more comment about the Avengers, and then it’s time to close up this lengthy post. All our heroes do well in this story, and Wasp does indeed name the Avengers, but it’s Hulk at the end who offers the biggest surprise. “I’m sick of bein’ hunted and hounded!” he declares. “I’d rather be with you than AGAINST you! So, whether you like it or not, I’m joining!”

What a great moment for Hulk! He’s been on the wrong side for too long, an unconventional superhero, so often misunderstood, indeed hunted and hounded. You really can’t blame him for being sick of it. But now, to throw his lot in with the other superheroes, perhaps at last he can gain some respectability. And finally get some rest! This was the wisest thing Hulk could have done under the circumstances. I’m not sure if the others (and the world) will readily accept him in this new role. Perhaps we’ll learn more about that in our next issue of The Avengers. One thing for sure: with all these superheroes and strong personalities coming together, this title is a keeper.

In our next story, some throwaway villains make an encore appearance, after receiving a major makeover. Never thought we’d butt heads with these guys again! Join me next time, here in the Marvelous Zone!

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