VISION #1 - #4

"DREAMS AND MADMEN" | "IMPAIRED VISION"
"VISIONARY DREAMS" | "CHANGING VISIONS"
Writer: Bob Harras | Penciler: Manny Clark | Inker: Mike Machlan
Additional Inkers: Al Vey, Steve Alexandrov, Charles Barnett,
Johnny Greene, & Rich Perrotta | Plot Assist: Ben Raab
Letterer: Bill Oakley w/NJQ & Jeff Powell | Colorist: Linda Gilmore
Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Gruenwald

The Plot: (Issue 1) Vision dreams of his wife and children, then stops a mugging on a pier. Deathcry finds him there and the two speak of dreams before returning to Avengers Mansion. There, Vision confides in Jarvis that he started dreaming a week ago. The next morning, Vision undergoes tests conducted by Giant-Man, but abruptly leaves when his fellow Avenger raises the subject of his dreams. Homing in on a mysterious beacon, Vision arrives in New Orleans, where he finds Ultron drunk inside a local bar. Ultron tells Vision that he started dreaming as well, and then a skirmish breaks out between the two. Ultron defeats Vision and leaves. Later, Vision awakens in a motel room with the Gatherer version of Jocasta. She calls Vision Simon, and then the two embrace and kiss.

(Issue 2) Four weeks later, Crystal and Deathcry arrive in Chicago in search of the Vision. They enter the office of "Simon Williams, Private Detective", to find Vision playing the role of a 1930s P.I., with Jocasta as his gal Friday. A fight soon breaks out, but Vision falls unconscious. Briefly, he dreams again of his wife and sons, then awakens, back to normal. Vision tells Crystal that he believes someone has "infected" various synthetic beings with dreams and emotions. A moment later, Vision and Jocasta detect the same beacon that drew Vision to New Orleans, and then the Gatherer android, Tabula Rasa, arrives with Ultron his prisoner. Tabula kidnaps Deathcry and Jocasta and departs, while Vision flies into a rage and turns on Crystal.

(Issue 3) Laurie Lipton arrives at her beachhouse on Long Island, where Vision, in the persona of her late husband, Alex, is waiting. But Crystal and Giant-Man show up a moment later and try to convince Vision of who he is. Giant-Man stuns Vision with a stasis ray. Elsewhere, Deathcry, Ultron, and Jocasta sit in a cell. They are confronted by Tabula and his master -- the Anti-Vision; the Vision who once served Proctor and who now resides in the real Vision's white body. Meanwhile, Vision dreams again of his wife, an amalgamation of Wanda Maximoff and Laurie Lipton. He awakens and battles Crystal and Giant-Man. Back in the cell, Tabula changes to resemble the Kree warrior Dylon Cyr, and then begins to crush Deathcry. On Long Island, Vision takes out Giant-Man and then fights Crystal. But suddenly, he is called away by a signal from the Anti-Vision. Elsewhere, Tabula abruptly lets Deathcry go. She tries to convince Ultron and Jocasta to attempt escape, but suddenly Vision arrives, now apparently in the service of the Anti-Vision.

(Issue 4) Vision again dreams of his wife, while Anti-Vision brags to Deathcry, Jocasta, and Ultron that the "wife" is actually a Trojan Horse he planted in Vision's brain to erase his memories and personality, freeing up space for Anti-Vison to move in. Anti-Vision tested the program on Ultron, Jocasta, and Tabula, and has now placed the perfected version inside Vision. Meanwhile, Giant-Man, Crystal, and Laurie are searching for Vision when they detect Deathcry's life readings and set course toward her. In his hideout, Anti-Vision prepares to kill Deathcry. In his dream, Vision is confronted by the personifications of the two men who make up his mind -- Simon Williams and Alex Lipton -- and they convince him to turn away from his "wife" and save Deathcry. Vision reactivates, the Trojan Horse program disabled, and attacks Anti-Vison. Meanwhile, Ultron and Jocasta battle Tabula. Vision reveals that his emotions have returned, and nearly kills Anti-Vision until Giant-Man, Crystal, and Laurie arrive and stop him.

Vision leaves Anti-Vision and Tabula with the Avengers, then resigns from the team, taking Ultron and Jocasta with him so they can explore their newfound emotions together.

AVENGERS #383

"SHATTERED VOWS!"
Writers: Tom Brevoort & Mike Kanterovich | Artist: Mike Gustovich
Letterer: Bill Oakley | Colorists: Kevin Somers & Marie Javins
Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Mark Gruenwald

The Plot: At the former site of the Inhuman city, Attilan, in the Himalayas, a being of energy appears, startling the local Alpha Primitives. Seeing that Attilan is gone, he leaves and next appears at Avengers Mansion, where he attacks and kidnaps Crystal, who recognizes him as an old enemy of the Inhumans; a Kree warrior named Shatterstar. Shatterstar next travels with the unconscious Crystal to the headquarters of the Fantastic Force in SoHo. Shatterstar kidnaps a member of the Force, an Inhuman named Devlor. The Avengers -- Giant-Man, Vision, Thunderstrike, and Deathcry -- arrive a moment later and team up with Fantastic Force leader, Psi-Lord, to search for Shatterstar.

Elsewhere, at an abandoned Kree facility in Florida, Shatterstar attempts to contact the Kree Empire but receives no response. The Avengers and Psi-Lord arrive and attack, but Shatterstar seem sto have the upper hand until Deathcry informs him that the Kree Empire was conquered and annexed by the Shi'ar. Vision furthers Shatterstar's distraction by informing the warrior that he is permanently trapped in his energy form. When Shatterstar tries to prove Vision wrong, he finds that he cannot revert to normal. Enraged, he flies off into space toward the Kree homeworld.

Continuity Notes: Narration informs us that the Inhumans emancipated the Alpha Primitives "years ago," though I have no idea when it actually happened.

Per Crystal, the Inhumans last battled Shatterstar in issues 4 - 6 of their 1970s comic. Shatterstar tells her that he's not worthy to use that name at the moment, which is quite prescient of him, since while he was out of circulation, a much more popular character named Shatterstar joined X-Force.

GIANT-MAN #1 - #4

Note: AVENGERS #379 - 382 were published as "Double Features" with a GIANT-MAN limited series included as a "flipbook" within those issues. Here now is that GIANT-MAN saga...

"IT'S THEM AGAIN!!" | "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GIANT-MAN"
"ATTACK OF THE 50 FT JAN" | HANK THE GIANT KILLER"
Story by: George Pérez | Pencils by: Jeffrey Moore | Inks by : Tim Dzon
Colors by: Maryanne Lightle | Lettering by: Ellie deVille
Editor: Richard Ashford | Group Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The Plot: (Issue 1) Ant-Man arrives in Arizona to battle a group of gigantic rampaging ants. One of them is an ant he knows, named Nash. When his control helmet proves useless against the ants, Ant-Man grows to become Giant-Man and is forced to kill Nash. Meanwhile, Hank Pym's ex-wife, Janet van Dyne, speaks with her therapist about what she's been doing since she and Hank both left the West Coast Avengers. However as she describes Hank crashing a party to celebrate her return to the fashion industry, Jan passes out. Meanwhile, at a laboratory in Nevada called Project B.I.G., Hank is informed by his lab partner, Bill Foster, that more renegade insects are on the loose in New Mexico. Giant-Man heads out to battle them. He calls off a squadron of Air Force jets and engages the ants hand-to-hand. Bill sees this on a video monitor and leaves the lab to go help his friend. After Bill leaves the lab, Jan's therapist, Doctor Rossin, calls for Hank to tell him about Jan's condition.

(Issue 2) As Bill prepares to depart Project B.I.G., he is ambushed. Meanwhile, Giant-Man fights the monster insects in New Mexico. Despite Pym's warnings, the Air Force jets remain in the area and one pilot is killed by a huge grasshopper. Giant-Man defeats all the insects and passes out. Elsewhere, Bill awakens, in his Goliath costume, miniaturized in a spider web. Nearby, a miniaturized Captain Atlas and Doctor Minerva, accompanied by some Shi'ar troops, search for him. But Goliath is rescued by Scott Lang -- Ant-Man -- and then a moment later, Atlas and Minvera escape. Goliath explains to Ant-Man that Project B.I.G. is a habitat created by Hank Pym and himself to study the effects of Pym Particles on enlarged insects. The duo exits the habitat, but Bill is unable to return himself to normal size. Meanwhile, Hank is incarcerated by the Air Force -- while in California, Jan's therapist tries again to reach Hank, to report that Jan has spontaneously started growing.

AVENGERS #382

"OFFERINGS"
Writer: Bob Harras | Breakdowns: Mike Deodato | Finishes & Colors: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Bill Oakley | Editor: Ralph Macchio | Chiefs: Tom DeFalco/Mark Gruenwald

Note: AVENGERS #379 - 382 were published as "Double Features" with a GIANT-MAN limited series included as a "flipbook" within those issues. I will cover the GIANT-MAN serial in one post after issue 382.

The Plot: Crystal, Quicksilver, Bova, and the High Evolutionary emerge from the wreckage of Bova's cabin as some of the Evolutionary's New Men approach. But the mutated Fydor, now calling himself Rakkus, kills the New Men. The Avengers and the Evolutionary battle Rakkus, who continues to evolve. Bova tries to reason with the beast, but it grabs her -- so the Evolutionary blasts its chest, killing it. Rakkus, who was actually a mutant inhabiting and changing Fydor's body, retreats, and Fydor reverts to normal, dying in Bova's arms.

Continuity Notes: At Avengers Mansion, Black Widow finds Captain America asleep in an easy chair and notes how unusual that is for him. She recalls meeting him during World War II in Madripoor (and note the little jab Ralph Macchio takes at the UNCANNY X-MEN issue which featured that meeting in his editorial note, indirectly calling out the fact that Widow was presented as a child in that story, which circa 1994 -- or even 1990, when the UNCANNY issue was published, would've been pretty hard to reconcile.

The Widow also suddenly finds herself attracted to Cap and reaches out to touch him as he sleeps, but is interrupted when Jarvis wanders into the room. In the aftermath of this moment, the Widow thinks to herself that she's entertaining some "very dangerous thoughts" about Cap. (Notably, in the backup story, covered below, when Cap radios the Widow at one point, she replies by calling him "Handsome.")

AVENGERS #381

"SACRED GROUND"
Writer: Bob Harras | Plot Assist: Terry Kavanagh
Breakdowns: Mike Deodato, Jr. | Finishes & Colors: Tom Palmer
Calligraphy: Bill Oakley | Editor: Ralph Macchio | Chief: Tom DeFalco

Note: AVENGERS #379 - 382 were published as "Double Features" with a GIANT-MAN limited series included as a "flipbook" within those issues. I will cover the GIANT-MAN serial in one post after issue 382.

The Plot: In her cabin, Bova worries over Quicksilver and Crystal, but Fydor calms her. Meanwhile, the two Avengers are brought before the High Evolutionary, who accuses them of trespassing on Wundagore. He explains that a beam of energy recently pierced his citadel, and brought with it a message from the Acolytes of Magneto, who ordered him away from the mountain. The Evolutionary believes Quicksilver is involved, but Quicksilver retorts that he visited the mountain only to help Bova. This gets the Evolutionary's attention, and he, Quicksilver, Crystal, and the New Men head for Bova's cabin. There, the Evolutionary deduces that Bova is being slowly poisoned. Just as he reveals this, an image of Exodus appears and reveals that he had Bova poisoned to draw the High Evolutionary out of his citadel. Then, as Exodus's projection vanishes, Fydor mutates into a monster and the cabin explodes.

Continuity Notes: The Acolyte who appears in the message to the High Evolutionary identifies herself as Scanner, but she looks nothing like the character's standard appearance in the X-books -- indeed, she's drawn as a totally nondescript female with no distinguishing features; nor is she even wearing an Acolyte uniform! Exodus, however, is drawn to look like himself when he appears.

Quicksilver says that his injuries (sustained in AVENGERS #369) occurred "months ago." Personally, I might've called it "weeks", but I don't think there's any timeline issue to explcitly prevent it from being months.

As noted a couple weeks back, Exodus is (I'm pretty sure) the third most recurring villain in Bob Harras's AVENGERS run, between the "Bloodties" event and this story -- though sadly, he appears only as a holographic or psychic projection here, despite the cover's depiction to the contrary. (And by the way, note that departed penciler Steve Epting is still around, providing covers for all three installments of this Wundagore trilogy!)

AVENGERS #380

"ERRAND OF MERCY"
Writer: Bob Harras | Penciler: Mike Deodato Jr.
Inker & Colorist: Tom Palmer | Letterer: Bill Oakley
Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Note: AVENGERS #379 - 382 were published as "Double Features" with a GIANT-MAN limited series included as a "flipbook" within those issues. I will cover the GIANT-MAN serial in one post after issue 382.

The Plot: Quicksilver and Crystal arrive at Wundagore Mountain in Transia, where Bova, the evolved cow who nursed Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch as children, is dying. Bova's friend, a human named Fydor, confides in Quicksilver that the cow-woman's creator, the high Evolutionary, has returned to his lab atop the mountain, and that he might be able to save Bova. Quicksilver and Crystal head up the mountain, where they find a shrine to Quicksilver's late mother, Magda. Present at the shrine is a young Acolyte, recently cast out of Avalon by Exodus. The boy reveals that the Acolytes never visit the shrine anymore, as the High Evolutionary has forbidden anyone to trespass on the mountain.

At that moment, two of the Evolutionary's brutish evolved creatures appear and attack, while the Acolyte boy teleports away. Crystal is taken out first, but Quicksilver holds his own until the High evolutionary appers and blasts him. Meanwhile, at the base of the mountain, Fydor lies to Bova, telling her that Quicksilver and Crystal went into the village. With a sinister smile, he tells her that everything is fine.

Continuity Notes: You'll note above that the series logo has changed. This has to be one of my least favorite Avengers logos. It's just so ugly and... pointy. You could put an eye out with that thing. Sadly, it will stick with the series until its final issue, #403.

Quicksilver collapses upon raching Wundagore, prompting Crystal to remind him that he still hasn't fully recovered from injuries sustained in AVENGERS #369 (when Exodus zapped him in the "Bloodties" finale).

AVENGERS #379

"THE LEGENDS AND THE LOST"
Writer: Bob Harras | Pencilers: Stewart Johnson & Tom Grindberg
Inkers: Tom Palmer & Rich Rankin | Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorists: Karl Bollers, John Kalisz, & Mike Marts Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Note: AVENGERS #379 - 382 were published as "Double Features" with a GIANT-MAN limited series included as a "flipbook" within those issues. I will cover the GIANT-MAN serial in one post after issue 382.

The Plot: Deathcry and Alabar watch as a Kree ship arrives at the Isle of Crail. Admiral Galen Kor and two of his troops disembark, revealing to the Butcher that they brought his ship to Earth and freed him. Meanwhile, Black Widow, Thunderstrike, Hercules, and Crystal race toward Crail aboard a Quinjet. Deathcry and Alabar are found by Dylon Cir, one of Kor's men. Meanwhile, Kor and the Butcher speak with Vision, who is under the guard of the enthralled Swordsman and Magdalene. Alabar stops Deathcry from killing Cir, instead using the contents of a vial to ensnare Cir's will. Moments later, the Shi'ar duo is escorted by Cir to the Butcher's base, a pub in town. The Butcher is away with Kor, so the group enters the pub, knocks out Swordsman and Magdalene, and frees Vision.

The Butcher and Kor arrive and attack, but Alabar refuses to fight. He reveals that during the war between the Shi'ar and Mephistoids, he and his men were taken in by a Mephistoid abbey run by several females of the species. There, Alabar learned of the Mephisitoids' phermonal powers. He and his men killed all the women in the abbey and Alabar distilled their pheromones into a potion he used to control his men and win the war. The Butcher then kills Alabar, leading Deathrcy to grab Magdalene's weapon and kill the Butcher. Galen Kor and his people escape. Soon, the Avengers arrive and verify the town is back to normal, while Deathcry stands by herself under the full moon.