AVENGERS #336 & #337

"FOR HERE WE MAKE OUR STAND!" | "MUD AND GLORY?"
A tale of battle and fury by...
Writer: Bob Harras | Penciler: Steve Epting | Inker: Tom Palmer
Letters: Bill Oakley & Rick Parker | Colors: Christie Scheele & Renee Witterstaetter
Editor: Ralph Macchio | Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The Plot: (Issue 336) Thane Ector erects a citadel atop the World Trade Center, and then sends his troops into Manhattan to estabish a perimeter. At Avengers Mansion, Captain America, recovering from the wounds he sustained in battle with Ector, speaks with President Bush regarding the situation. He then sends the Avengers out to face the Brethren. On the moon, Beast, Black Panther, Quasar and the Collector escape from the creature that had attacked them. They land their miniaturized craft and are surrounded by a tribe of the Collector's captive beings.

On Earth, the Avengers battle the Brethren in Manhattan, while Thane Ector observes from his citadel. Ector visits the captive Sersi and attempts to woo her, but his fool is displeased with this behavior and mind-blasts Ector. Aboard the Collector's ship, the Avengers make peace with the tribe. The beings explain that the Brethren escaped from their habitat on the ship and traveled from exhibit to exhibit, conquering each mini-biosphere, before they ultimately left. Back on Earth, Captain America and Black Widow arrive to battle the Brethren, and are joined shortly by Crystal and Lockjaw.

(Issue 337) In the sewer beneath Manhattan, Thane Ector and his fool chat about their race and eat some sludge. Aboard the Collector's ship, the miniturized Avengers contingent and the Collector, now joined by a tribesman named Nakka, continue on their quest through the Collector's various habitats. Meanwhile, the Watcher appears to observe Hank Pym in the Collector's ship. On Earth, the Avengers have regrouped in their mansion, where Crystal expresses interest in joining the team. Captain America agrees to allow her in on a probationary basis until after the Brethren have been dealt with.

Nick Fury calls Captain America to inform him that everyone killed by the Brethren has been stripped of all germs and bacteria. Meanwhile, Sybil Dorn attacks Sersi inside the citadel, transforming into a huge goop-monster during the skirmish. Thane Ector appears and sends Sybil away, then reveals to Sersi that the Brethren were mutated by the Celestials from germs. On the moon, the Watcher nudges Pym to direct his fellow Avengers toward the Brethren's habitat. As soon as the heroes reach it, Nakka dies and rapidly decomposes.

Continuity Notes: President George H.W. Bush cameos in issue 336, reading more like Dana Carvey's caricature than like the man himself.

I neglectd to mention it last week, but modern-day Marvel sensation Peggy Carter cameoed in issue 334 and does so again here, in both 336 and 337, during the period she acted as the Avengers' communications specialist. Peggy had never had any special serums at this point in time, so she was simply considered to be a senior citizen, I assume probably in her seventies, given she was active during World War II and these issues were published in 1991.

Thane Ector states that he's been testing Earth for three days, suggesting issue 336 takes place immediately after the prior one. This seems to be contradicted by Captain America sporting a full beard on some of the opening pages, suggesting some extended convalescence, though I suspect that's a colorist's error. I think it was meant by Epting and Palmer to be maybe a night's worth of stubble, and it is colored as such on Cap's first page in the issue. But the very next page, it's colored blond like his hair. In any case (and somewhat comically given the urgency of the situation), he apparently takes time to shave before heading out to fight the Brethren. Continuing the passage of time, issue 337 states that another day has passed since Ector erected his citadel.

Black Knight and Iron Man have answered the call for reservists between issues (though I think Iron Man might actually be part of the West Coast Avengers at this point), and fight alongside the rest of the team (Cap, Black Widow, Hercules, Vision, and Rage) starting with issue 336. Cap also mentions that the West Coasters and the Fantastic Four are pitching in, though none are seen -- again perhaps underselling the scale of this invasion. Maybe it's still to come, but we could really use some random shots of Spider-Man, Daredevil, and other various heroes pitching in around the city.

I don't believe it was stated in either of last week's issues, but in #336, Sybil Dorn identifies herself as Thane Ector's betrothed -- and she is none too pleased by his consorting with Sersi. Also, Ector is aware of Sersi's heritage as an Eternal, and notes that the Brethren were, like the Eternals, created by the Celestials -- which is part of the reason for his infatuation with her. Additionally, Ector detects that Sersi may have some feelings for Captain America. I have a vague recollection of this from Mark Gruenwald's contemporaneous CAPTAIN AMERICA issues, but given Sersi's nature to flirt with every man she meets, I never thought much of it.

In issue 336, Ector's fool again hints that he is more than he seems, using a mental blast to keep Ector in line, which results in Ector making a cryptic comment about the "secret of the Brethren." This is elaborated upon in issue 337, where Ector and the fool are revealed as brothers (as is the case with every Thane and his fool), and we readers are subsequently given enough bits and pieces from the various plotlines to deduce that the Brethren are basically germs, mutated by the Celestials to rove throughout the universe, infecting star system after star system. No single group of Avengers has this full picture yet however, though the group on the moon is getting close, while Sersi knows pretty much everything.

When Crystal appears in issue 336, she tells Cap and Sersi that she is "applying for membership." In the next issue, she states her belief that she she has been subtly manipulated by Maximus the Mad in recent years, causing her to hurt those she loves, and she wants to atone by joining the Avengers. There's no further context for any of this, however. She also says that she came to Earth at Black Bolt's request to pay back the Avengers for their assistance with the Bretrhen on the moon in issue 334. Lastly, she says that Quicksilver (who she also believes was under Maximus's suggestion) left Attilan on a secret mission. An asterisk follows this statement, but there is no corresponding footnote to explain further! (However I assume he departed to join X-Factor, as the first issue of the "All-New, All Different X-FACTOR", which counted Quicksilver as a member, was cover-dated October of 1991, and this is the Early September '91 issue of AVENGERS.

When Vision attempts to welcome Crystal to the Avengers, Lockjaw growls at him. Crystal explains that her pet doesn't recognize Vision's new pale white incarnation. In the same scene, when Black Knight talks about how great it is that Crystal is joining up, Rage begins to question his usefulness to the team.

Assemble: No! We're four issues in and no one has uttered the immortal battle cry! (Though to be fair, there are no fights in issue 337, at least.)

My Thoughts: The Black Knight, probably inarguably the "main character" of this upcoming AVENGERS run, makes an inauspicious debut here in issue 336. Answering Captain America's call for backup in the early pages, he serves as a utility player going forward. I can only assume Bob Harras is a fan of the character, because it's odd that, of all Avengers, it is he who appears alongside Iron Man, standing with the main team in the opening pages. Like, why not... She-Hulk? Or Thor?! I mean, I suppose Thor may be busy with events in his own ongoing title, but the point remains -- despite his prominence in Roger Stern's AVENGERS run a few years earlier, the Black Knight remains a bit of an obscure Avenger to be heralded as an important reinforcement here! (And this is not meant as disparagement. I really like the Black Knight!)

Given we also have Crystal joining, I suddenly find myself questioning whether this was actually a six-part fill-in run, as I had originally assumed. It appears Bob Harras is using "The Collection Obsession" to piece his Avengers lineup together. We have the Knight, we have Crystal, and it looks like Rage may be on the way out, via the seeds of doubt cropping up in his head. So perhaps what actually happened was that Harras got the AVENGERS assignment, started it with a six-issue storyline, then needed to take a few months off for whatever reason before jumping back in.

And as for that story -- I'll admit that last week, I wasn't sure what to make of it. While, as I noted then, the Brethren felt like an "Avengers-level" threat, the story itself was a little rocky or uneven. But it seems to be shaping up now, and the TWILIGHT ZONE-esque revelation of the Brethren's true nature is one of those twists that pulls me into a story even if I find it wanting in other ways.

So on with "The Collection Obsession", I say! It's getting better with each issue.