INVADERS #15

"GOD SAVE THE KING!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Artists: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: Don Warfield | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: The Invaders discuss King George's order to replace them with the Crusaders as his honor guard at the christening of a new warship. With urging from Spitfire, they finally agree to give up their roles at the ceremony. Meanwhile, the Crusaders meet with their handler, the cab driver Alfie, who shows them photos proving the Invaders are actually Nazi agents.

Alfie then departs and, from a secret waterfront lair, reports in to his superiors in Germany that the Crusaders have fallen into line. But Alfie has been followed by Dyna-Mite, who he tosses into the sea. Dyna-Mite escapes the water and makes his way to Falsworth Manor, where he warns the Invaders of Alfie's plan. The next morning, the Invaders -- less Spitfire, who remained behind to tend to Dyna-Mite -- arrive to stop King George from breaking a booby-trapped champagne bottle. The two super-teams come to blows, but when the bottle explodes -- harmlessly thanks to the Human Torch and Namor -- the Crusaders realize they've been had. Alfie makes a break for it and the Torch pursues, but Alfie drives off the Tower Bridge and his flaming car explodes in midair.

With Alfie dead, the control belt that provided the Crusaders with their powers is gone as well, leaving the group normal humans once more. They make peace with the Invaders, who then head back to Falsworth Manor -- where they discover that Spitfire, Lord Falsworth, and Dyna-Mite have departed on a secret mission.

IRON FIST #12

”ASSAULT ON AVENGERS’ MANSION!”
Author: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker: Dan Adkins
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: Don Warfield | Editor: Archie Goodwin

You are Captain America… and you are a living legend.

You are also an Avenger… and this day finds you on watch in the mansion/headquarters monitor room…

The Plot: Iron Fist breaks into Avengers Mansion and has a skirmish with Captain America. After the two eventually make friends, Cap helps Iron Fist set a trap for the Wrecking Crew in the mansion’s Danger Room. Iron Fist summons the Crew inside and snags Misty from them, then he and Cap challenge the villains to a fight with the Danger Room set to “Thor level” strength. The heroes are victorious and the Wrecking Crew are carted off to prison.

Continuity Notes: The issue’s start establishes that six hours have passed since last issue. Claremont seems to have moved away from his irritating real time conceit at this point, now using a sort of hybrid between it and Marvel time, as Cap notes that it's been “over a year” since the murder of Harold Meachum (this actually occurred two and a half years back, publication-wise, at this point). But in the same breath, he mentions Iron Man fighting Iron Fist “a few months back” and Iron Fist’s role in Bill Hao’s apparent death “just this summer.”

All the above incidents are footnoted as having occurred last issue, in IRON FIST #1, in MARVEL PREMIERE 18 - 22, and in IRON FIST 9 and 10.