INVADERS #27

"AGENT AXIS-- MASTER OF MURDER!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators/Storytellers: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Colorist: George Roussos | Letterer: John Costanza

The Plot: Aboard Agent Axis's "mechanical mole" machine, Bucky lets slip that Toro lies near death in a nearby hospital. Axis changes course to go kidnap Toro as well. At that instant, a young man named Davy Mitchell wanders into Toro's room. When the mole arrives, Davy is taken along with the young Torch.

Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner arrive at the Sandy Flat internment center, where they find Namor's parked flagship and learn of Bucky's kidnapping. Namor realizes that Bucky took a homing device from the ship before he disembarked, and sets about tracking the young man down.

Agent Axis and his captives arrive at his hidden underground lair, where he demands that Doctor Sabuki cure him of his multiple personality disorder. Sabuki agrees, on the condition that he be allowed to help Toro first. Some time later, Sabuki begins work on Toro, and removes the bullet. With Toro stabilized, Sabuki turns his attention to Axis. The villain has attached Davy and Sabuki's daughter, Gwenny Lou, to equipment that will kill them if Sabuki tries anything on Axis during the procedure. But when Toro awakens and blasts Axis's henchmen, a fight breaks out. The equipment is ruined, and in the process, Gwenny Lou and Davy are endowed with super-powers. A moment later, the Invaders burst into the room.

MARVEL TEAM-UP #68

Stan Lee presents: SPIDER-MAN and MAN-THING!

”THE MEASURE OF A MAN!”
Author: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker: Bob Wiacek
Letterer: Bruce Patterson | Colorist: Phil Rache | Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Spider-Man observes Man-Thing inside a habitat at a circus, then flashes back to earlier that night when, as Peter Parker, he and Mary Jane Watson attended the circus and were almost roughed up when Peter accused the circus’s owner of kidnapping and holding the beast against its will. Then, in the present once more, Spider-Man meets a sympathetic guard and busts Man-Thing out over the protestations of the owner and his goons.

Thanks to Dr. Curt Connors, Spider-Man flies Man-Thing down to Florida aboard a chartered plane, but the craft is shot down over the swamp. Leaving the plane’s pilot and co-pilot to await rescue, Spider-Man follows Man-Thing into the swamp to what appears to be a decrepit shack. But in actuality, the building is a massive mystical tower under the control of the villainous D’Spayre.

D’Spayre apparently kills Man-Thing, then uses his powers of fear on Spider-Man. But when Man-Thing reappears and is slain over and over by D’Spayre, constantly regenerating himself only to die again, Spider-Man overcomes D’Spayre’s magic and beats the villain to a pulp. The tower’s inhabitants, Dakimh the Enchanter and his apprentice, Jennifer Kale, stop Spider-Man and banish the tower to another dimension.

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #50

LUKE CAGE: a child of the streets… DANIEL RAND: a son of the mystic city of K’un-Lun… Two men from different worlds—both reborn with strength and power beyond belief! And together, no one can stop them!

”FREEDOM!”
Author: Chris Claremont | Artists: John Byrne & Dan Green
Lettering: Denise Wohl | Coloring: Francoise Mouly | Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: At Jeryn Hogarth’s luxury apartment, a party is held to celebrate Luke Cage’s exoneration. Misty Knight and Colleen Wing offer him a position with their company, Nightwing Restorations, but Cage declines. Moments later, Cage’s girlfriend, Claire Temple, breaks up with him, having been used as a pawn against Cage one time too many.

Cage’s heartbreak is short-lived as his old foes, Stiletto and Discus, crash the party. The vigilantes believe Cage has dodged the law and want him dead. Danny Rand changes to Iron Fist to assist Cage against his enemies. The fight heads outside, where Iron Fist is nearly killed. Meanwhile, Cage takes out Discus. The arrival of the police startles Stiletto, who shoots Lt. Rafael Scarfe. Believing Scarfe dead, Misty prepares to execute Stiletto, but Cage stops her.

Scarfe, alive, chastises Misty and then Cage, Iron Fist, and the Daughters of the Dragon enjoy some champagne in the ruined apartment as Cage accepts the offer to join Nightwing Restorations.