Happy Birthday Todd Nauck

Happiest of birthdays to artist Todd Nauck.

May your day not be crazy, like what Wolverine is about to do to Deadpool on this incentive cover for Crazy #1 from December, 2019!

Thanks for all the fun covers over the years...

...including stuff from Young Justice...

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More Young Justice....

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Spider-Man and friends...

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....and even Avengers and X-Men related projects!

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Avengers History 201

Welcome back to our continuing Avengers coverage!

Picking up where we left off, we start with Avengers #35 (December 1966, art by Don Heck) and, welcome aboard Roy Thomas, as the new writer of the team, taking over for Stan Lee. This is the beginning of a more advanced Avengers run, so we’ll be moving through a little more quickly, and taking advantage of the rich history of the team and how much more connected the Avengers universe becomes.

Carrying A Heavy Load

The team proceeded along as usual, finishing their battle against the Living Laser, and fighting the invading robots called the Ultroids (over the course of issues #36 and 37, until meeting up with a demi-god in Avengers #38 (March 1967) and this was a different demi-god than the mighty Thor, who had been a member!). Though, oddly enough, that’s where he got his start.

Yes, Hercules began his legendary journeys (for mighty Marvel) in Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 (1965, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby), then the son of Zeus continued his battles with Thor in his own magazine for a time, as well as his own Olympian father, Zeus (himself no stranger to using lightning as a weapon, not unlike Thor), and the Olympian lord of the underworld, Pluto (as Hercules tried to take Hollywood and got into a bad contract that his friend Thor helped him out with…ironic, as Hercules wasn’t to be in the Thor movie, or the Avengers movie…), before becoming a guest of the Avengers after a battle with the Enchantress, who wasn’t above using strong men in attempts to defeat the team.

The Avengers kept this super-strong demi-god busy for a while (fighting the Hulk in Tales To Astonish #79, Fantastic Four foes like the Mad Thinker in #39, Sub-Mariner in #40, Diablo and the Dragon Man in #41 and 42, meeting Black Widow along the way, who was having commitment issues with Hawkeye and the Red Guardian – a Russian version of Captain America - and she didn’t join the Avengers at this time in #43 and 44.

The Avengers faced a team of Avengers villains including former Avenger, the Swordsman, and the Enchantress and her two other strong men, Power Man and the Executioner, in their first Annual) before finally letting him join the team in Avengers #45 (October 1967, drawn by Don Heck, while facing the Super-Adaptoid, who had previously only menaced Captain America in Tales of Suspense). The team deals with Magneto in Avengers #47 and 49, and a few other problems like the Black Knight in Avengers #48 as well.

Hercules didn’t stick around long, leaving soon after a confrontation with the titan Typhon in Avengers #50 (March 1968, drawn by John Buscema, and Typhon first appeared in Avengers #49, also by John, though not on the cover) …and disappeared for a while after that as well. Over the years, Hercules would wander back to the team (usually to fight an Olympian menace like Ares, Herc’s half-brother and the god of war) and leave the Avengers for a time, meet up with Thor and help the son of Odin, co-founded the Champions (with Black Widow, Ghost Rider, Angel and Iceman) to combat Pluto, and just be the great Greek almost-god that he was living the life in Hollywood, and even recently became strong enough to carry his own title, the Incredible Hercules! True, Hercules has had difficulties over the years, but he’s always fought back!

African Royalty

But, with Hercules leaving, the team needed a new member, and were lucky enough to find one in the acrobatic Black Panther. T’Challa started out in Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby), and he was the chieftain of the land of Wakanda, a technologically advanced nation in Africa that controls the world’s supply of vibranium (a metal which absorbs vibrations). After testing himself against the FF, they aid him in his battle with Ulysses Klaw, the man who killed T’Chaka, the Panther’s father. T’Challa defeats Klaw, who returns as a being of sound thanks to his mechanical hand in Fantastic Four #56. (November 1966, by Lee and Kirby). After aiding the Fantastic Four and the Inhumans in a battle with the emotion-manipulating Psycho Man in Fantastic Four Annual #5, (November 1967, by Lee and Kirby) Black Panther goes to meet Captain America in Tales of Suspense #97-99 (1968) and Captain America #100 (April 1968, all by Lee and Kirby), as together, they battle the forces of Baron Zemo.

When the king and the super-soldier defeat the faux Zemo, Cap suggests that the Avengers take Black Panther as a member in Avengers #51 (April 1968, art by John Buscema) and T’Challa joins the team in Avengers #52 (May 1968, drawn by John Buscema) where the team needs the help against the Grim Reaper – a foe just introduced, but with ties to the Avengers’ past, he’s the brother of Simon Williams/Wonder Man (whom the Avengers haven’t dealt with since his “death” at the hands of the Masters of Evil), who holds the Avengers responsible for Wonder Man’s death. The Grim Reaper is the first of many villains that are introduced at this time that will come back to be a constant menace to the Avengers, no matter what their membership.

After a quick battle with the X-Men in X-Men #45 and Avengers #53, the new Avengers face a new Masters of Evil in Avengers #54-55, that includes some of the original members like the Melter and Radioactive Man, plus Black Panther foe Klaw and Whirlwind (formerly the Giant-Man & Wasp foe, the Human Top, who changed his name to Whirlwind when he returned in Avengers #46 to combat Goliath), a new Black Knight (Dane Whitman, the nephew of Nathan Garrett of the original Masters of Evil, who died after sustaining injuries fighting Iron Man…and as the Avengers found out in Avengers #48, was not villainous) and mystery villain, the Crimson Cowl, who is really the robotic Ultron (making his first appearance in Avengers #54, July, 1968 drawn by John Buscema). Ultron is like the Energizer Bunny, he just keeps going!

The coming of Ultron…leads into the induction of the next two Avengers, and their creation as well, which the team deals with after getting a little more information on Cap’s past and how he came to be frozen in Avengers #56, (September 1968, art by John Buscema) and dealing with the time-traveling Scarlet Centurion (yes, he’s an alternate Kang too and comes back as a menace to another alternate world) and alternate versions the early Avengers in Avengers Annual #2 (1968). This is an early example of the Avengers traveling to alternate dimensions and through time…something they will continue to do, even recruiting from those places…and time is something that will reveal more about the next Avenger as well....and we'll have more on them soon!

Though Black Panther didn't leave the Avengers for a while, it take a little time for him to get his own series, first in Jungle Action (from issues #5 to #24), then his first own series that lasted 15 issues from January, 1977 to May, 1979 (finally ending in Marvel Premiere #51 to #53), and back to working with the Fantastic Four, and having a few mini-series, and then a 62 issue series from November, 1998 to September, 2003 and another regular series lasting 41 issues from April, 2005 to November, 2008 that involves him with the X-Men and Fantastic Four as well as the Avengers and the Civil War! 

Avengers vs the X-Men The Early Years

Yes, the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and the X-Men, the Mutant Protectors of Mankind, faced off again in Avengers vs. X-Men.

But, where did all this animosity start?

First Time

Well, the first X-Men/Avengers battle took place in Uncanny X-Men #9 (January 1965, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby).  In “Enter: The Avengers”, evil alien Lucifer manipulates the X-Men (Cyclops, Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl and the Beast) into battling the Avengers (Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp, Iron Man and Captain America – soon after Avengers #10 but it wasn’t a crossover) by capturing Professor X and threatening a Balkan village with a bomb set to go off if Lucifer’s heart stops.

The X-Men defeat Lucifer’s plan when Professor X telepathically tells Thor of the problems and Cyclops and the Professor stop the bomb.

This story has been reprinted a few times, including in X-Men Annual #1, Marvel Masterworks #3 and as a stand alone Marvel Milestone Edition.

First Crossover

Next, in X-Men #45 (June 1968, by Gary Friedrich and John Buscema) and Avengers #53 (also June 1968, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema), ex-Avengers at the time Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch have rejoined Magneto’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to try to get a country for mutantkind.  Cyclops refuses to join, knocks out Quicksilver, which is misinterpreted by arriving Avengers (Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye and Black Panther), and, with assistance from Magneto’s mind powers, get Cyclops and the rest of the X-Men (Beast, Iceman and Marvel Girl) to fight the Avengers.  Angel stops Magneto’s plan, and the two heroic teams unite to stop the Brotherhood, but the Brotherhood members (Magneto, the Toad, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch) all escape.  These tales have been presented again, in Marvel Masterworks #48 & #70, as well as other places including Marvel Essentials Classic X-Men Volume #2.

The Big One

In Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12 (in 1984/1985, by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck and Bob Layton), the Beyonder pits what he considers to be heroes versus the villains.  Oddly enough, he places Magneto with the heroes, which leads to a rift for a time amongst the Avengers (current team of Thor, Wasp, Captain America, Hawkeye, She-Hulk and Captain Marvel, ex-Avenger Hulk, and future Avengers Iron Man/James Rhodes, Mr. Fantastic, the Thing and Spider-Man) and the X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm and Rogue). 

The groups eventually resolve their problems, and get off the alien world the Beyonder transported them to after a few battles with Galactus, Molecule Man and Dr. Doom (not to mention Spider-Man getting an alien costume during this event…and a few other things happening as well). 

This universe altering mini-series has been reprinted in tradepaperback a few times so it can be read as one large graphic novel.

A Mini-Series

Based on their time on the Beyonder’s World, Magneto does join the X-Men for a time.  Magneto’s joining the X-Men leads eventually to the X-Men Vs. The Avengers mini-series (in 1987, by Roger Stern, Marc Silvestri and Keith Pollard), where the Avengers (Thor, Captain America, Black Knight, She-Hulk and Dr. Druid) battle the X-Men (Havok, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Dazzler and now member Magneto) and the Soviet Super-Soldiers (Darkstar, Ursa Major, Vanguard, Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo) as Magneto must again go on trial for the crimes he had committed. 

Magneto is attempting to retrieve items from his crashing headquarters Asteroid M, and the Avengers and Soviets plan to stop and capture him. 

Magneto’s capture and new trial results in him being cleared of all charges (which he ensures with a little help from the device he retrieved, which allowed him to manipulate the minds of the court), but his being freed only worsens things for mutantkind. 

(This, along with Uncanny X-Men #9 was collected in a hardcover recently….).

Multiple Titles

The last X-Men/Avengers battle is a five-part crossover called Bloodties from 1993.  It started in Avengers #368 (November 1993, by Bob Harras and Steve Epting), and continued through X-Men #26 (November 1993, by Fabian Nicieza and Andy Kubert), Avengers West Coast #101 (December 1993, by Roy Thomas and David Ross), Uncanny X-Men #307 (December 1993, by Scott Lobdell and John Romita Jr.) and ended in Avengers #369 (December 1993 by Bob Harras and Steve Epting). 

Though Magneto was not involved, it involves the country of Genosha, which was to be the mutant safe haven and a few mutants acting in Magneto’s name.  Avengers (Black Knight, Black Widow, Captain America, Crystal, Giant-Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Sersi, Spider-Woman, USAgent, Vision and War Machine) and X-Men (Archangel, Beast, Bishop, Cyclops, Gambit, Iceman, Jean Grey, Rogue and Professor X) battle for a time, and then work together against the villains causing all the calamity…Fabian Cortez, Exodus and the Unforgiven.

All this angst does little to help the mutant cause or the X-Men, and this is the final straw that created rifts within the Avengers’ teams, and help to end the West Coast branch of the Avengers (which, for a time, Quicksilver wanted, when he had turned against the Avengers for a time).  But, all this also pushed Quicksilver and his estranged wife, the Inhuman Avenger Crystal towards another once again, for their sake, and the sake of their human daughter Luna (which Exodus wanted to kill…as he found it an affront that a child of a mutant and Inhuman would be…normal!).

This saga also just came out in a hardcover collection for those who would thrill to this adventure, though you’d hardly know the titles were crossing over by the art on the covers…that was left to the overhyped type on the cover, and Avengers #369 was silver foiled…

....a cover enhancement that made the cover unviewable!

The Heart Of It All

So, it seems all this comes about because Quicksilver is a bad dad?  Well, he’s had his own daddy issues over the years….and it relates to both the Avengers and the X-Men!

Quicksilver and his sister, the Scarlet Witch, were mutant orphans who were saved by Magneto and recruited to his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as related in Uncanny X-Men #4  (March 1964, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby).  Then, in Giant-Size Avengers #1 (August 1974, by Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler), it was revealed that the World War II heroes of the All-Winners Squad –  the Whizzer and Miss America –  were the parents of the young Pietro and Wanda Maximoff and their family life was happy and settled, Quicksilver could marry the Inhuman Crystal, and Scarlet Witch could marry her avenging android, the Vision.

But, in relating this story…one thing was omitted…and Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch found out in Avengers #186 (August 1979, by Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, David Micheline and John Byrne), that the Whizzer had only been their adoptive father, and that their mother was a woman named Magda who fled her husband because he went insane with power, and didn’t know about the kids.  Magda gave birth to them with the help of the High Evolutionary’s assistant, Bova, at Wundagore Mountain, and then Magda left them there.

In Uncanny X-Men #125, (September 1979, by Chris Clairmont and John Byrne), it was revealed that Magneto was pining over his lost wife, Magda, who had fled him in the early days of his career (coincidentally a place where the X-Men learned more of the Phoenix force?).  Yes, you’ve likely figured it out…Magneto is the father of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. 

Neither side would know until Vision & the Scarlet Witch #4 (February 1983, by Bill Mantlo and Rick Leonardi), when Magneto had been able to track down Bova, find out he had kids….and then track them down, and let them know that he was their father.  This lead Magneto to lean towards the good side for a time (as this happened before the Secret Wars mentioned above), but Magda was later proven right, as Magneto succumbed to his power lust for a time, and even turned both Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch back to the dark side for a time.  One also has to look at all the dealing of Magneto and his kids…as Magneto didn’t know from 1964 through 1983 he had kids! 

The Vision & Scarlet Witch original 4-issue mini-series was reprinted, along with Vision and Scarlet Witch’s marriage from Giant-Size Avengers #4 (June 1975, by Steve Englehart and Don Heck), and that marriage had been presided over by Avengers time-travel foe Immortus…wow, the Phoenix force and the whole Kang/Immortus thing…seems history unravels around Wanda and Pietro, doesn’t it?

Even before either the Avengers or X-Men were around, the battle had been brewing….(and that Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch seem to belong to both worlds....)