Issue(s): Avengers #188
Cover Date: Oct 79
Title: "Elementary, dear Avengers"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Script
Jim Shooter - Plot
John Byrne - Penciler
Dan Green & Frank Springer - Inker

Review/plot:
The credits say Jim Shooter came up with the plot to this, but the Elements of Doom have Bill Mantlo written all over them. Actually, this is even bad for Mantlo. This is DC bad.

The Avengers drop off Quicksilver in Attilan on their way home from their battle with Ch'thon in Eastern Europe. There they learn that Crystal is pregnant. This gets Scarlet Witch wondering if she and the Vision could have a baby, and if she wants to.

In a throwaway line, the Falcon remarks on how there is no street crime in Attilan, but we know that's not true from Hulk #175

The Avengers decide to try and request permission to fly through the Soviet Union in order to get home faster. But the jet they're communicating with blows up. Trying to figure out what's going on, Cap tries to radio Gyrich for instructions, but Ms. Marvel secretly rips out a component so the Avengers can make a decision for themselves.

All of the Avengers offer their opinions on what to do except the Falcon, who pouts silently and thinks "I kept my mouth shut -- waitin' to see when somebody'd ask my opinon! But nobody thought to consult the token!". Nice work, Mantlo!

Of course the Avengers decide to investigate and find a Soviet military base under attack by the periodic table of the elements. No kidding!

Actually, silly as the premise may be, it's a well told story, helped along very much by John Byrne's wonderful art. The only downside is Falcon, whose shoulder chip is way too blatant.

In the end, of course, the Avengers defeat the Elementals, don't make any friends with the Soviets, and head back home on their Quinjet.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Elementals of Doom, Crystal's pregnancy announced

Chronological Placement Considerations: This begins with the Avengers on their way home from Wundagore, so no Avengers appearances should occur between the end of Avengers #187 and this issue (with the exception of Iron Man #120-128, which takes place concurrently with the Wundagore arc).

References:

• Black Bolt does not join the Avengers because he is brooding over his wife Medusa's disappearance, shown in Fantastic Four #207.
  
• Before exploding, the Soviet pilots liken the Avengers to their heroes Vanguard and the Red Guardian, seen in Iron Man #109 and Defenders #36 respectively.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This is a prime example of one of Bill Mantlo's annoying habits: he has the new characters all blurting out their names in contrived-sounding dialogue in one crammed panel. This will get worse as time goes on.

Wish Helium got to manifest. Poor Falcon didn't even get a moment to shine in this. One hand: got sick of kids shows where a kid is mopey for most of an episode after one mistake then suddenly gets it right in the last two minutes. Still I really like Falcon and kind of wished he pulled something off like that.

There was a Helium in the 1960s Metal Men from DC; he was basically a giant balloon. His dangerous power was to...uh...I guess...squish people by getting too big.

The Elements of Doom did make one more appearance, in an early issue of Busiek's Thunderbolts.
I don't remember if Helium was used in that story or not.

The Elements of Doom fought the Avengers again in Volume 3, #56, Busiek's last issue.

Yes, I saw an episode of Batman the Brave and Bold with the Metal Men fighting the Gas Gang. Helium couldn't help giving Batman a funny voice.