Issue(s): Avengers #119
Cover Date: Jan 74
Title: "Night of the Collector"
Credits:
Steve Englehart - Writer
Bob Brown - Penciler
Don Heck - Inker

Review/plot:
This issue uses the same cheesy device to sneak some action into the early part of a story that they used in Avengers #32: attacked by their own alarm system. This is my second least favorite type of gratuitous action, the absolute worst being "lost control of our plane for no good reason".

The Scarlet Witch is on a real anti-human kick, but the other members don't seem to know what to do about it.

Thor leaves Loki under the care of Jarvis and then the Avengers respond to a psychic alert Mantis gets from Rutland, Vermont.

The threat turns out to be that the Collector has tied up and impersonated Tom Fagan in the hopes of 'collecting' any real heroes that turn up for the annual Halloween parade.

The Avengers beat the Collector and his 'vampire bat bombs' fairly easily, even though it involved Mantis having to kind of slither down a vent.

Thor decides that Loki would be best served living in Rutland under Fagan's watch. This seems like such a bad idea. First, you don't leave your insanely evil and powerful step-brother to be cared for by an untrained civilian, whether or not he is mind-drained and helpless for the time being. Second, as the Avengers point out this issue, Rutland is a place where a lot of supernatural stuff seems to happen, and it's even the place where Loki hooked up with Dormammu in the first place, so is it really smart to leave a mentally deranged Asgardian god of mischief there?

While Fagan and his friends are clearly drawn to look like adults, the Collector refers to them as children.

Even though Dr. Strange wiped everyone's memories of Dormammu's attack at the end of the Avengers/Defenders war, Iron Man and Vision video-tape a report on the crisis for the networks this issue. Did they lie about what happened?

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Avengers return from the Avengers/Defenders War with a mind-drained Loki in tow, meaning this is the Avengers' first appearance after that story.

The Black Panther refers to trouble in his homeland, but even with the reference there's nothing dictating that the story in Jungle Action can't take place after his appearance here.

This issue has been moved back from its published date to fit it in prior to the Thanos War, since Avengers #125 takes place during those issues of Captain Marvel.

References:

• The Black Panther had to disable the Avengers' security system in Avengers #52, too.
  
• The Black Panther says "I know I had said I would stay with the Avengers - but terrible events in my homeland make me unsure of those words." with a reference to Jungle Action #6-8.
  
• With regards to previous events in Rutland, the footnote says, "Let's see now... Avengers #83, Marvel Feature #2, Thor #207, Amazing Adventures #16, Jus--- *ahem!* -- Red-Faced Roy". The aborted 'Jus' entry refers to DC's Justice League of America #103, which also featured the Rutland Halloween parade.
  
• The Collector was previously seen in Avengers #28 and Avengers #51
  
• While investigating Rutland, Swordsman and Mantis discuss events from the Avengers/Defenders War, specifically her team-up with Defenders #9, and the Vision's freeze up in Avengers #118, which i still say was just an art error.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The "children" thing might be a lame joke about the Collector's age.

I believe it was established at the climax of the previous issue that the effect of the Evil Eye restored Loki's sight while frying his brain, so I don't think he should be considered still blind here.

Thanks, Matthew. He's mind-drained and helpless and has to be led around, but you're right, he's no longer blind.