Issue(s): Avengers #17
Cover Date: Jun 65
Title: "Four against the Minotaur!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Don Heck - Penciler
Dick Ayers - Inker

Review/plot: The Avengers take Iron Man's parting advice and seek out the Hulk in an attempt to recruit him since they feel they are lacking in raw power. Instead they find one of the Mole Man's creatures, the Minotaur.

In fact they were lured there by a suspicious robot sent by the Mole Man.

The Scarlet Witch is totally into Captain America at this point. But Cap is feeling old and insecure in his leadership, with Hawkeye and Quicksilver constantly challenging him.

Things get better by the end of the issue, but Cap wonders how long it will last.

Evidence of a talking moloid here:

This is all interspersed with scenes of the Hulk fighting the Leader in Tales To Astonish #69, which is demonstrating some tight continuity. Definitely the coolest thing about this issue.

Don Heck's art is very sketchy.

Quality Rating: D+

Historical Significance Rating: 4 - first adventure with the "Kooky Quartet" Avengers.

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place simultaneously with the Hulk story in Tales To Astonish #69 (in addition to the Hulk and the Leader, Glenn Talbot appears on panel and General Ross is behind-the-scenes as well, but all the scenes are essentially concurrent with TTA #69, no real new material).

References:

• Captain America chooses an area to look for the Hulk based on previously encountering him near there during the incident with the Lava Men in Avengers #5.
  
• This story takes place simultaneously with the Hulk story in Tales To Astonish #69, and is interspersed with scenes from same.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Triple Action #11

The "plane to plane" panel is a rare example of Kirby drawing something that Stan just couldn't make work; apparently Kirby forgot that the Hulk couldn't fly.

Note: This comment actually refers to something on the Tales To Astonish #69 entry; i originally had that issue and Avengers #17 in the same entry, and i don't have the ability to move comments. Sorry, Mark! - fnord12

so, Rick Jones who knows exactly where the Hulk is cause he's been visiting Banner in prison and everything since TTA #64 through #68, at no point thinks to mention to Banner at least that the Avengers are looking to recruit the Hulk again?

i mean, joining the Avengers has to be better than dealing with Talbot and being branded a traitor every 5 minutes when you were clearly kidnapped/captured.

i'm going to assume the Avengers were already fighting the Mole Man before Rick gets the morse code message from Banner in TTA #69, and therefore couldn't tell the Avengers where to find Hulk and rescue him.

I wish that the Hulk came back at this point. The belief that the Hulk is not a viable Avenger is proven false by the movie.

Rick at this time was no longer hanging out with the Avengers as he had walked out when they recruited new members and didn't include him.