Issue(s): Avengers #210
Cover Date: Aug 81
Title: "You don't need the Weathermen to know which way the wind blows!"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Gene Colan - Penciler
Dan Green - Inker

Review/plot:
In the Avengers crossover issue of the Casket of Ancient Winters storyline, when the Wasp first hears about the world-wide blizzard, she says, "Oh, no! Don't tell me those silly Weathermen are on the loose again!". I was always intrigued by that but i also had visions of DC style villains in checkered suits or something running around causing the weather to change. So i resisted getting this issue for a while.

But i needn't have worried. There really aren't any "Weathermen" per se. Just some poor dupes who are being controlled by a weather satellite that has stopped trying to predict the weather and started trying to control it.

The satellite is named Samarobryn, after a Nostradamus doomsday prophecy. Which, as Jocasta points out, probably wasn't a good idea.

This story really is all about Jocasta. She's been feeling neglected. She wasn't even invited to the last Avengers huddle.

While the other Avengers fight the "silly" Weathermen...

...Jocasta heads up to the satellite to find out what's really going on.

After the threat is ended, the Avengers apologize for neglecting her. Which is well and good, but next issue (Jim Shooter's return) has a line-up change and Jocasta is shuffled off the team, negating the point of this issue. Which is too bad. I'm not a huge Mantlo fan but this issue did a good job of addressing the fact that poor Jocasata has been hanging around the Avengers for years now and has rarely been more than a background character.

At one point, Samarobryn asks Jocasta to marry it, to love it. When Jocasta asks what a machine that would destroy all that Jocasta cares for knows of love, it responds:

Nothing, as humans understand of love -- but together we can redefine that word on the basis of our own coexistence!

Someone call Hallmark; i've got an idea for a line of Valentine's Day cards.

Also, the Beast has a good idea for an Avengers event. Any takers?

I was a little disappointed that Thor was so powerless against the runaway weather, but it's what the story required and he has a good showing at the end.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Pushed back slightly in publication time to allow Avengers #212 to take place before Thor #311.

References:

• When the Samarobryn invites Jocasta to be its bride, Jocasta refuses, saying that she was built to be Ultron's bride in Avengers #162, but she rejected him, and honey, you aren't even Ultron. Ok, she didn't say it quite like that.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

This is the same problem that DC had with the JLA. When you have a team book with a super-powerful hero - such as Superman, he can't be as powerful as he is in his own book. Thor should have been able to get rid of the weather all by himself with his hammer. Of course, that would negate the need for the rest of the Avengers assistance.

The Samarobryn station is retroactively identified with a whole bunch of other Marvel space stations we've seen via the Marvel Index and Marvel Handbook, as well as Thunderbolts v.1 #12.

These guys should have teamed up with cobra commander and used hi weather dominator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F93ssIqlrAU