Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1979-10-01 00:05:10 |
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Avengers annual #9
Issue(s): Avengers annual #9
Cover Date: 1979
Title: "--Today the Avengers die! / Something deadly lurks below"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Don Newton - Penciler
Jack Abel & Josef Rubinstein - Inker
Review/plot:
This wraps up a plot from Mantlo's Iron Man run. The Avengers fight a giant robot called Arsenal.
It turns out Arsenal and the computer that is controlling it are part of a World War II era American program designed by Tony Stark's father. The program was similar to the Red Skull's Sleeper robots; they were to be activated only in the event that the US lost WWII. But they somehow got activated now, and attacked the Avengers under the impression that they were Nazis. The computer was weirdly imprinted with Tony's mother's personality.
Tony is eventually able to convince it that WWII is over and the Allies won.
Ms. Marvel, the Falcon, and the Wasp were unavailable, so reserve Avengers Thor and Wonder Man were called in.
Decent art by Don Newton, who i know nothing about. As for the writing: not very good. Hawkeye is written to be especially, annoyingly, cranky.
Quality Rating: C-
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Avengers #189 has Thor departing Avengers Mansion after the defeat of Arsenal. Takes place simultaneously with the Falcon's story in Marvel Premiere #49 and the Wasp's time with the Defenders in Defenders #76-77.
References:
- Arsenal previously appeared in Iron Man #114.
- The Falcon is, in Hawkeye's words, "out trying to solve some embassy murder that he couldn't stop! Some hero!". This takes place in Marvel Premiere #49.
- When Wonder Man looks like he might be in danger again, Thor wonders if he's died again, like he did in Avengers #9.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
Inbound References (3): showCharacters Appearing: Arsenal, Beast, Captain America, Hawkeye, Henry Peter Gyrich, Henry Pym, Iron Man, Jarvis, Scarlet Witch, Thor, Vision, Wonder Man Previous:
Marvel Premiere #49Up:
MainNext:
Defenders #76-77
Comments
Don Newton was actually a rather popular artist who died in 1984. He started at Charlton, and spent most of his career at DC (most notably on Aquaman, Captain Marvel, and Batman).
This was maybe the third Avengers book I bought,I thought it was awesome, and I still love it. Wonder Man does come off as powerful as he should, as usual. A great character poorly used by almost everyone.
