Issue(s): Avengers Spotlight #23 (Vision story only)
Cover Date: Sep 89
Title: "Second debut"
Credits:
John Byrne - Script
John Byrne & Kieron Dwyer - Plot
Kieron Dwyer - Penciler
Karl Kesel - Inker
Evan Skolnick - Assistant Editor
Gregory Wright - Managing Editor
Mark Gruenwald - Editor

Review/plot:
A solo story for the Vision by John Byrne in the aftermath of his reconstruction might have been illuminating, but the story mainly reiterates what we've already seen of him in West Coast Avengers and it is mainly played for laughs. The issue is drawn and co-plotted by Kieron Dwyer, and it may be Dwyer's contribution that makes things seem "funnier" (i suppose i should also mention that Dwyer was sort-of John Byrne's step-son, but it doesn't seem like they had a relationship that it would have affected the way this issue was put together). For the most part, this doesn't really feel like a John Byrne story at all.

It does open with a statement saying that the Vision is fully aware of California without any of his knowledge being from "living memory".

The Vision then fights some really cheesy villains called Smog Alert.

It's not just the villains that are corny. The scripting is very basic as well. Guys saying "can't see" while covered in smog is the sort of thing i expect from Tom DeFalco, not John Byrne.

When the Vision shows up, he's in full robot mode, talking about how his programming tells him what armored vehicles are for...

...and how hard to hit the bad guys.

And when the sexy roller skater goes up to him for a hug, he's completely non-responsive.

All of the above is basically set-up. The real purpose of this story is to show that the police don't recognize the Vision, making him realize that with his new look the public won't know that he's the pre-existing super-hero that they used to know and trust.

So he goes on the Johnny Carson show.

The Vision's message is that he "is, in fact, still that selfsame individual" as he used to be. Which all other evidence from this story says is not the case at all.

When the show is aired, all of the West Coast Avengers get a kick out of the Vision's naive appearance.

The Avengers' response seems really inappropriate. If anything, the Vision's actions are really tragic, confirming that there's nothing left of the guy they used to know. It's especially weird to see the Scarlet Witch smiling about this. I really do think this is part of Dwyer's contribution and wasn't necessarily what Byrne would have wanted here.

Also, it's not like the Vision's appearance on Carson was actually funny. It's your basic "literal robot interacts with humans" trope paired up with some awful Hollywood caricatures. So it's kind of an annoying issue.

During this story, we see billboards advertising Night Shift. One just says "Hey Kids, Read Night Shift" (did Dwyer have a Night Shift comic in the works?) and one that shows that Digger apparently makes ends meet by DJing at a local radio station.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This story is referenced in West Coast Avengers #46 as having taken place "two days" ago.

References:

• The Vision was destroyed and rebuilt in West Coast Avengers #42-45.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I found it a bit annoying the way the Vision always states "My programming tells me..." Of course his programming tells him everything. Otherwise he'd be walking about randomly. My brain tells me things too. I don't feel the need to articulate it with "My brain tells me..." before every sentence.

kveto - that's what makes a human different from a computer program. We have the ability to realize things and censor ourselves. Computers are programmed with rules. The Vision has to say everything that goes into his thought process.

My point is that he needn't announce it. OBviously, his programming tells him everything. Who would create a program that constantly does that? Does your computer tell you "My programming tells me..." before each function it performs for you? Why would you program a computer to announce everything that goes through it's thought process? Clyde,There's a reason your computer screen isn't displaying binary to you right now.

Ultimately, it's just bad writing. A cheap way to play up the emotionlessness of the new Vision.

Fnord, Wanda's reaction is unusual but throughout Byrne's run, the other Avengers don't seem too broken up over what happened to the Vision.

We can compare it to Pym's conversation with the Black Panther in AWC #47, which i'll get to pretty soon.

This story is fun only if you believe that a man who has had a lobotomy is funny.

I get the male guest is Pee-Wee Herman but who's the female guest?

That's Charo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charo

Cheers, Cullen

Col. Fury just pointed out at the MCP that placing this story before Avengers West Coast 46 is complicated by the fact that USAgent claims in Avengers West Coast 46 that this is the first time he met Tigra but they're together in that panel above.

But also in WCA #46 it's said that the Vision hasn't been seen since before his television appearance in this issue, which was "two days ago".

Maybe there's a gap in WCA #46, but USAgent is talking to his dead parents on the phone at this point, right? Not exactly a reliable source.

It's been a while but aren't the Great Lakes Avengers inspired after having seen Vision on TV also?

Considering there's already the thing with Tigra appearing in Atlantis Attacks, it'd probably be easier to have her appearance here as a similar case of "she's not there".

Mind you, on top of his mental state, John isn't exactly known for his social skills. He put his foot in it with Bobbi in Galactic Storm, you could say he's doing the same in neglecting the fact he's already "met" Tigra. (or alternatively, he's being very very literal and he hasn't "formally" met Tigra).