Issue(s): Avengers West Coast #80
Cover Date: Mar 92
Title: "Turn of the Sentry"
Credits:
Roy Thomas & Dann Thomas - Writer
David Ross - Penciler
Tim Dzon - Inker
Richard Ashford - Assistant Editor
Nel Yomtov - Editor

Review/plot:
Rick Jones has been kidnapped by the Shi'ar. Oracle of the Imperial Guard uses her mental powers to probe his history (an excuse to provide some backstory, supplemented by citations on the lettercol; see the References), and then they take him to where Captain Marvel battled Yon-Rogg over the Psyche-Magnetron (which shouldn't be surprising to us.

Meanwhile, Captain America calls the West Coast Avengers from a payphone and tells them about his battle with Warstar. He asks for a ride. The West Coast Avengers hesitate, offended that Cap says that he's calling them because he's in Arizona and "your group's so much closer than the Avengers" (as opposed to "Avengers East Coast"), but they agree to pick him up. The bad bad blood between Iron Man and Cap that's been brewing since Armor Wars is emphasized.

Using the Avengers ID card that Cap gave to Rick, the Avengers track Rick to the Psyche-Magnetron cave. It turns out that the explosion that seemingly destroyed the cave only affected the upper levels, and the Psyche-Magnetron is untouched. The device also has a defense that we haven't seen before, a Kree Sentry (supposedly programmed to self-activate when the chamber was entered and "no Kree officer present", which wasn't the case during the prior three entries to the cave).

The Shi'ar fight the Kree Sentry, but a mesmerized Rick Jones isn't able to defend himself. Luckily the Avengers show up. Cap rescues Rick from a Sentry blast. And then it's a three way fight.

When the Sentry is defeated, it begins to self-detonate, and everyone has to flee the cave. The Avengers are able to rescue Rick, but the Shi'ar escape with the portion of the Psyche-Magnetron that they wanted. The Avengers contact Quasar to try to get him to stop the Shi'ar ship before it leaves for deep space. Quasar is unable to stop it, and he notices a giant sun flare as the ship warps away.

I think David Ross does a good job with all the battles.

As Dermie notes in the comments, Living Lightning gets a new costume in this issue.

Note also in that scene that Wonder Man is dropping out of the sky from nowhere. He isn't wearing his jetpack, but as Michael suggests, it seems like that could have been erased to account for the fact that Wonder Man lost his jetpack in his solo series (Wonder Man #3). It's worth remembering the Wonder Man has been getting around in his own book by jumping like the Hulk, though.

Later Wonder Man's lack of flight is addressed in the script.

I leave you with a dig at bolo arrows.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 152,442. Single issue closest to filing date = 141,800.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part two of Operation: Galactic Storm. It continues in Quasar #32. It's implied that Wonder Man hasn't been to the West Coast Avengers compound since the fight with Night Shift last issue (although i wouldn't take that too literally).

References:

• Rick was captured in Captain America #398.
  
• The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2.
  
• We first heard mention of the Kree in Fantastic Four #64.
  
• Captain Marvel came to earth in Marvel Super Heroes #12 (incorrectly cited in the list of references in the lettercol as #18).
  
• Rick and Mar-vell became bonded through the Nega-Bands in Captain Marvel #17.
  
• Yon-Rogg unearthed the Psyche-Magnetron in Captain Marvel #18. (There was an explosion in the cave in that issue, and the place appeared to be in ruins and there was a subsequent explosion in Ms. Marvel #4.)(Note that the Kree Sentry mentioned three prior visits to the Psyche-Magnetron. I am not sure if Ms. Marvel's return visit counts, since she didn't go to the lower level of the Cave and isn't a Kree officer, unless the essence she absorbed from Mar-vell counts. We do know that Dr. Minerva and Captain Atlas visited the cave some time prior to Quasar #10).
  
• The Kree/Skrull War happened in Avengers #89-97.
  
• Mar-vell died in Marvel Graphic Novel #1.
  
• The Shi'ar were first seen in Uncanny X-Men #97.
  
• It's noted that there's been bad blood between Captain America and Iron Man since the Armor Wars. I'll link to Iron Man #228.
  
• Wonder Man's jetpack was destroyed in Wonder Man #3 (no footnote!).

Crossover: Operation Galactic Storm

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I don't know that it is particularly important, except that it might help in terms of placement with any other books where the WCA guest star, but Living Lightning gets a new costume in this issue.

Unfortunately, their first tie-in issue of a 19 part crossover with 5 other books probably wasn't the best issue to do that in. Miguel will be seen in the wrong costume in some of the other chapters, probably because those artists weren't aware of the costume change or weren't given reference material for the new design.

Also in the category of art mistakes, it seems like David Ross wasn't told Wonder Man's jetpack was destroyed, because when Simon first appears he seems to be flying.

That new outfit for Lightning is hideous.

As for the jetpack, it makes it seem like it's impossible for Simon to get a new one. What about the one that hung on his back from his horrible green costume some 60 issues back?

Erik, we do see the one that he wore on his back in Thor 445 and it gets destroyed in that story. Although that does raise the question of why Simon couldn't use it this story.