Issue(s): Hulk #128
Cover Date: Jun 70
Title: "And in this corner... the Avengers!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Herb Trimpe - Penciler
Herb Trimpe - Inker

Review/plot:
The Hulk is traveling through underground tunnels after his encounter with the Mole Man and Tyrannus last issue. The problem is he's headed towards the San Andreas Fault. General Ross summons the Avengers to stop him before he gets there, and he's disappointed when a bunch of no-name losers show up instead of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor.

Instead of trying to reason with the Hulk or letting him calm down and turn back into Banner, the Vision attacks the Hulk and lures him back up to the surface, where the rest of the Avengers attempt to use a device by the army that is supposed to stop the Hulk. Things basically break out into a regular 'ol fight, awkwardly drawn by Trimpe.

The Avengers basically get trounced, and the device fails to work until the Hulk is out of sight, at which point he does turn back into Banner.

The Avengers look horrible as drawn by Trimpe.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - Scarlet Witch's powers return.

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Scarlet Witch's powers return here, so this is her first appearance since Arkon promised her that her powers would return in Avengers #76.

References:

• Goliath recalls the fact that the Hulk was an Avenger before any of the current team, and we see a flashback to Avengers #1.
  
• Arkon promised the Scarlet Witch that her powers would return in Avengers #76.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Super Heroes #80

I have a little bit of a soft spot for this issue, as this is one of the few appearances by these five Avengers as a team before the "Big Three" started showing up three issues out of every four and stepping on their toes. A lot more could be done with the character dynamics of these five (some of my faves) if Roy had given them room to breathe.

Why oh why would Goliath/Giant-Man/every size-changing character ever constantly be in giant mode, whether it's entering a room or lounging around Avenger's mansion?

Actually, flipping through my back issues, when Clint Barton was Goliath he stayed giant-sized pretty much all the time. Colan, Windsor-Smith, the Buscemas; they all drew him that way. And it was continued in cross-overs like this one (you're not the only reader to make this observation). My memory was that Hank Pym only stayed giant during that short period where he was stuck at 10 feet tall, but it was pretty much the same for him. The difference was that Pym was always in the lab, where you could say he was tall so he could reach things on high shelves or move heavy machinery, while Clint was always lounging around in giant size for no reason. Arm-chair psychologists may make of this what they wish...

One rare exception to Clint's Goliath frequently being giant size for no sensible reason is found in the Hercules story in Ka-Zar Quarterly #1, also another rare appearance of this classic team without any of the big three joining in.http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/ka-zar_quarterly_1_hercules.shtml

Gen. Ross complains about the team of Avengers that arrive and it should be noted that - with Pym leaving in Avengers #75 but the big three hanging around for the fight with Arkon - this is the first published appearance of an Avengers team with none of the founders (counting Cap as a retroactive "founder", of course - and for that matter, not counting the Hulk).

The General's complaint wasn't framed in those terms but I do wonder whether he knew Clint wasn't the Goliath (Giant-man actually) he'd met previously - and whether that would have made a difference.

Re-reading my comment nearly two years later (and Andrew's response to it), it really is an artist's trope and possibly stems from the understandable thought process that "every issue is someone's first" to have the size-changing member always AT that size, even though that makes no logical sense. It was done when George Perez was doing the Avengers in the late 90s', it's done whenever there's an introductory scene and it's simply to re-establish "hey, this guy's power is that he's really BIG (or really LITTLE)". I know it stems from being escapist fare for young readers, but even The Atom was given a miniature chair at Justice League meetings in the Silver Age. This, and how underwater realms are portrayed, and using the fedora/trenchcoat method of disguise, are always the charming but illogical things in comics that I love seeing.