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Vision and the Scarlet Witch #7Issue(s): Vision and the Scarlet Witch #7 Review/plot: ![]() He's surprised to hear that the Torch was more human than he was, with a New York accent in his voice, and more physical, to the point where he even ate real food. The Vision doesn't come to any major conclusions about this, but he's interested in the differences between himself and the former intelligence that occupied his body. After visiting the Avengers, Vision heads to Project Pegasus, where Raymond Sikorski allows him to inspect the robot version of Mastermind that the Toad attacked with last issue. And the robot picks that moment to re-activate and free the Toad, who was also being kept at Pegasus. ![]() Vision loses a hand in the battle. ![]() But he still pursues the Toad to his spaceship, which he appropriated from the Stranger. The Toad is still obsessed with the Scarlet Witch and upset that she chose an inanimate robot instead of him. In the same month that the Toad is being used here, an editorial note in the lettercol in Spectacular Spider-Man (#113) is soliciting new names for the Toad/Frog-Man/Steel Spider team that has given the Toad a new direction. The original name for their group was the Misfits, but that name was now claimed by the Misfits of Science TV show and was also the originally planned name for the Fallen Angels. There's still no sign of the semi-reformed Toad from the Spider-Man books (i'm including his Marvel Team-Up appearance) here; the different versions of the Toad won't get reconciled until issue #11. Even without an explicit explanation, though, it's easy enough to reason that the Toad was planning on reforming until the news of the Scarlet Witch's pregnancy set him off (the actual explanation involves Spider-Man not really following up on his promise to be friends with Toad, which is also a fair point). So i don't consider this to be a major foul-up on Englehart's part, although i am surprised that neither he nor his editor looked up Toad's more recent appearances, considering how meticulous the references have been in other areas on Englehart's return books. It's also interesting how much Englehart just picked up where he left off in general. The last time Englehart wrote the Toad, he had the Stranger's equipment and was able to take on the Avengers. And it was right before that that Englehart formalized the notion that the Vision was built from the body of the Human Torch. Later writers didn't do much with either idea and it feels really incongruous to me to bring them up again now (i'll admit i'm biased on the Human Torch issue due to not really liking the revelation and also knowing that there are future revisions to it). I don't think it's wrong for writers to have pet ideas that they pick up on after returning to Marvel after years away, but this is the first time we're seeing that phenomenon, at least in such a major way. And while it may seem a little cheesy if you think about it on that level, it does add depth and a sense of history to the characters, too; it's worth acknowledging that the Toad did manage to escape the Stranger's planet and use the Stranger's technology to fight the Avengers. He hasn't always been a schlubby sidekick. And the revelation about the Vision being built from the Human Torch shouldn't just be ignored, either (done away with, maybe...). Anyway, the fight with the Toad ends with the Vision getting forced out of the spaceship. ![]() Vision manages to blast the ship, sending it out of control, but he's left out in space and has to send himself home using his solar gem for propulsion. Upon re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere, his body starts burning up, like a human torch. ![]() All told, the Vision's experiences (somehow) convince him that he's a real man, not a lifeless android. I thought that had been settled already (!) but ok, a reaffirmation, then. Meanwhile, Scarlet Witch stays home and teaches Holly Ladonna some witchcraft, since it is the Yule season. ![]() And after the Vision gets home, Holly leaves and on her way home accidentally spots Crystal making out with real estate agent Norm Webster. ![]() When the Vision first arrives on the Toad's ship, he passes out and has a vision of a number of other androids. There are some odd choices, including Nick Fury LMDs and what i think are the Dominus robots (which Englehart used during his Captain America run). ![]() I am surprised to not see Machine Man, who has struggled with a lot of the same issues as the Vision, or, say, ISAAC or Jocasta, artificial intelligences that Vision has interacted with more regularly than the ones depicted. Granted Machine Man and Jocasta have been retired at this point and ISAAC may be a little obscure, but compared to the Dominus robots?! Update: As Luke notes in the comments, the green robots are probably a lesser known variety of Doom's robots, not Dominus robots. Quality Rating: C Chronological Placement Considerations: This story takes place on Christmas. Now, the MCP places this after the end of Secret Wars II and Avengers #266. But Power Pack #20 takes place the day before Christmas, and that's a tie-in with New Mutants #36, which is a tie-in with Secret Wars II #7. Now, it's possible that demons where running amok on Earth for a long period of time between the New Mutants and Power Pack issues but i don't think there's any reason why this issue couldn't take place before Avengers #264, which would allow it to take place circa the New Mutants and Power Pack issues and without creating a gap between them. All this despite my official policy to ignore holidays... The Vision loses a hand this issue but is back to normal by the beginning of next issue. References:
Crossover: N/A Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (1): showCharacters Appearing: Captain America, Crystal, Guardsman II (Michael O'Brien), Holly Ladonna, Jarvis, Jeannine O'Connell, Norm Webster, Raymond Sikorski, Scarlet Witch, Sub-Mariner, Toad, Vision Commentshttp://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/scans15/VSW7_Yule.jpg Mithras as Mitra also features in the Conan tales. Posted by: PB210 | November 30, 2013 9:05 PM The green robots are the ones from FANTASTIC FOUR #85-#87. My guess is the robots in the montage are supposed to represent the different kinds of Marvel U robots. The Fury LMDs represent LMDs, the Awesome Android represents the Mad Thinker's creations, and the green robots represent Doom's Doombots. Posted by: Luke Blanchard | April 8, 2015 11:36 PM Thanks for identifying the robots, Luke. I've added a note above. Posted by: fnord12 | April 9, 2015 8:22 AM "inanimate robot instead of him." Maybe a different term, perhaps? Posted by: Vin the Comics Guy | June 6, 2017 6:20 AM Comments are now closed. |
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