Avengers Inc. #4 - "Who Is Victor Shade?

[laughing_tree]

Jan's story started with avenging the murder of her father. She's got a lot of detective-genre DNA in her makeup, and if she hadn't been sidetracked by Hank Pym into a superhero setting, she absolutely would have done it on her own as a traditional gumshoe. So exploring her in a detective role makes a lot of sense to me. -- Al Ewing

Comments

[deh_tommy]

NOOOOOO! He just came back, dangit! It’s not fair!

[blues32]

...okay...sure, why not?

[shakalooloo]

Can't say the Ultron reveal wasn't obvious (it was certainly foreshadowed enough) but for once the reveal itself isn't the selling point of this story, but the delicious fallout.

[cainofdreaming]

Not so funny when you're the one getting random bullshit thrown at you, is it Marc?

[rainspirit]

TO BE FAIR, the "Random Bullshit Go!" quip is a total Moon Knight-Core thing. I WISH they made it canon though.

[scorntx]

It's difficult when dealing with someone you know who has a problem with their mental health, especially when they're on the downswing and yet keep insisting that it's just a rough patch and they're fine and they'll just power through it in all contradiction to the evidence and history and you're practically screaming at them to just take the fucking medication like the doctors said... and that's with normal, every day depression, never mind Hank's own issues.
...
... Ahem. Sorry. This comic might've hit a nerve or two...


Kicking m'self for not getting the Victor bit sooner.

Though even by Hank's poorly-thought-out schemes this one is... pretty darn stupid.
Of this little assemblage, Speed Demon's about the only one who probably half a chance of taking any Ultron.
(Though given one of the things Ultron did in the future was wipe out the Avengers, and also everyone else, I'm guessing that's one of Hank's reasons for not getting them involved.)

Not sure how exactly this could all be wrapped up satisfactorily in the space of a single issue, but if anyone could do so, it's Ewing.
Now, back to hoping that it's not actually cancelled and is just taking an eerily long hiatus!

[beyondthefringe]

I was really hoping for more of a slow burn storyline with Janet and Victor solving more crimes while the "is that really Hank???" played out in the background.

Getting right to the point in issue 4 of a 5 issue storyline, and then having to address Hank, Ultron, and Janet before wrapping it up feels rushed and like you, I'm not sure how it could be done entirely satisfactorily.

I wouldn't mind having Hank back, alive, untethered to Ultron, and back on his meds... heck, it might be fun to have him around as Science Grandad while Janet and Nadia and Scott and Robo-Eric hold up the Wasp/Ant-Man legacy... (and yeah, Cassie and Raz to uphold the Giant-Man/growing person legacy)

[lbd_nytetrayn]

I'm guessing it's MCU synergy at work here, but was Hank looking this old prior to this? If so, I missed how that happened.

[draganoche]

It's a long story.

After Hank fused with Ultron, they eventually got sealed up with Asgardian magic but then blasted with time energy in an escape attempt.

This sent them to the future and turned them into Allfather Ultron who conquered earth and asgard.

Eventually they fought a team of the various Antmen, with Scott pointing out to Allfather Ultron that the Pym part of him could use their magical power to free himself.

He was able to pull it off and sent himself back in time, but was aged and believed (correctly) that Ultron was able to follow him.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Hmm, yup! Sounds like that'll do it!

Thanks for the catch-up!