Avengers #275

[iamrman]

The Absorbing Man and Titania seek to finish the job when a mortally wounded Hercules is rushed to hospital.

Meanwhile, Zemo makes with the evil gloating.

Back at the hospital, Scott Lang is at hand to assist the Wasp.

Comments

[beyondthefringe]

Sure, Crusher and Mary were pretty awful for a long time, but I'm SO glad they both got the opportunity to turn their lives around and take on more altruistic roles in recent years.
I'm a sucker for a good redemption arc as long as a villain isn't completely irredeemable.

Also, Zemo didn't have enough contingency plans for the random Avengers allies who popped up, like Scott, Thor, and as we'll see... Doctor Freaking Druid. Then again, how could anyone plan for Doctor Druid to show up.

[dan_ingram]

"Also, Zemo didn't have enough contingency plans for the random Avengers allies who popped up, like Scott, Thor, and as we'll see... Doctor Freaking Druid. Then again, how could anyone plan for Doctor Druid to show up."

Can you imagine the sheer level of planning Zemo would have to undertake these days?

"Okay, I've accounted for Alpha Flight, X-Men, X-Factor, Ms. Marvel, both Spider-men, Nova, Moon Knight and Blue Marvel. I'm 10% done!"

[agharta75]

"What, there are now more than two Spider-Men?"

[iamrman]

That's even before factoring in multiversal variants.

[bruinsfan]

I think Thor popping up is a pretty tall order to plan for even if you're fairly sure it's going to happen.

[dan_ingram]

I guess it depends in what circles you run.

Loki could recruit Kurse, Destroyer, Ares, or any number of mystic strongmen to throw down with Thor.

Zemo wouldn't be able to find Kurse's zip code in the phone book.

[beyondthefringe]

I think that planning for Thor makes sense because he's so often an Avenger.
But the Wrecking Crew and Absorbing Man and Titania are also frequent foes of his, so the full brute squad should be, theoretically anyway, enough if Thor shows up alone.

It's the really random factors like Ant-Man or Doctor Druid that it's hard to plan against. It's like "what if the Guardians of the Galaxy decide to travel back in time right now?" Possible but so illogical that...

[dan_ingram]

"what if the Guardians of the Galaxy decide to travel back in time right now?"

Did you make that example up randomly, or did you know? ;)

[beyondthefringe]

In this case, it was a random thought, since around this time they were still best known as occasional allies from the Korvac era. I don’t recall when they got their ongoing, but I do know they came back to the modern era during Acts of Vengeance, which is where they picked up female Yellowjacket…

[scorntx]

The Guardians didn't get their first proper ongoing until the 90s, so a bit of a ways off.
(They were the headliners of Marvel Presents in the 70s from issue 2 onward, until it got cancelled with issue 12.
Funnily enough, the last few issues were written by... Roger Stern. Some of his first work for Marvel, even.)

[phantomfo]

They came back during the Infinity War. With the Avengers tied up dealing with Magus, Doctor Octopus decided it was the perfect time to form a new Masters of Evil, with such heavyweights as Powderkeg, Shocker and Oddball.

[zylly]

Man, this story arc is just such a masterclass in writing. It's probably the best Avengers story, period.

We don't really see that Jan has super-strength when shrunk anymore, do we? Or that she can shrink like a foot and still manifest wings.