Judgement Day & Take One Giant Step…Backward

Avengers #90
Avengers #91

Avengers #90
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Mike Stevens

Avengers #91
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Art Simek

Featured Issues: Avengers #90 and #91

Issue Summaries

Avengers #90

In the hospital room where the Kree warrior Captain Marvel recovers from his recent brush with death, another threat smashes its way in, allowing neither the alien, nor the Avengers who watch over him a moment’s rest. The invader is the living instrument of Mar-vell’s far flung species, a Kree Sentry. Sent by Ronan to eliminate Mar-Vell for treason against the Kree, the Sentry must now contend with a team of unexpected protectors. Though Scarlet Witch manages to surprise the Sentry by dropping the damaged ceiling on him through the use of her hex powers, it does little to slow down the machine. Nor does the attack by the speedster Quicksilver prove any more effective. Now only the synthizoid Vision stands between the Sentry and his prey. Unfortunately, in his weakened state, Vision’s only recourse is to increase his mass in an attempt to slow his opponent. His plan almost works, until Vision takes things a bit too far and causes the floor beneath him to buckle, sending both the Sentry and himself tumbling to the room beneath. For a moment everyone holds their breath to see who is first to emerge, but their hopes are dashed when it is the Sentry that rises victorious. Facing no further resistance, the android scoops up Mar-Vell, steps back out the hole he came through and disappears in to thin air.

Lacking any leads by which to pursue the Sentry, the Avengers head back to New York. On the way, Rick Jones fills in the Avengers as best he can on the history of the Kree and the human race. Thousands of years ago, while most humans were still living in caves and using stone tools, a highly advanced group of humans encountered a Kree Sentry, the same Sentry the Avengers just fought. The Sentry identifies the splinter group as Inhumans and on its departure warns that when the Inhumans next encounter the Kree it may be as allies or as enemies. When the Sentry again awakens in modern times, it, along with Ronan are confronted by the Fantastic Four and defeated. After this, Mar-Vell is sent on his mission to Earth, eventually turning on his people and dedicating himself to defending his newly claimed home. Fate however, is a cruel mistress and after personal tragedy, Mar-Vell once again found himself in the service of the Kree, and what’s more, trapped in the Negative Zone, only able to switch atoms with Rick Jones for a handful of hours at a time.

When they arrive back at Avengers Mansion, the team finds that they don’t even have time enough for the tea that Jarvis has lovingly made for them. Instead, they must rush off to Alaska in order to join Goliath in responding to a distress call from their former teammate, Wasp. With his head start, Goliath arrives on scene first and Wasp fills him on the details of her mission. She and Yellowjacket were preparing to study Alaskan wildlife when they lost contact with the scientific station while en-route. Knowing they could arrive faster if they traveled via their powers, the pair sent off to investigate. On the way the pair spotted a strange light in the middle of a circle of jungle in the middle of the tundra. Taking control of an overgrown dragonfly, the pair made all haste to check out this environmental anomaly. Without warning, Yellowjacket knocked Wasp unconscious and sent her back, strapped to the dragonfly, while he continued into the jungle below.

Seeing the remains of the oversized dragonfly, Goliath knows that this is no joke and immediately jumps into action, once again leaving Wasp alone at the research station. Upon his arrival, Goliath is almost immediately attacked by an unknown monster Although he quickly defeats the creature Goliath is laid low by a blast from behind. The culprits are none other than Ronan the Accuser and his Kree Sentry.

Moments later the remaining Avengers, Rick Jones and Wasp arrive on the scene and are similarly attacked by the alien Sentry and his new ally, Goliath.  The Avengers attack both foes repeatedly, but are rebuffed each time. While the battle continues, at the center of the jungle Ronan brags to a captive Captain Marvel about how the Kree Evo-Rays will hurl all life on earth back thousands of years on the evolutionary ladder. If that weren’t enough, the Avengers have been driven back in a disorganized retreat and Wasp has been discovered by de-evolved creature that use to be her husband. Things are looking down and Ronan stands on the edge of victory.

Avengers #91

Things are look bad for the Avengers. Scarlet Witch, Vision and Quicksilver are being driven back before the combined might of Goliath and the Kree Sentry. Elsewhere, Wasp lies unconscious before the de-evolved creature that was once her husband, Yellowjacket. And the captive Captain Marvel is forced to watch as the Kree criminal, Ronan the Accuser gloats about his anticipated victory.

As Yellowjacket hefts his club above his head in order to strike down the helpless Wasp, a glimmer of recognition sweeps across his face. The moment of hesitation grows until the creature lowers it’s club and decides instead to take Wasp with him, back to his lair. Although Ronan is at first disturbed by this turn of events, his concerns subside when he determines that Yellowjacket is merely looking for a mate. Even with this realization, Ronan wonders if further tests are in order for Yellowjacket and the other de-evolved creatures. This information is vital given that the entire world will soon be under the sway of the Evo-Rays.

The situation continues to remain dire for the remaining Avengers. Breaking into pairs, Rick Jones and Scarlet Witch attempt to take on the Sentry while Quicksilver and Vision focus on their teammate, Goliath. Using his phasing powers, Vision is finally able to bring down the giant-sized Avenger, allowing the whole team to focus on a single threat. Even with this advantage, the team is quickly driven back as the Vision is knock out, Scarlet Witch rushing to his side, and Quicksilver and Rick Jones retreating before a wall of flames projected by the Sentry. In their haste, the pair have left behind three of their comrades to be captured by the Kree.

Taking a moment to collect themselves, the pair notice that they are not alone, but that three de-evolved humans are nearby, the technicians the Avengers were in search of.

Back in the Kree tower, Scarlet Witch and Vision are tied up together so that they may watch Ronan’s triumph. As the pair regain consciousness, Wanda attempts to confess her love for Vision and leans in to kiss him. Sadly for her, Vision turns away and insists that it must not be since he is an android and she is a human. This situation provides no small amount of amusement for Ronan.

Back in the wilds of the arctic jungle, the three de-evolved technicians are attempting to fight Yellowjacket for control of his prize, the lovely Wasp. Even with their caveman strength, the trio are no match for the creature who was once an Avenger. As the Kree observe this, Captain Marvel declares that they’ll never truly defeat the human race so long as emotions like love run so deeply. Surprising, Ronan agrees. To Mar-vell’s horror, Ronan reveals that his plan is not to merely de-evolve the human race by thousands of years, but to de-evolve them back to the primordial ooze from which they originally came.

Outside the tower a determined Quicksilver drives a metal bar through a wall in order to make his entrance and rescue his sister and teammates. And as Quicksilver provides a distraction, Rick Jones manages to free Captain Marvel and use his wristband laser to damage the central control panel causing a chain reaction within the tower and its power source. As if things couldn’t get any worse for Ronan, he receives a transmission saying that the Kree are now at war with the Skrulls. Knowing that his people need him, Ronan teleports away, leaving the Sentry and the Avengers to fend for themselves. Staying at this post, the Sentry attempts to save the tower, but fails and is destroyed in the process. As the Avengers escape the tower, they find Wasp and a restored Yellowjacket making their way to the tower. As the tower sinks back into the ice, the Avengers are left wondering if the Kree will ever try to meddle in the affairs of Earth again.


Scarlet Witch


Kree Sentry

Avengers Infinity Quest Pinball with Keith Elwin

Avengers Infinity Quest

Andrew is joined by special guest Keith Elwin, Pinball Champion and designer of the new Avengers Infinity Quest Pinball from Stern Pinball. Keith provides great insight into the process of designing pinballs and his journey into comics research. It’s a bit of something different, but a fun conversation all around.