Look Homeward, Avengers!

Avengers #87

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Letterer: Mike Stevens

Featured Issue: Avengers #87

Plot Summary

Returning from their recent dimension hoping adventure, the Avengers settle down for some well deserved relaxation. While the general tone around the mansion is cautious, one Avenger can’t help but be distracted in their new found down time. Questioned about it by Iron Man, Black Panther admits that he is suffering from home sickness, that most common of maladies. In an effort to help their teammate, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch encourage Black Panther to tell them about his home. With this, Black Panther begins to regale the Avengers with the story of how he became the legendary protector of Wakanda.

As son of the great chief T’Chaka, T’Challa was groomed from birth to follow in his father’s footsteps. Soon after sharing the secret of vibranium with his son, T’Chaka is killed by Klaw. Refusing to give him the vibranium that he sought for his sound transformer, Klaw orders his men to cut the chief down. Still being a young man, T’Challa is sent away for his schooling while the kingdom is ruled over by N’Baza, the witch doctor and his father’s most trusted advisor. Accompanying him on his journey is N’Baza’s son, B’Tumba. For years the pair are inseparable, studying and competing with one another, but still remaining close friends. After graduation, the pair return to Wakanda so that T’Challa may finally claim his throne.

On his arrival, T’Challa is greeted by N’Baza and immediately must begin the trials that will prove he is worthy of succeeding his father as chief. First he must face off against a half dozen of the best warriors, a challenge he quickly completes, though a lesser man would have fallen before any one of his foes. Next, T’Challla must hold a vigil in the temple of the panther god. Again having successfully completed his task, T’Challa was lead in to a gigantic panther statue where he finds the costume of the Black Panther. Donning the suit, T’Challa emerges to the cheers of an assembled crowd and ready to face his final trial. T’Challa must travel to the great plateau and obtain of the rare, heart-shaped herb. If successful, T’Challa must then eat the herb in order to gain the powers of the panther. With this, T’Challa sets out to fulfill his destiny.

Through jungles and swamps and up sheer cliffs, T’Challa overcomes any and all obstacles that cross his path. Just as his journey is coming to an end, T’Challa hears unexpected voices in the distance. On further investigation he discovers a small expedition from Advanced Idea Mechanics, AIM for short. The team is busily loading up a shipment of refined vibranium for transport back to their headquarters. As T’Challa contemplates the ramifications of his discovery, he himself is discovered by a hidden camera left behind by AIM. The young king is quickly ambushed by the now alerted AIM squad.

Although surprised and outnumbered, T’Challa quickly takes the offensive and shows off the incredible power now under his control. His speed, strength and agility end up proving no match for the technological wonders of AIM and he is soon brought down the their portable sonatron. While he recovers, Black Panther demands to know who is responsible for this brazen act of thievery. The traitor is soon revealed to be none other than T’Challa’s close friend B’Tumba. In the process AIM also reveals that it is there intent to beat the US and Soviets to the moon using a rocket constructed of vibranium, eventually leading to a invulnerable space station made of the same metal.

Broken and imprisoned by AIM, Black Panther can only face his death with dignity. His final demand is that his former friend B’Tumba be the one to pull the trigger and end his life. After T’Challa’s repeated taunts, B’Tumba finds himself unable to do the deed and instead decides to free his friend and make their escape. AIM it seems is less forgiving than the Wakandan king and they attack both T’Challa and B’Tumba. With his enhanced abilities as Black Panther, T’Challa is able to avoid the onslaught, but B’Tumba is not so lucky. With the AIM soldiers defeated, Black Panther returns to B’Tumba’s side just in time to comfort him in his final moments. Leaving the body behind, Black Panther returns to his kingdom a changed man.

In New York, the Avengers listen to the end of the story and offer words of sympathy and comradeship to Black Panther. As he leaves to the room, Black Panther informs the Avengers that N’Baza, who has been ruling Wakanda as T’Challa’s regent, has just died and so Black Panther must now choose whether to return home or stay in New York with the Avengers.


Black Panther



Brain-Child to the Dark Tower Came…!

Avengers #86

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Jim Mooney
Letterer: Shelly Leferman

Featured Issue: Avengers #86

Plot Summary

As the Avengers race across the sky, time is running short. With Nighthawk at the controls, the Squadron Supreme’s aircraft hurries towards the launch site or Brain Child One, the solar probe which will soon be responsible for the destruction of the Earth and the extermination of humanity. Little do the Avengers know that their every action is being closely monitored by a mysterious figure.

At the launch site the remaining members of the Squadron Supreme spot the incoming aircraft and wonder what it could possibly be doing at the launch site so close to launch. After landing, the Avengers rush out in an attempt to stop the launch while Nighthawk remains behind to power down the aircraft. Seeing four unknown costumed persons rushing towards them, the Squadron Supreme spring in to action, fulfilling their sworn duty to protect the rocket launch. When Quicksilver attempts to rush past, he is sent reeling in the opposite direction after a collision with Hyperion. Not waiting to see how the rest of the scenario plays out, Dr. Spectrum orders Whizzer to immediately launch Brain-Child One. Although Whizzer completes his mission the rocket is stopped by the incredible powers of Scarlet Witch’s Hex Bolts which cause the engines to misfire. Just as the Squadron Supreme is poised to take the offensive, Nighthawk intervenes.

With the situation diffused, Nighthawk and the Avengers take a minute to explain their apocalyptic experience and the encounter in Avengers Mansion. Again in their discussions the name of Brain-Child comes up and when the Avengers press the question, Dr. Spectrum fills in the heroes. Although Arnold was born a seemingly normal child, at a young age he began to show incredible intelligence, attributed to the radiation exposure both of his parents received. As he aged and his intellect grew he began to experiment on himself in order to further increase is brain power. As a side effect he began to suffer from a severely distended skull, causing others to treat him like a freak. At age 9 he began to work for the military designing missiles. Even this did not satisfy him and he soon moved to an island off the west coast where he could work in peace. The Avengers and Squadron Supreme decide that a visit to Brain-Child’s island is in order question the genius further. Back on Earth, Iron Man, Black Panther, and Thor work ceaselessly in an effort to find their friends and bring them home.

On that same island, named the Dark Tower, Brain-Child watches as the heroes make their way towards his home, his plans for world annihilation thwarted. Upon their arrival, the heroes are greeted by a metallic probe extending from Brain-Child’s complex. Over the probe’s speaker, Brain-Child fully admits that his rocket was designed to cause the end of the world. The probe then attacks the assembled heroes but is quickly destroyed by Dr. Spectrum. With this, the heroes break up into four teams, with one Avenger and one Squadron member on each team, and attempt to penetrate Brain-Child’s defenses. Quicksilver and Whizzer are initially confronted by a storm of rocks which they subdue by using their combined super speed to create a tornado to pull in all the rocks. Having escaped that fate, the speedsters make their way inside only to be trapped by a super adhesive. Scarlet Witch and Nighthawk enter and encounter a monstrous humanoid who quickly defeats Nighthawk and causes Scarlet Witch to forget her entire purpose. Vision and Dr. Spectrum don’t fare much better when they encounter an oversized amoeba. The creature quickly adapts to the powers of both heroes and they are overcome. All that remains is Hyperion and Goliath, who prepare to face off against Brain-Child himself. The pair are unexpectedly attacked by the very objects in the room which Brain-Child is controlling with his immense mind. After Hyperion is disabled and Brain-Child taunts Goliath with brain bolts through the skull, just like an arrow, Goliath uses the materials around him to construct a bow and launches the unconscious Hyperion directly at Brain-Child. The sudden impact and defeat start a chain reaction inside Brain-Child, causing him to physically revert to a normal child. With this, the Dark Tower and all his creations disappear as they were only creations of Brain-Child’s mind.

Their mission accomplished, the Avengers are suddenly pulled away from the island and returned to their own dimension. Their friends are overjoyed to see them and all but Vision retreat for some relaxation and to regale their teammates with the story of their latest adventure. On his way out, Quicksilver ask Vision if everything is alright and Vision admits that he can’t help but wonder if they’ve actually returned to their home dimension or yet another parallel dimension that is all but identical to their own. And, if that is the case, how would they ever really know.


Black Panther
Iron Man
Scarlet Witch