The Week That Was 120222

Twitter tumult, trading cards, shameless plugs

X-amining Black Knight: Exodus #1

"The Bond"

December 1996

In a Nutshell

Black Knight & Sersi meet Exodus in the 12th Century and battle Apocalypse. 

Writer: Ben Raab
Penciler: Jimmy Cheung
Inker: Andy Lanning
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colors: Tom Zuiko

Editor: Kelly Corverse
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Trapped in another universe, Sersi desperately tries to send herself and Dane Whitman, the Black Knight, home. However, she only succeeds in transporting them to the 12th Century, where Dane's consciousness gets subsumed in that of his ancestor, Eobard Garrington. He wakes up next to a familiar face, his friend Bennet du Paris. The pair are on a quest to a pharaoh's temple in Egypt. Along the way, they encounter a woman being attacked for being a sorcerer; it is Sersi. Dane's consciousness leads Eobard to save her. Bennet objects, worried it'll delay their quest, rending their friendship as Bennet goes off on his own. Eobard and Sersi follow after Bennet, and along the way, Sersi tells him about Dane, and Eobard sacrifices his soul to allow Dane to emerge. Meanwhile, Bennet battles Scarab, a mutant agent of the pharaoh, Apocalypse, and learns he himself is a mutant; Scarab names him "Exodus". Eventually Sersi and Black Knight arrive at the temple and are captured. Apocalypse orders Exodus to use his newfound power to destroy Black Knight in battle, but his fondness for Eobard wins out, and he turns his power on Apocalypse instead. Apocalypse in turn puts Exodus in a coma, and entombs him in Switzerland. Six months later, Black Knight finally finds Exodus' tomb, and places two guards outside, to protect his friend until Apocalypse's curse is lifted. Black Knight then tells Sersi it's time for them to go home.

X-amining "Onslaught" Tie-Ins Part 2

"Dancing in the Dark" / "Night Neverending" / "The End of the Line" / "Unfinished Business" 

October 1996

In a Nutshell

The Avengers, Fantastic Four and Hulk prepare for the final battle against Onslaught. 

Incredible Hulk #445 by Peter David & Angel Medina

Iron Man #332 by Terry Kavangh & Joe Bennett

Avengers #402 by Mark Waid, Mike Deodato & Tom Palmer

Fantastic Four #416 by Tom DeFalco & Carlos Pacheco

(Please visit the GCD for full credits from each issue)

Plot

Incredible Hulk #445: After rescuing a subway car full of stranded passengers, Hulk, angry with the way Onslaught used him & frustrated by the heroes' lack of action, decides to take the fight to Onslaught. Though Captain America cautions against it, Hulk is joined by Falcon, Hawkeye, Vision & Crystal. Together, Hulk & Crystal dig a tunnel beneath the city & into Onslaught's citadel. They attack, and though his allies are killed, Hulk succeeds in destroying Onslaught, happy to have won despite the losses. Suddenly, he's back in Four Freedoms Plaza, the entire attack a result of a telepathic illusion created by Onslaught and shared amongst the heroes, leaving the group more distrustful of Hulk than ever. 

X-amining Avengers #401

    

"Sins of the Father"

August 1996

In a Nutshell

A contingent of Avengers & Gambit track down the de-aged Magneto.

Story: Mark Waid
Penciler: Mike Deodato Jr. 
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letters: Bill Oakley 
Colors: John Kalisz 

Editor: Mark Gruenwald 
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Hoping to determine if Magneto is responsible for the creation of Onslaught, Gambit accompanies Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Vision, the Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver on a mission to find him. With Hank Pym detecting Magneto's energy signature in South Carolina, the group heads out, with Scarlet Witch telling Gambit about how awful her time in Magneto's Brotherhood was. Meanwhile, Rogue & Joseph are waiting for their car to be repaired, as Rogue hopes she can get Joseph to the X-Men before he remembers his past as Magneto. Just then, the Avengers arrive, and Quicksilver, recognizing Joseph as a younger version of his father, quickly attacks. Rogue leaps into the fray, desperate to stop the fight before it awakens Joseph's memories of his past, but when Joseph, acting in self-defense, apologizes for briefly trapping Scarlet Witch in a force bubble, she realizes Joseph isn't the monster her father was, and intervenes to stop Quicksilver & Joseph from further harming each other. Gambit, trusting Rogue, vouches for Rogue's explanation of Joseph's condition as an amnesiac Magneto. Once she learns about Onslaught, both Rogue and Joseph agree to accompany the Avengers back to New York to ensure Joseph has no ties to the creature, though Gambit isn't happy about what he senses between Rogue & Joseph. 

To Better Know a Hero 2.0: The Avengers

There's a little film called Avengers: Endgame coming out this week (maybe you've heard of it?); I wrote a To Better Know A Team post for the Avengers ahead of the first movie, all the way back in 2012, so I figured they were due for an update. But I'm going to try a different approach by highlighting some specific areas of history/lore. If people seem to like this, I may do something similar for other characters/teams in the future.

Top 5 Avengers Characters Without Their Own Solo Series

(For the purposes of this exercise, I'm excluding Hawkeye from consideration on the basis of his run in Solo Avengers and his recent solo series, but if you think that shouldn't make him ineligible, then consider him #1 on this list).

X-amining Avengers #53

"The Battle Joined!"
June 1968

In a Nutshell
The Avengers help the X-Men defeat Magneto.

Editor: Stan Lee
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Buscema
Inker: George Tuska
Letterer: Artie Simek

Plot
Spotting Cyclops standing over an unconscious Quicksilver, the Avengers, having been brought to the island by Angel, whom they left aboard their ship after discovering an electronic bug on him, are suspicious, and Cyclops responds to their suspicion by attacking them.Watching over a monitor, Magneto is pleased the Avengers have arrived & found the bug he planted on Angel before Angel escaped. After Cyclops escapes from the Avengers, they turn on each other, bickering, as Magneto uses his mind control device to set the X-Men against the Avengers. The Avengers manage to defeat the X-Men, but Angel, revealing that the Avengers' distrust of him and their infighting was all a ruse to lull Magneto into false confidence, manages to destroy Magneto's device, restoring the X-Men to their senses. Together, the two teams attack Magneto, but he flees along with the rest of his Brotherhood. However, as their escape craft leaves the island, Toad, fed up with the abuse he suffers at Magneto's hands, kicks him out of the craft, causing him to plunge into the water below, and disappear.

X-amining Avengers #369

"Of Kith & Kin: Bloodties the Finale"
December 1993

In a Nutshell
The X-Men & Avengers unite to stop Exodus & save Genosha.

Writer: Bob Haras
Pencilers: Steve Eptin & Jan Duursema
Inker: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorist: Mike Rockwitz
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Exodus attacks Cortez, seemingly killing him and taking Luna for himself. On the streets above, the X-Men & Avengers unite as the skies turn yellow and outside communications are jammed, actions attributed to Exodus. As Storm & War Machine investigate the barrier and confirm it is psionic in nature, Professor X telepathically contacts the two teams, who send a contingent to aid him, Beast & US Agent against the Magistrate Elite and liberate the mutate concentration camp. Just then, Exodus appears, with Crystal, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch & Jean Grey in his thrall, and orders the mutates of Genosha to slaughter all humans, or else his barrier surrounding the island will contract, killing everyone. Recognizing that Exodus is telepathically fanning the mutates' fervor, the two teams split, with one group holding off the mutates while another attacks Exodus as Xavier probes his defenses. Sensing that the's stretched too thin, Xavier telepathically blasts Exodus, allowing Black Knight to get in close enough to shut him down with his plasma sword. The barrier disappears and the mutates back down, but Exodus recovers enough to escape, blasting Quicksilver on his way. Black Knight revives him with CPR, and days later, as the country begins to rebuild, Xavier ponders whether keeping his identity as a mutant a secret has done more harm than good.

X-amining Avengers #368

"Bloodties Part One: Family Legacy"
November 1993

In a Nutshell
"Bloodties" begins as Cortez kidnaps Magneto's granddaughter and kicks off a civil war in Genosha.

Writer: Bob Harras
Pencils: Steve Epting
Inker & Colorist: Tom Palmer
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Ed-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
Special Thanks: Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza

Plot
Fabian Cortez & the kidnapped Luna Maximoff look out over the burning capital city of Genosha. Meanwhile, Val Cooper, Nick Fury & Henry Peter Gyrich discuss the Genoshan situation and their plans for handling it, which leads to Nick Fury meeting with both teams of Avengers to explicitly inform them that the UN wants them to stay out of the situation. The Avengers are puzzled by the fervor of Fury's demand, until they realize that Luna, Crystal's daughter - Magneto's granddaughter - is likely to be a target. Crystal rushes to her daughter's room only to discover she has been replaced by a Genoshan mutate, who promptly blows herself up. Meanwhile, Gyrich tasks Professor X with attempting to broker peace in Genosha, and they depart for the country along with Beast and US Agent, with Xavier telepathically sending the X-Men on ahead of him as well. Back at the Avengers' complex, the group rushes to their hanger to depart for Genosha, only to find a contingent of heavily armed SHIELD forces ready to prevent them from leaving, while in Genosha, Cortez broadcasts a message declaring, in the name of Magneto, that all human forces in the country lay down their arms, or else the mutates will begin killing every human man, woman and child in the city.

X-amining Avengers #350-351

"Repercussions" / "Retribution"
August 1992

In a Nutshell
The Starjammer's attack Black Knight while Professor X & Cyclops meet with the Avengers.

Writer: Bob Harras
Penciler: Steve Epting, Kevin West (issue #351)
Inker: Tom Palmer, Bud Larosa (issue #351)
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Colorists: Palmer & Mossoff, Gina Going (issue #351)
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
#350: Starjammers Raza & Hepzibah meet with a former Kree admiral, who hires them to assassinate the Avenger Black Knight, killer of the Kree Supreme Intelligence, offering Hepzibah money and a reluctant Raza information as to the whereabouts of his believed-dead wife & son. On Earth, Professor X & Cyclops meet with the Avengers, along with Val Cooper & Quicksilver, to inform them of renewed activity involving Magneto's Acolytes, and the potential threat to Quicksilver & Crystal's daughter Luna. Later, after Hepzibah convinces Corsair to take a trip to Earth to check on their teammate Binary, recovering with the Avengers, the Starjammers arrive at Avengers Mansion. During the ensuing gathering, Raza slips away and attacks Black Knight in the hanger. Black Knight seems to have the upper hand, until Raza threatens Luna, leaving Black Knight open to a killing stroke as he tries to save her. Alerted by the commotion of their fight, the Avengers & Starjammers rush into the hanger to find Raza standing over Black Knight, and an enraged Hercules declares that for killing Black Knight, Raza must die.

To Better Know the Avengers

Heading out to see Avengers: Age of Ultron this weekend? Here's everything you need to know about the Avengers and their titular foe!

Iron Man

Thor

Captain America

Black Widow

Hawkeye

The Hulk

Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch

Ultron

The Avengers

X-amining "Acts of Vengeance" Part 3

Amazing Spider-Man #328, Avengers #313, Avengers Spotlight #28 (Second Story), Avengers West Coast #54, Captain America #366, Thor #413
January 1990

In a Nutshell 
Loki is revealed as Mandarin attacks the Avengers. 

Amazing Spider-Man #328 by David Michelinie & Todd McFarlane
Avengers #313 by John Byrne & Paul Ryan
Avengers Spotlight #28 (Second Story) by Dwayne McDuffie & Dwayne Turner
Avengers West Coast #54 by John Byrne & Paul Ryan
Captain America #366 by Mark Gruenwald & Ron Lim
Thor #413 byTom DeFalco & Ron Frenz

Plot
Amazing Spider-Man #328: Having been approached by the Prime Movers and offered the detruction of the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle in exchange for the death of Spider-Man, Sebastian Shaw hires the Hulk to do the job. He then observes the fight as Spider-Man nearly kills Hulk thanks to his increased cosmic powers, and Shaw realizes that Spider-Man's powers may be even more a threat to him than Magneto and the Inner Circle, and resolves to find a way to remove them. Avengers Spotlight #28: The Mad Thinker is approached by the Prime Movers' lackey, but he rejects his offer to join the group. Forseeing trouble for his plans should the Superhuman Registration Act pass, however, he breaks out of prison and sends the super-villain Gargantua to attack a debate on the act involving Wonder Man and Wasp. The two defeat the villain, turning the crowds' opinion in their favor, as the Mad Thinker had planned. Captain America #366: As Captain America hunts the Controller, hoping to free Namor of his control, the Red Skull plots to take control of the Prime Movers' lackey. Cap faces off with the Controller, but he escapes, after which the Controller successfully places a control disc on the lackey, but it has no effect.

X-amining "Acts of Vengeance" Part 2

Amazing Spider-Man #327, Avengers #312, Avengers Spotlight #27, Avengers West Coast #53, Captain America #365, The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger #9, Thor #412
December 1989

In a Nutshell 
The West Coast Avengers realize the team is under attack and heads east while the eastern Avengers deal with the fallout of the sinking of Avengers Island. 

Amazing Spider-Man #327 by David Michelinie & Erik Larsen
Avengers #312 by John Byrne, Paul Ryan & Tom Palmer
Avengers Spotlight #27 (second story) by Dwane McDuffie & Dwayne Turner
Avengers West Coast #53 by John Byrne
Captain America #365 by Mark Gruendwald & Kieron Dwyer
The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger #9 by Terry Austijn & Mike Vosburg
Thor #412  by Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz & Joe Sinnott

Plot
Thor #412: Working with the New Warriors, Thor is able to defeat Juggernaut by transporting him to another dimension. Cloak & Dagger #9: As the Avengers hold a public forum to discuss the Superhero Registration Act, they're attacked by a group of villains led by the Jester. Amazing Spider-Man #327: Testing out his new, increased powers, Spider-Man is attacked by Magneto, believing the powers may be an indication that Spider-Man is a mutant. But he breaks off his attack when he realizes the sheer breath of Spider-Man's abilities mean he cannot be a mutant, and Magneto leaves hoping to find another way to utilize Spider-Man's powers for the betterment of mutants. Captain America #365: The Red Skull is offered a place with the Prime Movers, and while he stews on the offer, his agent Crossbones enlists the Controller in setting Namor the Sub-Mariner against Captain America. Dealing with the loss of Avengers Mansion, Captain America is attacked by Namor. During the fight, he manages to damage the Controller's control disc, knocking Namor out but leaving the disc attached. Meanwhile, the Red Skull decides to join the Prime Movers.

Happy Presidents Day!

It's sort of a holiday in the US today, as most banks and federal offices are closed and the History Channel is running fun documentaries about the Presidents in celebration of America's leaders through the years (well, specifically, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose February birthdays got smooshed together into one "President's Day" for national celebratory purposes).

I'm a huge Presidential trivia nut, so to celebrate, here's some past posts I've written on the subject (nothing new, of course. Because it's a holiday).

Here are some (mostly accurate) fun facts about Washington and Lincoln.

Meanwhile, this post contains some fun trivia on America's lesser known and not-as-talked-about Presidents.

Finally, here's an old favorite in which I compare America's Founding Fathers to the founding Avengers.

Enjoy, and remember, if you're going to give a long speech in freezing, rainy March weather, wear a damn coat! No one will think less of you. 

X-amining "Acts of Vengeance" Part 1

Avengers Spotlight #26, Avengers #311, Thor #411
December 1989

In a Nutshell 
Loki launches his opening salvo and the New Warriors make their first appearance. 

Avengers Spotlight #26 by Dwayne McDuffie & Dwyane Turner
Avengers #311 by John Byrne, Paul Ryan, and Tom Palmer
Thor #411 by Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz (words, pictures, plot) and Joe Sinnot (finishes).
(for full credits on each issue, please visit the GCD)

Plot
Avengers Spotlight #26: The Wizard is transferred to the high security super-villain prison the Vault, but after a strange man in a suit appears in his cell, the Wizard suddenly escapes, in full possession of his gear. Battling the armored Guardsmen, he frees the other prisoners, triggering a breakout as the guards calls for backup. Iron Man and Hawkeye respond to the distress call, and together, they get the Guardsmen out and, using an EMP arrow, seal off the prison, preventing at least a few of the prisoners from escaping. Avengers #311: Quasar arrives on Hydro-Base, the artificial island home of Avengers Mansion, amidst reports from the support staff of superheroes all over the country getting caught up in fights against foes they've never faced before. Elsewhere, the suited man watches from afar, then meets with Dr. Doom and the Mandarin, pretending to be their servant as Doom announces that his part in their plan is about to commence.

X-amining "Inferno" Tie-Ins Part 2

Amazing Spider-Man #312, Avengers #300, Daredevil #263, Fantastic Four #323, Spectacular Spider-Man #147, Web of Spider-Man #47
February 1989

Amazing Spider-Man #312 by David Michelinie & Todd MacFarlane
Avengers #300 by Walt Simonson & John Buscema (layouts) and Tom Palmer (finishes)
Daredevil #263 by Ann Nocenti & John Romita Jr.
Fantastic Four #323 by Steve Englehart & Keith Pollard
Spectacular Spider-Man #147 by Gerry Conway & Sal Buscema
Web of Spider-Man #47 by Gerry Conway & Alex Saviuk
(for full credits on each issue, please visit the GCD)

Plot
Avengers #300: Working together, the Captain, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman and the Forgotten One manage to defeat Nanny and the Orphan Maker. As they work to free Franklin Richards from the armor into which Nanny placed him, the boy is captured by demons working for N'astirh. Freeing him from the armor, N'astirh uses Franklin's vast power to reinforce the portal between Earth and Limbo, but the heroes, joined by Thor, track Franklin and free him before defeating a Growing Man android activated by Kang. With the portal closed and the demon effect fading, the heroes retire to the Richards' home, where the Captain, inspired by recent events, reiterates the importance of the Avengers, and asks the assembled heroes to join him in reforming the team.

X-amining "Inferno" Tie-Ins Part 1

Amazing Spider-Man #311, Avengers #298-299, Daredevil #262, Fantastic Four #322, Power Pack #42-43, Spectacular Spider-Man #146
Dec. 1988 - Jan. 1989

Amazing Spider-Man #311 by David Michelinie & Todd MacFarlane
Avengers #298-299 by Walt Simonson & John Buscema (layouts) and Tom Palmer (finishes)
Daredevil #262 by Ann Nocenti & John Romita, Jr. 
Fantastic Four #322 by Steve Englehart & Keith Pollard
Power Pack #42 by Jon Bogdanove, #43 by Bogdanove & Sal Velluto
Spectacular Spider-Man #146 by Gerry Conway & Sal Buscema
(for full credits on each issue, please visit the GCD)

Plot
Amazing Spider-Man #311: Spider-Man battles Mysterio, believing the odd happenings caused by Limbo's invasion of Earth to be nothing more than illusions created by his foe. Avengers #298: Avengers butler Jarvis is attacked by demons and possessed objects in New York, and he alerts the Captain to the state of the city. Avengers #299: The Captain teams up with the New Mutants against the demonic invasion of Limbo. Hoping to find help in determining the cause of the invasion, he seeks out Reed Richards, who has retired from the Fantastic Four. The Captain arrives at the Richards' Connecticut home just after Nanny and the Orphan Maker capture Franklin Richards. Together, the Captain, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman battle the villains, but are overcome when a brainwashed Franklin, wearing a suit of armor, attacks them. Just then, they are joined by the Eternal Gilgamesh, come to Earth to battle the demon hoard, and vow to free the Richards' son.

X-amining X-Factor #32

"The Carbon Copy Avengers"
September 1988

In a Nutshell
X-Factor battles aliens posing as the Avengers. 

Plotter/Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
Scripter: Louise Simonson
Guest Artist: Steve Lightle
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Bob Harras


Plot
As the Avengers donate the land on which Avengers Mansion resided to the city, they are watched by alien Xartans. Returning to their spaceship, the four warriors use their mimicry abilities to take the form of the Avengers in order to avenge the defeat of their leader's father at the hands of Thor. But before they move on the Avengers, their sensors pick up the presence of another spaceship on Earth: X-Factor's Ship. Aboard Ship, Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Iceman are tending to the comatose Beast when they're suddenly attacked by the Xartan Avengers. Ship locks the kids in their room for their safety as X-Factor battles what they believe to be the Avengers, holding back out of confusion. When the kids see a live interview with the Avengers on TV, they realize X-Factor is battling imposters, and when Ship refuses to release them in order to tell X-Factor, they break out.

X-amining X-Men vs. Avengers #1-4

"Justice For All" / "Uneasy Allies" / "The Soviets Strike Back!" / "Day of Judgement!"
April - July 1987

In a Nutshell 
The Avengers, the X-Men and the Soviet Super-Soldiers battle over Magneto. 

Writer: Roger Stern, Tom DeFalco (issue #4)
Co-Plotters: Tom DeFalco & Jim Shooter (issue #4)
Penciler: Marc Silvestri, Keith Pollard (issue #4)
Inker: Josef Rubinstein
Additional Inking: Bob McLeod, Al Williamson and Allen Milgrom (issue #4)
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Editors: Mark Gruenwald & Ann Nocenti
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot
Issue #1: As fragments of Asteroid M come crashing to Earth, Magneto leaves the X-Men to investigate one of the crashes in Kampuchea. The Soviet Super-Soldiers, hoping to execute Magneto for his crimes against Russia, and the Avengers, hoping to capture Magneto and bring him to trial before the Soviets kill him, track him down. The Avengers arrive first and arrest Magneto, but the X-Men, who followed Magneto themselves, intervene, just as the Soviets arrive. Issue #2: In the ensuing melee, Magneto and the X-Men manage to escape, with Magneto retrieving his helmet and other equipment from Asteroid M before setting explosive charges, believing the base to be too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands. The Avengers defeat the Soviets then confront Magneto once again, though the ensuing explosion allows him to escape even while he spares them from the blast. The X-Men speed away, unaware that Dr. Druid has stowed away on the Blackbird.

To Better Know a Villain: Loki

Real Name
Loki Laufeyson

First Appearance
Venus #6, August 1949 (historical); Journey into Mystery #85, October 1962 (modern).  

Powers and Abilities Loki is an accomplished sorcerer, capable of using magic to shapeshift, teleport, fly, generate energy blasts, ensorcell individuals, and more.

Additionally, like most Asgardians, Loki possesses super-strength, durability, and longevity. He also has a genius-level intellect and is an adept liar and manipulator, capable of conceiving and enacting elaborate, multi-layered schemes.

Friends and Allies
The Enchantress, Skurge the Executioner, Fenris Wolf, Hela, and the Midgard Serpent, Tumblr.

Read the rest of the post here. 

To Better Know a Hero: Thor

Note: This is a slightly-edited re-posting of an earlier "To Better Know a Hero" post about Thor, to celebrate the release of the character's second feature film (because I ran out of time to do a "To Better Know a Villain" post on Loki). 

Forsooth! Verily, Thor doth star in a new film, in theaters now! Before seeing thy film, feast thy eyes on these runes to vanquish thine ignorance about the mighty Thor!

Real Name
Thor Odinson 

First Appearance
Journey Into Mystery #83, August 1962

Nicknames and Aliases
Dr. Don Blake, Sigurd Jarlson, Eric Masterson, Jake Olson, Siegfried, Siegmund.

Powers and Abilities
Thor possesses super-human strength, speed, endurance, durability and longevity thanks to his godly nature. He is also a skilled warrior.