MMW Vol. 379 (Avengers Vol. 25)

EMPEROR DOOM:

The volume begins with Marvel Graphic Novel No. 27, "Emperor Doom" by David Michelinie and Bob Hall, one of only two comics in this volume not written by Roger Stern. It was actually written some two years after the other stories in this volume, but a note inside the front cover places it "before West Coast Avengers #1," so it was included here where it happens chronologically. Also, although the story concerns primarily Wonder Man, Hawkeye and Iron Man from the West Coast team and Captain America and the Wasp from the East, the line-up on the cover suggests it occurs roughly between Avengers #254 and #255.

ISSUE #255:

The Avengers at the time were Vision (chairman), Wasp (on vacation), Captain America, Hercules, Black Knight (inactive), Wonder Man, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Starfox and the Scarlet Witch. As the issue opens, Captain Marvel is investigating Thanos' flagship, floating empty just beyond the edge of our solar system. She will soon encounter a group of mercenary soldiers who will kidnap her to another galaxy. Meanwhile back on Earth, inside the Pentagon, the Avengers' new security liason, Raymond Sikorsky, is dealing with an inquiry surrounding the Vision's recent attempt to take over the world via computer. (He had been under the control of a crystal placed into his brain by Ultron, but that situation has been resolved. The fallout from this breach occurs at a time when the nation's security was taken much more seriously than it is today.) The Vision steps down as chairman, and he and the Witch resign. Vision turns the chair over to Captain America until the Wasp (the former chairman) returns, then he and his wife go off to their 12-issue maxi-series.

ISSUE #256:

Apollo visits Hercules at Avengers Mansion (which makes me think of nothing so much as those "Atlas era" Venus stories). Black Knight learns that Janet Van Dyne and Henry Pym are now divorced; last issue he learned that Vision and Scarlet Witch are married. (Until recently, he had been stuck in the 12th century.) At the weekly meeting, Wasp is voted back in as Avengers chairman (just a formality), and she puts Black Knight on "active" status. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel is still stranded in another galaxy. Back on Earth, the Avengers are sent to investigate a shipwreck, which leads them to the Savage Land and next issue's antagonist.

ISSUE #257:

There was a time in the '80s when Ka-Zar the Savage was my favorite character. then his title was cancelled and he bopped arounf the Marvel Universe for a while until the Savage Land was restored. Avengers #256-257 was Ka-Zar's first appearance after the cancellation of his solo series, and from there he went on to Iron Man #202 and X-Men Annual #12. But I'm getting ahead of myself. (See the "Ka-Zar the Savage" discussion for further details.) This issue's antagonist, Terminus, first appeared in Fantastic Four #269-270 (see the "Post-Kirby Fantastic Four" discussion for further details). does this kind of "shared universe" continuity even exist anymore at Marvel? I'm not talking about those prolix line-wide crossovers such as "One World Under Doom," but just a simple acknowledgement of events in another series. For example, last issue it was noted that the Fantastic Four did not respond to Terminis' threat because of events depicted in Fantastic Four #278-279. Ah, those were the days.

This issue also introduces Nebula. More on her in #258 (and her claim to fame in #260).

ISSUE #258:

The Avengers return to New York just in time for the final round in a fight between Spider-Man and Firelord. In another example of the kind of "shared universe" continuity I was discussing yesterday, this plot point crosses over from Spider-Man #270. The Avengers take custody of Firelord. Meanwhile, in the Andromeda galaxy, Nebula antagonizes the Skrull Empire and Captain Marvel sends a message to Earth via hyperspatial carrier wave.

ISSUE #259:

In the Andromeda galaxy, the conflict escalates. After Galactus destroed the Skrull homeworld, all of the planetary governors declared themselves emperor and civil war btoke out. On Earth, sub-plots reference recent issues of not only Avengers, but Spider-Man, Captain America and Fantastic Four as well. When the Avengers receive Captain Marvel's message, they borrow a ship from Starfox's homeworlf Titan and set out on a rescue mission. By the time they arrive, Nebula has already assassinated the Skrull governor she was supposedly "working" for.

ISSUE #260:

As the intergalactic struggle continues, the Beyonder gets involved. Also, Nebula claims to be the granddaughter of Thanos.

AVENGERS ANNUAL #14:

The conflict with the Skrulls wraps up with Avengers Annual #14, which frankly, I found to be a bit disappointing... mainly because of the art. Breakdowns were provided by John Byrne, finished by Kyle Baker, whose style does not lend itsaelf to super-heroics. Fantastic Four Annual #19 occurs at the same time, and the two annuals have identical endings, but neither "crosses over" into the other per se. The art on the FF annual is by John Byrne inked by Joe Sinnott and it looks phenominal. Perhaps I would have liked the Avengers on more if it had been inked by Sinnott... or almost any other inker. Storywise, both annuals tell the tale of how the Skrulls lost their shape-changing abilities, which is significant. The Avengers annual was the culmination of a storyline, and the FF annual was the beginning of one.

ISSUE #261:

Loose ends tied up in the Andromeda galaxy, the Avengers return to Earth for a second encounter with the Beyonder. Starfox goes on inactive status to pursue Nebula. Personally, I have never believed that Nebula was Thanos' granddaughter in the first place. (She looks Kree to me.) Indeed, when she eventually met the resurrected Thanos face-to-face (in Infinity Gauntlet) he did deny it, but the possibility still exists that he could have been lying.

ISSUE #262:

The Sub-Mariner joins the ranks, replacing Starfox, and the Avengers get a new headquarters, on Hydrobase. What I like about this story is that all of the characters behave like adults (except perhaps Hercules, but even he displays wisdom). As often as I have re-read Avengers #263 (many, many times, as the lead-in to "Like a Phoenix!"), I have read #262, where the story really starts, far less frequently.

ISSUE #263:

Even issue #263 I have not read as frequently as Fantastic Four #286, but when I do, it is usually a follow-up to X-Men #100 (or rather, the back-up feature of Classic X-Men #8, which slots in between X-Men #100 and Fantastic Four #286, which is also included in MMW Avengers Vol. 25. It's not strictly necessary (from the Avengers' POV), but it's probably my favorite single issue of John Byrne's lengthy run, so I'm not going to object to its inclusion here.

CAPTAIN COMICS JUST POSTED: Bleeding Cool says Marvel Masterworks are going on "indefinite hiatus" after December 2025.

Actually, that announcement comes as something of a relief to me. As I remarked elsewhere, the Masterworks line was getting to "recent" to be of much use (to me). Don't get me wrong: I was and am still very pleased with this volume, but truth be told, after Richard Mantle's "And there came ANOTHER Day" discussion ran down*, I was still in the mood to soldier on and I bought and read Avengers #264-300 in tpb format at that time.

The "Bleeding Cool" article notes that MMW West Coast Avengers Vol. 1 shipped this past April, but I didn't buy that because I already have five volumes of WCA in Marvel's defunct "Marvel Premiere Classic" HC line. That series left off with issue #30, one volume short of collecting Englehart and Milgrom's entire run. I must admit, I was looking forward to the day when MMW WCA got the the point of reprinting #31-41, but I can live without it. Actually, the cancellation of the MMW line gives me the opportunity of doing a post-mortem on all the series. But should I wait and do them as they are released? Or one at a time as the mood strikes? Or start a dedicated discussion? Decisions, decisions...

*Richard Mantle's last post was on April 5, 2020: "I've been a bit out of the loop recently - self isolation/symptomatic. Lot better now so will try to get going again soon."

Replies

Jeff of Earth-J May 28, 2025 at 3:25pm

EMPEROR DOOM:

The volume begins with Marvel Graphic Novel No. 27, "Emperor Doom" by David Michelinie and Bob Hall, one of only two comics in this volume not written by Roger Stern. It was actually written some two years after the other stories in this volume, but a note inside the front cover places it "before West Coast Avengers #1," so it was included here where it happens chronologically. Also, although the story concerns primarily Wonder Man, Hawkeye and Iron Man from the West Coast team and Captain America and the Wasp from the East, the line-up on the cover suggests it occurs roughly between Avengers #254 and #255.

ISSUE #255:

The Avengers at the time were Vision (chairman), Wasp (on vacation), Captain America, Hercules, Black Knight (inactive), Wonder Man, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Starfox and the Scarlet Witch. As the issue opens, Captain Marvel is investigating Thanos' flagship, floating empty just beyond the edge of our solar system. She will soon encounter a group of mercenary soldiers who will kidnap her to another galaxy. Meanwhile back on Earth, inside the Pentagon, the Avengers' new security liason, Raymond Sikorsky, is dealing with an inquiry surrounding the Vision's recent attempt to take over the world via computer. (He had been under the control of a crystal placed into his brain by Ultron, but that situation has been resolved. The fallout from this breach occurs at a time when the nation's security was taken much more seriously than it is today.) The Vision steps down as chairman, and he and the Witch resign. Vision turns the chair over to Captain America until the Wasp (the former chairman) returns, then he and his wife go off to their 12-issue maxi-series.

ISSUE #256:

Apollo visits Hercules at Avengers Mansion (which makes me think of nothing so much as those "Atlas era" Venus stories). Black Knight learns that Janet Van Dyne and Henry Pym are now divorced; last issue he learned that Vision and Scarlet Witch are married. (Until recently, he had been stuck in the 12th century.) At the weekly meeting, Wasp is voted back in as Avengers chairman (just a formality), and she puts Black Knight on "active" status. Meanwhile, Captain Marvel is still stranded in another galaxy. Back on Earth, the Avengers are sent to investigate a shipwreck, which leads them to the Savage Land and next issue's antagonist.

ISSUE #257:

There was a time in the '80s when Ka-Zar the Savage was my favorite character. then his title was cancelled and he bopped arounf the Marvel Universe for a while until the Savage Land was restored. Avengers #256-257 was Ka-Zar's first appearance after the cancellation of his solo series, and from there he went on to Iron Man #202 and X-Men Annual #12. But I'm getting ahead of myself. (See the "Ka-Zar the Savage" discussion for further details.) This issue's antagonist, Terminus, first appeared in Fantastic Four #269-270 (see the "Post-Kirby Fantastic Four" discussion for further details). does this kind of "shared universe" continuity even exist anymore at Marvel? I'm not talking about those prolix line-wide crossovers such as "One World Under Doom," but just a simple acknowledgement of events in another series. For example, last issue it was noted that the Fantastic Four did not respond to Terminis' threat because of events depicted in Fantastic Four #278-279. Ah, those were the days.

This issue also introduces Nebula. More on her in #258 (and her claim to fame in #260).

ISSUE #258:

The Avengers return to New York just in time for the final round in a fight between Spider-Man and Firelord. In another example of the kind of "shared universe" continuity I was discussing yesterday, this plot point crosses over from Spider-Man #270. The Avengers take custody of Firelord. Meanwhile, in the Andromeda galaxy, Nebula antagonizes the Skrull Empire and Captain Marvel sends a message to Earth via hyperspatial carrier wave.

ISSUE #259:

In the Andromeda galaxy, the conflict escalates. After Galactus destroed the Skrull homeworld, all of the planetary governors declared themselves emperor and civil war btoke out. On Earth, sub-plots reference recent issues of not only Avengers, but Spider-Man, Captain America and Fantastic Four as well. When the Avengers receive Captain Marvel's message, they borrow a ship from Starfox's homeworlf Titan and set out on a rescue mission. By the time they arrive, Nebula has already assassinated the Skrull governor she was supposedly "working" for.

ISSUE #260:

As the intergalactic struggle continues, the Beyonder gets involved. Also, Nebula claims to be the granddaughter of Thanos.

AVENGERS ANNUAL #14:

The conflict with the Skrulls wraps up with Avengers Annual #14, which frankly, I found to be a bit disappointing... mainly because of the art. Breakdowns were provided by John Byrne, finished by Kyle Baker, whose style does not lend itsaelf to super-heroics. Fantastic Four Annual #19 occurs at the same time, and the two annuals have identical endings, but neither "crosses over" into the other per se. The art on the FF annual is by John Byrne inked by Joe Sinnott and it looks phenominal. Perhaps I would have liked the Avengers on more if it had been inked by Sinnott... or almost any other inker. Storywise, both annuals tell the tale of how the Skrulls lost their shape-changing abilities, which is significant. The Avengers annual was the culmination of a storyline, and the FF annual was the beginning of one.

ISSUE #261:

Loose ends tied up in the Andromeda galaxy, the Avengers return to Earth for a second encounter with the Beyonder. Starfox goes on inactive status to pursue Nebula. Personally, I have never believed that Nebula was Thanos' granddaughter in the first place. (She looks Kree to me.) Indeed, when she eventually met the resurrected Thanos face-to-face (in Infinity Gauntlet) he did deny it, but the possibility still exists that he could have been lying.

ISSUE #262:

The Sub-Mariner joins the ranks, replacing Starfox, and the Avengers get a new headquarters, on Hydrobase. What I like about this story is that all of the characters behave like adults (except perhaps Hercules, but even he displays wisdom). As often as I have re-read Avengers #263 (many, many times, as the lead-in to "Like a Phoenix!"), I have read #262, where the story really starts, far less frequently.

ISSUE #263:

Even issue #263 I have not read as frequently as Fantastic Four #286, but when I do, it is usually a follow-up to X-Men #100 (or rather, the back-up feature of Classic X-Men #8, which slots in between X-Men #100 and Fantastic Four #286, which is also included in MMW Avengers Vol. 25. It's not strictly necessary (from the Avengers' POV), but it's probably my favorite single issue of John Byrne's lengthy run, so I'm not going to object to its inclusion here.
Captain Comics June 1, 2025 at 4:04pm

This is one of my favorite eras as well, in that I could count on Avengers being written and drawn well every month. Not always true!
Jeff of Earth-J June 9, 2025 at 8:17pm

CAPTAIN COMICS JUST POSTED: Bleeding Cool says Marvel Masterworks are going on "indefinite hiatus" after December 2025.

Actually, that announcement comes as something of a relief to me. As I remarked elsewhere, the Masterworks line was getting to "recent" to be of much use (to me). Don't get me wrong: I was and am still very pleased with this volume, but truth be told, after Richard Mantle's "And there came ANOTHER Day" discussion ran down*, I was still in the mood to soldier on and I bought and read Avengers #264-300 in tpb format at that time.

The "Bleeding Cool" article notes that MMW West Coast Avengers Vol. 1 shipped this past April, but I didn't buy that because I already have five volumes of WCA in Marvel's defunct "Marvel Premiere Classic" HC line. That series left off with issue #30, one volume short of collecting Englehart and Milgrom's entire run. I must admit, I was looking forward to the day when MMW WCA got the the point of reprinting #31-41, but I can live without it. Actually, the cancellation of the MMW line gives me the opportunity of doing a post-mortem on all the series. But should I wait and do them as they are released? Or one at a time as the mood strikes? Or start a dedicated discussion? Decisions, decisions...

*Richard Mantle's last post was on April 5, 2020: "I've been a bit out of the loop recently - self isolation/symptomatic. Lot better now so will try to get going again soon."

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