This is “From a Different Point of View,” a feature where I discuss a comic book series with another writer. In this case, it is Eileen Gonzalez who will be going over the history of the Avengers with me, story by story!
When last we checked in with our heroes in Avengers #83, “Come on in, the Revolution’s Fine” by Roy Thomas, John Buscema and Tom Palmer, the female members of the Avengers (with Wasp traveling from Alaska to visit an aunt for some reason) and non-members like Medusa and Black Widow are called to Avengers Mansion by what appeared to be a new superhero known as the Valkyrie. Valkyrie revealed her origin (or what she claimed was her origin) and convinced the others that the Avengers were sexist jerks (which, well, they are) and that they should form a brand new team called the Lady Liberators.
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So the Liberators head off to go beat up the Avengers, and in the meantime, we checked in with a real life occurrence that soon became a major 1970s comic book tradition at DC and Marvel, the Rutland, VT Halloween parade! The male Avengers visited Rutland to participate in the annual Halloween parade that they have there. The Masters of Evil show up, as well, as they were now resigned to trying to kidnap scientists in Vermont. As embarrassing as it was for the Masters of Evil, it was even more embarrassing for the Avengers, as the Masters of Evil were somehow defeating them! Vision was taken down by Melter melting a road into tar and sticking the Vision (who can phase through walls) in a pile of tar! It was pretty hilarious. I wonder what will happen next…
Eileen Gonzalez: I like when the Liberators enter the fray. This may be the only time in history that the women straight-up kicked butt without needing a man to come rescue them.
Brian Cronin: Yeah, it’s fascinating, right?
Brian Cronin: That the only time that they are treated like actual ass-kickers who can easily take care of a group of villains who somehow just took down all of the male members of the Avengers
Brian Cronin: Is when it’s part of some weird women’s liberation story.
Brian Cronin: Where they are duped by a villain
Brian Cronin: The one thing we can always rely on, though, is Clint being a sexist dick
Brian Cronin: “There’s nothing you can do, Wanda!”
Brian Cronin: Oh, Clint…
Eileen Gonzalez: I’m kinda not sorry Valkyrie attacks him.
Eileen Gonzalez: Even if her rallying cry is hilariously awful.
Brian Cronin: Oh man, so bad.
Brian Cronin: By the way, before that, we get the Black Panther suggesting he wouldn’t fight a woman
Brian Cronin: What the heck, dude?
Eileen Gonzalez: Yes! I forgot I wanted to yell at him for that. What the heck, T’Challa! I’m guessing this is before his all-female army of bodyguards was invented.
Eileen Gonzalez: Also what’s he gonna do if Princess Python attacks?!
Brian Cronin: “It’s just more noble to die, I guess”
Brian Cronin: And then the big reveal, that Valkyrie is actually the Enchantress
Brian Cronin: I love Clint’s line where he’s like, “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll explain everything.”
Brian Cronin: And she does.
Eileen Gonzalez: He’s very genre savvy.
Brian Cronin: Where we see that the driving force behind all of this is that she was dumped by the Executioner.
Brian Cronin: It’s so sad.
Eileen Gonzalez: It really is. Enchantress was always better than that, I thought. And then some random lady comes out of the woodwork and makes her come up with this ridiculous scheme.
Brian Cronin: How bad was that bit?
Brian Cronin: “Who is that?”
Brian Cronin: “Some lady”
Eileen Gonzalez: She isn’t even named!
Eileen Gonzalez: Also, she says that she used magic to make the Avengers serve her, so… why was this weird women’s lib scheme necessary?
Brian Cronin: Yeah, it’s a weird bit. I think the idea is that the spell involved her having to only use truth
Brian Cronin: To manipulate them.
Brian Cronin: But that, of course, makes no sense, and even if it did, it wasn’t really explained in the comic itself.
Brian Cronin: But hey, at least we get to see Scarlet Witch kick some ass, right?
Brian Cronin: And the issue ends as most Avengers issues do, with Clint being a dick.
Eileen Gonzalez: This has been a great issue for the Scarlet Witch.
Eileen Gonzalez: Not so much for Clint, but that’s typical.
Eileen Gonzalez: I like Pietro skulking in the background, wisely refusing to comment.
Brian Cronin: Hah!
Brian Cronin: Yeah, he is realizing that his sister probably IS a bit of a bad ass and maybe he should be less of a sexist jerk to her.
Brian Cronin: I like the continuity bit about Scarlet Witch recognizing Enchantress from their battle in Avengers Annual #1.
Brian Cronin: That was a nice touch.
Eileen Gonzalez: There were quite a few continuity nods in this issue, which I liked.
Eileen Gonzalez: But hopefully no one ever references THIS story ever again.
Brian Cronin: Yeah, this was obviously intended as just an offbeat story
Brian Cronin: So it wasn’t like this was some super serious story.
Brian Cronin: But even as that, it did not work out.
Eileen Gonzalez: Well, we just saw the Enchantress die, so surely she won’t return to concoct any more schemes. Especially not in the very next issue.
Brian Cronin: Definitely not.
Brian Cronin: But if she DID come back right away, I would hope we get some more Conan-reject adventures starring Arkon!
Eileen Gonzalez: Wouldn’t that be fun!
Brian Cronin: It seems impossible, though, that we would be able to merge those two concepts into a single issue. But maybe someday!
Next time, we start on Avengers #84, as somehow the peanut butter of the Enchantress might actually collide with the chocolate of Arkon and who knows what kind of delightful concoction might come about from such a collision! Feel free to write us at brianc@cbr.com if you have thoughts about this issue or the Avengers of this era, in general!
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