#mantis and a tree sitting in a.... er.... um....

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Giant-Size Avengers #4: ... Let All Men Bring Together

June, 1975

Hmm. Looks like a double wedding. And dread Dormammu is going to interject during the “speak now or forever hold your peace” bit.

Maybe its symbolic.

SO! Last time: There was a star that signaled the Celestial Madonna, that Celestial Madonna was Mantis, Kang tried to kidnap her and conquer the world, repeatedly, he failed, repeatedly!, Swordsman died, Immortus sent the Avengers on a timequest to learn Mantis’ origin and sent Vision on a different timequest to learn Vision’s origin, Moondragon showed up, as did a ghost? of the Swordsman and Mantis’ maybe dad Libra, Vision vanished into the dark, Wanda was possessed or something while learning magic from Agatha Harkness!

This time: the thrilling conclusion.

So Vision finds himself in some place and also under a noticeably different penciler and inker.

And because Vision is a comic book character in a comic book, he narrates to himself what has been happening recently. If there were any body just coming into the adventure, this would be helpful at getting them up to speed. But also, it must be relaxing since so many people do it. Like, a way to center yourself in times of confusion or stress?

But you know the drill if you’ve been following along. Ultron ‘borrowed’ the original Human Torch from the Mad Thinker, kidnapped original creator Professor Horton to force him to remodel the robot into the Vision, Horton refused to erase the Torch’s memories so Ultron killed him and replaced the Torch’s mind with brainwave data from Wonder Man, because it was available. Ultron is lazy.

So Vision’s question is this: obviously his timequest is over. He saw how he was created and filled in the gaps up to the point that he already knew. He should have been returned to Immortus. So whats the deal with this dark dimension he finds himself in?

... Its not much of a mystery. The answer is staring at you from the cover. Vision ended up in Dormammu’s Dark Dimension. And following the sound of a woman screaming, he finds the fire-headed man himself moshing in a fire.

Oh, also Dormammu’s sister Umar, who warns the fiery tyrant that the Vision is behind him. Dormammu has a sister?? Why isn’t her head on fire?

Dormammu has apparently been having a busy day. Clea visited him earlier, during Dr. Strange #7. Oh but also after that, a Scarlet Witch came to play. And Dormammu is gonna kill her.

Probably because of the time Scarlet Witch thwarted his takeover plan of Earth and got him shot through Loki’s brain.

Vision promises that he’ll use all his robot logic to stop Dormammu and save Wanda.

BUT FIRST: I bet you’re dying to know what’s up with Mantis, right?

Too bad.

So back at the Temple of Pama, Swordsman’s ghost? notices that Vision isn’t back from his timequest. He senses pain and sorrow and that Avengers are involved because of course. And despite or perhaps because it was a quest through time, Vision is overdue. So Immortus goes looking for him.

But by all means, continue the story Ghost Swordsman. Immortus already knows it anyway.

So we’ve covered pretty much all the historical aspects to Mantis’ backstory now. How the Kree are jerks and genocided their Cotati neighbors because the Skrulls maybe liked them more. How the Kree pacifists became the surviving Cotati’s secret allies and smuggled them off Hala. And how a pair of Kree pacifists founded the Priests of Pama.

So how does it relate specifically to Mantis?

Well. She’s the perfect human.

Mantis’ expression seems to indicate ‘hahahah what?’

The fact that Mantis doesn’t believe it is the reason why Mantis is the perfect human, apparently. Why, just look at near-perfect human, Moondragon.

See, Mantis and Moondragon were given very similar upbringings. They lost their family, were taken to a temple founded by Kree pacifists to be taught perfect control of mind and body, were worshiped by the priests for what they might someday become and how they could kick a thick pole in half. Their training also covered the arts of the mind and became the first non-Kree to commune with the Cotati. This is the basis for what Mantis called her empathic connection to nature.

But when they completed their training, the two women were taken in wildly different directions.

Moondragon was allowed to stay in the temple to continue her work as a priestess.

Mantis had her memories erased, was given false memories of a life on the streets of Saigon, and was dumped to fend for herself.

... Geez. That’s... geez.

Ahem, anyway. When the two completed their training, it was decided that Mantis had an earthier nature than Moondragon, perhaps due to actually living on Earth.

Swordsman?: “So she was selected to abandon her temple and walk amidst other humans -- to seek perfect humanity.”

Fucks sake.

Ahem again. A cloistered life in a temple was judged to be incapable of imparting complete understanding of life in the full society. Which is fair.

Moondragon is a bit surprised to hear that she was brought here to day to stand besides Mantis so that an ethereal Frenchman can point at her and say ‘see, this is what happens when you don’t make your prospective messiah build some character.’

Or at least that’s how I’m interpreting it.

A quick interjection here. According to Swordsman?? the reason why they trained two girls is because, hey, its better to have a backup in case one dies. By that logic, it would have been better to have multiple girls also going down the ‘learning humanity’ path with Mantis in case something happened and maybe a control group of not subjecting children to warped education schemes but its for the best that this weird conspiracy kept itself to only two girls.

Thor and Iron Man share a moment to talk about what a journey into mystery this is that they’re observing but Hawkeye has something to show them.

Its the Titanic Three (Radioactive Man, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo - who all decided that instead of going back to their home countries to be used as pawns or continue to attack America, they’d become Vietnam’s superhero team). And someone beat them up right in front of the temple.

Well, Titanic Three. It took you one additional appearance to go from patsies for a criminal not-so-mastermind to being worfed to show that something bad is coming.

And if you think I’m exaggerating:

Iron Man: “These guys are tough -- but something did a job on them!”

Its textbook worfing.

Anyway, the Titanic Three were investigating the Avengers’ disappearance (when they were kidnapped to Limbo) because hey they don’t like them but they’re committed to their new roles. But then they ran into Kang.

MEANWHILE BACK IN THE DARK DIMENSION:

Vision confronts Dormammu.

Dormammu tells Vision he shouldn’t even bother rescuing Wanda. She’s headstrong. She ignored Agatha Harkness’ warnings and called upon forces she couldn’t control.

So I guess that’s why Wanda was acting like a dick. Explicitly she was possessed by Dormammu when she attacked Moondragon.

Wanda sure gets possessed a lot. Part of messing with magic, I guess. Like how Vision gets hacked a lot. They really are a pair of peas in a pod.

Anyway, yeah don’t even bother rescuing her. You should just go. And hey, Dormammu ain’t got no reason to hate you but if you stick around, he just might.

Vision notices that Dormammu is talking an awful lot considering that this is his domain and he should be adjacent to all-powerful. Vision’s robot logic hazards a guess that Dormammu is bluffing.

So Dormammu summons some demons to attack Vision.

Its no big to just go intangible and let their attacks fly through him. But controlling density with precision in this hellish environment takes energy. And Vision is low on energy after his voyage through time left him little opportunity to replenish his solar battery.

BUT: he has just learned that he used to be the Human Torch, who could absorb flame within certain limits. And his systems were revamped but his plastoid flesh was left mostly untouched except for being made bright red. Hypothetically, Vision could absorb some of this demonic flame to replenish himself.

And yes, this turns out to be true.

I don’t know if it ever comes up that much, like Vision’s ability to remote-control his cape’s density, but for this moment right now, he can absorb fire through his solar gem.

And then he uses Solar Beam on the demons and it is Super Effective.

Umar wonders if Dormammu really will admit that he’s bluffing, that his powers have not fully returned after reconstructing himself from that being eaten by the Evil Eye thing.

But eh. No. He still has other pawns to throw at Vision. Like how about this Scarlet Witch? Remember how Dormammu is controlling her? That’s still a thing.

And he commands that she destroy the Vision.

Which is sure to be an exciting fight and oh we’re cutting away back to Vietnam, okay.

Swordsghost continues his story. Confirming that yes, the priests just dumped Mantis somewhere to fend for herself.

Swordsman??: “The Priests of Pama led their charge from their temple on the night of her eighteen birthday. Dressed in the clothing of the time -- she was abandoned unceremoniously in Saigon, left to make her way as best she could.”

That is the worst birthday gift.

Luckily? she was soon employed by her unbeknownst uncle Monsieur Khruul (he got killed by a dragon and deserved it) to work as a pretty face in a bar.

It was there she met the Swordsman and was drawn to the frail nobility in his soul and as previously relayed managed to convince him to turn his life around when he almost died.

And it was this trick of fate that brought her into contact with the Avengers.

Geez. This story is continuing for some reason even though its getting to the stuff Mantis already knows.

Although I guess Moondragon wasn’t there for it. But I’m surprised she’s still around since she was brought into this just as an unfavorable comparison. Learning that she was a failed attempt to make a perfect human might go some way to explaining how she acts later, except she pretty much always acted like that. So. I guess she’s taking it in stride.

Thor, Iron Man, and Hawkeye are less than thrilled that Kang is back again again and decide to split up and cover more ground that way.

Or rather, Hawkeye proposes the plan and Iron Man jokes that Thor better watch out or Hawkeye will be after chairmanship of the Avengers.

Which makes Hawkeye ponder. He always used to get on Cap’s case during the kooky quartet days about who should give orders but he hasn’t thought about leading the Avengers in a very long time. And he likes the thought.

Thor has different feelings. He knows that he has held the position long enough and that it is time for someone else to lead the team. But he enjoys the responsibility of leading the Avengers and wishes not to give up the position.

Thor muses on godhood for a while and how Mantis is poised to ascend to it but spots Kang.

Kang: “Curse you, Thor! You may have discovered me -- but you won’t turn the tide of battle this time!”

And blah blah blah. He’s going to get that Celestial Madonna for sure this time. Kang really doesn’t know when to give up.

So Thor hits him really hard with Mjolnir. Kang tries to zap him but then Thor hits him with Mjolnir a couple more times until the conqueror is out.

Thor contemplates killing the insensate villain to fulfill his vow to avenge Iron Man’s death in Limbo. But Immortus returned Iron Man to life. And it would probably be a dick move to kill a man’s younger self after he saved your friend and let you go on a cool timequest. So he ultimately decides against it.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye explores the grounds around the temple, still musing on being chairman of the Avengers. He decides that next time he does something impressive (like capture Kang, maybe?) he’s going to propose new elections.

And then he runs into Kang.

Wait what?

Kang: “Curse you, Hawkeye! You may have discovered me --”

Hang on. Anyone else getting deja vu?

BUT TIME TO CHECK IN ON VISION AGAIN

VISION VS SCARLET WITCH

I mean. Wanda is scary powerful now. Her new command of magic gives her control over natural forces. She attacks Vision with molten lava and with a giant boulder. But being able to control his density means he no-sells it all. And since he’s a synthetic man, he’s immune to her powers.

Except, not precisely.

There is one part of him that’s not man-made. And that’s the jewel on his forehead.

And Wanda simply has to command it to release all of its stored energy, and Vision’s goose is cooked.

Drained of power, Vision starts to collapses. But he tells Wanda that only she can save him now but she must remember who she is and who he is. And for one last time, he says he loves her.

SLUMP!

That snaps Wanda out of it and in despair she shouts “WHAT HAVE I DONE?!!”

TIME TO SWAP VIEWPOINTS AGAIN

Ghost!Swordsman is still telling Mantis’ story, including the parts she already knows that aren’t that flattering. He claims that Mantis actually knew nothing of love when she first came to the Avengers.

Libra: “He speaks of exploring the limits of your humanity... your attraction to glamor, your competitiveness, your selfishness, loneliness, lust-- all that which passes for love and is not. For all that you had learned, you could not love with so much of you still bottled up inside. Thus, there came a time when you needed to learn that there was more to learn about life.”

And that was Libra’s role, as the balance. See, this whole time Libra knew more than he let on. Part of the reason he became Libra of Zodiac was that as the leader of an international crime-cartel, he could be assured to encounter Mantis no matter where she ended up or what she ended up doing.

So after leaking enough information to Taurus to make him think Zodiac could defeat the Avengers (they couldn’t) he told Mantis enough about her past to make her question her life.

Which, as I theorized when covering those issues, is what made her turn to the Vision. She saw him as a pillar of stability.

NOW BACK TO THE DARK DIMENSION

Scarlet Wanda promises to make Dormammu pay for what he made her do. Dormammu isn’t impressed. He brought her here as a means of filling time until he could figure out how to conquer Earth. She’s not in charge here. He is.

Big mistake.

Dormammu tries to put Wanda under his control again but Agatha Harkness finally shows up, revealing that Wanda freed her when she regained control over herself. And Agatha Harkness returned the favor by stopping Dormammu from controlling Wanda again.

And that leaves Wanda free to strike. Which she does, using her newfound magics to cool the lava Dormammu has been sitting in. Which he needed the heat from to complete his regeneration.

Umar goes to intervene, less out of love for Dormammu and more because she has plans for him, but Vision pops up and fists through her skull, knocking her out.

See, when Wanda freed Agatha Harkness, she also restored Vision. She’s great at multitasking.

Dormammu desperately sues for peace, unable to afford further heat loss.

Not sure she can trust him, Wanda nonetheless lays out her terms.

1. He’ll return herself, the Vision, and Agatha Harkness to Earth with no further fear of himself or his sister bothering them.

2. He’ll free the Earth spirit (old woman tied to a wall or whatever. Its a Dr. Strange thing)

3. He’ll abandon his plans to conquer Earth

Dormammu agrees, secretly planning to renege (he only kept his similar vow to Dr. Strange because he owed Strange a solid) and make Wanda pay. But he does need to return them to Earth because those are immediate right now demands and he can’t afford to get on Wanda’s shitlist.

Meanwhile back on Earth but also on the temple grounds instead of Mantis listening to a story about Mantis:

Kang finishes his familiar statement about how nothing can keep him from the Celestial Madonna this time.

Hawkeye is slightly less of a match for Kang then Thor was. But Hawkeye has been giving it a lot of thought and blasts Kang with gas arrows. And Kang’s force field doesn’t keep out air, otherwise he’d suffocate. So Kang passes out.

Iron Man walks in on the scene, holding his own Kang. And then so does Thor. And all three think they fought Kang. The Kang they fought fought like Kang. And had his technology. and they have heartbeats so they’re not robots.

Realizing that this is some kind of deception probably, the three take their Kang prisoners and head back to the temple.

After loads and loads of exposition, Mantis is finally prepared to believe this story about her. But she’s still a bit unclear why this. Why this anything.

Swordsman????: “Woman, have you not seen that you are to marry that tree?”

Mantis: “What? What did you say?”

That’s the only reasonable response really.

Ghost Swordsman clarifies. That tree is the eldest Cotati on Earth. And in the prime of his life. Y’know, at that point where a young tree’s fancy turns to pollen. But also, he has spent years perfecting his mental powers. And now he is the perfect plant seeking the perfect union.

And Mantis is the perfect human.

Mantis: “This -- this is insane!”

Again, the only reasonable response.

Mantis insists that even if she could marry a tree and lets put a pin in that to come back to later because no, she couldn’t become a Madonna because a human can’t have a child with a tree.

Well, no. But that’s why Elder Earth Cotati resurrected Swordsman’s body and possessed it. As a wedding gift! Since she loved him!

And now a tree is wearing his body around like a meat suit!

Geez. The Swordsman gets no dignity in life or death.

But seriously, put your forehead to my bark and you’ll understand all, Swordstree promises. And a suspicious Mantis does.

SCENE CHANGE AGAIN, AVENGERS MANSION:

blip, Vision, Wanda and Agatha Harkness were transported back here. Which was mighty kind of Dormammu. He could have put them in the Everglades and kept to the letter of the agreement. Earth is a big place.

Wanda asks Agatha Harkness if they could delay her witch training for a bit so she can have a moment with Vision.

Agatha Harkness: “My child, this is your house. I am only a guest here. Besides, you are the woman who just saved the world, as well as three of its occupants -- quite skillfully, too, I might add. You’d make me feel silly asking my permission to do anything.”

Besides, Wanda has completed her training with Agatha Harkness. She has learning to do still but its learning she has to do for herself.

So Agatha Harkness scampers off to give the two some privacy while also noting in a dirty old woman kind of way that she’d love to hear what the two of them talk about.

And when she’s gone, Vision reveals that he too has been learning recently.

Vision: “Wanda... she spoke of your instruction, but it’s I who’s been learning over the past months. First we were apart because we quarreled... then because you were immersed in bettering yourself... and for the first time, I lived a life without your warmth. I found that such a life was far more barren than life with us together. I didn’t truly realize how I felt -- or that I felt as deeply as I do -- until Mantis offered herself to me -- and I felt no desire to accept her. Wanda, you are the only woman for me! I can make you happy! Forget all the human rules and please... marry me.”

Wanda asks why it is that Vision loves her. Is it only because she was the first girl he met?

And he answers that its partially because his life is so tied into being an Avenger that he could only love a woman who can understand that. And also because he has finally become fully aware of himself as a man. He’s no longer a mysterious synthezoid of unknown origin. He was created to be human. He had a father.

Vision: “Now I can be your man for all my synthetic flesh.”

Wanda: “I know you can. Don’t you see, love is for souls, not bodies? Yes, Vision -- yes, I’ll marry you!”

Aww.

SCENE CHANGE!

Back at Vietnam.

Mantis has just finished communing with the tree, having accepted her role as the Celestial Lorax. She realizes everything she’s been told is true and that this tree is definitely her soul mate. She’s gonna do it, she’s gonna marry a tree.

And then Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor and three Kangs show up. Warning, hey Kang is probably about and causing trouble. But since forewarned is forearmed, they must stand ready for anything and- dangit.

Kang just materializes his time sphere above Mantis, puts a force field around her, scoops her up, and then amscrays to the ends of time.

Kang: “This was my most brilliant strategy of the war! As a time traveler, I can journey to the same moment many times, from different points in the future! Thus I appeared three other times this day! I expected you to take longer in battling my other selves -- but even with your early return, I yet emerge victorious! Despite all predictions, Kang has captured the Celestial proving me the most powerful man on Earth -- and when Mantis mates with me, I shall become ruler of the heavens!”

If she doesn’t bite your head off first.

Anyway, it was just that simple. One wonders why he didn’t just do that before. But remember, Kang is an idiot who likes a challenge. Until it becomes too challenging and then he cheats.

The Avengers and discolored Moondragon get ready to follow him... somehow... but Immortus stops them.

Oh, yeah, and Immortus is back. Look who he found at Avengers Mansion! Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Agatha Harkness.

Oh and also, yeah, he knew Kang would pull this. Because he is Kang and remembers doing this. So now its time to open the wedding gift he brought.

Remember that big box he brought, called attention to, and refused to explain?

He opens it now to reveal... Mantis?

Remember that Immortus is rule of Limbo. And Limbo only has one subject.

THE SPACE PHANTOM.

Yup. Immortus trolled Kang with a Space Phantom disguised as Mantis, while swapping the real Mantis into a giant simulated Limbo box.

The Celestial Madonna Saga as a whole is basically just Kang trolling himself through time. Like he’s Karkat or something.

Kang doesn’t take it well. But its not like the Space Phantom enjoys it either. Rawwwwww, its a living.

Anyway.

Mantis announces that she’s totally going to marry a psychic tree and give birth to a new lifeform. Because.

Cotati Swordsman: “Yes, beloved. Humans deal broadly with life, but not deeply... while plants deal deeply but not broadly. One has mobility, the other mind control. There must be a mingling of the two, for the benefit of both!”

Scarlet Witch: “If there’s any mingling going on, the Vision and I want in on it!”

Yup. Scarlet Witch crashes Mantis’ destiny wedding to make it a double wedding. Because she didn’t want a big ceremony anyway. She just wants to tie the knot with her love machine.

Although it also sounds like Scarlet Witch is into swinging?

Anyway, Immortus decides he’s going to officiate these weddings. Sure, he isn’t a registered minister or anything. But he has a cool castle. The weddings won’t be legally binding, having been performed by a person not yet born in another country. So Wanda and Vision will have to fill out some paperwork when they get back.

But also, how often do you get to have a double wedding alongside a tree and a Celestial Madonna officiated by a weirdo who lives in a timeless Limbo? None often, probably.

And before the ceremonies can get started, Thor does what should have been done a while back and officially makes Mantis an Avenger, instead of just a de facto Avenger that lives in the mansion and goes on all the missions.

And Wanda is happy for her. Sure, she didn’t like her for a long time and really only likes her now that she’s marrying a tree and not coming after Vision anymore... but.... um.... Hey, she’s happy for her! They were besties for five seconds once. I remember those five seconds sadly and fondly.

So then the wedding ceremony.

It happens.

And Mantis bids the Avengers farewell. Aww...

And then... she and her Cotati Swordsman husband turn into pure energy and fly into space?? To I guess mingle their essences and conceive a perfect god baby.

And having done that, Mantis will become a free agent, backpack around space, and flirt with Silver Surfer. Perhaps that’s why she agreed to marry the tree after all.

Get your destiny over and done with and then enjoy the rest of your life. That’s the way to do it, if you want to do it.

.... Yeah.

So. The Celestial Madonna Saga. According to the collected edition, it covered Avengers #123-125, 129-135 and Giant-Size Avengers #2-4. That’s thirteen issues, three of which are Giant-Sized. It covered that bit from Libra claiming to be Mantis’ dad and the Star-Stalker, took a break for some one-offs and for Crystal and Quicksilver’s wedding, and then picked up again from the appearance of the Celestial Madonna star to the double wedding.

A lot of weddings in this stretch of time.

It was a big, dense storyline that covered not only Mantis’ awakening as the Celestial Madonna but also revealed her true backstory, Vision’s true backstory, Kang’s future as Rama-Tut and Immortus, the first time an Avenger died that was an Avenger for more than a single issue, the backstory of the Kree/Skrull War, space intreegue, Wanda taking a level up by studying witchcraft, the development of Wanda and Vision’s relationship, Mantis becoming an official Avenger and leaving the team for pure energy space sex a page later, and a double wedding.

It covered a lot of ground and the final stretch of that was incredibly exposition heavy.

As you can tell from my hasty summary of everything, the Celestial Madonna Saga was arguably as important, if not more so, for Kang, Vision, and Wanda’s character development as it was for Mantis’.

Was it a good story?

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Your mileage may vary? Parts of it were very good or at least entertainingly bad or batshit.

I liked the backstory confirming that the Kree have always just been the biggest assholes in space.

But. You can see the shadows here of how Carol Danvers leaves the Avengers in issue #200.

In fact, just like Chris Claremonte had Carol blast the Avengers for that story, the Crossing was supposed to be Mantis’ revenge for the Avengers letting her be bamboozled into going off into space to marry a tree wearing her dead boyfriend.

And, in fairness... Cotati Swordsman does stress that the Eldest Earth Cotati is super good at mind control.

I guess what I’m dancing around here is that Mantis’ grand destiny as the Celestial Madonna means that her destiny is in her womb. She’s going to have an important baby. Its a terrible version of the Chosen One.

And it means that nearly her whole life, Mantis has been groomed into an arranged marriage by her biological father and by the priests that raised her.

She’s guided and railroaded into this decision. And although it (seemingly) is her decision in the end, she’s really pressured into it.

In so many ways she lacks agency in this story. The Celestial Madonna Saga is the story of things happening to Mantis while everyone else gets cool character development.

Oh and also I know that Celestial here refers to heavenly things but it occurred to me when Kang called Mantis the Celestial full stop that Celestial is a term that used to refer to things Chinese and maybe calling a Vietnamese-German woman a Celestial Anything was a misstep.

Still cool that the Perfect Human was a Vietnamese-German woman. Not as cool that being the Perfect Human meant you had to marry the Perfect Tree.

I think based on modern sensibilities, a lot of small things could have made it less bad. Although modern sensibilities would probably not do it at all. And that’s probably why modern portrayals of Mantis act like the Celestial Madonna is still something she has to get around to doing eventually.

So. One thing would be to make it so that it was Mantis’ decision to leave the temple, live among normal people, learn humanity, and her decision to wipe her own memories for that goal. Instead of being dumped to fend for herself and build character, it would have been more like the Buddha’s journey. Except with more auto-mind-wiping.

Going along with that would be to make becoming the Celestial Madonna an explicit goal of pre-mindwipe Mantis. Something she was working toward. Something that was, again, her choice.

Another thing would be I guess, to make the Cotati Swordsman have the Swordsman’s memories and soul or whatever. So its less of Mantis marrying a tree with basically a picture of Swordsman stapled to it. Except worse.

So aside the big Mantis marrying a tree elephant in the room, what else is there to say about the Celestial Madonna Saga? Just some structural complaints.

Its a very long and dense story. Perhaps longer and more dense than it needs to be. It gets very exposition heavy at the end. Its possible that some of the reveals could have been spread out to be less back loaded.

The exposition heavy nature means that for the last few issues of it, the Avengers (sans Vision) are just hanging around, spectating, and peanut gallerying Mantis’ backstory. Because moral support and because they don’t have anything better to do. Perhaps why Kang attacks in this issue. Gives the Avengers some reason to be hanging around.

And Kang comes back about one too many times. Or three too many times at the same time? He’s very much the big villain of the piece but he attacks three times in fairly rapid succession, with diminishing effectiveness. I did like Immortus trolling him though so iunno.

I will also say again about Swordsman that it was a shame to see him die without fully living up to the potential as an Avenger. And that his tenure and death and post-death were so ignoble.

Next time, the Avengers go through a period of change but first a rerun.