Origin/First Appearance: The Avengers

Villain: Loki, troll

Guest Appearance: Rick Jones, Teen Brigade, Odin

Cameo: Fantastic Four

Innovations: Mechano (Hulk alias), Isle of Silence, the name "Avengers"

Letters Page: (no letters page in this issue)

Rick Jones reads these headlines and springs to action, getting the Teen Brigade to help him reach the Fantastic Four to warn them that the Hulk may become a problem that needs handling. Knowing that the FF would ruin his plan, Loki reroutes the Teen Brigade mayday call from the Baxter Building to the office of Dr. Don Blake, Thor’s human alter-ego. Others hear the report, too, including Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Iron Man. The FF finally get the message, and report to the Teen Brigade that they are too busy to help, but are certain others will heed the call. And on cue, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp step into the Teen Brigade parlor asking “what’s up?”

Loki sees this assemblage of heroes and begins to worry that his plan is going sour. He sends a mirage of the Hulk leaping past the window Thor is standing by. Thor, not wanting to disturb the others, goes outside to check it out. He approaches the Hulk and throws his hammer Mjolnir at him, but the hammer flies right through his ghostly image. Thor realizes it’s not the Hulk, but almost certainly a vision created by Loki, and he makes his way to Asgard to confront his evil brother.

Meanwhile, inside the main tent at a circus, the Hulk has developed the secret alter-ego of a giant robot called Mechano. As a main feature in the circus act, he wows the crowd with amazing feats like juggling elephants, horses and baby seals. Unfortunately for Mechano/Hulk, one of Ant-Man’s agent ants has spotted him and informed on him to the ant-sized superhero. Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Iron Man go to the circus to reign in the Hulk for crimes he did not commit! A battle royale ensues, with the crowd eating it up thinking it’s merely part of the act. The Hulk has no idea what has inspired this attack, but he fights back defiantly, eventually leading to Iron Man chasing him out into the desert.

Back at Asgard, Thor carries on into the Isle of Silence, making his way past the treacheries Loki has set in his way: strangling tangle roots, gas globules from an erupting volcano, giant water spouts and freezing blocks of ice. But Thor makes his way through it all and finally faces off against Loki, but Loki has one more card up his sleeve, as an attacking troll pulls Thor down into the ground. Thor easily defeats the troll and turns his attention to Loki, using Mjolnir to finally subdue him.

The fight between Iron Man and the Hulk carries them to a tire factory in Detroit, where the two super-titans beat on each other for awhile until Thor shows up with Loki in tow. Thor explains the devious plans of the god of mischief and Iron Man and Thor both want a piece of him, but Loki turns radioactive all of a sudden to scare off the others so he and Thor can continue their fight one-on-one. Ant-Man, the Wasp and an enterprising army of ants, however, have different plans, as they enduce Loki to fall into a lead-lined tank that holds him hostage and suppresses his radioactivity. The threat of Loki is over, and as the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Ant-Man and the Wasp gather to discuss the events, they realize that they would have great power if they were to team up on a permanent basis. And so it is that they agree to create a super-group, a group with a name both colorful and dramatic, a name like....THE AVENGERS!

-- synopsis by Gormuu

-- panel images by Avengers Assemble

Issues Reprinted
Avengers #1-10

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.