First Appearance: Monk

Villains: Mole Man, the Red Ghost, Subterraneans, Monk

Guest Appearance: Rick Jones

Cameo: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch (all in flashback)

Gadgets & Technology: Atomic Gyroscope, Transistorized Fox-Hole Diggers

Letters Page: Page One • Page Two

Far beneath the earth, the Mole Man is rallying his Subterraneans to complete construction of a new weapon that will slowly increase the speed of the Earth spinning on its axis, the resultant physical mayhem allowing him to take over the planet. Giant-Man is left to investigate the ant's distress signal, and he travels below the surface of the planet, where he stumbles onto the Mole Man's diabolical machinations. The Mole Man sends his Subterraneans out to subdue Giant-Man and take him hostage. Then, the Mole Man starts his weapon, and people notice the effects start to slowly build on the planet's surface.

Meanwhile, the team reassembles with regret that they did not listen to Giant-Man. The Wasp employs the Image Projector (last used in AVENGERS #3) and goes to the center of the Earth to investigate. She finds out it's the Mole Man behind all this and reports back to the Avengers, but the villain has spotted her and decides to go on the offensive. As the Avengers figure that they can put Tony Stark's transistorized fox-hole diggers to work getting down to the Mole Man's lair, the Subterraneans pop up from below to attack: with heavy weaponry and state-of-the-art guns, they blast away at the Avengers. Then, a mist comes around them and they disappear. The team responds to this attack with even more resolve, and they decide to get the fox-hole diggers constructed and in use.

Captain America and Rick Jones are headed to Stark's warehouse to pick up some Model X-75G Transistor Tubes at Iron Man's request when they spot a group of gangsters stealing from Stark's warehouse. It takes a little extra time, including some special force from Cap's fists applied to a hulking thug named Monk, but they retrieve the tubes and head back to the team, where the diggers are almost near completion. They fly out to the desert and begin to enact their plan.

Down below, the Mole Man is greeted by the Red Ghost, who has come to announce he wishes to partner with the Mole Man. Together, he says, they can fight as one and defeat their enemies. The Avengers finally make it to the Mole Man's hideout and the Red Ghost is there to greet them with an atomic cannon. Iron Man pulls out his sound blast gun and causes the Red Ghost to crumple to the ground in agony. A giant mechanical fly-swatter comes down around the team, but Iron Man's magnetic transistors keep it from falling. The Wasp locates Giant-Man and frees him from his prison, then they push back a cadre of Subterraneans on their way to their leader. The Mole Man and the Red Ghost man the machine that controls the axis spinning, but before he can jumpstart it, Giant-Man has shrunk down and snuck inside, pulling wires left and right to debilitate the machine.

Thor destroys the machine, and Iron Man caves in the whole complex, as the Red Ghost and Mole Man escape into the tunnels.

-- synopsis by Gormuu

-- panel images and letters pages provided by Avengers Assemble

Issues Reprinted
Avengers #11-20

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.