Cap urges his fellow Avengers to investigate Power Man, but the others have accepted the city’s disbanding of their team. Their disagreement turns violent when Quicksilver attacks Cap, but Hawkeye breaks up the fight. The quartet part company tensely, and Cap blames himself. The others seek new jobs, but are rejected repeatedly given their recently tarnished reputations. The Circus of Crime troupe hires the trio, but when the heroes learn that the troupe are criminals who hypnotize and rob their audiences, the threesome refuse to participate. Ringmaster tries to hypnotize them into cooperating and a fight ensues, during which Ringmaster calls in the police and claims the ex-Avengers are robbing the circus. The heroes flee. When a disguised Cap tricks Power Man into confessing how he and Enchantress framed the Avengers and gets it on tape, Power Man soon overpowers Cap; however, Cap’s three ex-partners arrive in response to a signal from Cap’s Avengers transceiver, accidentally triggered during the fight. Enchantress departs, abandoning Power Man, who surrenders since he feels he has nothing to fight for without her. The Avengers are vindicated, Power Man is released, and the city declares “Avengers Day” in the team’s honor, but Cap surprises his teammates by quitting the group.
The city’s “Avengers Day” event, depicted in Mv #3, ’94, will become a recurring event for the city over the years. Av:EMH #4, ’05 depicts a similar city celebration of the Avengers earlier than this, circa the events of Av #8, ’64, but whether it was called “Avengers Day” is unclear. This issue’s Bullpen page includes ads for the Avengers T-Shirt and Marvel stationery, plus a picture of Hawkeye inviting readers to guess what Marvel will soon be releasing in “this mysterious mailing tube” (next issue reveals it contains a life-size Spider-Man pin-up).
