The Avengers try unsuccessfully to cure Hercules’ amnesia. Hawkeye tells the Avengers how he returned to Earth after the Kree-Skrull War, resumed his Hawkeye guise and found Hercules. While the Avengers consult Ant-Man and Black Panther regarding Hercules, Hawkeye impulsively proposes marriage to the Scarlet Witch, distressing both the unreceptive Witch and her ardent admirer Vision. Suspecting his sister’s true feelings, a worried Quicksilver asks her privately if she is in love with Vision, and she admits she is. They are interrupted when Olympian gods Kratos and Bia suddenly materialize in Avengers Mansion, intent on abducting Hercules for their new master Ares. Hercules feels somehow unable to fight back, so the Avengers come to his defense. In the mansion’s pantry, Jarvis is offering Vision advice and encouragement regarding his romantic interest in Wanda, when they hear the noise of battle and Vision departs to investigate. Scarlet Witch is stunned during the fight and Vision rushes to her side, refusing to leave her even though she is clearly unhurt. Partly because of Vision’s inaction, Kratos and Bia escape with Hercules as their captive. Hawkeye angrily blames Vision for the loss, a sentiment reluctantly echoed by Quicksilver and Rick, and even Wanda herself. Setting aside Vision’s conduct for later discussion, the Avengers resolve to invade Olympus.
Rudolfo’s traveling carnival befriends and recruits an amnesiac Hercules in Greece (1). A Goliath-costumed Clint Barton invades a Skrull ethership on its way to destroy Earth, and tries to trick the crew into thinking he still has super-powers (Av #96, ’72). The Skrull crew quickly realize Barton is bluffing and attack, but Clint crafts a makeshift bow and arrow from nearby machinery and uses it to damage the Skrull ship, telling his foes to call him Hawkeye. The Skrull craft explodes as Hawkeye flies to safety in his scout ship and crash-lands on Earth, where he joins Rudolfo’s traveling carnival in Yugoslavia. When Hawkeye’s wagon nearly slides into a ravine during a rainstorm, he is saved by the carnival’s strongman, who turns out to be the amnesia-stricken Hercules, Hawkeye’s old Avengers teammate. Hawkeye telephones Kevin O’Brien, who arranges for Hawkeye and Hercules to be flown back to America (2).
This issue features a letter from George Olshevsky, later a pioneer of professional comics indexing, including multiple Marvel index projects.
