Hiding in the woods outside the Solomon Institute, the Avengers are joined by Yellowjacket and the new Ant-Man. While the others wait outside, the two insect-sized heroes sneak in to look for the Wasp and discover the Institute is a front for a criminal henchmen training academy. They find the Wasp, gassed unconscious, and free her, only for all three to be confronted by guards and Institute director Pernell Solomon, who bears an uncanny resemblance to an older Selbe. Solomon explains to his prisoners that Selbe is a clone, grown so Solomon, who has an exceptionally rare blood type, can have a vital heart transplant from a compatible donor. As the trio of heroes breaks free, outside the Avengers watch an advanced aircraft of unknown design land on the Institute roof. Inside the building Wasp breaks into Selbe’s cell, leaving Ant-Man and Yellowjacket on guard outside, but while she is inside the Institute’s true owner arrives, swiftly overpowering Wasp’s comrades and introducing himself as the Taskmaster.
Selbe arrives at Avengers Mansion claiming someone plans to kill him. Orderlies come to take him back to the Solomon Institute for the Criminally Insane, but the Wasp, the only Avenger believing Selbe’s story, goes to investigate solo (Av #194, ’80). Wasp covertly follows the car taking Selbe back to the Institute, but when she follows them inside the building the presence of armed guards alerts her to things not being as they seem. However, unaware there are hidden monitors in Selbe’s cell, when she grows to normal size to talk to him, she is spotted and gassed unconscious (p).
Task #3, ’11 reveals Taskmasters’ real name and history.
