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Avengers #137
July, 1975
Steve Englehart - Saga |
Plot Synopsis:
"We Do Seek Out New Avengers!"
With the loss of Mantis and Swordsman, as well as the temporary leave of Vision and Scarlet Witch (on their honeymoon), the Avengers find themselves short a few members. Iron Man is quick to suggest accepting Moondragon as a new member, and she accepts, but Thor's pleas to former Avengers are far less succesful. Interestingly, while both Hercules and the Black Widow are far too engaged in their own lives to join a team of heroes, they'll both become founding members of The Champions only four months later.
Eventually, The Wasp and Yellow Jacket agree to rejoin the team. While three new members should be sufficient in replacing the two Avengers that have left and the two on vacation, Yellow Jacket suggests advertising for more new applicants. Hawkeye, having his own issues about the changes in the team, storms off to teleport into the 12th century in search of the Black Knight. Meanwhile, the rest of the team puts the word out, and awaits new applicants at Yankee Stadium (while its under reconstruction).
The Beast soon shows up, initially disguised as Edward G. Robinson. He explains how he graduated from the X-Men and was transformed into a blue haired beast in an attempt to thwart a spy plot, as well as how his transformation changed him, ultimately making him a more care-free, less overly serious hero. He then informs the Avengers that he wants to be part of a superhero team again.
The Beast is soon interrupted by The Stranger, who creates a challenge for the Avengers involving floating exploding mines. Iron Man, Thor, The Wasp, and Yellow Jacket are all quickly disabled, leaving Moondragon and Beast, the newest Avengers, to prove themselves. Beast rises to the challenge, using his mutant athletic abilities to get past the mine field and deactivate them. This causes The Stranger to try a more direct approach, giving Moondragon a chance to prove herself and her mental powers against him. Moondragon is able to hold The Stranger off, causing him to flee in frusteration. The fallen Avengers are then tended to, as the team discovers that The Wasp appears to be dead.
TCXR Review:
At first glance, this issue might appear to have absolutely nothing to do with the X-Men and, in a sense, it hasn't, but it is a significant moment for Beast, who happens to be the only former X-Men member at this point, and who will eventually become involved with the X-Men again years from now.
Beast had been a founding X-Man, and was still with the team as of X-Men #60, which was the last original story before the title went into reprints for several years. At that time, Beast was rescued from oblivion in Amazing Adventures, where he underwent his transformation from a super athletic mutant to an actual blue haired beast, and went on to fight crime solo from issues 11 thru 17. Beast then fell into his own oblivion after that. Meanwhile, when the X-Men were resurrected in Giant Size #1, Beast was no longer a part of the team. With this issue, then, Beast recieves his own ressurrection from oblivion as an Avenger.
Beast chooses to seek out the Avengers only because he has already graduated from the X-Men. Little does Beast know, at this point, that the X-Men team roster has changed dramatically, now including older team members who are there in spite of not needing a high school education. Beast will first learn of the new team only a month after joining the Avengers (X-Men #94). Beast will go on to feel that he never really fits in as an Avenger, constantly choosing the new X-Men, as well as his former X-Men teamates, over his obligations as an Avenger.
While facing The Stranger's mine field, we're told that Beast moves with unwavering grace and agility, despite a lack of practice and use in the previous months, because it's his "natural" ability. Considering that, as an X-Man, Beast constantly had to train in order to hone his abilities, this might suggest that his abilities increased when he went blue, though it's never explicitly stated.
Key Character Developments
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Beast: xbeast |
Joins The Avengers. Has come to terms with his transformation. Now takes himself far less seriously. |