1988: The Dreadful Druid part III:The Doctor is Insurrection Bound

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

The best-laid plans of mice and men... don't mean squat if Marvel editorial changes it mind again. In late 1987, Avengers editor Mark Gruenwald wanted writer Roger Stern to alter his ongoing storylines. When Stern refused, he was fired and replaced with Ralph Macchio who did editorial's bidding. Druid turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. 

" The FIX is on!"

Working from Stern's original plot Macchio was tasked to turn the book towards the status quo preferred by Gruenwald and, more specifically, Marvel's new editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco who was far more conservative than his predecessor Jim Shooter. In Tom's mind, the readers didn't want drastic, permanent changes or new, bold directions, they merely preferred the "illusion of change".

That's why he he reportedly hated Steve Englehart's new Fantastic Four and that's also why he and Gruenwald decided Captain America had to return as Avengers chairman. To do so, Stern was to start writing the current chairperson, Monica Rambeau, as incapable. Stern refused to defame a character he'd created back in 1982 and had shepherded along for years.

That's why the unenviable character assassination job fell to Ralph Macchio, who used to write Marvel Two-in-One with Gruenwald before turning mostly to fulltime editing. Still, he did a more than passable job as he proved with Avengers I#286, appropriately titled "the fix is on". Read the opening captions, it's immediately clear Druid is not to be trusted. He's shamelessly using his astral form to eavesdrop on his teammates for... unknown reasons.

"Doctor Druid! You summoned us?! Why?" 

Why indeed... We're barely ten pages in and Macchio starts asserting Doctor Druid as a far more capable leader than Captain Marvel who at the time Druid sounded the alarm wasn't even on Hydrobase. Instead, she was visiting with FBI agent Derek Freeman, her semi-boyfriend, to see if he knew why the government was after Captain America who'd all but disappeared following the team's return from Olympus. 

Great, I'm chairwoman of the Avengers and I can't even get a line on one of my own people." 

And so it begins...Macchio would take every chance he got to either make Monica doubt herself or for others, specifically Druid, to make her look foolish or incompetent. In this case, she's told by her lover about the disappearance of the Fixer's gear. And shortly after that, the Fixer himself was freed from prison by what appeared to be the Fixer. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, during her chat with Freeman, Monica receives Druid's summons and flies off to see what's going on. And boy, is she pissed off at him...

"You're up to something, Doctor..." 

It seems obvious that John Buscema had finished drawing Avengers I#286 before Stern was fired. Had he stayed on, a few dialogue changes would have told a very different story. Take a moment and study the art without reading the copy. Judging from the expressions on the faces of Monica and Druid, you can almost tell Macchio tried his darndest to hammer home how suddenly there was doubt, strife and borderline insurrection in the ranks.

Now, on to the story at hand... Druid had summoned the team because a call came in on Captain America's special emergency hotline. This was a service Cap had set up for concerned citizens to report matters that might require his attention. With Cap unavailable, Druid decided the call merited the Avengers' attention and he proves to be right: thanks to a watchful neighborhood kid called Bobby, the team arrived in Ohio on time to catch the Fixer in the act of trying to acquire the Awesome Android.

When Captain Marvel manages to get herself gassed by the Fixer, it's up to Druid to lead the team to victory... Which he does.

"It's worth a try, doc!" 

In the aftermath, Druid is seen helping the weakened Captain Marvel to her feet, while Monica is cursing him in a thought bubble for purposefully making her look weak. Avengers I#286 ends with the revelation that the Fixer was actually an unwitting accomplice and... Namor's lover Marrina has disappeared during the fight when she tried to stop a truck driven by the actual Fixer. 

Avengers I#287 opens with Namor chasing after Marrina and rescuing her, though the Fixer and his mysterious truck get away. Meanwhile, the Avengers have to deal with the Awesome Android again when it revives. Once again, Dr. Druid's mental powers helped save the day while Captain Marvel was made to look weak and inconsequential. 

"Please, my dear woman. You cannot do it. Still too weak".

Urgh... Talk about laying it on too thick. We get it, Ralph... Monica is a weakling who needs an older, more experienced member to back her up. Preferably a man. Even by 1987, the sexist and even racial undertones used to undermine Captain Marvel's credibility are baffling. It's no wonder Roger Stern refused to write her like this. You could argue Stern was so taken with Captain Marvel he made her a bit too wonderful and competent at times... But this is a complete 180. And we're not done. Soon after the Awesome Android is down, Druid proves yet again crucial to the story thanks to his telepathy.

"Still feel weak. But I'm leader of the Avengers, right? Better assert myself."

Urgh times two... Now Macchio has Monica reminding herself she's in charge. Still, it's once again Druid who is essential in tracking down Mentallo to one of Fixer's bases. Along the way, they encounter heavy opposition from the building's automated defenses. Yet, despite almost getting killed by giant turbines, the team manages to free and locate Mentallo who tells the Avengers his old partner has become something quite alien. 

"Interesting, Captain Marvel's been standing on the sidelines and
Druid's been running the show since we got back to Hydrobase"

Ah, another page, another dig at Monica Rambeau. What's even worse: Macchio makes sure we realize Druid is so much better at everything, it's almost embarrassing. Here, his powers figure out that the containment tube has been tampered with. Once they open it, they find... of all people... the Fixer?

Yes, in a genuinely delightful nod to continuity, we learn the true identity of the Fixer that's just escaped from prison: it's the Super-Adaptoid. Created by AIM to fight its enemies, this superpower copying android was ultimately defeated and placed in suspended animation in a subbasement of the mansion. During the Masters of Evil recent invasion, the ever curious Fixer accidentally released the android and found himself replaced.

With a dangerous villain on the loose, you'd think the Avengers would spend every waking moment tracking down this potential menace to global world peace. Well, you'd be wrong. Avengers I#288 opens with the team moving house... literally. Avengers Mansion gets relocated to Hydrobase by airlifting the brownstone out of Manhattan. How? Well, simply by attaching some sturdy cables to a couple of Chinook helicopters and away we go... 

"Please stop questioning my every move."

It's getting painful and tired at this point: not only is Namor the one overseeing the move, on the ground Druid is busy berating Captain Marvel for not hiring a film crew to record the event. Too many cooks spoil the broth and Monica is fed up with Druid's constant "helpful" suggestions. Moments later, the Avengers get a clue about the Adaptoid when the Black Knight comes in with a clipping from a small Texas newspaper (!) about escaping flying robots. Correctly deducing the Adaptoid is apparently after other robotic lifeforms, Captain Marvel splits up the team and orders the Avengers to go and check on several likely candidates for recruitment. 

But Macchio can't leave well enough alone and has Captain Marvel feel overwhelmed by even this relatively simple task. 

"Sure wish Captain America would come back to us. 

I don't know if I'm cutting it with these folks."

For heaven's sake... Can it still be considered "foreshadowing" when it's this blatantly obvious where the story is heading? It's almost an insult to the reader's intelligence. But, getting back to the star of the show: Doctor Druid was paired up with the Black Knight to visit a midwestern airforce base where the adamantium clad robot Tess-One is held. One teensy-tiny problem: the Avengers lost their security clearance a while ago when the Vision tried to take over the world. That's why the two heroes soon find themselves surrounded by soldiers who aren't exactly cooperative.

But, to no one's surprise, Doctor Druid proves to be the solution to the problem... Even though morality takes a bit of a backseat. 

"You will lower your weapons and take us to the robot, Tess-One.
That is an order."

Shortly afterwards, Druid and Black Knight take off with Tess-One safely in the storage area of their Quinjet. Homeward bound, Macchio has Druid explain that the military mind is so used to receiving orders it leaves them more susceptible to telepathic commands. Even as a kid, yours truly felt this made perfect sense. On the way back, Druid slights Captain Marvel some more when the Black Knight mentions they weren't ordered to bring Tess-One back, only for the Doctor to point out that Monica lacked foresight in this matter. After all, they couldn't really have stayed on the base to see if if the Adaptoid would show up. 

And, as if on cue... he did, with help from his robotic recruits: Kree Sentry 459 and Machine Man. Though they attempted to fight the metal menaces off, Black Knight was quickly overcome and Druid's powers were of no particular use.

"Such parlor tricks, Doctor!"

And that's when Druid disappeared from the book for two issues. Left for dead after the fight, Captain Marvel rescued them behind the scenes and got them to a hospital. Meanwhile, the Adaptoid and his cybernetic compatriots launched a full scale attack on Hydrobase. The real purpose for the ensuing slugfest was to buy the Adaptoid enough time to access the Avengers' computers. It wanted information on the Cosmic Cube, which the Adaptoid planned to make his dream of offspring a reality. Though he was a bit surprised when the cube showed up as Kubik, its more evolved sentient form, it didn't stop the Adaptoid from copying its cosmic powers. 

Now more powerful than ever, it decided to replace everyone on Earth with a copy of itself. And that's when we catch up with Druid and Black Knight in Avengers I#290.

"I shall use the mental power which is mine 

to render this ship invisible that we may make a safe landing."

Erm, how exactly is mentalism the solution here, Doc? You can use mass hypnosis to fool living beings, but against androids it's pretty darn useless. It's what got you beat up by the Adaptoid in the first place, remember? Also, take a moment to read the clunky chunk of exposition Macchio puts in Druid's mouth when he has him explain to the Black Knight where they'd been and how they'd gotten this Quinjet. Dane knows, Doc... he was right there!

At any rate, they get attacked by androids who try to replace them. Because they're not actually alive, the Black Knight quickly chops them up with the ebony blade. This doesn't solve anything, because the loss of two of his "children" makes the Super-Adaptoid notice the heroes. He traps them inside invisible cubes along with the other Avengers who fill in Druid, the Black Knight and the readership.

At the same time, Kubik decides to contact Captain America, who once helped it when it was still a Cosmic Cube. Though Steve is now working as the Captain, after the US government stripped him of his title, he agrees to be teleported to Hydrobase to help out. Though he's quickly captured as well, Rogers cleverly questions the Supreme Adaptoid's self professed sentience. To prove a point, the Adaptoid frees Cap and lets him fight his intended replacement mano-a-mano. 

Meanwhile, Druid relies on brains over brawn...

"Supreme one, may I speak with you a moment?"

Now, while Ralph Macchio has caught considerable flack throughout this post for his portrayal of Druid and Captain Marvel, this is truly thought provoking material. By now, he shared a co-plotter/writer credit with his old writing partner Mark Gruenwald. Together, they had Druid hand the Adaptoid a cunning conundrum which served as a meditation on the age old philosophical question of free will. 

"You lack one essential... Imagination.
All you are capable of is the imitation of that which already is."

The question how a mechanical being can claim it is alive is a complex and engrossing one. It was even the central theme in The Measure of a Man, one of the most beloved episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation which aired over a year after this storyline concluded. The episode had the android Data fight a legal battle to prove he was more than a machine. It's hard not to see the parallels. Though Data was distinctly less violent than the Adaptoid...

"BAH!"

Anyhoo, that's enough praise... the fight moves from engaging philosophical dilemma to Marvel's take on Rumpelstiltskin or Mr. Mxyzptlk. In other words: they tricked the villain into defeating himself. Facing the Captain in final combat, Steve Rogers managed to best the Adaptoid by taunting him to adapt to the one thing Rogers felt a machine couldn't: death.

Never one to back down from a challenge, it ups and dies.

No. Really.

"To thine own self be true"

And with that, the Avengers' Heavy Metal storyline was over. Macchio and Gruenwald gave Kubik some interesting parting words. When you read it, tis not hard to spot this was Macchio commenting on Stern being driven out or "brought down by the arrogance of absolute power", followed by that famous Shakespeare quote about remaining true to who you are: which Stern did when he quit the book rather than compromise on his original vision for the team. 

You might even reason that the Adaptoid was the perfect analogy for DeFalco's newly instituted "no real change/creativity" policy. All it could do was repeat variations of what it already knew, stuck in a perpetual, self repeating loop that would ultimately prove self defeating. 

A year or so down the line, Steve Englehart would write a final Fantastic Four storyline in which he pretty much mocked Marvel's no-change rule by putting the actual FF in stasis and replacing them with clones who acted like it was still 1962, right down to insisting they had the exact same adventures.

Ralph Macchio would bow out after #290 and make room for new regular writer Walt Simonson. He would kick the deconstruction of the team into high gear and make Druid the centerpiece of the Avengers implosion of 88 as we'll see in part IV of The Dreadful Druid: The Doctor Is Out... Of His Mind.

Thanos vs Captain Marvel by Al Milgrom

1985: The Eros Avenger part IV: Eternally Yours!

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

By 1985, Starfox' tenure on the team was slowly drawing to a close. But man, did he leave a legacy. Apart from accosting at least two teammates, keeping quiet about his seduction powers he'd also quietly turned the Vision into a power hungry dictator. And then he met the in-laws.

"I don't know about this!" 

Avengers I#247 brought the Avengers to Olympia, the hidden home of the equally elusive Eternals. Created by Jack Kirby back in 1976, these immortal beings and their evolutionary counterparts the Deviants were considered outside Marvel's regular realm of continuity for most of that decade. But by 1980, Roy Thomas had managed to work them into the tapestry of the MU through a lengthy, convoluted storyline in Thor. Most of the Eternals remained hidden, but infamous partygirl Sersi certainly wasn't one of them. Setting herself up as a New York socialite (in)famous for her parties, it only made sense Starfox would run into her.

"Starfox! You don't mean to say we've crashed this party?"

By the early 1990s, Sersi would be an Avenger as well and a mainstay for most of the Harras/Epting run on the book. For now, she was content playing party hostess in knee high boots. The Avengers soon found that Sersi's party was a little wilder than usual. A small army of Olympian troops showed up to abduct the Eternal which led to a fight during which Starfox learned his powers don't always work.

"Easy, my friends! I'm sure you don't want to hurt anyone! Do you?"

Turns out, they did. Sersi was forcibly abducted while the Avengers are caught up in the teleportation effect and wound up in Olympia as well. There, they learned why Sersi had been recalled: the Eternals planned to leave Earth in their collective state, the Uni-Mind. It was one of Kirby's more kooky ideas involving the Eternals merging together into a supremely powerful psychic energy manifestation that looked like a cross between a brain and a bran muffin. While the Avengers were learning more about the Eternals and their origins, Starfox made an important discovery when he realized parts of their history sounded very familiar.

"So, you're an Eternal too! Very interesting!"

Leave it to Roger Stern to connect the dots. Both as a writer and an editor, he's been instrumental in establishing connections between existing properties to bind them together in a sensible, organic way. Along with Mark Gruenwald he helped establish Transia and Mount Wundagore as a hotbed of supernatural shenanigans thanks to the elder god Ch'ton. He was editor of Uncanny X-Men when that book indirectly revealed Magneto was the real father of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. So when he retconned that odd colony of outerspace immortals as actual Eternals it made sense too. And Stern would later explained away the rise of Tyrannus, Mole Man and all the creatures on Monster Island. All of that was the result of leftover Deviant technology, as he showed in the thoroughly enjoyable late 1990s Marvel Universe series.

So, Eros is an Eternal... Which was reason enough to invite him to join in the Uni-Mind. Always eager for new experiences, he agreed and pretty soon became one with his brothers and sisters. However, the ritual was sabotaged by Maelstrom, of all people. An Inhuman-Deviant hybrid, he hated the Eternals and desired to claim the power of the Uni-Mind for himself.

"Another few moments and the collective power of the Eternals will be mine."

Y'know, for a bit player villain that had only showed up in a late 70s issue of Marvel Team Up he wasn't doing so bad. Especially when you consider he died during that fight against the Thing. But Roger Stern decided to set Maelstrom up as a powerful villain capable of taking down the Avengers. Sure, he still had the goofy hat and yeah, he was doused in Kirby crackle, but he did manage to hold off Earth's mightiest. That is until the newly arrived Vision told the equally newly reformed Starfox to use that one special gift...

"The only advantage you have over him is through your pleasure power!"

Stunned the Vision knew about his powers, Starfox nonetheless went along with the plan. Guess that between certain death and a fighting chance, the odds of having your enemy become enamored with you is the worst of all evils. So, Eros gave it the ol' college try.

"Giving... up? Y-yes. That does sound nice. I..."

And though his pleasuring smile didn't subdue Maelstrom, it did cause him to call on his ally Deathurge to kill him off. All's well that's ends well, but things weren't thát swell for Starfox. He was wondering just how the Vision knew about his secret. The android revealed that he'd been in contact with I.S.A.A.C., the world computer that runs Eros' home on Titan. The A.I. had told Vision everything, though he promised to keep quiet about it. With the threat of Maelstrom dealt with, most of the Eternals formed the Uni-Mind again, but Eros decided to stay behind.

"But I like to stay free... independent. 

And there's still a lot of the Earth I want to see!"

And so he did, for a few issues more, no one knew about his pleasure powers. Though he didn't refrain from using them when he thought it might work. For instance, in Avengers I#249 when the team dealt with the effects of Malekith the Dark Elf opening the Casket of Ancient Winters in Thor. It led to unseasonable snow in New York and a sizeable, monstrous horde roaming the streets.

"That battle mace must be heavy!
Wouldn't you like to put it down and... have fun?"

Unfortunately, stimulating the pleasure centers of mostly mindless minions who live to kill has very little effect. Luckily, Starfox' part in defeating Malekith was relatively minor. However, by the time Avengers I#250 rolled around, everyone would find out what he could do. Maelstrom had returned from the dead, thawing out clones of his henchmen trio Gronk, Helio and Phobius. Though there was only four of them, it took the combined efforts of the Avengers and their newly established Western wing to take on Maelstrom and his minions. After they captured Helio, the reluctant flunky refused to talk. That's when Vision told Starfox to use his pleasure powers in front of all the others.

"Avengers, beware! Phobius' power has canceled the effects of minnnee!"

In the end, the Avengers realized the only way to defeat Maelstrom was by giving him what he wanted: more power. After cleverly sabotaging his absorption equipment, they poured on the power and caused the villain to grow so large he lost molecular cohesion. A pretty neat way of dealing with a planetary threat. But there were more immediate, personal concerns within the Avengers' ranks.

"It's... Starfox! He's all very charming and gallant, 

but this "pleasure power" just puts me too much 

in mind of Moondragon's mind-warping powers!"

A fair point and one that Stern would address later. But he also made a bit of a boo-boo by having Tigra swoon over Eros, acting like they never met before. They had, 10 issues earlier when Greer called the Avengers because Spider-Woman's ghost was haunting Jessica Drew. Guess he didn't leave much of an impact...

Man, was that really just ten months ago? Fans often tend to complain comics only offer the "illusion of change". But things were really moving back then. In less than a year, the Avengers went through the Secret Wars, lost She-Hulk to the FF, had Vision install himself as chairman, there was the founding of the West Coast Avengers... Sure, in retrospect nothing stuck but then again, what does in life?

Avengers I#250 ends with another coda of sorts. Back when Starfox joined the team, he wasn't too pleased that Monica Rambeau had called herself Captain Marvel, the codename used by his recently deceased best friend Mar-vell. But after watching Monica conquer the crippling fears that Phobius had subjected her to, he wanted to make amends.

"I owe you an apology, Captain!"

Leave it to Starfox to serve up a heartfelt mea culpa while clinking champagne on a mountain top with a beautiful woman. Saying sorry isn't that difficult. But it might be hard. Next time, we'll wrap up Starfox's time with Earth's mightiest when the team takes to space in part V of The Eros Avenger: Nebuh-bye-bye now

1984: The Eros Avenger part III: I.S.A.A.C. At This...

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

Eros has settled into his new role as an Avenger trainee, gaining the trust of both the membership and allies like Spider-Man and the FF though we'll never know if he didn't make them like him. Roger Stern then decided to make the Titanian even more invaluable.  

Autumn 1983 through early to mid 1984 was somewhat of an odd period for the Avengers title. Sales were certainly strong, the stories undeniably entertaining and even Al Milgrom's middle of the road art offered an almost comforting quaintness. But the title lacked urgency and worse, a general sense of direction. Roger Stern took his time to set up a new, major storyline that would lead the team through the first Secret Wars already on the horizon as well as instigate the founding of the West Coast Avengers. And it all started with Starfox getting a vision about erm, the Vision.

"Vision, I think I may be able to help you get that data."

Rendered inert after phasing into Annihilus' null-field, the Vision had been stuck inside his lifepod for weeks. The damage to his system was so great that his self-repair algorithms had trouble getting a handle on it. That's when Starfox figured a second opinion was in order. That led to the most expensive long distance call in the mansion's history. Yes, Eros phoned home to request the aid of Titan's Integral Synaptic Anti-Anionic Computer (or I.S.A.A.C. for short.)

"Nothing to be alarmed about! 

I.S.A.A.C. is simply using an attractor beam to assemble the needed apparatus"

The world computer quickly set up a direct-link with the Vision's android mind and teleported in advanced diagnostic equipment. As a result, though his body remained paralyzed, Vision could now project a holographic construct of himself for several miles courtesy of the alien A.I. At first, everyone was overjoyed by this development. But by the end of the issue, it became clear his new status quo had somewhat changed the Vision...

"Wasp, has the Vision ever had... ego problems?"

Turns out his connection to I.S.A.A.C. was influencing Vision in more ways than one. But Starfox and the others didn't have too much time to contemplate the implications. They received a call from Avengers reservist Tigra who needed help in San Francisco dealing with a ghost... Or, more to the point, the ghost of Spider-Woman thatwas haunting a comatose Jessica Drew of all people. Reason enough for Starfox and the others to head west and resolve that dangler from the first Spider-Woman solo series.

And even though he only played a minor part in the story, Eros still got to show much he loves the ladies.

"Uh, I'll just leave you two to get better acquainted."

In a delightful two issue romp, Stern had the Avengers plus guest stars Dr. Strange, Hank Pym, the Shroud and Tigra fight Spider-Woman's old enemy Morgan Le Fay for the life of Jessica Drew. Needless to say, the heroes won the day but it was great to see that by now Roger Stern had turned the Avengers title into Marvel's main stage. These heroes weren't like the FF, the Defenders or the X-Men, who were mostly off in their little corner doing their own thing. No, the Avengers were the hub of all the hubbub.

Stern pulled this off by crafting storylines that flowed organically and embraced continuity. The past was seen as something to build and expand on, not a burden best left ignored. Long before the first Avengers movie turned the team into Marvel's superstars, their diverse membership meant they were the cornerstone of the MU even if they weren't literally Earth's mightiest heroes. 

But getting back to Starfox... Avengers I#242 opens with the team flying home from Frisco and that leaves Eros plenty of time to be frisky. 

"You know, you two were really quite magnificent in our battle with Morgan Le Fey!"

Will you look at that. Their facial expressions and body language alone tell you everything you need to know. Starfox is once again brazenly invading his teammates' personal space, carelessly canoodling away. She-Hulk's just fine with all of Eros' PDA, but look how uncomfortable Wanda is. She-Hulk even notices it, thinking to herself Starfox won't get very far with the Witch because her mind is on Vision back home. 

Once they got back to the mansion, surprise followed surprise. They learned Hawkeye was now married to the vigilante Mockingbird. Then Thor returned after a lengthy absence only for Vision to stun everyone by revealing he's back in his body ánd that learned of a mysterious energy source that could well be a planetary threat. By the end of the issue, I.S.A.A.C.'s advanced sensors pick up a reading in the heart of Central Park where a massive construct had appeared in the Sheep Meadow.

"The question remains... Where have the Avengers been taken. And by whom?"

It's probably no big spoiler that this is how Secret Wars started. All the active Avengers were whisked away, conveniently leaving Avenger in training Starfox behind, as well as reservists Vision and the Scarlet Witch, along with the visiting Mockingbird. Y'know, if the Beyonder was so up to speed about the nuances of the Avengers roster, you'd think he could have figured out some other basics like eating and using the bathroom by the time Secret Wars II rolled around. 

At any rate, the heroes' adventures on Battleworld lasted about a week in Marvel time. Once the disappearance of most of Earth's heroes made the remaining (super) criminals cocky, the Avengers were left to pick up the slack. Vision named himself temporary chairman and granted Eros full membership. Here he is in a scene from Avengers I#243, taking on some bank robbers by using the same mind control powers he still hadn't told the team about.

"You feel much better now, don't you?"

There's nothing wrong with him deciding to use his powers, it's actually the best possible way to deal with a hostage situation. But he really should have been more upfront about them. At any rate, the Avengers return home after a week, a small party is thrown in their honor and a very tired Wasp officially put Vision in charge.  

"Merit had a little something to do with it, old boy!"

Barely allowing the team to catch their collective breath, Vision introduced a few changes to the roster and the Avengers in general. Nothing would be the same anymore after the Secret Wars, not in the least because She-Hulk had joined the Fantastic Four to fill in for the Thing while Thor was too wrapped up in his own adventures to give the team his full attention. Hawkeye and Mockingbird both wanted to join, but the team's charter limited the number of active members to six. That's when Vision got creative...

"I also believe that it's in the best interest of the Avengers to expand...
Which I propose we do by setting up an affiliated team on the West Coast!"

And that's that... After appointing Hawkeye and Mockingbird to go west and set up this new team, the Vision brought up the next big threat: the Dire Wraiths. These imposing sounding alien bodystealers had been a staple in the Rom series since it debuted in 1979. The Galadorian had been fighting the Wraiths for roughly five years before they became a problem for the entire Marvel Universe. The X-Men dealt with Wraiths when they tried to kill the mutant inventor Forge for coming up with a Neutralizer like Rom's. The Avengers were brought in to deal with the Wraiths' efforts to disrupt the American space program by causing freak accidents.

A threat to be sure, but Eros still saw ways to have a good time. Even as the Avengers were covertly approaching Cape Canaveral by boat. Here's Eros stripping down to work on his tan, even inviting the other female members to undress as well.

"Won't you join us?"

... That guy! Look at him happily cuddled up next to Captain Marvel who clearly isn't interested in having him or his muscular arm anywhere close to her. Luckily, the space shuttle exploded, giving them a reason to spring to action and for Eros to put his clothes back on. Over the next two issues, the Avengers discover that the Wraiths were indeed using the space center as a staging ground. Vision, clearly not in his right mind, became closer to Starfox who didn't even notice the changes.

"You have a talent, my friend, for making the deadliest of situations sound appealing!"

Yeah, wonder what talent that is... Next time, Starfox's big secret finally comes out as he learns his true origins in part IV of The Eros Avenger: Eternally Yours!

1983: The Eros Avenger part II: Don't Mind If I Do!

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

Looking for fun, the pleasure seeking Eternal Eros joined Earth's mightiest heroes. He neglected to tell them his primary power was his creepy smile that stimulated your pleasure centers. Then again, the Avengers gave him the silly codename Starfox, so I guess they're even.

"Up against the barrier!"

After a brief, introductory arc that saw Starfox getting inducted as an Avenger-in-training, he helped the team take down Plantman and save president Reagan. Now, it was time to introduce him to the Marvel Universe proper. He got his first chance in Avengers I#233, which happened to be an informal crossover with the Fantastic Four that we covered previously.

Long story short: the FF were stuck in the Negative Zone, trying to reach home while Annihilus had invaded the Baxter Building where he was hard at work creating a null-field barrier that would cause the destruction of both the positive and negative universe. What's more interesting is Starfox's place on the cover. Look closely, he's there... Yes, right down in the corner.

While the others valiantly struggle against the barrier, there's Eros giving the barrier a love tap. Hey, you gotta play to your strengths, right? Guess that's why when the others were trying to breach the barrier, Starfox did this.

"Neither my strength nor my flying ability are of any use... 

And I doubt my other talent would cause the wall the crumble. However..."

That's right... He saw a pretty girl and decided that courting her was a better use of his time than actually helping the team he'd just joined... on probationary status. Eros didn't waste any time putting on the charm and using his powers to get her full attention.

" If they want me, they will call. As for now..."

Especially the second panel is tough to swallow, knowing that he's actively "charming" the pants off this unsuspecting nurse. From his piercing, lustful gaze to that ever present, creepy smile as he moves in to strike at this thoroughly defenseless prey. Luckily, Annihilus activated his null field barrier device before Starfox could pounce. It might signal the end of all that is, but it did stop this tasteless (mind) raping, so it ain't all bad.

Roger Stern cleverly used the Annihilus/FF crossover to establish that Starfox was more than a galavanting skirtchaser when he applied himself. Turns out, he picked up a ton of scientific knowledge in the thousands of years he'd been around. He could be really smart if he wanted to be...

You ask him, he'll tell ya!

"Captain... Marvel. 

You said you felt the field give slightly when you were in the form of gamma rays?"

Note the "..." pause between "Captain" and "Marvel", Stern's subtle way of showing Eros still had trouble calling Monica Rambeau by the codename of his recently deceased best friend Mar-Vell. Thanks to Eros' know how, Captain Marvel was able to enter the Baxter Building which ultimately led to Annihilus' defeat.

All's well that ends well, except for the fact the villain had brutally beaten Franklin Richards and Alicia Masters. The Avengers didn't escape unscathed either: the Vision was rendered inert after phasing through the null-field. Starfox would soon find a way to help the essentially comatose android, but before that we got Avengers I#234 that dealt with the aftermath of the previous storylines. Vision was returned to the mansion in a coffin-like lifepod, his wife was overwrought and Starfox? Well, he was also struggling to find a way to carry on...

"Spaceman, I can show you some things you won't believe!"

I'm pretty sure Shulkie meant she's going to take him sightseeing, right? There's so much great stuff to see and do in Manhattan. From Times Square to the Empire State Building, you can even take the ferry to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone, maybe stop for lunch at the Carnegie Deli? Their pastrami on rhye is out of this world.

...

"You left enough hot water for me, I hope!"

Well, guess they just toured the Meatpacking District. 

I'm no prude, but it is a bit of a shock to see two active Avengers having a one night stand. It's not the first time members have fallen in love. And yes, Mantis tried her best to seduce Vision back in the 1970s while Moondragon telepathically forced herself on Thor during the early 80s... But this is certainly a new development. Two single, outgoing and attractive people who happen to be heroes, spend the night together and are absolutely okay about it in the morning. And so was the Comics Coude Authority, apparently.

Dan Slott would cite this particular encounter years later during his She Hulk run as proof that Eros was using his powers to seduce and force women. Starfox is quite succinctly described as "a walking roofie". He winds up getting sued over this, but ultimately gets off (no pun intended) when it's revealed this was all a scam orchestrated by his evil brother Thanos. How convenient.

Be that as it may, in the opening pages of Avengers I#235 the stereotype is reinforced once more: Starfox likes the ladies and ladies like Starfox. Here he is happily making out with some random woman in Central Park when he suddenly remembered a previous engagement.

"Mmm, I don't care what name you use. Your kisses are out of this world."

He shoots, he scores... He doesn't even know her name. And Captain America isn't too happy about Eros' ways either.

"You're late!"

When you have as active a lovelife as Eros, those are words you dread to hear. The Captain chews him out over being two minutes late, claiming that "back in his day, punctuality meant something" which is unintentionally hilarous when you're talking to an Eternal. But Starfox is too polite to point that out and apologizes for his tardiness. Which is good enough for Steve Rogers who drops the matter and proceeds to put the Avenger-in-training through his paces. 

In Avengers I#236, Starfox's back to his old tricks in the opening page when he puts the moves on the Wasp who isn't exactly turning him down either. It's rather interesting to have Eros at a time the team is predominantly female. Out of the six active Avengers, Wasp is chairman, there's She-Hulk and Captain Marvel, not to mention Scarlet Witch who lives at the mansion as a reservist. 

"Yes...I'll bet you could."

Who knows what might have happened if the alarm hadn't sounded. There was an intruder in Avengers mansion, which meant the team scrambled to fight off the mystery guest... Only to find it was Spider-Man. In desperate need of money, Peter Parker remembered the Avengers pay their members a weekly 1000 dollar stipend which back in 1983 was a small fortune. But, blame the ol' Parker luck: all the slots are filled, but they do offer him a spot in the trainee program. 

"Green...? I take offense at your tone, Spider-Man!"

Starfox has a right to be offended, after all he's also "in training" even though he's more than a little older than all the non-immortal Avengers combined. Spider-Man winds up assisting the Avengers in a fun filled two issues adventure that sees them taking on the Lavamen in Project: Pegasus as well as a number of escaped villains like Blackout, Moonstone and even the Rhino who were being studied at Pegasus. In the end, the Avengers decide to contact their government liaison to request clearance approval for the wallcrawler. And then, the reset button gets hit... Spidey's an unknown vigilante, no deal!

"They'll okay Starfox, a guy from outer space... But my own government won't approve me?"

And with that, Spider-Man's out... At least for much of the 80s. He does raise a fair point: what do we really know about Eros' outer space roots? We'll learn more about his home on Titan and their domineering world computer in part III of The Eros Avenger: I.S.A.A.C. At This.

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Ah, but before we go...A bonus clip to complete this entry's theme of Starfox meeting Marvel's other major players... Here we have Eros going up against a mindless Hulk, in October 1984's Hulk I#300. The green giant is tearing through New York, punching out heroes left and right. But the walking roofie figures he can charm the bestial behemoth into submission by flashing his trademark creepy smile...

"But by now it should be quite apparent... That this Hulk is no normal creature"