1985: The Eros Avenger part V: Nebuh-Bye-Bye Now

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

As 1985 drew to a close, so did Starfox' time with the team. But before the ever flaundering Eternal went a'wandering, there were some loose ends to tie up and as it turns out, those would be the ties that bind. 

But before Avengers writer Roger Stern gave Starfox the boot, there was still the ongoing subplot of the power mad Vision to deal with. Back in December, 1983's Avengers I#238 it was Starfox who had set up a mind link between the android and the sentient world computer I.S.A.A.C. Starfox meant no harm, but by arranging this meeting of the A.I. minds, he'd put the idea in Vision's head to take over all of Earth's computers and run the planet like I.S.A.A.C. did Titan.

That explained his odd behavior, like forcibly ousting Wasp as Avengers chairman and setting up a secondary team on the West Coast to expand his power base. He even invited gamma powered psychiatrist Leonard Samson to the mansion because he wanted him to head up a third Avengers team in the midwest. Samson turned down the offer, but his visit did give him a chance to interact with Starfox who was still none the wiser about Vision or Earthers in general, as shown in Avengers I#253.

" How do you do! I wasn't aware that green hair was common in terrestrials!" 

Sigh... Of all the inconveniently awkward coloring gaffs. But Starfox was too busy to notice Samson's hair was blond. He was far more concerned his teammates had been treating him differently ever since they learned of his emotion manipulating powers. Which is tad hypocritical, after all he didn't bring it up during his membership application back in Avengers I#232. And later, when he sensed that the team took a dim view of hidden abilities, he kept his mouth shut again. But in Avengers I#252, he decided to confront his teammates over dinner.

" These mortals! They grow so solemn at the slightest provocation!" 

Solemn or not, this be storytelling at its best... Roger Stern used Starfox's concerns to further the Vision storyline while also giving Hercules some much needed character development. Even though he'd been a member since 1967, Herc never received much in the way of proper character arcs or even particularly deep thought. Whenever he showed up, the prince of power was mostly played for comic relief, think Volstagg if he was Greek and worked out more. But Stern intended to make Hercules a mainstay while slowly making Starfox superfluous. By then, the Eternal served as the team's resident powerhouse but Hercules was mighty too.

Getting back to the Vision's dreams of planetary rule, he was about to start his scheme after months of planning. The plan was shockingly simple: he decided to rule by taking over the world's computers. Back in 1985, that still seemed a somewhat manageable task. He already had access to the NATO and US defense systems thanks to the Avengers' security clearances. Once he was in, I.S.A.A.C. would help him spread his influence on a global level until he would literally be the ghost in the machine.

However, to carry out his plan he needed the others away from the mansion. Using his position as chairman, he sent them on several bogus missions. For one, he ordered Captain Marvel to check out Thanos' old command post Sanctuary II in deep space claiming he'd detected some "disturbing readings". And as for the others... Thanos had a base or two on Earth too.

" My brother Thanos was a ravager of worlds.
He coveted power and worshipped death!
His hidden base could well hold the means to rip this planet asunder!" 

So with Earth's mightiest off on a wild goose chase, Vision and I.S.A.A.C. launched their grab for world power. They were briefly interrupted by the Black Knigh who had unwittingly dropped by for a visit only to be quickly trapped by Vision using the mansion's security systems. Only after the Avengers and the West Coast Avengers realized the Vision was unhinged, the truth came out. Both teams invaded the mansion through its heretofore unseen submarine pen. Once inside, the individual members had confrontations with aspects of the Vision. Eros seemed most efficient at conveying the truth.

"I.S.A.A.C couldn't run Earth and neither can you!" 

In order to save himself, Vision managed to pull himself out of the pre-Internet. And once he'd left all of Earth's (important) computers, he realized just what has been influencing him. Turns out Ultron constructed the android with a control crystal that I.S.A.A.C. had been using to make Vision more receptive to his way of thinking. With that particular tidbit revealed, Vision decided to literally take matters in his own hand...

                                      " The control crystal... I'm done with it... Forever!" 

Android or not, yanking out a good chunk of your brain really shouldn't be that easy. But Vision wasn't out of the woods yet. Even though the existence of the control crystal could have given him an easy out, Stern decided to have him face the music. Vision stepped down and turned himself in.But the US government wanted more. For instance,  the equipment he had constructed with help from I.S.A.A.C. But Starfox took care of that, as we saw in Avengers I#258.

                                "You've put yourself through all this for nothing, sir.
                              I personally disassembled the Vision's equipment days ago." 

Government liaison Raymond Sikorsky is not wrong... Disassembling the Vision's technology is a fancy way of saying you destroyed a piece of evidence. But it's not like Starfox can be brought up for charges, he isn't even native to this planet after all. But that's the Vision dealt with as far as Eros' involvement was concerned. 

You'll note that the art style changed dramatically in between panels. Yes, the late great John Buscema had arrived to take over for Al Milgrom which meant the book had a distinctly different feel to it. Aware of Buscema's love of sword and sorcery characters, Stern had the Black Knight stick around as a member. This provided the team with a new resident scientist, the part Eros had been playing as well. He was slowly but surely made obsolete. But Roger Stern made sure to take care of any danglers, like Wasp being afraid of Starfox after she learned what he could do.

"It's disturbing to discover that someone you thought you knew can control people's minds!" 

Leave it to the wealthy socialte heiress to be right on the money... It is creepy, especially after all the trouble they'd been through when Moondragon was around and tried to run the team with her mental powers. Having the ability to influence and control those around you and not even being candid about that only makes you more insidious and untrustworthy. So, let's see how Starfox explained himself.

" Jan, I use my special powers only on enemies. Never on friends... Unless they want me to!" 

... Sigh. So close.

But this is as apologetic as Eros got. Guess we should take his word for it, after all he acted noble and heroic since he first joined and that's gotta count for something. It's very comparable to how the X-Men had no other choice but to trust professor Xavier when he said he wouldn't violate their thoughts.

Time to get some avenging done... In what would be his last Earth mission as an active member, Eros joined the others in the Savage Land where Terminus had recently resurfaced. He tried to take the giant alien pillager on, but got swatted away like a fly. But even in failure, he still got the girl.

" I'd probably have fallen on my keister if it weren't for Starfox!" 

... In Savage Land, you don't hold girl, girl holds you. What a country!

All kidding aside, Terminus proved to be a major threat. After reaching Pangea, he ripped apart its environmental control systems which led to the deaths of thousands when the artificial jungle climate fell prey to the arctic frosts. That led the Wasp to make a shocking decision when she ordered Hercules and Starfox to "stop" Terminus. 

"Give him one for me!" 

Avengers don't kill, especially not during the 1980s. But what other way to "stop" him is there, after the countless deaths he's caused? Hercules manages to rip his armor open, revealing that Terminus wasn't actually a giant at all, merely a morbidly obese human sized alien who operated the armor like a big robot. 

"Terminus... is no longer a threat!" 

Leaving an helpless alien to die in the cold. That's... cold. Later stories would retcon this, saying this was actually a Deviant called Jorro roped by the real Terminus to be his accomplice. Nevertheless, that doesn't change the fact the Avengers allowed an enemy to die. At the very least, that makes them accessories to murder.

Now, time to wrap things up and get Starfox off Earth. Remember how Vision had sent Captain Marvel to check on Sanctuary II? She never came back. Turns out there was actually something going on, the massive vessel was being commandeered by Nebula and her space pirates who trapped Monica and forced her to join them as they unleashed a reign of terror all across the cosmos. Xandar was among the first to fall as Nebula moved her attention to the Skrull empire that had fallen into civil war following the destruction of their throneworld at the hands of Galactus.

The Avengers learned of this from Galactus' former herald and Xandarian Firelord. Worried about their teammate, they decided to go after Sanctuary II.

" The swiftest starship produced by the science of my homeworld of Titan... Sent earthward by my doting father Mentor" 

Man, John Buscema could draw the heck out of a spaceship. And Stern sure could write exposition to match... Using the Titanian vessel, the Avengers learned much of what was going on in space and teamed up with Skrull general Zedrao and his forces to take on Sanctuary II. For those of you keeping score, Zedrao was also the one who visited Captain Mar-vell on his deathbed to honor him for his valor. That led the team to trust him even as they engaged in an engaging bit of subterfuge.

"That's it, brother... Teach them what it means to oppose Thanos and the Avengers!" 

"Thanos" was actually Zedrao, cleverly playing into the fear among many of the Titan's former henchmen that the purple potentate would one day return from the dead. And they weren't wrong to be afraid, six years down the line Thanos would be alive and well for Jim Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet. But for now, he was still quite dead and Starfox was ready to stake a claim to Sanctuary II. But when he finally came face to face with Nebula, the usurper had a surprise. 

"Imbecile! I have as much right to this ship as you! it was built by my grandfather!" 

... Did not see that coming.

Or this.

"Hello. I'm afraid I don't recognize anyone here... Are any of you Avengers?" 

Ye gods, if it's 1985, it's time for Secret Wars II and that means a mandatory visit from the Beyonder. The cluelessly naive almighty one actually helps Nebula escape, which leads Starfox to make a decision.

"I must know if Nebula's claim was true. She must be found!"

... Erm, why? I mean, sure she's certainly not harmless but I wouldn't call her an immediate threat. You recovered Sanctuary II and caused it to self destruct, so with her main base of power gone Nebula is little more than a terrorist who claims to be related to you. If family was that important to the Titan Eternals, wouldn't they have bonded together before to stop Thanos?

Still, it was clear Roger Stern wanted to move the Avengers in another direction and Starfox needed to go. Having him off in space chasing his alleged grand-niece was a perfectly serviceable way of dumping him. So, after a crossover between the Avengers and Fantastic Four annuals of that year that saw the Skrull race losing its ability to shift their shape, Starfox had an announcement to make in December 1985's Avengers I#261.

"That almost sounds as if you're not coming with us"

 Got it in one, Cap...

"Because Nebula is my personal responsibility.
If she is Thanos' granddaughter I have a familial duty to stop her."

And with that, he was off, along with Firelord who was eager to make Nebula pay for destroying Xandar. Was it really such a loss? At the time, readers didn't dislike Starfox, but they didn't particularly loved him either. He was just... there. And that's just not good enough, especially after the initial mystery and wonder about him wore off. 

After Stern resolved the long running issue with his secret mind control powers, he became a pretty regular member. Great guy to have around, but kind of bland especially when he lost his overly lascivious streak. There wasn't any real conflict or drama, how can you hate a guy who just wanted to have fun?

For the 2.5 years he was with them, Starfox served a meaningful purpose. He shook things up when he arrived, provided a special flavor missing from the team especially after the sassy She-Hulk left and proved to be both powerhouse and residential genius. But the incoming members Hercules and Black Knight would provide Stern with more ample story opportunities. Hercules chafed under having to follow a mortal woman in combat, while Starfox had no problem with Janet calling the shots. If Starfox had still been around when Namor joined a few issues down the line, he'd be even more expendable. What team needs two barrel chested, womanizing strongmen who can fly?

And what of the Mansion Siege? Eros could have dealt with all that nonsense by simply flashing a smile to win over the Masters of Evil.

When next we saw Starfox, it would be during the John Byrne days on the book somewhere near the end of 1990. To Byrne's credit, he picked up on Starfox's chase of Nebula. 

 Clearly my grandniece has wandered far in the time I searched for her trail between the stars"

You also clearly haven't changed your ways, you sly fox... Even after six years. But then, what is time to an Eternal?

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"