AVENGERS #156 (1977)
by Jim Shooter & Sal Buscema
Cover by Jack Kirby
The conclusion of Doom’s crossover with the Avengers.
Another Jack Kirby cover, but unfortunately George Perez has been replaced by Sal Buscema.
I’m not a big Sal Buscema fan, but he’s very good in this issue. Especially in the first page.
Vision proposes an alliance with Doctor Doom against Attuma, suggesting that the Atlantean warlord could potentially try to attack Latveria.
Also some heavy angst because that’s how the 70s Avengers roll.
Meanwhile, fellow Avenger Beast has infiltrated one of Attuma’s ships, and he informs Namor that he’s headed for Attuma’s base.
True to his word, Doctor Doom frees the Avengers from Attuma’s slave collars.
Also: more angst!
Interesting to see Doom and Iron Man working together, with Doom immediately taking the lead.
Namor tries to rescue Beast from Attuma’s base, but he’s rather easily knocked out by his henchman Tyrak. Considering that Namor is a guy who can go a couple of rounds against the Hulk, that’s a BIG problem.
The Avengers join the fight against Tyrak, but… like I said… big problem:
But c’mon, it’s the Avengers. Of course they win against a nobody.
Not that Attuma has a much better show, really.
The REAL villain turns out to be Doctor Doom, who this whole time was just waiting to get his hands on the device Attuma used to power up Tyrak.
I’m not a big fan of the fact that Beast throws away any chance to attack Doom by surprise only because he HAS to make a corny joke…
…but I absolutely love that the story explicitly acknowledges it as a huge mistake!
Note that Doom is still able to withstand Iron Man’s repulsor blasts; in theory his armor should still be missing the chestpiece after Super-Villain Team-Up #7, so that’s particularly impressive.
The distraction does allow Vision to destroy the device that Doom was after…
…which means that Doom doesn’t have any more reasons to fight the Avengers, so he just leaves.
Also: more angst!
And just like that, Doom’s crossover is finally over… although Captain America will co-star the next Super-Villain Team-Up.
Doom significance: 0/10
Honestly a little more than a cameo.
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
Attuma has a device stolen from US scientists who don’t even know what they have invented. It doesn’t come out of nowhere (it was a subplot in Avengers), but in addition to the ridiculousness I have a hard time believing Doom really needs this thing.
Does it stand the test of time? 8/10
It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s well written and Sal Buscema is much better than he usually is in this period.
It was a Doombot all along
Ending the string of issues where I prefer to think it’s a Doombot just so that we can forget Super-Villain Team-Up #7
Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
Considering stealing the device as a “take over the world plot” would be a stretch, so I’m not counting either objective.
Crazy tech
Nothing new, but a good show of Doom’s force field!
Number of superheroes who have fought Dr. Doom: 25
Adding Beast and Wonder Man. I suppose I could also add Whizzer, since he’s among the heroes ambushing him, but I’m not too convinced they actually fight.