AVENGERS #155 (1976)
by Gerry Conway & George Perez
Cover by Jack Kirby
Second part of the Doom-Avengers crossover.
You might think that since we have Jack Kirby doing the cover, having someone else draw the comic would be a downgrade… but since it’s George Perez, I’m not complaining!
Case in point:
Not only we get that AWESOME splash page, but get this: the next two pages are dedicated to a recap of the previous story, while ALSO having side panels detailing the various fights!!!
George Perez if a freakin’ genius. I could look at this artwork for hours.
Not that Gerry Conway’s writing isn’t any less spectacular. After so many mediocre stories in the 70s, his Doctor Doom dialogues are a breath of fresh air.
He also makes the connection that both Vision and Tamara have red skin, so she wonders if it’s just a coincidence or if they have something else in common. Of course WE know they have absolutely nothing to do with each other, but it makes sense for the character.
While the Avengers are almost completely paralyzed, they still manage to do some teamwork.
Although Captain America’s claim that he’s had thirty years of practice with his shield is… questionable at best, since he’s spent most of that time, to quote Tony Stark, as “a capsicle”.
He does manage to free Vision, who just straight up leaves them.
Time to switch to Namor, and George Perez draws him so well that Conway even includes a caption to congratulate him!
He’s after Attuma, who is busy fighting Wonder Man and Beast (the two Avengers who were not captured) and the WW2 hero Whizzer.
And of course Namor misunderstands them for Attuma’s allies and fights them, because Marvel.
He does eventually recognize Whizzer, since they used to work together in WW2.
Attuma manages to escape before Namor and his new allies can rip him a new one, and we find out what Vision was doing: he was trying to ambush Doctor Doom.
Nice work, Vision.
Doom significance: 0/10
Pretty forgettable, since Doom doesn’t do much here.
Silver Age-ness: 1/10
Just for the cliché way that Namor ends up fighting the Avengers for pretty much no reason.
Does it stand the test of time? 9/10
Great writing, good dialogue, fantastic artwork, what more do you want? Well personally I’d have both the Avengers and Doom have a more active role, but that’s nitpicking.
It was a Doombot all along
Considering this HAS to be the same Doom of Super-Villain Team-Up #7, I really hope this is actually a Doombot.
Take over the world & Destroy the FF!
Doom is STILL just minding his own business.
Crazy tech
The only thing that’s lacking in Doom’s fight with the Avengers.