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Carol Danvers and the Avengers Fight an Old Enemy: Avengers Annual Vol 1 #8 – October 3, 1978

Avengers Annual Vol 1 #8: "Spectrums of Deceit"

Avengers Annual Vol 1 #8

Ms. Marvel is basically a member of the Avengers as they deal with an old enemy, or an old enemy of Iron Man.

This issue of the Avengers was released before Avengers #177, but it just didn’t work chronologically as those Avengers stories were their own arc. So I decided to publish it after Avengers #177. Also, it’s a supersize issue.

The issue opens with Yellow-Jacket polishing a gem for Janet Van Dyne’s birthday present. While he is as small as an insect of course. Apparently, this gem used to be a weapon who belonged to the Squadron Sinister. It was shuttered, and he reassembled it. In the words of movie Tony Stark: not a great plan. Because why get your wife a conventional present when you can give her a super weapon that happens to be pretty.

Jan walks into the lab, but Hank is already done. He leaves to go back to his place to change and Jan walks into his lab, because he forgot to lock it. She remembers that he was nervous when he closed the drawer and realizes that it’s her birthday present. She can’t resist her curiosity, obviously, and decides to have a quick glance. Jan simply touches the gem and she is possessed by a parasitic force. Curiosity killed the cat. The possession of Jan also creates an explosion. Quicksilver is the first to notice it and runs towards Hank’s lab. He runs to help Jan, but the force takes him out.

Wonder Man also runs to help and finds an unconscious Quicksilver. He meets the creature that was released from the stone: Doctor Spectrum. It tells him, that he who lived in the gem is both a weapon and a person with its own will. I guess Hank didn’t know that. It neutralizes Wonder Man as well.

Doctor Spectrum other hosts apparently were too strong willed, had too strong desires and lusts. Apparently, Janet is not strong will and her will is no match to the other hosts that came before her. How lovely, just to assert yet again how weak her mind is. Not strong enough to resist touching the stone, not strong enough to resist a parasitic force. To make her even more useless the issue mentions that this is not the first time something like this happens. However, the body that Doctor Spectrum truly desires is that of Thor, the god of thunder. Now Doctor Spectrum is going to attack Iron Man as he is the only one who knows its weakness.

When Janet shows up, Iron Man says to everyone around him to let her pass, it’s fine, she’s married to his friend. But she’s not his friend? Ouch. The moment Doctor Spectrum gets near Iron Man, he punches him. She puts Iron Man, Quicksilver and Wonder Man inside an impenetrable bubble, which she puts inside the ocean. Then we switch to Hank who realizes he made a mistake and the entity inside the gem survived and is now inside of Jen. But Doctor Spectrum attacks him as well.

Avengers coming to help

While Hank and Doctor Spectrum fight, all of the Avengers come to help. All of the Avengers and Ms. Marvel. Ms. Marvel attacks Doctor Spectrum, who finds her blow impressive, but she takes out Ms. Marvel with ease. Or she thinks she does.

Ms. Marvel fighting Doctor Specctrum

All of the Avengers have been taken out by Doctor Spectrum’s Electro-Shock. But, Ms. Marvel still stands. Doctor Spectrum is surprised by her durability. Ms. Marvel says that “in that case [she] don’t feel so bad… about knocking [her] through the blasted wall!!” More Avengers show up to the fight, but it is Vision who knows how to weaken Doctor Spectrum. Ultra Violet light. How strange. Now Jan/Doctor Spectrum are unconsciousness.

The Avengers call Dr. Blake who might help them separate Janet Van Dyne and Doctor Spectrum. But, Dr. Blake and Thor are the same person, sort of. Dr. Blake looks at Jan/Doctor Spectrum and sees that the gem is infused into Jan’s hand. In order to find a way to separate Jan from the gem, they go to Dr. Stranger for advice, but he cannot help them. The memories of the previous people who were possessed by Doctor Spectrum may return, and then they will be evil again. So, they go on a preemptive mission to stop them.

Ms. Marvel is part of the team

Then we switch to a gym. But before that we see at the side of the issue that Ms. Marvel is part of the Avengers. I guess it’s almost official that she’s part of the team, though no one said it. Also, her level of strength and intellect is in good company with Black Panther and Vision. It’s a great image of her. Inside the gym where we find Thundra, a genetically enhanced human from the future. She’s there for a job interview. The person who guides her tells her that his boss, Mr. Kant, has almost superhuman strength. In response, she lifts the entire weights device. And she’s hired on the spot. It’s funny that the person who hired her tells her to put the machine down before the men around her get an “inferiority complex”. In a world with superhuman strength it shouldn’t be surprising to find women who were stronger then men, so I don’t get it.

The Avengers, well Black Panther, Vision and Ms. Marvel, walk in the gym, apparently, they are here to apprehend one of the people previously possessed by the gem. It is the person giving the interview, Hyperion. Ms. Marvel approaches him and puts a hand on his shoulder. Thundra asks her to remove it, and I guess that Ms. Marvel doesn’t listen because she thinks it is a comforting gesture, Ms. Marvel explains that they are there to help. In response Thundra punches Ms. Marvel. Also, it’s another female enemy who calls Ms. Marvel – sister. But the Hyperion remembers who he is and that he also has superhuman powers. His shock wave knocks everyone out except Vision.

Ms. Marvel punches Thundra to get to Vision. Vision is still dealing with Hyperion whose planet was destroyed by earth’s experiments. Earth destroyed a lot of planets in the comics it seems. Vision withstands another attack and neutralizes Hyperion, then they start talking. Black Panther uses this to make Thundra and Ms. Marvel talk instead of fight as well.

Thundra and Ms. Marvel

Thundra finds it hard to believe that there can be a peaceful resolution to the situation without one person completely overpowering the other. It’s so great how Ms. Marvel simply leans on her, like they are suddenly best buddies. Also, Ms. Marvel’s hair looks super cool here. It all ends peacefully here.

Captain America, Scarlet Witch and Hawkeye approach the second villain, Whizzer, who suddenly gets his memories back. He attacks the Avengers as well. Scarlet Witch tries to stop him with a hex, but he has super speed and he also releases a smoke bomb. But Cap has been practicing with Quicksilver and hits Whizzer with his shield. Here the conflict doesn’t end peacefully, and they simply sedate him until the conflict with Doctor Spectrum is over.

Beast is alone and after the third villain. But this villain, reverent Roberts, takes it calmly. He explains to Beast how he found the gem and it possessed him. He tells Beast he can free Jen from the gem. Beast brings the reverent back to Jen, hoping he will help her. But the reverent is simply there to reclaim the gem and he takes it out of Jen and gets possessed by it, but he is still in control. He is a religious crazy person basically. But the being inside the gem has its own will, and that is to possess Thor. Dr. Blake who sees the Avengers get defeated leaves to reappear as Thor. The gem is thrown at him and it sets itself in his hammer.

While reverent Roberts took the gem, the bubble that was holding Wonder Man, Iron Man and Quicksilver disappeared and now they are free.

Doctor Spectrum/Thor attacks the Avengers. He defeats Ms. Marvel, Scarlet Witch and Vision. Iron Man shows up and battles Doctor Spectrum/Thor. Thor is now unworthy so that weakens him as he no longer has his hammer. But then a strange thing happens, and his hammer turns back into a staff, with no gem in it. Then suddenly Thor disappears, and Dr. Blake reappears. Dr. Blake and Thor are not exactly the same person, so when the change happens Doctor Spectrum has nowhere to go and simply disappeared. This was a safety mechanism that Odin installed so that Thor will not be used against Earth in a similar manner to the current issue.

Then all ends well as all the Avengers celebrate Jen’s birthday.

This is a super fun issue, despite the silly solution to the problem. However, Ms. Marvel’s role in it is not substantial. We only see how super strong she is. We already knew that. But, this supersized issue feels more like the Thor and Iron Man show. On the plus side, Wonder Man doesn’t try to impress her in this issue. We also get to see how cool she is with Thundra even three seconds after fighting with each other, she has no problem acting like friends. She tries to be sensitive with Hyperion, even though that doesn’t go so well. It’s better than how we usually see her in Avengers issues, though not perfect.

Do you agree with me? Have anything to say about this or any other related issue? Let's discuss in the comments below or on my Facebook page or on Twitter. Also, please help the blog grow by liking it and sharing my posts. Have a great day.

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