Carol Danvers' Helping Role: Avengers Vol 1 #192– February 1980
Avengers Vol 1 #192: " Steel City Nightmare!"
This issue is mostly about Wonder Man. Ms. Marvel only appears at the epilogue of the issue.
The issue opens with showing us a metal factory in Pittsburg. Simons Williams and Tony Stark are taking a tour in the factory that once belonged to Williams before he became Wonder Man. Apparently, Stark is considering buying the factory.
The workers are very excited to see Wonder Man in the flesh. However, one worker is less impressed saying that once Thor was in their factory and that was more exciting. It appears as though Thor build some weapon inside the factory and a small piece of Uru got left behind. This one worker found it and carries it for good luck ever since. However, he does not have Good luck as he is mysteriously attacked later on and falls straight into boiling melted electrified metal.
A tragic chain of events sets in as the melted metal start to overflow. Wonder Man, not knowing that Tony Stark is Iron Man, takes the briefcase which contain the Iron Man armor and throws it at the control panel to stop the pouring of boiling metal. However, the metal that leaked continues to move and Wonder Man comes to the rescue. He stops the leaking metal and saves a worker who was stuck in a metal compressor. Wonder Man then has a problem as he himself tries to get out of the compressor without having any part of his body crushed. But, even without a suite of armor Stark manages to get Wonder Man out of the compressor and without any harm to either of them.
Back in the Avengers mansion, a silly neighbor gets trapped in their security system, because he tried to sneak into the mansion. He wants the Avengers to help him with a noisy neighbor. I can totally see something like this happening in real life. The Avengers politely refuse to handle the problem and the idiot thinks he should have asked for the help of the Fantastic Four. What an idiot. Mr. Gyrich leaves at last with a promise to return for regular checkups. Beast politely remarks “So long, Gyrich. Forget to write!”
Now that the Avengers are free to do what they want, the first thing they want is more people. They have Yellow-Jacket and Hawkeye in mind. Hawkeye was greatly hurt by his force retirement, and Yellow-Jacket is simply the WASP’s husband on top of being an ex-Avenger. It makes sense that they’ll want to work together again. However, Hawkeye doesn’t answer his phone (he also has a new job now) and Yellow-Jacket enjoys doing research full time. Much to the annoyance of his wife. They are thinking about bringing back Wonder Man, when suddenly Wanda decides leaves. Apparently, she has personal issues that require her to be alone, without her husband, not just the Avengers. I think she has babies on her mind.
Back at the factory the melted metal which the worker died in has been turn into a headstone. Looks like nobody is overly worried about the man’s death and the deal to buy the factory is still on. It appears that even Stark is not overly worried about this incident, or angry that such a thing can happen. I mean they didn’t even close the factory to investigate what happened, or to let the other worker morn for a day.
However, it appears that the Uru piece which the worker had with him did some magic, because from the headstone a man in the color of a melted metal breasts through. Inferno. Insert Dante references here. Now, Wonder Man tries to save the day again. However, in the end Wonder Man lightens a help beacon to call the Avengers.
At the Avengers mansion Ms. Marvel arrives to check on Jarvis who is now on monitoring duties. She arrives just in time to hear Jarvis answering a distress call from Wonder Man. She conveys the message to Captain America immediately. She also tells him that the help beacon has been destroyed, which means Wonder Man is in big trouble.
Thank goodness for the epilogue or otherwise Ms. Marvel will have no speaking lines at all. Her only role is to raise the alarm for Wonder Man. Instead of Jarvis. How degrading for her. Also, it is vividly apparent that next to Scarlet Witch, that her character is just not interesting while she’s with the Avengers. She has no inner life, no personal life and no problems. She’s just there to carry a big punch and try to help the Avengers. Not really impressive if you ask me.
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