Ozymandias gave me the go ahead to do a review of #145 and 146; so, I will do just that.
These are fill-in issues, as seemed to happen a lot in this era, as the "Dreaded Deadline Doom" got the better of people. As Sean Howe's book has pointed out, a lot of that had to do with the inmates running the asylum, at Marvel. There was a succession of editors-in-chief, who couldn't seem to bring order to the house, until Jim Shooter did, for good or ill (depending heavily on your point of view). These two issues feature story from Tony Isabella (instead of Steve Engelhart) and Don Heck and John Tartaglione (instead of Perez). Engelhart was right in the middle of the Squadron Supreme storyline, with an evil Nelson Rockefeller (some would say that was redundant) and the Roxxon Corporation. The covers are from Gil Kane and the Assassin immediately brings to mind Deathstroke, who would appear several years later. One wonders if Perez didn't get some inspiration from Kane, in his design. The cover is also homaged/swiped by Liefeld (the latter tends to be a safe bet, there) for New Mutants #87.
The story was originally intended for Giant Size Avengers #5; but, got pulled in here, for a two issue fill in. #146 has three framing pages done by Keith Pollard, which were probably created to help recap things and help hide the fact that this was written as a one-issue story.
The story opens with the masked Assassin and another man watching films of the Avengers fighting the Zodiac, Grim Reaper, the Asgardian Destroyer, the Swordsman, Squadron Supreme and Magneto. Their individual strengths are examined, as we sense tension between the masked killer and the briefer. the adjourn to a golf course (!!!) where the Assassin asks who are the clients. the briefer says old enemies of the Avengers who have pitched in to cover this, with an offer of $1 billion and up to 1 billion in expenses. The Assassin demands one year to prepare, take it or leave it, as he sinks a hole-in-one.
We move ahead, as Captain America stumbles across some robbers, wearing copies of his masks. After a quick fight, he defeats all but, one, who hightails it away, leading Cap to an ambush spot, where the assassin shoots him with a weapon. He isn't dead; but, we are told it's inevitable. Cut to an elderly woman who has been paid to call in a murder report to the police. We find out that the Assassin paid her, so the report will be taken seriously, to draw the Avengers. We also learn that she was paid with bills coated in poison. One of the thugs laughs about it; but, the Assassin tells us, via thought, that the goons' masks are similarly coated. This is a deadly individual!
We cut to a hospital, where Iron man and Thor are looking at Cap's charts, consulting the doctors. No one questions why Thor can read medical charts. The situation is grave and Iron Man says they need Donald Blake. Thor says they may also need Thor, and iron man says he has a plan to have him there. They leave to go to Stark's plant, as Hawkeye comes up to the hospital. he puzzles at why they are leaving, when they are supposed to be guarding Cap. He enters the hospital and encounters men dressed like the Assassin. A short battle ensues and they disappear after a smoke bomb is released. no trace is found. Hawkeye later gets to Cap's room, where Vision, Scarlet Witch and Beast stand vigil. Hawkeye sends the others home, though Vision chooses to remain. We see Hawkeye's thoughts, as he reflects on how he was a hothead, who belittled Cap, yet Cap took it in stride and turned a carnival performer into an Avenger. Vision has similar thoughts how Cap accepted him as like Human. The issue ends with the Assassin watching, via a monitor, let us know that he is about to directly enter the picture.
Issue #146 opens with new pages, from Keith Pollard, which show the Avengers waiting in anxiety. They are watched by more of the Assassin's men. They will follow and eliminate the targets. We cut back to Don Blake performing surgery on Cap, while Cap remains masked, despite the less than sterile condition that presents. We also see Iron Man and Thor standing guard, in the background. Say what?
Iron Man sees he is a third wheel and leaves the operating theater to "check" on Thor. We discover he is a Life Model Decoy (LMD). A nurse comes along and brings the Avengers coffee. Iron Man and Hawkeye drink, while the Vision does not. They start to feel woozy and then find themselves ambushed by the Assassin's men. Vision takes the fight to the men, while Hawkeye and Iron man struggle to help. Both pass out. They next turn their attack on Thor, knowing their weapons can't hurt them; but, they hope to lure him to the electrical room, where the entire city's electrical grid will be used against him. The bullet amazingly takes out Thor. The medicos in the OR are aghast and start to flee, before Blake orders them back; but, even he wonders how the LMD was taken out so easily. The Vision battles on. As he is distracted, the Assassin sneaks up from behind and hits him with a device that scrambles his brain, knocking him out of the fight. We learn it is also causing an energy build-up in the Vision that will cause him to explode, obliterating the poisoned Avengers with him. The Assassin then learns that Thor is dead and can't believe it. he examines the body and sees it is an LMD. he sends his men off and heads for the OR, knowing that Dr Blake is Thor. He draws a bead on him from behind, as the chapter ends.
Suddenly, an arrow pins the Assassin's hand to the door, as he turns and faces Hawkeye, Iron Man and the Vision. Hawkeye tells him that he upchucked the poisoned coffee and Iron Man relates to us (internally) how his synthetic heart prevented the poison from working properly. The pair then used a thermal arrow to get the device off the Vision. A swift fight ensues and the Assassin takes down Hawkeye and has him at gunpoint, when the Vision sends an energy beam to destroy the weapon and Iron Man hits him with a repulsor blast. We see the result, as the Assassin's Hood is destroyed and chainmail armor damaged, revealing a woman, the nurse with the coffee! She marvels at their surprise, pointing out Moondragon and Scarlet Witch have achieve similar things, in a lecture on Women's Lib. She then pulls a grenade from her back and tosses it. She escapes as smoke fills the room, diving out a window (through the glass pane!). She then encounters who men, who don't recognize her and shoot her. the Avengers are close behind and take out the goons, carting them off to jail and the Assassin to the morgue. We end with a scene of a young man confronting the briefer, stating he has murdered Maria, the Assassin. The older man says the younger, Angelo, was a disappointment and shoots him dead, then turns the gun on himself, where we learn he was the father of maria and Angelo.
It's a strange interlude, sandwiched between the Squadron Supreme storyline and certainly halts the momentum of that tale. in itself, its not a bad little story and would work better as a Giant Size or Annual. The Assassin is intriguing and bears elements of the medieval Cult of Assassins.
The medieval Assassins were 11th Century Nizari Ismallis, muslims who broke from the Ismalli sect, a sub-branch of Shia Islam. They had fierce warriors, the fida'i, who carried out assassinations, in defiance of the Sunni Seljuq authority. The occupied mountain fortresses in Persia and Syria, under the leadership of Hassan-i Sabbath. They were destroyed by internal strife and the invading Mongols. What little is known comes from questionable Crusader and Sunni and Persian sources, plus Marco Polo's writings. they were greatly feared by the Crusaders and most writings about them ascribed the mindset of a mad, violent cult, who used murder for political ends, despite little evidence to support this. They became major components of conspiracy theories, particularly those revolving around the Knights Templar. we see the Assassin has chain mail armor and a surplice, with a crescent shaped dagger emblem, bringing to mind the medieval Assassins. her men wear similar attire, though they have masks that look like alien faces; at least, we assume they are masks. No explanation is given for that element.
Isabella's writing is a little hamfisted at times and there is a lot of internal monologue. We never really get much background on Maria and Angelo, or their father, not has the character spawned later interest. She ends up as a forgotten character, from a pair of fill-in-issues, interrupting a more popular epic. The art, from Heck isn't bad; but, Tartaglione's inks are rather heavy. heck is a overly-maligned artist. he wasn't comfortable with superheroes and excelled at romance stories. Unfortunately, those didn't pay the bills. He did a fine job on Iron man and the Avengers, in the 60s and early 70s, particularly in drawing beautiful women. By the late 70s and 80s, his line was deteriorating by the 80s. He was plagued with the least experienced inkers, which didn't help his art. By 1977 he was working exclusively for DC. he had a good partnership with Isabella, though, having launched The Champions. heck also illustrated Giant Size Avengers #4, with the wedding of Vision and the Scarlet Witch. Here, he has some good scenes, and some not-so-good panels. The work is dynamic and interesting, even if the story has fits and starts, due to editing and in a thinly sketched background and character, in the Assassin. there was a ton of potential here that was left on the floor, resulting in just an okay, two-parter.
For me, the significance is that it was the first Avengers comic I saw, thanks to a friend. I liked it enough to want to read more, and was able to later, thanks to a cousin with a much bigger comic collection, and my own issues (sporadic as they were). This isn't a classic; but, it's a solid story, and you can't ask for much more than that, especially when your creative team aren't professional enough to do their work on time.
