Bid The Swordsman Goodbye

Avengers #129 might be memorable to you as the issue that features one of Kang the Conqueror's bolder attempts at conquest, as he comes looking for the Celestial Madonna and decides to conquer Earth while he's at it. You might even remember it as the issue where the Vision seems to have developed the power to fire bolts of energy from his hands:

Yet it's likely you also remember the story as being the prelude to the final fate of the Swordsman, a former enemy of the Avengers who reformed and rejoined their ranks to become a member in good standing. Before that occurred, the Swordsman was known for being handled in one of three ways when it came to the Avengers: (1) as a cocky combatant, either solo or teamed up with folks like the Lethal Legion, Batroc's Brigade, or the Mandarin; (2) as a past mentor/trainer to Hawkeye; or (3) as an Avenger, whether it was when he first joined the team through deception, or when he returned to the team at the urging of Mantis, the woman he'd become involved with. In this story, we find the Swordsman estranged from Mantis (who has recently abandoned him to pursue the Vision), as well as doubting his worthiness as an Avenger. He feels his world falling apart--and his final mission as an Avenger is nigh.



Kang's attack in this story comes on like gangbusters. He's arrived in the 20th century backed up by a trio of Macrobots, and intends to swiftly take the Avengers by force:

With the Macrobots' ability to turn their attacker's power back upon them, the Avengers fall to the attack mostly due to their own power laying them low. All too soon, Kang holds the upper hand, and prepares to depart with the Avengers as his captives--paying special attention to the Scarlet Witch, Agatha Harkness, and Mantis, any one of whom might be the Madonna he seeks. Yet there is one Avenger who is of no use to him--the one Avenger whose ability to bear such rejection in his current state of duress is in question:

Defiant talk from the Swordsman, yes--but what are his options at this point, realistically? He has no idea where Kang has taken the Avengers, nor any inkling as to the Conqueror's plans. It's only through the intervention of one of the captives that he's mobilized into attempting a rescue:

As the Swordsman jets off to Egypt, his thoughts can't help but turn to Mantis--not just because of his current difficulties with her, but because Kang suspects her of being far more than the Swordsman believes she is:

Yet above all, the Swordsman is an Avenger of daring, a trait which has seen him through many campaigns in the past and which serves him well as the Avengers' sole hope. As we turn the pages of this story, we see that writer Steve Englehart spends a good deal of time picking away at the Swordsman's confidence as much as the Swordsman does himself: "Why is it, do you suppose, that some men are literally born to lose?" ... "And the desperate look in the Swordsman's eyes only increases as he broodingly jets toward Egypt." ... "...as he stands under the lurid light of the signal star, the Swordsman's mind might as well be mush!" Englehart will continue to hammer away at this character throughout the story, even as the Swordsman indeed repeatedly proves his boast to surprise all of those who underestimated him.

One such person whom the Swordsman surely wishes he could glimpse the expression of as he arrives in Egypt is Kang, who nevertheless still feels secure in the Pyramid he uses as a launching pad for his plans for the Avengers:

Kang, as we know, is perhaps the poster boy for overconfidence, and that may well prove to be the case in his dealings with the Swordsman--who could teach the Conqueror the difference between overconfidence and resolve, as he taps into his criminal past to penetrate the pyramid of the Pharaoh:

But in this dry, dark tomb, Kang has a defense even he has forgotten about which will be a deadly hindrance to the Swordsman--one which gives an almost welcome challenge to "the best blade artist in the world," who clashes with this foe without fully realizing his danger. Fortunately, his foe is distracted by new arrivals before the Swordsman can meet his end:

As the Swordsman picks himself up and proceeds further into the tomb, his movements trigger the release of another figure which will soon make their presence known to him. For now, he feels welcome anticipation and exhilaration at finally locating his target:

And so Kang turns his attention to his final preparations for the Avengers, as living power sources for his Macrobots. (Funny, they seemed to be doing well enough on their own, didn't they?) And any Swordsman worth his salt isn't going to hesitate to take advantage of an enemy's distraction. Assuming he gets the chance to follow through:

The Swordsman's frustration at having victory so close at hand snatched from his grasp is understandable, given how much he seemed to need to pull off this win; but as Kang's older self, the interference of Pharaoh Rama-Tut is also understandable, since the death of Kang would ensure that he would never exist. Aside from that, what's his stake in all this? And given Kang's plans for the Avengers, will the Swordsman cooperate? Englehart's countdown to the Swordsman's last days as an adventurer--and as an Avenger--concludes in Giant-Size Avengers #2, where Hawkeye returns to battle at the side of his old carny benefactor. And the Celestial Madonna stands revealed in the midst of tragedy.

The Avengers #129 Script: Steve Englehart Pencils: Sal Buscema Inks: Joe Staton Letterer: Tom Orzechowski