Roger Stern Reassembles The Avengers!

While I stopped reading new comics from Marvel well before 2019, I couldn't resist the temptation to take a look at a one-shot issue published that year during the company's 80th anniversary celebration--reuniting one of its most popular super-team titles with one of its most distinguished writers, while fulfilling its anniversary obligation by dealing in the very adversary responsible for the team's creation.

By this time, over thirty-two years had passed since writer Roger Stern had left The Avengers due to a dispute with Editor Mark Gruenwald over the book's direction; and so it's perhaps understandable if this scripting assignment for the sake of commemorating a well-publicized anniversary comes across as rather belated. Jude Terror, writing for Bleeding Cool, is less tactful in his own assessment, though he makes a fair point:

"... one might be tempted to wonder how much Marvel really respects creators who helped build their universe, like Stern, or Chris Claremont, for example, when they only trot them out for one-shots like this rather than actually use their talents to create comics on a regular basis. But lofty questions like that are outside of the scope of this press release, we suppose. Besides, it's not like Marvel publishes 118 new comics in a single month or anything, so there just aren't that many slots open for the industry's legends to take up... oh, wait, they did publish exactly 118 comics in May. Hmmm. Well, beats the @#$% out of us then."

At any rate, Stern, now in his late 60s, turns in some nice work in this thirty-page tale--picking things up directly after the siege of Avengers Mansion by the Masters of Evil, as the Avengers literally begin to pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Joining Stern is artist Ron Lim, who has adapted his style to reflect Marvel's across-the-board preference for character appearance that has left the work of greats like John Buscema, Neal Adams, John Romita, et al. far behind in favor of a more inviting "kid-friendly" look (there's no other way to put it)--perhaps not so much a stretch for Lim, whose style in the '80s and '90s wasn't far removed.

As we turn the page, the story opens as it did in the fall of 1963, with the scheming of Loki, the God of mischief and evil--in this case, searching for new sources of power, with his wife, Sigyn, at his side, hoping to be of help. As for the Avengers, they haven't the luxury of such diversions, having suffered a brutal battle that has gutted their mansion headquarters and left casualties in its wake--leaving four of their original members to convene and assess their situation.

There is one last Avenger to check on--Monica Rambeau, aka Captain Marvel, currently comforting the mother of Edwin Jarvis, the Avengers' butler who was critically injured and hospitalized. During his original run on the book, Stern spent a great deal of time on Monica, a natural fit for the Avengers while demonstrating initiative as well as the ability to support scenes on her own merit. And while she may at times defer to the original members as they handle the team's affairs, she's not far at this point from being offered and assuming the role of Avengers chairwoman.

Currently preoccupied with pulling themselves back together, it wouldn't be the best time for the team to become embroiled in dealing with a new threat--but the matter is taken out of their hands when Sigyn arrives to beseech Thor on behalf of his step-brother, Loki, who has apparently run into complications in his quest for power. As to the nature of the threat, Stern weaves in the activities of a mystic menace which opens the door for the involvement of this issue's guest-star.

Stern appears well familiar with the threat of Sise-Neg, a mystic from the future who is traveling backward in time and accumulating the power of those sorcerers he encounters in order to become supreme when he reaches the dawn of time--a profile that makes him the kind of threat a writer can freely insert at practically any point in time and at any locale, which in this case is the planet Yann. No doubt Loki has found that he and Sise-Neg have a similar agenda in that both are looking to increase their power; but while Loki's initial approach is to have Sise-Neg at his side, Stern demonstrates that he is also aware of Sise-Neg's distrust of others seeking an alliance with him (such as Mordo), which makes Loki and his power too tempting for Sise-Neg to refrain from taking for his own.

Originally a lieutenant looking to be promoted to Captain in the New Orleans harbor patrol, Monica turned out to be an exceptional choice for becoming the new Captain Marvel, and, from there, joining the ranks of the Avengers, where her teammates have watched her evolve into one of of their finest and most capable members. It's gratifying to see her back in action, if only in a story which is in essence a flashback; and under the circumstances, Stern must have been pleased to have another opportunity to provide more exposure for her as one of the Avengers.

Even so, it's clear that the team might have its hands full with Sise-Neg--which makes the experience and assistance of Dr. Strange invaluable when facing this kind of opponent.

And with this story having been awarded a generous thirty-one pages, are you ready for a guest appearance which hits it out of the park? The one entity which can not only handle the disposition of Sise-Neg, but is also well-suited to bring the Avengers full circle in terms of recognizing the team's history and merit.

When it comes to tipping your hat... er, hood to the Avengers as a team, and as heroes, it's hard to top the Living Tribunal, who has helped to bring this issue to a close while solidifying the Avengers for the reader as one of Marvel's continuing success stories. (Thanks in part to none other than Loki, who started it all. In light of his failure here, the story's final page would assure us that the irony isn't lost on him.)