Avengers Vol 1 108

Avengers Vol 1 #108 Published February, 1973 Issue Details Pages 32 Original Price 20c US Editor-in-Chief Roy Thomas Cover Artist Rich Buckler Joe Sinnott "Check -- And Mate!" Writer Steve Englehart Penciler Don Heck Inker Dave Cockrum Joe Sinnott Colorist Petra Goldberg Letterer John Costanza Editor Roy Thomas Previous Issue Next Issue Avengers #107 Avengers #109

Vision	Wanda, I have learned today about brothers. I don't believe the Reaper is mine -- but in a crisis, I had to protect him -- because once, perhaps -- he was, and Pietro is much more to you than that. It taught me something -- about feelings... I can offer no promises about your brother -- but I can offer my shoulder... if you wish it.
Wanda Maximoff	Oh, Vision --

Appearing in "Check -- And Mate!"

Featured Characters:

• Avengers (Main story and recap)
  •  Vision  (Main story and flashback)
  •  Captain America (Steve Rogers)  (Main story and flashback)
  •  Iron Man (Tony Stark)  (Main story and recap)
  • Hawkeye (Clint Barton) (Main story and recap)
  • Black Panther (T'Challa) (Main story and recap)
  •  Scarlet Witch (Wanda)  (Main story and recap)

Supporting Characters:

•  Rick Jones 
•  Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) 
•  Thor (Odinson) 

Antagonists:

•  Grim Reaper (Williams)  (Main story and flashback)
•  Supreme Hydra (Space Phantom)  (Main story and recap)
• Hydra
• Immortus (Behind the scenes)

Other Characters:

• Wonder Man (Simon Williams) (Corpse)
• Ant-Man (Hank Pym) (Mentioned)
• Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Mentioned)
• Lord (Yahweh) (Invoked)
• Quicksilver (Pietro) (Mentioned)
• Butler Jarvis

Races and Species:

• Humans (Main story and flashback)
• Synthezoids (Main story and flashback)
• Space Phantoms (Main story and recap)
• Lions (Mentioned)
• Cats (Mentioned)
• Mice (Mentioned)
• Pigeons (Mentioned)
• Gods (Referenced)
• Kree
• Asgardians

Locations:

• Earth (Main story and flashback)
  • United States (Main story and flashback)
    • New York (Main story and flashback)
      • New York City (Main story and flashback)
        • Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
          • Lower East Side (Main story and flashback)
            • Hydra Base (Main story and flashback)
          • Midtown
            • Fifth Avenue
              • Avengers Mansion
• Negative Zone (Behind the scenes)
• Limbo

Items:

• Grim Reaper's Scythe (Main story and recap)
• Captain America's Shield (Main story and recap)
• Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Main story and recap)
• Hawkeye's Bow and Trick Arrows (Main story and recap)
• Panther Habit (Main story and recap)
• Hydra Uniforms
• Nega-Bands
• Mjolnir

Vehicles:

• Space Phantom's Spacecraft
  
  

Synopsis for "Check -- And Mate!"

Continuing from last issue... The Grim Reaper has asked the Vision to join them in destroying the Avengers in order to give the Vision a human body by transferring his mind into Captain America. After the Space Phantom checks out their new "ally", the Vision goads the Grim Reaper into anger by suggesting that the Reaper is merely one of the Phantom's lackey's. This gives Captain America (Who has been spying on them) the chance to attack. The Vision explains to Captain America that he was tricking the Reaper into believing the Vision had joined their cause in an attempt to free his captured comrades. The two Avengers then free their friends and soon find themselves confronted by the Grim Reaper, Space Phantom, and an army of Hydra soldiers.

When the Phantom tries to kill the Vision, the Reaper attempts to stop him, and soon a battle erupts between Hydra and the Avengers. The Avengers are soon felled by one of the Phantom's weapons, except for the Scarlet Witch who escaped to summon Thor, and the Vision who was immune to the sonic attack. However, the Phantom get the Vision to surrender and allow himself to be imprisoned when he threatens to kill the Grim Reaper. The Phantom then chases after the Scarlet Witch so she cannot rouse Thor, and she is quickly captured.

Phantom then arrives at the Avengers Mansion and attacks Jarvis and Rick Jones, the only two present at that time, and takes them both back to his hideout. There, Rick comes around and the Space Phantom reveals that he will assume Rick's form for some sick satisfaction when he pushes the button that will execute the Avengers. Just as the Phantom is making his transformation (which would shunt Rick off into Limbo) Rick clashes his Nega-Bands together becoming Captain Marvel.

Marvel then frees the Avengers and they all make short work of the Hydra army. Marvel explains to the others that when Rick clashed the Nega-Bands, the Space Phantom's powers attempted to become two people at once and that proved to be too much and so the Phantom was transported to Limbo, while Rick was transported to the Negative Zone as usual. The Avengers allow the Grim Reaper to go free and all the Avengers return home, where the Scarlet Witch and Vision reconcile their feelings for one another.

Notes

• As seen on page one, this issue is Story#1172-Z.
• This issue contains a letters page, Avengers Assemble. Letters are published from Rick Keefe, "Daredevil, San Francisco, CA", R. Benitez, and Paul Hyman.
• Ant-Man and Wasp's apparent demise, mentioned by the Grim Reaper on page 2, happened in Marvel Feature #6.

See Also

• 1 Image(s) from Avengers Vol 1 108
• 2 Reprints of Avengers Vol 1 108

Footnotes

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