Appearing in "Below Us the Battle!"
Featured Characters:
- Avengers (Main story and recap)
- ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵
- Vision
- ⏴ Iron Man (Tony Stark) ⏵ (Main story and recap)
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
- Swordsman (Jacques DuQuesne)
- Mantis
- ⏴ Thor (Odinson) ⏵ (Main story and recap)
- Black Panther (T'Challa) (Main story and recap)
Antagonists:
- Troglodytes (Main story and flashback) (First appearance)
- Skol (First appearance)
- Kragg (First appearance)
- Numerous unnamed Troglodytes (Main story and flashback)
- Troglodytes' beast
Other Characters:
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (British Division)
- Elizabeth II (Mentioned)
- Secret Intelligence Service (Mentioned)
- Black Knight (Dane Whitman) (Mentioned)
- Magneto (Only in recap)
- Defenders (Only in recap)
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Only in recap)
- Odin (Referenced)
- National Health Service
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Synthezoids
- Asgardians (Main story and recap)
- Mutants (Only in recap)
- Demons (Referenced)
- Bats (Referenced)
- Horses (Only in flashback)
- Insects
- Tigers (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- Europe (Main story and flashback)
- Great Britain (Main story and flashback)
- England (Main story and flashback)
- London (Mentioned)
- Garrett Castle (Main story and flashback)
- England (Main story and flashback)
- Great Britain (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Only in recap)
- United States of America (Only in recap)
- New York (Only in recap)
- Westchester County (Only in recap)
- North Salem (Only in recap)
- Salem Center (Only in recap)
- Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (Only in recap)
- Salem Center (Only in recap)
- North Salem (Only in recap)
- Westchester County (Only in recap)
- New York (Only in recap)
- United States of America (Only in recap)
- Europe (Main story and flashback)
- Sun (Referenced)
Items:
- Captain America's Shield
- Iron Man Armor Model 3 (Main story and recap)
- Swordsman's Sword
- Mjolnir (Main story and recap)
- Panther Habit (Main story and recap)
- Magneto's Helmet (Only in recap)
- Uru (Mentioned)
- Cloak of Levitation (Only in recap)
Vehicles:
- Quinjet
- S.H.I.E.L.D. Aircraft
Synopsis for "Below Us the Battle!"
Travelling to England to search for their missing comrade, the Black Knight, the Avengers are stopped by the British division of S.H.I.E.L.D. because they are carrying the Swordsman and Mantis aboard their Quinjet. Explaining that the Swordsman has reformed, they decide to grant him temporary amnesty while in Britain.
Arriving at the Black Knight's castle, they find that it's protected by an invisible barrier. Their presence near the castle alerts the attention of Skol and his army of Troglodytes, a group of underground dwellers who were forced into living under the castle for centuries. They capture the Avengers and take them prisoner, where they are blamed for the barrier blocking their path as the Troglodytes used an underground entrance into the castle to steal food.
After battling a giant insect, and fighting off the attacking Troglodytes, Skol surrenders to the Avengers. The Avengers, however, decide to help the Troglodytes out by making arrangements with the British government to aid these underground dwellers. With Skol's problems dealt with, and the knowledge that the Black Knight was taken from his castle by costumed beings, the Avengers leave England to continue their search for the Black Knight.
Appearing in "Prologue: Alliance Most Foul!"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- Thor (Odinson) (Referenced)
- Odin Borson (Mentioned)
- Defenders (Mentioned)
- Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Evil Eye (Only in flashback)
Synopsis for "Prologue: Alliance Most Foul!"
Blinded and defeated by Thor (in Thor #207) Loki plunged himself off a cliff to escape battle, however before he could ever hit the bottom he is suddenly transported away. He finds himself transported to the Dark Dimension by Dormammu. Dormammu offers Loki the chance to join forces with him in collecting the six fragments of the Evil Eye, a device that was once thought to be destroyed. Dormammu suggests that they manipulated his long time foe, Dr. Strange, and his companions the Defenders in collecting the fragments of the Evil Eye for them. This story is continued in Defenders #8...
Notes
- Editor's references
- The second story, "Alliance Most Foul" is the prologue for the upcoming Avengers/Defenders War which begins taking place in both respective titles.
- This setup references the last appearance of Loki (Thor #207), the vow of Dormammu (Strange Tales #126-127), and the destruction of the Evil Eye (Fantastic Four #54).
- This issue contains a letters page, Avengers Asssemble!. Letters are published from Richard Howell Matthews, Alan Rothman, Duffy Vohland, and Phillip Hair.
- As seen on page one, this issue is Story#1509-Z.
Trivia
- In the letters page, future Marvel staffer Duffy Vohland lets out a major spoiler. Noting that he has "read Galley", he makes mention of the Vision being the original Human Torch. The story had been developing in this title with the first subtle clue given in Avengers #102. However, readers will not definitively know of this revelation until Avengers #134.