Avengers Vol 1 115

	Published
	September, 1973
Issue Details
	Pages 32 Original Price 20c US
"Below Us the Battle!"
	Writer Steve Englehart; Penciler Bob Brown; Inker Mike Esposito; Colourist Stan Goldberg; Letterer Jean Izzo; Editor Roy Thomas;
"Prologue: Alliance Most Foul!"
	Writer Steve Englehart; Penciler Bob Brown; Inker Mike Esposito; Colourist Stan Goldberg; Letterer Jean Izzo; Editor Roy Thomas;

The Scarlet Witch was too slow! Mantis must not be!

-- Mantis

Appearing in "Below Us the Battle!"

Featured Characters:

Avengers

Antagonists:

Troglodytes (First appearance)
- Skol (First appearance)
- Kragg
Troglodytes' beast

Other Characters:

SHIELD (British Division)
Magneto (Only in flashback)
Dr. Strange (Only in flashback)

Locations:

England
- Garrett Castle

Items:

Vehicles:

Quinjet

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 SHIELD 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:

* Loki
Dormammu

Other Characters:

Odin (Mentioned)
The Defenders (Mentioned)
- Doctor Strange (Mentioned)

Locations:

Unidentified Dimension

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

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 Vol 1 207), the vow of Dormammu (Strange Tales Vol 1 126-127), and the destruction of the Evil Eye (Fantastic Four Vol 1 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.
This issue is reprinted in other comics and books, see references for more info.^[1]

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 the Original Human Torch. The story had been developing int this title with the first subtle clue given in Avengers #102. However, readers will not definitively know of this revelation until Avengers #134.

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