Avengers Vol 1 135

Avengers Vol 1 #135 Published May, 1975 Editor-in-Chief Marv Wolfman Cover Artist Jim Starlin John Romita Sr. "The Torch is Passed!" Writer Steve Englehart Penciler George Tuska Inker Frank Chiaramonte Colourist George Roussos Letterer John Costanza Editor Len Wein Previous Issue Next Issue Avengers #134 Giant-Size Avengers #4 (Story) Avengers #136 (Series)

Appearing in "The Torch is Passed!"

Featured Characters:

• Avengers
  •  Thor 
  •  Iron Man 
  •  Hawkeye (Clint Barton) 
  •  Mantis 
  •  Vision 

Supporting Characters:

•  Moondragon 
•  Libra 
•  Swordsman (Cotati) 

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

• Human Torch (Jim Hammond) (Only in flashback)
• Ultron (Only in flashback)
• Quasimodo (Only in flashback)
• Goliath (Hank Pym) (Only in flashback)
• Wasp (Only in flashback)
• Mad Thinker (Only in flashback)
• Silver Surfer (Only in flashback)
• Thanos (Only in flashback)
• Mentor (Only in flashback)
• Phineas Thomas Horton (Only in flashback) (Death)
• Edwin Jarvis
•  Immortus 
• Drax (Behind the scenes)
• Dormammu (Behind the scenes)

Locations:

• Vietnam
• Titan (Moon of Saturn) (Only in flashback)
• Connecticut (Only in flashback)
  • Stamford (Only in flashback)
• New York City
  • Manhattan
    • Avengers Mansion

Items:

• Synchro Staffs
• Mjolnir
• Iron Man Armor MK III
• Hawkeye's Bow
• Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Only in flashback)
  

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "The Torch is Passed!"

Continuing his travels through time to learn his origins, the Vision sees that after the original Human Torch's "death" battling the Fantastic Four, the Mad Thinkers lab was soon visited by Ultron. Ultron explains his origins to the computer Quasimodo and then explains his desire to use an android against the Avengers and how he had gotten the location of the Torch's body from the Mad Thinker himself. Ultron then takes the Torch's body leaving Quasimodo behind to be found by the Silver Surfer.

While back on Earth in Vietnam, Moondragon has arrived to greet the Avengers. The spectral form taking the shape of the late Swordsman explains to all present that Moondragon and Mantis were destined to live similar lives, and that one of them was to be the Celestial Madonna, Mantis being the first choice and Moondragon was the backup should Mantis prove to be unworthy of the title.

Back in time, Vision learns that Ultron was unable to repair the Torch's body, and so sought out Phineas T. Horton to help repair the android. Horton, now a down on his luck TV repairman, was easily coerced into helping Ultron. However, once the Human Torch was rebuilt into the body which would be known as the Vision, Phineas sacrifices his life trying to stop Ultron, but ultimately fails. Fearing that the Torch's personality would be a cause for the Vision to revolt, Ultron then planned to use the brain patterns of Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man) to ensure that the Vision would comply with his orders. This story is continued in Giant-Size Avengers #4...

Notes

• Courtesty of Immortus' "Synchro Staffs", most of this issue is told as a flashback. As revealed in Avengers: Forever #8, the "synchro-staffs" employed in this issue are in actuality shape-shifting Space Phantoms in disguise.

• This issue contains a letters page, Avengers Assemble!. Letters are published from Austin Seth Camacho, Giles Dyer, and Mary Kay Boudreau.

• This issue also contains a Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation.

See Also

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Footnotes