Avengers Vol 1 135

	Published
	May, 1975
"The Torch is Passed!"
	Writer Steve Englehart; Penciler George Tuska; Inker Frank Chiaramonte; Colorist George Roussos; Letterer John Costanza; Editor Len Wein;

... He's the high point of all my days on Earth!

-- Dr. Phineas Horton

Appearing in "The Torch is Passed!"

Featured Characters:

Avengers
- Vision (Main story and flashback) (Origin revealed)
- Thor (Odinson)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark)
- Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
- Mantis (Brandt)

Supporting Characters:

Other Characters:

Ultron (Only in flashback)
Human Torch (Jim Hammond) (Only in flashback)
Quasimodo (Only in flashback)
Goliath (Hank Pym) (Recap)
Dragon Man (Mentioned) (Recap)
Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Recap)
Super-Adaptoid (Mentioned) (Recap)
Mad Thinker (Julius) (Only in flashback)
Fantastic Four (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
- Thing (Ben Grimm) (Mentioned) (Only in flashback)
Captain Mar-Vell (Mentioned)
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Recap)
Thanos (Recap)
Daredevil (Matt Murdock) (Referenced)
Mentor (A'Lars) (Recap)
Angels (Referenced)
Phineas Thomas Horton (Only in flashback) (Death)
Mister Geppetto (Mentioned) (Topical reference)
Pinocchio (Mentioned) (Topical reference)
Immortus
Edwin Jarvis
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Frank) (Referenced)
Agatha Harkness (Referenced)
God (Yahweh) (Invoked)
Drax (Arthur Douglas) (Behind the scenes)
Dormammu (Behind the scenes)

Races and species:

Synthezoids (Main story and flashback)
Space Phantoms
Robots (Only in flashback)
Humans (Main story and flashback)
Cyborgs (Only in flashback)
Cotati
Asgardians
Titans (Recap)
Eternals (Recap)
Faltine (Behind the scenes)
Zenn-Lavians (Recap)

Locations:

Milky Way (Main story and flashback)
- Solar System (Main story and flashback)
  - Earth (Main story and flashback)
    - United States (Main story and flashback)
      - New Jersey (Only in flashback)
        Pym's former residence (Only in flashback)
      - New York (Main story and recap)
        New York City (Main story and recap)
        Manhattan (Main story and recap)
        Midtown (Main story and recap)
        Fifth Avenue (Main story and recap)
        Avengers Mansion (Main story and recap)
      - Mad Thinker's lab (Only in flashback)
      - Nevada (Recap)
      - Connecticut (Only in flashback)
        Stamford (Only in flashback)
    - Vietnam
      - Temple of Priests of Pama
  - Saturn (Recap)
    - Titan (Moon of Saturn) (Recap)
      - Shao-Lom Monastery (Recap)
Kree Galaxy (Mentioned)

Items:

Vehicles:

Moondragon's starship

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

Courtesy 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.

Avengers Vol 1 135

Appearing in "The Torch is Passed!"

Synopsis for "The Torch is Passed!"

Notes

See Also

Footnotes

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