Avengers Vol 1 18

Avengers Vol 1 #18
Previous Issue	Avengers #17
Next Issue	Avengers #19
Art by: Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers
Cover Date	July, 1965
Issue Details
Editor-in-Chief	Stan Lee

1. "When The Commissar Commands!"
Writer(s)	Stan Lee
Penciler(s)	Don Heck
Inker(s)	Dick Ayers
Colorist(s)	Stan Goldberg
Letterer(s)	Artie Simek
Editor(s)	Stan Lee

 I thought our purpose was to battle crime! Why need we concern ourselves with international affairs? 

—Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)

Appearing in "When The Commissar Commands!"

Featured Characters:

• Avengers
  •  Hawkeye 
  •  Scarlet Witch (Wanda) 
  •  Captain America (Steve Rogers) 
  •  Quicksilver (Pietro) 

Supporting Characters:

• Edwin Jarvis (Unnamed)

Antagonists:

• Commissar (First appearance) (Apparent death)
• Major Hoy (First appearance)
• Sin-Cong Army (First appearance)

Other Characters:

• Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Referenced)
• Thor (Odinson) (Referenced)
• Giant-Man (Hank Pym) (Referenced)
• Numerous unnamed New Yorkers
• Mario (Circus Acrobat) (First appearance)
• Numerous unnamed Sin-Cong citizens
• Nick Fury (Vision) (Cameo)
• S.H.I.E.L.D. (Referenced)
• Reed Richards (Mentioned)
• X-Men (Mentioned)

Races and Species:

• Androids
• Humans
• Asgardians (Mentioned)
• Mutants (Mentioned)
• Horses (Mentioned)

Locations:

• Earth
  • Asia
    • The State of Sin-Cong (First appearance)
      • Sin-Cong Airdome (First appearance)
    • Peking, China (Referenced)
  • North America
    • United States
      • New York
        • New York City
          • Manhattan
            • Midtown
              • Fifth Avenue
                • Avengers Mansion
            • Theater
            • Circus

Items:

• Hawkeye's Bow and Trick Arrows
• Captain America's Shield

Vehicles:

• Jet-Stream Cruiser

Synopsis for "When The Commissar Commands!"

The Avengers receive a distress call from the communist state of Sin-Cong, which is being ruled by the cruel Commissar. They leave to help but are attacked by the Commissar's troops on arrival. The troops are defeated but the Scarlet Witch falls into a trap and is taken captive.

The other Avengers have to fight one on one with the Commissar to save her. Captain America, Hawkeye and Quicksilver are all bested. The Scarlet Witch then insists that the Avengers aren't defeated as she hasn't fought him yet. Using her hex power, she reveals that the Commissar is a robot and short-circuits him. Sin-Cong is then liberated.

Notes

• All the Avengers were previously seen in Avengers #17 where their search for the Hulk led them into a trap set by the Mole Man.
• Although there is a Captain America story in Tales of Suspense #67, it is a flashback story from World War II.
• This is the first appearance of the Commissar.
• The Avengers are seen again in Avengers #19 where they meet the Swordsman.
• This cover is subtly signed by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers. You probably can't see it in this scan. Its on the vase by Captain America's left shoulder.
• Major Hoy's name is Spanish for "today", which is ironic considering he's Chinese.

See Also

• 6 image(s) from Avengers Vol 1 18
• 5 reprint(s) of Avengers Vol 1 18

Links and References

Footnotes

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