Avengers Vol 1 33

Alternate Covers:
	Vintage
	Published
	October, 1966
Issue Details
	Original Price $0.12
"To Smash a Serpent"
	Writer Stan Lee; Penciler Don Heck; Jack Kirby; Inker Don Heck; Colorist Stan Goldberg; Letterer Art Simek;

Once we rid this nation of those of different creeds -- different heritages -- then we shall rule -- from shore to shore!

-- Supreme Serpent

Appearing in "To Smash a Serpent"

Featured Characters:

Avengers

Supporting Characters:

Black Widow (Natasha)

Antagonists:

Sons of the Serpent
- General Chen / Supreme Serpent
- Numerous unnamed members
- Captain America impersonator (Only appearance)^[1]

Other Characters:

Adolf Hitler (Mentioned)
Senator Byrd
United Nations
The District Attorney
Bill Foster
Quicksilver (Pietro) (Referenced)
U.S. Government (Mentioned)
Numerous unnamed New Yorkers

'Races and Species:

Humans
Monkeys (Mentioned)

Locations:

Earth
- United States
  - New York
    - New York City
      - Manhattan
        Sons of the Serpent's Flying Headquarters
        
        Midtown
        Fifth Avenue
        Avengers Mansion
        
        Turtle Bay
        United Nations Building
- Asia (Mentioned)

Items:

Vehicles:

Jet-Stream Cruiser

Synopsis for "To Smash a Serpent"

With Captain America being held hostage, the Avengers can't attack the the Sons of the Serpents. Because of this, Bill Foster storms out of Goliath's lab.

Captain America seems to have been brainwashed by the Sons, turning him into a fascist. The Avengers attend a Sons of the Serpent meeting while Hawkeye and the Black Widow attempt a rescue mission to save Captain America. During the meeting, Goliath argues with the Sons of the Serpent, but is attacked by a brainwashed Captain America.

After a brief battle, Goliath follows the escaping Serpents to their ship. The Black Widow finds the real Captain America captive and rescues him. They capture the Sons of the Serpent and their leader turns out to be General Chen.

Notes

Although the Scarlet Witch appears on the cover of this issue, she does not appear in the story. She and her brother Quicksilver are on a leave of absence from the Avengers, attempting to replenish their waning powers in their homeland. Her inclusion in the cover depicting the Avengers fighting the Sons of the Serpent is more than likely an error on the artist's part. It was probably supposed to depict Black Widow instead.
This is the first time the Black Widow aids the Avengers. She appeared last time in the previous issue and appears again in Avengers #35.
Captain America, Hawkeye, Goliath, and Wasp were all seen last issue in Avengers #32 and appear again in Avengers #34 where they meet the Living Laser.
The Sons of the Serpent continue their scheme from last issue and will appear again in Avengers #73.
Jack Kirby is unaccredited for his alterations.
The plot twist at the end of this story is in extremely poor taste. Having a foreigner who had been a victim of racist violence be revealed to be the mastermind behind it all undercuts the presumed message of racial tolerance and quite literally blames the victim of racist violence for what happens to him. Hawkeye's final comment ("Boy, if ever there was an undesirable alien, it's him.) actually SUPPORTS the Sons of the Serpent's racist attitudes. Even more unfortunately, it's a plot twist that seems to get repeated whenever the Sons of the Serpent appear.

Trivia

And leave us not forget--Invincible Irving Forbush, Snake Charmer

Avengers Vol 1 33

Appearing in "To Smash a Serpent"

Synopsis for "To Smash a Serpent"

Notes

Trivia

See Also

Footnotes

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