Appearing in ""The Torment...and the Triumph!""
Featured Characters:
- Avengers
- Hawkeye
- Quicksilver
- Scarlet Witch
- Goliath
- The Wasp
Supporting Characters:
- Hercules
Villains:
- The Mad Thinker
- Triumvirate of Terror (First appearance)
- Hammerhead (First appearance)
- Piledriver (First appearance)
- Thunderboot (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) (Only in flashback)
- SHIELD
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for ""The Torment...and the Triumph!""
The newspapers write how Black Widow stole secret plans and escaped to Russia with them. Hawkeye is upset and walks into a trap, set by the Mad Thinker. Hawkeye is attacked and captured by Hammerhead, one of his "Triumvirate of Terror". Goliath and the Wasp go to help but are captured by Piledriver, another member. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are captured by Thunderfoot, the last member. The Mad Thinker then carries out his plans to steal all of Tony Stark's inventions. Hercules returns to the HQ, discovers them, frees the captive Avengers and together they defeat the Triumvirate of Terror. The Mad Thinker escapes however.
Notes
- Hawkeye, Hercules, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Wasp, Goliath, and the Black Widow were all seen last issue in Avengers 38.
- The Mad Thinker was last seen in Fantastic Four Annual 4, where he found and
reactivated the Original Human Torch (Jim Hammond) from World War II) against the Fantastic Four's Human Torch (Johnny Storm.)
- This is the first appearance of Triumvirate of Terror, this is also their only appearance.
- Triumvirate member Hammerhead should not be confused with the Spider-Man foe of the same name.
- Pile Driver of the Triumvirate is not the same Pile Driver who would become a member of the Wrecking Crew.
- Page 1: The headline that Black Widow is a traitor is part of the secret mission she has undertaken for SHIELD in Avengers 38.
- Page 2: The group reflects on how Black Widow made a quick turn around from wanting to be a member of the Avengers, Hawkeye was petitioning for her to be made a member of the group from Avengers #36-38.
- Page 3: SHIELD sent Black Widow on this mission, their appearance in this issue of Avengers occurs after Strange Tale 155.
- Nick Fury muses that he's supposed to be confined to quarters, this happened as a result of the SHIELD helicarrier almost crashing the ground under his watch in Strange Tales 155.
- Hercules muses about how he used to pit his strength against Diomedes. Diomedes is a Greek war hero who battled in the Trojan war.
- Page 4: Hawkeye goes looking for underworld crooks he knew when he was just "another crook", this is a reference to the start of Hawkeye's costumed career (starting in Tales of Suspense 57) where thanks to his involvement with the Black Widow (who was a communist spy at the time) was branded a crook.
- Mad Thinker's musement that Captain America is otherwise occupied, is a reference to his battle with the Red Skull in Tales of Suspense 89.
- Mad Thinker mentions getting a hold of the technology of Anthony Stark that is housed in Avengers headquarters. Anthony (or Tony) Stark is secretly the Avenger Iron Man, he has been bankrolling the Avengers and providing them with a base and equipment since Avengers 2.
- Page 8: Hawkeye refers to the Mad Thinker as the "egg head who has it in for the Fantastic Four", the Mad Thinker has been clashing with the FF constantly since he first battled them back in Fantastic Four 15. He most recently battled the FF in Fantastic Four Annual 4 where he used the original Human Torch as his pawn.
- Page 14: Hercules is singing a song about his 12 labors. According to Greek myth after being tricked into slaying his wife and child by Hera, Hercules was assigned 12 labors as penance by the Oracle at Delphi, these labors were to be decided by King Eurystheus. Two of the labors that Herc sings about are the Nemean Lion, his first task was to slay the lion and bring back it's hide. He also sings of monster birds, which is a reference to the sixth task slaying of the Stymphalian Birds.
- Page 10: The Mad Thinker plots that when next he meets the Avengers he'll be able to factor in that Hercules is a member of their group. The next time Mad Thinker fights the Avengers is in Avengers 63, and Hercules is not present in the groups roster at the time, they still manage to beat him as well.
- Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Wasp, Goliath, Hercules, and the Black Widow are all seen again in Avengers 40.
- Mad Thinker pops up again in Fantastic Four 68 where the he manipulates the Thing into going mad.