The Avengers 1

I was planning on continuing Captain America but the Silver Age Cap is intrinsically linked to the Avengers: Earths Mightiest Superheroes! Captain America became leader of the Avengers in his very first appearance in the silver age, but he didn't start on the team. So here is the introduction to the Avengers. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought together many of their creations. The first team included Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp and Iron Man, all characters not part of a team and all of them very new.

Badass cover ... Silly comic

The Avengers 1 begins with Loki, trickster god of the Norse, and Thor's nemesis on the Dreaded Isle of Silence which is punishment for something that is not explained in the comic. So Loki is stuck there but can interact with the world of mankind through mystic power. He spots Thor as his civilian self, Doctor Donald Blake, and decides to manipulate him into turning into Thor. He scours the world in search of someone to threaten the world. Loki finds the Hulk and manipulates him by making a railroad bridge appear to have dynamite on it. Hulk dives onto the tracks planning to stop the dynamite, but instead wrecks the bridge. An oncoming train goes there. The Hulk will be blamed, and he even though he saves the train by lifting the tracks, Loki has begun his plan. Hours later the newspapers all report of Hulk's attack on the train, and that they need to go after him. Rick Jones a boy who befriended the Hulk in his first appearance (which I will get to soon.) Jones has his newly created Teen Brigade, a group of amateur ham radio operators who happen to be teens, broadcast a message of help throughout the world. Iron Man(Tony Stark), Donald Blake(Thor), Hank Pym (Ant Man), and The Wasp (Whose Full name isn't used but is Janet Van Dyne). They meet up with the Teen Brigade as the Fantastic Four is currently busy on another case.

While this is of course fascinating, the rest of the comic isn't really helpful in using them to do interesting things. Thor goes after the Hulk by himself, but the Hulk is actually an illusion. Thor figures out that Loki is the only one capable of such an illusion and goes to meet with Odin. Back on Earth the heroes are trying to figure out where the Hulk is. Hulk turns out to be at a circus in makeup billed as Mechano the most life-like robot in existence. Ignoring the tons of robotic creations that will appear in comics, anyone who thinks that a giant green man in eyeshadow and white lipstick is a robot is a bit of an idiot. Ant-man learns of this through his telepathic connection with every ant everywhere(seriously?) so they go after him and cause a a cave in to slow the hulk down. Ignoring the stupidity of the hulk being injured by a cave in caused by ants, they then attempt to trap the hulk in a steel cylinder. The audience, being in a comic book, doesn't run screaming and instead they cheer and hoot. The hulk catches the Wasp, who is then saved by Iron Man, before the Hulk gets away.

We then get a break in the action after Hulk gets away, as Thor travels to find Loki. Thor is attacked by trees and a volcano, but manages to escape them and he confronts Loki who has the Island trapped with a Troll who attempts to drag him under before Thor uses his hammer to create lightning. As a side not Thor fixes every problem with his hammer in this comic. This is called by tvtropes.org When All You have is When All You Have Is a Hammer. Thor eventually captures Loki with the magnetic power of his hammer. Iron Man is still following the Hulk, they go into a tire factory where Iron Man and the Hulk fight. I would point out that at this point in Comics, Iron Man isn't that powerful, while Hulk can pick up and throw tanks! Thor finally flies in with Loki and ... turns radioactive. Really? Ok I didn't know people could just turn themselves lethally radioactive with having all of their cells not be dead, but sure whatever.

Hulk is immune to radiation, and Thor is a God!

They are rendered helpless by radiation, but Ant-Man and the Wasp create a trap door that lets Loki fall. He falls into a conveniently places truck made to contain radioactive waste, and they drop him in. They celebrate their victory, with Ant-Man and Wasp saying they should become a super team. Hulk reluctantly joins to avoid being hunted, and Wasp names them the Avengers.

Wow I don't like this comic. Besides the random subplots that are long and tedious, making this a 22 paged comic, they also don't really fight as a team. If Thor can beat up Loki, why take him to Earth? Why the heck can Ant-Man talk to every ant on the planet to spy on people? I would have liked to see them bond as a Team. To do that, they need Captain America. Next week I will review Avengers Issue 4, which has Captain America become part of the Silver Age, and continues with the Silver Age wackiness.

This comic is not a good read, and not that important in terms of understanding the modern day team. I do not recommend this issue, as you need to have backstory on Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp to really understand what's going on in the comic, such as why Hulk is not trusted, why Loki is on the Isle of Silence, and how they got their powers. I got my copy in Marvel Firsts: The 1960's.