Avengers 158 to 163 (including 169)

Avengers 158 to 163 (including 169)

 

Who's the real Simon?
Hey, isn't Thor out in space?
Ultron wants a bride?

Beast; Henry "Hank" McCoy
Black Panther; T'Challa

Captain America; Steve Rogers

Iron Man; Tony Stark

Scarlet Witch; Wanda Maximoff
Thor: Donald Blake

Vision

Wasp; Janet Van Dyne

Yellowjacket/Ant-Man; Henry "Hank" Pym

Featured allies

Black Knight (body only)
Black Widow; Natasha Romanoff
Captain Marvel; Mar-Vell
Daredevil; Matt Murdock
Hawkeye; Clint Barton
Hercules; Heracles
Jocasta
Two-Gun Kid; Matt Hawk

Wonder Man; Simon Williams

     The Avengers welcome aboard a new regular scribe in Jim Shooter after Gerry Conway left the book. Shooter's run is especially well remembered for the lengthy Korvac saga, but before he got to that, he penned some shorter arcs, introducing archvillain Graviton and Avengers ally Jocasta to the pantheon of characters.

     Shooter had already had a career in comic books since he was 14 years old, though he was now a mature 25 years old He had sent in some Legion of Super-Heroes tales to DC Comics, and they liked them enough to commission him for more comic scripts starting in 1966, while he was still in high school. He created stories for DC for several years, but eventually ended up in the Marvel office as a writer and assistant editor. He had started contributing to Avengers with issue 151 in conjunction with others and now become sole credited writer. Since he was not a writer/editor, Editor-in-Chief Archie Goodwin became editor of Avengers.
     In a strange coincidence, this entry is being posted on Jim Shooter's birthday, September 27.

 

Avengers 158
When Avengers Clash!!

April, 1977

Written by Jim Shooter
Art by Sal Buscema and Pablo Marcos

Lettered by Joe Rosen

Colored by Don Warfield
 

Seeing Scarlet Witch lean on Wonder Man after the battle with the Black Knight statue enrages Vision, so he attacks Wonder Man. The rest of the team revive, and Iron Man advises they let the two fight it out. Once both are staggered, Iron Man threatens Vision with suspension, and the battle ends. At a research center in the Canadian Rockies, we find the staff is being terrorized by scientist Franklin Hall. He displays amazing power over gravity and lifts the entire installation and its surrounding landscape into the sky. Hall is smitten with a coworker, Judy, even though she is married, while another woman, Raquel, plans to ingratiate herself into Hall's good graces. We see how Hall was working with a teleportation beam when an accident scrambled his molecules, giving him mastery over gravity. He chooses the name Graviton and dons a costume in his new identity. The Avengers and Wonder Man arrive, having been alerted by Judy's husband, Joe. Despite the eight-to-one odds, Graviton is able to overwhelm the entire Avengers team, leaving them all unconscious. During the fight, Raquel attacks Judy and stashes her in a closet so she may join Graviton in his victory.
 

Iron Man: "Wonder Man, you're a guest here in Avengers Mansion. I'll thank you not to wreck it--"
 

Jarvis: "Uh, sir, should I clean up the stone gentleman, or...call the morgue?"

Captain America: "Uh, neither, Jarvis! We'll take care of...it, I suppose!"
 

• Archie Goodwin resumes his editorial duties with this issue.
• The cover says "only the victor remains." They're both just fine at the end of the fight. Vision's sometimes secret identity is named Victor, though.
• The title is a bit of a misdirect. Wonder Man isn't an Avenger yet.
• Vision, embracing a new machinelike attitude, says he will soon relinquish his wife. He changes his mind about that.
• Vision uses a disruption attack on Wonder Man, but it does not defeat him, to Vision's surprise. Vision says no human can resist this attack, but Wonder Man's body has changed to a flesh-like substance that is powered by ionic energy--in other words, not a true human.
• Iron Man digs himself out from under a computer towards the start of this issue, but he was just lying on the ground at the end of the last one.
• Captain America says that they will take care of the ruined statue. Doctor Strange eventually comes to reassemble the statue in Doctor Strange (1974) 35, but this isn't until 1979. Doctor Strange investigates the whereabouts of Dane Whitman's soul until Doctor Strange 37, during which time the statue is possessed by yet another entity. It ends up inert and in pieces at Dane Whitman's estate in England at the end of those stories.
• This is the first appearance of Graviton, who will become a recurring high-level threat. In 2013, he is currently serving as Minister of Science on the High Council of AIM, Advanced Idea Mechanics.
• Franklin Hall, Graviton, is a Canadian citizen. There is also a Canadian Frank Hall who was on the 1972 Canadian Olympic sailing team.
• Wonder Man's power has mysteriously increased back to its normal peak. He thinks it happened after being defeated by the Black Knight statue. I think it happened after Shooter became regular writer.

Avengers 159
Siege by Stealth and Storm!

May, 1977

Written by Jim Shooter
Art by Sal Buscema and Pablo Marcos

Lettered by Denise Wohl

Colored by Doc Martin
 

Graviton gloats after his victory over the Avengers. He is upset to find out that Raquel has hurt Judy and annoyed by the other scientists fighting against him, so he removes everyone but Judy from the complex by tossing them all over the edge and lowering them to Earth gently. He transports the installation eastward all the way to New York City with his hostages. A gravitic force field around the island keeps out the Air Force. Jarvis is perturbed by events, but Black Panther and Thor soon arrive at the Mansion to attempt a rescue mission. Thor's hammer is able to shatter the barrier, and he engages Graviton while Black Panther approaches the trapped Avengers with a field disruptor in order to free them. Iron Man manages to free himself before the Black Panther intervenes, and he goes to aid Thor, who is sorely pressed by Graviton. The rest of the Avengers quickly follow, but Graviton is able to encase them all in a force field. When Graviton attempts to boast to Judy, he finds she is no longer there. He follows a trail to the edge of the floating island and despairs that she has thrown herself over the edge. Blaming the Avengers, he summons all his power for one attack and loses control. The entire island collapses onto Graviton's body and falls toward the city below. Wonder Man, Thor, Vision, and Iron Man use their super strength to catch the small, but dense sphere and hurl it out to sea. The heroes mourn the loss of Judy, but on returning home, they find that Jarvis had been on his way to Graviton's island on an Avengers sky-sled, and he caught her as she fell.
 

Iron Man: "Thor's on the ropes! That's...hard to believe!"
 

• Graviton claims he's "Lord of the Fundamental Force" on the cover. There are actually four "fundamental forces" in physics, which are gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak and strong nuclear forces. If you think he should team up with three other villains that represent those other forces, he will in West Coast Avengers (1985) 12.
• "Doc Martin" seems to be a pseudonym sometimes used when various people team up to get the work done. "D.R. Martin" is another.
• In a scene back at the Mansion, we see there is a bookshelf with action-figure-sized statuettes of the team members and Wonder Man for some reason.
• Jarvis assumes Black Panther is busy with his own problems. Black Panther had just started starring his own comic series two months previously.
• The Avengers "sky-sled" it not actually seen, just mentioned, but this seems to be its first use.
• Jarvis says the "They also serve who only stand and wait" John Milton quote again this issue. He refutes the quote a bit by later following after the Avengers and saving Judy's life on the way there.
• Graviton goes to New York City because the United Nations is there to be intimidated into surrender.
• Daredevil briefly appears in New York, but he admits he would be of little help and can't reach the floating island.
• As a scientist, Graviton only gives Thor the benefit of "supposed godhood," but then he declares he himself may now be a god if Thor is to be an example.
• Graviton appears, in a fashion, in the third episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD in his civilian guise of Franklin Hall. He was played by actor Ian Hall, who had previously played the far more villainous role of Adolf Hitler.



And, yes, they said he's Canadian, because they wouldn't want to change anything.
 

• Thor has been out in space in his own series for several months on an extended saga, so he should not be appearing here at all. We find out much later that from Thor's appearance here until the Collector's supposed death, the Collector has been "collecting" Thor from different points in time and sending him into battle to help the Avengers. This situation becomes clearer over time, but no mention is made of it here.
• Judy and Jarvis become friends after the rescue. He becomes "like a second father" to her. He later takes her to the DMV to get a driver's license in Marvel Two-In-One Annual 4, which is also Graviton's next appearance.
• A letter writer asks for new characters Nova and Iron Fist to be added to the Avengers team. Both will join, but not until the 21st century.

Avengers 160
...The Trial!
June, 1977
Written by Jim Shooter
Art by George Pérez and Pablo Marcos
Lettered by Denise Wohl
Colored by Roger Slifer and David Anthony Kraft
 
After several Avengers leave the Mansion, Beast is ambushed by Grim Reaper in the wrecked lab. Wonder Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Black Panther attack their foe, but the devices in his scythe overcome them one by one. He has come to the Mansion because of the return of Wonder Man. He is determined to discover who is really his brother, Wonder Man or Vision, and he plans to destroy the impostor. He restrains the team with bands on their wrists that can cause severe pain, but they still have freedom of movement. Grim Reaper appoints Black Panther as counsel to the two defendants, and a trial commences. Both Vision and Wonder retell their histories, and Grim Reaper is shocked to find out many of his assumptions about past events are incorrect. Vision is set to announce that he isn't Simon Williams and end the charade, but Wonder Man has his own revelation and shows the energy field inside his body by revealing his glowing eyes to everyone. Seeing that Wonder Man has likewise gone outside of humanity, Vision finds common ground with Wonder Man, but Grim Reaper is unnerved and activates everyone's restraining  bands. Wonder Man, whose body has changed since the bands were devised, is unaffected, and he subdues Grim Reaper, destroys his scythe, and rescues the Avengers.
 
Grim Reaper, regarding Vision: "No! My brother would never marry a stinking Mutant!"
Black Panther: "So...you're a bigot as well as a fool!"
 
Grim Reaper: "Enough! So the Avengers killed you in battle?"
Wonder Man: "No! It was Zemo!"
Grim Reaper: "What?"
 
• The credits box doesn't list who did what job. Hopefully there was no swapping going on.
• Not only does George Pérez return for art duties, but the letters page says he will co-plot the series. He doesn't get credit for it in the credit boxes however.
• This is colorists Roger Slifer and David Anthony Kraft's first Avengers work. They are credited together as Sliferkraft. This is the only time they use that pseudonym. Both are more recognized for their writing work.
• The Yu-Gi-Oh monster/god Slifer the Sky Dragon is named after Roger Slifer. He executive produced the first season of that cartoon. The Storm Shooter and Sonic Shooter Yu-Gi-Oh monsters seem to have no relation to Jim Shooter.
• Thankfully for Scarlet Witch, Vision becomes more human emotionally after this experience and he doesn't "relinquish" her after all.
• It's established that no one bothered to tell Wonder Man that his brother was now a supervillian or had attacked the Avengers in the past. On the other hand, Wonder Man didn't seem to reach out to his brother either.
• The sounds of Grim Reaper swatting Beast with his blade is "Kang!"
• After his capture, the Grim Reaper isn't seen again until Vision and Scarlet Witch (1982) 3. Based on his experience here, he then tries to kill both Wonder Man and Vision.
• The May issue, Captain Marvel (1968) 50, features the Avengers in an adventure around this time. The Super-Adaptoid attacks Iron Man and then goes to Avengers Mansion to assimilate more powers. Rick Jones is visiting there during the attack, and he transforms into Captain Marvel. When the Super-Adaptoid assimilates Captain Marvel's powers, it gains its own set of Nega-Bands. Captain Marvel forces those bands together, and the Super-Adaptoid is sent to the Negative Zone, and Rick Jones swaps places with him, meaning both Captain Marvel and Rick are able to be on Earth at the same time. In issue 51, the Avengers offer Rick a place to stay, but he turns them down.
• What If? (1977) 3 is published this month. The story is "What If the Avengers Had Never Been?" In this alternate universe, later called Earth-776, the team broke up after Avengers 2. When Hulk and Namor team up, as they did in Avengers 3, Iron Man builds powered armor for Ant-Man, Wasp, and Rick Jones to help him, even though they aren't Avengers. They can't use their armor effectively, so Iron Man goes to fights the two enemies alone. The other heroes eventually join Iron Man, but Iron Man is killed in the battle.

 

 

Avengers 161
Beware the Ant Man!

July, 1977

Written by Jim Shooter
Art by George Pérez and Pablo Marcos

Lettered by Denise Wohl

Colored by Jim Shooter

While the team is checking out Wonder Man's new outfit, Ant-Man appears. Based on his comments and his expectation that Hulk and Thor should be there, he seems to think the Avengers team just formed. Everyone present is unfamiliar to him, so he considers them intruders and takes them on single-handedly. Wasp arrives and stuns him with a Wasp's sting and then informs the team of Pym's recent behavior. Multiple scientific failures had led to increased outbursts, and the day before, he had gone into a trance and flown away without a word. Upon discovering he had ruined his lab, Wasp came to seek from the Avengers and found the battle going on. While Iron Man preps the subliminal recall-inducer, Wasp and Beast go to her house to collect items to jog Pym's memory. While there, she is attacked by Ultron, and Beast barely makes it back to the Mansion in time to warn the others. Ultron crashes into the room and uses a new weapon, the encephalo-ray. He makes short work of all the Avengers, only given pause by a hex from Scarlet Witch. Once all the Avengers are down, Ant-Man feels compelled to fight Ultron, but is vacuumed up inside Ultron's new adamantium body. Jarvis returns to the Mansion to find everyone unmoving on the floor.
 

Beast: "What--? Ants?! Does this mean you had a picnic and didn't invite me?"
 

Captain America: "Don't you ever quit clowning, Beast?"

Iron Man: "Cap's right, McCoy! This isn't the time for your inane antics!"
 

Wonder Man, thinking: "Iron Man...took for granted that I'd follow his orders--as if he considered me...an Avenger!"

• Writer Jim Shooter does not color an issue often. He will only do one other issue of Avengers and five overall of any series in his career.
• The opening blurb on the first page is changed to a shorter version. It now reads, "And there came a day when Earth's mightiest heroes found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born--to fight the foes no single super-hero could withstand!"
• Wonder Man debuts a new costume in this issue. It was designed by Beast. Who knew the Avengers were all hidden fashionistas?
• Wasp also debuts a new lavender outfit that she only wears in this issue. She does it to get Yellowjacket's attention.
• While being stung by ants, Scarlet Witch calls out for Quicksilver, even though he's not there.
• The Avengers contact old members to help Hank Pym with his memory loss. We see Thor is not available, Quicksilver's home of Attilan is in ruins, and Hawkeye is away from his equipment while working at a dude ranch, but the team know none of this.
• Hawkeye and Two-Gun Kid are working at the Cheery-O's Dude Ranch.
• We see that Wasp has a framed head shot of Mister Fantastic on the wall at her home.
• The subliminal recall-inducer device isn't new. Hawkeye used it way back in issue 27 when he forgot the pass code to the viewscreen, and Hercules used it in issue 99 when he lost his memory.
• When Ultron reappears, he doesn't understand their surprise at his return. He reveals that he had helpers ready to recreate him in the event of his destruction. He points out that Captain America, Vision, and Wonder Man have also returned from supposed death before. (He didn't know Iron Man had as well.)
• Ultron also reveals that he had made a bargain with the Grim Reaper, but that the Grim Reaper did not keep up his end of the deal. He does not mention reviving the Black Knight statue, but the statue did wreck the Avengers lab that allowed the Grim Reaper to gain entry to the Mansion.
• Future Avenger Machine Man premieres this month in 2001: A Space Odyssey 8. He goes by the name Mister Machine at this time.
• Also premiering this month in Eternals (1976) 13 is the Forgotten One, who will later become an Avenger.
• This month features the premiere of Star Wars (1977) 1, the comic book. Marvel's business outlook was not strong around this time, but this series was so popular that it helped revitalize the company's coffers so they could operate with more confidence.
• Current Avengers cover artist Leinel Francis Yu is born in this month.

Avengers 162
The Bride of Ultron!

August, 1977

Written by Jim Shooter
Art by George Pérez and Pablo Marcos

Lettered by Denise Wohl

Colored by Don Warfield
 

Thor arrives in the aftermath of the last battle and hears the news that Beast, Captain America, and Scarlet Witch are dead. He joins Wonder Man, Black Panther, and Iron Man to rally against Ultron. We see that Wasp has been taken to Ultron's lair and hooked up to a machine that will transfer her life force into an artificial body, one that Ultron plans to make his bride. He convinces Ant-Man that the Avengers are the villains and that Wasp's mind is being temporarily moved in order to heal her body properly. The still confused Ant-Man goes along with this and helps with the procedure. The Avengers have no idea where to find Ultron, but ants pour into the lab and spell out STARK LI on the floor. Iron Man deduces that this refers to an abandoned Stark property on Long Island, and the heroes go to that location. Ultron is surprised to see Wonder Man and remarks that Wonder Man should be in a coma, which reveals his beam is not as fatal as it had seemed. Ultron is a match for the heroes and is winning the battle. Ant-Man remains loyal to Ultron, so Black Panther is forced to stun him. Iron Man grabs the bride robot and threatens to destroy it if Ultron does not reveal how to release Wasp. Ultron informs Iron Man that this would kill Wasp as well, but Iron Man continues to bluff. Ultron does not want his woman destroyed, so he surrenders and flees. Once she recovers, Wasp says she did not send the ants with the message, and Ant-Man is still raving against the Avengers. No one knows who sent the ants, unless it was the now-inert form of Ultron's bride using Wasp's ability.
 

Wonder Man: "Still can't reach Hawkeye, huh, Thor?...Is he worth all this grief?"

Thor: "When thou has proven thyself a thousandfold thou mayest question the 'worth' of Hawkeye, my friend! I will disregard thy careless remark--this time!"
 

Thor: "Death to Ultron! Verily, this night we shall avenge our slain comrades, or taste death's bitter cup ourselves!"

• Thor's arrival at the beginning of the issue is another assist from the Collector. He should still be in space and unable to help.
• Although this is Jocasta's first appearance, she is not called by name. She will become a long-time ally and sometimes member of the Avengers, most recently as an instructor at Avengers Academy.
• Ultron thinks to himself  about how he caused Pym's memory loss, but he doesn't reveal it to anyone else. Many years later, Kang will try to take credit for some of Pym's mental problems, but this doesn't seem to be one of them.
• We see Two-Gun Kid reading a Marvel comic of Rawhide Kid. He mentions it's drawn by an hombre named Kirby. The Rawhide Kid comic book was still featuring art by Kirby, though reprints, in 1977. He is sitting under a poster that reads, "Wanted Kid Colt" as well.
• After the supposed death of several Avengers, Wonder Man begins to have a fear of his own death and starts to hesitate in battle. Ultron is even able to detect his slowed reactions.
• Ultron remarks that his encephalo-ray is just a variation on the coma ray that he built for the Grim Reaper. The Grim Reaper used this ray before Ultron and his Masters of Evil team was even introduced.
• Mjolnir striking Ultron produces the "Kang!" sound effect.
• Jocasta's design has what almost looks like a garter on her left leg. A garter is often part of wedding tradition, so this may be appropriate for an artificial bride's input port.

• Hank Pym is in part responsible for the creation of Jocasta, whose personality is based on Wasp's. He and Jocasta will later have a romantic relationship.
• Ultron says the comatose Avengers will die in a few hours unless the process is reversed. He never passes on information to cure them on-panel. In issue 166, we find that Iron Man was able to use the knowledge that the encephalo-ray was like Grim Reaper's coma ray and reverse the process using what they knew from issue 52.
• The Bullpen Bulletins has a blurb about the death of Bob Brown from leukemia. He penciled 11 issues of Avengers between issues 113 and 126.

Avengers 163
The Demi-God Must Die!

September, 1977

Written by Jim Shooter
Art by George Tuska and Pablo Marcos

Lettered by Denise Wohl

Colored by Don Warfield

 

Hercules, Iceman, and Black Widow are flying in their Champscraft through the skies of Manhattan when Iron Man attacks them and causes them to crash. He manages to stun all three Champions, but Hercules recovers quickly. Iron Man recalls how the evil Olympian Typhon had appeared at the Mansion and captured Beast. Typhon had sought Hercules, not realizing that he was no longer an Avenger. With Beast being threatened, Iron Man summoned Hercules and the Champions under Typhon's orders and then set out to weaken them with a sneak attack. He had also hoped to communicate secretly with Black Widow, but Hercules' quick recovery didn't allow that to happen, so Iron Man keeps up the pretense of battling Hercules. Iron Man leads him to Avengers Mansion and manages to knock Hercules out before being felled himself. Typhon prepares to finish Hercules off, but Black Widow and Iceman intervene, soon joined by Beast, who freed himself from his bonds. This gives Iron Man and Hercules time to recover. Typhon is removed from the scene by his benefactor Pluto, who feels Typhon could not defeat all the heroes combined.
 

Iron Man, thinking: "If Typhon even suspects I'm sandbagging, I know he'll kill the Beast without a second thought! If I go down, it has to be convincing! It has to be real!"
 

Beast, thinking: "You're a real funny man--an Avenger, and not much else...yet for what you've been worth as a hero, lately, you might as well join a zoo!"

• Some copies of this issue sold for 35₵.
• Despite this being an inventory issue, except for the penciller, it has the same team as usual, and George Pérez does contribute the cover. It was also not a surprise, as the next-issue blurb in issue 162 mentions this was planned to be the next story.
• The Champions comic series was still being published, but bi-monthly. It would soon end in January of 1978.
• Only two current Avengers actually appear in the story, Iron Man and Beast. This could also have been a backup issue for Champions if needed to serve in that capacity.
• Iceman says he will create an iceberg big enough to sink the Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner. That boat never sank by iceberg or other hazard. It went out of regular service in 2008 after 39 years of use.
• The "Kang!" sound effect is used when Iron Man dents a lamppost and later is struck by a fire hydrant.
• Iron Man at least mentions that Yellowjacket's memory is recovering, tying it into the previous issue. He speculates Wasp and Yellowjacket will return in a week or two.
• Typhon has had only one appearance once since his defeat in Avengers 50. He fought Hercules in Marvel Premiere 26 and ended up in Pluto's domain along with his "wife" Cylla.
• Typhon has been given extra powers by Pluto and now wields fire and lightning.
• Typhon claims he is a "scion of Typhoeus." That is just an alternate name for Typhon, and this character in later appearances will continue to be linked to the main Greek deity by that name, not as his offspring.
• Beast is the only Avenger to this point to have also been an X-Man, so this is a bit of a mini-reunion for him and Iceman.
• The Amazing Spider-Man pilot movie aired this month. Spider-Man won't be an Avenger for some time, but this is the first live-action Marvel TV movie to air. It won't become a regular, though short-lived series until next year.

Avengers 169
If We Should Fail--The World Dies Tonight

March, 1978

Written by Marv Wolfman
Art by Sal Buscema and David Hunt

Lettered by John Costanza

Colored by Ken Klaczak

 

Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Panther are at the Mansion when a man in powered armor bursts in and attacks them. Though he is fighting them, he reveals that his true goal is for the Avengers to kill him. Sensing something is not right about this, Iron Man is finally able to subdue him. Once his helmet is removed, Iron Man recognizes him as Jason Beere, a rival industrialist to Tony Stark that has access to wealth and technology. Iron Man keeps him alive, but unconscious, and tracks down Beere's diary and notes. They reveal that Beere wanted the world to end when he himself died and that there are four neutron warheads set to explode when Beere's heart stops beating. The three Avengers split up, each tracking one of the first three bombs, but they don't yet know where the fourth is. They each face different threats, with Captain America fighting natives in Peru, Black Panther grappling with a polar bear in the Arctic, and Iron Man facing down the Russian military. All three devices are brought back to the Mansion, but they are not bombs. They fit together to form a recording device which plays a taunting message. It says that Beere found out he would die due to illness within a month, which is when he hatched the plan. It also says that the Avengers were duped by false notes and that the fourth bomb will still be activated. Iron Man deduces that fourth bomb is attached to Beere's heart inside his own body. Feeling that surgery will be too risky, Beere is placed in cryogenic refrigeration so he can never die.

 

Black Panther: "Bizarre! Someone we've never met attacks us--demands we kill him. The ways of the civilized jungle still puzzle me."

• This is writer Marv Wolfman's only issue writing Avengers, but he had previously been the editor of the series. He edits himself in this issue.
• This is David Hunt's only issue for inking Avengers, but he had previously done lettering and coloring for the series. As for inking, he won't do another issue until West Coast Avengers (1985) 28.
• This is also Ken Klaczak's only coloring work on Avengers. He did a few other issues of coloring and lettering here and there. He seems to be friend of Jim Shooter, as his credits are tied to work Shooter did at DC, Marvel, and then Defiant Comics.
• This inventory issue of the series likely falls chronologically before issue 164, as the storyline gets very linear after that point. It could also have occurred before issue 163, but its location here puts it closer to its publication date and gives Captain America more time to recover from his Ultron-induced coma.
• Beere calls his armor a hyper-suit.
• Iron Man takes Beere to the Stark plant in Flushing, Queens. From other issues in Iron Man's own series, this seems to be the company's main headquarters in the sixties and seventies. It's not the abandoned Long Island plant from issue 162, though Flushing is also on Long Island.
• The devices Iron Man use to keep Beere alive are an Iron Man chest plate and an artificial respirator that he himself had used to stabilize his heart when it still had shrapnel in it.
• Iron Man is not impressed with conventional Russian weaponry, but he jokes that being forced to watch Captain and Tennille reruns might subdue him. This television variety show aired from 1976 to 1977, after which time the hosts, singers Captain & Tennille, asked to be let go from their TV contract so they could get back to touring. Since the show was not airing new episodes in 1978, Iron Man is correct in saying episodes would be reruns.
• This is the only appearance of Jason Beere before he is frozen. After this, he's just a prop. He recently had his own write-up in Avengers Roll Call 1 in 2012, though, so he hasn't been forgotten.
• Beere's code name of the Eternity Man is given to him by Iron Man after he is frozen and seems to be on the road to living forever.