The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years.
134-584: The first version of the Masters of Evil debuted in The Avengers #6, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . The second version of the Masters of Evil debuted in The Avengers #54, created by Roy Thomas , John Buscema , and George Tuska . The third version of the Masters of Evil debuted in The Avengers #222, created by Jim Shooter , Steven Grant , and Greg LaRocque . The fourth version of
268-796: A sidekick and friend to the Hulk , Captain America , Mar-Vell / Captain Marvel , Rom the Spaceknight , and Genis-Vell / Captain Marvel . The character has been an active participant in many significant Marvel Universe story lines including the Kree–Skrull War and the Destiny War . He later acquired powers, causing his learning capabilities to be greatly increased. He decided to direct his new ability towards communications technology, and became
402-498: A "Hulk-like" manner. Following this, Red Hulk confronts Jones at Gamma Base, where Bruce Banner is being held. In defense, Jones inexplicably transforms into a creature resembling the Abomination, calling himself A-Bomb. During the fight, the base security measures activate, and giant android harpies attack the two, and attempt to remove them from the base. A-Bomb manages to disable one mid-flight, and they both crash to earth,
536-530: A book tour, he meets Marlo Chandler without realizing that she had only recently broken up with the Hulk (then acting as a Las Vegas thug with the alias Mr. Fixit). Rick is kidnapped by a Skrull vessel and the Hulk aids in Rick's rescue. This starts another period with Rick and the Hulk, this time with Marlo and Betty. Rick came in touch with death in several ways during this time with the Hulk. First, Rick dies at
670-427: A callous, homicidal maniac believing himself a god. Rick's friend even destroys the universe just to rebuild it with Rick and Genis as sole survivors. In the rebuilt reality, Genis again loses his mind. Rick develops an ability to mentally attack Genis through their psychic bond (although the pain is reciprocal). For a time, Genis uses this same link to control Rick. He goes as far as 'convincing' Rick to kill himself on
804-603: A certain trigger—kill Bruce Banner. Suspecting this, Bruce was able to trigger Rick at an earlier time of his choosing and talk him down, thus preventing Rick from being triggered in the future when his plans were to be carried out. During the Chaos War storyline, A-Bomb and Korg assist the Hulks in fighting Abomination , a Zom -possessed Doctor Strange , and Amatsu-Mikaboshi . It is later revealed that Rick can change between A-Bomb and his normal form. Banner later develops
938-627: A comic book series featuring a team of superheroes called the Justice League . Impressed by that book's strong sales, Martin Goodman , the owner of Marvel Comics predecessor Timely Comics , asked Stan Lee to create a title featuring a similar team of superheroes for Marvel. Lee recounts in Origins of Marvel Comics : Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most. It
1072-866: A critical part in the Kree–Skrull War . Rick is freed from the Negative Zone through a portal in the Fantastic Four headquarters. Mar-Vell is released from the Negative Zone while Rick is still in the regular world without the use of the Nega-Bands. The bond between the two is broken. At the height of the conflict, the Kree Supreme Intelligence briefly unleashes the Destiny Force from within Rick. Rick uses his new-found ability to summon images of various Golden Age heroes. While at full power, Rick single-handedly stops both
1206-538: A day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, their glory has never been denied! Heed the call, then—for now, the Avengers Assemble!" —Prologue from The Avengers used in
1340-639: A hacktivist known as the Whisperer. Rick Jones was created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in Hulk #1 (May 1962). Rick Jones was born in Scarsdale, Arizona. He lost his parents at a young age and grew up in an orphanage. Later, he accepted a dare to drive out to a bomb testing ground in New Mexico . As luck would have it, the gamma bomb designed by Dr. Robert Bruce Banner
1474-554: A hidden escape route. They follow Rick through the Morlock Tunnels and apprehend him. During an interrogation at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Battlecarrier, the New Avengers arrived to retrieve Jones from S.H.I.E.L.D. It turns out that the New Avengers were contacted by Rick through a pre-recorded video that was to be sent to them in the event that the alien nanobots he ingested noticed him being unconscious. The New Avengers invading
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#17327872456181608-476: A kitchen knife. A horrified Rick refuses Reed Richards 's offer to carry out a DNA test, saying that he does not want to know, especially if she is truly his mother. Rick attempts to bring Marlo back using a resurrection device known as the " deus ex machina " that the Leader developed, but the Hulk, believing that the Leader's efforts are part of a bigger villainous plan, destroys the equipment part way through
1742-676: A more traditional lineup (10th incarnation) when he and his henchmen, the Wrecking Crew , run afoul of the Superior Spider-Man and his Superior Six while attacking Alchemax and attempting to steal its technology during a plot to blackmail New York City for money. Besides the Wrecking Crew, this roster includes the Absorbing Man , Titania , Mister Hyde , Whirlwind and the original Blackout . To combat
1876-471: A new personality dubbed Doc Green after a failed assassination attempt and Extremis treatment. Green decides that gamma-powered superhumans are a threat to humanity that must be eliminated and develops a serum to remove their powers, with Rick being his first victim. Afterward, Rick seeks out Betty (who had been revived from death by Intelligencia and transformed into the Red She-Hulk the same way Rick
2010-530: A partner. Jones replied by saying "Right on." Rick re-connects with the Hulk during the World War Hulk mini-series. He seeks out the Hulk and attempts to talk him down, telling his friend that, while he recognized that the Illuminati had been out of line in their decision to exile him to Sakaar and their apparent involvement with the deaths of thousands of innocent people on that planet, including
2144-470: A portal to meet with their teammates and get back to work, Mephisto and Iron Inquisitor talk about what to do with the Multiversal Masters of Evil as Mephisto's dog form eats at the fragments of Uatu's eye. Then he has Orb's corpse dumped into the ocean. It was also revealed that the Multiversal Masters of Evil had conquered some of the worlds like how Black Skull had ruled over Earth-818 with
2278-521: A space warp generated by Thor. Two issues later, the Enchantress returns them to Earth using a spell. Simon Williams is given superhuman strength with an ionic ray, though he is told he will die in a week unless given an antidote Zemo has. He captures the Wasp and lures the Avengers into a trap, but sacrifices himself to save the Avengers. Immortus appears and offers to help the Masters by defeating
2412-499: A team of evil villains that would take on the Avengers. As a condition from the Council of Red, Doom Supreme is to save Earth-616 for last. He formed a Multiverse version of the Masters of Evil that consisted of Black Skull , an alternate version of Dark Phoenix and her Berserkers (made of an alternate version of Wolverine called Hound and an alternate version of Thor), Ghost Goblin , Kid Thanos, and King Killmonger . They traveled to
2546-579: A temporal paradox involving the future Genis-Vell linking with Rick to save his life. Rick's bond with Genis works in about the same way as his bond with Mar-Vell. The biggest difference is that the two switch in and out of the Microverse rather than the Negative Zone . Genis-Vell's unique birth and accelerated aging makes him the opposite of Rick: full of power but without experience. They compensate for each other's weaknesses with Rick taking on
2680-469: A whim. Genis brings Rick right back to life just as easily. In part due to Rick's influence, Genis' madness calmed to a point where he was able to maintain a veneer of sanity, albeit with some unpredictability. He creates a recording studio for Rick that allows for fame and fortune at the sake of Internet-based sales of a song written for Marlo. The same song also acts as a catalyst for the two to reunite, with Marlo ending her relationship with Moondragon. At
2814-622: Is a Life Model Decoy. When the Taskmaster donned the Crown of Wolves, he was unable to control the powers of the Abyss. Under the control of the Abyss, the Masters of Evil and the other people in Bagalia make their move. The Secret Avengers fight to keep the people under control of the Abyss from leaving Bagalia and invading other countries to spread the possession to other people. While possessed by
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#17327872456182948-767: Is about to self-destruct as Black Panther, Namor, and Valkyrie work to get out before the explosion. As Captain America, Captain Marvel, Star Brand, and the Deathlok with them are trying to reach Avengers Mountain, the Quinjet is struck by the Mjolnir of Berserker Thor killing the Deathlok in the process. Thor is locked in combat with Berserker Thor as Dark Phoenix watches as Berserker Thor refers to her as his mother. Echo's Phoenix form shows up to knock back Berserker Thor. Dark Phoenix then restrains Echo as Thor slays his Berserker counterpart. As Dark Phoenix gets away, Thor has Echo ask
3082-522: Is an athletic man who previously had no powers. He received special training in combat and gymnastics by Captain America, making him a highly skilled martial artist. Rick is also a self-taught folk/ rock 'n' roll singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. One time, Rick wielded the Destiny Force: a powerful ability utilized during a Kree–Skrull War storyline. Focusing this power allowed him to perform amazing feats, such as summoning various members of
3216-507: Is assembling his army of Doctor Doom variants that are loyal to him and are on Doom the Living Planet. Amidst the energies from the ancient Multiverse being leaked through, Doom Supreme is turned to stone by a sample of it and is shrunken by Ant-Man of Earth-818 while Dark Phoenix is slain by Firehair and Echo. During the " Dark Reign " storyline, a young version of the team - controlled by criminal mastermind Norman Osborn - debuts in
3350-444: Is revealed the reason Doc Samson shot Rick Jones is because he now has multiple personality syndrome . It's also revealed that MODOK was involved in Rick's new condition. After Red Hulk drained the gamma energy from Hulk, A-Bomb had enough intelligence to get Bruce Banner to safety. In The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #604, A-Bomb was shown to be fully healed, participating along with Korg as Skaar 's sparring partner to prepare him for
3484-701: Is reverted from Green Hulk into the Grey Hulk . During this time, Rick as Hulk battled the Grey Hulk, Zzzax , the Hulkbusters , and the Outcasts. The Grey Hulk is manipulated by Sam Sterns, along with Banner, into siphoning the radiation from Rick into Sterns. Sterns is then turned back into the Leader , drastically altering his appearance, and Rick is cured of his Hulk transformations. Rick stays with Banner,
3618-558: Is the only one to decline. Baron Zemo hears that she is the only one not joining and says that they will respect her choice. Cammi flies away, only to be caught by the Constrictor and brutally slammed into a rock wall. Bleeding and semi-conscious from the surprise attack, Cammi lays under the Constrictor as he says "The man gave you a choice. You picked wrong." While the Shadow Council had their version, Lightmaster assembles
3752-612: Is tricked into opening a container filled with tear gas inside his helicopter, but escapes anyway. Baron Zemo leads the team in his revenge on Captain America and the Avengers . The team had been joined by the Enchantress and the Executioner , whom Zemo found in their exile to Earth that was imposed on them by Odin for attacking Thor. The Enchantress hypnotizes Thor into attacking the Avengers, but Iron Man breaks him out of
3886-623: The Absorbing Man , the Shocker , Titania , and Yellowjacket . This incarnation initially fought the original Guardians of the Galaxy - a superhero group from an alternate future timeline - but then fought with the Guardians against an army of doppelgangers. The seventh incarnation was recruited by the Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer). This version consisted first of the third Cyclone ,
4020-443: The Avengers with sheer raw power, whereas others had attempted to match the current line-up. The villains storm Avengers Mansion in a multi-issue storyline titled "Avengers Under Siege". A flashback later revealed that Augustus Roman's family had died during the fight between the Avengers and this incarnation of the Masters of Evil. The sixth incarnation was again assembled by Baron Helmut Zemo, and posed as superheroes known as
4154-809: The Black Knight , Klaw , the Melter , the Radioactive Man , and Whirlwind before Klaw leaves the group and the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man take his place. After the Black Knight, Crimson Dynamo, and Titanium Man are killed by Doctor Doom 's Doombots , Whirlwind leaves the group to start a new life. A group based on the Masters of Evil called the Masters of Doom appear in " Heroes Reborn " (2021), consisting of Doctor Juggernaut ,
Masters of Evil - Misplaced Pages Continue
4288-406: The Black Knight , the Melter , and the Radioactive Man ) was gathered by former Nazi scientist Baron Heinrich Zemo . Despite attempting to capture the Avengers with Adhesive X and spreading it over the city, the Avengers find an antidote with the help of Paste-Pot Pete , give it to the Masters in secret (causing them to accidentally free people), and then send most of the members to jail. Zemo
4422-725: The Cardinal , the Cyclone , Gypsy Moth , Hydro-Man , the Machinesmith , and Man-Killer . Both versions of the Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil sought to master and control Earth's superhuman mercenaries. They even tried to get the Thunderbolts to join them. Max Fury of the Shadow Council forms a ninth incarnation of the Masters of Evil, consisting of Princess Python , Vengeance , and Whiplash . They were discovered by
4556-837: The Flying Tiger , Klaw , the Man-Killer and Tiger Shark and later expanded to include the Aqueduct , the Bison , Blackwing , Boomerang , the Cardinal , the Constrictor , Dragonfly , the second Eel , the Icemaster , Joystick , Lodestone, the Man-Ape , Quicksand , Scorcher , Shatterfist , Shockwave , Slyde , Sunstroke , and Supercharger . The eighth incarnation, led by the Crimson Cowl , consisted of Black Mamba ,
4690-590: The Kree and Skrull fleets long enough to put an end to the conflict. Injuries that Rick sustains lead Mar-Vell to willingly bond with Rick to save his life. Shortly after this the Captain Marvel series was re-launched and we found that Rick was not able to contain the energy of Mar-Vell. He was then bombarded with photonic energy, which saved him and enabled him to contain Mar-Vell safely. A consequence of this
4824-789: The Secret Avengers during a mission run by Captain America and Hawkeye. Max Fury later recruits the Black Talon , the Brothers Grimm , Carrion , the Constrictor , Crossfire , Diablo , Firebrand , the Griffin , Killer Shrike , Lady Stilt-Man , the Pink Pearl , and the Squid to join the Shadow Council's Masters of Evil. Fury and the Masters of Evil capture John Steele after he attempts to escape Bagalia (a country that
4958-889: The Silver Witch , the All-Gog , and the Black Skull . This version of the group are enemies of the Squadron Supreme of America and were previously imprisoned in the Negative Zone . An alternate reality iteration of the Masters of Evil appear in House of M: Masters of Evil , formed and led by the Hood and consisting of Absorbing Man , Batroc the Leaper , Blizzard , Chemistro , Cobra , Constrictor , Crossbones , Madame Masque , Mister Hyde , Nitro , Sandman , Titania ,
5092-466: The Thunderbolts . In addition to Zemo, the team consisted of the Beetle , the Fixer , Goliath , Moonstone , and Screaming Mimi . All eventually became heroes and renounced their criminal ways, though Zemo, the Fixer, and Moonstone all returned to villainy some time later. Baron Helmut Zemo created an 11th incarnation consisting of Whiplash, the Man-Killer, Klaw, Tiger Shark, and the Wrecking Crew, all of whom had been members of previous incarnations of
5226-442: The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued the registration in 1970. Between 1996 and 2004, Marvel relaunched the primary Avengers title three times. In 1996, the " Heroes Reborn " line, in which Marvel contracted outside companies to produce four titles, included a new volume of The Avengers . It took place in an alternate universe , with a revamped history unrelated to mainstream Marvel continuity. The Avengers vol. 2
5360-473: The West Coast Avengers , Madame Masque formed a West Coast version of the Masters of Evil consisting of the Eel, Graviton , Lady Bullseye , MODOK Superior , Satana , and Kate Bishop 's parents Derek and Eleanor Bishop . When the Prehistoric Avengers fought a younger Thanos and sent him back to the future, Mephisto found out that an alternate version of Doctor Doom called Doom Supreme had witnessed this fight. Mephisto suggested to Doom Supreme to form
5494-442: The Wizard , and the Wrecking Crew . This version of the group was formed to defy Magneto . While taking over the Central American country of Santo Rico, its dictators Madison and Lionel Jeffries kill two of the Wrecking Crew, Bulldozer and Piledriver . Though the group succeed in killing the Jeffries in turn, Magneto and Sebastian Shaw expose the Masters of Evil's criminal pasts, leading to Cobra, Crossbones, Hyde, Chemistro,
Masters of Evil - Misplaced Pages Continue
5628-510: The miniseries Dark Reign: Young Avengers . A group calling themselves the Bastards of Evil debuted in the 2010 " Heroic Age " storyline. All members claim to be the children of supervillains who were discarded and disavowed by their parents. They include Aftershock (the supposed daughter of Electro ), Warhead (the supposed son of the Radioactive Man ), Mortar (the supposed daughter of the Grey Gargoyle ), Singularity (the supposed son of Graviton ), and Ember (the supposed son of Pyro ). It
5762-403: The "rush" of being A-Bomb. However, he was unwilling to aid Doc Green in curing Betty until Doc Green informed him that Betty, acting under orders from a watchdog group called The Order of the Shield, was behind the attempt on Banner's life. Rick is left behind with the equally powerless Betty as Doc Green continues on his mission. As a side effect of losing his Hulk abilities, Rick briefly gains
5896-665: The 1970s In the first issue, the Avengers team began with Ant-Man ( Hank Pym ), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Iron Man (Anthony Stark), Thor , and the Wasp (Janet van Dyne). The roster changed almost immediately after the first issue; in the second issue, Ant-Man became Giant-Man, and at the end of the issue, Hulk quit the team. Issue #4 brought the title's first major milestone: the revival and return of Captain America (Steve Rogers). The creative team of writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema introduced new characters such as Arkon in issue #75 (April 1970) and Red Wolf in #80 (Sept. 1970). The team's adventures increased in scope as
6030-409: The Abyss, the Taskmaster used its power to take control of the villains and have them board an airplane out of Bagalia to spread the campaign of the Abyss. While the others fight the possessed villains and other people, Venom uses his symbiote to break the Crowns and capture the Taskmaster. When the second incarnation of the Secret Avengers raid Bagalia to free the Taskmaster, they have to fight through
6164-480: The Avengers defeat them. Criminal scientist Egghead organized a third version, consisting of Moonstone , the original Scorpion , Tiger Shark and longtime member Whirlwind . After the team's defeat, Egghead kept only Moonstone and Tiger Shark; the Scorpion and Whirlwind were replaced with the original Beetle , the Shocker , and veteran member the Radioactive Man . Egghead uses this incarnation to assist him in making technological breakthroughs. A fourth version
6298-421: The Avengers from past, present and future. Although, its generally random unless another controlling influence, Libra is assisting him. Rick's latent psionic potential had been once unleashed by the Kree Supreme Intelligence, but he is unable to utilize it at will. He was also able to shift dimensional positions with Mar-Vell , and later Genis-Vell for a time. After being kidnapped and experimented on by
6432-574: The Avengers' fight with the Multiversal Masters of Evil has gone on for 9 days, Iron Man fights King Killmonger who is then killed by Prehistoric Iron Fist. Nightwing and Prehistoric Moon Knight fight Black Skull as Captain America uses his shield that came in contact with fire to defeat Black Skull as the Venom symbiote makes its way to Kid Thanos. Echo and Valkyrie face off against Dark Phoenix where Valkyrie slices off Dark Phoenix's arm. Echo receives aid from across time as Soldier Supreme of 1943, Kid Starbrand and Reno Phoenix of 1868, Ghost Ronin of 1655, and
6566-475: The Avengers. He succeeds in sending Captain America to the Tower of London in 1760. The Masters attack the Avengers, but Captain America manages to return. The Enchantress, sensing defeat, sends the villains back in time to before they met Immortus. In a later issue, Zemo kidnaps Rick Jones with an attractor beam and has the Enchantress and the Executioner release the Black Knight and the Melter (the Radioactive Man having been deported back to China). They attack
6700-433: The Bands, he is immediately linked to Captain Marvel. Once joined, one of the two remains in a protective bubble in the Negative Zone . After either the person not in the Negative Zone strikes the Nega-Bands together or a certain amount of time passes, the two switch places. Rick and Mar-Vell go on various adventures encountering many different heroes, such as the Hulk, Namor , and Captain America. Rick and Mar-Vell play
6834-492: The Busiek and Pérez run. NB: The Avengers Assemble volumes and Avengers: Disassembled are oversized. Avengers Vol. 5, entirely written by Jonathan Hickman, is best read in tandem with his concurrent New Avengers Vol. 3 . As such, given below are the collected editions for both his Avengers and New Avengers series. Rick Jones (comics) Rick Jones is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . The character has been depicted as
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#17327872456186968-545: The Deathlok with them. As Doom Supreme regresses Valkyrie back to Jane Foster before he was headbutted by her horse, Namor struggles against Kid Thanos. Black Panther wields his Vibranium Dambe Boxer Cords and other defenses against magic while calling himself Red Panther. As the Deathlok reaches the brain of Avengers Mountain to put out a distress signal on what happened on Earth-616, Black Panther, Valkyrie, and Namor continue their fight against Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos until they retreat. The Deathlok detects that Avengers Mountain
7102-421: The Destiny War, where he aids his younger self in the conflict leading to his bond with Genis. Marlo tries to aid the elderly Rick the way he had helped her when she was catatonic. Rick's pride, however, just causes more problems. The Supreme Intelligence attempts and fails to restore Rick to his normal condition, but he is spontaneously restored to his normal age and health shortly thereafter. Rick believes this
7236-417: The Executioner escape by running away before the transportation happened. The second version, organized by the robot Ultron-5 (under the alias the Crimson Cowl), consisted of the second Black Knight , Klaw , the Melter , the Radioactive Man and Whirlwind . This incarnation made one more appearance. Ultron used this incarnation to blackmail New York. Black Knight betrayed the Masters of Evil and helped
7370-440: The Gatherers. This culminated in " Operation: Galactic Storm ", a 19-part storyline that ran through all Avengers-related titles and showcased a conflict between the Kree and the Shi'ar Empire . Marvel contracted out The Avengers and three related titles — Captain America , Fantastic Four , and Iron Man to former Marvel artists Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld , two of the founding creators of Image Comics . While The Avengers
7504-405: The Grey Hulk, Betty Banner , and Clay Quartermain for several months as they travel the country looking for a government supply of gamma bombs . The group splits after the Hulk's apparent death at the Leader's hands. Rick's psionic potential is later released by Moondragon against Atlantean invaders. Rick authors the book "Sidekick", an autobiography of his time with super-heroes. While on
7638-419: The Hulk again and briefly forms a new Teen Brigade, after which Rick finds himself again teamed with Mar-Vell, though not merged with him as they deal with a legacy left by the Mad Titan Thanos . Sometime after, Mar-Vell dies of cancer that he received when he was exposed to a deadly nerve gas stolen by the villain Nitro . Note: Mar-Vell collapsed from the gas and was comatose until he was given an antidote to
7772-459: The Hulk's wife and unborn child, his current blind quest for vengeance was not him, using Hulk's willingness to protect innocent people caught in the fight between him and a Zom -possessed Doctor Strange as proof that the Hulk was still a hero rather than a man blindly seeking vengeance. After the Hulk's climactic battle with the Sentry resulted in him reverting to Bruce Banner, one of the Hulk's associates, Miek (who witnesses and did not prevent
7906-539: The Hulk, but instead brought Iron Man , Ant-Man , Wasp , and Thor together to form the Avengers. After the Hulk's departure from the team, Rick became an honorary Avenger. He alerted the team to the Hulk's presence when they began searching for him. He became close to the recently revived Captain America although his guilt led him to leave the Avengers and seek out Banner and Hulk on his own. Captain America rescued Rick from one of Hulk's rampages, and after that Rick became Captain America's sidekick, briefly taking
8040-415: The Hulk. However this plan backfired and Rick was dying of gamma poisoning until Banner cured him. However, this too led to the consequence of Rick developing a form of blood cancer . Rick was going to undergo a massive blood transfusion to treat this ailment when the hospital was attacked by monsters created by the Dire Wraiths . Rick was saved by the Spaceknight Rom and began to team with Rom despite
8174-455: The Intelligencia, Rick gains the ability to transform into a blue-skinned creature resembling the Abomination. He is later depowered after the Hulk drains his gamma radiation, but gains the ability to learn information rapidly, making him an expert in computer hacking. As Subject B, Rick has superhuman strength , enhanced durability, regeneration , claws, and the ability to generate corrosive acid. After being returned to normal, he gains
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#17327872456188308-438: The Master of Evil 1st in their " Marvel's 5 Greatest Supervillain Stables" list." Jerry Stanford of Comic Book Resources ranked 3rd in their "10 Most Important Marvel Villain Teams" list, while David Harth ranked the team 6th in their "5 Best Marvel Villain Teams (& The 5 Best DC Villain Teams)" list. An alternate universe iteration of the Masters of Evil appear in Heroes Reborn: Masters of Evil , initially consisting of
8442-685: The Masters of Evil are defeated by the New Avengers and remanded to a prison on the planet Wakanda. A group based on the Masters of Evil called the Liberators appear in Ultimates 2 , formed by Loki under the alias of Norwegian scientist "Gunnar Golman" and consisting of Chang Lam / Abomination , Crimson Dynamo , Schizoid Man , Colonel Abdul al-Rahma , Hurricane , Insect Queen , and Perun . They received support from international governments, such as China , France , Iran , North Korea , Syria , and later Russia , and other superpowered individuals such as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow , Hank Pym , and his Ultron / Vision II sentries to invade
8576-480: The Masters of Evil debuted in Thunderbolts #3 created by Kurt Busiek , Mark Bagley , and Vince Russell. The eighth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in Secret Avengers #21.1, created by Rick Remender , Patrick Zircher , and Andy Troy. The ninth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in Thunderbolts #10, created by Jim Zub , Jon Malin, Kurt Busiek , and Mark Bagley . The original Masters of Evil (consisting of existing Marvel Comics supervillains
8710-413: The Masters of Evil debuted in The Avengers #270, created by Roger Stern , John Buscema , and Tom Palmer . The fifth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy #28, created by Jim Valentino , Herb Trimpe , and Steve Montano. The sixth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in The Incredible Hulk #449, created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley . The seventh version of
8844-443: The Masters of Evil single-handedly. Pym proved his innocence. Stern developed several major storylines, such as "Ultimate Vision"; the formation of the West Coast Avengers ; and "Avengers Under Siege". Rogue , who would later become a member of the X-Men, was introduced in The Avengers Annual #10 (1981) by writer Chris Claremont and artist Michael Golden . Stern created the villain, Nebula , who falsely claimed to be
8978-399: The Masters of Evil. Baron Zemo sent them out to persuade Atlas of the Thunderbolts, the former Goliath of Zemo's earlier incarnation of the Masters of Evil, to rejoin the team. Atlas resisted and only an unexpected reappearance of the Thunderbolt Jolt interrupted the Masters' plan. The Masters then went after the Winter Soldier , who was then leading the Thunderbolts, and captured him. Zemo and
9112-414: The Masters of Evil. During this time, it is shown that a duplicate of the Bi-Beast , Madcap , the Ringer and a number of other supervillains have joined the Masters of Evil. The Masters of Evil are featured in " Avengers Undercover " as part of the second wave of comics that are part of the " Marvel NOW! " branding. Following the death of Max Fury, Baron Helmut Zemo had been sworn in as the new leader of
9246-402: The Masters of Evil. He is shown to have Madame Masque as his right-hand woman, has the Constrictor as his bodyguard, and Daimon Hellstrom is in their company as their magic expert. The Anachronism , Cammi , Chase Stein , Death Locket , Hazmat , and Nico Minoru teleport to Bagalia in disguise and locate Cullen Bloodstone at the Hole (a Bagalian bar owned by Arcade). After a fight with
9380-446: The Masters then assaulted the Thunderbolts in their base, capturing several of them. During the "Opening Salvo" part of the Secret Empire storyline, Baron Zemo has Kobik send Bucky back through time to World War II and another battle with the Thunderbolts, in which the Man-Killer was apparently killed by Kobik. Upon Atlas, the Fixer, and Moonstone joining the Masters of Evil, they worked to reassemble Kobik. As Erik Selvig hordes
9514-430: The Melter, and Whirlwind. A future incarnation of the Masters of Evil from Earth-2099 appear in the Marvel 2099 story Spider-Man 2099: Exodus #3, consisting of the Patriot , the Black Knight , Baron Zemo , the Enchantress , the Melter , and the Radioactive Man . This version of the group killed several members of the Avengers and conquered multiple worlds. After Zemo kills the Black Knight for disobeying orders,
9648-573: The Phoenix Force what he is. Echo states that he already knows. They then join Iron Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Star Brand into heading to Avengers Mountain. Far from Avengers Mountain, Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos meet up with Iron Inquisitor and Mephisto in the form of a dog as he nears the corpse of Orb. Under Mephisto's orders, Doom Supreme unburn Uatu's eye fragment and puts it in his own eye. As Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos enter
9782-468: The Runaways back in foster care because he did not want them to go through the same experiences he went through. Rick served as one of the pallbearers at the memorial service for Captain America, along with Ben Grimm, Ms. Marvel, The Falcon, T'Challa and Tony Stark. When Sam Wilson (The Falcon) made his inspirational speech, he mentioned that Rick would know what it's like to have called Captain America
9916-492: The S.H.I.E.L.D. Battlecarrier to retrieve Jones prompts The Pentagon into retaliating by unleashing a monster called the American Kaiju on the New Avengers. In the aftermath of the events that transpired at Pleasant Hill, Steve Rogers offers Rick the chance to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of his reparations for his hacktivism. During the " Secret Empire " storyline, Rick entrusts hacker Rashaun Lucas with data to prove
10050-464: The S.H.I.E.L.D. lair back to Bagalia, where Baron Zemo offers the group a chance to join the Masters of Evil. Baron Zemo instructs the Constrictor, Daimon Hellstrom, and Madame Masque to take a portion of the Murderworld survivors and take them into Bagalia City. While the other young heroes take up Baron Zemo's offer to join the Masters of Evil (with a plan to take the group down from within), Cammi
10184-641: The Shadow Council established) with the Serpent Crown and the Crown of Thorns. In order for the Masters of Evil to obtain the Crown of Wolves for the Shadow Council, Fury hired the Taskmaster to retrieve it. The Taskmaster demanded more money for the job and he hid in the Hole (a bar located in an underground city in Bagalia). Upon claiming the Crown of Wolves, Fury was unable to harness its power because he
10318-576: The Tyrannosaurus Starbrand of 66,000,000 BC donate the powers to Echo as she subdues Kid Thanos and the Venom symbiote. When Iron Man claims that Dark Phoenix has not gotten far, they are unaware that it is really Dark Phoenix in disguise as she is revealed to be a variant of Mystique from Earth-14412. She goes to find Doom Supreme and finds only a hologram when she accuses him of letting their teammates fall in battle. The real Doom Supreme
10452-562: The United States. However, they are defeated by the U.S.'s heroes, with Perun surrendering to S.H.I.E.L.D. and being held in the Triskelion and Loki being held by Odin for inciting a world war. The Avengers (comic book) The Avengers is a comic book title featuring the team the Avengers and published by Marvel Comics . The original The Avengers comic book series debuted in 1963. In 1960, DC Comics launched
10586-466: The Vision were actually illusions. The Avengers titles in late 1989 were involved in the major crossover event " Acts of Vengeance ". Bob Harras and Steve Epting took over the title in the summer of 1991 and introduced a stable lineup with ongoing story lines and character development. Their primary antagonists in this run were the mysterious Proctor and his team of other-dimensional Avengers known as
10720-474: The War Machines that he had that world's Tony Stark build. By the time Robbie Reyes and the Deathlok with him arrived, they met Earth-818's Tony Stark who operated as Ant-Man and saved him from the War Machines. Robbie and his Deathlok companion are later rescued from Black Skull by Ant-Man and his resistance consisting of Vision, Moon Knight (Mariama Spector), Wonder Man, and Infinity Thing. With help from
10854-834: The Wizard, and Wrecking Crew member Thunderball abandoning the remaining members, most of whom are killed by the Red Guard, though Absorbing Man throws Titania to safety. The Masters of Evil appear in Marvel Adventures #4, consisting of Baron Helmut Zemo , the Abomination , the Leader , and Ultron . Additionally, a group called the New Masters of Evil appear in Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #16, consisting of Egghead , Man-Bull ,
10988-555: The ability to learn any task at lightning speed. He uses this ability to become a master hacktivist known as the Whisperer during the " Avengers: Standoff! " storyline and secretly aids the new Captain America . He uncovers a plot by Maria Hill called Project Kobik , which uses shattered Cosmic Cube remains to create a new cube. Phil Coulson 's group learns about Pleasant Hill and Rick's involvement. Deathlok, Daisy Johnson, and Jemma Simmons investigated Rick' house and discovered
11122-483: The aftermath of Busiek's Kang arc, as the Avengers were granted international authority by the United Nations. Chuck Austen followed as writer. Writer Brian Michael Bendis then rebooted the series with the " Avengers Disassembled " storyline. All four Avengers series ( The Mighty Avengers , New Avengers , Dark Avengers , and Avengers: The Initiative ) were canceled, and a new ongoing series titled Avengers
11256-592: The attack, he is killed by the Prehistoric Ghost Rider. As the local ancestral ape-men hide in the caves, Odin and Valkyrie fight Doom Supreme, Echo and the Prehistoric Iron Fist fight Black Skull, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Namor fight Dark Phoenix, Captain America and Prehistoric Moon Knight fight Kid Thanos, Thor and Agamotto fight King Killmonger, and Nighthawk and Prehistoric Ghost Rider fight Ghost Goblin while Star Brand goes to
11390-425: The body of her prehistoric counterpart where the Prehistoric Ghost Rider depowers Ghost Goblin and kills him. When Dark Phoenix notes that this Earth is taking longer to conquer, Doom Supreme starts to cast a spell to wipe out the ancestral ape-men as Prehistoric Ghost Rider ends up one of the victims. As the fight rages on, Lady Phoenix is shown heading towards Earth. As he narrates about his internal clock stating that
11524-420: The bones however they like". When the Multiversal Masters of Evil conquer another Earth and plan to return to Earth-616, Ghost Rider arrives where he controls Black Skull's symbiote enough to subdue King Killmonger and uses his Hell Charger to knock down Kid Thanos and Hound before it drags Dark Phoenix. Then he subdues Ghost Goblin before engaging Doom Supreme. After Deathlok and Ant-Man of Earth-818 arrive where
11658-581: The character of Henry Peter Gyrich , the Avengers' liaison to the United States National Security Council . The true origins of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were revealed in a three-part story that ran in issues #185-187 (July-Sept. 1979). The first major development was the breakdown of Henry Pym, which writer Roger Stern resolved this by having Pym outwit Egghead and defeated the latest incarnation of
11792-661: The dangerous unpredictability of Hulk forced Rick to keep his distance. Later, Rick formed the Teen Brigade , a loose network of teenagers with ham radios throughout the United States. The first Teen Brigade played a role in the origin of the Avengers when the Norse god Loki tampered with the Teen Brigade's radio transmission. Originally, the Teen Brigade intended to bring the Fantastic Four together to battle
11926-528: The death of Betty Banner by radiation poisoning to the point that the couple split shortly thereafter. Rick joins Dr. Banner again after he returns to Earth and merges with the separated Hulk. His serious health problems force him to be brought by the Avengers to the now-captive Supreme Intelligence for aid, which marks the beginning of the Destiny War , as Kang the Conqueror's rejection of his apparent destiny to become Immortus results in Rick's access to
12060-678: The different parts of the Multiverse slaying their versions of the Prehistoric Avengers and rewriting the future to fit their ways. Their activities were opposed by the Deathloks that work for Avenger Prime. Though they violated a condition that the Council of Red gave them. When they arrived, they were watched by Orb who viewed them through the eye of Uatu the Watcher that he still had. Doom Supreme killed Orb and destroyed
12194-481: The end of the series, it is revealed that Rick has a " comic awareness " that the Captain Marvel comic series was coming to an end. He pushed for several of the loose ends of the series to be resolved: Rick and Genis were separated again, and Rick was reunited with Marlo at last report. This ability was primarily created for the needs of this one issue, and it seems unlikely that it will see future usage. Rick
12328-488: The experiment was a failure and both were dying. General Ross tried to stop the process of remerging the two, and Rick intervened only to be dumped into the chemical nutrient bath that was fusing Banner and the Hulk again, transforming into a Hulk-like creature. With the Vision 's help, Banner and the Hulk are reunited, but, both are weak and still dying. As a result of a Nutrient Bath developed by Doc Samson , Banner/Hulk
12462-800: The eye. King Killmonger, Dark Phoenix, and the Berserkers then attacked Asgard which brought them into conflict with Echo 's Phoenix form, Iron Man, Thor, and the Deathloks. The Deathloks find Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Star Brand as they are attacked by Black Skull and Ghost Goblin. As Captain America and Captain Marvel are overwhelmed, Star Brand shows up to attack them. As they retreat, Black Skull has Ghost Goblin dump his Noggin Bombs which are annulled when Star Brand matures and negates their explosions. Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos attack Avengers Mountain. They engage Black Panther, Namor, Valkyrie, and
12596-532: The fact that Rick was slowly dying. Upon the final defeat of the Wraiths, Rom banished them all to Limbo and then bade farewell to Rick Jones and Earth. Shortly after Rom left, Rick Jones met the alien called The Beyonder , who cured Jones of his cancer. Shortly after the encounter with the Beyonder, Rick once again teamed with the Hulk. This time, the Hulk had been split into two beings, Banner and Hulk, but
12730-411: The first eight issues only, in addition to doing the layouts for issues #14–16. This initial series, published bi-monthly through issue #6 (July 1964) and monthly thereafter, ran through issue #402 (Sept. 1996), with spinoffs including several annuals , miniseries and a giant-size quarterly sister series that ran briefly in the mid-1970s. Marvel filed for a trademark for "The Avengers" in 1967 and
12864-742: The fragments that he has, kisses them, and commits suicide, the Kobik-reprogrammed Captain America persuaded Baron Zemo to have the Masters of Evil join HYDRA 's " Army of Evil ." Baron Zemo did just that. The Masters of Evil assisted the Army of Evil in causing havoc in protest for what happened at Pleasant Hill. The fifth incarnation was organized by Doctor Octopus , but bore little resemblance to previous incarnations. Its roster included Gargantua , Jackhammer , Oddball , Powderkeg , and Puff Adder , in addition to former members
12998-671: The future), he revealed the truth of Banner's condition to Col. Glenn Talbot , thus inadvertently making Banner a wanted fugitive by the US Military. After being neglected by Captain America, Rick became fed up with the Captain's ego. After talking with Edwin Jarvis , Rick decided to leave the Avengers for good. Rick joined with the Kree Captain Mar-Vell when he finds himself drawn to the mystical Nega-Bands. Donning
13132-478: The gas. However, despite the antidote, Mar-Vell still developed cancer and there was some momentary concern that the link Rick shared with him could have caused himself to contract the condition. Rick was at Mar-Vell's bedside when he died. After Mar-Vell's death, Rick began to team with the Hulk again. Guilt over causing Banner to be hit with the gamma rays made Rick decide to expose himself to gamma rays in an attempt to become another Hulk-like being that could stop
13266-414: The granddaughter of Thanos . Following Stern's departure, Walt Simonson wrote the series briefly but left due to editorial conflicts. John Byrne took over writing both West Coast Avengers and The Avengers and merged the two separate Avengers teams into one team with two bases. Byrne's contributions included a revamping of the Vision, and the discovery that the children of the Scarlet Witch and
13400-745: The granddaughters of King Thor, Robbie, his Deathlok companion, and the Resistance defeated Black Skull and his alternate counterparts while liberating Earth-818. Ant-Man joins Robbie and his Deathlok companion in their quest to liberate the enslaved Earths from the Multiversal Masters of Evil. In a flashback, the Multiversal Masters of Evil invaded Earth-91 and slew that version of the Prehistoric Avengers who are all Man-Things . Doom Supreme orders his Multiversal Masters of Evil to keep him out of their squabbles as King Killmonger claims that Doom Supreme has not even claimed his Earth yet. Doom Supreme claims that he claimed what he required from Earth-91 and to "pick
13534-602: The hands of Thanos, along with half of the universe, when Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to impress Death . Rick and the others are brought back in ensuing events. Rick remembers meeting several deceased rock stars. Rick assisted the Hulk many times during his tenure with the Pantheon . During this time, he guns down an insane killer, but is still wracked with remorse. Over time he bonds with Wolfsbane of X-Factor, who also killed another insane murderer during
13668-564: The innocence of Captain America , who the Red Skull brainwashed into becoming a Hydra sleeper agent. Captain America later sentences a captive Rick to death by firing squad. After his death, Rick Jones is buried at Severin Memorial Cemetery. However, a group of scientists retrieve his corpse and revive him as an Abomination/A-Bomb-like creature called "Subject B" before he is eventually restored to normal. Rick Jones
13802-517: The latter shrinks Doom Supreme, Dark Phoenix goes on the attack as Deathlok orders Ant-Man of Earth-818 to get Ghost Rider away while he buys them some time. Following Deathlok's death, Doom Supreme tells the Multiversal Masters of Evil that they need to regroup as he knows where they are going. Ghost Goblin asks Doom Supreme if he will restore himself to normal size as well. Doom Supreme then states that they will visit that location before heading to Earth-616 as he vows that "No Avenger gets out alive". At
13936-407: The mysterious 'Destiny Force' being used to draw in a team of seven Avengers from different points in time to act as his protectors. Over the course of these events, Rick's injury is healed when he is able to channel the Destiny Force into himself, and after the final battle with the powerful Time Keepers, he is joined with Genis-Vell (the recently endowed Captain Marvel and son of Mar-Vell), due to
14070-603: The numbering, and The Avengers #500-503 (Sept.– Dec. 2004), the one-shot Avengers Finale (Jan. 2005) became the " Avengers Disassembled " storyline and final issues. Avengers vol. 4 debuted in July 2010 and ran until January 2013. Vol. 5 was launched in February 2013. After Secret Wars , a new Avengers team debuted, dubbed the All-New, All-Different Avengers , starting with a Free Comic Book Day preview. "And there came
14204-541: The other Avengers, forcing Captain America to go alone to Zemo's kingdom to rescue Rick. The Executioner tells the Avengers that a battle in the city would hurt many people, meaning they should surrender. Captain America blinds Zemo with his shield and Zemo dies when he accidentally triggers a rock slide. The Black Knight and the Melter are then captured after Thor transports them to another dimension with different scientific laws, meaning their weapons rebound. The Enchantress and
14338-516: The party at Massacrer Casino as the testing grounds for his newest version of "Murderworld": fancy parties at casinos where the rich and powerful can try and kill each other to prove their supremacy. After Arcade was killed, Baron Zemo, Madame Masque, the Constructor, and Daimon Hellstrom begin plotting their next move regarding the heroes. After the young heroes are apprehended during a S.H.I.E.L.D. raid on Bagalia, Daimon Hellstrom later teleports
14472-492: The process. Marlo is left in a catatonic state. Rick's care eventually helps Marlo return to full health despite the intervention of many other well-meaning friends and family, including Marlo's brothers and Captain America. Shortly after Marlo is revived, the two become engaged and quickly marry. Neither of them realizes, however, that a portion of Death remains in Marlo. This piece of Death attracted many strange visitors to
14606-533: The robot exploding as it does. A-Bomb joined with several heroes including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, She-Hulk and the Hulk to help stop an impending earthquake in San Francisco, which was caused by Red Hulk. After the Red Hulk was defeated, A-Bomb reverted to Rick. He attempted to reveal who Red Hulk really was, but was shot and dragged away by Doc Samson . In The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #600 it
14740-412: The role of mentor. He helped Genis learn to control his Cosmic Awareness and accept his role as a superhero . As Rick's confidence grew, he also attempted to rekindle his romance with Marlo. It was not until this point that Marlo's connection with Death is finally revealed. Thanos aids in separating the two, but Rick is prematurely aged and loses an arm in the process. He is later yanked back in time to
14874-479: The same debacle; he even ends up inviting her to his wedding. Another major encounter with death occurs when Jackie Shorr (who is revealed to be a demented serial killer ) comes into his life and claims to be his mother. This claim has not been proven, but she insists that those she killed and left mummified in her basement were substitutes for Rick, and that he is her real son. Shorr is discovered to be insane, but not until after she kills Marlo by stabbing her with
15008-587: The start of a seven-part story featuring the Squadron Supreme and the Serpent Crown . In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Englehart's run on The Avengers eighth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels". After Englehart departed and a seven-issue stint by Gerry Conway , Jim Shooter began as writer, generating several classic adventures, including " The Bride of Ultron ", the " Nefaria Trilogy", and "The Korvac Saga". Shooter introduced
15142-408: The team along with the reformed Swordsman. During the summer of 1973, Englehart and artists Bob Brown and Sal Buscema produced "The Avengers-Defenders Clash" storyline which crossed over between the two team titles. This eight-issue story was the first summertime cross-title event, and was very popular with readers. George Pérez became the title's artist with issue #141 (Nov. 1975) which saw
15276-567: The team crossed into an alternate dimension and battled the Squadron Supreme , and fought in the Kree-Skrull War , which guest-starred the Kree hero, Mar-Vell/Captain Marvel . Novelist Harlan Ellison plotted two stories for the series. The first ("The Summons of Psyklop") was published in issue #88 (May 1971) and the second ("Five Dooms to Save Tomorrow") in #101 (July 1972). Writer Steve Englehart introduced Mantis , who joined
15410-497: The time when the Avengers travel to prehistoric times and encounter the Avengers of that time, Agamotto breaks up the fight between them as Doom Supreme arrives where he removes Agamotto's eyes and kills the Prehistoric Star Brand. Then the rest of the Multiversal Masters of Evil arrive. As the Avengers go on the attack, Dark Phoenix takes them down much to the dismay of Kid Thanos and Ghost Goblin. When Hound goes on
15544-553: The time when the Hulk will return. In the same issue, Rick was reunited with Marlo, who was transformed by the Leader into Harpy , whom Bruce mistakes for Betty Ross. It was eventually revealed that Rick was transformed into A-Bomb by the Intelligencia under command of the Leader and MODOK. Using the Abomination's blood they changed him to become their weapon, but soon learned that he could not be controlled as easily as they planned. Instead, they gave him one simple command with
15678-408: The title and uniform of Bucky Barnes , Captain America's long-dead junior partner. This was on Jones' own insistence, over Captain America's guilty objections, noting that others have also lost partners and that it was time to move on. Rick's brief time as Bucky gave him the training to survive around superheroes to this day. When Rick believed Hulk to be dead (although Hulk had actually been sent to
15812-553: The trance. Meanwhile, Captain America has been lured to South America to fight Zemo. After defeating Zemo, Captain America returns on Zemo's helicopter and stops Zemo from shooting the Avengers. However, the Enchantress casts a spell that gets the helicopter to the rooftop she and the Executioner are on. The Executioner knocks Captain America out by striking his shoulder, and takes him out of the helicopter, after which they all try to escape. The Masters are sent to another dimension in
15946-469: The true cause of the deaths on Sakaar which was not the humans), impales Rick through the chest to provoke Bruce into turning back into the Hulk. Rick is seen being loaded into an ambulance. In the aftermath of " World War Hulk ", a new Red Hulk emerged, brutally beating and then shooting the Abomination to death. After this occurred, Jones escaped from a secret base in Alaska that had been destroyed in
16080-446: The villains there, Cullen reveals that he has become a member of the Masters of Evil, having been accepted by them. The Constrictor and Madam Masque arrange for Cullen to teleport the group to a nearby swanky party at Massacrer Casino hosted by Arcade so that they can get revenge on him once and for all. Baron Zemo, Madame Masque, the Constrictor and Daimon Hellstrom watch as the young heroes try to avoid being killed, as Arcade has arranged
16214-528: The wedding, including Mephisto and Death herself. The married couple soon finds success in a popular talk show, Keeping Up with the Joneses , but it is cut short when Rick is crippled by a Banner-less Hulk, that made a deal to work for Apocalypse and become his Horseman "War" if he would remove the shrapnel from the Hulk's brain. The injury confines Rick to a wheelchair and the debilitation strains his relationship with Marlo. The strain increases with
16348-529: Was divine aid while Genis believes it was a delayed reaction to the Supreme Intelligence's procedure. No definitive explanation has yet been determined. For a while, Rick and Genis are yanked back and forth through time. Rick encounters two older versions of himself: one an aging collector surviving under the rule of the Maestro ; the other a super-villain named Thanatos. The super-villain Rick
16482-467: Was a book called The [ sic ] Justice League of America and it was composed of a team of superheroes. ... 'If the Justice League is selling,' spoke he, 'why don't we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?' Much like the Justice League, the Avengers were an assemblage of pre-existing superhero characters created by Lee and Jack Kirby . Kirby did the artwork for
16616-405: Was being tested. Banner pushed Rick into a protective trench, saving his life, but absorbing the gamma rays that transform Banner into the Hulk . Rick thus became the sole confidant of the Hulk's true identity. Jones' guilt over causing the incident (and lack of any other place to go) led him to stay close to Banner and the Hulk. In one story, he even gained mental control over Hulk. Eventually,
16750-638: Was formed by Baron Helmut Zemo . This team uses over a dozen villains, consisting of the Absorbing Man , Blackout , Black Mamba , the Fixer , Goliath , the Grey Gargoyle , Mister Hyde , Moonstone , the Screaming Mimi , Tiger Shark , Titania , Whirlwind , the Wrecking Crew ( Bulldozer , Piledriver , Thunderball and the Wrecker ), and Yellowjacket , created with the goal of overwhelming
16884-493: Was in the process of creating the "ultimate Rick Jones". He is stopped by the elder Rick's ability to wield Thor's hammer , Rick having been judged worthy for things the present Rick had yet to do and things that Thanatos would never achieve. Rick and Marlo again split when Marlo becomes romantically involved with Moondragon . Shortly after, Genis goes insane when his cosmic awareness reaches its peak. Rick's attempts to continue as Genis' guide are fairly unsuccessful. Genis becomes
17018-694: Was later revealed that the Bastards are led by a child genius known as Superior (who claims to be the son of the Leader ). It was also revealed that the Bastards were actually normal teenagers who were mutated by exposure to radiation by Superior as well as given false memory implants. The surviving Bastards are held in the Raft after their capture. Darby Harn of Screen Rant included the Masters of Evil in their "10 Most Powerful Hercules Villains In Marvel Comics" list, and in their "15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains" list. Mark Ginocchio of ComicBook.com ranked
17152-624: Was launched in May 2010, written by Brian Michael Bendis and penciled by John Romita Jr. In 2012, a biweekly Avengers title was launched, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by different artists for each story arc. After Secret Wars , a new Avengers title (vol. 6) dubbed the All-New, All-Different Avengers launched in 2015 written by Mark Waid , with alternating artwork by Mahmud Asrar and Adam Kubert , and covers by Alex Ross . Mark Waid and Alex Ross continued with Avengers vol. 7, which launched in 2017, with artwork by Mike del Mundo . It
17286-437: Was relaunched as a new series, the " Heroes Reborn " line ended after a year as planned and the license reverted to Marvel. Writer Kurt Busiek and penciler George Pérez launched a new volume of the series with The Avengers vol. 3, #1 (Feb. 1998). Busiek concurrently wrote the limited series Avengers Forever . Busiek's run included many of the Avengers' traditional villains. Successor writer Geoff Johns dealt with
17420-738: Was relaunched once again in 2018 as part of Marvel's " Fresh Start " relaunch featuring a creative by Jason Aaron (w) and Ed McGuinness (pen). 978-0785160151 (variant) 978-0785191773 (variant) 978-1302910211 (variant) 978-1302915353 (variant) 978-1302926502 (variant) 978-0785162049 (variant) (hardcover only after Volume 6) May 28, 2024 978-1302957988 August 22, 2023 978-1302950521 April 12, 2022 978-1302934026 May 26, 2021 978-1302929596 January 4, 2022 978-1302933661 September 20, 2022 May 10, 2022 978-1302946869 Avengers Finale and New Avengers #3. NB: The Avengers Assemble volumes comprise most of
17554-440: Was revealed to be the mysterious benefactor of Excelsior . The group is composed of former teenage superheroes dedicated to reforming other super-powered kids from following down the same path. Their first targets are the underage Runaways patrolling Los Angeles in the wake of the supervillain power vacuum since the defeat of the Runaways' evil parents, The Pride , who once controlled the city. Rick tells Excelsior that he wanted
17688-510: Was that Mar-Vell gained the ability to absorb energy in addition to the nega-band energies to boost his strength and could fly with the photonic energy now. Rick and Mar-Vell serve as a duo for several years while Rick pursues his musical career and love life. Eventually, the two are again freed from their bond while aiding the Avengers against the Super-Adaptoid . Rick then parts company with Mar-Vell. Rick begins to spend his time with
17822-460: Was transformed into A-Bomb), ostensibly to warn her about Doc Green's intentions. When Green arrives and Betty assaults him as the Red She-Hulk, she finds herself reverting to normal involuntarily and realizes that Rick had dosed her with Green's cure during a meal they had shared earlier. Rick admits to anxieties over the possibility of losing control of his transformation, and an addiction to
17956-494: Was written by Rob Liefeld and penciled by Jim Valentino , and ran for 13 issues (Nov. 1996–Nov. 1997). The final issue, which featured a crossover with the other Heroes Reborn titles, returned the characters to the main Marvel Universe . The Avengers vol. 3 relaunched and ran for 84 issues from February 1998 to August 2004. To coincide with what would have been the 500th issue of the original series, Marvel changed
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