“DEBRIEFING”
Part I: Homecoming!
WHAT HAS COME BEFORE: Black Widow received word that Bucky Barnes, former World War II hero and more recently, the covert Soviet operative, Winter Solider, was still alive. The Champions then went to the Soviet Union, fighting Soviet heroes for the return of Bucky. They escaped Soviet airspace, and are now returning to the United States…
# # # # # # # # # #
♪ Theme Music: “Coming Home” By Fleetwood Mac♪
Flying along the shore of California, Captain Jameson adjusts the controls on the control panel. Seated at his side is the Angel, who is distracted in a phone conversation, in an early “car phone”, attached to the dash of his private jet. Seated behind them are the rest of the Champions, who are eager to get back home from their recent trip to the Soviet Union.*
[*As detailed in the previous three issues.]
Angel: “A singer? What are you talking about?”
Richard Fenster: “I’ve been working with her agent. I know you said you wanted to branch out.”
Angel: “Not in that direction! Besides, you’re supposed to be working on PR for the Champions!”
Richard Fenster: “I am! I am! I’ve been working overtime on your recent trip to the Soviet Union! I’ve been monitoring the polls.”
Angel: “Polls?! This is going to take some getting used to.”
Richard Fenster: “You’ll get the hang of it, Warren baby! Anyway, back to this girl. She’s on fire.”
Angel: “That’s not my kind of music.”
Richard Fenster: “It’s all the rage, man! Think of the profits you can get out of her.”
Angel: “We’ll talk about it later.”
Richard Fenster: “You’re going to miss on it the deal, Warren baby. She needs a good sponsor. From what I hear, she’s being courted by Roman Nekoba…”
Angel: “Roman Nek…?! Did they let that sleazy freak back in the country?! I don’t want to see him get his hooks in anyone.”
Richard Fenster: You’re all heart, man. That’s why I like you so much. So, what do you say? You gonna at least go see her?”
Angel: “Where is she playing?”
Richard Fenster: “She’ll be playing tonight. The girl’s on the rise, I tell ya!”
Angel: “All right, I’ll go. Just get back to your PR work. You’re supposed to be building up the Champions, not checking out some new diva.”
Richard Fenster: Don’t worry, m’man. I’ve got it covered.”
John Jameson sees a bright flash out of the corner of his eye, and turns towards it. Immediately, the small aircraft shakes from a sound akin to a loud thunderclap. Instinctively, the experienced Jameson grasps control over the steering wheel, and turns away from the sound of the apparent blast, even as the Angel replaces the phone, and turns to Jameson, as if expecting an answer.
“What was that?!” Iceman asks, calling from two seats back, as he looks around, trying to catch some sight of what made the plane shake as it did.
“It was a concussive blast of some kind,” Captain Jameson responds, “but I think we managed to steer away from it in time. It’s a good thing that we’ll be landing soon. I want to take a look at the plane, and make sure there’s no serious damage.”
“Good idea, John,” the Angel responds. “We’re just outside of L.A. now.” He turns around, looking at his teammates. “Is everyone all right?”
“We’re fine,” Black Widow replies.
“’Twill take much more than that insect sting to bother the prince of power!” Hercules responds, with his characteristically cocky smile.
“I think we’ve got our answer,” Jameson comments. As Angel turns to face him, he sees Ironman floating outside of the plane. Ironman is motioning for them to land the plane, even as he hovers in front of the plane, clearly visible from the front window.
“Ironman!” Angel exclaims. “What’s he doing here…stalking us?!” He shakes his head in disbelief.
“Ironman?!” Black Widow asks, surprised. “Why is he trying to get us to land?”
“I’m not sure,” Captain Jameson replies. “But, I don’t have a problem with his request. The last thing we need is a dogfight in a possibly injured plane at 30,000 feet.”
“No problem, John,” Angel responds. “Ironman’s a tough customer, and I don’t need to fight him again.”**
[**They first fought in Tales of Suspense #49.]
# # # # # # # # # #
INTERLUDE
♪ Theme Music: “Man on the Silver Mountain” By Rainbow ♪
Rampage leans over the pool table, striking the cue ball and watching with pleasure as the cue ball strikes the five ball, which in turn hits the seven ball, knocking it into the corner pocket. The Orb, however, has a different reaction. Even behind his orb-shaped helmet, his displeasure at what he is seeing could not be more obvious.
“I told you not to under-estimate me,” Rampage comments, with a sneer, as he walks around the table, checking the position of his two remaining balls—the five ball and the two ball.
“You haven’t won yet,” Orb responds. “As soon as I get a shot…!”
“You can hang that up,” Rampage responds, leaning down and sinking the five ball. He backs up the cue ball expertly, setting up a great shot on the two ball. “I’m running the table. You ain’t getting a shot!”
The Orb holds the cue stick in his right hand, while looking at the table. He sees the shots that Rampage needs to take, and regrets not taking the first shot. He hates to lose, but isn’t ready to concede…yet.
“As soon as y’all are done hoggin’ the pool table,” the Incinerator comments, looking over at the Orb and Rampage, “me an’ Whiplash are ready to shoot some pool ourselves.”
“Patience, Roosevelt,” the Orb responds. “I’m gonna win my money back in the next game.” As he says that, he notes that Rampage has already sunk the two ball, and lined up his shot on the eight. He rolls his eyes under his helmet.
“Roosevelt’s right, Orb!” Whiplash says, cracking his whip, and knocking lined-up bottles on a half-wall, shattering them easily with a flick of his wrist. “We’d like the pool table sometime today.”
“Your game will have to wait,” Ares comments with authority, walking through the room, as all eyes turn his way. “Follow me. We have much to discuss.”
“All right,” Rampage responds, quickly sinking the eight ball, as the Orb shakes his head under his helmet. “You’ve got my attention. There are some promises Satanna made that we need to talk about.”
“Yeah,” the Orb agrees. “And I need to see if you can live up to your promises.”
“Do you not know who I am?!” Satanna responds, appearing in a literal cloud of smoke, surprising even the cold Orb by the suddenness of her appearance. Whiplash runs his eyes up and down her scantily-clad body with great interest. Behind Whiplash, Madam Masque adjusts her metal mask slightly on her chin, as she inspects those around her. “There is none of your petty desires I could not instantly realize.”
“Really?” Rampage asks. “This I gotta see!”
“Are you not on your feet, and your body healed?!” Satanna asks, staring him in the eyes. She then turns, moving her shapely body away from him. “I should think you would be the last one to question my abilities.”
“Enough!” Ares calls out with unquestioned authority, as Satanna makes her way towards him. “There will be time for such petty matters later. For now, we prepare for our coming war.”
“War?” the Fly asks. “I’d better see some serious dough if you want me to sign on for a war.”
Ares shakes his head, clearly annoyed. “Foolish mortal,” he scoffs. “War is its own reward.”
END OF INTERLUDE
♪ Theme Music: “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” By War♪
Angel disembarks from the plane, followed by his fellow Champions. As they do so, they notice that Ironman is standing on the small landing field, waiting for them. His arms are at his sides, and his stance shows that he is prepared for battle, if such is necessary. After all of the Champions have exited the plane, the Angel walks towards Ironman.
“What’s this all about Ironman?” Angel asks. “I thought you and I settled our differences long ago.”
“This has nothing to do with that,” Ironman responds. “I’m here on official business.”
“Official business?” Black Widow asks. “What are you talking about?!”
“I’ve been asked to meet you,” Ironman responds. “And bring you in for a debriefing.”
“A debriefing?!” Iceman asks, incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“How’d he even know we just paid the Reds a visit?” Black Goliath ponders aloud.
“Don’t under-estimate how connected Ironman is,” Black Widow responds. “He’s got plenty of contacts at the Pentagon from his employers’ defense ties.”
“It matters not,” Hercules remarks, stepping forward with authority, in front of his comrades. “’Twill be but a simple matter to explain to Ironman the importance of our mission.”
“Back off, Hercules!” Ironman orders, holding out his palms, as if preparing to fire his repulsor blasts. “You and your allies risked an international incident by going to Russia. The Reds are likely to blame the U.S. for an unprovoked attacks against their country. We have enough problems when an airplane crosses over their territory…much less something like this!”
“Now, wait a minute, Ironman!” the Angel interjects. “We went to the Soviet Union because we had to. We got word that they were holding a war hero, and had been for years!”
“A war hero?” Ironman asks, his eyes showing interest from behind the slits of his armored mask. “Who?”
“Bucky!” Iceman exclaims, exasperated.
“Bucky?!” Ironman responds, incredulous. “Do you have any idea how many Bucky sightings there have been since Cap returned?!”
“No,” Winter Soldier replies, stepping forward, “but I think it’s safe to say that this one’s real.”
Ironman looks at Winter Soldier, surprised by the resemblance from the Bucky photos he has seen. But he is still skeptical, having full knowledge of the robots and others who were passing themselves off as Bucky over the years.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ironman replies. “I’ve seen plenty of duplicates over the years. There was a Cap and Bucky duplicate that popped up a few months ago, and fought Cap and Falcon down in Miami.”***
[***An obvious reference to Captain America #153-157.]
“We do not have time for this,” Darkstar comments. “Does he not understand the importance of granting asylum to those once persecuted by the Soviet government?”
“Look,” Ironman interjects. “I don’t have time to argue with you right now. I’ve been asked to bring you in for a debriefing. I’m not risking an atomic shooting match over your jaunt to Russia. Come on in and we won’t have any problems. I don’t want to hurt any of you…!”
“Hurt?!” Hercules’ face grows red with anger, as he steps forward, slamming a powerful fist into Ironman’s face. The blow lifts the armored Avenger straight into the air, and sends him flying back one hundred feet, smashing into a small hanger, and quickly disappearing inside the tin-roofed hanger. “Thy impudence hath riled e’en the mild-tempered prince of power!”
The Angel holds his face in his hands, and slowly exhales. “So much for diplomacy,” he sighs.
“All right then!” Ironman exclaims, firing his repulsor blasts at Hercules, Iceman, and Darkstar, scattering them! “Let’s just do this the hard way then!”
“Fine with me, pal!” Johnny Blaze returns, his face replaced by a blazing skull. He leaps onto a waiting motorcycle, which immediately erupts with hellfire! “I’ve always wanted to know how your armor would stand up to hellfire!” He then shoots a blast of hellfire at Ironman, striking him in the chest, and knocking him from the sky! “Let’s just find out right now!”
As Ironman tumbles across the ground, he comes to the realization that this group has more power than he realized.
“This whole hellfire thing gets under my skin,” Ironman thinks to himself, as he rises to one knee, and makes adjustments to the discs on the palms of his gauntlets. “The whole arcane arts thing has never made much sense to me, but I do know that my armor can’t take many more of those heat blasts of his.”
“You know what,” Ironman responds, blasting Ghost Rider with his repulsor blasts, hitting him in the upper chest and neck, knocking him off his motorcycle and sending him skidding along the ground, as his motorcycle continues moving forward, out of control, until it flips over and spins along the ground until it finally comes to a stop. “I don’t think I really want to find out!”
“A few years ago,” Ghost Rider comments, getting to his feet, “that kind of fall might have landed me in the hospital, or worse.” With that, he throws hellfire balls at Ironman. “But I’m not that man anymore!”
“I can see that,” Ironman responds, taking to the air, narrowly avoiding the hellfire balls, even as Ghost Rider continues his assault. “But you can still go down with the right ammunition fired at you.”
“That’s true of everybody!” Iceman calls out, sending ice from his fingertips, which quickly coalesces around Ironman, surrounding him and encasing him within a thick block of ice. “Let’s see how your armor’s circuitry handles some old fashioned arctic ice!”
“He’s more right than he knows,” Ironman thinks to himself. “I had to make adjustments in the armor to fly at a certain altitude because of the temperatures in upper atmospheres. Still, there’s only so much concentrated ice like this that my armor can take!”
Iceman and Darkstar watch as Iceman, encased in ice, falls back toward the ground. “Not bad,” Iceman comments, his hands on his hips.
“You’ve delayed him,” Darkstar returns, “but…”
Before she can complete her sentence, Ironman’s repulsor blasts have done it for her, blasting him out of his icy prison moments before he hits the ground. As he takes to the air once more, even as icy shards shoot out from the now destroyed ice prison. Seeing Darkstar in danger, Iceman erects a quick ice barrier, and the ice shards, some of them potential daggers, bounce harmlessly off the ice barrier.
“Look,” Ironman offers, as Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and Hercules stand below him. “There’s really no reason for us to fight. I just need to take you in for a debriefing.”
“A debriefing?!” Darkstar interjects. “The Soviet Union uses terms like that. Most of the time, when someone is taken by the State, they are never seen again.” Winter Soldier hears the fear in her voice, and realizes that he was the method by which some of those people may have ‘disappeared’.
“And we all know how much the feds would like to get their hands on us mutants!” Iceman adds.
“Oh, come on!” Ironman responds. “We’ve got mutants in the Avengers. In fact, you’ve fought them before!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Black Widow calls out. “What does the government want? I don’t think they want us. I think they want Bucky. They think he knows secrets that would help with the cold war effort. But they would be wrong. Bucky was just a pawn of the Soviet government. He was brainwashed and…!”
“I’m not going to argue with you, Widow,” Ironman replies, sending out blasts of energy at her feet. “I don’t know what he did for the Soviets or didn’t do for them. I know he was a war hero, and my dad spoke highly of him—and he was a hard man to impress, believe me. I didn’t ask for this assignment. I got a call from the president himself to bring you in. You just about stirred up an international incident by going to Russia the way you did.”
“Where’s Captain America?” Winter Soldier asks. “I’m sure he can settle all of this mess.”
“That’s classified,”**** Ironman responds sharply. “And it really doesn’t matter. I’m here, and you’re coming with me.”
[****Not to us, though. We know that Captain America and the Falcon are dealing with the SHIELD Super-Agents and Nick Fury, as relayed in Captain America #217-218.]
“Nay, Ironman!” Hercules replies, throwing his mace with the precision he has been known for in the millennia since he once threw discuses. “We shall not!” The mace strikes Ironman in the face mask, jerking his head back violently. His jet boots show a weaving trail, as he tries to maintain his flight pattern.
As the mace deflects from Ironman’s helmet, Angel reaches out and grabs it. He smiles from the feel of it in his hand. “This mace is amazing!” he thinks to himself. “I remember when Hercules and I did a similar stunt with Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo a couple of weeks ago.***** I’ve got to get me a mace like this!”
[*****We remember that scene from Champions #9, don’t we?]
The Angel swings the mace down, slamming it into the back of Ironman’s helmet, causing him to lose altitude and start to plummet towards the ground below.
As Ironman continues his descent, he manages to correct it enough so that he lands on the ground, instead of smashing into it. However, it doesn’t matter, because Hercules is ready for him. With a step forward, Hercules slams his mighty fist into Ironman’s helmet, jerking his head violently to the other side with the sheer impact of the blow. Ironman’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets from the power of Hercules’ blow. His knees give way, and he falls to the ground at Hercules’ feet.
“He hits like Thor’s hammer,” Ironman groggily remarks, as he manages to try to prop himself up on one hand. “Got to…” But, as Hercules continues to walk toward him, Ironman falls back, unconsciousness taking him.
“He’s out,” Black Goliath comments, kneeling down before him. “But he’ll be okay.”
“You’d better hope so!”
As the heroes turn around to see where the cocky challenge came from, they see Hawkeye, his arrow bent back against his bow. Behind him are Wonder Man, the Vision, Scarlet Witch, Yellowjacket, the Wasp, and the Black Panther.
“Ironman asked us to meet him here in case he needed backup,” Hawkeye explains. “A shame for y’all that he did. You can either give up now, or we’ll make you wish you had!”
NEXT ISSUE: The Champions vs. the Avengers!
CABLES OF CHAMPIONS
This issue is the first of a two-parter, which welcome the Champions back to the United States from their trip to Russia. There were some meetings between the Avengers and the Champions in the 70s, and some brief fights, largely due to the Doom/Magneto war that was taking place at the time, but this will be a more direct battle between the two teams.
For now, though, let’s turn our attention to the one letter I have from a previous issue…
1970s Champions was another exemplary issue. It was great to see John Jameson helping out the Champions! The Man-Wolf was a childhood favorite of mine, and it’s a pleasure seeing the character again! Also, as an old Spider-Man fan I must say that I fondly recall the classic Amazing Spider-Man #41-42 and I sincerely hope that John Jameson ges those powers again and joins the Champions.
“Highway to Hell” was certainly appropriate theme music to use during the Satana interlude! I never thought I’d be glad to see the Orb’s ugly face again, so to speak! Seriously, this bizarre Marvel villain’s return was a welcome sight. I notice you’re using a lot of horror-oriented characters: Man-Wolf, Satana, and the Orb (who ain’t no beauty contest winner). I guess the Ghost Rider brings that element into play.
The Winter Soldier storyline is coming along nicely, and seeing the original Red Guardian again was quite a pleasant shock! Great to see the return to Bucky unfolding with such intrigue! More Soviet Super Soldiers!
Reading your latest issue, I imagined myself being a kid in my local 7-11 and picking up the latest Champions off the stands in 1978.
Satana is one of Marvel’s hottest ladies (especially as drawn by John Romita Senior, my choice for artist for this series when I imagine it in my head visually), and I’m enjoying her appearances here. She’s one of those characters that makes a better villainess than a heroine.
-Ricky Powell
I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. As for John Jameson, I’ve always been a big fan of the old John Jameson stories from Amazing Spider-Man #41-42 as well, and have given some thought to restoring those powers myself. We’ll see what happens. The Man-Wolf identity is also interesting for the character.
John Romita Sr.’s art would certainly be welcome for this series. I also really enjoyed the Dave Cockrum covers from the original series. Either would draw the series quite well, I’m sure.
I also recall fondly those old days of picking up the comics at the local 7-11 (before they moved away), and that’s pretty much what I’d like to convey in these pages. I hope you continue to enjoy the series.
-Jeff Melton
Part I: Homecoming!
WHAT HAS COME BEFORE: Black Widow received word that Bucky Barnes, former World War II hero and more recently, the covert Soviet operative, Winter Solider, was still alive. The Champions then went to the Soviet Union, fighting Soviet heroes for the return of Bucky. They escaped Soviet airspace, and are now returning to the United States…
# # # # # # # # # #
♪ Theme Music: “Coming Home” By Fleetwood Mac♪
Flying along the shore of California, Captain Jameson adjusts the controls on the control panel. Seated at his side is the Angel, who is distracted in a phone conversation, in an early “car phone”, attached to the dash of his private jet. Seated behind them are the rest of the Champions, who are eager to get back home from their recent trip to the Soviet Union.*
[*As detailed in the previous three issues.]
Angel: “A singer? What are you talking about?”
Richard Fenster: “I’ve been working with her agent. I know you said you wanted to branch out.”
Angel: “Not in that direction! Besides, you’re supposed to be working on PR for the Champions!”
Richard Fenster: “I am! I am! I’ve been working overtime on your recent trip to the Soviet Union! I’ve been monitoring the polls.”
Angel: “Polls?! This is going to take some getting used to.”
Richard Fenster: “You’ll get the hang of it, Warren baby! Anyway, back to this girl. She’s on fire.”
Angel: “That’s not my kind of music.”
Richard Fenster: “It’s all the rage, man! Think of the profits you can get out of her.”
Angel: “We’ll talk about it later.”
Richard Fenster: “You’re going to miss on it the deal, Warren baby. She needs a good sponsor. From what I hear, she’s being courted by Roman Nekoba…”
Angel: “Roman Nek…?! Did they let that sleazy freak back in the country?! I don’t want to see him get his hooks in anyone.”
Richard Fenster: You’re all heart, man. That’s why I like you so much. So, what do you say? You gonna at least go see her?”
Angel: “Where is she playing?”
Richard Fenster: “She’ll be playing tonight. The girl’s on the rise, I tell ya!”
Angel: “All right, I’ll go. Just get back to your PR work. You’re supposed to be building up the Champions, not checking out some new diva.”
Richard Fenster: Don’t worry, m’man. I’ve got it covered.”
John Jameson sees a bright flash out of the corner of his eye, and turns towards it. Immediately, the small aircraft shakes from a sound akin to a loud thunderclap. Instinctively, the experienced Jameson grasps control over the steering wheel, and turns away from the sound of the apparent blast, even as the Angel replaces the phone, and turns to Jameson, as if expecting an answer.
“What was that?!” Iceman asks, calling from two seats back, as he looks around, trying to catch some sight of what made the plane shake as it did.
“It was a concussive blast of some kind,” Captain Jameson responds, “but I think we managed to steer away from it in time. It’s a good thing that we’ll be landing soon. I want to take a look at the plane, and make sure there’s no serious damage.”
“Good idea, John,” the Angel responds. “We’re just outside of L.A. now.” He turns around, looking at his teammates. “Is everyone all right?”
“We’re fine,” Black Widow replies.
“’Twill take much more than that insect sting to bother the prince of power!” Hercules responds, with his characteristically cocky smile.
“I think we’ve got our answer,” Jameson comments. As Angel turns to face him, he sees Ironman floating outside of the plane. Ironman is motioning for them to land the plane, even as he hovers in front of the plane, clearly visible from the front window.
“Ironman!” Angel exclaims. “What’s he doing here…stalking us?!” He shakes his head in disbelief.
“Ironman?!” Black Widow asks, surprised. “Why is he trying to get us to land?”
“I’m not sure,” Captain Jameson replies. “But, I don’t have a problem with his request. The last thing we need is a dogfight in a possibly injured plane at 30,000 feet.”
“No problem, John,” Angel responds. “Ironman’s a tough customer, and I don’t need to fight him again.”**
[**They first fought in Tales of Suspense #49.]
# # # # # # # # # #
INTERLUDE
♪ Theme Music: “Man on the Silver Mountain” By Rainbow ♪
Rampage leans over the pool table, striking the cue ball and watching with pleasure as the cue ball strikes the five ball, which in turn hits the seven ball, knocking it into the corner pocket. The Orb, however, has a different reaction. Even behind his orb-shaped helmet, his displeasure at what he is seeing could not be more obvious.
“I told you not to under-estimate me,” Rampage comments, with a sneer, as he walks around the table, checking the position of his two remaining balls—the five ball and the two ball.
“You haven’t won yet,” Orb responds. “As soon as I get a shot…!”
“You can hang that up,” Rampage responds, leaning down and sinking the five ball. He backs up the cue ball expertly, setting up a great shot on the two ball. “I’m running the table. You ain’t getting a shot!”
The Orb holds the cue stick in his right hand, while looking at the table. He sees the shots that Rampage needs to take, and regrets not taking the first shot. He hates to lose, but isn’t ready to concede…yet.
“As soon as y’all are done hoggin’ the pool table,” the Incinerator comments, looking over at the Orb and Rampage, “me an’ Whiplash are ready to shoot some pool ourselves.”
“Patience, Roosevelt,” the Orb responds. “I’m gonna win my money back in the next game.” As he says that, he notes that Rampage has already sunk the two ball, and lined up his shot on the eight. He rolls his eyes under his helmet.
“Roosevelt’s right, Orb!” Whiplash says, cracking his whip, and knocking lined-up bottles on a half-wall, shattering them easily with a flick of his wrist. “We’d like the pool table sometime today.”
“Your game will have to wait,” Ares comments with authority, walking through the room, as all eyes turn his way. “Follow me. We have much to discuss.”
“All right,” Rampage responds, quickly sinking the eight ball, as the Orb shakes his head under his helmet. “You’ve got my attention. There are some promises Satanna made that we need to talk about.”
“Yeah,” the Orb agrees. “And I need to see if you can live up to your promises.”
“Do you not know who I am?!” Satanna responds, appearing in a literal cloud of smoke, surprising even the cold Orb by the suddenness of her appearance. Whiplash runs his eyes up and down her scantily-clad body with great interest. Behind Whiplash, Madam Masque adjusts her metal mask slightly on her chin, as she inspects those around her. “There is none of your petty desires I could not instantly realize.”
“Really?” Rampage asks. “This I gotta see!”
“Are you not on your feet, and your body healed?!” Satanna asks, staring him in the eyes. She then turns, moving her shapely body away from him. “I should think you would be the last one to question my abilities.”
“Enough!” Ares calls out with unquestioned authority, as Satanna makes her way towards him. “There will be time for such petty matters later. For now, we prepare for our coming war.”
“War?” the Fly asks. “I’d better see some serious dough if you want me to sign on for a war.”
Ares shakes his head, clearly annoyed. “Foolish mortal,” he scoffs. “War is its own reward.”
END OF INTERLUDE
♪ Theme Music: “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” By War♪
Angel disembarks from the plane, followed by his fellow Champions. As they do so, they notice that Ironman is standing on the small landing field, waiting for them. His arms are at his sides, and his stance shows that he is prepared for battle, if such is necessary. After all of the Champions have exited the plane, the Angel walks towards Ironman.
“What’s this all about Ironman?” Angel asks. “I thought you and I settled our differences long ago.”
“This has nothing to do with that,” Ironman responds. “I’m here on official business.”
“Official business?” Black Widow asks. “What are you talking about?!”
“I’ve been asked to meet you,” Ironman responds. “And bring you in for a debriefing.”
“A debriefing?!” Iceman asks, incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“How’d he even know we just paid the Reds a visit?” Black Goliath ponders aloud.
“Don’t under-estimate how connected Ironman is,” Black Widow responds. “He’s got plenty of contacts at the Pentagon from his employers’ defense ties.”
“It matters not,” Hercules remarks, stepping forward with authority, in front of his comrades. “’Twill be but a simple matter to explain to Ironman the importance of our mission.”
“Back off, Hercules!” Ironman orders, holding out his palms, as if preparing to fire his repulsor blasts. “You and your allies risked an international incident by going to Russia. The Reds are likely to blame the U.S. for an unprovoked attacks against their country. We have enough problems when an airplane crosses over their territory…much less something like this!”
“Now, wait a minute, Ironman!” the Angel interjects. “We went to the Soviet Union because we had to. We got word that they were holding a war hero, and had been for years!”
“A war hero?” Ironman asks, his eyes showing interest from behind the slits of his armored mask. “Who?”
“Bucky!” Iceman exclaims, exasperated.
“Bucky?!” Ironman responds, incredulous. “Do you have any idea how many Bucky sightings there have been since Cap returned?!”
“No,” Winter Soldier replies, stepping forward, “but I think it’s safe to say that this one’s real.”
Ironman looks at Winter Soldier, surprised by the resemblance from the Bucky photos he has seen. But he is still skeptical, having full knowledge of the robots and others who were passing themselves off as Bucky over the years.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ironman replies. “I’ve seen plenty of duplicates over the years. There was a Cap and Bucky duplicate that popped up a few months ago, and fought Cap and Falcon down in Miami.”***
[***An obvious reference to Captain America #153-157.]
“We do not have time for this,” Darkstar comments. “Does he not understand the importance of granting asylum to those once persecuted by the Soviet government?”
“Look,” Ironman interjects. “I don’t have time to argue with you right now. I’ve been asked to bring you in for a debriefing. I’m not risking an atomic shooting match over your jaunt to Russia. Come on in and we won’t have any problems. I don’t want to hurt any of you…!”
“Hurt?!” Hercules’ face grows red with anger, as he steps forward, slamming a powerful fist into Ironman’s face. The blow lifts the armored Avenger straight into the air, and sends him flying back one hundred feet, smashing into a small hanger, and quickly disappearing inside the tin-roofed hanger. “Thy impudence hath riled e’en the mild-tempered prince of power!”
The Angel holds his face in his hands, and slowly exhales. “So much for diplomacy,” he sighs.
“All right then!” Ironman exclaims, firing his repulsor blasts at Hercules, Iceman, and Darkstar, scattering them! “Let’s just do this the hard way then!”
“Fine with me, pal!” Johnny Blaze returns, his face replaced by a blazing skull. He leaps onto a waiting motorcycle, which immediately erupts with hellfire! “I’ve always wanted to know how your armor would stand up to hellfire!” He then shoots a blast of hellfire at Ironman, striking him in the chest, and knocking him from the sky! “Let’s just find out right now!”
As Ironman tumbles across the ground, he comes to the realization that this group has more power than he realized.
“This whole hellfire thing gets under my skin,” Ironman thinks to himself, as he rises to one knee, and makes adjustments to the discs on the palms of his gauntlets. “The whole arcane arts thing has never made much sense to me, but I do know that my armor can’t take many more of those heat blasts of his.”
“You know what,” Ironman responds, blasting Ghost Rider with his repulsor blasts, hitting him in the upper chest and neck, knocking him off his motorcycle and sending him skidding along the ground, as his motorcycle continues moving forward, out of control, until it flips over and spins along the ground until it finally comes to a stop. “I don’t think I really want to find out!”
“A few years ago,” Ghost Rider comments, getting to his feet, “that kind of fall might have landed me in the hospital, or worse.” With that, he throws hellfire balls at Ironman. “But I’m not that man anymore!”
“I can see that,” Ironman responds, taking to the air, narrowly avoiding the hellfire balls, even as Ghost Rider continues his assault. “But you can still go down with the right ammunition fired at you.”
“That’s true of everybody!” Iceman calls out, sending ice from his fingertips, which quickly coalesces around Ironman, surrounding him and encasing him within a thick block of ice. “Let’s see how your armor’s circuitry handles some old fashioned arctic ice!”
“He’s more right than he knows,” Ironman thinks to himself. “I had to make adjustments in the armor to fly at a certain altitude because of the temperatures in upper atmospheres. Still, there’s only so much concentrated ice like this that my armor can take!”
Iceman and Darkstar watch as Iceman, encased in ice, falls back toward the ground. “Not bad,” Iceman comments, his hands on his hips.
“You’ve delayed him,” Darkstar returns, “but…”
Before she can complete her sentence, Ironman’s repulsor blasts have done it for her, blasting him out of his icy prison moments before he hits the ground. As he takes to the air once more, even as icy shards shoot out from the now destroyed ice prison. Seeing Darkstar in danger, Iceman erects a quick ice barrier, and the ice shards, some of them potential daggers, bounce harmlessly off the ice barrier.
“Look,” Ironman offers, as Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and Hercules stand below him. “There’s really no reason for us to fight. I just need to take you in for a debriefing.”
“A debriefing?!” Darkstar interjects. “The Soviet Union uses terms like that. Most of the time, when someone is taken by the State, they are never seen again.” Winter Soldier hears the fear in her voice, and realizes that he was the method by which some of those people may have ‘disappeared’.
“And we all know how much the feds would like to get their hands on us mutants!” Iceman adds.
“Oh, come on!” Ironman responds. “We’ve got mutants in the Avengers. In fact, you’ve fought them before!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Black Widow calls out. “What does the government want? I don’t think they want us. I think they want Bucky. They think he knows secrets that would help with the cold war effort. But they would be wrong. Bucky was just a pawn of the Soviet government. He was brainwashed and…!”
“I’m not going to argue with you, Widow,” Ironman replies, sending out blasts of energy at her feet. “I don’t know what he did for the Soviets or didn’t do for them. I know he was a war hero, and my dad spoke highly of him—and he was a hard man to impress, believe me. I didn’t ask for this assignment. I got a call from the president himself to bring you in. You just about stirred up an international incident by going to Russia the way you did.”
“Where’s Captain America?” Winter Soldier asks. “I’m sure he can settle all of this mess.”
“That’s classified,”**** Ironman responds sharply. “And it really doesn’t matter. I’m here, and you’re coming with me.”
[****Not to us, though. We know that Captain America and the Falcon are dealing with the SHIELD Super-Agents and Nick Fury, as relayed in Captain America #217-218.]
“Nay, Ironman!” Hercules replies, throwing his mace with the precision he has been known for in the millennia since he once threw discuses. “We shall not!” The mace strikes Ironman in the face mask, jerking his head back violently. His jet boots show a weaving trail, as he tries to maintain his flight pattern.
As the mace deflects from Ironman’s helmet, Angel reaches out and grabs it. He smiles from the feel of it in his hand. “This mace is amazing!” he thinks to himself. “I remember when Hercules and I did a similar stunt with Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo a couple of weeks ago.***** I’ve got to get me a mace like this!”
[*****We remember that scene from Champions #9, don’t we?]
The Angel swings the mace down, slamming it into the back of Ironman’s helmet, causing him to lose altitude and start to plummet towards the ground below.
As Ironman continues his descent, he manages to correct it enough so that he lands on the ground, instead of smashing into it. However, it doesn’t matter, because Hercules is ready for him. With a step forward, Hercules slams his mighty fist into Ironman’s helmet, jerking his head violently to the other side with the sheer impact of the blow. Ironman’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets from the power of Hercules’ blow. His knees give way, and he falls to the ground at Hercules’ feet.
“He hits like Thor’s hammer,” Ironman groggily remarks, as he manages to try to prop himself up on one hand. “Got to…” But, as Hercules continues to walk toward him, Ironman falls back, unconsciousness taking him.
“He’s out,” Black Goliath comments, kneeling down before him. “But he’ll be okay.”
“You’d better hope so!”
As the heroes turn around to see where the cocky challenge came from, they see Hawkeye, his arrow bent back against his bow. Behind him are Wonder Man, the Vision, Scarlet Witch, Yellowjacket, the Wasp, and the Black Panther.
“Ironman asked us to meet him here in case he needed backup,” Hawkeye explains. “A shame for y’all that he did. You can either give up now, or we’ll make you wish you had!”
NEXT ISSUE: The Champions vs. the Avengers!
CABLES OF CHAMPIONS
This issue is the first of a two-parter, which welcome the Champions back to the United States from their trip to Russia. There were some meetings between the Avengers and the Champions in the 70s, and some brief fights, largely due to the Doom/Magneto war that was taking place at the time, but this will be a more direct battle between the two teams.
For now, though, let’s turn our attention to the one letter I have from a previous issue…
1970s Champions was another exemplary issue. It was great to see John Jameson helping out the Champions! The Man-Wolf was a childhood favorite of mine, and it’s a pleasure seeing the character again! Also, as an old Spider-Man fan I must say that I fondly recall the classic Amazing Spider-Man #41-42 and I sincerely hope that John Jameson ges those powers again and joins the Champions.
“Highway to Hell” was certainly appropriate theme music to use during the Satana interlude! I never thought I’d be glad to see the Orb’s ugly face again, so to speak! Seriously, this bizarre Marvel villain’s return was a welcome sight. I notice you’re using a lot of horror-oriented characters: Man-Wolf, Satana, and the Orb (who ain’t no beauty contest winner). I guess the Ghost Rider brings that element into play.
The Winter Soldier storyline is coming along nicely, and seeing the original Red Guardian again was quite a pleasant shock! Great to see the return to Bucky unfolding with such intrigue! More Soviet Super Soldiers!
Reading your latest issue, I imagined myself being a kid in my local 7-11 and picking up the latest Champions off the stands in 1978.
Satana is one of Marvel’s hottest ladies (especially as drawn by John Romita Senior, my choice for artist for this series when I imagine it in my head visually), and I’m enjoying her appearances here. She’s one of those characters that makes a better villainess than a heroine.
-Ricky Powell
I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. As for John Jameson, I’ve always been a big fan of the old John Jameson stories from Amazing Spider-Man #41-42 as well, and have given some thought to restoring those powers myself. We’ll see what happens. The Man-Wolf identity is also interesting for the character.
John Romita Sr.’s art would certainly be welcome for this series. I also really enjoyed the Dave Cockrum covers from the original series. Either would draw the series quite well, I’m sure.
I also recall fondly those old days of picking up the comics at the local 7-11 (before they moved away), and that’s pretty much what I’d like to convey in these pages. I hope you continue to enjoy the series.
-Jeff Melton