The Avengers and Infinity Inc. (And More!)

 

Mr. Universe returns for his 12th appearance as STF's greatest villain, and this time he is super-charged enough that it will take two teams to beat him.  Fortunately, this issue is 100 pages, so there will still be plenty of room left for some fun back-up tales!

My goodness, are we really on the march towards STF #5000?

Here are some larger views of this issue's individual stories:

Avengers Vs. Composite Superman

 

If you were wondering where the rest of the Totalitarians were while Super-Skrull was battling Metamorpho a few days ago, well here is a partial answer to that question.  Let's hope that teamwork from Earth's Mightiest Heroes wins the day!

The Avengers and Zatanna

 

It was a pretty controversial storyline when it was revealed that Zatanna erased some memories of her allies in the Justice League.  What would happen if she tried to pull the same stunt on Earth's Mightiest Heroes... and what would cause her to take such a drastic action?  The answers are only 60 cents away!

The Crimson Avenger and The Avengers in: "The Tragic Vow of Lee Travis!"

 

I felt that this team up idea from comics' historian and Patron of this blog Marc Tyler Nobleman was worthy of a follow up story.  Regular visitors, may remember the Crimson Avengers first encounter with Earth's Mightiest Heroes in STF #3271.  Thanks again for the idea, Marc!

The Avengers and Kamandi

 

Look, I have the same questions about how Kamandi was able to get the upper hand here that Chronos has.  But that's just what would have made me pick this issue up off of the shelves - just to see what shenanigans that Kang is up to this time around.

Martian Manhunter and The Avengers

 

This all-Kirby classic required some prep work before I could add in J'onn J'onzz.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes process:

The Sentry Vs. Black Adam

 

For the penultimate chapter in this 5-Part Tale, we see the solo Avenger that is ready to go one on one against a supercharged Black Adam!  It's a relief to finally get that menace out of the way... but wait, it feels like there is still a loose end. Oh yeah - Galactus is still out there!  Make sure you come back tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

The Avengers Vs. Black Adam

 

As we reach the mid-point of this 5-Part Tale, we see that Black Adam is using his cosmically charged power to tear through Earth's Mightiest Heroes!  One member of the team thinks they have what it takes to face him solo, though.  Who is it, and are they correct?  Make sure you come back tomorrow for Part Four!

The Avengers Vs. The Brotherhood of Evil

 

This would be a fun battle to see. The Brotherhood has a decent set of powers to draw upon - enough to give even The Worlds Mightiest Heroes pause.  I'm sure they would find a way to win in the end, but it woould be entertaining to watch them get there.

Kang and The Legion of Doom

 

Loki ended up its two-season Disney+ arc in such a way that Marvel can easily either continue with Kang as a main villain or move on from him to a different franchise wide antagonist.  I haven't heard of any concrete plans as to what direction the studio will go in, and I imagine we won't until Jonathan Majors' court case is settled one way or another.  

Avengers and The Teen Titans in "Mad March of the Mega-Men!"

 

I've had the Avengers meet The New Teen Titans on the blog - first in STF #1250, and then again in STF #3179, but for this Anniversary Issue, I thought it would be cool if Earth's Mightiest Heroes had an epic adventure with the original Teen Titans team.  With two such powerful teams, I needed to find adversaries that could give them a run for their money, and that's where the classic Kirby monsters come in!

Here are larger images of the individual stories:

The Avengers Vs. Chronos

 

Sure, there's Kang, The Lord of Time and others - but my favorite time traveling villain has always been Chronos.  I think it's because he was a foe of The Atom, who I also really like and that way cool creepy clock face mask he would wear.   The black and white striped leggings on the other hand... OK maybe he didn't have a perfect costume, but it worked for my young eyes!

The Avengers Vs. Doomsday

 

Doomsday pretty much took out the entire JLA before going one on one with Superman.  Would The Avengers have fared any better?  I'm not sure, but I would definitely want to read about the battle!  I guess it would all depend upon the roster.

The Avengers Vs. Felix Faust

 

When I posted my JLA Vs. The Mandarin cover a few days back, I received a bunch of requests for a follow up cover featuring the Avengers trapped by a JLA villain.  My favorite suggestion came from Dafydd Neal Dyar over on the Facebook Fan Page who mentioned using the classic cover from Justice League of America #10 as a template.  Thanks, Dafydd!

Sgt. Rock and The Avengers

 

I was watching some of the new DC Documentary on Max last night and Andy Kubert mentioned that his father Joe was a lot like one of the characters he was most famous for working on - Sgt. Rock.  I can belive it, as Rock is know for being a leader who never gives up, leads through example and inspires those around him.  Kubert not only worked as an artist for almost 70 years, he began a school that ushered in a new age of artists to follow his lead.  That's just one more reason that I consider him to be the greatest comic book artist ever.

Starman joins The Avengers

I think the Prince Gavyn Starman would have fit right in with the Bronze Age Avengers line up here.  I used to like when they would get into cosmic situations with the likes of Mar-Vell or the Guardians of the Galaxy, and his presence would provide a gateway to more epic storylines like those.  

 

The Avengers and Warlord

 

Marvel has had the jump on DC when it comes to getting their characters and concepts into the movies for a while now, but DC has had a few wins so far.  Getting their version of Atlantis on the screen before Marvel could introduce Namor was a big one.  Now I am wondering which prehistoric society will show up first - Warlord and Skartaris or Ka-Zar and the Savage Land?  I haven't heard of plans for either, but I hope we'll see one or the other in the next decade.

The Avengers Vs. Poison Ivy

 

It may seem like a lopsided match at first - But if Ivy was on her turf with the ability to turn an Avenger or three to her will through mind controlling spores or something, she just might give Earth's Mightiest Heroes a run for their money.  It would be fun to watch play out at any rate!

The Avengers Vs. The Crime Syndicate in: "Assembled... and Assaulted!"

 

This is the third meeting between these two teams, and this time around, I figured that I would opt for a Silver Age era match up.  They've previously had a Bronze Age style clash in STF #738, and entered into a Modern Age uneasy alliance in STF #3744...

The Avengers and The Crime Syndicate

 

The Avengers first crossed The Crime Syndicate's path in STF #738,  and I thought for this reunion it might be interesting to watch the two teams have to work together.  Just how long will their fragile truce last and what crisis would require such a partnership?  The answer is only 60 cents away!