Avengers volume 3 #5 discussion post

[elspethdixon]

Avengers #5 - Accusation Most Foul



Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciler: George Perez

The Avengers face off against rival superhero team Squadron Supreme.

Meanwhile, Vision and Wanda's relationship (or lack thereof) is fraught and uncertain, and Jarvis makes ambrosial chicken picatta.

Comments

[elspethdixon]

I really love Thor and Jarvis's interactions in this issue (in this run as a whole, actually).

Vision, on the other hand, is so frustrating in his overly-diffident refusal to actually talk to Wanda. It's in character, though. He and Wanda took ages to finally confess their feeling to one another back in volume one, largely because Vision is so indecisive and reserved about feelings (his or anyone else's).

[eruiel]

This team is a bit of a hot mess. Carol puts the team in danger by refusing to disclose tactically important information to Steve, Clint can't stop mouthing off, Vision refuses to deal with his emotions, Tony is offering relationship advice, and Wanda has survivor's guilt over Simon. It looks like our poor Avengers need more than just combat training together.

My favourite panels this week were the sidelong glances. Tony looking at Wanda when Steve assures Vision. Steve looking at ogling Tony for no apparent reason in the plane.

Who wants to bet Jarvis received the first invitation to visit Asgard?

[marinarusalka]

I wanted to shake Carol in most of her scenes. Even if I didn't already how badly her actions are going to turn out, it doesn't take a genius to see that keeping Steve in the dark is a really bad idea! He's leading her into battle without knowing what her actual powers are! Carol is military, she knows better!

But then, Carol has a pretty long history of letting her sense of self-esteem depend on her powers, and also on how others see her.

She and Clint should form the Insecure Superheroes Support Group.

[eruiel]

Carol really should know better. I have to believe she is so far down the rabbit hole of denial that she can't even see how dangerous her actions are. As you say she's military of course her teammates would come first if she were in her right mind.

Sometimes you have to ask are the Avengers a superhero team or a superhero therapy group. Though that may be one and the same.

[marinarusalka]

I think any superhero team kind of has to function as a therapy group part of the time. After all, who else is going to do it? This is the Marvel Universe, after all, where most psychiatrists are supervillains. :-P

[eruiel]

Oh god, you reminded me of Dr. Faustus. How terrible is it to think you are getting help only to be manipulated? 616 can be so dark. It's a miracle everyone isn't afflicted with paranoia given the number of times people turned out to be villians or skrulls or brainwashed into doing terrible things. A superhero with a problem doesn't have a lot of places to go without revealing weakness to the enemy.

[marinarusalka]

Now I'm thinking that what 616 really needs is the therapist version of Night Nurse. It would have to be someone super-qualified, though, someone who can deal with everything from PTSD to survivor guilt to addiction to self-esteem issues to relationship counselling. That would be a hell of a job.

[elspethdixon]

Maybe they can open up a dimensional portal and kidnap MCU!Sam.