Ultron has returned and so has Comic Book Classics Revisited!  Today, the Ultron Handbook will continue our last story arc as we feature The Avengers (1998) #20.  In part one, Ultron got busy kidnapping some key people (including the Grim Reaper and Hank Pym) and then decided to level the small Baltic country of Slorenia.  Now, the Avengers must fight back to finally put an end to this robotic monster!

The Avengers arrive at the Pentagon to discuss this whole Ultron issue.  Justice and Firestar, being newbies to the team, discuss why the Black Panther was invited by Captain America because (as we would learn in the marvelous Marvel Knights Black Panther series happening back during this time) it seems Panther only originally joined the Avengers to spy on them.  Being overheard by Cap, the two noobs are quickly silenced by the Star-Spangled Avenger.  Not only that, but before being taken into a war room by the escorting army major, Thor gives Justice some things to chew on about allies close enough to be a brother.  Needless to say, Justice has no further words about the presence of Black Panther.

So the Major shows the Avengers what video footage they have beyond what they previously saw on the news.  While the Major calmly, and nearly emotionless, describes how Ultron’s forces started the attack at 8pm and within mere minutes wiped out Slorenia’s defenses and destroyed every possible route out of the country.  Then, came the intimate aspect of the battle.  Ultron quickly destroyed the Slorene army.  Next came a long-thought defunct secondary force of zombie soldiers which were also mowed down.  Finally, the cybernetic Black Brigade entered the battle, but Ultron destroyed the mechanized being that gave Iron Man troubles without a struggle. After all the state-sponsored forces failed, a folkloric creature named Ember took on Ultron and was similarly destroyed.  Once all resistance was squashed, Ultron’s drones guarding the border marched inward.  In a short three hours, Ultron murdered every man, woman, and child in Slorenia.  Ultron then issued a video to the nations of the world declaring Slorenia was dead, but it will also serve as the birthplace for his new race that will inhabit his new world.

It is decided the Avengers will lead the international coalition that will attempt to invade Slorenia and contain Ultron.  Cap explains that Justice will need to return to New York based on his injury suffered previously, but they will be joined by Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wonder Man, and Wasp who are all investigating the kidnapping of Hank Pym that went missing thanks to some pretty distinct looking robots.  We learn these four Avengers are specifically chosen to investigate it as they are considered the “closest” to Hank Pym through his association with Ultron.  Here’s a diagram of these relationships:

Jan gives us all a nice catch up about Hank’s creation of Ultron, his relationship with her and his fall as an Avenger.  All of it told in beautiful sepia-toned George Perez artwork too (I go into further detail later).  Suddenly a whole bunch of Ultrons pop out and engage the Avengers.  At first, it seems the Avengers have the upper hand, but, in time, Ultron is able to knock them all out with his handy dandy encephalo-ray.

In airships designed for S.H.I.E.L.D. by Stark-Fujikawa, the Avengers and the United Nations troops are rushing headlong into war against Ultron.  They have been made aware of the teammates that have been taken.  As they creep ever closer to the Slorene border, back in New York, Justice has returned to Avengers Mansion with a fire burning to find out anything and everything about Ultron.  He orders Jarvis to bring him everything they have on the robot while he heads to the computer room.

Under the parliament building in downtown Tblunka, Ultron reveals his plans to his six prisoners.  The Vision, Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch, Giant-Man, Wasp, and Grim Reaper will serve as the seeds to Ultron’s new master race!

Much of this issue is really picking up the pieces of the surprising final pages of the previous issue and the preparation for two absolutely bonkers (use of “bonkers” in best possible way ever) issues.  However, there is something in this issue that is a wonderful education opportunity for a often under-appreciated character in Marvel history.  Considering his recent “demise”, I think we should take a closer look at Hank Pym, a.k.a. Ant-Man, a.k.a. Giant Man, a.k.a. Goliath, a.k.a. Yellowjacket.

We know from previous installments of Comic Book Classics Revisited that he created Ultron as a sort of Frankenstein experiment to give life and consciousness to artificial intelligence.  We also know that went horribly wrong.  I’ve touched upon how he would later suffer other emotional issues, but this issue gives the best summary of Hank’s troubles.

After we get Jan’s reiteration of Hank’s creation of Ultron, we get into the real serious stuff.  Shortly after the first appearances of Ultron, Hank would get a face full of a gas that would create something of a mental breakdown.  This would create a Hank that was cockier and much less nervous and weird, and, naturally, finally got Jan to want to marry him.  This seems to be okay for a while until Hank was captured by Ultron (in a story that came during the late 70s), and brainwashed by his creation.  He would be reverted back to his Ant-Man persona until Janet stopped him.

Now, this is where things get kind of interesting.  When Janet stopped Hank, this created a deep-seeded embarrassment within Hank.  Here he was, a successful scientist, founding Avenger, and even the team’s leader on more than one occasion stopped by his originally ditzy and socialite hanger-on.  Other embarrassments would follow when Hank finally did something pretty reprehensible…

If you read some of what Jan is saying, though, you’ll find something really interesting.  It’s easy to go one way or another – say Hank is a total asshole and hit his wife because he’s a bastard or go completely in the other direction by trying to find a way to make it Jan’s fault.  Don’t ask me how you can possibly make it Jan’s fault, but whatever…  Anyway, Jan doesn’t blame herself, but takes some responsibility as to Hank’s demise.  You can’t ignore the fact he had some problems, and some, arguably, existed before the gassing in the line of duty and other problems that came along.  However, she owns up to some of how she treated him as well – he loved her and she kinda simply ignored that or tried to push him one way or another or used him, etc.  So she understands that maybe she wasn’t always the best thing for him too.

Look, I’m not making any excuses for either one.  He shouldn’t hit his lady, but this is a couple that has a lot of realism to them.  Many people will hit their lover out of a moment of intense anger or frustration.  As much as that shouldn’t happen, it does.  But I’m tired of talking about that sort of stuff.  What I do want to say is that this realism is why I’ve always rooted for these two to be together.  I simply cannot think of one without the other.  I hated seeing Jan get involved with Havoc in Uncanny Avengers, not because I’m some mouth-breathing fanboy who just think that relationship is wrong for whatever reason mouth-breathing fanboys would say it’s wrong, but because I want Jan and Hank to have their happily ever after.  (Her eulogy for him at the end of Rage of Ultron was heartbreaking for me.)

I can’t tell if this is Hank and Jan’s relationship unraveling or how my relationships tend to unravel.

We’ve reached the end of this edition of Comic Book Classics Revisited.  Go out this weekend, watch the crap out of Age of Ultron and come back on Monday when we’ll really get into some of the most badass of all-time badass Avengers stuff.  Oh! And don’t forget to have an enjoyable Free Comic Book Day, which just so happens to be the happiest day of the year!

(The exact look ladies give when I hand them my phone number.)