“The Avengers Break Up!”
But first they play wargames.
Afterwards, Cap basically tells them he’s better than all of them combined.
Then, Iron Man proposes Rick Jones for membership saying “Why don’t we make his membership in the Avengers official, as the Wasp’s is…” I could be generous and say that Wasp is Giant-Man’s sidekick, and Jones has become Captain America’s sidekick, so that’s why he’s comparing a powerless kid to an adult woman who can shrink, fly, and shoot blasts. But it’s probably sexism. Yeah. Definitely.
Cap isn’t in favor so they fight.
Cap kicks all their asses.
Why talk when you can fight? This kind of proves his point at the top of the issue, where Cap told them he could beat them all up.
Cap objecting because, “That decision is for me to make!” is also suspect. I mean, Rick hangs out with Cap. He’s not his slave.
The team then takes on Immortus.
He is pledging for membership in the Masters of Evil frathouse…
…so they make him kidnap Rick Jones as a way to control Cap.
Cap has no real trouble saving him.
By the end of the issue, the entire story is erased when Enchantress sends them all back to before it happened.
Now, in the modern world, we know that Immortus is Kang and is also Nathaniel Richards. And also Rama Tut. But in 1964, that wasn’t even an idea yet. So it’s odd that in the very next issue, Kang is the villain.
I like it when Avengers gets all parlaimentarian. Iron Man leaves the team.
Then, Spidey hangs out with the team and they fight Kang.
It’s not a great issue. Neither of these are, and they’re only loosely a two-parter.
They feel very random. Like this: In #10, Thor puts on short-shorts (I’m certain that’s a coloring error) and coins The Avengers’ slogan for the first time.
It has been fixed in reprints.
