AVENGERS '58 #3 Special Triple-Sized Issue - "The Claw Plays His Hand" Written by Bob Gansler

1958. Communists, aliens, terrorists. As the nation faced these many dangers, President Eisenhower brought together the greatest heroes of the day.

Marvel Boy - Super-powered youth armed with Uranian science
Venus - The goddess of love
3-D Man - The triple-powered protector
Gorilla Man - A human mind in the body of a beast
Human Robot - The mechanical marvel

Together, they protect America from the threats of this world and of others.

Bob Gansler presents: AVENGERS ‘58

SCHOMBURG RESEARCH LABORATORY – SOMEWHERE IN NEVADA

Inside of the Security Control Room, Bob Frank looked pensively at the maps in front of him. Centering his attention on the expanded map of the state of Nevada, he noted the locations of the pins along the California border. He shrugged his shoulder and returned to his desk. Based on the communication he had received from Washington, his 'special visitors' should be arriving any minute.

"Any minute?" Frank thought. "The rocketship of that Marvel Boy must be a whole lot faster than Namor's flagship. Even his bird couldn't make that kind of speed cross-country." Namor. It had been a long time since Bob Frank had last seen his old teammate in the Invaders, the Liberators, and the All-Winners Squad. He wondered what Namor was up to these days. After the dissolution of the Squad, Namor had apparently returned to Atlantis. He had reappeared for a while a few years back, but then suddenly disappeared again. There had not been any sightings of the Sub-Mariner since then.

"Who knows what he could be doing," Frank thought. Namor always had been a different type of fellow. Frank figured it could be attributed to the prince's half-human, half-Atlantean biology. Namor had been doing his darnedest back in 1940 to destroy the human race, then he joined up to fight the Axis hordes.

Frank's thoughts moved on from Namor. He had serious situation here. It was without a doubt the most serious situation he ever had to deal with since he hung up his yellow and blue costume. It even paled in comparison to that near accident back in 1949. The consequences of that situation were not as great as what might result from this problem, but the personal consequences of that near-meltdown of nearly a decade were more painful that even the, heaven forbid, worst case scenario today.

"My son, my wife," Frank thought grimly. They were the toll of that accident. In some respects, the complete destruction of California at the hands of the Yellow Claw just did not have the same effect on him. Maybe he was jaded, perhaps he was just bitter at life. He had wandering for a few years since Maddie's death, before he picked himself up and got back into the security business. The government had rehired him without a second thought and given him this plumb assignment. They were apparently quite confident in his ability to do the job.

"Ha, some Security Director I am," he mocked himself. "The Claw comes in here and steals a bunch of the atomic weapons under my protection, and I don't even have a clue of how he did it." He decided that spending time trying to ascertain the nature of the security breach was unimportant right now. Stopping the Yellow Claw from detonating the devices along the border was paramount.

The phone rang and Frank, although he was at the other end of the room, picked it up before it could finish its first ring. It was the guards at the front gate calling. The 'special visitors' had arrived. Frank gave orders for them to be escorted to his office.

A few moments later, Marvel Boy, Venus, Gorilla-Man, 3-D Man, and the Human Robot came walking into Frank's office. "I'm Bob Frank, Security Director of Schomburg Research Lab. I know some of you, at least by reputation." He showed them to a conference table where they all sat down.

Once they were seated, Marvel Boy was the first to speak. "If I may, Mr. Frank, I'd like to introduce the rest of the Avengers. The beauteous blonde is Venus, as in the real goddess of love. Our simian member is Gorilla-Man. The fellow in the Christmas colors is 3-D Man, and the metallic marvel is the one we call the Human Robot. I'm Marvel Boy, as I'm sure you are well aware."

Gorilla-Man snarled under his breath. Marvel Boy had apparently assumed de facto leadership of the team. Then there was that superiority complex he displayed. Gorilla-Man became more resolute in his decision that this would be a one-time tour of duty for him with the Avengers. Once California was saved, he was done and would go back to Africa.

"What was that, G-Man?" Marvel Boy asked.

"Nothing," Gorilla-Man sighed. "Let's get on with it, OK? We got a whole state to save and not much time to do it."

Everyone's eyes went to the antique clock on the wall. Time was running out for California. If they did not recover the atomic devices from the Yellow Claw in less than twenty-five hours, the President would have to cede California to that Oriental menace or watch the Golden State sink into the Pacific.

"Gorilla-Man's correct," Frank agreed. "We don't have much time." Time. The thought burned him deep. Here he was, Bob Frank, one of the fastest men in the world, maybe the fastest (He, Hurricane, Spitfire, and Mercury never did have that race back during the war), and he was worrying about time. That relentless enemy of time had caught up to him somewhat. Sure, he still had his speed, but his endurance had become decidedly reduced from his heyday. The Lab medics said that overuse could cause complications with his heart, so Frank had limited the use of his super-speed.

The phone rang again. "For the love of Mike," Frank hissed. "I told them I wasn't to be disturbed once the costumed types got here." He raced across the room to his desk. Once again, he had answered the phone before the second ring sounded.

"Whoa!" 3-D Man exclaimed. "Even I'm not that fast." He then began a discussion with his teammates about who Bob Frank might be. Marvel Boy was unwilling to participate. He simply slumped back in his chair and folded his braceleted arms across his chest.

Frank hung up the phone and returned to the conference table. "That was some of the science boys. They said that they should have some better projections as to where the Claw will probably put the bombs to get the most bang for the buck. They also said that they'd be bringing over some new super-sensitive Geiger counters to help you track them down."

Marvel Boy put his hands on the table. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Whizzer. I already have some radiation detectors of Uranian design aboard the Silver Bullet. I'm certain that they will be much more effective than your Earth-tech models."

Frank was stunned. Both by Marvel Boy's deduction of his alter-ego as well as the arrogance of his attitude. The other Avengers looked at each other in amazement at Marvel Boy's pronouncement.

"I see," Frank replied. He went over to the map again. "These pins show our initial projections as to where the Claw will detonate the devices. You'll notice that there are five locations, one for each of you, conveniently." He put his finger to each pin, one by one. "Bryant, Hammelburg, Sandy Flats, Lockton, and Otisville." He stepped away from the map. "The brain boys should have better projections soon. The police and National Guard are already evacuating those areas."

"What about the state of California?" the Human Robot asked. "Are all of its inhabitants being evacuated?"

"No," Frank shrugged. "There's no way we could evacuate an entire state. The President is confident that you Avengers, is that what you're calling yourselves, can handle it. Otherwise, I suppose he'll just have to give in to the Claw."

"He would give in to terrorists?" Venus exclaimed. "Then again, I suppose that's wise. The loss of life would be staggering."

"So," Gorilla-Man growled. "What do we do now while we wait for the eggheads to go crazy with their slide rules? Twiddle our thumbs?"

"If I could, Mr. Frank," 3-D Man inquired. "I was wondering it you ever hear from your old teammate, Captain America?" The star-spangled crimefighter had been an idol to both Hal and Chuck Chandler.

"Hey, yeah," Gorilla-Man interjected before Frank could answer. "He popped back into the limelight a few years ago, along with a kid Bucky. Were they the real McCoys?"

Bob Frank knew that this 'Captain America' was not the genuine article. Nor were either of the men who wore the guise when the Whizzer was their teammate in the All-Winners Squad. He had seen the newsreels and heard the radio broadcasts of the man who appeared in 1954 – a man who claimed to be Captain America. The voice was the same, the face was the same, but the Whizzer knew that it could not be him. He was among the very few people that knew that Steve Rogers, Captain America, and Bucky Barnes had died off of the coast of Newfoundland in the last days of the war.

The Daily Bugle had somehow gotten wind of the event and published the story. The government quickly denied the report and convinced the former Crusader, Spirit of '76, to become the new Captain America. His career was short-lived, perishing at the hands of the nefarious android, Adam-II. The Patriot took over the role, and along with former Yankee batboy Freddy Davis as Bucky, he continued the legend of Captain America.

Bob Frank had contacted Jeff Mace, the former Patriot and the third Captain America, when the new man claiming to be the Sentinel of Liberty first appeared in 1954 at the United Nations Building. Jeff had no knowledge of this new crusader bearing the shield. With his government contacts, Bob discovered that the 'Feds' had no hand in the creation of this new replacement. Who this Captain America was, and the circumstances behind his disappearance were unknown.

"Well, it couldn't have been the original Bucky," 3-D Man pointed out. "He couldn't have been that young still. Besides, I thought Bucky had retired when Cap picked up that new partner, Golden Girl, back in '48."

"If you'll let me answer the question," Frank finally said. "I haven't talked with Captain America for years."

Venus could detect the pain that Frank was hiding. There were also some feelings of lost love that she sensed for a moment. The past was obviously a painful subject for him. She decided it would be better to focus on the future. "Mr. Frank, once we have the more specific coordinates, won't you join us?"

"No," Frank smiled weakly. "My superheroing days are long gone. After ... after some personal problems, I just couldn't put on the costume anymore. Besides, it's about time that a new generation of heroes takes hold." Frank wished that he could believe the words that he was saying. If it were not for his heart condition, he would be joining them on the mission. As it was, his condition would make him more of a liability than an asset.

"Some hero he is, shirking away from danger." Gorilla-Man griped.

"Give him a break, monkey breath." The 3-D Man got up in Gorilla-Man's face. "The Whizzer has done his part for the country. It's up to us now to carry on the torch."

Gorilla-Man rose as well. He growled lowly and then sat back down.

A pair of laboratory technicians came rushing in with sheets of paper. They handed a sheet to each Avenger. They briefly explained the information and explained how the bombs might be deactivated, and then left the room.

Marvel Boy rose to his feet first. "Well, this is what we need team. I'll hand out the detectors aboard the Silver Bullet." Once his teammates had also risen, he continued. "Let's have the cheer, Avengers."

All of the Avengers joined in unison. "Go, Avengers, Go!!!" They expressed their thanks to Frank and then rushed out towards the Silver Bullet.

"Ok, Claw," Frank whispered with a tear in his eye once the Avengers had left. "Here they come!"

Aboard the Silver Bullet, the Avengers took their seats as Marvel Boy plotted a course for the five locations. There was already a passenger inside of the vessel, the comatose form of Hal Chandler. 3-D Man sat down next to Hal and checked his brother's condition. Hal was the same as he ever was, whenever he summoned 3-D Man; Hal was comatose and would be for a period of three hours until 3-D Man had to return to non-existence within Hal's spectacles.

"Tell me again why we had to bring this kid along?" Gorilla-Man asked gruffly.

"The kid is my little brother, Hal," 3-D Man replied. "If it weren't for him, there wouldn't be a 3-D Man at all." He checked the watch on Hal's wrist. It had been nearly three hour since Hal had last summoned him. He had to return to the glasses, or Hal could die.

"Hey, Marvel Boy," 3-D Man called out. "Let me take whatever city is farthest. I have to disappear for a while." He turned to Venus. "Could you please explain to Hal what's going on? Have him summon me as soon as he has the strength."

Venus nodded. "I shall. Now take your rest before you do harm to your beloved brother."

3-D Man sighed. "OK, folks, gotta go. I hope when I see you next we'll have this situation all resolved." He took a deep breath and then relaxed. His body shimmered for a second and then separated into two ghostly forms – one green and one red. The forms hovered for a second and then disappeared into Hal's glasses.

Hal woke with a start. "What's going on? Where am I?" His head turned back and forth as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Don't worry, Hal," Venus said soothingly. "We're the Avengers. I'm sure your brother Chuck told you about us." She put her hand on his. Almost instantly, all sense of concern disappeared from Hal.

"Well, yeah," Hal stammered. He was not sure what Venus just did to him, but it certainly felt good. "Chuck told me about how you guys saved the President from the Yellow Claw. But what are you all doing together again? Last thing I remember, the 3-D Man was in Washington looking for Skrulls." He did have some memories of Chuck’s activities as the 3-D Man, but they were hazy this time, for some unknown reason.

"Skrulls?" Marvel Boy thoughts were filled with concern as he overheard the mention of the shape-shifting race. However, he said nothing of it. He would mention it to the Eternals back on Uranus, though. Poking his head back into the passenger compartment of the Silver Bullet, he said, "Venus, why don't you fill Hal in with what's going on? Robot, if you would give me a hand? I could use some help calibrating the detection devices."

The Human Robot rose from his seat and accompanied Marvel Boy to the rear compartments of the Silver Bullet, where the laboratory was located. Marvel Boy had already plotted a course and had programmed the Bullet's sensors to track the radiation signatures of the atomic devices. However, more precision was needed and that was where he needed the Human Robot's skills.

Marvel Boy had some energy tracking devices onboard the Silver Bullet, although they had been last used on a prospecting mission to one of the Uranian moons. The devices needed to be adjusted and he did not have the equipment to do so. However, the Human Robot's mechanical skills enabled the metallic marvel to produce the precise adjustments to recalibrate the devices.

Gorilla-Man grumbled something as Marvel Boy and the Human Robot walked by but they said nothing in reply. Marvel Boy was not going to let the beast-man antagonize him as Gorilla-Man typically did to 3-D Man. The Human Robot, on the other hand, had not developed an emotional capacity to be antagonized. The duo soon set to work on the recalibration task while Venus filled Hal in as to why the Avengers had reformed and what the mission was about.

A few minutes later, Marvel Boy and the Human Robot emerged from the laboratory, five radiation detectors in the their hands. Marvel Boy began to hand them out to the other Avengers. "OK, people, here are the detection devices. Think of them as souped-up Geiger counters. They're very simple to read. The dial gives you a direction, while the row of lights gives a measure of intensity. When all five of the red lights are on, you're within a hundred yards of the weapon."

Gorilla-Man pointed over at Hal. "So we're gonna trust 3-D Man's lame kid brother to find one of the bombs. You gotta be kidding me."

Hal adjusted his glasses. "Look, you King Kong wannabe, I didn't ask to be here. Besides, after a little while, I'll be able to bring back 3-D Man and he'll be able to do all the heavy work. We still have 24 hours to find the devices."

"Why I oughta!" Gorilla-Man fumbled with the belt straps that secured him to his chair. Before he get free himself, he was met by a powerful stare from Venus. His anger seemed to fade away and he slumped back into his seat quietly.

"If the histrionics are over now, we have a job to do." Marvel Boy spoke with an air of command. "I'll be letting everybody off, one by one in each of the target towns. Find the bombs as quickly as you can. Be prepared to encounter resistance from the Yellow Claw. I wouldn't be surprised if he had troops to secure each area. Expect them to mesmerized to stay there til the last instant."

The coordinates that the Schomburg staff had provided were still rather general. The 'coordinates' were more of a target range – on the order of square miles. Despite Marvel Boy's bravado, his detection devices were not a simple solution to the problem. The Silver Bullet's sensors had not narrowed down the search areas very much.

In the space of about fifteen minutes, Marvel Boy had dropped off each Avenger at a target site. He brought the Silver Bullet to a soft landing in the town square of Bryant. The town was completely deserted. Apparently, the National Guard had done a thorough job of evacuating the town.

He looked down at his detection device. It was picking up the scent, so to speak, of the atomic bomb. Marvel Boy wished that he could have done this aboard the Silver Bullet. However, the devices were so sensitive that the speed of flying would have made them useless. The devices needed to be carried by hand.

Marvel Boy kept one eye on the readout and the other in search of opposition. The Yellow Claw was too clever of a villain to leave the bombs unprotected. The question was what type of protection the yellow menace had provided. It would not matter, Marvel Boy thought. His Uranian-schooled intelligence would be more than a match for any defenses that the Claw had devised.

It was slow work tracking down the bomb. The radiation signature was so minute that it was quite difficult to get an exact reading. Many times Marvel Boy had to stop and wait for the detector to re-establish a lock. Sometimes these pauses lasted. Minutes added up into hours, and the clock ticked ever closer to doom for California.

Over in Hammelburg, Venus was encountering the same type of situation. The tracking of the atomic bombs was a long and arduous process. She thanked Jupiter that she had not encountered any opposition from the forces of Yellow Claw. She hoped that perhaps the Claw had left the bombs undefended, but she knew better than that.

In Sandy Flats, the Human Robot scoured the empty desert town in search of the atomic bomb. In a mechanical sort of way, he felt a sense of gratitude to the Yellow Claw. It was the actions of the Claw that had resulted in his 'robotic resurrection'. Now, this latest gambit of the Claw had resulted in a resumed interaction with humanity. He had learned much from his monitoring of TV and radio signals. Still, it was not the same as the real thing. As one of the Avengers, he had a chance to walk among humanity and a possibility of being accepted by it. America had embraced the Human Torch, and he was an android. Would they do the same with the less-human-in-appearance Human Robot? As he proceeded through his plotted course to pinpoint the location of the bomb, he wondered if his specially-treated robotic shell would be able to withstand the fury of his atomic blast. His creator had designed him to be extremely damage-resistant. The work that the Human Robot had done on himself had improved that capability. Would it be enough? He did not want to find out.

In the hot desert air, Hal Chandler struggled through the empty streets of Lockton. Sweat poured from his body, but he would not give up. The old Biblical phrase "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" came to mind. Hal had the mental fortitude to go on, but his lame body would not last much longer. Still, he could feel his inner strength returning. Soon, he would be able to free his brother Chuck from his weird imprisonment on Hal's glasses. Soon, the 3-D Man would be able to take over and find the bomb. Until then, however, Hal had to endure and close in as best he could upon the bomb's location.

Gorilla-Man cursed strongly as he lumbered through the rundown town that was Otisville. He cursed that arrogant Marvel Boy mostly for not telling him that the detectors were practically useless if they were moved quickly. "For crying out loud, I may as well be 3-D Man's crippled alter ego brother if I gotta move at this rate." He operated as quickly as he could, but the monotony of waiting for the detector to readjust every so often was trying his severely limited patience.

The detector had led Marvel Boy to the very edge of the town of Bryant. He checked the wrist chronometer that was strapped over his left bracelet. Time was running out. He needed to find the bomb quickly. A few minutes more of searching resulted in all five light in the detector being illuminated. The bomb was within one hundred yards of him. The readings indicated that the path to follow was due north, which led directly to the mouth of a cave. The situation had all the makings of an ambush. Marvel Boy would not fall for it, though.

He steeled himself and then raced forward. He thrust his right arm forward and activated the light jewel upon his bracelet. A beam of pure white light flowed from the jewel into the dark maw of the cave. Marvel boy first heard the screams of pain emanating from the cave. The eyes of the soldiers inside had become accustomed to the dark. The powerful illumination that Marvel Boy generated was too much for them.

Directing the beam back and forth as he approached, Marvel Boy could see that there were about a dozen men within the cave, all armed with rifles and bayonets. He smiled smugly as he predicted a swift outcome in his favor.

The soldiers rushed out of the cave at Marvel Boy as their eyes adjusted to the light of day. Marvel Boy deactivated the light jewel now, its effectiveness would be quite limited in the harsh desert sun. Besides, he was more than confident in his physical abilities to overcome the Yellow Claw's troops.

The mad rush of the soldiers intrigued Marvel Boy. He had assumed a bit more discipline from the minions of the Yellow Claw. A quick telepathic scan of the soldiers revealed the reason. As he had predicted, the Claw had mesmerized these men into protecting the bomb. They were committed to stay with the weapon until detonation. The men were left with little in terms of cognitive abilities.

Marvel Boy greeted the first soldier to reach him with a right cross to the chin. The soldier crumpled to the ground as Marvel Boy relieved him of his weapon. Using the rifle as a battle-staff, he quickly disarmed the rest of the soldiers. Once unarmed, the soldiers proved no real threat. Their weak attempt to overwhelm him with their numbers resulted in five of them being rendered unconscious via the butt of Marvel Boy's rifle.

Marvel Boy discarded the rifle and pummeled the remaining half-dozen soldiers with his fists. His Uranian-enhanced strength made quick work of them. Soon, all of the Yellow Claw's soldiers were unconscious.

Marvel Boy entered the cave, his light jewel once again shining before him. He found the bomb against the wall. He noted the remote control device that had been affixed to it. He ignored the remote control, and simply followed the deactivation instructions that the that the Schomburg technicians had provided. It was a nerve-wracking fifteen minutes for Marvel Boy. Once the procedure was complete, he wiped the sweat that was soaking his headband and hoped that his fellow Avengers would be as successful as he was.

Meanwhile in Hammelburg, Venus carried on with her search. Even to one to whom years passed like minutes, the duration of the task was becoming frustrating. Sometimes she wondered if her efforts here on Earth were truly worthwhile. There was always war on this planet. Her half-brother Mars reveled in it, but the goddess of love found it deplorable.

She looked down to her detector device. The fourth light had become illuminated. She was getting close to the target. Still, it was not a certainty that she would find the bomb in time. She knew that her godly form was not sufficient to withstand an atomic explosion. The sad fate of Neptune was proof of that. America almost paid the price at Neptunia’s hands for its responsibility for the fate of the sea god. Venus wondered if Neptunia had truly perished in the middle of that hurricane, or if the daughter of Neptune was still out there, the sea steaming with her hatred for America.

Venus put her mind back to the task at hand. The menace of Neptunia was a future possibility; the menace of the Yellow Claw was a certainty. She walked down Lincoln Street and kept a close eye on the detector’s pointer. It indicated ‘straight ahead’. Venus peered down the avenue and saw that it terminated a few blocks down at the entrance of an abandoned mine shaft.

"A mine shaft?" she thought. "A good place to hide a bomb." She reached out with her godly awareness, but she could sense no feelings of love. That was good - the National Guard must have evacuated the entire populace. The question was whether the Claw had troops stationed here as Marvel Boy predicted. She readied herself for battle. She was not fond of it, but she was more than capable.

As Venus stepped into the entrance of the mine shaft, the detector’s fifth light illuminated. She knew she was close. Suddenly, shots rang out and bullets came flying at her. They were not of sufficient caliber to penetrate her Olympian body, but they were painful nonetheless.

Venus dropped to the ground and sought cover. She found it behind a long-unused cart. She reached out with her power of love to minds of her assailants, but she found none of that emotion there. All she found was hatred and fear. She would have to do this the hard way.

Pushing the cart before her, Venus was able to shield herself from the hail of bullets. As she moved forward, she could make out clearly where the Claw’s minions were hiding. She sent the cart speeding in front of her and then dashed towards one of the soldiers.

With one solid punch, she laid the trooper low. She took his gun and hurled it away. She would not use deadly weapons; it was against her nature. A strange hissing sound came to her attention. She looked around and noticed that about twenty yards away, the dust was being disturbed by some invisible stream of gas. Venus immediately recognized the danger - methane. The gunfire could cause an explosion which might trigger the atomic bomb.

Venus called out to her assailants using her godly voice. All of them heard her words in his own language, although the soldiers of the Yellow Claw came from various nations. "This mine is filling with methane. If you continue to fire your weapons, there will be an explosion. If you value your lives, flee!" She reached out once again with the power of love. This time, she reached for the love of self of the soldiers - their sense of self-preservation.

The threat of methane was more understandable to them than that of an atomic bomb. Though they had been mesmerized by the Yellow Claw to protect the bomb to the very end, Venus was able to break through the mental programming. The soldiers’ love of life broke through and they ran madly out of the cave.

Venus dragged the unconscious soldier out of the mine and then re-entered in search of the bomb. The weapon was not difficult to find. It was placed at the end of the track about a hundred yards back from the entrance. She set herself to work to disarm the device.

Fifteen minutes later, Venus emerged with the bomb in her hands. It was now deactivated. She reached into the folds of her tunic and withdrew the small communicator with which Marvel Boy had provided all of the Avengers. She held the communicator close to her mouth. "This is Venus. Mission completed. Awaiting pickup."

While Venus was searching for her bomb, the 3-D Man was now on the scene in Lockton. Hal Chandler had persevered for as long as he could under the hot sun. He rested for a few hours. Then, finally, he had built up the inner strength to summon the 3-D Man once again.

The 3-D Man adjusted his goggles and checked the detector. He had relieved Hal of the device once Hal had summoned him. Now Hal's comatose body was safe in a fallout shelter underneath Lockton Middle School. 3-D Man needed to cover ground and in a hurry. Hal had done an admirable job, despite his condition, but the exact location of the atomic bomb would take some more time to find. Time was a commodity that was rapidly disappearing.

The Human Triple Threat had discovered that his triple-speed was not of much use in the search. Though he could dash around at nearly 70 miles per hour, the detector's systems would continue to become unbalanced when moved at an accelerated pace. He wondered if he was really being more effective by running around and then waiting for the detector to settle down.

He did not have much choice. Time was short. Thankfully, his method was actually working. The five lights on the detector were now illuminated. He was as close as the detector was going to get him. Putting the detector down on an empty mailbox, 3-D Man scanned his immediate surroundings. He concentrated on employing his triple-sensitive senses of sight and hearing. There was something going on inside of the Lockton Printing Press building. Assuming it was the Yellow Claw's troops inside, the 3-D Man wondered if they had sighted him, and, if so, would they attack and reveal their position.

If they had any sense, they would not attack until they were sure that the 3-D Man had spotted them. Then again, the 3-D Man remembered that he was probably dealing with mesmerized soldiers. They might not act logically. He figured that his best option was to take the fight to them.

He turned away from the building as if to investigate the grocery store next door. Suddenly, he whirled around and sprinted at his top speed of 90 miles per hour at a large glass window on the side of the Lockton Printing Press. A few wild shots rang out, but the shooters could not draw a bead on him. He came crashing through the window and was greeted with the sight of numerous armed soldiers, all wearing the emblem of the Yellow Claw. He ducked behind some large ink drums and planned his next move.

Bullets bounced off of the metal drums as the soldiers closed in on him. 3-D Man looked around for inspiration but found none. Then an idea struck him. He looked up the ceiling and estimated its height. He figured that he would be able to throw one of the drums that high.

The soldiers moved like lemmings on his position. 3-D Man crouched down lower and slipped his hands under one of the drums. Springing up, he launched the drum into the air. It shattered against the ceiling and a torrent of ink came falling down. 3-D Man shielded his goggles but the mindless minions of the Yellow Claw were caught by surprise. The ink doused them – blinding them and making their footing quite treacherous.

With his enhanced coordination, strength, and speed, 3-D Man slid from one soldier to the next, laying them low with powerful punches. Soon, he was the only man standing. He wiped off some of the ink from his costume and went in search of the bomb. There were plenty of places to hide it, unfortunately.

Paper was flying everywhere as 3-D Man dismantled the place in search of the bomb. He crawled through printers, tore apart stackers, disassembled bundlers but there was no sign of the bomb. He looked at the clock on the wall and compared it to the timer on the detector. Both showed that there were only sixty-seven minutes until the Claw's deadline. Finally, he happened upon a collection of damaged parts. Buried underneath the pile of rusted metal was the bomb. He dug the weapon out and quickly began the deactivation procedure. After ten minutes, he was done. He put the dormant bomb underneath his right arm and headed for the exit door. He pulled out his communicator from his belt and activated it. "This is 3-D Man. I've got the bomb. I'm going to pick up Hal."

The Human Robot continued his search in Sandy Flats. He had taken the undesirable features of the detector into account as he calculated the best method to ascertain the location of the bomb. He had fully expected that he would be the first to complete the mission. The transmissions over the communicator frequency (The Human Robot did not need to carry one of the communicator devices, his own internal communication systems were much more effective) indicated that Marvel Boy and Venus had been done for some time while 3-D Man had just completed his task.

Marvel Boy had picked up Venus and 3-D Man, and the trio had embarked on a search for the Yellow Claw's whereabouts. The Human Robot had no doubts about the successful completion of his mission. He expected Gorilla-Man to fulfill his portion of the mission as well. The length of time that it had taken him to get to this point in the search was unexpected, but he deemed it statistically possible. His calculations indicated only a 6.2% chance of it taking this long. Perhaps there was something to this nebulous quantity of "human instinct" that he learned about. He would have to take up this issue with his fellow Avengers.

The path had taken the Human Robot to one the major cattle ranches in Sandy Flats. While the Human Robot had found no signs of human life in Sandy Flats, the livestock were not a part of the evacuation. His photo-optic sensors noticed that all five lights on the detector were shining now. The bomb must be nearby.

He increased the magnification of his photo-optics in search of the Yellow Claw troops that he expected. He detected nothing. Suddenly, there was gunfire erupting from the large red barn at the edge of the ranch. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of his metallic shell, but the gunshots were scaring the cattle that milled about in the pen.

The Human Robot proceeded in the direction of the gunfire. His photo-optics narrowed in on where the snipers were hiding. As his vision was focused on the sniper position, he was unaware of the agitated state of the cattle. They had been worked up into a panicked frenzy. A stampede ensued and it was headed right at the Human Robot.

Just as the bullets left him unharmed, the stampede was not able to effect the Human Robot. The steer that did collide with him bounced off of his robotic shell. With his mechanical strength, he pushed away some of the cattle that bore down on him.

Finally, he made his way through the sea of cattle. The stampede had broken through the pen and now roamed free through the greater Sandy Flats community. He approached the large metal doors to the barn. Grasping the handle on either side, he tore down to the doors and flung them aside. He walked through the door as the ineffectual gunfire continued.

Eventually, the Yellow Claw's soldiers realized that their bullets were having no effect on the Human Robot. They swarmed upon him and employed their rifles as clubs. Though they rained down blows upon him, they were not able to damage his armored form. Once the troops were close enough, the Human Robot activated the internal rotor housed in his torso. With his arms extended, his upper body rotated about this rotor and pummeled the Yellow Claw's minions. In a matter of moments, they were all down.

The Human Robot now looked around for likely hiding places for the atomic bomb. Accessing his memory files, he decided that a potential location would be an underground storage area. He adjusted his photo-optics and scanned the barn's floor. In the northwest corner, he found a heavy wooden door on the floor. With little effort, he opened the door and immediately saw the bomb below. He reached down and brought the bomb up to the surface. Fifteen minutes of work resulted in the bomb's deactivation. Activating his communication system, he sent a message on Marvel Boy's frequency. "Human Robot reporting. Bomb deactivated."

Time was now quite short for Gorilla-Man in Otisville. He had heard via his communicator that all of his fellow Avengers had succeeded. He was the only one who had not found his assigned bomb yet. Maybe he should have discussed a plan for implementing the search. It was not like tracking poachers in Africa. That was much easier. This was frustrating.

Otisville was an ugly town, and the lack of scenery added to Gorilla-Man's state of mind. He had actually had come to like the life in the jungle. Cities seemed so lifeless to him now. This city was dead in the literal sense – all of the inhabitants had been evacuated. However, if he did not succeed, it could mean death for untold others. With four of the other bombs deactivated, California probably would not sink into the Pacific, but if this one in Otisville detonated, who knew what the extent of the damage would be.

Gorilla-Man was shaken from his thoughts by a fusillade of gunshots. He had reached the point where all five lights on the detector were on. He noted his surroundings – an urban area as much as one could find here in Nevada. He dove for cover behind a parked delivery truck and lost the detector from his grasp. He knew he was close, but he also knew that he did not have much time. It would take fifteen minutes to disarm the bomb, and there was not much time beyond that left.

Looking through the truck's side windows, he could see that shots were ringing out from a number of storefront windows along the block. There were soldiers in at least six different buildings, and the bomb could be in any of them. He needed to deal with them and squeeze the information out of one of them.

Grabbing a nearby garbage can, he hurled it through the big show window of a clothier’s shop. The can shattered the window and silenced the gunfire from that store. He needed to get to the Yellow Claw's troops, but he was not going to get any closer while they continued the barrage of bullets. Then an idea came to him.

He pulled the passenger door off of the truck and crawled inside. While it was a large truck, it still was a difficult fit for him. By some miracle, the keys were still in the ignition. The driver must have panicked when he was evacuated. Keeping as low as he could in the driver's seat, Gorilla-Man started the car and put it into car. He turned the steering wheel and pointed the truck at a soda shop which lay in the middle of the stores that the soldiers occupied. He put the pedal to the floor and held on tightly as the truck smashed into the soda shop.

Gorilla-Man kicked out the driver's side door and leapt from the truck. One of the troopers inside was down from the crash. The other stood right in front of Gorilla-Man and was leveling his rifle at him. Gorilla-Man snatched the gun out the soldier's hand and twisted it into a U-shape. Then he whacked the soldier with the damaged weapon.

The other soldiers began to stream into the soda shop. Gorilla-Man jumped over the counter and reached underneath. With his powerful arms, he yanked out some of the large aluminum cylinders. He tossed the cylinders filled with soda syrup at the onrushing soldiers. When he ran out this 'ammunition', Gorilla-Man saw that all of the Yellow Claw soldiers had been beaten. Now he had to find the bomb.

He saw the clock on the wall near the price list. There were only fifteen minutes left before the deadline. Even if he found the bomb now, there would not be time to disarm it. The communicator that he had clipped to his hairy hide buzzed. Marvel Boy's voice emanated from it. "Gorilla-Man! We're here to pick you up. We don’t have any more time!"

Gorilla-Man tore the communicator off along with a clump of his own hair. Ignoring the pain, he replied, ""I haven't found the bomb yet!"

"We don't have time to deactivate it," Marvel Boy responded. "We have to get out of here. Schomburg predicts that the explosion won't affect anything more than the immediate area, but Otisville is finished."

"Damn!" Gorilla-Man growled. He clicked on the homing signal of the communicator and began to round up the downed Yellow Claw troops. He searched through the storefronts and could not find any others. He dragged all of the unconscious bodies out onto the street and waited for the Silver Bullet to arrive.

Once the rocketship had arrived, 3-D Man and the Human Robot helped carry the troops aboard. Once that was complete, Marvel Boy set a vertical course and the Silver Bullet launched into the air.

As the Silver Bullet hovered miles above Otisville, the atomic bomb (which had been hidden in the soda shop’s walk-in freezer) detonated via the Yellow Claw's remote control. The massive mushroom could erupted into the sky. Colors of red, yellow, and black filled the sky. The ground trembled for miles around while the immediate area of Otisville was completely annihilated. Radiation emanated from ground zero outwards.

The wave of radiation traveled for a few miles outside of the city limits of Otisville. There, underneath tons of desert rock on the outskirts of the city, the inert android form of the Human Torch continued to rest peacefully, unaware of the radiation flooding the area. If only the radiation had been a few Megarads more, his internal systems would have re-activated and he would have awoken with burning intensity. As it was, his artificial body remained cold and lifeless.

Aboard the Silver Bullet, Gorilla-Man cradled his head in his hands. He was taking the destruction of Otisville quite badly. The realization of failure was very painful for him.

Venus put her soft hand on his shoulder. "We stopped him, Gorilla-Man. None of the other bombs went off. California is saved."

Gorilla-Man looked up. "But what about this town?" Gorilla-Man was clearly agonizing over his failure.

"Nobody was killed, Gorilla-Man. The National Guard got the entire town evacuated in plenty of time." 3-D Man added. Despite the antagonism that had existed between them, he felt sympathy for the beast-man.

Gorilla-Man shook his head. Tears seemed to be welling up in his eyes. "But their homes, their memories. They're all gone."

"At least they're alive. That's what's important." The tone of Venus was comforting, but Gorilla-Man was not very responsive.

"Is it?" Gorilla-Man snapped back

"We can't win them all." 3-D Man added hopefully.

The Human Robot came back from the cockpit. He had joined Marvel Boy in monitoring the explosion now he silently took a seat with the other Avengers. Up in the cockpit, Marvel Boy pointed the Silver Bullet's nose eastward and proceeded to fly back to the nation’s capital.

In a base carved out a large hill somewhere in Nevada, a tall purple-robed figure watched the destruction of Otisville through a lead-lined glass viewport. The man's yellow skin was illuminated by the light from the blast. He rubbed his long white mustache with the sharp-fingered hands. "And so it ends." The Yellow Claw stepped away from the viewport. Reports had come in from four of the locations that the Avengers had deactivated the bombs. The explosion at Otisville was a welcome development.

From behind the Claw, a female voice called out. "You admit failure then, uncle. Only one atomic device detonated. California is not yours, nor has it sunk into the sea."

The Yellow Claw turned to see his beautiful niece Suwan behind him. Why he continued to endure her repeated acts of treason to his cause, he did not know. Perhaps it was because she was the only member of his family still alive. Perhaps he hoped to one day to sway her fully to his cause. "Ah, my dear niece. How little you understand the importance of this gambit."

Suwan shook her head in confusion. "California survived. All you managed to do was destroy one small, insignificant town. You've also brought the Avengers back together again to oppose you."

The Yellow Claw laughed. "All that you say is true, but you do not see the deeper truth in this situation. I would have liked to see California ceded to me or to see it sink into the sea. But the future of California was only secondary to my plans. I have brought the Avengers back together, this is true. However, with heroes come villains. Right now, the CIA and the FBI devote an inordinate amount of resources to oppose me. With a return of costumed heroes to the scene, I can guarantee that other menaces will come out of the woodwork, so to speak. My machinations will continue with less, and not more, resistance." He paused and then continued. "If the heroes become a true threat to my plans, I will eliminate them. As it is, I will allow them to gallivant in their fancy costumes."

Suwan could almost see the rationale behind the Yellow Claw's scheme. It sounded like the ranting of a madman, but she knew that the Yellow Claw was not insane, but he was an extremely dangerous man.

The Yellow Claw resumed his monologue. "These villains … these villains will be drawn to oppose the heroes as a moth to the flame. They enact the battle between those nebulous terms of 'good' and 'evil'. Wasting energy and resources for little gain."

"But, dear uncle," Suwan argued, "there are others who seek world domination as you do. There are many from the Orient, as we are, who work towards that goal. What of Fu Manchu or Lady Lotus? And then there are the Communist nations who look to unite the world under star, hammer, and sickle?"

"Bah," the Claw replied. "These others of which you speak are of no real concern. Fu Manchu? He is an arrogant pretender. Lady Lotus? An ineffectual woman with delusions of grandeur. And the Communists are doomed by their own ideology. Just wait and see, dear niece. Communism will fall but the Yellow Claw will survive, as I have done for over a hundred years. Mark my words, the Soviet Union will collapse before the turn of the century. The Chinese will not last much longer than the Russians."

Suwan opened her mouth to object but the Yellow Claw stopped her with a gesture from his long crooked finger. He then clasped his hands together inside of the sleeves of his robe. "The Yellow Claw is patient. The Yellow Claw will emerge triumphant."

In a New York City hotel room registered to 'A. Malik', the occupant opened the large manila envelope that had arrived minutes before via special courier. The news that was contained inside was still fresh. The coded messages were still wet with the ink of the typewriter. He sat down at his desk and pulled out his translator key from his briefcase. He read with extreme interest about the President's meeting with the American heroes. The subsequent report of the destruction of Otisville was more surprising but actually of less interest.

"I had hoped with the disappearance of that star-spangled crusader that it would be the last this country would see of the costumed hero," he mused. "Now, other masked marvels will probably emerge and cause trouble for my campaigns." He gritted his teeth and tapped the letter opener upon the desk. "What to do, what to do." He was unwilling to enlist the aid of the super-powered operative he had employed previously. "That oaf Electro was more of a hindrance than a help. I should have left him in his dormant state instead of reviving him."

He arose and paced around his room for a few minutes. His course of action was now clear. He checked the closet to make sure that everything was in order with his special set of clothes. "Time to set some events in motion," he said to himself. He picked two file folders out of his briefcase. One was titled "WMVI" while the other was titled "Operation: Red Death"

Inside of FBI Headquarters, J. Edgar Hoover looked with satisfaction at the files arranged upon his desk. The progress for which he had been hoping for the last few months had apparently arrived. His secretary buzzed him to inform the Director that Doctor William Sinkowitz was here to see him.

Sinkowitz walked into the Director's office, his ID badge clipped to his white lab coat. He extended his hand at Hoover's greeting of "Good morning, Dr. Sinkowitz. How is my favorite warrior in this cold war doing?"

Sinkowitz shook Hoover's hand. "Quite well, Mr. Hoover, although my duties to you keep me from donning my Cold Warrior costume."

Hoover smiled. William Sinkowitz, the Cold Warrior, was a piece that he could easily manipulate in the chess match that was the world. Sinkowitz had been manipulated before – once by some enemy agents into first becoming the Cold Warrior in order to destroy the supposedly Communist 3-D Man. The other time was by the Yellow Claw in order to kidnap the President. After that escapade and the disbanding of the Avengers, Venus had assisted Sinkowitz was able to cast off the mental control of the Yellow Claw. She had awakened in him what he termed his 'devoted love' of America. Others might say that his 'devotion' would be more aptly termed a 'fanatical nationalism'.

Sinkowitz's devotion was a puppet string that Hoover could easily control. Once Venus had cured the Professor, Hoover snatched him up for one of the FBI's unofficial, covert research operations.

Hoover pointed to the papers on his desk. "Based on these files, I'm guessing that you have something positive to report."

Sinkowitz sat down and nodded. "That's right, sir. Project Reborn is ready for the final phase. I've been making adjustments to the cryogenic controls for our 'guests'. My manipulations of the temperature should mimic the effects of the vita-ray. As you have known for a while, analysis of Dr. Erskine's notes indicates that the lack of vita rays may have caused them to go insane."

"Yes," Hoover replied. "Only we didn’t have any way to generate the vita-rays. That design was lost when Dr. Erskine was killed."

"True," Sinkowitz responded, his face beaming. "Now I'm ready to bring our 'guests' out of hibernation and into a world of sanity."

"Very good. Proceed with the final phase and bring them here once they've been re-acclimated."

"Yes, sir," Sinkowitz said as he stood once again.

Hoover collected the files as Sinkowitz left the office. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "It's a time for heroes; it's time we had some of own."

Boy, this issue ended up a lot longer than I had planned. I'll admit that the plot device of destroying California is 'somewhat' reminiscent of a certain picture. However, the atomic detonation in Otisville will have some ramifications later on.

Venus fought Neptunia in VENUS #18 (reprinted recently in THE GOLDEN AGE OF MARVEL COMICS). We never saw Neptunia's body at the end of their battle, so the vengeful sea goddess might still be out there.

Readers of MARVEL PREMIERE #37 might recognize the Cold Warrior. As to who his frozen 'guests' are, you'll find out next issue.

Now, on to a letter:

The Comet will be blazing his way into the pages of AVENGERS '58 eventually. Keep your eyes open. Thanks for your kind words regarding the series. TJB, by the way, is the author of the new MV1 title, THE DESTROYER. It's something else. Check it out.

COVER CREDITS: Yellow Claw from Yellow Claw #5

Comments, criticisms, and concerns for FLASHBACKWORDS gladly accepted at rgansler@facstaff.wisc.edu