#yetrigar

I didn’t really used to care much about the Wasp. I didn’t hate her but I wasn’t a huge fan. But between Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes the cartoon and the Shooter and Stern run where she becomes the leader of the team, she’s probably one of my favorite Avengers characters. If not the.

No shade on Hank but in contrast to him switching out identities and powers and trying to find something that worked, I think Wasp sticking with the Wasp name and powers (and changing her costume a fucktillion times, granted) really endears me to her. She’s gotten some power creep over the years but she’s made the get small go pew pew thing work for her and I appreciate it.

I also appreciate the art team Al Milgrom, Tony Dezuniga, and Paul Becton. Whichever of them decided that the opening splash page would be a great time to just draw a super detailed grasshopper just because. And that it seems alarmed by seeing a tiny person.

Anyway, Wasp deactivates the perimeter defenses with the deactivator that she happens to have. Did they give it to her in case she ever decided to drop in unannounced?

Because she’s unannounced.

She flies in through a window and in very Waspy fashion critiques the decor as ‘not bad but I would have done it different!’ and then finds the team moping or perhaps brooding together.

The team that broods together... I dunno, moods together?

They’re all sad about having to kick Iron Man off the team in Iron Man #229 so Wasp has shown up to offer moral support.

Iron Man gets kicked off more Avengers than you’d think.

Checking that issue really quick, oh neat its the one with the cover I consider to be the iconic Armor Wars cover because I saw it in Wizard magazine once.

I don’t have to read too far into the issue to bring the cross title context. Its how the issue opens.

The West Coast Avengers confront Iron Man, demanding to know why he’s been going around beating up other armored characters. Tony explains the Armor Wars plot, that he discovered that Spymaster had stolen some of Tony’s designs and sold them to Justin Hammer. And that Justin Hammer had equipped his lackeys with the tech and sold it to other criminals and governments.

Insert joke about redundancy, if you like.

Iron Man: “I obtained a list of the people utilizing that technology. A list complete save for one mysterious glitch. But when the amount of pain, destruction, and even death caused by the people on that list sank in -- my heart felt like a lump of shaved ice in my chest. My inventions were partly responsible -- and therefore I was responsible. Something had to be done.”

So in a very Tony Stark solving the problem esque way, he went and solved the problem by beating people up.

Hawkeye asked why Iron Man didn’t ask them for help and Iron Man says that he was afraid they’d say yes. And he didn’t want them to burn down their lives the way he’s doing to himself.

As chairman, Hawkeye has to worry about how Iron Man’s Armor Wars will make the Avengers look so he tells Tony to cut it out now.

Instead of cutting it out, Tony goes to Russia to try to negate his tech in the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man armors. But while’s he’s successful against Crimson Dynamo, he accidentally sorta kinda sets Titanium Man on fire. And kills him.

When Tony returns to the US, Iron Man has been branded a traitor and an outlaw and Russia is baying for him to be extradited to face murder charges. When Hawkeye tells him to account for himself, Tony says Titanium Man’s death was the result of self-defense and that he regrets but doesn’t apologize for it.

Not willing to tie the Avengers’ reputation to a wanted criminal, the West Coast Avengers take a vote and decide to boot Iron Man from the team.

Oof.

Not a great day for Tony.

So that’s the context that happened between issue 31 and 32. And why Jan says she came to visit the West Coast team.

Wasp: “It’s a time for us to pull together, like family!”

She even cut her vacation short, when she heard about the Armor Wars.

Saying so opens the floodgates of feelings. Let them all out, gentlemen.

Hawkeye: “Is this what it means to be the boss, Jan? Kicking out the guy who turned my life around and made me an Avenger in the first place?”

Wonder Man: “I figured he’d always be here! He was the one I measured myself against -- And if I decided after a while that I’d surpassed him, I still figured we’d test that out someday!’

Moon Knight: “I, on the other hand, hardly knew him -- !”

Pfft.

To make it better, in his internal dialogue with Khonshu, he also adds that they both found Iron Man’s armor pretty garishly colored. Because sun colors. Even though his Silver Centurion outfit is just silver and red. Maybe they’re thinking of the classic gold and red look?

Tigra asks Jan if Iron Man becoming an international criminal is really why she came to visit. Maybe she actually came to see her ex-husband Hank Pym hint hint hint hint??

And Hank just so happens to walk in just after Tigra insinuates.

Jan and Hank have... some kind of amicable exes conversation.

The last time they really saw each other was in West Coast Avengers Annual #2/Avengers Annual #16. Remember how the two Avengers teams fought each other?

Wasp: “I’m sorry that the only time we’ve met since you became an Avenger again, we had to fight -- !”

Dr Pym: “That’s all right! I’m not entirely sorry that I had to beat you!”

Wasp: “I just wasn’t prepared for the change in you! But if we make it two out of three -- !”

Dr Pym: “I’d still take you, Jan!”

Wow. Cannot believe Wasp tried to play nice by apologizing that the teams were tricked into fighting each other and Hank responds by going ‘well, I’m glad that I kicked your ass.’

And then Wasp says she’s sure she’d win if they made it two out of three and Hank goes ‘no I’d still kick your ass.’

Wow wow wow.

Tigra basically tells them to go fuck already. Wasp gets annoyed but Hank replies that Tigra is going to be catty.

I’d scold him for saying that but Tigra has repeatedly said she does x or y things because they’re cat things. She’s leaning into it.

Anyway, Wasp reiterates that she’s here to lend a hand in their time of crisis but Hawkeye says they’re have a good amount of hands between the five remaining members. And that if they need help they’ll call La Espirita or Hellcat or Hellstorm.

Oof.

Wasp says that she’s not here to try to usurp Hawkeye as the chairwoman of the east coast team. She left the position a while ago and she’s just here as an Avenger and friend.

Wasp: “But I’m not going to force myself on you -- !”

Hawkeye: “That’s not what I meant -- !”

LET HER STAY DAMMIT

Then Mockingbird comes in and suggests they ALL GO ON VACATION!

So while Wasp has been discussing with the rest of the team, Mockingbird hasn’t been in the room. She’s been in the next room over, on the phone, looking up information on Lincoln Slade (Phantom Rider) with the Mormon Genealogical Library. Apparently, they’ll just give information away. She learns that his only living relative is Hamilton Slade, a professor of archeology at the University of Nevada. So she calls the university and learns that Hamilton Slade is at the Grand Canyon.

So she comes into the conversation already in progress (says a quick ‘hi, Jan!’) and casually suggests that the whole team go to the Grand Canyon.

No need for a discussion, time skip to the next day where they’re going to the Grand Canyon. I guess a hike in the Grand Canyon sounded neat to everyone.

Although, after landing in the nearby airport, Hawkeye complains that he’d rather go to Seattle because he already spent more than enough time (and almost died) in Arizona while they were lost in space-time. But he was out-voted.

Jan is apparently impressed? Surprised? with the West Coast Avengers. Because she comments that she’s really seeing the difference in how the two teams are run. The West Coast Avengers are a lot more “hang-loose.”

Dr Pym: “Absolutely true, Waspie! We’re as proud of the Avengers’ past as anybody, but we had a chance to start over, and we’re takin’ advantage of it! That’s what the west’s all about!”

Tigra complains about how cold it is. She’s actually wearing more clothes than a bikini now and hugging herself for warmth.

She was expecting it to be warm but they’re in the mountains. So, it’s cold.

Wonder Man suggests that he could help warm her up by hugging her with his big, strong arms. But Moon Knight tells Simon to back off because Tigra is with him.

Which he’s assuming just because they’re made out a bunch. But Tigra tells him that she doesn’t belong to anyone.

Tigra, do you do anything besides generate love triangles?

She does tell Marc that she’s glad she makes him jealous because she’d be worried otherwise.

Geez, Tigra.

Khonshu chimes in Marc’s head and asks why the hell Marc is so into her. I mean geez, she’s obviously sun-oriented! Geez!

Marc tells his god to butt out because the heart wants what it wants and in this case it wants to make out with a catgirl.

Tigra mistakes Marc scowling at nothing as he communes with his god as him being mad at her and apologizes.

The West Coast Avengers and special guest the Wasp are all in civilian duds. Keeping low profile, y’know?

Except Wonder Man is a movie star who starred in a movie and all he did was put a coat on over his costume. He’s instantly recognized as movie star Simon Williams and a small crowd mobs him for autographs.

He seems chill about it but Hawkeye is a bit annoyed.

Maybe Hawkeye is annoyed because he foresees that Wonder Man will be at this for ten minutes.

Anyway, after that, the West Coast Avengers and special guest the Wasp start hiking down the Grand Canyon.

And Hank decides what this hike needs is an awkward conversation.

He asks his ex Jan why she’s really hanging out with the West Coast Avengers. Especially since she finished one vacation and then went on another one with the team.

Man, you sound like an idiot Hank. How many years of marriage and you don’t know that Jan loves the fuck out of vacations?

Haven’t you ever heard of needing a vacation from your vacation??

Jan tells Hank that she’s just curious how the West Coast Avengers operate since nobody from the East Coast team has spent much time with them since the new team was formed.

She tells him she’s definitely not here because of Hank’s “resurrection.”

You’re the only one bringing up the topic, Jan.

Dr Pym: “You make it sound like I was dead!”

Wasp: “After that strange vidcall, where you sounded so sad -- !”

That would be the call Hank made when he was making preparations to kill himself. Before La Espirita manic pixie dreamgirl’d into his life. Jan doesn’t know about that. She just knows he made a weird call where it sounded like he was saying goodbye and the next thing she knows, he’s reinvented himself like he’s having a midlife crisis. Got a new look, a new ride, new powerset.

You know... speaking of the new look... The red jumpsuit is fine. Neat to have a costume that’s more utility. But I kind of liked when it looked like he would just do superheroing in his lapcoat.

Everyone else on the hike pretends not to be eavesdropping, while totally eavesdropping.

Wonder Man draws a comparison to when Hank and Jan seemed a perfect couple when he first met them in Avengers #9. Versus how messy their breakup was.

Hawkeye asks Mockingbird whether she thinks Wasp came specifically to see Hank. But Mockingbird, unlike the others, really isn’t eavesdropping. She’s distracted by her own thoughts and quickly changes the subject to go HEY LOOK BUDIANSKY POINT!

Among SHIELD agents, its known as the place giant anti-Godzilla robot Red Ronin fought a giant monster.

And while Hawkeye is looking at Budiansky Point and not her, Mockingbird chucks an explosive into the canyon, causing a massive WHOOM of an explosion that unleashes

YETRIGAR!

A GIANT BIGFOOT OF A KAIJU!

Or, more probably, a giant yeti.

During the confusion of a giant explosion and then a giant yeti, Mockingbird slips away but Hawkeye notices her absence and gets worried. Because she went missing after a giant explosion and the emergence of a giant yeti.

But Moon Knight notices her ducking down a side trail and covers for her, claiming he saw her thrown back thisaway and runs off after her.

Reassured that Mockingbird is entirely safe probably, Hawkeye calls for the West Coast Avengers to Avengers Assemble on Yetrigar.

Which involves:

Crumping.

See? Crumping.

As Moon Knight follows Mockingbird, encouraged by Khonshu who is intrigued by the her, the floating disembodied ghost heads of Steven Grant and Jake Lockley pop up. Steven complains that Khonshu is monopolizing too much of Marc’s time and Jake says Steven just wants to be the one monopolizing the time. Marc’s floating disembodied ghost head tells both of them to knock it off.

And I guess Moon Knight sees all these floating disembodied ghost heads because he comments how weird it is that Marc appeared alongside the other “false personalities.”

Khonshu just shrugs it off that to an ageless god like himself, all personalities seem ephemeral.

Good talk, guy.

Mockingbird reaches a ridge overlooking the camp of Hamilton Slade.

All of what she’s done - convincing the West Coast Avengers to go to the Grand Canyon and then unleashing a giant yeti monster - it’s all been to get some face time with this guy.

And beat the fuck out of him.

Imagine his perspective.

He’s doing his archeology thing, minding his own business, and a woman tackles him out of nowhere and tells him to leave her the fuck alone or she’ll murder him.

He has no idea what the fuck is going on!

He recognizes her as the Avenger Mockingbird but he has no idea about Phantom Rider except that his grandfather’s grandfather had the name!

And while Mockingbird is yelling at this guy, Moon Knight watches from above. Khonshu’s voice in his head approving of Mockingbird.

Mockingbird doesn’t take a ‘I don’t know what’s going on!’ as an answer and starts punching Hamilton repeatedly in the face.

Meanwhile, Hank Pym has a plan!

Which is good because while Wonder Man has been having the time of his life punching a giant yeti in the face, he also has to acknowledge that without Iron Man as another flying strong guy to back him up, there’s way too much risk of a bystander getting hurt.

(Dammit, Mockingbird!)

Hank tells Wasp to go sting Yetrigar as hard as she can while he briefs everyone else.

Wasp: “Fine -- I sting him as hard as I can! It’s still Goliath’s grandpop versus David’s little sister!”

Although, since Wasp is actually awesome, she stings Yetrigar hard enough to get his attention and ire. Good job, Wasp!

Then per Hank’s plan, Hawkeye uses his cable-arrows to tie down the distracted Yetrigar.

Hank and Tigra jump on the monster’s back. Hank for plan reasons and Tigra to keep Hank from falling off.

Hank does almost fall off, by the way, when Yetrigar breaks the cable arrows keeping him bent over. But Tigra catches Hank. Good job, Tigra!

A very crucial part of Hank’s plan was to find Yetrigar’s ear under all that hair. So he could stick a brace in it and then use his Pym powers to enlarge it.

The pain of something growing inside his ear makes the giant monster pass out and fall to the ground.

And that’s how the West Coast Avengers beat a giant monster.

But back to the part of the plot where Mockingbird is beating a man to death.

Moon Knight grabs her and pulls her off Hamilton.

Mockingbird is alarmed that one of her teammates saw her beating the shit out of some guy but Moon Knight goes full 0 to 60 damage control.

Moon Knight: “You -- man! This was a mistake, you understand? The lady mistook you for another! Even Avengers cannot be perfect! I realize no words can recompense you for the shock and pain you’ve suffered, but send all medical bills to me personally at West Coast Avenger Headquarters and I’ll see that they are paid in full! To me personally -- understand? Submit nothing to your insurance! This is an internal Avengers matter! We would consider it a great and personal favor if you could find it in your heart not to report this to anyone! Few would believe you, anyway!”

Geez. Just blasting all that out there breathlessly feels kind of scummy.

He doesn’t even give the man a chance to respond before walking off with Mockingbird. And the man does look beat to hell. His face covered in bruising.

Mockingbird insists as they’re walking away that this random Grand Canyon archeologist is Phantom Rider but Moon Knight tells her to keep moving.

She asks why he interfered.

Moon Knight: “I hardly know myself! I admire your method! But a striking fist must be driven by certainty, not supposition! --- And --- I need to develop many friends among the Avengers now!”

Aww? Frens?

Real frens will help you cover up a crime?

Anyway, as soon as the two heroes are out of eye shot, Hamilton is like ‘well, that was weird!’

He wonders if this has anything to do with something he’s done during one of the blackouts he’s been getting since he found the burial cave of Lincoln Slade, Phantom Rider.

... You’re an idiot, Hamilton.

Anyway, the phantom of Phantom Rider possesses Hamilton just so he can have a big laugh about the situation.

You sure have fun by yourself, Phantom Rider.

Anyway. Right after knocking Yetrigar the fuck out, Hawkeye gets right back to wondering where Mockingbird is. So thankfully, she and Moon Knight return at just that moment.

Mockingbird lies and says that the mysterious explosion - that could have been caused by anything who knows - pinned her leg under a boulder. But that Moon Knight got her free.

Hawkeye is so pleased at what a good job Moon Knight is doing rescuing his wife that he announces on the spot that Moon Knight’s probationary period is over. He’s a full-fledged Avenger (West Coast)!

Tigra, being characteristically catty, points out that Mockingbird keeps vanishing when there’s a fight. But nobody really pays attention to that.

Wasp announces this is some vacation but she’s gotten a measure of the team now AND she knows a strained relationship when she sees it. She used to see it in the mirror every day.

(Oof.)

But what’s weird is that while Mockingbird is showing the signs of a strained relationship, Hawkeye is coming off like he thinks everything is hunky-dory.

Wasp: “What’s going on in this group...?”

Oh, you have no idea what nonsense you just walked into, Jan.

But I can recommend a liveblog that’s pretty thorough. Give Essential Avengers a look if you have a minute.