AVENGERS Volume 1, Number 126 (August 1974) All the Sights and Sounds of Death
AVENGERS ROSTER: Thor (Donald Blake, MD), Iron Man (Tony Stark), Captain America (Steve Rogers), The Scarlet Witch (Wanda), The Black Panther (Prince T’Challa), The Vision (not applicable), The Swordsman (Jacques Duquesne) and MANTIS (Mantis Brandt).
ALL THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF DEATH
Synopsis: The exact amount of time between the last installment’s conclusion of the Thanos War and the beginning of this installment is another of those things that obsessive fans debate as they try to establish a timeline of Avengers stories.
In any event this issue starts out at Avengers Mansion in New York City. Inside, Mantis is watching her romantic partner the Swordsman battle some robots in the Avengers’ Training Room. The Swordsman is trying to show off for her because he is still smarting with insecurity over the way Mantis and the Vision seem to be growing more and more attracted to each other.
The various energy blasts from the Swordsman’s high-tech sword finish off the two remaining robots he’s fighting but Mantis still seems distracted. As they kiss it is obvious her thoughts are already turning toward the Vision.
The Vision himself is pondering his growing fears that his android brain may be malfunctioning. His panic attacks in Dormammu’s quicksand and Taurus’ pool combined with Ant-Man’s mysterious discovery in the Vision’s brain during the Kree-Skrull War all continue to hang in the air.
Meanwhile, the Vision’s romantic partner the Scarlet Witch, is still torn with her own fears that the Vision may leave her for Mantis. (Two women fighting over him? The Vision really IS fully functional.) Wanda ponders her recent arguments with the Vision and how he always makes the arguments out to be HER fault. Continue reading
FIRST SEMIFINAL – End of a Dynasty! The 2nd seeded UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT MERCED GOLDEN BOBCATS ended the half-decade run in which the (3) CALIFORNIA MARITIME ACADEMY KEELHAULERS dominated the Cal Pacific Conference. 
SECOND SEMIFINAL – This game pitted the top seeds – the UNIVERSITY OF ANTELOPE VALLEY PIONEERS – against the 4th seeded SIMPSON (CA) UNIVERSITY RED HAWKS. 
OPENING ROUND, GAME ONE – The 3rd seeded THOMAS UNIVERSITY NIGHTHAWKS took the court against the 6 seeds – the COLLEGE OF COASTAL GEORGIA MARINERS.
MURKY MUELLER INSISTS IT’S HIS RIGHT TO KEEP HIS PHONY INVESTIGATION GOING LONG ENOUGH TO LEAK UNSUBSTANTIATED INFO SO AS TO INFLUENCE THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS 
A TEARY-EYED NANCY PELOSI DECLARES BARACK OBAMA TO BE “AS WRONGLY SUSPECTED OF ILLEGALITIES AS JOHN GOTTI WAS!” 
Balladeer’s Blog’s love of old exploitation films is well known. 
FIRST QUARTERFINAL – The 7 seeds – the VITERBO UNIVERSITY V-HAWKS – put the 2nd seeded UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN JIMMIES on Upset Alert with a 39-36 Halftime edge. 
SECOND QUARTERFINAL – Up next the 4th seeded MAYVILLE STATE COMETS clashed with the 5 seeds – the WALDORF UNIVERSITY WARRIORS. 
DEFENDERS Vol 1: Number 85 (July 1980) – Like A Proud Black Panther) 
FIRST QUARTERFINAL – The 6th seeded SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS visited the 3 seeds – the TRINITY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY TROJANS. 
SECOND QUARTERFINAL – In the 2 spot the ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY LAKERS welcomed the 7th seeded CARDINAL STRITCH UNIVERSITY WOLVES. The Lakers dominated the Wolves on both sides of the ball, keeping them under 30 points in each Half while getting a lot of separation Offensively. 
With Marvel’s Black Panther in theaters right now Balladeer’s Blog will take a look at an angle of Prince T’Challa’s run that is a bit overlooked. Panther’s Rage has been covered extensively as have other aspects of this Avenger’s career. 
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