FOR PART 1 OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF MARVEL’S SUPERHEROINE MANTIS CLICK HERE
THE AVENGERS Volume 1, Number 116 (October 1973) Betrayal
Avengers Roster: THOR, IRON MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE SCARLET WITCH, THE BLACK PANTHER, THE VISION, THE SWORDSMAN and MANTIS, the mysterious superheroine from Vietnam.
Defenders Roster: DOCTOR STRANGE (Stephen Strange, MD), SUB-MARINER (Prince Namor), THE HULK (Bruce Banner, PhD), THE SILVER SURFER (Norrin Radd), THE VALKYRIE (Barbara Norris) and the former Avenger, HAWKEYE (Clint Barton). (At the time of this story the Defenders functioned more like the much, much later Justice League Dark at DC, instead of their later street-level focus.)
As part of Mantis’ original run with the Avengers she took part in this milestone clash between those Avengers and the then-secret group called the Defenders. The story was presented in multiple issues of both The Avengers and The Defenders’ separate comic books.
BETRAYAL
In the previous installment I examined Avengers #115 in which the team went searching for their long out-of-touch member the Black Knight. At his Garrett Castle headquarters our heroes found the Knight missing and an impenetrable mystic barrier surrounding the castle.
Mantis’ mutant empathic power enabled her to detect that Dr Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts, had erected the barrier for unknown reasons. In 1973 the Avengers had had very limited contact with Dr Strange, who had previously helped them and the Black Knight save the world. Continue reading
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SECOND SEED 
COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU
“Adam Ant IS Roy Thinnes in Jared Martin: A One-Man Show.”
DAY FOUR, GAME ONE: The 2nd seeded Defending National Champions of USCAA baseball – the COLLEGE OF SAINT JOSEPH’S (sic) FIGHTING SAINTS – did battle with the 5th seeded CLEARY UNIVERSITY PROWLING COUGARS. The winner would go on to face Newport News Apprentice School for the championship. 
THE AVENGERS Volume 1, Number 115 (September 1973) Below Us The Battle 
Despite the Swordsman’s pardon and his status as an Avenger the Brits do not want the formerly wanted man allowed in the country. Thor – more worldly in the comic books than he is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – negotiates with the British and the Swordsman is allowed in England but the Avengers are responsible for his actions. 
DAY THREE, GAME ONE: The 4 seeds – the NEWPORT NEWS APPRENTICE SCHOOL BUILDERS (Shipbuilders) – played the 2nd seeded Defending National Champions of USCAA Baseball, the COLLEGE OF SAINT JOSEPH’S (sic) FIGHTING SAINTS. After 2 scoreless Innings the Fighting Saints took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd, but the Builders went on top 3-1 in the 4th. 
DAY THREE, GAME TWO: The 5th seeded CLEARY UNIVERSITY PROWLING COUGARS squared off against the 6 seeds – the PENN STATE AT DUBOIS NITTANY LIONS. It was all Cleary University in this game as the Prowling Cougars put on a clinic on both sides of the ball. 
DAY TWO, GAME ONE: The 3 seeds – the WRIGHT STATE AT THE LAKE CAMPUS LAKERS – played an elimination game against the 7th seeded PENN STATE AT MONT ALTO LIONS. A 2-0 1st Inning lead for the Lakers became a 6-2 advantage in the 3rd.
