This was basically a mini-series, retconned into the Avengers' past to set up a larger story Waid was doing with the actual Avengers book (I think this was the volume where Spider-Man was funding the team, before Peter lost all the money Ock made him.) It starts with the four original Avengers trouncing a Masters of Evil consisting of the Enchantress and Executioner (good choices), but also the Melter and Black Knight (oof).
"48 Hours Later," Iron Man's handing the keys to the mansion to Captain America, because the rest of the team is taking time off. They have too much personal stuff to focus on being Avengers, but Cap has no personal life, so he's the perfect choice to lead the people they accepted onto the roster without asking him! Captain America doesn't even know who any of them are, which is kind of hilarious.
Even better, Iron Man set up a press conference for two hours later, so Cap can introduce the team (which he describes as a 'carny with a bow and arrow, a super-speed keg of dynamite and a bombshell whose powers sometimes backfire') to the world. But he takes too long, and Hawkeye seizes the initiative, creating opportunities for each of them to show off their abilities.
One reporter's not on-board, pointing out Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were working with Magneto just last month. Everybody was in a big hurry in the 1960s. Cap tries to wave it off with them being pawns, but doesn't have an answer to a follow-up question about the Avengers' vetting process. Because, "Iron Man, Giant Man and the Wasp accepted the first costumed folks to knock on the door" wouldn't do much to quell concerns.
Hawkeye does a little better when asked about attacking Stark Industries (and that reporter doesn't know it was on the say-so off a Soviet spy), but his smooth answers get the media wondering if he's trying to take over being the leader. Especially when Captain America's sticking to stiff no comments, and Wanda storms off after being questioned on whether she took an oath to subjugate humans. This leaves all three newbies are considering bailing, but Wanda convinces Pietro they need to see this through. Clint, meanwhile, is won over by the fact he's got a butler now. Poor Jarvis (he gets some revenge later.)
No time for lobster (which would probably be Namor's pals anyway), here come the Frightful Four! Fresh off crushing the FF on some deserted island (Fantastic Four #38, according to a by-Gawd editor's note), the Wizard wants to make more of a public show. So he, Medusa, Sandman, and Paste-Pot Pete show up on the Avengers' lawn. Cap makes a lot of wrong calls on who should fight who - weird to see a version of Captain America inexperienced enough at this stuff to make that sort of tactical goof - the Kooky Quartet demonstrate zero teamwork, and the fight's over in two pages.
The Four don't even bother to kill them, content to leave the Avengers beaten in their own driveway. The team would engineer a rematch a few issues later, but they're getting an artificial boost which makes it a cakewalk. Too bad, it feels like a really interesting match-up, 4 vs 4.
{2nd longbox, 9th comic. Avengers #1.1, by Mark Waid (writer), Barry Kitson (penciler), Mark Farmer (inker), Jordan Boyd (colorist), Ferran Delgado (letterer)}
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