Carol Danvers returns: Avengers Annual #10 – August 4, 1981

Avengers Annual #10: "By Friends -- Betrayed!"

Carol Danvers' character basically gets rebooted in this issue, while she also, at last, tells the Avengers what we really thought of them in her previous appearance. Also, Jessica Drew aka Spider-Woman, saves Carol Danvers and they become friends. Now it's time to find out what she saved her from.

The issue opens with a woman who was pushed off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. She was lucky because Spider-Woman caught her before she reached the water's surface. Spider-Woman notices that the woman is unconscious so someone must have tried to kill her. However, the wind is no longer in her favor and they both fall into the water. The water is freezing and stormy and Spider-Woman will have to swim to shore quickly. At the hospital the doctor tells Spider-Woman that physically the woman she rescued is fine, but mentally she has the mind of an infant.

It's the police detective who informs the doctor that the woman is not a mental patient, but Carol Danvers. It appear that her history has been upgraded to be more impressive. She was chief of security, but she was not fluent in three language, well, she just sounds more impressive and her history at the air force sounds more impressive now that it is confidential. The detective also informs Spider-Woman and the doctor that six months ago, Carol Danvers disappeared. That is probably when she moved in with Marcus at Limbo.

The detective says that only Danvers will be able to say who attacked her, but the doctor informs her that it is unlikely. All they can do is wait and see what happens, or she will recover, or she won't. However, Spider-Woman does know someone who can read minds and help Danvers' mental recovery, Professor Charles Xavier. She calls the mutant headquarters to ask for his help and he agrees to come to San-Francisco.

As he examines Carol Danvers, the detective informs Spider-Woman that Danvers' parents are on their way and that Danvers' father took the news pretty badly. When Danvers' parents arrives Danvers' mother told the detective that the Avengers and Ms. Marvel could answer her questions. Since they are in New-York, they are out the detective's jurisdiction.

Xavier tells Spider-Woman that the situation is worse than they feared. Somehow Carol Danvers mind has been completely erased. Xavier says that with time and effort he can bring her personality and some critical memories back to the surface, but that's not her complete personality and memories. He also says that Spider-Woman's suspicion was true, Danvers' condition was not caused by natural circumstances, but by an attacker. Her attacker's name is Rogue. Yes, that Rogue.

Then the issue switches to New-York and Captain America. Rogue is in New-York and she attacks, well, kisses Captain America to absorb his powers and memories. She was able to do so easily because she has all of Ms. Marvel's memories of Captain America. As Ms. Marvel is so smart and observant, it made it too easy for Rogue to take him down. We also get to know that last night with Ms. Marvel she did something wrong and made contact for too long. The Avengers are inside the mansion when Captain America is kicked into the house by someone.

At Stark International, Tony Stark gets a priority alarm from the Avengers. They tell him that they need Dr. Blake immediately as Captain America was attacked, but they didn't find the attacker. Just on time Janet Pym arrives and Iron Man tells her that the Avengers need her and her husband at the mansion. But, when Janet uses an electronic device to neutralize his suit and we find out that Janet is in fact Mystique, the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and Rogue is one of its members. Mystique tells Rogue to go ahead with their plan.

Spider-Woman arrives at the Avengers mansion just in time to see Rogue. She recognizes her as Xavier showed her telepathically an image of Rogue. Thor arrives and just as he changes into Dr. Blake, Rogue tries to attack him, but Spider-Woman intervenes. Spider-Woman is a problem for Rogue as her suit covers her entire body, which means she can't absorb her powers through direct contact. But as Thor tries to help Spider-Woman, Rogue absorbs his powers. Now she is really super charged.

Vision tries to attack Rogue, but Mystique already taught her how to defeat the robot. Wonder Man attacks her and she freaks out as she can't absorb his powers, but she defeats him with her strength. Still, Rogue decides to leave and attack again later.

Spider-Woman tells the Avengers that Carol Danvers has been living in San-Francisco for the past three months. They are astonished, and confess that none of them knew her well as she was a very self-reliant and privet person. It is Scarlett Witch who tells the story of the strange pregnancy of Ms. Marvel, while she mentions Marcus wooing Danvers, she doesn’t mention the rape part. How convenient.

Spider-Woman finds it odd that Ms. Marvel didn't return to the Avengers. She's right, it is odd. Beast informs her that Rogue's effect on the Avengers seems to be only temporary, so things did go wrong with Carol Danvers.

Now that Rogue absorbed Danvers' power, she's part Kree, so Beast can track her rather easily. Apparently, she's heading towards Ryker's Island, a prison which is partly a prison for super-villains, including members of the Brotherhood. Rogue drops paralyzed Iron Man on the generator room and the power that keeps all the mutants imprisoned is off. Blob, Avalanche, Pyro and a Destiney make their escape and rendezvous with Rogue and Mystique. But the Avengers arrive to stop them all. A fight starts. In the fight Spider-Woman tries to rescue Iron Man, a move that worries Destiney and angers Mystique as for some reason, she really hates Carol Danvers and she's angry that Spider-Woman saved Carol Danvers' life. Because reasons. Even in Ms. Marvel's run we never understood why Mystique hates Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers so much.

The fight continues, the Avengers vs. the Brotherhood. The brotherhood have the upper hand. They still have Destiney. Rogue joins Mystique in her quest to take down Spider-Woman.

Just when Spider-Woman finds Iron Man, Nick Fury arrives. Spider-Woman tells Iron-Man that Nick Fury is in London at the moment and she attacks him. Turns out it is Mystique in disguise. Mystique fires at Spider-Woman, but she can't hit her, not even close. Spider-Woman also notes that Mystique looks similar to Nightcrawler, how spot on of her. Spider-Woman attacks Mystique, but she gets away. Rogue arrives at the scene, just as Spider-Woman frees Iron Man and they fight. Thor's and Captain America's powers are temporary and they are wearing off. Apparently she permanently absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers.

The Brotherhood realize that they need to act quickly, but it's too late. Scarlet Witch recovers and casts Hexes that cause a gas explosion. Mystique and Rogue runaway, leaving their friends behind. The Avengers handle the members of the Brotherhood that are left behind and with some good strategy, they win the fight.

Then the issue picks up a few weeks later at the X-Men mansion. Apparently, Carol Danvers is staying there for a few weeks along with Jessica Drew. She has found a new home and friends that are more like family and the Avengers are now in her past. However, the Avengers are arriving for a visit and Charles Xavier wants their reunion with Ms. Marvel to be a privet one.

Ororo and Drew are worried about Danvers', but she still wants to meet the Avengers and to do it alone.

At first when the Avengers arrive, Danvers panics, but than a conversation starts. Beast asks Danvers how she's doing. Danvers explains that she is alright, Xavier restored some of her memories so now she knows who she is, who her family are, and some of her past including her past with the Avenges. It's not perfect, but it's a start. It's Hawkeye who asks Danvers about Marcus. He refers to Marcus and Danvers as lovebirds, how awful. She explains that Marcus is dead. The Avengers are shocked, they offer their condolences and their help in easing her pain. She explodes with anger. At last, an appropriate response. She blames them. However, Danvers apologizes for her rage. Thor tells her it's understandable after her loss and she explodes again, this time she slaps him. She explains that she never loved Marcus, he gave her no choice. She tells Hawkeye that he heard Marcus' story, that he used Immortus' machine to seduce her. That is not free will as Hawkeye and the rest of the Avengers saw it as the time. After they left, Marcus' new body couldn't handle limbo anymore, he aged and died in a matter of weeks. Danvers, with her wisdom managed to teleport herself back home. She was free at last.

The Avengers however, still don't understand the severity of their actions. They let the man who raped Danvers, kidnap her. Wonder Man and Wanda wonder why she didn't return to the Avengers, or at least contacted them. She says that she never wanted to see them again, because when she needed them the most, they betrayed her.

She explains everything that we already knew. That her conception and pregnancy were awful and the Avengers not only did nothing to help her, but they made fun of her, didn't take her into account and only cared about the baby, they believed Marcus and didn't question him, didn't even look at the deeper meaning of his words, they just let her go. A grave mistake which Danvers had to pay the price for. Her mistake was trusting the Avengers. She is dealing with everything and trying to overcome her experience, but the Avengers must learn from their mistakes. It is not enough to fight villains. They have to set an example of who we should dream to be. Something to aspire to. They must change from this experience. If they will change, perhaps her horror will have a small positive meaning. Danvers has put the Avengers in their place as I dreamed that she would. They have failed her in every way and she did the powerful deed of explaining to them their mistakes, forgiving them in a way, but not going back to them. The strength of the character.

Beast asks her what she will do now. Danvers is a fighter, she will pick up the pieces of her life and move on. Wanda at last, apologizes in the name of all of the Avengers, hopefully after understand what they have done and allowed to be done. The issue ends with the Avengers understanding their failure. Wanda is horrified that such a thing easily could have happened to her as well, and she feels that she failed her friend. The Avengers are no longer sure of their actions. But perhaps they have learned their lesson and such a thing will never happen again.

Thank you Chris Claremont. This issue is the answer and correction of Avengers Vol 1 #200– October 1980. This is the start of the wonderful friendship between Carol Danvers and Jessica Drew, by the end of the issue Jessica already sees herself as Danvers friend and deep empathizes with Danvers distress and desolation. Danvers puts the Avengers in their place, forgave them, but she will not forget what they did, and she will not go back to them. Her personality has been changed because of her encounter with Rogue. The classical plotline that will change them both forever. Now enters the new Carol Danvers.

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