The Avengers have been one of Marvel Comics’ most popular and powerful teams for decades now. However, few stories in the team’s history were as celebrated and memorable as one they were involved in 40 years ago. This story was released in 1986 and started the story that resulted in one of the team’s most surprising and devastating losses. On August 5, 1986, Marvel released The Avengers #273 by Roger Stern and John Buscema, in a story titled “Rites of Conquest.” This storyline followed a series of battles that culminated with Namor battling Attuma for Atlantis, with the Avengers involved. By the time it ended, the team was taking a break for personal reasons, and that led to the surprise attack in this specific issue.
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The Avengers began the “Avengers Under Siege” storyline in this issue, which led to the Masters of Evil defeating the Avengers in one of the team’s most brutal beatdowns.
40 Years Ago, Marvel Began “Avengers Under Siege”
40 years ago, The Avengers #273 started “Avengers Under Siege,” and it all began with the reformation of the Masters of Evil. This version of the team was led by Baron Helmut Zemo, whose father formed the original Masters of Evil years before. Joining him on the team were Goliath (Erik Josten), Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara), Moonstone, Blackout, Mister Hyde, Fixer, Absorbing Man, Titania, and Tiger Shark. The Wrecking Crew also joined up with them, and together, they were more than the Avengers could handle.
When the issue started, the Avengers were lacking in members, with Black Knight, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Hercules, Wasp, and Captain America as the only members available at the time. This was where this specific issue showed that Baron Zemo was a much more diabolical and genius leader than his father, as he knew that he had to learn more about the Avengers and how they operated before he attacked them. This led him to do something almost no one had done before. He led his Masters of Evil into a methodical takedown of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
The most shocking thing happened in this opening comic as the Masters of Evil and Wrecking Crew busted into Avengers Mansion and captured Jarvis. They followed up one issue later by beating Black Knight and using Blackout’s powers to contain Monica Rambeau. They then beat Captain America and Hercules, and all that remained was Wasp. Seeing the entire Avengers team beaten down was a shock. Just two issues later in “Even a God Can Die,” this battle grew more dangerous, and it helped “Avengers Under Siege” go from a normal superhero battle to one of the Avengers’ greatest stories.
“Avengers Under Siege” Remains an Avengers Masterpiece
This was the start of a nice long storyline, and it needed to be to show not only the Avengers’ defeat, but also the chance to show that the Masters of Evil weren’t a villain of the month and were actually a legitimate threat. It took Thor returning, and he even almost got beaten in this battle. Baron Zemo even ended up becoming a despicable, hated villain when he destroyed Captain America’s footlocker that contained his most sacred possessions. Not only that, but the end came when the Masters of Evil imploded.
Baron Zemo lost control of Blackout, who was originally brought on to keep Captain Marvel contained, since Zemo called her the Avengers’ most powerful member. Blackout ended up dying from a massive cerebral hemorrhage when he fought and resisted Zemo’s mind control. Zemo also made a terrible mistake when he made an enemy out of Moonstone, who has always been one of the Masters of Evil’s most powerful members. It was a great plan, but one that had little chance of success with so many dangerous members and so many differing personalities.
However, the storyline that started 40 years ago in The Avengers #273 had lasting ramifications. This was both in-universe changes and changes in how creators told future Avengers stories. For the in-universe importance, this was the Masters of Evil lineup that defined the team for the next few decades. This is the basic Masters of Evil team that would turn into the Thunderbolts a decade later when Onslaught wiped out the Avengers, with Baron Zemo, Moonstone, Goliath, and more returning to become false heroes.
This was also the issue that showed how popular a story could be when it showed the heroes actually losing. There is really nothing more generic than a comic book where the heroes win every battle they are in. This storyline lasted from The Avengers #273 to The Avengers#277, and the Masters of Evil dominated the entire fight until The Avengers #276, when Wasp proved Zemo was overlooking her. The Avengers’ defeats being big-selling moments was something that would prove to be true many times in the future, with “Onslaught” and “Avengers Disassembled” as clear examples of what happens when the heroes lose. It was this issue and “Avengers Under Siege” that started it all.
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