Appearing in "The Torch is Passed!"
Featured Characters:
-
- (Main story and flashback)(Origin revealed)
-
Supporting Characters:
Other Characters:
- Ultron-5 (Only in flashback)
- Human Torch (Jim Hammond) (Only in flashback)
- Quasimodo (Only in flashback)
- Goliath (Hank Pym) (Only in recap)
- Dragon Man (Mentioned)(Only in recap)
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Only in recap)
- Super-Adaptoid (Mentioned)(Only in recap)
- Mad Thinker (Only in flashback)
- Fantastic Four (Mentioned)(Only in flashback)
- Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) (Mentioned)(Only in flashback)
- Thing (Ben Grimm) (Mentioned)(Only in flashback)
- Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) (Mentioned)
- Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd) (Only in recap)
- Thanos (Only in recap)
- Daredevil (Matt Murdock) (Referenced)
- Mentor (A'Lars) (Only in recap)
- Angels (Referenced)
- Professor Phineas T. Horton (Only in flashback)(Death)
- Mister Geppetto (Mentioned)
- Pinocchio (Mentioned)
- Scarlet Witch (Wanda Frank) (Referenced)
- Agatha Harkness (Referenced)
- God (Yahweh) (Invoked)
- Drax (Art Douglas) (Behind the scenes)
- Dormammu (Behind the scenes)
Races and species:
- Synthezoids (Main story and flashback)
- Robots (Only in flashback)
- Gods (Mentioned)
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Cyborgs (Only in flashback)
- Titans (Only in recap)
- Eternals (Only in recap)
- Faltine (Behind the scenes)
- Zenn-Lavians (Only in recap)
Locations:
- Milky Way (Main story and flashback)
- Solar System (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- United States (Main story and flashback)
- New Jersey (Only in flashback)
- Pym's former residence (Only in flashback)
- Pym's former residence
- New York (Main story and recap)
- New York City (Main story and recap)
- Manhattan (Main story and recap)
- Midtown (Main story and recap)
- Fifth Avenue (Main story and recap)
- Avengers Mansion (Main story and recap)
- Midtown
- Mad Thinker's lab (Only in flashback)
- Nevada (Only in recap)
- Connecticut (Only in flashback)
- Stamford (Only in flashback)
-
- Temple of Priests of Pama
- Saturn (Only in recap)
- Titan (Moon of Saturn) (Only in recap)
- Shao-Lom Monastery (Only in recap)
- Kree Galaxy (Mentioned)
Items:
- Goliath's Suit (Only in recap)
- Wasp's Suit (Only in recap)
- Power Cosmic (Only in recap)
- , and
Vehicles:
- Silver Surfer's Surfboard (Only in recap)
Synopsis for "The Torch is Passed!"
Continuing his travels through time to learn his origins, the Vision sees that after the original Human Torch's "death" battling the Fantastic Four, the Mad Thinkers lab was soon visited by Ultron. Ultron explains his origins to the computer Quasimodo and then explains his desire to use an android against the Avengers and how he had gotten the location of the Torch's body from the Mad Thinker himself. Ultron then takes the Torch's body leaving Quasimodo behind to be found by the Silver Surfer.
While back on Earth in Vietnam, Moondragon has arrived to greet the Avengers. The spectral form taking the shape of the late Swordsman explains to all present that Moondragon and Mantis were destined to live similar lives, and that one of them was to be the Celestial Madonna, Mantis being the first choice and Moondragon was the backup should Mantis prove to be unworthy of the title.
Back in time, Vision learns that Ultron was unable to repair the Torch's body, and so sought out Phineas T. Horton to help repair the android. Horton, now a down on his luck TV repairman, was easily coerced into helping Ultron. However, once the Human Torch was rebuilt into the body which would be known as the Vision, Phineas sacrifices his life trying to stop Ultron, but ultimately fails. Fearing that the Torch's personality would be a cause for the Vision to revolt, Ultron then planned to use the brain patterns of Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man) to ensure that the Vision would comply with his orders.
This story is continued in Giant-Size Avengers #4...
Notes
- Courtesy of Immortus' "Synchro Staffs", most of this issue is told as a flashback. As revealed in Avengers: Forever #8, the "synchro-staffs" employed in this issue are in actuality shape-shifting Space Phantoms in disguise.
- This issue contains a letters page, Avengers Assemble!. Letters are published from Austin Seth Camacho, Giles Dyer, and Mary Kay Boudreau.
- This issue also contains a Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation.