Appearing in "Their Darkest Hour!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
-
- (Joins)
- (Joins)
-
- Avengers-Earth-64087 (Dream)
- Captain America (Steven Rogers) (Dream)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Dream)
- Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) (Dream)
- Giant-Man (Hank Pym) (Dream)
- South American Natives
Other Characters:
- Numerous unnamed Asgardians
- Numerous unnamed New Yorkers
- Crusher (First appearance)
- Moose (First appearance)
- Bucky Barnes (Mentioned)
- Radioactive Man (Chen Lu) (Mentioned)
- Melter (Bruno Horgan) (Mentioned)
- Nazis (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Insects (Referenced)
- Dinosaurs (Mentioned)
- Jackals (Mentioned)
- Demons (Mentioned)
- Pythons (Referenced)
Locations:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Midtown
-
- Tony Stark's Apartment
- Midtown
-
-
- New England (Referenced)
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts (Mentioned)
-
-
-
-
- (Destruction)
-
-
-
-
-
- Earth-64087 (Dream)
- Earth (Dream)
- North America (Dream)
- United States of America (Dream)
- New York (Dream)
- New York City (Dream)
- Manhattan (Dream)
Items:
- and
- and
- Vibra-Gun
Vehicles:
- Jet-Copter (Destruction)
- Baron Zemo's Ship
Synopsis for "Their Darkest Hour!"
Iron Man faces the Avengers, who suspend him for a week after he refused to assist them a few days ago. In Asgard, the Enchantress and the Executioner are banished to Earth by Odin. There they find Zemo, who had escaped the authorities, and they team up with him to stop Captain America. The Enchantress's ultimate motive, however, is to get Thor by her side.
After a training session fighting professional wrestlers in a gym, Captain America scolds Rick Jones for trying on Bucky’s old uniform. This brings back memories of Zemo and sparks again his will for revenge on his old enemy. After Giant-Man and the Wasp depart to the jungle to do some research on ants, Cap gets the visit of the Executioner posing as an ex-Nazi to lure the hero in the Amazon Jungle to face Zemo. Meanwhile, the Enchantress successfully captures Thor by hypnotizing him. She uses a spell that somehow convinces Thor that his teammates are evil.
In South America, Cap easily gets rid of the natives fighting for Baron Zemo, but falls into a deep game trap. Called by Thor back to New York, Giant-Man and the Wasp arrive by helicopter to get attacked by the God of Thunder. Hearing of this on TV, Stark decides to intervene as Iron Man, despite his banishment from the Avengers.
The Enchantress is remotely watching Zemo’s progress in defeating Cap. When she sees that the hero is still alive at the bottom of the pit, she tries to help by causing a cave-in, but it only gives Cap the opportunity to escape his prison. He defeats Zemo's forces and the Baron tries to escape. Captain America stows away aboard the escape ship without Zemo’s suspicion.
Meanwhile, Iron Man brings Thor back to his senses. Zemo's ship arrives in New York and he attacks the Avengers. When Cap makes his presence known to Zemo, the Enchantress takes the ship back to the Executioner, who subdues the hero. The Masters of Evil flee before the rest of the team reaches them, but Thor generates a space warp that sends the ship who knows where. The team decides to get ready, because they will be back.
Notes
- Giant-Man and Wasp would be seen again in Tales to Astonish #56 where they battled the Magician, Tales to Astonish #57 where they teamed up with Spider-Man against Egghead, and in Tales to Astonish #58 where they battled the Colossus and later the Magician once more. They also had a cameo appearance in Tales of Suspense #56.
- Iron Man would be seen again in Tales of Suspense #57 where he battled Hawkeye for the first time. Previous to this issue he battled the Unicorn in Tales of Suspense #56.
- Thor in Journey Into Mystery #105 battled against both Mister Hyde and the Cobra who had teamed up for the very first time. This battle continued on into Journey Into Mystery #106. Thor next battled the Grey Gargoyle in Journey Into Mystery #107. He had a cameo appearance in Tales of Suspense #56.
- Captain America had a cameo appearance in Tales to Astonish #58.
- This issue follows the events of Tales of Suspense #56. The Avengers are reprimanding Iron Man for failing to answer an Avengers priority call. This was due to the fact that Iron Man was sick of risking his life as a hero. Following his battle with the Unicorn he returns to his role as a hero.
- Loki, Enchantress, and the Executioner were all last seen in Journey Into Mystery Vol 1 103-104. Enchantress and Executioner were defeated at the hands of Thor in Journey Into Mystery #103.
- Baron Zemo was last seen in Avengers #6.
- Following their defeat at the hands of the Avengers, Baron Zemo, Executioner and Enchantress aren't seen again until Avengers #9.
- Iron Man is next seen in Tales of Suspense #57.
- Giant Man and Wasp are next seen in Tales to Astonish #59
- Thor is next seen in Journey Into Mystery #108.
- Captain America and Rick Jones is next seen in Avengers #8.
- This story is Job# X-739.
- References: Tales of Suspense #56, Journey Into Mystery #103, Avengers #4, and Avengers #6
Trivia
- The Enchantress' image from this cover will be used for her 1974 Series "A" Marvel Value Stamp #43