Appearing in "Did You Hear the One About Scorpio?"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- S.H.I.E.L.D. (Main story and recap)
- Agent "Dum-Dum" Dugan (Main story and recap)
- (Impersonates Scorpio)(Main story and recap)
- (Main story and flashback)
Antagonists:
- Zodiac (First appearance)
- (First appearance)
- Gemini (First appearance)
- Leo (First appearance)
- Sagittarius (First appearance)
- Taurus (First appearance)
- Pisces (First appearance)
- Aquarius (First appearance)
- Virgo (First appearance)
- Libra (First appearance)
- Cancer (First appearance)
- Capricorn (First appearance)
- Scorpio (Jake Fury) (Only in recap)(Impersonates Nick Fury)
-
Other Characters:
- Red Skull (Mentioned)
- Sherlock (Mentioned)
- Iron Man (Tony Stark) (Mentioned)
- Black Panther (T'Challa) (Mentioned)
- Thor Odinson (Mentioned)
- Hydra (Mentioned)
- Bulls-Eye (Only in recap)
- Nick Fury LMD (Only in recap)(Destroyed)
- Agent Laura Brown (Only in recap)
- Captured Officials (Only on screen as a static image or video record)
- (First appearance; on-screen)
- (First appearance; on-screen)
- (First appearance; on-screen)
- Sam Hill (Invoked)
- Jake Fury (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- LMDs (Only in flashback)
- Kree (Main story and flashback)
- Chickens (Mentioned)
- Fish (Mentioned)
- Zombies (Mentioned)
Locations:
- Earthspace (Main story and flashback)
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- North America (Main story and flashback)
- United States of America (Main story and flashback)
- New York (Main story and flashback)
- New York City (Main story and flashback)
- Manhattan (Main story and flashback)
- Midtown (Main story and flashback)
- Fifth Avenue (Main story and flashback)
- Avengers Mansion (Main story and flashback)
- Central Park (Only in recap)
- Fury's Penthouse (Only in flashback)
- Elliott Building (Only in recap)
- Midtown
- Africa (Mentioned)
- Negative Zone (Main story and flashback)
Items:
- and
- Mjolnir (Drawing)
- Zodiac Key (Main story and flashback)
- and Nega-Bands (Main story and flashback)
Synopsis for "Did You Hear the One About Scorpio?"
Rick Jones returns to Avengers Mansion, just as the group is about to start their meeting. During the opening discussion about three missing New York officials, the Avengers are interrupted by a call from S.H.I.E.L.D. member Dum Dum Dugan. Dugan informs them that the officials were kidnapped by Scorpio, and ask the Avengers to handle the situation because Nick Fury is dead (following the events of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #15).
After the call, Rick Jones explains that Scorpio was the reason why he too came to the Avengers. When dropping in on Nick Fury's apartment, he found Scorpio, who attacked him. Switching his place on Earth with Captain Marvel, Marvel chases after the villain. While Scorpio manages to escape, Captain Marvel found a list of names that was dropped during the battle. Rick Jones presents this list to the Avengers.
Suddenly Scorpio appears on their transceiver and uses the Zodiac Key to short out the device causing it to explode and knock out the Avengers and Rick Jones. When they all resume consciousness, they find themselves prisoners in Scorpio's hide-out. There, Scorpio introduces his teammates, all members of the group known as Zodiac.
While Yellowjacket, and Wasp use their powers to summon an army of ants to destroy the device holding them prisoner, Scorpio and the Zodiac explain that their plan is to take over the world by making an attack on a dozen world capitals. Just then the device holding the Avengers explodes and they are freed. During the battle against Zodiac, Scorpio reveals that he is really Nick Fury in disguise, and he and Rick Jones help fight off the Zodiac, until Aries secures the Zodiac Key and uses it to keep the Avengers and Fury at bay, however Rick Jones manages to stop Aries from using the key against his friends.
The Zodiac make a quick escape, and Nick Fury explains that he learned that his brother Jake was the original Scorpio and so used that knowledge to fake his death (by having an LMD assassinated in his place) and infiltrate Zodiac as Scorpio. After, Captain America invites Rick to be his sidekick, Rick turns it down, knowing that he would not be able to maintain the secret of Captain Marvel if he were to do so.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
Continuity Notes
- Gemini is revealed to be Joshua Link in Astonishing Tales #17.
- Libra is revealed to be the father of Mantis in Avengers #122 and Avengers #123.
- Taurus is revealed to be Cornelius van Lunt in Avengers #121.
- Scorpio is Jake Fury during the flashback of this issue, but is revealed to be Nick Fury in disguise during the present.
- Captain Marvel's story continues in Captain Marvel #20.
- This issue marks Rick Jones's first appearance in the series since Avengers #17.