All-New, All-Fantastic Avengers #140 – ‘The Weight is Swinging Low’

In the Negative Zone, H.E.R.B.I.E. rushes to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent G.W. Bridge’s defense, as an Annihilation Reaver creeps up on him. They both shoot at the Reaver, causing sparks to fly off its armored skin. The title of this comic strip, “All-New, All-Fantastic Avengers Presents… ‘The Weight is Swinging Low’,” is visible at the top of the image.

H.E.R.B.I.E. chases the Reaver away, while back on Earth, Iron Man and Miles Morales watch the action unfold from the Baxter Building’s observation center.

Dr. Clark Connors (“played” by an action figure of Sean Connery, from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) continues to struggle to fight a Reaver with his sword, but is rescued right before things get really bad by Bridge and Kate Neville.

The Invisible Woman locks the Reaver in a bubble of invisible force to immobilize it, while Neville and Bridge escort Connors away from the fight.

Mr. Fantastic re-engages the portal, bridging our reality and the Negative Zone. The mysterious man in gargoyle-esque armor is the first to return through the portal, carrying the mutilated Secret Service Agent Adams (“played” by an action figure of Peter Weller from Robocop, and named for legendary comics creator, and creators’ rights advocate, Neil Adams).

Neville and Connors are the next ones through, and the Human Torch and H.E.R.B.I.E. share a nice little moment of conversation in the quiet.

Agent Wurmser (“played” here by an action figure of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie Terminator: Dark Fate) carries the injured S.H.I.E.L.D. trooper through the portal, next. The last two through are the Invisible Woman and the Thing, neither of whom wanted this trip to end so abruptly, and so unsuccessfully.

The members of the Fantastic Four travel back to their reality. H.E.R.B.I.E. is excitedly greeted by Miles when he steps off the portal platform.

The Thing and H.E.R.B.I.E. take Adams to the infirmary. Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic angrily confront the mysterious man in the armor, who…

…turns out to be billionaire Jay Hansen, just as the Invisible Woman had predicted before! He is utterly unimpressed by the attitudes of our heroes.

Bridge and Neville demand they return to the Negative Zone, to recover the remainder of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents they left behind, as Wurmser mourns the death of the trooper he carried back on his own.

The credits for the comic strip, citing the Unsplash users whose photographs were the background art, the use of fonts by Blambot, the ownership of Marvel by Disney, the creation of Marvel characters by actual human beings, the use of stock visual effects by Action VFX, and the figure photography/script/lettering by me, Phil Wrede.

The truth is revealed this week! Well, it was actually revealed last week, but Jay Hansen takes off his metal mask to formally reveal his identity this week. If Justin Hammer thought he had to work hard to win back the hearts and minds of the American people before, well… armored Jay Hansen, battling next to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Negative Zone will absolutely make for a more dashing video than whatever product announcement Hammer Industries has cooked up!

I’ve never been much into He-Man, except for that amazing episode of The Toys That Made Us, so I kind of feel like doubling up on the, “I have the power!” reference is… excessive? But, it’s been two years. You can revisit references after two years, right? Maybe even sooner!

Since it never hurts to have a memory refresher, if you could use one about the fantastic adventure so far, please feel free to re-/read any or all of the linked comics below!

Part One (wherein Miles Morales starts his internship!)
Part Two (wherein Reed plans a trip to the Negative Zone!)
Part Three (wherein the trip goes slightly sideways!)
Part Four (wherein a fire-y discovery is made!)
Part Five (wherein we return to the Baxter Building, after a few months away!)
Part Six (wherein the enemy of their enemy is S.H.I.E.L.D.’s friend!)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply