Sunday, May 17, 2026

I would not sell my collection, if I did, I would cry (Part 126)......

 Today In The History Of Polt's Comic Book Collection

Today we travel back to May of 1978 and The Avengers #171.


When I was a little pre-teen Polt, sometimes I'd walk a couple blocks to downtown, cross the busy Main Street (all by myself) and go to the Waynesboro News Agency.   They had not only a soda counter and grill where they made food, but they had several shelves of magazines (held back by tiny coiled metal strings) and among these were a bunch of comic books.  And I vividly remember seeing this particular cover and having to buy it!  At 35 cents and issue, that meant that, with my $1.00 a week allowance, I could buy two comics, and save the leftover cents to bring with me next week to buy three comics!

Anyway, back to this issue.  It's drawn by the Maestro George Perez (might even be my first exposure to his art).  The storyline goes that Avengers enemy Ultron built a 'wife' for him and named her Jocasta.  He captured the Wasp and used her brainwaves to put into the robot.  The Avengers tracked them down to his hideout (inside a nunnery of all places, with a robotic Mother Superior!) and they fought.  

Ultron activated Jocasta expecting her to join him in the battle against the hero.  But, since the Wasp brainwaves were in her head and influencing her attitudes, thoughts and opinions, she joined the team in fighting Ultron!  

Ultimately, he was blown up by the Scarlet Witch's hex spheres, and Jocasta went with the team.  She hung out with the Avengers for a couple years, never actually officially joining the team, which irritated me, as I like the character.  What pissed me off even more is when the team when through a reorganization, cutting members and adding two members, they never thought to even ask Jocasta, and she just left the mansion, upset and frankly, unmissed.  No one even went looking for her. 

I know this so well because I read and re-read and re-re-read the issue so many times ! I love this whole stretch of the Avengers and I think it's the best run on their line. 

POLT

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