The Avengers III

105-152

This page: 119-135 and GIANT-SIZE 2-4

The story of Mantis and her rise from bar-girl to Celestial Madonna actually began in #112, and ran to GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4, following #135. As far as I know it's the most detailed origin anyone's ever had - a total of 19 issues. Here, following her initial appearances and the issues of the Avengers-Defenders Clash, is the bulk of it.

In addition, we have the courtship of the Vision and the Scarlet Witch, leading to their marriage, and the origin of the Vision, and….

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Written by Gerry ConwayI
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ICollection: AVENGERS 129-GS4 (no DR STRANGE)I
ICollection: includes AVENGERS 127 and FF 150 (but not GSA 4!)
ICollection: includes GSA 4
ICollection: AVENGERS 120-140 and GSA 1-4, plus CAPTAIN MARVEL 33 and FF 150

COMICS

AVENGERS 136-152


NOTES:

123: The cover says "The Origin of Mantis" but the story inside says "An Origin for Mantis." We were a long way from finding out the truth about her.

CAPTAIN MARVEL 33: Plotted by Jim Starlin, scripted by me.

127: Coordinated with Gerry Conway's FANTASTIC FOUR 150. Colored by me.

128: Colored by me. I was seriously considering coloring this series on a regular basis - I enjoyed exercising different creative muscles - and then we decided to add GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS. Never mind...

GS2: Number 1 had been a stand-alone story by writer emeritus Roy Thomas. When I got started with #2, I wanted to integrate the new series with the old one, since I was spinning such a complex web in AVENGERS that stand-alones would never be able to compare. This then became, every three months, another "bi-weekly" run. Number 129 & GS2 are one story - one of my all-time favorites.

132 & GS3: Guess what? This was a lot of darn work. I plotted these issues but Roy scripted them so I could get ahead...

133-135: ...and write, well, the history of the universe and the history of the Vision simultaneously, in the midst of an action book racing toward Mantis's finale.

GS4: And having done so, I integrated DR STRANGE into the plot as well, because...why the heck not?