This is "From a Different Point of View," a feature where I discuss a comic book series with another writer. In this case, it is Eileen Gonzalez who will be going over the history of the Avengers with me, story by story!

When last we checked in with our heroes in Avengers #67, "We Stand At...Armageddon!" by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith and George Klein, the Avengers had been enlisted by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help test out a new metal called adamantium and try to figure out if it is really indestructible. As the various heroes tried their best to destroy it, they were increasingly freaking themselves out, worried about what this new metal could mean for the world, especially if a villain got a hold of it. Meanwhile, the Vision had been having headaches, and he abruptly departed. He returned and stole the Adamantium from S.H.I.E.L.D. He returned to Avengers Mansion, making it clear that he did, in fact, betray the team. He fought against his friends for a little bit until we learn that he was just delaying them for the arrival of Ultron, who is now made up of entirely adamantium! The seemingly invulnerable Ultron then taunted the Avengers for a while with how he could kill then at any moment and then flew away, leaving them with one last comment about how they'd get to see the rest of the New York die.

The Vision then took on Ultron, but lost. Vision, though, knew how to stop Ultron's plan to destroy New York. Sadly, S.H.I.E.L.D. then showed up to take Vision down! The Avengers show up at Ultron's base and he taunts them with the impending destruction of New York!

What will happen next? Let's take a look with Avengers #68, "...And We Battle For the Earth!," by Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema and Sam Grainger.

I opened with, "The title is kind of unusual, right? Because it continues from the title of last issue, 'We Stand at Armageddon...And we Battle for the Earth!' Isn't it weird for two issues to split a title? Especially for just two parts of a three-part story? Anyhow, it it is a reference to, of all things, a Theodore Roosevelt speech when he started a third party to run for president in 1912. He went to the Republican Convention in 1912 thinking he could take the nomination from the incumbent president, William Taft. When he lost out on the nomination, rather than conceding, he gave a big speech where he said, 'We Stand at Armageddon, and We Battle for the Lord.'" Eileen replied, "Huh, I didn't even notice that! I certainly didn't realize it was a reference to Teddy Roosevelt, of all people." I continued, "And then Roosevelt started a new party using that phrase as the title of his speech introducing the Progressive Party. He then split the vote with Taft and the Democrat candidate, Woodrow Wilson, became President instead of either Taft or Roosevelt. Boy, that Roy Thomas sure likes to use smart quotes, huh?" Eileen replied, "How did he even stumble across that? It's not like he could google 'quotes about armageddon' back then." I guessed, "I think he was just really well read." Eileen joked, "Better read than I am, for sure."

I noted, "This issue introduces a brand-new Avengers penciler! After going the first 30 or so issues with just two pencilers. We're now seeing our third penciler in the last four issues! Big John Buscema's younger brother, Sal, makes his Avengers debut. Sal will be a very familiar presence on this title for the next decade or so. His inker, Sam Grainger, made his Avengers debut in Gene Colan's final fill-in issue a few issues earlier. As we noted last week, I believe, Marvel was expanding in the late 1960s, and there were now opportunities for new artists. Young guys like Sal Buscema and veterans from other companies, like Grainger. It's weird seeing Buscema pick up from Smith. I like Buscema, but he's much less stylized, so it's a real culture shock." Eileen replied, "There's definitely a more 'traditional' feel to this issue than the two previous ones. Much less experimental." I responded, "That's Sal Buscema to a tee. Excellent storyteller. But he's a very traditional artist."

I noted, "It's odd how the cliffhanger of the previous issue wasn't REALLY resolved, right? The Avengers are all, like, 'Ultron is about to blow everyone up!' and the Vision was about to stop him when the SHIELD agents seemingly knocked him out. Then this issue opens with Ultron trying to kill everyone and failing because Vision shrugged off the SHIELD attack all off-panel."

Eileen replied, "Yeah, you hinted at this last time, but the SHIELD folks basically do nothing. I guess they HAD to be here, since the adamantium was stolen from their helicarrier and it would look odd if they didn't. But still, even when they do show up, it's just to do more nothing." I replied, "It's an odd approach. Is S.H.I.E.L.D. even IN this issue outside of the opening page?" Eileen responded, "I believe they guard Dr. MacLain at the UN. But they're useless against Ultron when he shows up to attack. Though in their defense, the Avengers don't do so great against Ultron for most of the issue either." I noted, "Yeah, the Avengers fight with Ultron is bizarre. 'Ultron's made out of adamantium now! We can't destroy him! Let's attack him and try to destroy him!'" Eileen noted, "In the story itself, their last fight with Ultron was, what, five minutes ago? You'd think they'd have learned that this approach was useless!" I also noted, "It's interesting, though, to see Yellowjacket's bio blasts seem like they had at least a theoretical chance at working. Which brings up the question of, 'Why doesn't he give those bio blasts to the Wasp already?' He eventually does, but not for, like, 100 more issues!" Eileen replied, "And yet Wasp is out there in front, flying directly at Ultron to attack him. What was she planning to do when she got there? Show off her new costume, maybe." I joked, "Just like Thor, she was there just to vogue. 'Let me spin my hammer at him, that'll show him!'" I added, "I like how Clint pretty much instantly forgave the Vision. That was nice to see." Eileen agreed, "They all leap to his rescue pretty quick, even keeping him away from SHIELD. They should all probably have a talk to work out their trust issues, though, given they were just as quick to turn on him earlier." I joked, "'Hey, we're the Avengers. Do we ever make sense?'"

I noted, "And then the amazing scene where they need to do a mind probe on the Vision to remind themselves about the molecular rearranger, which Dr. MacLain showed them as soon as he introduced adamantium!" Eileen replied, "One, why do they have a mind probe in the first place? And two, how did EVERYONE except the Vision forget about the molecular rearranger? That seems like a pretty big deal!" I noted, "They were too busy just attacking Ultron to no avail to think about this. I like that Thomas at least tries to hang a lantern on it by having both Hank and MacLain wonder why they didn't think about it."

I continued, "And Wasp drops in an Edgar Allan Poe reference, to 'The Purloined Letter,' which is about someone who hides an object in plain sight. How amazing is Thomas using Poe stories as, like, references that he expects the reader to just GET?" Eileen replied, "It is nice not to be talked down to, although if he expected everyone to be nodding in acknowledgement after his Roosevelt reference, he thinks too highly of most people, I suspect." I responded, "In the 60s, everyone just read Poe stories and Theodore Roosevelt speeches. It was all the rage."

We then briefly see Black Panther, as Hank fills him in on his plan.

Next time, we get to see Hank's insane plan in action!