"Avengers Assemble!" Part 1 of 3. Script by John Byrne. Art by Paul Ryan (breakdowns) and Tom Palmer (finishes). Cover by John Byrne.
Captain America calls a quick meeting of all the active avengers to make sure everyone understands that there is only one team of Avengers…with different branches on each coast. Meanwhile miles below New York Harbor, Jinku, the witch doctor of the Lava Men, cooks up a surprise for Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Seemingly out of nowhere, a column of lava forms directly underneath Avengers Island (aka Hydro-Base) and lifts it high into the air! And then waves of Lava Men attack! In just a matter of minutes, the Avengers are knee deep in lava (men)! Can Cap, Thor, and their teammates fight off the little warriors made of molten rock? And do it before Hydro-Base slides off the mountain of lava? Cameo appearances by the Fantastic Four, Beast, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Falcon, Firebird, Hellcat, Moondragon, Starfox, Sub-Mariner, and the West Coast Avengers. Avengers Lineup: Black Panther, Captain America, Gilgamesh, Quasar, She-Hulk, and Thor. (Notes: The Lava Men previously appeared in Fantastic Four 313. John Byrne begins his 1-year stint as the writer for the Avengers series.)
Cover price $1.00.
