Anthony Bergamini
Geoff Johns, more commonly associated with his DC work, had a short run on the Avengers, which feels drastically different than anything that had come before. Instead of focusing on the high-flying adventures of Marvel’s premiere super team, Johns chose to pen a character-focused narrative, something that Bendis would perfect in his run directly following this. Paired with many great artists, such as his long-time collaborator Gary Frank, Johns’ short stint on the Avengers changed the nature of the team while fading into obscurity. Avengers #76 concludes the story of Jack of Hearts (until he shows up in “Avengers Disassembled)” while being a perfect distillation of Johns’s entire run on the Avengers.
Throughout this story, there is a constant interpersonal conflict between Scott Lang’s Ant-Man and Jack of Hearts. Unlike the usual bickering over leadership styles between Iron Man and Captain America or the ideological differences between Iron Man and Captain Marvel, the conflict between these two D-List characters gravitates purely from their similarly cynical and bold attitudes. As Scott explains in Avengers #76, Jack is a hothead whose lack of control of his immense powers causes him to not work well within the team. Similarly, Scott is depicted as quick to judge and incredibly opinionated, leading to constant arguments between the two.
As their conflict is about to come to a head or possibly reach some resolution, Scott learns that his daughter has been kidnapped, leaving the unlikely duo to pursue her location frantically. Scott arrives, subduing the kidnapper, preparing to kill the man out of anger. In a twist of fate, Jack stops Scott from making a horrible decision, deciding to end his life while killing the kidnapper.
This conclusion is multifaceted. On the one hand, Scott’s brash nature and swift action prove that he’s just as hot-headed as Jack. Jack is constantly stressed since he has to spend most of his days locked inside a chamber to contain his power, leading to his hot temper. Scott may not be able to see life through Jack’s eyes, yet his temper arrives when his family is put in danger. This reveal provides a common ground between the two before Jack ends his life, teaching Scott a valuable lesson about judging others.
Early on in the issue, the question of Jack’s status as an Avenger comes into question, with Scott’s opinion being that Jack shouldn’t be an Avenger since he doesn’t even know what he wants to be, claiming that Jack is only out to better himself. The rest of the team disagrees with him, but he is interrupted by Jack before the issue’s antics ensue. After Jack stops Scott from killing the kidnapper, he reveals that he does know what it means to be a hero and admits to Scott’s prior theory. He also acknowledges that he finally understands that all he has to do to be a hero is attempt to make the world a better place. While Jack teaches Scott not to judge others, Scott shows Jack what it means to be an Avenger.
The Avengers are often known for their fantastic adventures, but small character moments like this help define the team. Two characters, who have never reached the same level of popularity as many of the other Avengers, headline an issue that serves as a microcosmic look into what the Avengers would become in the years to follow.