Today's Lunchtime Reading West Coast Avengers #20 Lost in Space-Time, Part Four: In the Meantime, in Between-Time...

West Coast Avengers #20 Lost in Space-Time, Part Four: In the Meantime, in Between-Time...

Published:

May 1987

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom Cover Artist: Al Milgrom

In 1776, the Avengers fly from the American west towards Egypt, but first make a stopover in Philadelphia to get Hawkeye some medical attention following his injuries in the previous issue.

Since its July of that year, they just barely miss Doctor Strange and Clea hanging out with Benjamin Franklin. They continue on across the Atlantic Ocean and over Europe until they reach the Sphinx in Egypt. They clash briefly with Ottoman soldiers that are amassed there for some reason while Wonder Man sets up the Time Platform, and soon enough they jump back to 2920 BC and are immediately attacked by the Egyptian soldiers there preparing for the Pharaoh's burial rites.

The latest skirmish is ended when the Pharaoh's High Priest, Shamaz, recognizes the Avengers as time travelers and is able to talk to them in English. Shamaz explains that the Pharaoh will be entering suspended animation the next day and that he destroyed his own time machine 17 years earlier. He reluctantly lets them into the pyramid to talk to the Pharaoh, but as Rama-Tut is preparing his mind for suspended animation by entering a trance, he isn't very coherent or helpful. He only mutters that they might find more help during his first reign. Hawkeye is growing increasingly frustrated negotiating their way through in spite of his injuries and starts to collapse from fever. His teammates assure him that they can get through on his behalf and that he should rest. Clint relents and assigns Iron Man as interim chairman just before falling unconscious, which irks Wonder Man who has been competing with Tony for status. They activate the Time Platform once more to jump back to 2940 BC, when they are immediately shot by the then-nefarious Rama-Tut.

In August of 1776, a month after parting ways with the Avengers, Carlotta Valdez is traveling across California with her mission when her coach is attacked by Indians. She joins the battle but gets shot in the back. Before she dies, she makes her chaperone promise to guard the message she took from Hawkeye.

In 1876, Phantom Rider takes Mockingbird back to Lincoln Slade's hometown of Lordsburg to start a new life with her. As she changes into her new local dress, she decides to wear the old arrowhead she found as a necklace, a choice that Slade doesn't know hat to make of since he recognizes the head as something Hawkeye would use. While they settle in, Rawhide Kid and Two-Gun Kid are still on their trail.

And in the present day, Espirita continues to help Hank rekindle his passion for science by having him go over his expertise in robotics, a subject that Hank isn't as eager to get back into. As they head to the lab, they again just barely miss Hawkeye's message peeking out of the pages of Bonita's bible.