Today’s Lunchtime Reading West Coast Avengers 28 Double-Crossed!

West Coast Avengers 28 Double-Crossed!

Published: January 10, 1988

Writer: Steve Englehart Penciler: Al Milgrom

Cover Artist: Al Milgrom and Mike Machlan

Van Lunt's predictions lead the Avengers to intercept the LMD Zodiac at the Denver Mint. During the battle, Scorpio finds that he can't consistently control the Zodiac Key, and the battle only ends when the Key suddenly teleports the Zodiac away. With Van Lunt's next prediction, the Avengers quickly catch up to the Zodiac in Death Valley.

It's during the next battle that "Tigra" picks an opportune moment to reveal herself as another infiltrator, which gives the Zodiac the upper hand, at least until the Zodiac Key stops working for Scorpio again because its desire for conflict leads it to sabotage battles that would have a decisive victory.

Scorpio and several Zodiac members are destroyed, but the Key quickly re-animates them. Scorpio soon demands the Key transport them to its home dimension for their final victory. The Key is extremely reluctant, but finally relents. The Avengers and Zodiac warp to the dimension of the Brotherhood of the Ankh, and because the LMD Zodiac take their entire essence from constellations in the Earth dimension, every member of the Zodiac immediately dies. Nearby, the real Hawkeye and Tigra are fighting the Brotherhood of the Ankh.

The Avengers rush in to help their teammates and the Brotherhood regains control of the Zodiac Key. Because this is a dimension where conflict is valued above everything, the Brotherhood suddenly gives up because they're confident that possessing the Key makes them unbeatable and they're not interested if the fighting can't continue indefinitely. They transport the Avengers back to their world with the sinister promise that they'll release the Key back into their world eventually to stir up more precious conflict.

While they were away, they find Van Lunt took the time to escape, which Moon Knight vows vengeance on due to Taurus' broken vow to the Moon. Bobbi tries again to confess her secret to Clint, but can't bring herself to after he says he had too much faith in her to give up while he was stranded in the other world.