The Amazing Spider-Man #269-270 / The Avengers #258-260 / The Avengers Annual #14 / The Avengers #261

Writer: Tom DeFalco (ASM#269-270), Roger Stern (TA#258-261, TAA#14)
Penciler: Ron Frenz (ASM#269-270)
Breakdowns: John Buscema (TA#258-261), John Byrne (TAA#14)
Finisher: Josef Rubinstein (ASM#269), Bob McLeod (ASM#270), John Buscema (TA#258), Tom Palmer (TA#259-261), Kyle Baker (TAA#14)

Seven issues chronicling Firelord's ill-fated decision to take a vacation on Earth.

Unsurprisingly New York is the first stop on his tour, where he gets mistaken for a mutant and has a two-issue bust-up with Spider-Man. Spidey's just trying to protect the locals, but 'Flame-Brain' percieves the situation in somewhat more polarised terms.

As more heroes are called-in to help, there's some overlap between the issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers, which had me reading these comics side-by-side. Although some events are redrawn, there are a couple of panels that are repeated in both issues, albeit with different inking and colours.



That bothers me - in the Marvel Universe, which colour are those buttons actually?

And even more importantly, did the person on the radio say the word "are" or "were"?!?

Ultimately Spider-Man wins and, to make amends, the former herald to Galactus finds himself doing a week of community service under the supervision of Hercules. It's encouraging to know that, in the face of all the expensive destruction that New York routinely suffers in Marvel Comics, occasionally there are huge savings to be made, in this case with the firey one incinerating millions of dollars of toxic waste.

It must come as something of an irony when the Avengers are called out into space to fight the war to end all skrulls (with a little help from the Fantastic Four), and they take Firelord with them. Having played his part in such a well-written battle, and spent one day sick as we all do on holiday (which I confess I actually read in Marvel UK's Secret Wars II Special #2), he decides to remain out there to tie-up some loose ends with Starfox. Everyone else heads back to Earth.

The Beyonder pokes his nose into events occasionally and, for the first time I think, his similarity to Captain America is actually commented upon.

Wasp: "There he goes, Cap -- down the up-escalator! It's almost eerie... he's not as smooth or as practiced, but he moves quite a bit like you. He even looks a little like you!"

Captain America: "I noticed."

Glad someone finally has.