Barry Windsor-Smith

"Betrayal!" Part 1 of 3. First appearance and use of adamantium. Onboard the SHIELD Helicarrier, Earth's Mightiest Heroes test a new metal alloy called adamantium! The metal is so strong that even Thor's hammer cannot fracture it! Wow, what would happen if this awesome alloy fell into the wrong hands? Regrettably the Avengers don't have to wait long for the answer as the Vision steals the adamantium and then ambushes his fellow avengers inside the mansion! What a shocking development! Could things get any worse? Perhaps only if the Vision's robotic creator were to suddenly appear! An excellent issue! Cameo appearance by Ultron-6. Avengers Lineup: Goliath, Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Wasp, and Yellowjacket. (Notes: Ultron previously appeared (as Ultron-5) in Avengers 57. This is the first of the five issues that Barry Windsor-Smith drew for the Avengers title (1st series): issues 66, 67, 98, 99, and 100. The letters page includes a letter from writer James Van Hise.

"We Stand at Armageddon!" Part 2 of 3. Ultron-6 rampages through Avengers Mansion! And Earth's Mightiest Heroes are helpless to stop the metal monster now composed of pure adamantium! After steamrolling the Avengers, Ultron flies away; but the Vision follows him back to his lair! Ultron plans to detonate a nuclear device in New York City! And only the synthezoid avenger stands in his way! Can the Vision derail his creator's atomic dreams? Cameo appearances by Dum Dum Dugan, Gabe Jones, and Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. Avengers Lineup: Goliath, Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Wasp, and Yellowjacket.

"Let Slip the Dogs of War!" Part 1 of 3. The remarkable Kree/Skrull war is over! But there isn't any time to rest for Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Ares, the Greek god of war, stokes a riot in downtown Manhattan by mind-controlling the nearby residents! When the Avengers and Rick Jones arrive to restore the peace, they fall under Ares' trance too! The only heroes left unaffected are Thor and the Vision! But before the Prince of Asgard and the synthezoid avenger can challenge Ares, they must first fend off their teammates! The Vision battles Shell-Head while Thor takes on Cap, Wanda, and Pietro! Everything is going Ares' way! How will the Avengers turn the tide? Cameo appearance by Hercules. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. (Notes: Ares previously appeared in Avengers 50. Clint Barton returns to his Hawkeye identity. The letters page includes a lengthy letter from fantasy novelist Stephen R. Donaldson (of Chronicles of Thomas Covenant fame) and a letter from comics writer Michael P. Higgins. This three-part story was reprinted in Avengers (3rd series) 48.)

"They First Make Mad!" Part 2 of 3. Earth's Mightiest Heroes welcome back Hawkeye and Hercules to their ranks! However not all is well with the Prince of Power! Hercules has lost his memory! And while the Avengers feverishly work to restore it, Ares makes his next move! In a flash of light, Bia and Kratos appear inside Avengers Mansion and grab Hercules! Wow, this is the powerful duo that bound Prometheus in days of yore! But the Avengers don't care about the past, they will protect the Son of Zeus at all costs! The gods, demi-gods, and mortals throw down on Fifth Avenue for the Lion of Olympus! Cameo appearances by Jarvis, Ant-Man (aka Henry Pym), and the Black Panther. Flashback cameos by Goliath, the Guardsman (aka Kevin O'Brien), and the Skrulls to recap Clint Barton's narrow escape at the end of the Kree/Skrull war. Avengers Lineup: Captain America, Hawkeye, Hercules, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and the Vision. (Notes: The letters page includes a letter from comics historian George Olshevsky.

This landmark 100th issue features everyone who has previously been an Avenger. "Whatever Gods There Be!", Bringing warning of impending doom, an amnesiac Hercules is captured by Ares, prompting the Avengers to call out for aid from all their members, past and present. Traveling to the Black Knight's castle for aid, all the members arrive, including the Hulk who is convinced to join their fight. The group enters the Black Knight's castle where in the basement Dane summons the spirit of his ancestor, the original Black Knight, who reveals to them the chain of events that brought all of them together; The group splits in two, one group remaining on Earth to battle any Olympian invaders, and the other to travel to Olympus to free Hercules and stop Ares. Avengers roll call: Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and the Vision. Guest starring the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Black Knight, the Black Panther, Hercules, and the Swordsman.