Avengers vol. 3 #62Avengers vol. 3 #62
Title: "Broken Hearts”
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Gary Frank
Inker: Jon Sibal
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Inside the Zero Chamber, the timer runs out its last three seconds. The door unlocks and opens. Jack thinks to himself that he calls it how he sees it. He says that he sits in a room with seven foot thick concrete walls with no books, television, or anything to take up the time. He says that nothing can survive the discharge around him and so he sits hour after hour. Iron Man welcomes Jack back with Yellowjacket. Jack walks out naked, but he falls over. They put Jack on a stretcher. They take Jack to a room to analyze him. Yellowjacket tells the techs to talk to him. The tech says that he is getting some new levels . He says that the dose equivalent is up and that there is some gamma radioactivity laced in. The doctor says that the containment suit completely disintegrated, but that he still has the mark over his eye. Yellowjacket explains that it is a laser tattoo. He tells them to start preparing the next containment suit. Jack wakes up and asks how long he has been out. Stark says that it has been ten hours, but tells him not to worry and that everything is going to be fine. Jack holds Stark’s hand.
In the courtroom, Cassie runs to Scott Lang’s arms. Scott asks Cassie how she is. She says that he is okay, but that mommy made her throw away the ant farm. She says that they got into the kitchen and into the coffee. She says that her mother told her that ants are always getting into things that they shouldn’t. Peggy appears and tells Cassie to come back to her. Scott thanks Peggy for watching Cassie and asks why they are behind closed doors. Peggy doesn’t answer. The judge says that the custody hearing is difficult and that he doesn’t want the courtroom swamped by paparazzi because Scott is an Avenger. Scott explains that he is not an Avenger. He says that this is just supposed to be a routine hearing and that Peggy never wanted custody before. Peggy says that she does now. Scott reminds her that she left him because she didn’t have time to be a mother. Peggy says that she is getting married again. The judge says that he has thought long and hard about this, and that he is ignoring Scott’s criminal past. Scott says that was a long time ago. The judge continues that it is actually Scott’s time as an Avenger that concerns him. Scott repeats that he isn’t an Avenger and that he was just responding to an emergency call. The judge asks how many emergency calls the Avengers handle a week. Scott just glares back.
Yellowjacket explains to Jack that he was in space for the last few years and that when he came back to Earth that the atmosphere accelerated the fission process in his cells. He says that the armor and the mist wasn’t doing its job. Jack snatches the bracelet for his containment suit from one of the techs. He snaps that he can still dress himself. Jack tells Hank to give it to him straight. Pym says that Jack is going to have to start spending fourteen hours a day in the Zero Room or he will detonate like an atomic bomb. Jack starts freaking. Stark says that Pym is just trying to help. Yellowjacket asks Jack if he remembers the accident that started all of it. Jack says that he already told him that his father spent half his life developing the Zero Fluid. He says that one night a couple guys broke in after the fuel. He says that they killed his father and tried to kill him, but that the Zero Fluid covered his body and left him with the burns. Jack says that is when he became a human reactor. Yellowjacket says that later Jack found out that his mother was an extraterrestrial. Jack says that she was from the planet Contraxia. He says that he spent some time there, but that he doesn’t remember it and that he was just a kid when she died. Hank asks Jack if he knew that his father saved his life. Jack asks what he is talking about. Hank is holding one of Jack’s father’s journals. He says that his father always knew that Jack’s mother was an alien and that he knew the problems that Jack was going to have. Hank says that Jack’s father studied Jack’s physiology from day one. He says that the Zero Fluid was actually designed to be a dampening agent for Jack’s cellular activity. He says that his father lied about what it was so that no one would know. Jack looks at the journal and says that it isn’t the way it happened. Yellowjacket says that Jack would have died long ago if it wasn’t for his father. He tells Jack to reach the last page. His father is asking his forgiveness for not telling him and hoping that they win in the end. Jack freaks. He asks if Hank is trying to tell him that his father died because of him and the Zero Fluid. Hank starts to say that he is just trying to help Jack understand, but Jack shouts that he doesn’t want his help and plows through the ceiling to the sky outside. Hank says that Jack is irrational and that they need him back in the Zero Room. Iron Man says that he will take care of it one way or the other. He flies after Jack.
The judge tells Scott that he respects him for what he does and that he is sure that they all owe their lives to the Avengers, but that he is awarding custody to his ex-wife. He says that Scott will have visitation rights every weekend when he isn’t being Ant-Man. Scott says that he is being punished for being associated with the Avengers. The judge says that it isn’t about him and that it is what is best for his daughter. He says that there is another hearing set for a year from now when they will reassess the situation. A bailiff steps before Scott as Scott tries to walk towards the judge. He tells him not to make this harder than it has to be. Scott shrinks out of sight as he says, “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” Outside the courtroom, Cassie says that she wants to see her daddy. Peggy says that she will later. Scott grows in front of their eyes. Scott says that Peggy should have told him and that he wasn’t prepared. Peggy says that she wants a family. Scott says that he does too. A cop gets out of his car and asks if there is trouble. Scott says that first there are bouncers posing as bailiffs and now she has a cop escort. Peggy says that this is Blake, her fiancée. Blake has Peggy and Cassie get into the car. Scott puts his hand up to the window and Cassie puts hers up against the window too. He says that he will see her soon. Scott turns and sees Blake. Blake says that Cassie is a good kid and that she needs a normal home life. He swats a fly between his hands. Scott asks if that is supposed to intimidate him. Blake gets in the car and says that he will see Scott on the weekends. The car drives away with Cassie looking out the back window. Scott wipes a tear away.
Iron Man tells Jack to slow down. When Jack doesn’t slow down, Iron Man repeats himself and fires a blast off Jack’s back. Iron Man says that he is mouthing off like a spoiled brat and that he is smarter than that. Jack says that he was just letting off some steam. Iron Man says that is all Jack has been doing lately. He says that Hank has been studying advanced human biology for years and that he wants to fix Jack. Jack says that he isn’t a piece of Iron Man’s armor. Jack asks Stark if he knows what it is like to sit in a room and listen to the beating of his heart wondering when it might stop. Stark says, “More than you’ll ever know.” Jack says, “Sure you do, Mr. Stark. Sure you do.” Jack flies back.
Ant-Man grows on the doorstep of Avengers Embassy. He knocks on the door. Wasp answers. She asks Scott if he is okay. Scott says that he lost custody of his daughter and asks if there is still room on the team for another insect. Jack descends and says that he thought Ant-Man quit. Scott says that he hadn’t joined. Jack asks if he ahs changed his mind. Scott says that one could say that. Jack says that it is just so easy for Scott and that all he has to do is walk up and say that he wants in. Jack says that he had to work his ass off to get in. Wasp tells Jack that she knows that he is having a hard time, but that Scott is too. Jack asks if his friends got fried by a magnifying glass. Scott asks Jack what his problem with him is. Jack says that he is riding someone else’s coat-tails and that he is just getting in because he is the second Ant-Man. Iron Man descends and says that Scott is on the team because he has proven himself time and time again against the Masters of Evil and that Taskmaster. Jack says that he has to get inside and goes. Stark apologizes for Jack. Scott says to forget it and that he has more important things to worry about. Wasp says that they need to make this official and shakes his hand. She welcomes him aboard.
Jack walks to his Zero Room and says that he always tells it like he sees it and that if he doesn’t like someone that they will know it. Jack says that he has been trying to explain what has been happening to him for years, but that no one can understand. He watches the clock tick down to thirteen hours, fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. He says that no one understands how alone he is.
Jack sits on his bed alone.
Avengers Files rating: 7.5 out of 10
The story is decent. We get some insight into Ant-Man and Jack of Hearts, but I’m not sure how much I really care. Hopefully this issue will be more relevant in the future, but for now it was fine. Gary Frank does an excellent job with the pencils. My only real critique is that his faces seems a little harsh sometimes. Still excellent work that this title has been missing for a while now. 4.5 for the pencils.