Appearing in "Houses Divided Cannot Stand!"
Featured Characters:
- Avengers
- ⏴ Iron Man (Tony Stark) ⏵
- ⏴ Thor (Odinson) ⏵
- ⏴ Vision ⏵
- ⏴ Mantis ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Scarlet Witch (Wanda) ⏵
- ⏴ Captain America (Steve Rogers) ⏵
- ⏴ Swordsman ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- ⏴ Black Panther (T'Challa) ⏵
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Zodiac Cartel
- Taurus (Cornelius van Lunt) (Identity first revealed)
- Aries
- Cancer
- Capricorn
- Sagittarius
- Aquarius
- Gemini (Joshua Link)
- Virgo
- Scorpio
- Pisces
- Leo
- Libra
Other Characters:
- NYPD (Mentioned)
- Tumbler (John Robert Keane) (Mentioned)
- Secret Empire (Mentioned)
- Moonstone (Mentioned)
- Quentin Harderman (Mentioned)
- Several unnamed New Yorkers
- Odin (Mentioned)
- Monsieur Khruul (First appearance) (Only in flashback)
- Khruul's Henchmen (Only in flashback)
- Two unnamed henchmen (Only in flashback)
- Falcon (Sam Wilson) (Mentioned)
- T'Chaka (Invoked)
- Lord (Yahweh) (Invoked)
Races and Species:
- Humans (Main story and flashback)
- Asgardians
- Synthezoids
- Mutants (Referenced)
- Snakes (Referenced)
- Eagles (Referenced)
Locations:
- Earth (Main story and flashback)
- North America
- United States of America
- New York
- Cornelius van Lunt's Headquarters
- New Jersey
- United States of America
- Asia (Only in flashback)
- Wakanda, Africa (Mentioned)
- North America
Items:
- Giant Star-Blazer (Destruction)
- Iron Man Armor Model 3
- Mjolnir
- Star-Blazer
- Captain America's Shield
- Panther Habit
- Falcon's Wings (Mentioned)
Vehicles:
- Zodiac's Star Craft
- Avengers Quinjet
- Taurus's Warehouse Spacecraft (First appearance)
Synopsis for "Houses Divided Cannot Stand!"
Continued from the last issue, the Avengers had traced the Zodiac and their star blaster/ship to the World Trade Center, where the two clashed until the fight was stopped when Mantis was at risk of falling off the building to her death.
The sudden arrival of Captain America helps the Avengers turn the tide against the Zodiac who retreat, allowing the Vision to save Mantis from falling. Returning to Avengers Mansion, the Swordsman explains how he had met Mantis in Vietnam after working under the servitude of crime boss Monsieur Khruul and becoming a drunken sot, and how Mantis gave him new purpose in life.
Black Panther rejoins the Avengers, and the group begins searching anew for the Zodiac cartel. Meanwhile, Zodiac members Aries and Taurus come to blows and Aries plans a coup for the leadership of the Zodiac. To do so, he contacts Cornelius Van Lunt (unaware that Van Lunt is really his leader Taurus.)
When the dissenting Zodiac members meet with Van Lunt the meeting is crashed by the Avengers. Van Lunt then uses this as an opportunity to deal with the mutiny and kill the Avengers and springs his original trap: Shooting the warehouse into space, trapping all those inside in outer space. Story continued next issue...
Notes
- This issue contains a letters page, Avengers Assemble!. Letters are published from Robert del Valle, Robert A. Brenner, and Ronald DeLong.
- This issue contains a Series "A" Marvel Value Stamp: Vol 1 84 - Doctor Doom