The Avengers Pay Tribute To One of Marvel's Most Iconic Covers
Warning: Contains spoilers for Avengers #54
One of the most iconic covers in Marvel Comics history came back to life in Avengers #54. Namor the Sub-Mariner held the weight of Avengers Mountain on his back, just like the Hulk held a whole mountain during the original Secret Wars series.
During Secret Wars (by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and John Beatty), two groups consisting of the most prominent Marvel superheroes and supervillains were spirited away by a mysterious omnipotent being called the Beyonder to do battle on a planet created just for this contest, Battleworld. The prize for the winners would be granting any wish, but they had to slay their opponents first. While the villains were eager to do that, the heroes decided to adopt defensive positions and try to find a way out of that cruel game. After a surprise attack by the villains, the heroes were wounded and on the run. Molecule Man, Owen Reece, used his incredible powers to lift an entire mountain range and drop it on the heroes' heads, apparently killing them on the spot. However, Iron Man was able to dig a wench in the rock, and the Hulk used his massive strength to brace the whole mountain, sustaining its weight for a few minutes, while Reed Richards figured a way out of that situation. It was an epic moment for the Hulk, celebrated on the cover for Secret Wars #4.
In Avengers #54 (by Jason Aaron, Juan Frigeri, and David Curiel), something similar happened. Avengers Mountain, the base built inside the corpse of a Celestial, was attacked by two of the Multiversal Masters of Evil, Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos. They planted bombs that made the mighty structure collapse at the end of issue #53, apparently trapping Namor, Black Panther, Valkyrie (Jane Foster), and a Deathlok cyborg under the rubble. However, in issue #54, Namor is shown supporting a massive part of the debris (with help from T'Challa, but the King of Atlantis would never admit that). This feat of strength gives Valkyrie the time to use her medical expertise to perform emergency surgery on the Deathlok, saving his life. It was another epic moment for Namor (and Black Panther) that showcased his great power.
Hulk's feat of strength during Secret Wars had a deeper meaning. The Jade Giant was finally able to control his transformations and retain Bruce Banner's intellect, after absorbing massive amounts of gamma radiation, but he was paranoid about losing his mental faculties again. These worries distracted him from his guard duties, which led to the villains' attack catching the heroes unprepared. Hulk made up for this mistake by sustaining the weight of a mountain range on his back, even if Reed Richards had to provoke him with insults to make him angry, and thus stronger. It was certainly an iconic moment that left its mark in Marvel's history. Namor's display of strength will probably not have the same effect, but it still cements him as the new Avengers powerhouse, after She-Hulk persuaded him to join the team recently.
Secret Wars was the first company-wide crossover, and its massive success created a tradition of "Marvel Comics events" that still lasts today. Namor's scene in Avengers #54 is proof of Secret Wars' long-lasting legacy, and a nice callback to one of the most iconic sequences and covers in Marvel's history.