Story continued from Avengers #153...

The Avengers are wondering why they were attacked by the Whizzer when suddenly an injured Scarlet Witch bursts through the wall. She warns the Avengers the Living Laser has captured the Serpent Crown and passes out. The Whizzer revives and explains that he doesn't recall attacking the Avengers at all, and as the group attempts to puzzle out why the attack happened the Beast decides to go out and search for Wonder Man who wandered off in the confusion.

Leaving the Whizzer with the Wasp and Yellowjacket, Iron Man and Captain America begin working on tracking down the Serpent Crown. Remembering the specific energy signature from the Crown when they last encountered it on the Squadron Supreme's world, the two Avengers come up with a means of tracking it with their computers and determine that the Crown is heading toward California the two then rush off in a Quinjet to intercept it.

Meanwhile, Henry Pym, Janet van Dyne and Jarvis are told by Robert Frank what happened following their battle with Nuklo. After his heart attack, he was ashamed at having to witness the marriage of Quicksilver from afar, He would ultimately become destitute and living on the streets. Drinking himself into a hospital bed he had a vision of his late wife Miss America and decided to clean up his life. Going to the military and demanding to know what happened to his son, the Whizzer would speed through top secret files and pull the file on his son. He explains that he came to the Avengers, and the Scarlet Witch in particular to help them rescue his son Nuklo, who is now a prisoner of the United States Army in California.

Meanwhile, the Beast continues his search for Wonder Man, however the man he is searching for gets the drop on him. The Beast is surprised to find that Wonder Man is up and moving around, however Wonder Man explains that he was revived from years of living in complete darkness by the Living Laser and has pledged allegiance to him, vowing to destroy the Avengers before reuniting with his master in California. Although Wonder Man has the advantage, Beast manages to knock him out.

While in California, Captain America and Iron Man follow the Serpent Crown's energy signature to a military outpost. They are soon shot out of the sky and are forced to fight the soldiers stationed on the base. Pooling their skills and abilities this proves to be quite easy for the two veteran Avengers to handle. However, eventually the soldiers stop their attack in a feigned attempt to explain themselves, in reality it only proves as a distraction so that the Living Laser can sneak up behind the two Avengers and knock them out with a powerful laser blast.

Taking the two downed Avengers inside, the Living Laser comes face to face with what he has come seeking: Nuklo. The Laser explains to his subordinates that he learned of the Serpent Crown in prison while reading up on the legends of Lemuria, and mutating himself so that he has in essence become a true Living Laser set in course the actions necessary to claim the Serpent Crown and attempt to take over the world.

He is then attacked by the other Avengers and Wonder Man, the Vision taking the Serpent Crown while the others hold off the guards. As the Wasp and Yellowjacket keep the Living Laser at bay with a swarm of ants, Captain America and Iron Man manage to free themselves. In all the chaos, Nuklo is freed and goes on a rampage, first knocking out the Living Laser and then turning his infantile fury on everyone else. Nuklo begins to grow in size and increase in radioactivity, when Iron Man attempts to stop him, the mutant grabs him instead. With no other choice, Captain America orders all the others out of the building before Nuklo hits critical mass and explodes.
However, at the last possible moment, the Whizzer speeds in and lands a powerful blow against his own son, creating an implosion that knocks both of them out and ne

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