"The End" Week: Avengers West Coast #102!

You may remember where this one goes if you've read old "The End" posts, but figured I should get a non-Batman one in: from 1994, Avengers West Coast #102, "The Avengers West Coast are Finished!" Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, pencils by Dave Ross, inks by Tim Dzon.

The Vision shouts out the title on the splash page, since he's called a review of the branch, which the East Coast team seems to view as somewhat of an embarrassment of late. Although Hawkeye was out after the recent death of a Skrull Mockingbird; Wonder Man and Iron Man haven't shown up yet, leaving Spider-Woman, Scarlet Witch, USAgent, and War Machine to be chewed out. Vision suggests placing them all on reservist status, but Hank Pym--a former WCA member--wonders if maybe they couldn't compromise, perhaps with "a committee of long-serving members to administrate both teams." A perfectly workable answer that won't work in a superhero book, yeah: Scarlet Witch immediately protests that she's served longer than the Vision, when Iron Man arrives. Before Hercules and USAgent can come to blows, Jarvis announces lunch is served.

Jarvis is torn between his loyalties to Tony, and the team; and Tony assures him his place is there with the mansion. Rhodey, however, has had enough of Tony and "endless spandex politics!" and flies off in a huff. Although Tony tells Cap it was personal, Cap tries to tell him to talk it out with him. Before Tony can protest he did, USAgent gets in Cap's face, and Tony has to keep things from becoming physical. Tony asks for a vote, and gets it, with Cap, the Black Widow, Black Knight, Hercules, the Vision...and Iron Man voting for disbanding the Avengers West Coast! Tony tells Cap the team couldn't function with their "resentment and lack of support." Cap suggests absorbing the members on a reservist basis, but the Scarlet Witch immediately quits. Iron Man follows suit: his vote to disband was to create a clean break between them. USAgent follows, as does Spider-Woman, who notes if they won't have the Witch or Iron Man, there's probably no room for her there. Hank is left to lament that really went well...

Outside the mansion, Iron Man asks Spider-Woman and the Scarlet Witch to meet him later, in regards to creating their own team. USAgent, on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, heaves his shield and uniform into the drink. Later, Wonder Man shows up at the Avengers West Coast compound, only to be told by Iron Man that team doesn't exist anymore...setting up the new book Force Works, which as we saw before, wouldn't quite last two years.