Monday, June 25, 2018

I'm blogging this one 'cause I think I've bought it twice, but still a good lesson.


From 2013, Avengers Assemble Annual #1, "Company Man" Written by Christos Gage, art by Tomm Coker.

The "company man" of the title is sporadic Iron Man antagonist Sunturion, a loyal Roxxon employee turned into living energy, who had toed the company line for many years even though I'm pretty sure they had betrayed him multiple times up to this point. Today, having been told his energy form was losing cohesion and he was dying, he starts a rampage to wipe Roxxon off the map. (Iron Man guesses saving Sunturion wasn't "cost effective," and he's hit the nail on the head there.)

But the Vision is, in his own way, as much a company man as Sunturion; and tries to get that across to him. Vision is working through a lot himself: his false sons seemingly returned as the Young Avengers Wiccan and Speed; and what could be PTSD after his 'death' in Avengers Disassembled. Although he manages to convince Sunturion to "come in" and let the Avengers help him; it doesn't last, and Sunturion attacks a Roxxon faculty in the middle of putting volunteers through the same process that gave him powers--even though it would kill them as well. Vision captures the microwave-based Sunturion in his solar jewel, but mad that Roxxon could continue without so much as a slap on the wrist, he disintegrates the machinery they were using. Then the equation changes: if they can't make new Sunturions, suddenly it's cost-effective to save the old one. Iron Man is outraged, but Sunturion goes back to Roxxon! After all, it's as much as the only home he has.

After the mission, Vision resigns from the team, wanting to take some time for himself, a life outside the Avengers. Somewhat heartwarmingly, his former brother-in-law, Quicksilver, offers his help; even though he had zinged him more than once this issue. (Seriously, Pietro only has a couple lines this one, but they are savage.) And Vision visits Wiccan, so you can see he's on the right track.

Searching the GCD for Sunturion, there were slightly more appearances for him than I had thought: Iron Man #143 and Annual #9 are the two I remember. He's far more powerful than Iron Man--possibly more in line with the Monica Rambeau Captain Marvel. Which is why I think he might not appear that often; since his powers seem tough to nail down. But his corporate loyalty...man, today it reminds me of fans who are just rabid about the subject of their devotion, even though it owes them nothing in turn.

3 comments:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

Well, Vision did have a point about his "family", the Avengers, not fixing him as quickly as they should've.

Good, solid zingers by Quicksilver as well.

SallyP said...

Being a company man is a scary thing these days.

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

^Seriously. Just ask Trump's staff about that.