Avengers #58, "Even an Android can Cry"

Avengers #58, "Even an Android can Cry" is one of the truly classic comics of the silver age with writer Roy Thomas and John Buscema at the top of their game. It's one of those era defining comics!

Joe Jusko did an amazing job recreating this classic cover originally by "Big" John Buscema's for Avengers #58.

It was a special time for Marvel. Roy Thomas had taken over the writing reigns of the Avengers from Stan Lee while John Buscema was a fresh face in the Bullpen. Though it wasn't one of their first issues together, it was around this time that the two really seemed to find their voices on the title.

In the 60's Roy Thomas struggled to find his way out of Stan Lee’s very big coat tails. It was around this time that he found his voice and started producing work that set the pace and defined who the Avengers were even to this day. In “Even an Android can Cry”, Thomas had borrowed the Vision  from his beloved Golden Age comics an obscure Timely character created by Simon and Kirby.

It seems that John may have used this image by Simon and Kirby from Marvel Mystery #13, 1940, as a reference when he created the first appearance of the Vision.



This iconic cover is the first appearance of the Vision in Avengers #57, Oct. 1968.

John Buscema, whose work defined the Marvel look of the 70’s, had found his style at this time and was doing such stupendous stuff as these classic pinups both from this one issue.

The issue starts out with the Vision, though he attacked Jan "the Wasp" Van Dyne only last issue, he now repents his deed and wishes to join the Avengers.

Of coarse they must have the ubiquitous fight found in every superhero comic.

Then we get to the interesting part of the creation of the Vision by the Avengers arch nemesis Ultron, who himself only had his first appearance a few issues before with Avengers #54 and #55, another classic Thomas/Buscema achievement.

Then we get to another great back story with the origin of Ultron, Hank "Giant Man" Pym's robot "son".

If that's not enough back story we then find out that the Vision was programmed with Wonder Man's brain waves.

Well it seems that despite his dubious origins, he is welcomed whole heartedly into the hallowed ranks of the Avengers.

And John Buscema adds another classic image to his already impressive repertoire.

As I said before, this is classic story telling that setts a precedent of taking from the Avengers rich past that will be repeated by such great writers as Steve Englehart, Jim Shooter and Kurt Busiek.