Sometimes the lyrics make sense, such as in the theme song for Marvel Disk Wars ("Time to smash!"), other times, it just comes off as awkward. I know that for a while, English was simply "popular" in Japan because of how it sounded, with no real attention paid to the meaning of the words.
This lead to some rather disturbing usage, including, I believe, one that writer Dave Barry witnessed in Japan where a school-age girl was wearing a shirt for a band that seemed to be advocating sexual acts with poultry.
I wonder if that's how Toad The Wet Sprocket got their start.
Anyway, on with the show!
When we last left the Avengers...well, they were all captured in DISKs and scattered to the winds thanks to Loki. The only one who remained was Iron Man, linked to young Akira thanks to the biocode installer the kids were ... injected with? I'm not sure what the correct term is, really.
On the Helicarrier, the little hologram of Iron Man is talking to Akira and his brother- ...man, I cannot remember this kid's name for the life of me. Let me look it up really quickly.
Hikaru. Right.
Anyway, their father (you remember, the professor who designed the DISKs system to begin with) is missing, presumed captured by Loki. The other three children have all been sent home, which is strange when you consider that they're three of the only people who can be used to save the rest of the heroes.
Akira also points out they were separated so fast they didn't even really have time to introduce themselves to each other, which also puts a slight damper on how they'll get back together as a team again.
Meanwhile, we find out the current status of the rest of the Avengers.
Yeah, that's Spider-Man holding onto them for now. Funny how he wouldn't just take them to a huge multinational protection agency that just proved they could be infiltrated by Loki's henchmen, the same henchmen who just orchestrated the largest prison break in what's probably the animated Marvel's history.
So our heroes are scattered, the other heroes are scattered. This can't be good.
Back on the Helicarrier, we learn that Akira and (um...oh, right) Hikaru both have a "partial" biocode installed in them. After all, the device that "encoded" them was broken at the time and not functioning at 100%. This means that when Akira summons Iron Man, he can only really stay "active" for, and I quote, "333 seconds." After that, it could take up to six hours for Akira's body to "recharge" long enough to do summon him again.
We also get introduced to a character whose name I just love.
There has never, as near as I can tell, been a senator in the Marvel Comics universe who wasn't somehow a bad guy.
However, I love the fact that after he's introduced he states "would it be too much to offer a bit of coffee?"
And sure enough, after it's explained to the kids that the World Security Council (who this guy is part of) has the power to order S.H.I.E.L.D. around, he promptly strips Fury of his authority as director of the organization, since Fury allowed one of Loki's spies on board. Robert even has pictures showing the character standing around smirking and even standing next to Loki at one point.
This begs the question "how did he get these photos?"
Maria Hill is set up to be the new "deputy director" in the interim, an- hey kids, look! It's Hawkeye!
Yeah, he doesn't really do much here except scowl at everything and then stand up a bit straighter after Fury is taken past him by some guards.
Fury gets tossed in a cell, while Tony, Pepper, Akira and (Hiki- no, wait) Hikaru try to figure out if Fury's being set up. An alarm interrupts them, and Akira rushes out of the room just before the whole Helicarrier is put into lock down.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man villain The Lizard is tearing up the streets of New York and apparently being bulletproof.
I'm not sure I like the new redesign with all of the spikes, since I can't really think of any lizards that have metal-like protrusions that come to a point sticking out of them. But hey, I'm not Japan, so I don't really get a vote.
Senator Robert forbids S.H.I.E.L.D. from directly intervening, stating that since the organization is under lock down while the investigation is happening, there's nothing they can do. However, they are working to coordinate the police as best they can.
Akira overhears this, and decides he's going to do something on his own, and asks Tony why he fights such dangerous villains all the time.
Tony Stark. Not too deep, really.
Akira points out that he also now has a super power, namely the "ability to summon heroes." He "D-Smashes" the DISK for Iron Man, and the two quickly fly out (Tony's carrying Akira, naturally) to join the fight.
Senator Robert isn't happy.
Nice cane, Robert.
My memory's struggling at the moment, but isn't there another character known for having some kind of staff or cane when he walks around?
...I'm sure I'll think of someone.
Spider-Man also shows up, bumping into the news reporter from the earlier episodes. You might remember she's the one who unleashed one of the villains who attacked the Raft.
Spidey confronts the Lizard, who reveals that he needs to get a DISK from a bank in order to be free himself. Spidey utters a classic "Source, please?" to find out who's feeding the Lizard this information, when suddenly Iron Man shows up.
The Lizard isn't really a "two hero-level" fight, especially when Tony teaches Akira how to activate a hidden command allowing for-
Somebody's been playing a lot of Marvel vs. Capcom, it appears.
Akira uses a DISK to capture the Lizard, leaving the news reporter woman to have to initiate "plan B."
She waits until Tony is pulled back into the DISK, and then brings a new villain into play.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present Diamondback.
Now, I don't know how things work here in the Japanese animated Marvel universe, but Diamondback is one of my favorite "unknown" characters. A former member of the Serpent Society, she throws actual diamonds as weapons. And before you go "um, okay, it's because they're hard, right?" I'll point out that some of them are rigged to explode.
Formerly a Captain America-primary foe, she later decided she really, really wanted to hook up with Cap, and wound up becoming a good guy/mercenary for a long time. Sometimes she slips, but for the most part she stays on the side of angels.
She also usually looks like this:
On the helicarrier, Hawkeye is...um, still just walking around. However, he winds up talking to Hikaru and Pepper, revealing that Hikaru might be the only one who can get into the bank before the villains do and release the possible hero trapped inside (if it is a hero).
So we have Spider-Man vs. Diamondback, Hawkeye recruiting Hikaru for a "secret mission" to help them, and Senator Robert keeping S.H.I.E.L.D. pretty much on lock down.
Perfect time to stop!
Join us next time for another huge fight, and another hero joins the fray!
(...you know, this series is actually better than I thought it would be.)
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