Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Review “Widow’s Sting”

Reviews

I’ve officially given up trying to keep up with episode numbers for Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. This review is for “Widow’s Sting”, which first aired on DisneyXD on December 19, 2010.

SPOILERS

The episode starts with Hawkeye still tracking the Black Widow. He ends up at a meeting between AIM and HYDRA, where we find out that AIM is building a Cosmic Cube for HYDRA. Hawkeye manages to plant a tracer on Grim Reaper, letting them get away.

Hawkeye and the other Avengers are brought in by SHIELD, and Fury tells they to back off HYDRA. Iron Man agrees. As they leave, Captain America and Black Panther offer to help Hawkeye do this on his own. Mockingbird, a SHIELD agent, asks if she can help. The Avengers realize she was sent along by Fury to spy, but bring her along anyway.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird allow themselves to get captured by HYDRA. Panther and Cap track them down to a remote HYDRA base. In the ensuing fight, Hydra Island is destroyed, and Grim Reaper and Viper are arrested.

During the confusion, Hawkeye chases down Baron Strucker and Black Widow. Strucker gets the best of Hawkeye, but before Strucker can kill him, Black Widow knocks Strucker out, saving Hawkeye’s life. Widow and Strucker get away (she tells him Black Panther knocked him out).

Afterwards, we find out that MODOC has decided to tell HYDRA the Cosmic Cube did not work and returns their money, deciding to keep the Cube for himself. Fury tells the Avengers if they interfere with SHIELD business again, he will make sure there is no longer an Avengers.

The last scene shows Fury and Mockingbird looking at the captured Viper, who we discover IS A SKRULL!!!!

END SPOILERS

The end was definitely a shocker. Sort of seemed to come out of nowhere, but when you think about this and the Mar-Vell episode from last week, you definitely get a sense of the direction this storyline is taking.

My biggest concern right now is that they are trying to do a little too much at once. We have all the villains still loose from the breakout, MODOC building a Cosmic Cube, the Masters of Evil, Kang’s prediction about Cap destroying the world, the ongoing Black Widow story, and the Kree-Skrull War as major storylines that all seem to be going on at the same time. What are they going to have left to do for Season 2 at this rate? That said, so far, they have done a great job balancing all these elements.

Having Cap, Hawkeye, and Black Panther team up did show how useless the rest of the team. These three really have been the workhorses, with much more impressive showings than even Thor and Hulk. There were a lot of great action moments in this one, with guest Avenger of the week Mockingbird getting an impressive showing too.

I laughed so hard I hard to pause the show when Hawkeye hit MODOC in the forehead with an arrow, and MODOC was complaining his arms were too short to get it out. I will never understand the design of that character, or why Marvel seems to love showing how absurd he is every chance they get. He might even be worse that Stilt Man in the goofy villain department.

I really enjoyed this episode, though I definitely would have liked to get some answers about the Black Widow. I am still thinking that she is working with Fury, but off the books. At times, it feels like the show is just stringing us along, not giving us any real answers, but I have to admit, it has been a very fun trip. Avengers is well on its way to being my all time favorite superhero cartoon.

Final Score: 8.5/10 A very solid episode, and a great cliff hanger to tide us over until the show returns in January. I would have preferred a few more answers instead of more questions, but I have confidence they will answer everything..eventually.

Mike Maillaro is a lifelong Jersey Boy and geek. Mike has been a comic fan for about 30 years from when his mom used to buy him Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Adventures at our local newsstand. Thanks, Mom!! Mike's goal is to bring more positivity to the discussion of comics and pop culture.