These issues introduce two new heroes (one of whom is prominent on the cover to issue #8 above) as well as a threat who is new to the Avengers (but well known to the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Black Panther), and see one of their own leave the team.
After opening with a charming scene of Jarvis leaving for the airport to meet the young Costa Rican girl he’s been sponsoring—where a firefight breaks out, because comics—this issue shows us Captain America practicing with his new shield, which Sharon Carter gave him in this month’s Captain America #9, making sure he knows all of its benefits and disadvantages before taking it into battle.
Thor interrupts Cap’s “false combat” to let him know he’ll be around less often for a while, and Cap trusts that his old friend’s reasons are sound…
…and, although he is curious, the Sentinel of Human Resources is satisfied that the God of Thunder give the appropriate notice.
Soon the Avengers receive word of the kerfuffle at JFK Airport, and five quickly arrive on the scene, with Cap suggesting the gunmen give up now.
They decline his offer, so Cap gives orders to his team, which does not sit well with either Hawkeye (who resents Cap’s leadership, as he long has) or the Scarlet Witch (who has been wondering if she belongs on the team any longer, for personal reasons).
Soon, the Avengers find themselves encased on glowing green energy columns, but the man behind the raid on the airport is not wearing a power ring that harnesses willpower in service of the Guardians of the Universe.
“That’s certainly one way to go,” Tony Stark might say (were he here). (Moses Magnum actually has a long history in the Marvel Universe, which I admit came as quite the surprise to me.)
Suddenly a blur knocks out Magnum’s hologram projector, freeing the Avengers, and when they finally see their mysterious savior, Cap happily enlists the Avengers in the…
…”ATTACK!”
The man introduces himself as Triathlon, “three times as strong, fast and agile as an ordinary human,” who has been after Magnum for a while, and Wanda and Cap are pleased to meet him.
After Cap clears out enough of the “Magnum Force,” he urges the trapped civilians to escape before Jarvis warns him of a rear advance from Silverclaw, who was introduced earlier in the issue as a silver-colored young woman who appeared to be leading the Magnum Force in attacking the airport, but has obviously changed—and Cap is prepared for her.
Silverclaw explains and demonstrates the full range of her abilities, leading Cap to acknowledge that the Magnum Force was prepared for the Avengers as well… so he implores Wanda to summon her genie, Wonder Man. (I guess “Cei-U” doesn’t work?)
After trying, Wanda decides against it, not wanting to take advantage of her friend Simon, but Triathlon offers a hand himself, freeing Cap to bemoan the current state of the team.
At least the Avengers’ power deficit is lessened when Thor and Iron Man arrive, but the Magnum Force reacts by blasting the airport, forcing the heroes to turn to their most important function—and leaving Tony, based on Cap’s “teachings,” to regret his underestimation of the villains, who make up in strategy what they lack in power.
Triathlon prevents the Magnum Force from escaping in a plane with the stolen weaponry, putting an end to the crisis and a start to clean-up mode, of which Cap takes charge. Note Wanda’s concern over what he’ll do about her refusal to summon Wonder Man; Cap’s praise of his teammates’ work in putting the Lego Airport set back together; and Silverclaw’s explanation of how she was coerced into helping the Magnum Force. But who is this young woman anyway?
Jarvis hands Cap the photo of the young woman, Maria de Guadalupe Santiago, whom he was at the airport to greet, who turns out to be… well, you know.
Work never ends, does it?
Back at the ranch, Justice beats himself up, but Thor reminds himself that everyone struggled this day, even Cap himself, who is beating himself up as well for failing to realize what Wanda was going through (being in a much better position to know than with Carol).
(Unbeknownst to the rest, Wanda is surprised when Simon suddenly appears to her in her room, and they embrace in a kiss.)
In issue #9, the Scubavengers take to the water to infiltrate a massive cruise ship called the Evangeline in search of Magnum, where the rest of the team is already undercover.
(In case you’re wondering, Namor is nowhere to be seen in this issue, but he does appear in a WWII-era Invaders story in Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2-4 that begins this month.)
In a flashback to the events that led to the scene above, Cap briefs the team over breakfast about the situation with Magnum, and to Jarvis’s surprise he welcomes Maria to join them, both because they could use her abilities and also because it is her fight as well.
A new Bucky, perhaps? Alas, no.
After Triathlon contacts the team to let them know he stowed away on Magnum Force’s plane and learned of Magnum’s involvement with Apocalypse (the X-Men foe), the team goes into action. This brings us back to the present, with Cap peeling off his wetsuit—you did notice the lack of flared gloves and cavalier boots is the first panel above, right? (He simply isn’t the same with them, as current artists should realize, ahem.)
It’s cute how he’s concerned with subtlety when he just restored his red, white, and blue costume to its full glory.
In the next few pages we learn that Triathlon got his powers from the Triune Understanding, whom Hawkeye characterizes as a cult (more on them later), and that Magnum got his powers from Apocalypse for a mysterious purpose, which involves sending a message, about which Cap has an old-fashioned suggestion (that, to my surprise once again, still exists).
After Wanda discovers she can block Magnum’s link to the earth that grants him seismic powers, he lashes out against her, triggering Wonder Man’s appearance, who attacks Magnum in revenge but fails to stop him. In a panic Magnum explains his dilemma to the Avengers, and despite his twisted intentions and devotion to Apocalypse, Cap extends a hand in sympathy.
In the end, Magnum loses control of his power and falls to his apparent death, which Cap mourns (while Tony takes a more “nuanced” view).
Afterwards, the team says goodbye to Maria and Triathlon (for the time being), but Wanda realizes someone is missing.
(Don’t worry, we won’t have to wait long.)
ISSUE DETAILS
Avengers (vol. 3) #8, September 1998: Kurt Busiek (writer), George Pérez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Richards Starkings, Dan Lanphear, and Comicraft (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Avengers (vol. 3) #9, October 1998: Kurt Busiek (writer), George Pérez (pencils), Al Vey (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Richards Starkings, Dan Lanphear, and Comicraft (letters). (More details at Marvel Database.)
Collected in: Avengers Assemble Volume 1.
PREVIOUS ISSUE: Avengers #7 (August 1998)
ALSO THESE MONTHS: Captain America #9 (September 1998), Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #1 (September 1998), Captain America #10 and Excalibur #125 (October 1998), and Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #2 (October 1998)
NEXT ISSUES: Avengers #10-11 (November-December 1998)
THE VIRTUES OF CAPTAIN AMERICA 
I love the flared gloves and especially the cavaliers boots. To each his own when it comes to such aesthetics but, for me, they point out that Cap is from another era when that look was cool (& if you don’t think Errol Flynn et. al. were cool then…I don’t know what to say). It also gives him more of an “adventurer” look, more of a “superhero” look instead of a “soldier” look.
Additionally, it gives him a brighter, less dour look than his current look with (cue the 90s music) all those pouches. Which he uses for…? His Caparang? His grenades? Personally, give me those boots any day over those pouches.
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