Movies / Animé and Toons

Avengers Assemble Episode 2 – Hulk Bullies Hawkeye

By Hervé St-Louis
May 28, 2013 - 08:31

The Avengers save Tony Stark’s life but he still wants to disband the team. Meanwhile, M.O.D.O.K. sends nanobots to invade the minds of the Avengers so that they can fight each other to death. Thor fights Hulk. Black Widow fights Hawkeye. Captain America fights the Falcon. Can Iron Man save the Avengers from themselves?

Again, this episode features the typical villain plot of the week that long time comic book and cartoon fans have seen many times. While they fight each other to death, the Avengers get to say the nastiest things about their weaknesses, and the viewers get to see them display their powers. Of course, none of the Avengers’ fighting pairs exchange sparring partners, conveniently. It would be such an inequitable fight if Thor fought Black Widow or if Hulk fought Hawkeye, who he likes to bully constantly anyway.

Of course, Iron Man, the leader and “most important Avenger” who Captain America, the natural leader of the team is very happy to follow, saves the day by burning the nanobots in his teammates’ brains. But M.O.D.O.K. and the Red Skull have infiltrated the Avengers’ mansion. Of course, the super heroic and magnificent Iron Man leads his team to save the day, avoid the destruction of New York City and defeat the villains, who for the second time in a row, escape at the last minute through teleportation.

The Red Skull, steals a game from Young Justice’s opponents, The Light, by recruiting the nastiest super villains of the world, who all seem to agree to team up with this anti-Avengers, team, because apparently, they have nothing better to do. Captain America continues to fawn over and beg Iron Man to lead them as they learn the evil plot of the Red Skull, through the stolen armour he wears. Again, very convenient. Expect the rest of the season to be a game of the Super Friends versus the Legion of Doom.

This series has no real surprise at this point and the actual team gathered doesn’t have much chemistry. Falcon continues to play the junior Avenger that is allowed in, just because he is on Tony Stark’s payroll. Captain America doesn’t shine as he has to play second fiddle to Iron Man constantly. The Black Widow continues to be the useless token female who seems permanently angry, while Hawkeye is the wisecracking guy of the bunch. Thor feels like a giant piece of furniture. Hulk has some personality and is actually fun, although I question the ethics of showing him bully Hawkeye constantly in a kids’ show.

Compared to Young Justice and Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, this series is really poor, even if the character designs are great.

Rating: 4 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12