The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

The Wasp chases down what she assumes is the mutant criminal Whirlwind, only for it to be revealed that it was in reality the Amora the Enchantress attempting to draw her into a trap. And the Asgardian isn't alone, joined by some of the most dangerous of the Avengers villains: Skurge the Executioner, Simon Williams, Crimson Dynamo, the Abomination and Baron Zemo. The villains easily defeat Wasp, and set their sights now on the rest of the Avengers.
At the Wakandan, Hawkeye rants to the Black Panther about how almost every member of the Avengers has some major flaw that makes their unity and effectiveness as a team questionable. Meanwhile, T'Challa makes an ointment out of a heart-shaped herb that is said to enhance the senses of the Wakandan royal line.

At Avengers Mansion, the Crimson Dynamo uses the Wasp's credentials to break in and attack Tony Stark before he has a chance to change into his Iron Man armor. Stark is soon overwhelmed and nearly killed, if not for Zemo telling the Dynamo to yield. Instead, he is knocked unconscious like the Wasp.

Soon the Hulk is eliminated as well, when the Enchantress and Abomination throw him into a portal, stranding him in Jotunheim, the realm of the Frost Giants. Next is Captain America, caught while training and quickly defeated by the combined effort of Simon WIlliams and Skurge. The villains then turn their attention towards Thor and Ant-Man.

Elsewhere in New York City, Thor partakes in a romantic nighttime stroll with paramedic Jane Foster. The two discuss Thor's relationship with Odin, Asgard and why he has remained committed to the cause of protecting Earth. Thor is called away when his Avengers communication device summons him back to the Mansion;

Unbeknown to him, the signal was actually sent by Baron Zemo to draw the Thunderer into a trap. Zemo and the other villains welcome Thor back to the mansion, demanding he kneel before his masters. Thor refuses and begins to fight back against the Avengers most dangerous foes. It takes the full force of the villains, but they eventually are able to overwhelm the Asgardian, defeating him as well. With the majority of the team captured within their own headquarters, the two newest members of the Avengers, Hawkeye and the Black Panther, plan a counter-attack upon the organized villains.

Within Avengers Mansion, Baron Zemo promises both Simon Williams (whom he calls Wonder Man) and Crimson Dynamo that they shall soon be given what they most desire, namely returned humanity and revenge on Tony Stark respectively. Zemo excuses himself to the Assembly Hall where the Avengers are all being held captive, held down by magical restraints created by the Enchantress. Zemo proceeds to gloat to Captain America, making sure that he's awake and aware while Baron Zemo claims what he himself was promised as part of joining this union of villains: the world itself.

Meanwhile, the Enchantress informs Thor that while Zemo may play the role of the leader of their band of villains, it is she that is truly in control, and that when the time is right she'll discard of him easily. She admits that her wish is to claim the affection of Thor, that the two of them could serve arm in arm and rule both Midgard and Asgard. Thor quickly rejects her off.

Tensions begin to rise within the rank of the villains, with Abomination questioning too why Zemo is their leader when he has no powers. Zemo quickly puts Abomination in his place, saying they stick with his plan of capturing Ant-Man next, as he is the last Avenger. Abomination tries to inform him that there are in fact two more Avengers that he doesn't know about., but is cut off when Hawkeye nails him with an electrified arrow. The Archer squares off against the Enchantress and Zemo.

Elsewhere, Wonder Man, Skurge and Crimson Dynamo battle the Black Panther, the second Avenger that Abomination mentioned. Eventually the Panther is captured and brought to the same holding area as the other Avengers, around the same time a revived Abomination also slows down Hawkeye.

When Zemo asks Hawkeye and Panther if they truly think that they could defeat the entire bevy of villains with him, they reveal that they didn't come alone, having snuck Ant-Man into his personal lab in the basement of the Avenger Mansion. The remaining three Avengers then do battle with their greatest villains. Once the Enchantress is momentarily knocked unconscious, her magical restraints release the other members of the Avengers as well. After Thor opens a portal to allow the Hulk to return to Earth, the entire Avengers roster is reunited, disrupting the villains "divide and conquer" plan.

An epic battle between the heroes and villains continue, spreading out across the entire Avengers Mansion. Realizing he has been outmatched, Zemo demands that Enchantress help them make a hasty retreat using her transportation magic. Re-appearing in Arnim Zola's lab, the villains argue over who is at fault for their failure. Enchantress tells them that it doesn't matter, however, as they have played their parts in a larger game perfectly. She then excuses herself to a private room, opening a portal to Loki to inform him that the pieces are falling into place as he planned all along.

Production Notes

Despite the title, the super villain team within the episode is never refered to as the Masters of Evil, the closest being the moment when Zemo commands Thor to bow before his new masters. Still, the team is referred to both by the show runners and fans as the Masters of Evil, the canonical criminal counterpart to the Avengers.

This episode makes reference to both of the original creators of the Avengers comic book. At the beginning of the episode, a man is seen reading a tabloid newspaper named Excelsior!, the trademark phrase for original Avengers scribe Stan Lee. Later in the episode, the Hulk is seen watching a commercial for Kirby Kibble, a dog food advertised to have "Kirby dots of real beef!" This both a reference to original Avengers artist, Jack Kirby, and the artistic convention of Kirby dots.

This is the first episode in which Simon Williams is referred to as Wonder Man.

Name	Masters of Evil
Season	1
Episode Number	14
Type	Regular Episode
Is Pilot	False
Air Date	Dec. 5, 2010

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

Masters of Evil

Season 1, Episode 14

Production Notes

Directors

Writers

Producers

Actors

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

Masters of Evil

Season 1, Episode 14

Production Notes

Directors

Writers

Producers

Actors

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