The Avengers #204

"Claws Across the Water!"

On a remote island in the South Seas, a young woman uses a clandestine signal device to wire a desperate message. She is interrupted in her task by the nefarious Yellow Claw, who bursts into her room and demands an answer from her to an unspoken question. The woman, Shu Han, manages to hide her signaling device before he sees it and then pleads for more time to make a decision. The Claw leaves, warning her not to test his patience.

In Avengers’ Mansion, the team says another goodbye to Hawkeye, who is leaves to resume his job as head of security at Cross Technological Enterprises. The team settles in for a weekly meeting when Jarvis brings the mail, including a telegram marked “life or death” on it. His interest aroused, Captain America rips it open and reads Shu Han’s plea to be rescued from captivity by the Yellow Claw. Iron-Man recognizes that Shu Han was an Olympic athlete and is a prestigious young scientist. The team set out immediately to investigate.

When the quinjet reaches the island, the Vision and the Wasp are sent ahead to infiltrate the compound. The Vision slips into the base intangibly, while the Wasp finds an air vent that is curiously sealed shut with a glass cover. Shattering it with a sting, she enters the complex.

Inside the complex, the Claw notices the Wasp flying around but mistakes her for an actual insect. Nevertheless, he is conspicuously alarmed, telling his subordinates that the compound is obviously not airtight.

The quinjet sets down on the outskirts of the island and set out on foot to confront the Claw. Any hope of taking him unaware is dashed when a gigantic hologram projection of the Claw appears before them. They must then contend with a host of strange security devices, such as cyborg jellyfish, flying blades, and robot birds. The Vision confronts the Yellow Claw but is captured. The Wasp, who has been clinging to the Claw’s robes, looks on in horror.

The Avengers penetrate the Claw’s compound but stop in their tracks when they see that the Vision has been apprehended and is being held, prisoner. The Claw demands to know why the Avengers have attacked his island, unprovoked in his estimation. Cap informs him of Shu Han’s telegram. Thus, the Claw has Shu Han brought forth to explain herself. She confesses that she wasn’t so much as abducted and held prisoner as she was… bought. Her parents had secured an arranged marriage for her with the Claw when she was a child.

The Claw professes that he is old and simply desired a mate in order to start a family. He says he has no interest in forcing Shu Han to marry him against her will and besides, he has many more wives anyway. A harem of wives sweep into the room.

Reunited with the Vision and the Wasp, the Avengers have no choice but to depart with Shu Han. They can’t seem to find any real wrong-doing on the Claw’s part. But as soon as they are gone, the Claw gloats that his children will be the last children on the Earth.