The Avengers, Vol. 1 Annual #19A (Marvel Comics 1990) Direct Edition

The Avengers, Vol. 1 Annual #19A (Marvel Comics, 1990) delivers the climactic fifth chapter of the Terminus Factor storyline in a 68-page Direct Edition packed with Avengers action and four additional stories.

In the main feature, “Beat Me in St. Louis,” Terminus arrives in St. Louis, Missouri, determined to absorb the energy of the entire planet. Captain America, Henry Pym, the Vision, and Avengers from the East Coast, West Coast, and Great Lakes unite to stop the gigantic alien, but conventional attacks prove useless. With Earth’s survival at stake, the final hope may rest with Thor—and the power of prayer. The story continues from Avengers West Coast Annual 5.

Inside this Avengers Annual

• “Beat Me in St. Louis” — Written by Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas, with pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Jeff Albrecht, and a cover by Tom Morgan. Guest-starring Machine Man.
• “Media Watch: A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” — Dwayne McDuffie, Jim Reddington, and Andy Mushynsky present a humorous breakdown of the Terminus battle through the eyes of the famous 60 Minutes correspondent.
• “Acts of Vengeance Epilog” — Mark Gruenwald, Vince Mielcarek, and Bob Downs revisit the storyline as Captain America, Thor, and the Vision piece together what happened, with flashback cameos from its major players.
• “The Day the Strangers Came” — Kurt Busiek and Richard Howell follow a young Avengers fan in Iowa as the heroes battle the Sons of the Serpent.
• “Clowning Around” — Construction workers confront Plantman, Stilt-Man, the Water Wizard, and the Wrecker to protect their worksite from collateral damage.

The featured Avengers lineup includes Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Sersi, and the Wasp. This issue also sets up the later return of Terminus in Captain America #416 and carries a $2.00 cover price.