Code Red is an episode of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes from a source nobody really wants to remember. Geoff Johns’ brief stint on the Avengers comics is messy to say the least; with only one arc that’s not terrible. So what did Man of Action do to make this diamond in the rough more memorable?
The Red Zone
Johns’ 20-issue run on Avengers following Kurt Busiek is without a doubt, a tall order. Johns only recently came onto Marvel with the Morlocks and very little understanding of the wider Marvel universe. The main reason for his hiring might have more to do with his success with his Flash run. Also with how publishers want to drive the sensationalism after successful runs, there’s always a chance they get complacent. Avengers: Red Zone is when Johns takes a risk in the sensational department by taking inspiration from action movies with a post-9/11 setting.
When a deadly chemical weapon unleashes at Mt. Rushmore, the Avengers have to contain it. With Captain America in a weak state from saving lives, the other Avengers are scrambling. Not just with this macro plot but a few personal bouts. Government contracted Iron Man is at a few odds with Black Panther over the use of resources. C-List hero Jack of Hearts is also struggling with his place in the Avengers but manages to find some comfort with the Scott Lang Ant-Man and She-Hulk. But most of all Captain America finds out the perpetrator is Secretary of Defense Dell Rusk, the Red Skull in disguise. With the Avengers managing to find the best of themselves in this crisis they manage to bring Skull to justice. If only what came afterwards could’ve been as good.
Code Red: Earth’s Mightiest Reveal
Nearly a decade later, this small arc reappears at a time when the 9/11 traumas start to subside. So for Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes comes a more creative distillation from Man of Action. Building up to this episode is a conspiracy involving the introduction of the Winter Soldier and the Red Hulk. With the Secret Invasion and Ultron also escalating in the background, the Avengers have their work cut out for them.
After a few wins in the other two threats with Captain America and Iron Man reaffirming the public’s faith in them, Code Red feels like a party crasher. With a chemical weapon released beneath Avenger’s Mansion, Secretary of Defense Dell Rusk has the Avengers branded terrorists. A few former allies like Doc Samson don’t even bat an eye when some of Avengers are exposed to the weapon.
Captain America, recognizing his old foe’s tactics doesn’t take this lying down. Neither does Hawkeye who tells the insulated Iron Man about the bio-weapon’s origins. But when the Winter Soldier catches an antidote for Captain America moving several times the speed of sound, Red Skull seems unstoppable. That is until some of Winter Soldier’s memories as Bucky Barnes resurfaces and he uses the antidote to cure Captain America. As Cap knocks out Skull and exposes his crimes, the Avenger’s name is clear.
Main Ideas
At the heart of Red Zone and Code Red is the Avengers able to work together during macro and micro crises. When an unprovoked attack by an enemy hiding in plain sight push the Avengers to their physical and legal limits, it makes commentary on how people’s true character comes out in a catastrophe. The same character commentary can also be said about people in power. Red Skull as Secretary Rusk uses projections about humanity’s worst to control people like the American public. Now let’s go over how the show betters this scenario.
Best Changes
One the main conflicts of the episode is on Captain America and Skull’s rivalry. Skull being the one to set up his partner’s apparent death made Cap confronting his nemesis a little more personal. As was the case for Skull who noticeably did not start his campaign when Cap’s approval ratings were low after Secret Invasion. Skull’s timing makes it look like an attempt to drag Cap down after a win because he’s just that petty. What better way to defeat Cap than with his old sidekick now Skull’s brainwashed minion?
Unfortunately for Red Skull, his power to create the catastrophe reveals Winter Soldier’s true character. Despite all of the setup boiling in the background, the story was thematically structured for Skull to engineer his own defeat. That’s not even including how Iron Man was grappling with his insecurities with Voltron’s co-creation and his recent brainwashing by the Purple Man; Tony proves Cap’s faith in him by engineering and delivering the antidote.
The only major downside come from how Winter Soldier isn’t the only brainwashing case. Which might explain Samson’s role but Red Hulk seems like a stretch. Falcon doesn’t have a proper character this time around. A better explanation would’ve been misinformation.
Code Red: You Need To See This!
Overall Code Red gets an 8.5/10 for giving a lesser celebrated story a special bit of limelight. Also aside from the brainwashing angle, Bucky’s arc feels incomplete with Earth’s Mightiest ending too soon. Not that Red Hulk’s time isn’t good, it makes Skull’s influence still relevant after his incarceration. Against the entire second season of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, it’s still a great episode.