100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
#83. The Avengers #273–#277: “Under Siege”
Medium
Comic Book
Release Dates
November 1986–March 1987
Credits
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciller: John Buscema
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colorist: Paul Becton (#273), Christie Scheele (#274–#275, #277), Julianna Ferriter (#275–#276)
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Jim Shooter
The Reason It’s Great
When creating a fight between good and evil, you always want evil to have the advantage. Why? It’s Storytelling 101. Gotta keep that conflict high. And that’s exactly what writer Roger Stern did with “Under Siege.” Still considered one of the best Avengers stories to-date, the five-issue arc saw Helmut Zemo putting together a large cast of villains in order to ambush the Avengers one by one at their famed mansion.
Obviously, the story has high-octane action. However, it’s also emotionally heavy, and readers get to see Captain America at his most vulnerable. One of the things Zemo wanted to do was break Cap’s spirit. So, at one point in the story, he destroys the First Avenger’s most personal items right in front of him. Our hero is stoic throughout the ordeal, but breaks down once the fight is won and over.
Though not explicitly pointed out, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War seems to have drawn some inspiration from “Under Siege.” In the film, Zemo had similar motives—blaming the Avengers for the death of his family—as his comic counterpart. As revenge, he wanted to tear the Avengers apart from the inside out. “Under Siege” is good old-fashioned comics writing at its finest.