Avengers Vol 1 348

{{Marvel Database:Comic Template
 * Image              = Avengers Vol 1 348.jpg
 * Month              = 6
 * Year               = 1992


 * Editor-in-Chief    = Tom DeFalco
 * CoverArtist1       = Steven Epting
 * CoverArtist2       = Tom Palmer


 * Quotation          =
 * Speaker            =


 * StoryTitle1        = Familial Connections
 * Synopsis1          =

Short Summary
The Vision is visited by Mrs. Lipton, the wife of the late man on who's brain patterns the Vision has based his persona. She asks him to pay a visit to her dying father, Professor Lipton, to run a computer program that will make him behave like the late Alex Lipton. The Vision agrees and makes Professor Lipton's last hours a magical gift. It seems that the computer program failed, but the Vision made up for it since he cared for Professor Lipton, despite refusing to admit it.

Long Summary
Crystal Maximoff and Black Knight walk into Vision's testing chambers, only to find him locked in an embrace with his former wife, the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff). They are shocked, as Vision can no longer feel emotion and, thus, has broken up with the Witch. However, the couple fades away, and Vision, in a control chair nearby, tells them that he was using the Encephalo-Helmet, a creation of Reed Richards, to project a holographic image. The Helmet retrieves memories from an individual and then projects that individuals brainwaves into a three-dimensional hologram - hence, the image of Vision and the Scarlet Witch. Vision further explains that he has been trying to recover his former capacity for human feeling, and had hoped that if he projected images from the time when he was in love with Wanda, his emotional emulation feature would kick in. However, although he remembers the kiss down to the smallest detail, and could even mimic it if necessary, he is unable to recreate the emotional experience. Crystal tells him that if he needs anyone to talk things over with, she will be there for him, and then leaves to look after Carol Danvers (Binary), who is in the infirmary. Black Knight warns Vision to be careful around Crystal, telling him that he doesn't want her to get hurt "like Wanda did," although he insists that she is "just a freind" to him, and then leaves as well. Marilla comes into the chamber and tells Vision that he has a guest in the outer hall - Laura Lipton.

Meanwhile, at a bar in Manhattan, Hercules and Black Knight are discussing the future of the Avengers, and Black Knight is about to reveal that he thinks he may have been denying his feelings for Crystal, when Hercules sees Magdalene and goes berserk.

At the Avenger's infirmary, Crystal is talking to Binary and Black Widow about Vision. Afterwards, she says she "feels like a fool" for bringing it up, but Black Widow tells her not to worry, that her empathy is quite special. After she leaves, Binary wonders if she is tough enough for the Avengers, but Black Widow says that she and Captain America have complete faith in her.

Laura Lipton tells Vision that Miles Lipton is dying of cancer, and wants to see him. Vision at first refuses on the grounds that in the absence of Captain America he must take care of monitoring duty, but Crystal persuades him to go.

At the bar, Hercules catches up to the woman he thinks is Magdalene, but she says that her name is Marissa Darrow, and she has no idea what he is talking about. Black Knight intervenes, and she goes on her way, although Hercules is still suspicious.

At the Lipton home, Crystal has accompanied Vision and Laura, and they enter the house to see Professor Lipton watching old videos of his son, Alex, who died but gave his brain patterns to Vision. Alex tells Vision that his dearest wish is to see Alex again, and he has developed a computer program to superimpose Alex's personality onto Vision's, using the embedded brainwaves in Vision. Vision is persuaded by Crystal to try out the program.

In Manhattan, Hercules and Black Knight have followed Darrow home. She enters her apartment, but finds the real Magdalene and her lover there, who use an intense blast of plasma energy to kill her. The Avengers break into the apartment after hearing her scream, but are too late.

At the Lipton mansion, Vision is in a glass tube, having the program executed. Laura, afraid of what will happen, leaves the room. Vision comes out of the tube, and the program has worked - his personality is that of Alex Lipton. He stays with the Professor all night, until he dies near dawn. The only thing keeping him alive has been the hope of seeing Alex again, and now that that has happened, he is able to give in to death peacefully. Vision/Alex then goes down to the beach by the house, where Laura is sitting, crying. He talks with her and then kisses her. The program ends, however, and Laura thanks Vision, now fully himself, and tells him that her father loved him, because in him a part of Alex lived on.

Later, Crystal tells him that, when he was leaving the Professor's deathbed to go talk to Laura, she saw his face, and that he was himself - the program actually failed, and he just pretended that it had worked to help the old man and Laura. He has a tear running down his face, and does not respond to this, but instead makes a remark about the "crisp, new dawn" that is breaking, and takes Crystal back to the Avengers compound.
 * Writer1_1          = Bob Harras
 * Penciler1_1        = Kirk Jarvinen
 * Inker1_1           = Tom Palmer
 * Colourist1_1       = Tom Palmer
 * Letterer1_1        = Bill Oakley
 * Editor1_1          = Ralph Macchio

Featured Characters:
 * Appearing1         =

Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations: Items: Vehicles:
 * Marissa Darrow (death)
 * Golden's Bar, ,
 * Eastern tip of Long Island
 * Eastern tip of Long Island

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 * Notes              =
 * Laura Lipton and Miles Lipton last appeared in Avengers Spotlight #40.
 * Trivia             =
 * Recommended        =
 * Avengers Spotlight #40
 * Links              =