*Marvel: The Avengers, like many long-running series, has featured supporting characters who become breakout stars in their own right, and three such are presented here. In Avengers #144, the former teen humour star Patsy Walker (one of Marvel’s longest-serving characters, having debuted in 1944) was given a super-heroic makeover and became the Hellcat, death-defying (sometimes literally) adventuress who’s starred in several solo series. In #181, an associate of Tony Stark’s, one Scott Lang, made his first non-costumed appearance, shortly before he became the second (and arguably the most famous, having starred in two big-budget movie) Ant-Man! And in #196, having made a cameo appearance in the preceding issue, the first full appearance of the Taskmaster, one of Marvel’s most popular later villains, occurred. Issue #144 is VF+ £40, issue #181 is VF £30 and #196 is FN/VF £35. SORRY, #144 & #196 HAVE NOW SOLD