I knew ahead of time how Monica's tenure as leader of the Avengers would end, but actually reading Dr. Druid (and Gruenwald, in a meta-narrative sense) oust her from the team was still so deeply unpleasant. Stern's entire run was so good at gradually establishing Monica as a prospective leader - from starting as the new recruit (and an audience POV character) to slowly growing more familiar with her teammates, proving herself as a hero and in battle, expanding her power-set, overcoming her fears, holding her own against her teammates' bullshit and slowly being set up as a parallel and worthy spiritual successor to Cap at the head of the Avengers. Stern was also very intentionally careful about not writing her in a way that could get her flanderized into a disposable archetype by other writers (like how being an outspoken feminist eventually got Carol reduced to "unreasonable, angry feminazi" just in time to get her written off the Avengers - and she was a white character with her own solo series). Monica is a very likeable character, she's principled, confident, resourceful and compassionate, has a healthy and loving relationship with her parents, and is in general probably one of the most clear-headed and mentally well-adjusted Avengers of all time. And she has a unique, versatile and visually interesting power set! But this still wasn't enough in the end. It's not just that she was depowered and removed from the Avengers, it's that the last couple of issues after Stern's departure seem to relish in making her seem like an inexperienced and floundering leader. Yes, some of that is done to established Druid as an unlikeable schemer, but in the end it still undermines what should have been the crowning moment of Monica's character arc on the Avengers. And it wouldn't have been that difficult to retire her from the team without doing any of that! Just have her temporarily step away from the team to focus on her business and family or working with prof. LeClare if you absolutely need to get her off the team! But how it was actually written by Macchio, Simonson and Gruenwald just feels so needlessly malicious.
-The Avengers #294
