Then Came The Monster!

November 20, 2013, 4:45 pm

≫ Next: Crisis Of Faith

≪ Previous: It Pays To Be An Avenger

$

0

0

Comic book matchups that had you scratching your head--
but still made you curious about how the fight would turn out.

Welcome to another installment in a series of posts we could only call:

Despite the obvious mismatch here, perhaps it shouldn't be all that surprising to see Iron Man battle the Frankenstein monster. I think Thor tussled with the monster in an Avengers story; Spider-Man's had his share of werewolf and vampire fights (as well as an encounter with the monster himself); and Iron Man would go on to have his own werewolf skirmish in West Coast Avengers. But this fight was fairly early in Iron Man's career, and up to now he'd faced more down-to-Earth (if sometimes outlandish and, at times, alien) foes--so a battle with the monster, whatever fascination the creature held in popular culture, seemed the oddest of matches.

But Marvel apparently wanted to make the monster more mainstream in its titles. And by that I don't mean he'd be a member of the Avengers anytime soon (thank goodness even Marvel wouldn't dive off the deep end like that)--just that the monster's appearances, however sparse, would be treated with less shock by others as time went on. For instance, just look at Iron Man's initial reaction, when, escaping red Chinese territory after a battle with the Mandarin, his jet is shot down over the Yugoslav-Greek border and he awakes to a startling sight:

Already, Iron Man, even with his well-known skepticism, has accepted without qualm that this is the Frankenstein monster--it's only the fact that the monster is still alive after over 100 years that surprises him. That particular point is never explained (the monster, to my knowledge, was never immortal); it's likely that it was broached only to avoid the impression of skirting by it surreptitiously, though with no intention of ever revisiting it.

This entire fight is the result of a misunderstanding on the part of the monster and his companions, out of fear that Iron Man is a likely ally of the Dreadknight--the "other," as he's known to those who have felt his wrath, a resident of the castle who imposes his will by force. Regardless, Iron Man is put in the position of defending himself:

Naturally, Marvel wouldn't feature the monster on an Iron Man cover if they were going to let Iron Man just waltz all over this guy. And so, with the rabid assistance of the monster's fellow residents, the fight escalates. Though the match between this brute and Tony Stark's crowning engineering achievement is bound to be short-lived:

Iron Man goes on to learn the truth about the Dreadknight and manages to rout him with the assistance of the monster.  As for the creation of Frankenstein, now seemingly a mainstay of the Marvel universe, maybe he deserves a name by now?

---

Crisis Of Faith

November 21, 2013, 6:49 pm

≫ Next: The Exodus of the Champions

≪ Previous: Then Came The Monster!

$

0

0

Some of the most intriguing stories of Thor involve situations where his so-called "godhood" is called into question by the contemporary mortals he interacts with. Most of the time, Thor is diplomatic and side-steps the issue tactfully; he certainly doesn't respond by saying that he deserves the mortals' devotion and worship. Still, imagine calling yourself a god but maintaining that you're making no claim to divinity.

The long and short answer to Thor's situation, of course, is that once, long ago, the Asgardians (like the Olympians) did indeed seek worship from mortal followers, and brazenly so (see Thor Annual #5 for writer Steve Englehart's take on the issue)--yet, again like the Olympians, the Asgardians' time intertwined with mortals passed, and they withdrew to their own affairs. Had Thor not been shifted to mortal form by Odin in order to learn humility amongst mortals, he might well have returned to Earth expecting more appropriate treatment in terms of obeisance and homage, as opposed to merely setting an example and protecting them without thought of recompense. And yet, Thor still boldly and often touts the word "god" when referring to himself, and makes no secret of the fact that he considers his station well above mortals.

In other words, Thor wants no special treatment from the mortals he fights for and protects. Recognition, however, is another matter.

So it's no wonder that mortals are often curious about hearing Thor explain himself as to why he regards himself as a god--what he means by it. And the issue is revisited dramatically when a mortal who calls himself the Crusader comes after Thor with a vengeance, labelling his presumption of godhood blasphemy. Arthur Blackwood, a disillusioned seminary student unhappy with the passive nature of his training, starts on his more bloodthirsty path to serving God as the Crusader by ironically breaking with the church:

Blackwood then visits his father's grave, where he's confronted by shaming visions which spur him to become much more than he is:

I'm not sure why some people visit cemeteries in the dead of night to pay their respects. Don't they know that there's a very good chance you could become a super-villain?

And so the Crusader is born. And it looks like Thor will be his baptism of fire.

As for Thor, he experiences something of a crisis of faith when he saves a young woman from a deadly fall and discovers she's part of a cult of Thor followers. Afterward, he's interviewd by a member of the media, yet he becomes uncomfortable with her line of questioning:

Tsk, tsk--you can fly, Thor, but you can't hide. With the news coverage comes a focus on the issue, predictably from many perspectives of public opinion--and at a ceremony where the mayor of Chicago is handing Thor the keys to the city, Thor's supporters as well as his worshippers are in attendance. But his detractors are also well represented:

But everyone, including Thor, is surprised by the loud challenge of the man called the Crusader:

Before descending to face the Thunder God, the Crusader incites both sides of the crowd to anger, setting them against one another as well as gaining many supporters of his own. And when he descends to street level to take on Thor, his opponent finds to his dismay that he doesn't have the overwhelming support that he's accustomed to from the mortals. Surprisingly, he also finds that the Crusader isn't so easily subdued:

It's then that the Crusader takes it up a notch. And the battle takes a decidedly deadly turn:

Thor again seeks to end the battle, but this time much more forcefully. Yet he seems completely caught off guard by both the Crusader's fervor as well as his disturbing words:

From there, the battle goes downhill for Thor, who's now fighting for his life:

Game and set to the Crusader. But before he can take the match, the lady Sif arrives to spirit Thor away to Asgard, though not before giving the Crusader a deadly warning that she'll be back to settle his ass. Still, that's not going to stop the Crusader from taking his victory lap:

Meanwhile, in Asgard, Odin has healed Thor's wounds--and, just as in the Annual, he reiterates the Asgardians' role vis-à-vis the present-day mortals of Earth, only this time in the context of Thor's recent exposure to new worshippers:

So when the Thunder God returns to confront the Crusader once more, he has his head on straight with his godhood once again held in check, giving him pride in himself and his heritage but not the need for deference:

And while the Crusader fights with his usual fierceness and determination, fully confident in his calling, his opponent is now equally self-assured. But as the battle plays out, it becomes clear that Thor now fights for something different than when he fought before, where the Crusader is only armed with misplaced vengeance:

Finally, as the Crusader heads to the ER and the crowd disperses, Thor has a moment of closure with the young woman who put his crisis of faith in motion. And he finds the issue isn't nearly so difficult to navigate as he'd thought:

The two-issue Crusader encounter is an interesting take by writer Alan Zelenetz on the question mark of Thor's godhood, though I doubt it was meant to redefine the character's attitude or self-image. After all, some of the most enjoyable stories of Thor are ones where he faces an uphill battle against an overwhelming foe, and then spikes the drama off the scale by declaring that he has the power of a god and subsequently going on to victory. That's sheer pride talking, not humility--and it could have won this fight with the Crusader, as well, had Thor not been so conflicted about just what he expected from that mantle of godhood.

The Exodus of the Champions

November 22, 2013, 8:27 pm

≫ Next: My Client, The Hulk

≪ Previous: Crisis Of Faith

$

0

0

When The Champions came to an end in January of 1978, cancelled after only 17 issues, it seemed appropriate that their final scene involved the Vanisher--because, given its last page that left us all hanging, vanishing is pretty much how this team blinked out of the Marvel universe:

And that's all she wrote for this very odd mixture of teammates. With the series ending, what indeed would they do now? In a note on the issue's letters page, Marvel seemed poised to put the final nail in the Champions' coffin:

However, instead of seeing through this build-up of anticipation, the final end of the Champions came swiftly, with the members of the team virtually swept out the door as fast as artist Sal Buscema could manage it. And instead of taking place in the pages of Avengers, the break-up happened in the unlikely pages of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man--its own 17th issue, as it turned out, which was either wryly planned or one heck of a coincidence.

Just watch how, one by one, these "champions" toss in the towel and quickly abandon ship:

You tell 'em, Warren. But as for yourself--well, since you were in the process of selling the Champions building when Peter Parker arrived to photograph the team's breakup (albeit after the fact), you must have thought it through and decided the world doesn't need champions, at least not the fickle group you founded. Which is probably just as well. If your own building is falling apart around you, that's symbolism you probably should pay attention to.

I did like the style of the "C" logo, though.

My Client, The Hulk

November 23, 2013, 6:35 pm

≫ Next: The Asgardian Artistry of Keith Pollard

≪ Previous: The Exodus of the Champions

$

0

0

The two-issue story of Incredible Hulk where the man-monster is put on trial was a development that didn't invite any reasonable scrutiny. After all, it was common knowledge that Bruce Banner and the Hulk were one and the same, and that Banner was effectively suppressed while the Hulk was on the rampage or otherwise wreaking havoc--so if you press charges against the Hulk, what of Banner's guilt or innocence? If you prosecute the Hulk for his acts, how do you effectively absolve Banner? And if the Hulk is found guilty, how do you spare Banner his sentencing?

In legal terms, I suppose you could conclude that the Hulk wasn't mentally competent to stand trial, and such proceedings would thus be rendered unrealistic. The Hulk, after all, would have no knowledge or interest in participating in any human judicial process, much less tolerating whatever judgment the humans would have for him; nor would he be likely to understand the reasons why he was in a court of law. So this process going forward reads rather rushed, stemming from an inexplicable and sudden initiative from Washington (specifically the White House) to have the Hulk captured and prosecuted for conspiracy to destroy public property and endanger human lives.

Which raises a question: After all this time of sanctioning the military to deal with the Hulk, why the sudden interest in bringing the Hulk to court? Why the about-face from seeking to cure Banner--the very purpose of Project: Greenskin, a facility for which so many tax dollars were spent?

We never do get any answers, as this story just bulldozes ahead. First there's the effort by General "Thunderbolt" Ross to capture and secure the Hulk, and have him transported to New York. Which begs more questions. Ross had been kept in the dark as to the intention to put the Hulk on trial--why? And why have Captain America present to view the Hulk's capture? Even Cap seems confused by it. At any rate, the capture of the Hulk has resulted in the switch back to Banner, and Banner is even allowed to lawyer up and prepare for his defense.

And guess which sight-impaired lawyer/hero gets the dubious honor of defending the Hulk?

Unfortunately, Banner is kept so sedated that he's of little help to his counsel. Though there's not much help you can give a man who already thinks he's lost:

Murdock makes the miscalculation of insisting that his client be taken off his sedation in order to confer with him, which inevitably results in the reappearance of the Hulk; but he's recaptured with the aid of a weapon designed by Reed Richards, who was on hand with the rest of the FF at the JFK airport. Only this time, the Hulk doesn't transform again to Banner--and so the story ends up with exactly the result it seemed to want, the prosecution of the Hulk.

From the beginning of the proceedings, there appears to be a bias against the Hulk--particularly from the judge, who, like the story itself, seems determined to move things along and deflect any efforts by Murdock to assert the rights of his client. Even during voir dire, it's clear that Murdock has an uphill battle ahead of him:

And so the trial itself begins, with defense counsel unable to confer with his client throughout (and who would likely get nowhere, even if he could):

Since he's stuck with the Hulk as his client, Murdock decides to take the approach of showing another side to the brute's bestial nature by calling on other super-powered witnesses to vouch for him. But the prosecution can easily deflect any help the Avengers may offer:

Obviously the prosecutor didn't hear the part about "just recently" (a reference to Avengers #100)--but, again, the story also pays it no heed and forges ahead, with Murdock and Iron Man taking another shot at it:

Finally, Murdock has only one witness to call, a witness with testimony the prosecution can have no reasonable objection to:

Following would normally be closing arguments. But Reed Richards appears with a device which may render the reaching of a verdict moot:

Once Reed has the judge's approval--which in itself is a minor miracle, given how things have been going for Murdock--he fires the device before the Hulk can react. Yet, instead of having the desired effect, it seems this trial is going to have one less defendant in a moment:

To my knowledge, the events of this story have never been followed up on, which leaves the impression that little thought was given to it beyond its premise. A federal trial, where its brutish defendant breaks free, and the matter is dropped? The White House gives a shrug and that's that? Even its title, "The World, My Jury!", is far off the mark and somewhat over-dramatic, given that the only sense of reaction we have outside the courtroom is in the form of newspaper coverage and a few protesters--and, curiously, we never even get a glimpse of the actual jurors.  For his part, I'm sure the Hulk doesn't give this "trial" a second thought--which, considering the merits of this thrown-together story, might be good advice for the rest of us.

The Asgardian Artistry of Keith Pollard

November 24, 2013, 10:34 am

≫ Next: The Coming of the X-Sentinels!

≪ Previous: My Client, The Hulk

$

0

0

A few pin-ups for you from artist Keith Pollard, who had about a 30-issue run on The Mighty Thor and also left his stamp on Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-Man.

The Coming of the X-Sentinels!

November 25, 2013, 1:00 am

≫ Next: Rumbling With Roy!

≪ Previous: The Asgardian Artistry of Keith Pollard

$

0

0

Can YOU

Name This Marvel Villain??

Initially involved in a project to determine why mutants exist, Steven Lang developed an irrational hatred of mutantkind which began to usurp his original directive. Working covertly as an agent of the "Council of the Chosen" in order to secure funds and other resources (aside from the illegal appropriations he swept under the rug of the government), he overrode even the Council's objectives (to control mutants and their powers for their own benefit) and created "Project: Armageddon" to carry out the extinction of mutants everywhere.

To that end, he reactivated the Sentinels--deadly mutant-hunting robots created by Bolivar Trask--and appropriated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s abandoned orbital platform to use as a base of operations. And then Lang made his move--capturing several X-Men for study and eventual termination, including their mentor, Charles Xavier. But Cyclops, with the aid of scientist Peter Corbeau, was able to track Lang and the Sentinels to Lang's base and launch a rescue attempt with his new team of X-Men. Which just happened to set up issue #100, and one hell of a surprise waiting for them:

Naturally, Lang was already taking a victory lap:

The "X-Sentinels," as he called them, were built as improvements on Trask's original design to take out not only the X-Men, but the rest of mutantkind as well. Unfortunately, Lang's sentinels were made from incomplete notes he salvaged from Trask's destroyed base, inferior to the original and unable to withstand the X-Men's assault. So once the new X-Men began to storm the base, Lang's plans began to collapse. Lang also had his own safety to worry about, once his captives escaped imprisonment:

But a gunship would prove to be as ineffectual against the X-Men as Lang's carbon copy Sentinels. And with Lang's maniacal hatred fueling his attack, he had mostly himself to blame for the outcome:

I don't really need to tell you what happened next, do I?

As any long-time X-Men reader knows, these events culminated in the beginning of the Phoenix storyline, with the X-Men forced to escape the platform in a damaged shuttle, leaving the cockpit exposed to deadly radiation and Jean Grey its only pilot. So in a way, though Steven Lang's project designation was probably the result of his own twisted mind, "armageddon" was very nearly what the chain of events he set into motion led to.

Rumbling With Roy!

November 26, 2013, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Who Needs Your Crummy Job!

≪ Previous: The Coming of the X-Sentinels!

$

0

0

A happy belated birthday to Roy Thomas (73 years young as of last Friday), from whose mind sprang this rather offbeat 1973 Fantastic Four tale where the FF become trapped in a 1950s dreamscape spawned by the Shaper of Worlds. Scripted by Gerry Conway, the story adds little to nothing to FF continuity--yet, as valueless as it appears in that sense, it has a great deal of fun with itself, and you'll find yourself having fun right along with it if you just roll with it and let it sweep you away.

In Part 1, "Rock Around the Cosmos!", we pick things up after the FF's battle with Gideon, with the FF triumphant but with both Gideon and Dragon Man dead. (At least Reed seems certain of Dragon Man's "death"--it's nice to know that even brilliant minds can screw up an analysis once in awhile.) The FF take temporary custody of Thomas, Gideon's grieving son, and depart--but, amidst the wreckage, one of Gideon's henchmen, Slugger Johnson, revives and prepares to escape. But Slugger is glowing from residual exposure to Gideon's "eternity machine," and it looks like it's enough to attract an alien who will make use of Slugger's preoccupation with the 1950s:

The Shaper's power transforms everything and everyone in the vicinity, including the Fantastic Four:

Yet, the Shaper's interpretation of Slugger's dreams takes a few liberties with Slugger's memories of the true 1950s. Because while there are clear distinctions of rebellious young people ("Wild Ones") and the adult establishment ("Patriots"), the available technology displayed is indeed like something out of a dream, offering a mixture of the nostalgic and the advanced:

The assault takes a different turn when the Wild Ones spot Reed and Ben, the older age of the two identifying them as new targets for these "youthies":

You may have noticed that Ben and Reed are doing just fine against their attackers--so why are Medusa and the Torch so frantic about their safety? Unfortunately, unknown to the Thing and Mr. Fantastic, their two partners have switched sides:

Good grief! What the heck has Roy Thomas gotten us into here? Let's find out!

After the Wild Ones turned their attention to the FF, that gave the Patriots an opportunity to leave their "fallout shelter" in force and attempt to capture everyone. But the Wild Ones escape, with the Torch and Medusa in tow--leaving the Patriots to take custody of Reed and Ben. And back at their respective headquarters, things get even crazier. "Wildman" (who appears to be Slugger Johnson, but without his being aware of it) directs the indoctrination of Medusa and Johnny, while the Patriots act similarly toward Ben and Reed--each group using specialized sonic equipment to bring the FF under their influence.

So what's this all about? Apparently, both groups want to send their super-powered thralls on a mission to capture a weapon created by "the Brain" (again, Slugger Johnson):

Talk about a cliffhanger! And neither team understands why or what they're fighting.

On the splash page of the next issue, it looks like Reed and Ben have reached the target first, though they've appeared to have shaken off the effects of their brainwashing:

If you're like me, you've probably been appreciating artist John Buscema's incredible work on this story. He really seems to be having a lot of fun with all the concepts Thomas is throwing into this tale--and there's a good deal I'm leaving out, so be sure to give the whole thing a read if you have the chance. One thing I will have the pleasure of showing you is the fighting team chemistry of Mr. Fantastic and the Thing, whom Conway writes so well here:

Reed has only begun to put together the pieces of this puzzle. But he won't have time to make much headway, because it isn't long before the rest of his team arrives. And they, too, are fighting mad, but regrettably still following other orders:

At last, though, our friend Slugger, "the Brain," confers with the Shaper, and stresses that the FF be removed from this dream altogether:

And just like that, the castle turns into a drive-in movie lot. And at last, the Brain's secret weapon makes its appearance, though a little unconventionally:

And brother, if you thought things were crazy before, how about "the Warhead" cutting loose on the Wild Ones, the Patriots (arriving later), and the FF?

By the way, just look at how much excitement letterer Artie Simek has added throughout this story. His style is so dynamic and well-placed, reflecting the scope of the battle even when the FF are finding a moment to reunite:

But it's time for the Warhead to "head" back to the movies, as only the Thing can send him there:

There doesn't seem to be any more ground to cover here, does there? Slugger Johnson has no doubt learned that there's a difference between having a dream and controlling it, and the FF seem to be more than he can handle in any reality. And so, finally making his presence known, the Shaper at last shows up to set all to rights, with what amounts to a simple "my bad":

With the withdrawal of Slugger's dream world, the FF are returned to their aircraft as if nothing had happened, and this fun little diversion reaches its end. I remember what a head-scratcher this story was to me when I first read it, as it was smack in the middle of Reed's ongoing drama with Sue and I felt like I'd been yanked out of a continuing story and thrust into something that didn't seem to make any kind of sense, either on its own or in the context of what was going on at the time with the team. Yet if you read it as an interlude of sorts, and factor in the Shaper who can pretty much get away with anything while hitting the reset button at the end, it's a fine bit of entertainment on its own, and the FF clearly show they can "rumble" with the best of them.

Who Needs Your Crummy Job!

November 26, 2013, 5:12 pm

≫ Next: Jane, The She-Devil

≪ Previous: Rumbling With Roy!

$

0

0

Vocational courses by mail were prolific during comics' silver and bronze ages, so they all tended to look alike and blur together after awhile. But look at how clever this company was in putting its ad in comic book form!

Man, Mr. Bemis sounds like a real hard-ass! How about only docking Bill's pay just for the seven minutes he was late, bub? Or maybe you're just trying to teach poor Bill a lesson. But we don't have to worry about Bill, because it looks like he's had enough!

Wow, Bill! Good going!

Er, but hold on. As much as we appreciate your initiative, Bill, you might have wanted to refrain from telling off your no-good boss for a week or two--because you still have to go out and find a job in electronics, assuming someone will hire you based on a correspondence course.

By the way, Bill--not to pile on here, but you also misspelled "good-bye" before you flipped off Mr. Bemis and stormed out. You're sure having a lousy day, aren't you?

On a lighter note, you just know these guys had a blast posing for these photos. I bet they even acted it out.

---

Jane, The She-Devil

November 27, 2013, 5:15 pm

≫ Next: Huddle Up!

≪ Previous: Who Needs Your Crummy Job!

$

0

0

Jane Foster, circa 1963:

I don't know, Jane. Thirteen years later, it looks like you can give Thor a run for his money in the bravery department:

Wait a minute--"plots her next move"? Jane!?

Jane has accompanied Thor to the jungles of Costa Verde in search of Firelord, who has joined a group of rebels in an effort to overthrow the government. But a woman named Gypsy has put Firelord under a spell of obedience, and unfortunately does the same to Thor when he arrives--leaving Jane as a captive of the rebels. But she's not going to stay that way:

Yeah, you've guessed the sad truth about Jane's "next move."

Or, to put it another way: Ewwwww.

Jane is obviously not thinking too clearly. For one thing, she seems unaware of the fact that tents don't have doors. For another--well, I repeat, ewwwww. There's gotta be some other way to freedom than making nice with Miguel. You may want to scroll down a bit, because this is bound to be a little sickening.

Wow! This is no chiquita, that's for sure. What's happened to our timid nurse, anyway?

Jeez, "lardbelly"? And laying down fire with a machine gun without a wince? When did Sgt. Fury get into this mag? Jane sure got the attention of El Lobo, the rebels' leader--though he could be asking for another round of bullets if he keeps calling Jane "muchacho." Have your eyes checked, pal--this she-devil may be barking out orders, but this is definitely a woman who's calling the shots. And she's not through yet:

So now that Jane has everyone's attention, what are her demands of this group? Well, she's looking to get a little of her own back:

Yes, you heard that right--our nurse Foster, whose idea of physical exertion up to this point has probably been to have a nice walk in Central Park, is looking to throw down with Gypsy, the tough co-leader of these rebels who's got both Thor and Firelord under her control. At first, Gypsy snubs her nose at Jane's proposal--but El Lobo convinces her to accept, or lose face in the eyes of their men.

So, before you know it, Jane is--I still can't believe I'm saying this--squaring off for a knife fight:

Wait--"warrior-goddess"? Yes, that's right--this is the brief period when the goddess Sif had infused Jane with her spirit in order to save her life, and clearly the joining has given Jane a somewhat more forthright disposition. And it's enough to give Jane the edge in this fight:

Gypsy, despite the clear defeat, isn't about to see their revolution go down the tubes by throwing in the towel, and rallies the men to put down Jane--but fortunately, Thor awakens in time to save the day and, together with Firelord, puts an end to El Lobo and his rebellion.  Including Miguel, who was sure he was this close to scoring.

Huddle Up!

November 28, 2013, 7:06 am

≫ Next: Web-Swing Your Way To A College Degree

≪ Previous: Jane, The She-Devil

$

0

0

It's Thanksgiving!! And you know what THAT means:

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Web-Swing Your Way To A College Degree

November 28, 2013, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: The X-Man In Name Only

≪ Previous: Huddle Up!

$

0

0

Wait--did Peter Parker actually graduate college??

Well, yes and no. The cover of this late-1978 story takes a bit of license with the actual result. Peter was indeed scheduled to graduate, at least according to his own day planner as well as announcing the news to his friends. But maybe it's more accurate to say that he was expecting to graduate. (You'll notice that the cover doesn't show him actually grasping the diploma.) Peter showed up; managed to find a cap and gown when he discovered none had been reserved for him (ditto for his seat at the ceremony); and also found that they'd left his name off of the graduating class listing.

And then he got this little surprise:

Afterward, when Peter speaks to the dean, this science wiz discovers the value of double-checking:

As far as the issue is concerned--not to mention Peter--he did indeed graduate, for all intents and purposes. I don't recall a later anticlimactic announcement of that final gym credit being claimed, followed by receiving his diploma in the mail--but the last page of this story seems to definitively close the book on this chapter in Peter's life:

So a hearty congratulations to Peter--who proved that you can virtually phone in a college education, as long as you're a top-selling character of a comic book company.

A gym class. Fortunately, it won't necessitate forming any new habits, like studying.

The X-Man In Name Only

November 29, 2013, 6:04 pm

≫ Next: With A Little Help From The FF

≪ Previous: Web-Swing Your Way To A College Degree

$

0

0

Since What If? #31 is split between two alternate reality stories, the one dealing with Wolverine killing the Hulk doesn't have a lot of breathing room to tell its tale, and so has to cram a great deal into just twenty pages in order for everything to be resolved by the end. As a result, you might come away from this story with the impression that there really wasn't much to it--but is that really so surprising? After all, taken at face value, there normally wouldn't be much follow-up material available to make into a story, would there?

Let's look at it this way. Wolverine was sent in to take out both the Wendigo and the Hulk--and Wolverine doesn't seem like the type of operative that his superiors would want to turn loose on such a mission with the idea of tying his hands in any way. And so, in pitched battle, rather than capturing the Hulk in accordance with his original directive, he's forced to use deadly force against him. That's probably no skin off the military's nose--and when the Hulk is dead, then what? Wolverine returns to base and waits for new orders, that's what. Is anyone really going to miss the Hulk's rampages? Are the Avengers even going to avenge him, given the circumstances and abruptness of his departure from the team? There will be those few who mourn the tragedy of the event, such as Betty Ross and anyone who knew Bruce Banner--but for the most part, Wolverine's Dept. H will clamp the lid on the whole thing in terms of Wolverine's involvement, and it'll be case closed.

So, at first, there's no real development to be found with Wolverine from that point, while the book is easily closed on the Hulk. To us, of course, the death of the Hulk is something more of a jaw-dropper:

The real pivotal event that this story now depends on can be found in a bar on the outskirts of Quebec, where Wolverine is celebrating his victory (even if no one else is privy to that information):

His murder of a civilian sends Wolverine hurrying back to base to get the help of his friend and immediate superior, James Hudson. You'll notice that Wolverine is still attempting to fight his killer instinct. We know that, later, he would come to terms with his nature and develop more of a moral code to live by:

That rationale would have effectively ended this story before it began. Instead, Wolverine considers himself a fugitive after he gets no help from Hudson:

So with Wolverine out of options, and with all the groundwork essentially laid, the story picks up speed and begins to throw developments at us at a breakneck pace.



First, Wolverine is taken notice of by Magneto, who recruits him for the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants:

And before you can say "danger room," Magneto has Wolverine inserted into the X-Men as a mole who will pave the way for the Brotherhood's attack:

Now that Wolverine is with the X-Men, you can probably guess the chain of events that will now take place. To begin with, Wolverine proves himself to be a valuable member of the team, though he's beginning to have second thoughts about his mission:

In fact, how odd it seems that a former government agent like Wolverine would align himself with the likes of Magneto. Regardless, Wolverine later sabotages Cerebro, so that Magneto's approach can't trigger an alarm. Though Wolverine's mission is further complicated with his growing feelings toward Jean Grey, to the point of making her safety a dealbreaker with Magneto:

To salvage his relationship with Wolverine, Magneto tells his agent that he really means the X-Men no harm, and only wishes to bring them into the fold of his Brotherhood. But when he launches his attack, his true colors begin to show, and Wolverine switches sides after an attempt on Jean's life:

With just a few pages before the story's end, Wolverine then joins the team in fighting back, and all that remains is the big battle with Magneto and the Brotherhood. Mastermind, Unus, and Lorelei are dealt with by the regular X-Men, now that the Brotherhood no longer have the element of surprise, and Wolverine takes out the Blob:

That leaves just Magneto. And in true What If? fashion, it's here that Wolverine "pays" (in Marvel coin) for his earlier encounter with the Hulk:

Magneto also slumps to his death, and the story ends as many of these What If? tales do:  leaving us to pick up the pieces, some of them involving the Hulk. (You remember--that big green guy who took up most of this issue's cover space?) For instance, the story has no room to account for Marie Cartier and Georges Baptiste, who played such a crucial role in the original Wendigo story (and, in fact, interrupted Wolverine's assault before it could presumably reach the point it did here). Also, a later revelation of the Hulk having a healing factor of his own would have prevented his demise in this story, as it did in other Hulk/Wolverine clashes; in fact, who's to say it didn't do so in the original story? How else was the Hulk surviving relentless slashes by adamantium claws?

In effect, the story took the quickest path to reach the point where Wolverine lies bleeding out on the floor, a hero to the X-Men--brushing aside the fact that Wolverine followed Magneto's orders of his own free will, and only changed his mind when the woman he was falling for was threatened with harm. Maybe it was really the Hulk we should all have been rooting for.

With A Little Help From The FF

November 30, 2013, 6:01 pm

≫ Next: My Shield! Nooooooo!

≪ Previous: The X-Man In Name Only

$

0

0

I am not ashamed to tell you that, when the Beatles were taking America by storm, I had my very own Beatles wig just like everyone else. They definitely cleaned up on those Beatles wigs. I'm not aware of a single person who hung onto theirs. The wigs must all be in the Smithsonian by now, or in someone's private collection. Imagine looking out into your audience and seeing just about everyone with your hairstyle. Think of the horror of a whole audience full of Vanilla Ice hairstyles. No one would be able to see the stage.

But never let it be said that Marvel didn't have its symbolic finger on the pulse of America, because in early 1965 an issue of Strange Tales cashed in on the Beatles bandwagon:

The Beatles were already well back in the UK by this time, so Marvel was a little late to the party; still, by the time of publication, the singing group had reached the height of their popularity in the states, and the Thing and the Torch on a comic book cover wearing Beatles wigs could definitely still tap into a great deal of fan frenzy from comics readers.

The story itself was all in good fun, as many Strange Tales stories featuring Ben and Johnny as a team tended to be. The pair "meet" the Beatles courtesy of their girlfriends, who manage to coerce them to see their show:

The Beatles themselves, however, are really featured only in passing, since the Torch and the Thing have to go into action shortly after arriving:

From there, we find ourselves watching this half of the FF facing off against gunmen who give them far more trouble than they should be capable of:

And just watch how the Torch breaks the fourth wall, which may be a first for a Marvel story:

At the end of the story, the pair return to the auditorium to finally see their idols perform, and the scene perfectly caps the comedic flavor of the tale:

Of course, with Ben and Reed being around the same age, we might have to face the prospect of Reed trotting out his own Beatles wig someday. Let's hope he had the good sense to dispose of it. We'd all probably be delighted to discover he mailed it anonymously to a certain Latverian monarch.

My Shield! Nooooooo!

December 1, 2013, 7:21 am

≫ Next: A Natural For The Hellfire Club

≪ Previous: With A Little Help From The FF

$

0

0

In Captain America #196, in the midst of writer/artist Jack Kirby's run on the title, there's a scene where Cap is taken prisoner by an underground group bent on bringing down the U.S. government and creating a new society built on its ashes. And we see one of the men relieving the unconscious Cap of his shield:

Normally, we wouldn't give this scene a second thought. I mean, this isn't the first idiot who's made off with Cap's shield and didn't end up keeping it when Cap finally caught up with him:

As we can see, it seems no big deal here to Cap to reclaim his shield. After all, this guy's Captain America, not Captain Shield. All he's done is retrieve a valuable offensive/defensive weapon that's served him well. Another scene we didn't read more into than necessary.

However, allow me to introduce you to Jack Kirby's Captain America, who practically becomes a crazed animal when the Falcon--also in apparent shock--points out that his shield isn't in the same room with him:

Good grief--you'd think his captors had made off with Sharon Carter intead of a disc of metal.

But, Cap just lost it here for a second, you're thinking. We can cut him some slack for that, right? Once he gets a grip, he'll calmly assess the situation, make plans with the Falcon for escaping, and go from there. He's not the type of man to become more despondent about this, is he? Certainly not defeatist over a shield, right? Well, let's just be thankful that the Falcon was there to dry his tears:

Letter writer Mark Zutkoff had some harsh words for Kirby a few issues later, touching on this strange shift in character for Cap: "...we get a Captain America who's driven to the brink of madness, despair, and breakdown by, of all things, the loss of his shield! ... his reaction went a bit too far." However, the response to the letter differed:

"No matter what, Cap is and always will remain a patriot. No, not a half-blind extremist, but rather a man who loves his country. And we feel that such a man, who has for so long been a living symbol both of and to his country, will rise to the occasion when an inanimate symbol, such as the flag or his shield, is degraded. So, it's not as out of character as you think."

I don't know if the responder actually read the issue in question--but when Cap makes his escape and goes looking for his shield, his near-hysteria goes a bit beyond rising to the occasion:

Thankfully, Cap indeed does get his shield back and calms down, once again the voice of reason (at least for the moment) as he works to foil the Mad Bomb scheme. Though heaven help Jarvis if he should misplace the darn thing at Avengers Mansion.

A Natural For The Hellfire Club

December 2, 2013, 1:00 am

≫ Next: The Deadly Bounce of--The Leap-Frog!

≪ Previous: My Shield! Nooooooo!

$

0

0

Can YOU

Name This Marvel Villain??

Given this villain's choice of fashion, it's a fair bet she's not going to care to be in the super-hero category. And with a name like Malice, there's not much room left for doubt about her intentions. But the identity of Malice revealed a shocking transformation, indeed:

So how do you like the Invisible Girl's new uniform? I'll bet it does a few things for Reed, if you know what I mean. But this is really no time to make light of the situation. Malice was essentially a creation of Psycho-Man, working in tandem with the Hate Monger, by preying upon Sue's subconscious feelings of inadequacy and subverting her personality. Thus corrupted, she made for the perfect tool in Psycho-Man's revenge against the Fantastic Four.

And indeed, she was able to take out members of the team one-by-one--in part because her identity was unknown to them, and she was able to use her powers of invisibility to mask her methods of attack and take them by surprise. But with the help of Daredevil, Reed was able to pierce her disguise. Realizing the Hate Monger's handiwork, he deduced that in order to snap Sue out of her state he had to battle her not with powers, but with brutal words:

And after lunging for Reed's throat (which would have been understandable even in her right mind), the strategy works, and Sue's personality returns to normal. Sort of. Reed may be willing to leave the matter behind, but Sue vows vengeance on Psycho-Man (the Hate Monger would be dealt with in an issue of Secret Wars II, at the hand of Scourge) and insists that Reed put aside the potential threat of the Beyonder's presence on Earth and help her go after her tormentor. And after seeing the emotional effect the ordeal has had on Sue, Reed agrees. (Though I'd lay odds that he tells her to hang onto that Malice costume for later. Alright, I'll let this go.)

But Sue isn't out of the woods yet. And if you expected Psycho-Man to just roll over for the FF, think again. He captures the entire team when they come after him in the microverse. And just to rub salt in the wound, he decides to pay particular attention to Sue, and sadistically remind her that he'll be the one doling out the vengeance:

But this is the FF we're talking about. Eventually, they turn the tables on Psycho-Man--and Sue corners him later in private and uses the villain's emotion-control technology to conduct a little vengeance of her own off-stage. Payback's a bitch--and thanks to Psycho-Man and the Hate Monger, Sue's become a bit of one herself. But she harnesses those feelings, and uses them to put behind her the naivety and innocence she carried with her as the Invisible Girl, to adopt a new identity as the Invisible Woman.

An identity which, Reed hopes, will still want to slap on those Malice duds from time to time. (Alright, I'll stop!)

---

The Deadly Bounce of--The Leap-Frog!

December 2, 2013, 5:23 pm

≫ Next: The Iron Or The Man??

≪ Previous: A Natural For The Hellfire Club

$

0

0

"You only get one chance to make a first impression." -- Fran Drescher

Well, not everyone can be Doctor Doom.

Remember before Matt Murdock got so serious, and he was still the rollickin', swingin', carefree Man Without Fear, Daredevil? Say what you will about that Daredevil's roster of villains--but they were definitely, shall we say, inventive. If I had to dream up a Marvel villain, chances are the last concept that would come to mind would be the Leap-Frog, a novelty toy inventor who thought he could put his talents to better use by designing a "power" for himself that would allow him to get rich fast by pulling heists while easily evading law enforcement. Just look how confident he is on his test flight--er, bounce:

He's certainly running those policemen ragged, so he can probably chalk up his first outing as successful--but if Murdock's reaction to the guy's villain name is any indication, the "Leap-Frog" isn't likely to strike terror into the hearts of New Yorkers.

So the next step is a fearsome costume. Sigh--a costume designed by a man who's a novelty toy inventor. We can probably take a good guess at how ludicrous the final product might turn out to be:

Hey, at least he's got the villain patter down. That has to count for something.

I'll give him this--under cover of darkness, the Leap-Frog looks like he could get away with a heist or two. Though I don't know many looters who fail to take into account alarm systems:

One question I feel compelled to bring up--how does this guy navigate? How does he keep from slamming into walls? How does he kill his momentum? I don't see any brakes on this costume, do you?

Anyway, let's cut to the chase, and find out how Daredevil does against the Leap-Frog. If the match-up is anything like hearing the words "Daredevil vs. the Leap-Frog" out loud, I doubt any of us will be on the edge of our seats:

Wow! Daredevil sure seems confounded by the mighty Leap-Frog. This battle might just make him the Man Without A Fan Base. But let's not count out DD yet. All he or anyone really has to do is to get ahold of the Leap-Frog, and he has a handy tool with which to do just that:

And now that DD knows to keep away from those coiled springs, the Leap-Frog can look forward to more falling than leaping:

Okay, the guy is captured, and his brief life of crime is brought to an end before it could really begin. There's no need to humiliate him at this point, is there? Sorry, Daredevil and the police beg to differ. I mean, they're fishing out a guy in a frog suit from a pond and carting him off to jail--who wants to miss an opportunity like that?

Heh heh, the laugh's going to be on you, coppers. Because you haven't ...

(I can't believe I'm saying this ...)

You haven't seen the last of the Leap-Frog.

I bet everyone there just felt themselves shiver. Or it could just be the onset of warts.

The Iron Or The Man??

December 3, 2013, 4:59 pm

≫ Next: Call The Professionals--Call X-Factor!

≪ Previous: The Deadly Bounce of--The Leap-Frog!

$

0

0

At first glance, this Iron Man story seems like pretty standard fare, this time with the golden Avenger in battle against the Unicorn:

But it's that curious looking box that can't help but get your attention:

Putting aside for the moment that gaining a growing insight into the character you're following month after month is something you'd expect anyway, what sort of character revelation could this box be referring to? That Stark is a budding control freak? That he may be on his way to a problem with alcohol? That he may have his eye on steering government policy?

Whoa, we're getting way ahead of ourselves. No, what's going on with Iron Man's character has to do with, well, being Iron Man:

Okay, Tony, you've vented and let it all out. Now, how about we get back to the story and...

Okay, GOT IT. You've had it with playing hero. Why shouldn't you chuck the whole thing and enjoy your millions? Understood.  Now, let's...

Alright, jeez, fine, so you feel like treating your subordinates like dirt. Now can we just...

Oh, great, now you're shafting the Avengers! Anything else you want to get off your chest??

WAIT a minute! That's another issue that hasn't even happened yet! Let's stick to what's going on here and now, huh? To make a long story short, when the Unicorn attacks Stark's factory looking for Iron Man (and comes up empty, since Stark is currently enjoying drinks with a beautiful date), Happy Hogan decides to try to stop the villain and almost forfeits his life in the process. And when Stark gets word of it, he gets a massive guilt complex and reclaims the Iron Man armor in order to both stop the Unicorn as well as reaffirm his role as both industrialist and hero.

By the way, Mr. Stark would like to make clear that just because he now has a clear conscience as Iron Man, that doesn't mean he's going to stop splurging or toss his little black book. Come on, get serious.

Call The Professionals--Call X-Factor!

December 5, 2013, 12:00 am

≫ Next: O, Christmas Collapsible

≪ Previous: The Iron Or The Man??

$

0

0

If you're launching a new book in 1986 featuring the five original X-Men, you'd have to scramble to reintegrate them into their old positions no matter where their other commitments or circumstances have taken them. Normally, that wouldn't present too much of a problem. After all, these are the original X-Men we're talking about, who haven't exactly proven to be successes in extended runs, even in smaller groupings. At the time, the Angel, the Iceman, and the Beast were all coming off their membership in the New Defenders, a group which met a dismal end and was literally reduced to ashes. Cyclops had made an unsuccessful bid for leadership of the current X-Men, but lost to Storm and retreated with his wife and child to Alaska.

And Marvel Girl?

As far as anyone knew, Marvel Girl had met her death on the moon as the Phoenix. Consequently, that rendered any effort to reunite the original team of X-Men moot. Or so you'd think.

Needless to say, money talks--and Marvel seemed to feel the time was right to give the original team a makeover and add to the popularity of the X-Men on the sales rack by giving readers another X-team to purchase. And since the first issue would presumably bring back Jean Grey--the formerly dead Jean Grey--it would already have its foot in the door in terms of readership interest.

Marvel had already reintroduced Jean in the pages of The Avengers and Fantastic Four--but now would come the time when her friends in the X-Men would discover her to be alive. Combine that with a refit of the original team of X-Men--a team which we were assuming wouldn't be dragged down by the tired plots of their first book--and X-Factor showed great promise, indeed.

Though at this point, I think it was safe to say that there was one meeting that was first and foremost on everyone's mind:

Before we unwrap that scene, though, let's lay some groundwork for the story and find out what led everyone else to reunite. We should probably start with Cyclops, since his presence on the new team is certainly integral in a number of ways. Scott Summers is the obvious choice for team leader--but, now a married man, his interaction with Jean can also be mined for a fair amount of drama, while giving a sense to readers that these five people are no longer Charles Xavier's steadfast students reporting for duty. To clear the way, writer Bob Layton quickly begins to dismantle Scott's marriage to Madelyne Pryor, where these two had formerly demonstrated such good chemistry together:

Meanwhile, the three ex-Defenders are settling into their new lives as non-heroes:

Of course, the wheels are already spinning in terms of the news of Jean being discovered alive. The first of the team to be told is Warren Worthington, who meets with Jean off-panel:

Warren wrestles with relaying the news to Scott--partly because of the complication of Scott's marriage, but also partly because it crosses Warren's mind that this might be the perfect chance to finally make his own move on Jean (a nice nod to the feelings he held in the original series). But in the end, he chooses to do right by Scott, who, when he meets Jean, finds himself terribly conflicted:

(Isn't that cool how the colorists (three of them on this story!) add realistic orange tint to Jean's hair? It's about time.  How many "redheads" do you know who have actual red hair?)

Jean herself then opens the door to how this book will have these people operate outside of the structure of their fellow X-Men:  as a direct response to the exploding anti-mutant hysteria sweeping the nation:

And so these five people, formerly at loose ends, begin to find purpose once more--and, in the process, rediscover their camaraderie and how well they function together. But there's still a very morose Scott, who is still in personal shock and isn't yet on board with this new direction or his place in it:

From here, things move swiftly--thanks to Warren, who's hired PR wiz Cameron Hodge to draw up a course of action that almost seems like curing the disease by killing the patient:

On the one hand, Hodge's proposal will help the team to safely acquire and protect any mutants who are in danger, as well as train them in the use of their power in order to later release them to live normal lives among humans without fear of detection. Yet in doing so, "X-Factor's" modus operandi does nothing to educate humanity or decrease the violence against mutants--in fact, it presents the image of force being necessary to track down and capture them, further inflaming public opinion. It seems that these people mean to break with Xavier in more ways than one.

And so, later, when a flaming mutant's powers manifest and he panics, leading to tragedy, X-Factor is called to its first job:

Which leads to deceptions within deceptions. In order to capture the mutant quickly, in a shoot-first-and-mollify-later strategy, the team must go into action as "renegade mutants" to give the impression of protecting one of their own:

You can assume that "Maneuver 12" was successful, and that the team was able to secure their target.

X-Factor's operations require a great deal of suspension of disbelief, not only on our part but on the part of human witnesses, some of whom are bound to be familiar with the original X-Men, new costumes or not. There's also the large "X" which is conspicuously positioned on their costumes, a letter also prominent on the jet (and the name) of X-Factor. In addition, when the X-Factor "professionals" inform the people who hired them that they were successful in capturing the dangerous mutant, how do they explain away the renegades who happen to appear at each job? And that they've been able to snag the mutant target away from the renegades every time?

Let's skip ahead to when X-Factor, back in their camera-ready gear, wrap things up with their employer:

Gosh--I can't wait to see how Hodge smooth-talks his way around multiple charges of fraud when the IRS conducts an audit, if and when X-Factor is finally exposed.

But at least their first mutant trainee has a new lease on life. And so, it seems, do the original X-Men:

When we next check in on X-Factor, we'll see if Warren's pronouncement here stood the test of time.  Wasn't this the guy who also believed in the Champions?

O, Christmas Collapsible

December 5, 2013, 6:24 pm

≫ Next: It's A Mini Marvel Christmas

≪ Previous: Call The Professionals--Call X-Factor!

$

0

0

Since we're starting to count down to December 25, how about revisiting some of those memorable Marvel moments where our heroes (and, on occasion, villains) celebrated Christmas?

We might as well start with Marvel's "first family," where Reed seems to interpret the phrase "the gift that keeps on giving" quite literally, to Sue's dismay:

Well, Reed, there's one little flaw in your thinking:  where do you think all that wrapping paper came from that you happily tore apart in getting to your presents?

It's A Mini Marvel Christmas

December 6, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: When Santa Packed A Piece

≪ Previous: O, Christmas Collapsible

$

0

0

What would Christmas be without "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? A little less Christmas, that's what. Fortunately, thanks to Chris Giarrusso (illustrious creator of the "mini Marvels"), we can add a little Marvel flavor to that classic Christmas special:

You can almost hear Vince Guaraldi's music, can't you? Viewers of the Charlie Brown special of course know this scene from the gathering for the school Christmas play:

Be sure to check out Chris's site for more comics goodness (and don't miss his hilarious Rob Liefeld parody vid).