"Mayhem by Moonlight!"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by John Byrne and Jim Mooney
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Jim Novak
Cover by John Byrne and Bob McLeod
Spider-Man swings through the Manhattan streets, arriving at the hospital just in time to give Aunt May a poignant send-off as she is transferred to the nursing home. As he ponders his Aunt's greatness, jerky Dr. Tompkins interrupts and Peter picks him up and threatens to smash him, but ends up running off. Changing to Spidey, he is noticed by a mystery man in the shadows, telling another to kill Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson! JJJ himself argues with Joe Robertson, who wants his friend to get a bodyguard, then pours out his heart to Dr. Marla Madison about his son John's recent kidnapping. Spidey breaks up a robbery just as the cops get there, causing a perp to get shot and our hero to continue to think he's "a loser." With no help coming from DA Blake Tower, JJJ offers a million- dollar reward for information on his son's location, while the mystery man, who despises Jameson for ruining his life, puts a fully-bandaged fellow into his "energizer" and injects him with a "special radiation trace" in order to kill his enemies! Betty visits Peter's pad, claims she and Ned are through, and plants an impressive smooch on the surprised Parker. Hours later, Spidey spies Bandage Guy breaking into the Bugle, gets smashed out of Jameson's office when he swings in, then is forced to take the battle from the hallways to the rooftops. When he tears the bandages away, Spidey learns it's Man-Wolf! The lupine foe knocks out our hero, then goes back to kidnap JJJ, his own father!
-Joe Tura
-- I don't know what that book Peter was carrying in the hospital had to do with anything, but he certainly didn't seem too worried about leaving it behind.
-- A great, if not a bit schmaltzy, sequence on the bottom of page 16 finds City Editor Robbie knowing what to print, and in turn, Publisher JJJ knows Robbie will do what's best for everyone.
--The bad guy behind the scenes really hates JJJ and Spidey, and while there are clues everywhere as to who he is, I honestly can't remember. (I hate peeking ahead, too!)
--Why, when Man-Wolf has those sexy pointed ears, do they not show up under the bandages? Oh, that would give it away; so much for that.
Matthew Bradley: I’m not gonna say the artwork is bad, naturlich, but I will say that with rare exceptions such as page 2, panel 7, Mooney leaves virtually no detectable trace of Byrne’s work, so why not simply have the Madman, or someone else of his caliber, pencil the issue, instead of wasting Byrne on it? Surprisingly, despite Wolfman’s steadily shrinking stature in my eyes and my distaste for the whole Betty Redux business, I rather liked the story. Note: just as the lettercol reveals that “the first names of the roster of graduates [in #185] corresponded to those of every writer and artist who worked regularly on Spider-Man from Stan Lee and Steve Ditko to Marv and Keith Pollard,” the kid on the splash page says, “Hey, Stanley, Stevie—look!”
Chris Blake: It's a bit strange to read this issue in the same month as Marvel Premiere #46, which concludes with Man-Wolf returning to the arms of Kristine, right here in the fair city of New York. So, how did he wind up in cryogenic storage? I hope Marv won't gloss over that question in our next chapter. I also hope nit-picking Marvel zombies aren't going to remind us John Jameson had been removed from the storage facility in ASM #188, which was published last month; keen-minded students who have been following our long-running, sometimes-interrupted storylines will recognize that the Kraft/Pérez conclusion to the Man-Wolf story had been plotted (and, likely roughed-out art-wise) long ago, and simply had to wait for an opportunity to see print. That won't excuse Marv from connecting one chapter of Man-Wolf to another; Marv, I'm watching you.
Chris: I'll admit to being more optimistic than I might've been a few issues ago about Marv's chances of putting these pieces together; this issue is a very satisfying read that addresses many of Peter's ongoing crises, and leaves him fittingly alternating between feeling worse and better about his circumstances. Marv also revives the sympathetic depiction of Jonah we've seen whenever Man-Wolf problems arise; nice moment as Jonah turns to Marla in his time of need, quietly realized by Byrne (p 11).
The art is probably 60% Mooney, 40% Byrne. Mooney has a tendency to turn faces into his own; Mooney handles Jameson well, but I'd rather see Byrne's take on Peter. Byrne's hand is apparent in Spidey's lithe musculature and signature moves, such as: when he grips the wall and peers across the street to the gun shop (p 11, pnl 5); a nimble recovery after he's thrown out the window (p 26, 1st two panels); a quick-fingered grip of the corner that leads into the stairwell, as he pursues the fleeing Bandage Man (p 27, pnl 3); and a clever web-trampoline (p 30).
Chris: Once again, the cover reveals the very last image from the story; for a change, though, we get a different take on the ending, as the figure on the cover still is hidden in bandages, and is capable of speech! I don't know whether the cover was purposefully intended as a fake-out; I recall that the covers typically were prepared before the body of the issue, so it's possible Byrne drew the cover first, and at that stage, Wolfman's plot might've called for Man-Wolf's identity to be kept secret until after he had absconded with Jonah.
Mark Barsotti: The mention of the "TV Spidey" on the splash page irks me as a gratuitous plug; Marvelites no doubt knew about the third-rate web-slinger on the tube.
J. Jonah gets a nice moment of emotional vulnerability with Marla as he agonizes over his kidnapped son. Back at the Bugle, J.J.'s attacked by a refugee from a Mummy movie; Spidey intervenes, marking, I believe, the 345th time, he's saved the pugnacious publisher, all without being thanked once. Nobody said it's easy being a good guy...
Mark Barsotti: The mention of the "TV Spidey" on the splash page irks me as a gratuitous plug; Marvelites no doubt knew about the third-rate web-slinger on the tube.
The rest is fast-paced and fairly painless. Our cleared-by-the-cops hero decides everything's aces on his way to the hospital for Aunt May's send off to the nursing home. Getting teary-eyed doesn't stop Pete from assaulting the doc who insults him. Off he runs and, into the blue and red, interferes with New York's finest taking down a stick-up man, leading Pete to decide he is a loser after all. Talk about the Marvel Age of Manic Mood-Swings!
J. Jonah gets a nice moment of emotional vulnerability with Marla as he agonizes over his kidnapped son. Back at the Bugle, J.J.'s attacked by a refugee from a Mummy movie; Spidey intervenes, marking, I believe, the 345th time, he's saved the pugnacious publisher, all without being thanked once. Nobody said it's easy being a good guy...
There's some not terribly convincing romantic nonsense with won't-take-no-for-an-answer Betty Brant, who's veering ever closer to stalker territory, and no reason at all for John Jameson nee Man-Wolf to be mummy-wrapped, except in service of a last page reveal that leaves absolutely no one flabbergasted.
The foregoing is all certainly superior to the name-checked TV Spidey, and if that's praising with faint damns, take it up with Marv Wolfman.
"Berserkers' Holiday"
Story by Tom DeFalco
Art by Jim Mooney and Mike Esposito
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by Denise Wohl
Cover by Rich Buckler and Dan Adkins
Thor, Vision, Beast, and Bloodhawk battle the Monolith on a faraway island while the remaining Avengers are hanging from a wall in Avengers Mansion, courtesy of twelfth-tier baddie, the Stinger. The Monolith puts up a good fight but is finally bested when Beast reinserts the stolen Totem in the rock's head. For good measure, Thor sends the walking mountain into space. Beast talks Bloodhawk into an audience with Professor X but first, they stop off at Avengers HQ to find their comrades in arms. The Stinger explains that he intends to auction off the Avengers to the highest bidder (opening bid is one million clams) but Thor has something to say about that. In the melee, Bloodhawk is fatally wounded but the Earth's Mightiest Heroes triumph in the end. -Peter Enfantino
Matthew: Worse. If you really want to lose your lunch, take a look at the lettercol, where these troglodytes are still creaming their jeans over Shooter’s Korvac plotting, and then check out the story itself, where Mr. Big Shot EIC—the only editor formally charged, uh, credited for this dog—doesn’t know the difference between “its” and “it’s” (a mistake he blithely lets pass no fewer than four times in a single issue), and still can’t make up his mind whether the name of the island is “Maura” or “Muara.” Then, in page 23, panel 1, we get an intensely unwelcome reminder of the “Avengers as Butterfly Collection” routine from the Graviton mess. As poor Bloodhawk puts it, hitting the nail unerringly upon the head, “You incompetent clods dare call yourselves ‘Earth’s mightiest?’”
Well, now that this JLA business is over, we can get back to real Avengers concerns next issue. What’s this – “The Old Order Changeth” -? Well, hold on – this order has been in place for less than thirty issues; it’s hardly had a chance to get “old,” so why should it need “changeth”ing -?
Joe: Once again, we get an Avenger spouting a line that just sounds a little off, as on the first page Thor says of the Monolith: "With each step, yon grim-faced gargantua shakes this isle to its very foundations!" Sorry, but "grim-faced gargantua" sounds more Spider-Man than Thunder God. The rest of the script is fine, but there's a whole lot of talkin', even by the tragic Bloodhawk. By the way, who didn't see that coming? From like the very first panel of Bloodhawk? Once his "sanity" started to go because of that giant video-game token, he was destined for martyrdom. His end comes via the Stinger, a C-list villain at best who at least has some fun with advertising, with the private auction flyer reading "Not yet in stock" for Thor, Vision, and Beast. The team as a whole doesn't get a lot to do other than the back-ordered heroes. At least Iron Man gets to strut his stuff in the hard-edged Hostess Twinkies® ad!
Joe: Once again, we get an Avenger spouting a line that just sounds a little off, as on the first page Thor says of the Monolith: "With each step, yon grim-faced gargantua shakes this isle to its very foundations!" Sorry, but "grim-faced gargantua" sounds more Spider-Man than Thunder God. The rest of the script is fine, but there's a whole lot of talkin', even by the tragic Bloodhawk. By the way, who didn't see that coming? From like the very first panel of Bloodhawk? Once his "sanity" started to go because of that giant video-game token, he was destined for martyrdom. His end comes via the Stinger, a C-list villain at best who at least has some fun with advertising, with the private auction flyer reading "Not yet in stock" for Thor, Vision, and Beast. The team as a whole doesn't get a lot to do other than the back-ordered heroes. At least Iron Man gets to strut his stuff in the hard-edged Hostess Twinkies® ad!
“The Return of Amra”
Story by Roy Thomas
Art by John Buscema and Ernie Chan
Story by Roy Thomas
Art by John Buscema and Ernie Chan
Colors by Francoise Mouly
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by John Buscema
As Ajaga’s human and animal warriors lead away the captured Bêlit and her Black Corsairs, Conan plummets to a certain death below, knocked off the mountain peak by two of the Beast King’s fearsome baboons. But the branches of the densely packed trees below begin to slow the Cimmerian’s descent — at the last second, he shifts his body and the ape that is still attacking him in mid-air takes the brunt of the fall. Conan slowly rouses only to find a tremendous black lion inches from his face. But when the cat does not attack, the battered barbarian soon realizes that it is Sholo, the former companion of the original Amra, the jungle lord the Cimmerian killed months ago and the name the Corsairs call him now. After Sholo feeds on the dead baboon, they both head out together towards Abombi, Ajaga’s mountain city, to rescue the She-Devil.
When Conan spies a cave at the foot of mountain, he thinks it might lead upwards to the ancient and cursed city. But Sholo hesitates at the entrance, spooked by a strange rune carved in the rocky earth. Leaving the cat behind, the Cimmerian enters to find an old, half-blind man named G’Chambi waiting for him inside. After welcoming Conan as Amra, the ancient witch-hunter reveals that he is one of Ajaga’s few remaining foes, the Beast King’s animals held at bay by the sign of Jhebbal Sag scratched in the stone outside. Under the spell of the animal master, a velociraptor-like reptile with a razor-sharp beak suddenly attacks from within the cave and G’Chambi is mortally wounded. After a fierce battle, the barbarian breaks the dinosaur’s neck. As the shaman dies, he tells the Cimmerian that if he draws the rune exactly, it will help protect him from “the devils who serve the devil.”
-Tom Flynn
Throughout, Conan worries that Bêlit might already be dead. While Ajaga is planning on separating her head from neck, he tosses the She-Devil in his prison along with the kidnapped daughters of the leaders of the Black Coast villages: he wants to exhibit her like a prize animal to show all who is the true sovereign. Roy includes a few flashback panels to last issue which I’m not sure are necessary. And the way Conan survived the fall off the mountain was a bit of a stretch: he basically walks away unscathed. Not sure I’d buy that for a dollar. Do I really need to say anything about the art? Rest assured, it’s as outstanding as always.
Francoise Mouly casts Conan in a pale blue when his thoughts turn to concerns for Bêlit (p 7, last panel), anxieties Conan capably dismisses as he realizes he can’t do anything about her fate right now; we also see a rich shade of blue as Conan and Sholo stride thru the moonlit jungle night (p 10, pnl 3). But why does Sholo appear deep blue, when we all know he’s supposed to be shaded black? It seems George Roussos had a similar problem with Zula’s hue, which he managed to sort out, so it’s unfortunate that the color editor didn’t intervene here to prevent a similar ill-shading.
"Valhalla Can Wait!"
Story by David Anthony Kraft and Ed Hannigan
Art by Herb Trimpe and Pablo Marcos
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by Gaspar Saladino and Elaine Heinl
Cover by Herb Trimpe
The much-anticipated, oft-delayed war between Hela and Ollerus finally commences. Both sides have aces up their sleeves: the real Val sides with Hela while Ollerus has duped Hellcat, Nighthawk, and the Hulk into thinking Val is on his side (in actuality, his Val is the loony Barbara Norriss!). With Hulk stomping soldiers right and left, it seems as though Ollerus will be the victor. That is, until Barbara's true side is shown to the three Defenders and they quickly switch allegiances. With his army now on the defense, Ollerus summons the Mystic Mountain and the giant rock lifts and thuds its way across the valley. Not one to be on the losing side, the Incredible Hulk finds his way into the heart of the mobile monolith and destroys Ollerus' pet. Hela declares that both she and Ollerus will be banished to Niffelheim (Land of the Damned) and that Harokin shall be the new ruler of Valhalla. The Defenders are given their lives back and sent back to Earth. Amen. -Peter Enfantino
We certainly know Herb Trimpe can draw the Hulk. Can he draw the rest of the team, though? The jury still is out, since Pablo Marcos is here to smooth out some of Herb's sharp corners. The battle scene on p 7 is pretty terrific, but the effect is diminished by the prominent image of Nighthawk at the top in an ungainly flying-V formation; he appears to be suspended stationary in mid-air, as if he were hanging by a cable from a sound-stage ceiling. I recall how odd-looking this appeared from my first viewing of this page, and I'm no less distracted now!
"All My Dreams Against Me"
Story by Roger Stern and Ralph Macchio
Art by Tom Sutton and Rudy Nebres
Colors by Jim Shooter
Letters by Irving Watanabe
Cover by Frank Brunner
Stephen Strange and Clea continue their battle with the mirror images within the Sanctum. The Doc gets the upper hand but Clea vanishes. Strange hears a scream upstairs and arrives to find Clea in bed, waking from disturbing nightmares. A spectre appears, revealing itself to be Nightmare, who claims no responsibility for the mirror images but hints he knows who's behind the attack. Meanwhile, Barbara Robb (aka Dream Weaver) views the entire incident she cooked up for Strange and Clea on a magical tv set and decides she just must place a visit to the Sanctum. When DW gets there, she asks Strange if he can cure her of the nightmares that plague her. During a long hypnotic session, Strange and Clea fall asleep and Dream Weaver draws out Stephen's dream-self to hand over the Book of Vishanti. Strange is playing possum though and casts a spell over the nutty DW, transporting her back to her apartment and wiping clean any memories of her evil alter ego. In his secret domain, the Dweller of Darkness watches and plots his next move. -Peter Enfantino
Chris: Any decent Dr Strange story should leave us disoriented, at least for a while, as we struggle to understand the forces that beset Doc, and/or the measures he requires to rebuff them. As I’m waiting for this moment, I become impatient with first-time Doc scripter Ralph Macchio; there’s plenty of action as he and Clea fight back the mirror-images, but also a fair amount of thought balloons, captions, and dialog, which makes the battle seem to stretch out longer than necessary. Doc exudes his usual quiet authority as the action plays out, and takes time to contemplate the true nature of the gem from the purple dimension, which sets us up for a twist as Doc suddenly realizes Clea is fading to mist, and crumbling to ash. Okay, so maybe the new guy can handle this title. Doc is very cordial with Dream Weaver when she first presents herself at his door, so it’s reasonable to expect he’s already seen thru her, and is simply playing along in order to learn her game. I’ll admit I was a bit concerned, though, when he cast the Weaver into the Book of the Vishanti; his voice seems cold, somehow, as he offers to ensure her “fascination with the tome is satisfied … .” He seems prepared to trap her there, while I’m thinking, “Hey Doc, she’s just a patsy;” thankfully, Doc’s aim is simply to teach her a deeply-embedded lesson. But, wheels within wheels – the Dweller was only using the novice Dream Weaver to instill false hope, which he intends to dash come the morn. Intriguing!
"...And a Child Shall Slay Them!"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by Keith Pollard and Joe Sinnott
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Dave Cockrum and Joe Sinnott
The downright demonic FF on the cover is something we've never seen before. Early points there. Inside, Ben invites Stretch to go bowling, but Reed's discovered "a highly concentrated radiation pocket in our ventilator shaft" and has to tend to it. With all the trouble RR's had lately - computers trying to kill the Fabs, the top of their building blasting off - Stark, Pym, and Banner are starting to talk...
Pages 2&3 are as dialogue dense as any I've seen lately, as we segue into Reed and Sue visiting a sick boy in hospital. Seems Willie Evans was exposed to cosmic rays while in the Army in '68, and now Willie Jr. is paying the price for Uncle Sam's hubris.
Young Willie is also an FF fan, and from within the confines of the Comatron 5000TM that's keeping him alive, his eyes glow bright as his fevered, cosmic-radiated brain conjures the cover-demons into existence!
Thus refreshed, Stretch gets a "bizarre idea" and leaves his pards to fight on, while he flies back to HQ. Our trio pulls the old "switching opponents" gimmick, so Thing doesn't fight evil Thing, etc, which works until the Foul Four rebound and demon Johnny starts going nova...
But then the doppels start to melt into the sidewalk! All are gone by the time Reed lands the front portion of the bathtub to announce his "Radiabsorber"(which he'd obviously whipped up to clean out the ventilator shaft) did it!" Half a sentence later, he reiterates, "I returned to the Baxter Build for my new Radiabsorber."
Heck, I think even Forbush got it the first time.
Back at hospital, Reed tells Willie's folks their son is a mutant and gives them a card for Professor X's School for Gifted Children. As the Fabs fly off, Willie Senior opines, "They're as concerned for one life...as they are for the entire world!"
Cue inspiring outro music.
-Mark Barsotti
Admittedly, Wolfie has lowered the bar of late, class, and I'm grateful to be rid of Quasimodo, if only for a month, so, yes, beware grade inflation. But the concerned parents at hospital who open and close the book give the proceedings more gravitas then we've had of late, and Marv manages to work in some military malfeasance and birth a new mutant, without making a fuss over either.
And even though Wolfman remains pretty clueless about handling the Thing, Ben finally gets a decent line after a couple dozen groaners, telling the Torch, "Don't make an ash of yourself."
Pollard and Sinnott have fun with the demonic FF, and so did I.
Or at least, it was funish. B-.
Matthew: Meh. Meh, I say! Meh, meh, meh. This is the kind of one-off—however tangential a link in the Quasimodo chain it may be—that Stan and Jack used to do in the good old days so nostalgically lauded in the lettercol, only they did them ten times better. The Pollard/Sinnott artwork is largely excellent, but the faux-Thing looks silly rather than scary with that big orange horseshoe on his head. How is it that after 17 years, this is, if I’m not mistaken, the first reference we’ve ever seen to a cosmic ray bomb? “Beyond all medical science,” indeed; Tuskegee, move over! And naturally the kid, who apparently knows nothing about that, just happens to be obsessed with the FF. Who were created by cosmic rays. Isn’t that a coincidence?
The apron-over-the-uniform thing has always annoyed me. Are you on duty or off duty? Do you wear your FF togs 24/7, just in case? During one of their periodic cash crunches, why doesn’t Reed simply license out his design for that computer-oven? Beats the Easy-Bake all to hell. After an entire issue of MTIO has been devoted to Ben’s resentment over the fact that the Hulk was a TV star and he wasn’t, we get a throwaway reference to “our new cartoon show” with no context or explanation whatsoever. “Reed! I don’t see my double!” You mean the double of the Invisible Girl? Oh, wait: “she’s invisible! No wonder I didn’t see her!” You’re right, Sue, that’s gotta be it. Nothing gets by her. Or Ben: “Cripes! It’s like fightin’ myself…”
Raise your hand if, like me, you saw the whole “That’s it, Ben—we can’t fight our doubles—but we can take on the others!” twist coming a mile away from the newsstand. The FF sure didn’t, since despite that being Comic-Book Cliché #87, they made the mistake of charging in and attacking only their own analogs. By the end, Marv has ladled on so much cheese (“No wonder they’re known as the Fantastic Four! And thank God for them!”) that one could be forgiven for mistaking the whole thing for a giant platter of nachos. And you’d think a former editor in chief might know the correct name and location of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in Salem Center, which is in Westchester County, but then, we know all about those pesky EICs, right…?
The Pollard/Sinnott art is fine, if a bit hectic at times, and clearly lacking a Big Moment that would give us a visual takeaway. There really isn’t anything that matches the promise of the Cockrum/Sinnott cover (although I wish Joe had left the faces resembling Dave’s original drafting, instead of putting his fingerprint on them); if you’re not sure, compare the dynamic cover with the comparably static view of the fever-dream team as seen on p 7. For all the things that make the Bronze era great, I wish for many other opportunities that never came to pass – so now, I have to wish that Dave Cockrum had penciled at least one regular issue of Fantastic Four, too? Okay – it’s now on my list.
“The Demon Within!”
Story by Roger McKenzie and Don Perlin
Art by Don Perlin
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by Jim Novak
Cover by Don Perlin
Johnny Blaze awakes on the huge, futurist hovercraft, trapped by the mental shackles of the demon child floating before him in a clear bubble. The grizzled prospector Woody Guthers is also a prisoner in the chamber since he accidentally stole some of the boy’s psychic powers. The unearthly urchin commands his frightened father to commit suicide with a pistol — the sinister son cackles when the handgun misfires. The boy then summons the rotting corpse of his mother: it shambles towards her terrified spouse, arms spread outward for a deadly embrace. Overwhelmed by the horrific scene, Blaze transforms into Ghost Rider, breaks free and hurls the woman at her son — it strikes his protective encasement with a sickening crunch. Enraged that his mother has been hurt, the boy knocks the Spirit of Vengeance unconscious with a flying piece of machinery.
When he comes to, Blaze finds himself in a glass-lined cell inside a strange, metallic mountain complex, the demon child’s father chained beside him. The man tells Johnny that the boy was born evil over a century ago. When the townspeople found out, they stormed the house and beat his wife to death, assuming she was a witch. But the newborn was already powerful and transformed the men into hideous creatures. For decades afterwards, the grotesque family roamed the countryside in a covered wagon, the son keeping his father ageless and the body of his dead mother animated. As the child’s abilities grew stronger his body began to grow frail, so he built the bubble that now protects him. When they finally arrived at Last Chance, Nevada, the bedeviled boy built a secret base into a mountain and constructed the hovercraft and an army of mindless robots.
Tom: Gawd. Almighty. After finishing the synopsis of the latest issue of Ghost Rider, an inner debate inevitably begins. Do I really need to bother with a commentary? Haven’t I been tortured enough? Besides, more forgiving professors Blake and Bradley always have something to say. Do I actually need to give this series even more of the attention it certainly doesn’t deserve? But then that ole Catholic guilt kicks in and I lace up my boots for another wade into the shit pond. I had hoped to keep my recap as brief and painless as possible but with so many ill-conceived WTF moments in the plot, I fell under their soul-sucking spell and ended up describing them all. Lucky you.
Matthew: Glad somebody brought that up.
Chris: Perlin, self-inked again, has some solid moments, as he continues to give us a craggy-faced, evil-looking Ghost Rider. Anna’s arrival from the shadows is suitably hideous (p 3, last pnl), and the fiery dispatch of her too-long-preserved corpse by GR also is a highlight (p 7).
"With Dugan on the Docks!"
Story by Doug Moench
Art by Herb Trimpe and Dan Green
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by Shelly Leferman
Cover by Herb Trimpe and Bob Wiacek
Young Rob calms man-sized Godzilla down and takes him 'cross town towards the heli-carrier, but first meets a tipsy hobo, a mounted policeman, and a pair of hoodlums who try to rob them to no avail. Good thing Godzilla is dressed in a hat and trench coat! Dum Dum and the gang are just about ready to give up the search for the missing Godzilla when young Rob walks up on the pier—just in time for Godzilla to grow again! Thinking he's being attacked, the Big G uses a tail "SWUMP," fire breath, dodge, smack, and shoulder throw to take on Dum Dum and Gabe Jones, finally tossing Gabe into the drink, smashing Dugan good and walking away as the "undisputed champ of the docks"—and much to young Rob's chagrin, Godzilla is "big enough for everybody to see."--Joe Tura
Matthew: Am I the only one who feels that almost 40 years ago, completely unheralded, the world very nearly came to an end when Godzilla—the King of the Monsters, for Eiji’s sake—donned a trench coat and fedora, like some reptilian Humphrey Bogart? I remain astounded that Toho let this pass. Okay, you guys want to chart your own course and do interesting things with the comic book, but having the erstwhile (note to Bullpen: that means “former”) Big G get into a brawl on the docks with Dum Dum and Gabe? Is this supposed to be a comedy? Guess it must be, because I’m sure Ghidrah, as some of us knew him, laughed himself sick when he got a load of that before he pissed all over Gojira, drowning him in a stream of three-headed-monster urine.
"Assault on Alcatraz!"
Story by Roger McKenzie and Roger Stern
Art by Sal Buscema and Don Perlin
Colors by Nelson Yomtov
Letters by Jim Novak
Cover by Ron Wilson and Bob Layton
Steve Rogers heads to Alcatraz with former SHIELD Super-Agents, Vamp and MarvelBoy/Man, to check out a lead on the whereabouts of the Falcon. Meanwhile, the Incredible Hulk and his latest "lil' buddy," Fred Sloan, motor down the highway in Fred's VW bus. Fred's "cigarette" mellows the green guy and, suddenly, Fred is talking with a bare-chested scientist he's never met before. A pair of faux cops pull the van over and shoot the occupants with tranquilizers (as if Fred needed a tranquilizer) and then drive the van into a large truck. In yet another meanwhile, Corporation East head Kligger and Dr. Karla Sofen (aka Moonstone) have captured Jim Wilson and are heading to Alcatraz for a meet-and-greet. Cap and his companions have arrived at the island and discover a passageway that leads to a secret chamber docking a strange vehicle and, more importantly, revealing a chained Falcon. West Coast head of Corporation, Curtiss Jackson pipes up (in his best Bill Dozier impersonation) that if Cap takes any aggressive action, the sea gates will open and the Falcon will drown unless... Cap helps deliver Hulk's Pal, Jimmy Wilson. He then opens door number one and reveals Dr. Banner, strapped to a table, bait for Wilson. Just then, Kligger and Sofen show up, bearing the lassoed Jim. This leads to a chain reaction of events: Vamp reveals that she, like Blue Streak (last issue) is a double agent, working for Kligger; MarvelBoy/Man does not take that bit of news well and starts blasting away; this awakens Banner who Hulks out; Hulk engages in random acts of MARMIS by levelling first Boy/Man and then Cap; Vamp convinces Kligger to give her "the power" and she transforms into Animus, daughter of Mindworm; the floodgates open and Falcon will die... or will he? -Peter Enfantino
I’ve enjoyed the clarity of the tag-team inks of Esposito/Tartaglione for Sal’s pencils in recent issues, but it can get a bit sterile at times, almost akin to Colletta’s (above-par, for him) CAatF finishes for Sal from a few years ago. The art this time is acceptably solid throughout, not spectacular; the Hulk’s change with his back to us is a variation on the usual trope (p 23). The letters page informs us Perlin has joined the creative team; he adds a slightly different look, with a bit more texture at times, but overall it’s not a drastic change. Cool layout concept by Wilson for the in-your-face cover though, isn’t it? We see how the green fist’s impact with the shield pushes Cap back into the wall, producing lots of neat shrapnel. Too bad Wilson’s interior pencils often don’t achieve as effective a look as this; why not, I wonder?
Matthew : I see that young Wendell Vaughn was already referred to as Marvel Man somewhere in the original arc that introduced the Super-Agents, Captain America #217-221, and in the execrable Defenders #62-64, but am unable to pinpoint where the exact renaming occurred (with little if any fanfare, it appears). Sorry to disappoint.
Peter: The MARMISses this issue are particularly odious and predictable; predictable not just because of the tip-off on the cover. Oh, and that cover? Brilliant, poster-worthy, and the best thing about this exercise in tedium. To be continued in...
"The Battle Below"
Story by Roger Stern and David Michelinie
Art by Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Dan Adkins
The Hulk, Captain America, Marvel Man and the Falcon are all down for the count, prisoners of Kligger and Jackson of the Corporation. Falcon is chained up against a wall as the tide smashes in, the rising waters swelling to drown him. Moonstone (Karla Sofen) and Animus (the Vamp – one of the former Super- Agents), stand with Kligger, basking in their victory. As Kligger and Jackson continue to bargain, riling up the captive Jim Wilson, Cap comes to and begins to maneuver to a better position. However, Moonstone spots him and blasts Cap into the waters, from which he doesn’t surface. Jim protests and is given a hard slap by Kligger. The dog leaps to his defence and Kligger even threatens him. The Hulk, now revived, does not take kindly to kids and dogs being menaced, particularly when they’re among his few friends and he attacks. He tosses Monstone against a wall and shrugs off a blast by Animus, turns and dives into her.
Animus continues to batter the Hulk, who threatens to lose his temper. In response, she seals the Hulk in a tomb of rock. Kligger and Jackson agree to work out a deal when Cap’s shield rings out and smashes against the safety glass protecting Jackson. Cap and Falcon charge in while Marvel Man has revived and sends a blast at Moonstone. She hesitates, weighing the odds. Before she can move, however, the Hulk breaks free! Knowing she is outclassed, Moonstone makes her escape. Animus charges at the Hulk who grabs her energy club. He smashes it, sending the energy cascading back into Animus. Screaming, she transforms back into the form of the Vamp, but her mind does not survive. Kligger is surrounded and beaten. Yet, he refuses to go to prison, signaling to Jackson, who willingly carries out the Corporation’s policy and guns down the former senator. Jackson continues to fire, endangering Jim’s life. Cap and the Falcon cover him and the Hulk leaps after Jackson. In a panic, Jackson hits a button and the chamber in which he was housed falls into an escape tunnel. The Hulk follows and both vanish into the darkness.
Victory is theirs, but the feelings are mixed. Marvel Man is satisfied they mopped up the rest of the group, but is frustrated the Hulk and Jackson are gone. Falcon and Jim are thrilled, especially Jim who can hardly contain his excitement in learning the Falcon is his uncle. Cap, however, is solemn. Another government official has betrayed his country and paid the price. As has one of his soldiers, the mindless Vamp. With no joy in this victory, Cap leads his friends home. -Scott McIntyre
Scott: I fully admit this issue is completely colored by nostalgia. This was yet another Hulk that I picked up as a kid at Whittaker’s Drug store, an issue I still have in the old collection. Having said that, I still think it kicks serious ass. This was how to tie up loose ends in a fabulous crossover. The cover alone was fantastic, the Hulk looming large and furious, shrugging off a hail of bullets with the sentinel of Liberty behind him. The story itself moves at a nice, brisk pace with not a moment of boredom or unnecessary side trips to be had. Each scene flows into the next. A few great moments stand out; the Hulk being pelted by Animus’ attack of rocks, the Hulk warns her that she is “going to make Hulk…angry!” First, it’s a great character bit, showing that he doesn’t just leap into a rampage and that he is merely being annoyed at this point. Second, it’s a subtle callback to the classic TV series dialog. I mean, really, Animus wouldn’t like Hulk when he’s angry. Best moment? The full page panel on 16 when Hulk explodes out of his rock prison. Fricking gorgeous. The wrap up is fairly brutal: the Vamp loses her mind and Kligger is perforated by request. That stuck with me, actually. After all of the fireworks, the ending is suitably downbeat. A lot of collateral damage and an unknown fate for our green-skinned hero. An extremely satisfying conclusion to a pretty long arc for Cap. Now that I’ve read most of what led to this, I’m even more impressed with it. It doesn’t seem to drop any balls and doesn’t feel contrived. Back then, I was still getting used to the print version of The Incredible Hulk. As a fan of the TV series, which got me into comics, I was looking for “David” Banner and a mute Hulk. “Oh, he TALKS? How stupid!” Around this time, I was pretty comfortable with it, I just still wished he’d talk a little less. I also think the Marvel Super Heroes cartoon was airing in my area during the week, so I was more familiar with Cap than any of the others in this issue. It’s funny how unfamiliarity didn’t dampen my enjoyment of this one, so much that it stayed in my collection, never being traded out. It holds up well.
Chris: From the page 2 illustration with nine different characters, all of them involved and/or affected by the present Corporation scheme, we see that plotter Stern and scripter Michelinie have assigned themselves a challenge. To their credit, they attend to all the players as the brisk action plays out, with no one MIA (save Fred) from the proceedings for long. It's always a good idea, whenever this many heroes and villains are piled into one place, to switch them up, which usually catches the bad guys off guard. Our "Hulk Moment" comes when he busts free of the "hard darkness" (p 16), relieves Animus of its power-wand, and tells it to "shut up!" (Moonstone wisely takes advantage of Hulk's attention to Animus to take flight). With the chapter closed on Kligger, Stern & Michelinie leave us with a cleanly streamlined Corporation story; as soon as Jackson and the Hulk stop falling (and they have to hit bottom some time – don't they?), the final resolution should involve just the two of them – a far cry from the nine players we had at the outset. Maybe then we'll learn why the Corporation was after Jim Wilson in the first place -?
The Buscema/Esposito art is much stronger than I've seen in some of their recent pairings; the details and figures all are clearly realized. The Hulk gets most of the best looks (fittingly enough), such as: now awake, responding to Jim backhanded by Kligger (p 6 pnl 6); increasingly irritated by rocks pelting him (p 11, last pnl); and, pounding cracks into the bazooka-proof glass (p 27, 1st pnl). He's gonna be so-o-o-o-o mad once the pod stops falling, and he hits the ground; look out, Jackson.
Matthew: With the Vamp confirmed as a Corporation plant (their tentacles extended even into Machine Man), revealed as the alter ego of the Animus, and temporarily catatonic, “the Super-Agents have had it,” as she said in part one, which is fine by me. Although it bespeaks the kitchen-sink nature of the plot, the “who’s who” on page 2 appeals to me aesthetically, and it probably goes without saying that Esposito inks Sal better here than Perlin did there; the somber Cap in the penultimate panel is simply outstanding. The lettercol explains the writing round robin: McKenzie having added Battlestar Galactica to his roster, Stern wanted to have his Cap plot scripted by Michelinie, but the printing schedule forced Sterno and Dave to exchange books.
"The Liberty Legion Busts Loose!"
Story by Don Glut
Art by Alan Kupperberg, Rick Hoberg, and Chic Stone
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by Irving Watanabe
Cover by Alan Kupperberg and Joe Sinnott
Namor is torn between going after the Iron Cross and captive Schneider, or aiding his allies aboard the sinking U-boat, whose crew has decided to go out with a bang by killing the Legionnaires. While shielding his teammates, Blue Diamond reflects, for three whole pages, on the events that brought them there, and the Iron Cross prevents aerial pursuit by disabling the flagship in passing, forcing Cap to put her down on the Atlantic. With the crew defeated, the Thin Man flattens himself against the breached hull until Namor can lift the sub above the waves (The bends? What are those?), where it is floated by Jack Frost’s ice sheet, and the airborne contingent—comprising Namor, Miss America, Red Raven, and the Human Torch—gives chase.
Matthew: I find this an only partially satisfying windup to the Iron Cross trilogy. For example, I like that Kupperberg/Sinnott cover, natch…except the verbiage. “He’s a one-man armored division!” And is the Legion really back “by popular request”? I think Stone does a decent job inking the Bergs (Kupper- and Ho-), and the troika will return next issue—you may recall that Rick himself inked #35—but he can’t conceal the fact that there were two artists, which may also explain an apparent continuity gaffe. The splash page depicts Schneider wearing diving gear, as established last issue, but when next seen on page 10, he emerges from the water in his checked suit, and it seems unlikely that the Iron Cross paused during the overlong flashback to have him slip that off.
Mark: Having neglected to mention them last month, let me note the Kupperberg/Hoberg art is decent and era-appropriate. If Sal Buscema always served up dependable meat 'n' taters, the 'Berg Boys are Velveeta - tasty enough on a grilled cheese sand but not - this is for seniors only - what you want to serve with a six dollar bottle of wine when you invite a girl up to see your etchings (of Thanos).
Start with the absurdity of Miss America "flying over" der Nazis in the claustrophobic tube of a U-Boat, the veeerrryyy slow sinking of same, allowing for a battle where all the krauts shoot at the one bulletproof guy. Then segue into a recap of the LL's losing tussle with Iron Cross for several pages, in case we forgot what had happened two whole months ago.
And speaking of I Cross, it was the novelty of Helmut Gruler fighting as a German but not a Nazi that gave this arc what oomph it had, and that's totally jettisoned here, not even touched upon amid bad pulp shenanigans like Flat-Man - or whatever the frack his name is - pressing himself flat on the outside of a sinking submarine. Remember, class, he has no special underwater breathing ability; he can just get flat. Heavy sigh.
I hope Roy thought this was a hoot.
It gets a D from me.
"No S.H.I.E.L.D. to Protect Me!"
Story by David Michelinie and Bob Layton
Art by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by Gaspar Saladino and Diana Albers
Cover by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton
Given 30 seconds to decide between killing Fury or himself, Iron Man naturally goes with option C, “none of the above,” and cybernetically triggers his energy storage pods to emit an electromagnetic field strong enough to overload a ceiling projector—that’s just what I would’ve done! Dazzled by the blast, Buck loses his grip on Fury, his life likely saved by the fact that IM only gets in one punch before the Helicarrier, its crew literally asleep at the switch, drifts into Soviet air space and is attacked with rockets by M-21s. While he tries to destroy them without hurting the pilots, Fury recovers and orders the engine room to get them the hell out of there, but by now the ship has been targeted by ICBMs, which IM disables with a church steeple.
With its contingent of NATO officials, the altitude-challenged Helicarrier is about to crash into the mountain range marking the border to free Europe when IM helps it over the top, boards, and explains what’s been happening to Fury, who assures him Buck was leading “a rebel operation.” Ostensibly rescued by IM in free-fall, Tony has Nick drop him off at S.I.’s Paris office, where he is welcomed by la belle Yvette Avril, and unsuccessfully tries to reach Bethany while decoding the data on the stockholders. He explodes with rage upon seeing the readout, and a transoceanic video call to Fury confirms that although the cabal’s methods were unauthorized, their goal was in line with “a S.H.I.E.L.D. priority directive”: buying up S.I.’s stock to mount a legal takeover. -Matthew Bradley
Matthew: Nope. Not buyin’ it. Sorry. I think I’ve read virtually every prior non-Howlers appearance Fury has made, and I would say this Michelayton travesty is completely out of character. Do I believe Nick would put national security first? Absolutely. But he has also shown himself to be a man of honor, a loyal friend, and a straight shooter. So do I believe that he would undertake, or facilitate, or even countenance what amounts to a clandestine hostile takeover of S.I., especially so soon after he’d spearheaded the effort to prevent Midas from doing the same damned thing? Hell, no. I think that even if ordered by The Powers That Be to do so, he’d have said, “Cram it, pal. You wanna oust Stark? Have the balls to tell ’im yourself; he hired me to run S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Which, in fact, is my only serious objection to this action-packed issue, with Romita and Layton delivering the goods both on and inside their sensational cover (whose Beatle-inspired tagline, “Back in the U.S.S.R.!,” I naturally prefer to the formal title, “No S.H.I.E.L.D. to Protect Me!”). The splash-page image of Shellhead regarding his repulsors as he seeks a way out of his dilemma is quite electrifying, and his lengthy struggle with the Soviet jets and missiles is the centerpiece; its most obvious highlight is the full-page “WHA-BOOM” on 15 as he trashes the fighter, which if you’ll pardon the pun seems to have more impact than many such shots we’ve seen down the years. Most fetching in her spectacles, Yvette will make periodic appearances for quite a while...
Romita Jr/Layton have proven to be quick studies in their presentation of Iron Man in action; this issue includes a number of instances that underscore our appreciation for recent improvements in Tony’s armor. Iron Man is fast and maneuverable enough to grab a fighter jet by its nose and rip it off (p 10, last pnl), his armor is strong enough to survive two direct hits by air-to-air missiles (p 14), without the cracking and pitting we saw as recently as the battle with Ultimo, and he can Hulk-smash another fighter in mid-air (p 15). Plus, he can offer a boost to a Helicarrier struggling for altitude (p 22). And we get a jet-skates cameo (p 23, 1st pnl)!
"The Master Assassin of Mars Chapter 6:
The Lady and the Lion!"
Story by Chris Claremont
Art by Ernie Colón and Frank Springer
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Carmine Infantino (?), Ernie Colón (?) and Rudy Nebres
Carter quickly dispatches one guard but ends up on the floor after hitting his head on a column; Dejah plunges a dagger into the other’s back, and John returns the favor by stopping him from throttling her in revenge. Holding her, he makes a perilous leap to the narrow causeway 100 feet below and they race toward the rendezvous, but are spotted by winged warriors before they can reach the sheltering rocks, fearing they will lead them right to Garthon and Hira. Refusing to be separated again, Dejah battles beside Carter (as the younger lovers watch from hiding, and reluctantly take the chance he has bought them) until battle-axes hack right through the causeway, leaving John and Dejah to be captured in midair as it crumbles.
Chan Tomar “graciously” grants them a last night together in the dungeon, as Carter assures the self-critical Dejah she has done nothing to dishonor her family, and then has them taken to the Arena of Ancestors, where an unarmed Carter saves the bound Dejah by killing a banth. Bowing to the crowd’s roaring approval, Chan Tomar agrees to let him live, then spitefully fires an arrow at Dejah—luckily, he’s a poor shot, and only hits her shoulder. Snapping her chains, John leaps into the Jeddak’s box carrying her, and after he mows down the guards that stand between them, she recovers enough to thrust a dagger through the heart of her tormentor, yet even as Gar Karus is hailed as his welcome successor, he insists there is but one penalty for killing a Jeddak: death. -Matthew Bradley
Which—thanks for the segue, Beppe!—I would argue is true of this issue as well, an effect only enhanced by the arena scene, in which Carter’s hand to, uh, paw battle with the banth feels like it was borrowed from a Tarzan book. The final twist also feels very Burroughsian, while I’m most gratified by Chris’s penchant for strong female characters as Dejah not only holds her own in the battle on the causeway, but also twice saves Carter’s Jasoomian bacon. The jedwar’s obedience to the nephew he loathes is nicely depicted on page 22, as Gar Karus argues that Carter should at least be allowed a weapon, in light of his valued service to Karanthor in the Ptothian war, only to be backhanded by the Jeddak, which just adds to his ambivalence when he must condemn Carter.
Colón provides energetic layouts featuring figures in conflict. Many of the panels, though, are uninspiringly slight in backgrounds and other details, as if Colón had put it all together in a rush; the appearance suggests Colón might’ve intended to go back and fill in the panels later, or that he expected an embellisher to supply the missing substance. Since Springer is inking, all we have are inconsistently-realized faces, as if the role of Carter could be played by anyone from Al Pacino to John Travolta.
Man-Wolf in
"Stargod!"
Story by David Anthony Kraft
Art by George Perez and Ricardo Villamonte
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by Gaspar Saladino and Diana Albers
Cover by George Perez and Terry Austin
Man-Wolf, aka Stargod, aka Fangsnout, along with Gorjoon, come upon the mile-high floating fortress of Arisen Tyrk, waiting for nightfall and more power for M-W. Tying his sword to a vine, M-W launches it like a spear to the bottom of the fortress, and the two companions climb up and take out a guard. Man-Wolf comes upon Tyrk's inquisitor torturing Duna, then he busts in and kills the evil dude, learning Lambert the wizard lost his hands. The band frees the other prisoners and moves on Tyrk, but quickly learn he's holding Kristine, John Jameson's fiancée, at swordpoint, having kidnapped her from Earth! Tyrk demands surrender, and Man-Wolf, after much debate, heeds the word of Lambert "you must look within"—which along with the sacred stone gives him the Stargod power to melt Tyrk's sword, halt point-blank gunfire from Tyrk's minions, and blow the fortress to bits with a mighty DAK-KOOM! Of course, all the good guys are still standing, and an understanding Kristine goes through the portal back to Earth, but before Man-Wolf can step though, an injured Tyrk blasts it! Duna kills the "defiler" and Man-Wolf is able to use the Godforce to somehow make his way home to Kristine, where "the light and each other are all they need." –Joe Tura
Chris: David Kraft tells us on several occasions that John Jameson is no longer Man-Wolf once he’s crossed to the Other Realm; there, he is nothing less than the Star God. Well, it’s a lot to take in, so Dave allows Man-Wolf time to adjust to this new reality. He starts with a clear understanding he’s become more powerful – how else could he throw a spear with enough force for it to connect with the bare rock on the underside of Tyrk’s fortress, a half-mile straight above? Man-Wolf also dispatches Tyrk’s guards with unearthly force. When Tyrk is threatening Kristine though, Man-Wolf’s doubts come to the fore; finally, Lambert must challenge Man-Wolf to understand everything they’re been telling him about his powers is true. I don’t know whether it’s self-belief that allows him to tap into his godlike powers; as Kraft depicts him on p 22, it seems more like Man-Wolf’s full ferocity is unleashed, but in a manner that remains under his control. In any case, it’s satisfying to discover along with Jameson exactly how impressive his powers have become.
Chris: Once he finally experiences his full powers, Man-Wolf has to give them away. The ending feels forced, as Tyrk (inexplicably) survives the complete destruction of his fortress, and has just enough blood still running in his veins to destroy the portal, seemingly trapping Man-Wolf in the Other Realm. So, I guess we’re supposed to appreciate that Man-Wolf requires the full-extent of his star-stone fed powers in order to will himself back home (it might’ve been easier for him if the star stone had been shaped like a pair of ruby slippers …). In other words, it’s critical for him to be able to use his powers, in order to leave the place that provides those powers; I suppose there’s some irony in that.
Matthew: Once again, it’s the Perez art, if anything, that sells this, and that’s a little surprising for me to say, since I’m not normally a big Villamonte fan, but I’ll give credit where it’s due and say I have no complaints about his work here. Listen, I love closure probably more than the next guy, so I’m delighted on behalf of MW fans that these issues got printed, yet the truth of the matter is that DAK introduced Garth et al. in the penultimate entry of his Creatures on the Loose run. So I don’t know how much chance even readers back in the day, let alone newcomers like me, had to get to know or care about these people; neither the hoary not-quite-dead-villain shtick nor the godforce ex machina ending improve the story, in my humble opinion.
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