"Arrival!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Sal Buscema
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Cover by Frank Miller and Joe Rubinstein
A fiery object cleaves through our atmosphere. Thought to be a meteor, it is, in reality, the spacecraft of ROM – the Spaceknight. He has traveled across the stars from Galador to hunt down an alien species called Dire Wraiths, with whom Rom’s people have been fighting for centuries. Many years ago, across the galaxy, Galador was a paradise; a world of peace and study, reaching out into the stars and meeting new life forms to spread the wealth. However, one race refused to be nice-nice – the Dire Wraiths. They attacked the emissaries of Galador and brutally killed them. Knowing their world was in mortal danger, the Galadorians chose a number of volunteers – the first being a young man named Rom – to sacrifice their humanity and become Spaceknights. After they had become space-faring cyborgs, the Spaceknights drove the Wraiths and their darkest weapon back into Limbo. Rom, hailed the greatest of all the Knights, decided to go and hunt down the remaining Wraiths and banish them. The trail leads him to Earth, to Clairton, where they have taken up residence by impersonating humans in the town. Rom arrives and, with his analyzer, scans each person to bring out the Wraiths. To him, as the bodies disintegrate, the Wraiths float away into limbo. To unaided human eyes, it merely looks as if Rom is burning people alive, so the National Guard goes after him. Even the Guard and the U.S. Government are infiltrated by Wraiths. While Rom defeats them in Clairton, there are more to be uncovered. He faces a future as Earth’s only hope while appearing to all to be a merciless murderer.
-Scott McIntyre
Matthew Bradley: Interesting that after the May Bloodbath and other cancellations, we’re seeing debuts like the new Man-Thing and this one, curiously unheralded in the current Bullpen Bulletins (note the absence of lettercols in December issues as well), if not the ubiquitous Parker Brothers ads. The month also sees resurgent reprints in new mags with old titles—Amazing Adventures (X-Men), Fantasy Masterpieces (Silver Surfer), Tales to Astonish (Sub-Mariner)—yet a boom-and-bust cycle has ever characterized the Bronze Age, and perhaps they had to thin the herd to make creative resources available for the calves. Assuming Micronauts is a hit, another toy-based book written by Mantlo, here reunited with MTU partner Buscema, must’ve seemed a no-brainer.
Spider-Man and The Invisible Girl in
"A Child is Waiting"
Story by Chris Claremont
Art by Sal Buscema and Eduardo Barreto
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Rich Buckler
To pay the rent, Peter is reduced to playing paparazzo for the Globe, snapping celebs like the Pyms and Susan Richards at a Central Park society luncheon, where he sees Sue receive an upsetting phone call, slips a Spidey-Tracer onto her bag, and webs after her. Through the skylight of a familiar-looking building, he hears Alicia Masters relate how Franklin was chloroformed and kidnapped from her studio by thugs, who soon call and order Sue to hit a Maggia “bank” in Harlem. In a Ferrari “borrowed” from Johnny, she goes uptown to a decaying brownstone and, forgetting that “it hasn’t been treated with unstable molecules,” gives lookout Spencer Jarret the surprise of his life as her “empty” gown ascends the stairway and attacks him.
Accompanied by an unseen Spidey, Sue is met on the mound by an “umpire” who takes the case and warns, “If you leave the mound or turn invisible before I leave the field…your boy’s dead.” Kept invisible long enough to reach the bullpen (no, not that one), Spidey sees the ump dump his jacket—surrounded by others carrying identical cases to fool the cops—and, as Pete, follows him on the D train to 125th Street, then loses him on foot in a tunnel. But he has given Sue a receiver for the Spidey-Tracer he placed on himself, and she saw the hidden door the ump slipped into, so our heroes take out the “Hole in the Wall” Gang just before Morgan arrives on the same mission; Jean DeWolff’s tactical squad, also following the tracer, saves the day as Sue’s force field fades. -Matthew Bradley
Joe Tura: So, Janet and Sue in those dresses… gggrrrooowwwwllll! But anyway, that's neither here nor there, because most of the art is lesser My Pal Sal thanks to the inks, which seem to mute the facial expressions or distort them slightly. Spidey looks a little beefy at times also, but at least the action scenes are done well. Some good story moments include Sue conveniently having an emergency costume hidden away, lest the Comics Code Authority come calling; page 15's car chase, with rotten driver Spidey taking the wheel ("…I don't know how to drive.") and Sue crafting a nifty invisi-ramp; a scene at Yankee Stadium and a mention of Ron Guidry; a decent tail job by Peter/Spidey, and a better one by Sue; and the two heroes kicking some bad-guy-butt until my fave Jean DeWolff shows up with the NYPD. Not as bad as I expected it would be after all these years, and not my favorite MTU issue for sure, but better than the last two months and an OK end to the decade.
Spider-Man and the Hulk in
"Murder in Cathedral Canyon!"
Story by Chris Claremont
Art by Sal Buscema, Alan Kupperberg, and Jack Abel
Colors by Roger Slifer
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Al Milgrom
The fireworks are both literal and figurative as Peter kisses Cissy on “America’s 203rd birthday,” yet the moment is shattered, as is her front door, by the Crimson Dynamo du jour (the fifth, for those of you keeping score at home), whom Peter battles as best he can while preserving his i.d. Darkstar—her darkforce holding Cissy’s father—and Vanguard follow; the trio makes off with the Ironwoods, flattening Peter after he slips a Spidey-Tracer onto Cissy’s belt. Flash forward to Spidey seeking aid at the Baxter Building, where he finds Stretcho laid low with flu and relates to the Richardses how, during an NYPD postmortem, he stumbled on a page of quantum physics equations in the professor’s study that “made his blood run cold.”
It seems that General Nikolai Gregorievitch Kutzov opposed the SALT treaty as a sell-out and quit the KGB; setting up a rogue operation, he used forged letters to persuade the Soviet Super-Soldiers that they must force Ironwood to build the bomb and prevent a pre-emptive U.S. strike. Reed having traced Darkstar’s “unique residual energy pattern” to a general area in the Rockies, Spidey jumps out of the Pogo Plane—sent back on autopilot—in a special hang glider, counting on picking up his tracer’s signal. Below, Bruce and Alexei ride into Cathedral Canyon, observed by Kutzov, who bats Daniel around like a rag doll and compels his cooperation by threatening Cissy, sending his pawns to ambush the interlopers, although Darkstar is beginning to doubt him.
-Matthew Bradley
Matthew: It’s not terrible, but does nothing to burnish Claremont’s rep or let us go out on a high note, and presumably reinforces Professor Scott’s hearty dislike of annuals. There’s evidence to suggest an interesting backstory, e.g., the fact that Sal penciled only pages 1-9 and “Kupperburg” (sic) the rest, although Abel’s finishes provide commendable consistency; it opens on July 4, 1979, at which time October issues would be on sale and both co-stars were amid lengthy, perhaps even overlong, arcs in their own books. It’s largely context-free—no mention, for example, of Spidey helping Sue save her son in the current monthly issue—yet it reportedly takes place after Cissy appears two months hence in #90, wherein Steven Grant makes no allusion to her father’s death.
Sure, let’s dupe the big green galoot into doing our dirty work for us a-g-a-i-n, in the protracted climax that is poorly depicted in every sense on that underwhelming Milgrom cover. Wouldn’t it be a much more interesting, more Claremont-worthy story if Spidey found a way to cooperate—to, shall we say, team up—with Greenskin, especially after Mantlo's nice interaction between them in #54 (“Goodbye, Bug-Eyes! Goodbye—friend!”), back in the now-long-gone glory days of 1976? Speaking of dupes, while the Soviet Super-Soldiers provide an enjoyable echo of Bill’s development of them in Champions and Iron Man, with his multiple Crimson Dynamos, doesn’t it seem like they’re often being manipulated by their fellow Soviets?
And, on that subject, I couldn’t help noticing the otherwise inexplicable emphasis when Vazhin first appears and thinks, “It seems I’ve arrived in the proverbial nick of time.” Is the colonel, who wears glasses with one darkened lens that serves as a virtual eyepatch, supposed to be the KGB’s answer to Fury? Then I found the following line on SuperMegaMonkey, giving me the double satisfaction of validating me and allowing me one last chance to annoy Professor Tom by quoting fnord12: “if the dude is the Soviet Nick Fury, let him own it, eyepatch and all.” Apparently, Claremont revived him—now with eyepatch!—in X-Men #194 (June 1985), and then retconned him into the back-up story in Classic X-Men #29 (January 1989), reprinting #123.
Joe: The thing about Marvel's Annuals, no matter what title we're talking about, was they were either excellent, expensive time-killers, or needless reprints. Where does this one stand? Well, to quote our hero's green-skinned guest star: "This book stink! Why waste Hulk's time with stinky story and pictures?" OK, maybe Hulk is embellishing a bit (as he often does), but overall, this one goes on way too long, with art that gets worse as the pages turn, and a "big bad" that has less personality than his awful outfit. At least the big solution is clever, with Spidey tricking Hulk into pushing the "shiny balls" apart then sending one into space with a mere flick of the wrist (and a BTHOW), cuz after all, no one likes anti-matter. Ironwood getting killed was a bit of a downer, too, but Banner's big speech almost saves it. Mostly this one deserves a Charles Nelson Reilly, "Meh".
The Thing and Aquarian in
"The Pegasus Project Part Six:
To the Nth Power!"
Story by Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio
Art by George Pérez and Gene Day
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by George Pérez and Terry Austin
Klaw is about to kill Ben when something dims the lights and weakens the energies keeping his body solid, allowing him to be sucked back into his blaster, and as Ben revives, he sees Wundarr standing over him. The now-fluent former star-child relates how, his powers magnified beyond all limits, he mentally entered the Cosmic Cube and emerged reborn, with groovy duds to match, renaming himself the Aquarian “after the star-system of my native planet.” As Solarr and Klaw are returned to custody, and Giant-Man and Quasar receive medical attention, Aquarian informs Ben that, “during my meditation inside the Cube, I became aware of a local disruption in the cosmic fabric…runaway spatial distortion right here in Project Pegasus.”
Our co-stars offer aid, yet Quasar’s blasts only exacerbate things, so Bill—admitting that he is dying of radiation poisoning from battling Atom-Smasher, and came seeking a cure—attempts to enlarge inside Lightner enough “to cut him off from this dimensional plane.” He disappears into the Nth Man, but with Ben, Quasar, and Thundra as “living links” in a chain, Aquarian dives in, pulling Bill back from the brink of madness, and this time, striking from deep within, succeeds in nullifying Lightner. In multiple epilogues, Ben returns to New York, encouraging Foster to hang in there; Aquarian departs “to open the way for a new age”; Quasar drops all charges against Thundra because of her help; and Roxxon Oil (gasp) is revealed to be behind the Nth Command. -Matthew Bradley
Chris: Ben proves early on that his great might isn’t going to matter in this contest with Dr “Nth-Man” Lightner. Clearly, Ben isn’t listening carefully enough when Aquarian observes “the more matter that passes into him … the larger he becomes!” since, on the very next page, Ben tosses a “handy hunk ‘a machinery” at Lightner … which he absorbs, thereby “making him grow!” (yes Mr Grimm – please do pay attention). Ben performs his supporting role well, as his rocky hand serves as the anchor to maintain Aquarian’s connection to our reality; suspense builds, as we learn said hand already is depleted of some of its “awesome might” thanks to Aquarian’s energy-sapping capability, the hand growing numb as Ben remains in close proximity to the Amazing Aq. The climax, as Aquarian’s expanding null-field collapses the Nth Man from within, is all the more satisfying as it follows an earlier setback; Aquarian’s grasp of this power still is new to him (after all, he’s only existed in this suddenly-mature form for an hour or so), so it makes sense that his first attempt, which had only served to shut down the entire complex, is not successful.
Gruenwald & Macchio Рably assisted by P̩rez & Day Рhave established a high-water mark for this title.
"Warriors of the Golden Dawn Part 1
The Phoenix and the Snake"
Story by Doug Moench
Art by Mike Zeck and Gene Day
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by Diana Albers
Cover by Mike Zeck
From his secluded base of operations in South America, Fu Manchu stands before his warriors, as they diligently train. Fu holds aloft a golden plate, created by alchemy from a piece of lead; Fu calls to them, “The change is at hand!” as the golden talisman indicates how they might “turn past defeats into future victories,” the gold serving as an example of bright new things coming from old. The warriors salute him, calling “Hail Fu Manchu, returned from the skies!” Fu then relaxes in a bath, prepared for him by the loyal Ducharme. He bathes in his life-restoring elixir vitae, also drinking some elixir; he then indulges in a pipe, and is determined “to look into the future, hoping to glimpse the waiting signs, the clues pointing to success or failure.” Visions come, one of them of Fu as he rides at the vanguard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. A later vision is less satisfying, as it indicates his son, Shang-Chi, still “might turn all [his] goals to ash.” Fah Lo Suee requests an audience with her father; she offers her service, and that of her warrior, Zaran. Zaran admits to three defeats at the hands of Shang-Chi. “How is my former son?” asks Fu; “Does he continue to grow?” “He does not think so,” replies Fah; “He is in confusion.” Fu then inspects the scientists who had been captured in recent months, and anticipates that soon, he will be able to “activate a technological trance in all of them"; to what end, Fu does not say. Sir Denis (abducted last issue) arrives at the compound as Fu’s prisoner. As his blindfold is removed, he is shocked to see Petrie’s wife, Karamenah. Sir Denis had thought she had died years before; she even looks younger than the last time he had seen her. She explains Fu’s elixir has not only arrested her aging, but has also reversed the aging process (her presence at Fu’s court indicates she might have been behind the riddle-clue offered by the fake Leeks in MoKF #80). Fu then travels alone to an underground cavern, and conjures colorful “shock-images;” Fu speaks to the floating colors, and declares that – in light of the failures of both mysticism and science – a new path “combining elements of the old ways” is sure to emerge. Fu then sends the colored lights into the night, calling on them to light the sky with “beauty and fear!” In Scotland, Shang-Chi and Co. have no choice but to travel to South America to seek out and rescue Sir Denis. They consider the risks as they prepare to leave. Shang-Chi considers Leiko’s question, as she asks “why … we ever wonder why.” “Perhaps,” he replies, “to wonder is to be born anew, seeing old secrets through new eyes.” -Chris Blake
It’s been a great series to cover; I hope the student body has shared in my enjoyment. As a budding Marvel devotee, I recall occasional mentions in lettercols that identified MoKF as one of Marvel’s better reads; but, despite these endorsements, I never gave it a try. I know why, in its time, I didn’t ever read it: 1) kung fu was passé, an early-'70s affectation; and 2) the adventures of Shang-Chi transpired almost exclusively outside the super-hero-bound mainstream of the Marvel Universe, from which I rarely strayed. Well, there’s nothing better than a second chance, right? I now own nearly every issue from #16 to 120 (#15 being almost prohibitively costly), all four Giant-Sizers, and the one Annual. There might have been a few duds along the way, but those little bumps have done nothing to derail my enthusiasm for this unusual, sometimes brilliantly illustrated, consistently entertaining series.
Mark: I worried in our last class, kids, that Shang's Father Fu (recently returned from gut-shot exile in space) might never utter another word before this august institution of four-color aesthetics shuts its doors forever, but, boy, was I wrong!
As the POV character in "Warriors of the Golden Dawn," Fu barely shuts up long enough for S-C and the rest of the cast to shoehorn in a word edgewise. Not a bad thing, necessarily, since FM's declamations are more learned and poetic than your average would-be conqueror's. We learn - not unexpectedly - that Fu knows the secret of alchemy; that he enjoys being swaddled in snakes in the hot tub; that his new, somewhat comically-clad Leopard Cult is just one platoon in his new Wehrmacht of world domination, joining hardy perennials the Si-Fan as well as thugees, hashishin (for some reason wearing ski goggles), templars; that's he's kidnapped high UN officials ('cause who notices if a diplomat or ten go missing?), and is currently brainwashing same; that his latest hostile takeover of the planet this time, this time, can not fail!
Mark: I worried in our last class, kids, that Shang's Father Fu (recently returned from gut-shot exile in space) might never utter another word before this august institution of four-color aesthetics shuts its doors forever, but, boy, was I wrong!
As the POV character in "Warriors of the Golden Dawn," Fu barely shuts up long enough for S-C and the rest of the cast to shoehorn in a word edgewise. Not a bad thing, necessarily, since FM's declamations are more learned and poetic than your average would-be conqueror's. We learn - not unexpectedly - that Fu knows the secret of alchemy; that he enjoys being swaddled in snakes in the hot tub; that his new, somewhat comically-clad Leopard Cult is just one platoon in his new Wehrmacht of world domination, joining hardy perennials the Si-Fan as well as thugees, hashishin (for some reason wearing ski goggles), templars; that's he's kidnapped high UN officials ('cause who notices if a diplomat or ten go missing?), and is currently brainwashing same; that his latest hostile takeover of the planet this time, this time, can not fail!
All that, of course, will have to await the Age of Reagan. And another group of erudite, aging fanboy professors to deconstruct Shang-Chi and company's latest round of Fu-foiling.
So I'll just close with a tip of the fedora (gotta get me one of those!) to Messrs. Englehart and Starlin, S-C's original creators, who somehow managed to birth a character who long outlived the pop cultural fad that spawned him. Proof, I suppose, that as with our barely-glimpsed-this-ish-hero, good genes will out.
The Micronauts 12
“To the Victors Belongs a World!” Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Michael Golden and Al Milgrom
Art by Michael Golden and Al Milgrom
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by Diana Albers
Cover by Michael Golden
The citizens of Homeworld hail the Micronauts and the recuperating Commander Arcturus Rann, the hero who merged with the Enigma Force to defeat Baron Karza. As the weary Commander ponders if he could actually be responsible for creating the Enigma Force during his 1,000-year exploration of the Microverse, Prince Acroyear strides forward and tells his friends that he must return to Spartak — there is a grim matter to resolve, the fate of his traitorous brother Shaitan. As the Acroyear fleet departs, Rann is told of Bug’s supposed death.
Meanwhile, at NASA’s Human Engineering Life Laboratories, Colonel Macy discovers one of Professor Prometheus’ specimens in a liquid-filled capsule: the tiny, lifeless body of an Acroyear warrior. He summons a courier and the artifact is sent to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Tom Flynn: And there we have it. The first year of The Micronauts — and the only one to be covered by Marvel University — wraps up with a let’s-catch-our-breath story that ties up the lone loose thread from the first eleven issues: the fate of Acroyear’s brother, Shaitan. Anyone surprised that it doesn’t work out well for the traitor? We do have the return of Bug in the last two panels: he was hurled into hyperspace when the Phobos Unit he was attacking exploded, conveniently landing unconscious on his home planet. So we’ll be left hanging about the fate of the master thief. Graduate studies will also be required to see what happens with the involvement of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan are only seen in the shadows but they are unmistakable. It looks like Nick will get the Fantastic Four involved in a few issues.
Now I’m not going to say that the quality of The Micronauts plummeted after Golden’s departure, but the glorious heights were never matched. The series would stick around until #59 (August 1984), with Bill Mantlo writing them all except for the last. Pat Broderick and Butch Guice would have the longest runs, and I remember highly enjoying their work on the title, especially Guice’s — he seemed to channel Golden’s vibe with the most success. We also had Howard Chaykin in an uneven six issues immediately after Golden, Val Mayerik, Keith Giffen, John Garcia, Steve Ditko, Gil Kane, Luke McDonnell, Mike Vosburg, and Kelley Jones. After issue 59, the series would be rebranded as Micronauts: The New Voyages, written by Peter B. Gillis and illustrated by Jones. That one lasted to #20 when the series was either cancelled or discontinued because Marvel’s license ran out. Listen, I’ve been heaping praise on The Micronauts since day one, so not sure that I need to repeat how impressed I was revisiting the series. So I’ll call it a day. We do have the first annual to cover this month before we are totally through though. Sad to say, it’s pretty much a dud.
The Micronauts will continue, but it will be without the inestimable talents of Michael Golden; what’s worse, Golden is not leaving so he can take over pencil chores for the Avengers, or Doctor Strange, or even Ghost Rider – Golden will provide pencils here and there (most notably 1980’s Avengers Annual #10), but will have no regular assignment for the remainder of the Bronze era. Golden’s outgoing highlights mostly involve Acroyear’s blood feud, as they include: Shaitan’s silhouette, as he brandishes a rock overhead (p 21, pnl 3), followed by panel after narrow, fast-moving vertical panel of close-quarter battling (p 22-23, particularly p 22 pnl 4, and p 23 1st pnl); Acroyear resisting his brother’s force-hammer blow, from Shaitan’s POV (p 26, pnl 5), followed by Shaitan’s shocked reaction as Acroyear drives his blade home (p 27 1st pnl).
The advantage of hindsight allows me to offer that Micronauts would have benefited from Marvel’s soon-to-be-heavily-exploited reliance on the mini-series (as few as three issues, as many as twelve); if the Mantlo-Golden series had bowed – to appreciative cheering – after a completed 12-issue run, I’d like to think it would’ve been rightfully remembered as a comics classic.
Matthew: For once, I didn’t mind the multi-panel splash—offset by page 2 anyway—as it provides such a nice snapshot of where things now stand, and it’s interesting how much better Mantlo handles the “aftermath of a multi-issue epic” routine than Moench did in last month’s Spotlight, Time Traveler conveniently checking in with various characters on our side of the Spacewall. The shadowy S.H.I.E.L.D. honchos in page 10, panel 4 were effective, although I thought “Somethin’ knocked heck outta H.E.L.L.” was pushing it. Of course, there’s a whole lot more going on here than just a postmortem, Golgrom’s well-drawn blood feud enabling a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too ending where Shaitan dies…but by accident. Bug’s alive? Gasp!
Matthew: For once, I didn’t mind the multi-panel splash—offset by page 2 anyway—as it provides such a nice snapshot of where things now stand, and it’s interesting how much better Mantlo handles the “aftermath of a multi-issue epic” routine than Moench did in last month’s Spotlight, Time Traveler conveniently checking in with various characters on our side of the Spacewall. The shadowy S.H.I.E.L.D. honchos in page 10, panel 4 were effective, although I thought “Somethin’ knocked heck outta H.E.L.L.” was pushing it. Of course, there’s a whole lot more going on here than just a postmortem, Golgrom’s well-drawn blood feud enabling a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too ending where Shaitan dies…but by accident. Bug’s alive? Gasp!
The Micronauts Annual 1
“Timestream,” “Coup!” and “Arena of Death!”
Stories by Bill Mantlo
Art by Steve Ditko
Stories by Bill Mantlo
Art by Steve Ditko
Colors by Andy Yanchus
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Steve Ditko
Our coverage of The Micronauts ends with the series’ first annual — there were only two, with the last published in 1980. Bill Mantlo takes the anthology approach, penning three stories set the day before the events of The Micronauts #1. An intriguing idea, but Bill is totally hamstrung by the terrible art of Steve Ditko, who had recently returned to the company as a freelancer. Sad to say, Mr. Ditko’s once groundbreaking work had become completely outdated at this point. And there doesn’t seem to have been much effort involved: page after page feature nary a background detail. He does seem to have an adequate grasp of the characters’ basic appearances, but there’s nothing to draw you into Mantlo’s trio of tales. Perhaps Steve was totally uninspired by the subject matter. Which is a disappointment since this could have been an interesting “prequel” if Michael Golden was involved. Couldn’t he have done the cover at least?
Finally, “Arena of Death!” returns to Karza’s Great Games as the recently captured Prince Acroyear and Bug are forced into the blood-soaked stadium. Much to the Baron’s dismay, the Acroyear warrior and the Insectivorid thief are triumphantly standing when the carnage is over. -Tom Flynn
Tom: Each of the three stories clocks in at a mercifully short 10 pages, which helps reduce the endurance required to get through the entire annual. With Ditko’s visuals, it’s like reading something out of the '60s, a jarring departure from the cutting-edge visuals of Golden and company. Only “Timestream” offers anything of interest — as you might judge by the length of my synopsis compared to the other two. “Timestream” is actually the least “Micronauts” of the three: it could have featured a pair of human astronauts and been run in one of Professor Gilbert’s Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction magazines. Or used as the teleplay for an episode of the original Star Trek. “Damn you Rann, I’m an Insectivorid not a doctor!”
Basically, the only aspect I found notable about this annual is the surprising amount of characters and vehicles based on the second wave of the Mego toys: Galactic Defender, Repto, Terraphant and Hornetroid. The last three of that list all appeared in “Arena of Death!” Of those, I owned a Repto — his exposed brain glowed in the dark — and a Hornetroid vehicle. That one was pretty cool: a button made its clear, insect wings flap. Don’t think that I wasn’t running around my room pretending it could fly while making laser sounds. Ptooie! Ptooie! While it did not come to pass, I always wanted a Terraphant. Why? It actually shot water from its trunk. “Mr. McDunnough wet himself!”
Basically, the only aspect I found notable about this annual is the surprising amount of characters and vehicles based on the second wave of the Mego toys: Galactic Defender, Repto, Terraphant and Hornetroid. The last three of that list all appeared in “Arena of Death!” Of those, I owned a Repto — his exposed brain glowed in the dark — and a Hornetroid vehicle. That one was pretty cool: a button made its clear, insect wings flap. Don’t think that I wasn’t running around my room pretending it could fly while making laser sounds. Ptooie! Ptooie! While it did not come to pass, I always wanted a Terraphant. Why? It actually shot water from its trunk. “Mr. McDunnough wet himself!”
Tom: There is a two-page pinup by Ditko in the center spread (above): it presents just about everybody featured in the series so far, even Muffin. The Fantastic Four and Psycho-Man are also included because they would appear in 1980. It’s pretty bad. Ditko, by the way, would be back to illustrate the second annual and The Micronauts #39.
Longtime readers (assuming anyone has such stamina) know of my high regard for Steve’s pioneering Spider-Man and, especially, Dr. Strange, but to my eyes, his artwork is perhaps even more out of place in the Bronze Age than was Kirby’s writing. As for Bill’s stories, despite the tripartite structure, the second and third effectively form a single narrative depicting life on Homeworld as Karza takes over, while the first, as far as I know, is totally superfluous, and could have been any old stopover by H.M.S. Endeavor. The last-survivor bit feels pretty hoary, although I’m sure Professor Gilbert would find the Galactic Defender pleasantly reminiscent of Raymond Massey’s Wings over the World getup from one of his favorite films, Things to Come.
"Into the Hive!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Jim Mooney and Pablo Marcos
Colors by George Roussos
Letters by Clem Robins
Cover by Michael Nasser and Joe Rubinstein
Swarm's bee brigade stings Spider-Man endlessly, and since "spiders and bees are natural deadly enemies," the insects that "compose the living cells" of his body are easily drawn to our hero. Not even webbing works against the mutated army, but when Spidey falls into a table with vials of insect-repellent, it causes Swarm to flee. Dr. Sloan enters the lab with Steve and Philip, leaving a woozy wall-crawler to slither along the ceiling and somehow open a webbed door to get his "Peter Parker duds." Covered in bee stings, Peter stumbles out the door but recovers nicely in the hospital ward. The hive "sprawls obscenely" across campus, and with no scientist superheroes in sight, it's up to Dr. Sloan and the meddling kids to "synthesize a new type of insect repellent," using angry Marcy's formula and hoping to finish before Swarm's Queen Bee grows to monstrous proportions. When it comes time to dispense the repellent, Peter stays back, not from cowardice, but to douse his Spidey suit and web fluid in the formula!
Joe: What's the buzz on the finale of this two-parter? Well, not too much really. The word repellent, even though it's the most prevalent by far, is not exactly the adjective to use, since the story ain't quite that bad. It sure isn't great, though. Most of that is due to Swarm. He's about as "bee"-list as it gets, and that's being generous. It may sting a little for fans of this fairly lame-o villain to hear this, but no one will miss him. The art is fine, nothing more, and Swarm looks like Sandman in parts because of the sheer number of bees flying to and fro. Mantlo tries to build more of a supporting cast, but then gives them next to nothing to do except DROP THE REPELLENT! How stupid! So much for the Manhattan Scooby gang's big moment!
And this ends our class for the mostly-not-quite-spectacular Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man. Of course, it's always great to have another Spidey book, but honestly, I didn't buy this one very often as a fledgling professor. It just didn't excite me except for the occasional issue. Well, it excited someone, as this title ran 263 freakin' issues, ending November 1998. Maybe there will be a post-graduate studies course if any of you kids out there want more info, or to learn about Peter David, J.M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema's decade-long run, Gerry Conway's return, and more. Or maybe it'll be a summer school class to give you a chance at some easy credits.
Matthew: Bill gets to wind up two stories in PPTSS this month, his own here and Marv’s Ock opus in the annual (where we get the long-awaited payoff for Marcy’s bad behavior in general and “Pantywaist Parker” dig on page 19), and I am generally pleased with both. I was initially dubious about the quick spillage of the repellent, thus seeming to make it relatively pointless, but I like how Mantlo handled the resolution, which was not only suspenseful but also more personal than using, in effect, a giant can of Raid. For the most part, the Mooney/Marcos artwork is, shall we say, unspectacular, while admittedly getting the job done, yet that inside-the-hive full-pager on 23, effectively colored by Roussos, is a show-stopper.
"And Men Shall Call Him... Octopus!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Rich Buckler and Jim Mooney
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by Jim Novak
Cover by Rich Buckler
Picking up the story in the same night as Amazing Spider-Man Annual #13, Spidey saves some citizens from a building façade falling during a windy rainstorm, then swings over to the construction site where he battled Doctor Octopus, recovering the tentacle he ripped off of his nemesis. Meanwhile, in the "subterranean subway hideout" of Doc Ock, the pain from losing his arm seems to have taken over his mind, or so says the physician treating him who gets tossed in the air for his troubles. But even in pain, the diabolical Doc vows to go on with his "crime-coup of the century," and "to tear Spider-Man from limb to limb," natch. The next day, Spidey gets an apology from Marcy Kane (after the Swarm soiree), as well as a lecture, which only cheeses Peter off. Behind locked doors in the lab, Peter runs a radiation test on Ock's arm [which he managed to hide in a small bag…good thing it didn't wake up accidentally, no?], when it suddenly comes to life and strikes out at him! Peter manages to get a web refill from his belt (web-shooters not in place), but to no avail, as the tentacle rips free, smashes out the window and slinks off, but not before a well-placed spider-tracer finds its mark. Marcy doesn't buy Peter's story about how the lab got wrecked, but he slips away to track the agile arm to an oil tanker near the East River. Spidey spies the arm, but it's a decoy! Ock was lying in wait!
Overall, not as good, or as page-turning as the first chapter of this Ock duo, but the ending is memorable. The bad arm, which is the limb that drives this whole annual, causes the Doc's "death." I mean, who could survive that, right? Well, of course he comes back again, but that's another class in another University, methinks. It does also lead us to our final favorite sound effect of the '70s [no tears, class…hey, no cheers either!], which is the "KTLANG!" of the hatch as it closes on Ock's tortured tentacle on page 46. Poor, poor Alfalfa, I mean, Ock.
The other liberty taken by Mantlo involves Ock’s hideout – it’s a “half-submerged oil tanker” in the East River. Wait – what?! Now, I realize the city of New York had its share of fiscal crises in the sloppy '70s, but do you think a partially sunken oil tanker would be left in the river -? I’m not even going to comment on the fact that an oil tanker travelling thru New York would not sail the East River, but rather the wider, deeper Hudson – oh wait, I guess now I have. In fairness, I will point out that the Williamsburg Bridge, snagged by Spidey to escape the Coast Guard Cutter (p 34), is on the north end of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, so points to Bill for getting that part right.
Okay, so I’ll finish on a supportive note. Mantlo has a few prime pearls of snappy in-battle patter for Spidey, including: “Good speech, Doc. I hope they make you prison valedictorian!” (p 37); Ock insists he is not defeated (as the sub fills with water), to which Spidey replies Ock is close enough “that I thought we could begin negotiating your surrender!” (p 39); and, after Ock proclaims he will not be laughed at, Spidey offers that Ock should plea bargain with the district attorney “to guarantee no one’ll chuckle!” (p 42).
Power Man and Iron Fist 60
"The Terrorist Manifesto"
Story by Jo Duffy
Art by Marie Severin and Steve Leialoha
Colors by Marie Severin
Letters by Diana Albers
Cover by Bob Layton and Marie Severin
Alan Cavenaugh has been taken to Police HQ for questioning in the bombing of the Ducal Cellar restaurant but Luke Cage and Danny Rand are convinced the former I.R.A. terrorist is innocent. Misty Knight seems to be the only one, in fact, who's convinced of Alan's guilt (there may be a bit of bias on Misty's part since she had her arm blown off in a terrorist act years before) and she's preaching to anyone who'll listen. The next morning, Luke and Danny are visited in their office by the bomber's target, Ambassador Alpar of Halwan, who hires the boys to bring the bombers to justice (Alpar believes the real villains are vengeance-seeking ex-pats). Power Man and Iron Fist hit the bricks, looking for clues and all signs point to Princess Azir. Danny heads to the embassy to confront the princess while Luke keeps poundin' the streets (with help from Alan, released from the precinct), pumpin' the pimps for info. One of Cage's snitches, tech wiz Gadget, confesses he designed an explosive device for terrorist Farouk just that morning, so Luke heads out to find Farouk. Meanwhile, Danny has broken into the embassy and used his Iron Fist to melt a safe containing secret documents, discovering a conspiracy involving the royal treasury of Halwan. Suddenly, Princess Azir confronts the thief and sics her bodyguards on him. Across 110th Street, Luke and Alan find Farouk, who confesses he planted a bomb in a silver samovar in the embassy, set to blow in just fifteen minutes! Sweet Christmas! Luke and Alan haul ass to Azir's crib (with Misty not far behind), where they find Danny in full Kung Fu action. Alan grabs the samovar and chucks it out the window, saving everyone from a certain death (well, except for the schoolyard full of children next door) and earning immediate forgiveness from Misty. All's well that ends well, even for Irish bombers. -Peter Enfantino
P.S. “Because Luke and Danny are the Heroes for Hire, not us!” Dude, your own girlfriend has no compunction about blabbing your “secret” identity in a crowded precinct house; why bother?
"Beware the Spider-Woman -- Bounty Hunter!"
Story by Michael Fleisher
Art by Frank Springer and Mike Esposito
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by Gaspar Saladino and Diana Albers
Cover by Marie Severin and John Tartaglione
The DeFalco mob has just hit Majestic jewelers on a major heist; they’re so sure of their success that they hit the store in broad daylight, and take time to buy flowers from an elderly woman vendor on the sidewalk before they skate in their getaway car. Little do the boys know, but the vendor was – the secretive Spider-Woman, in disguise! S-W glides after the car, lands quietly on the roof, and guides the car off the road. The gun-totin’ gang is quickly subdued, trussed up, and carted to the office of Captain Walsh, LAPD. Capt Walsh (after his initial surprise at discovering S-W with the captured criminals) reports the reward offered by the jeweler is $20,000; the Capt has a “blind box number” where he agrees to leave the reward money. S-W retrieves the flower vendor costume (conveniently left in an alley by the store…) and returns it to an old theatrical costume warehouse. S-W then drops by the apartment of Scotty McDowell, an amateur criminologist who has become S-W’s partner. Scotty has reason to believe a group called the Shark-Mob is prepared to strike again (mob sharks?). This time, based on the mob’s recent activity near a lighthouse, Scotty expects them to disable the searchlight and cause a ship to run aground; the ship’s cargo includes a shipment of gold bullion, two million dollars’ worth – easy pickings once the ship is trapped on the shoals. S-W crashes thru the lighthouse window, moments before the gang is ready to shut it down, and thereby foils the scheme. Finally back at her apartment, Jessica Drew has finished a well-earned shower when a knock at the door announces her neighbor – Scotty McDowell – who would like to share a midnight snack with her. As they eat, Jessica suggests Scotty could benefit from “a good-looking woman” in his life, and he agrees, as his thoughts turn to – Spider-Woman! -Chris Blake
Matthew: I was encouraged by the “Startling New Direction” tagline, because the bounty hunter/private eye gig seems perfect for Jessica, and I thought I remembered it being used effectively later on (probably by You Know Who), but holy cats, does this epitomize a good idea badly executed. We use the phrase “scene missing” to deride abrupt, non-sequitur storytelling, yet “issue missing” would be more apt as Fleisher throws us into the deep end with an entire new supporting cast and milieu, Springer and Esposito bringing nothing to the table. The supposedly brilliant Scotty must be a moron not to guess Jessie’s i.d., and the capper is Jim’s “A future issue will reveal the entire nerve-numbing story!” footnote—why not just tell us in some logical order?
"The Long Hunt"
Story by Chris Claremont
Art by Mike Vosburg and Steve Leialoha
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Walt Simonson
Luke and Leia explore a bazaar on the commerce planet of Tirahnn; Luke is happy to get out of the confines of the Falcon and just explore new surroundings, thinking he and Leia are safe from prying eyes. However, they are recognized, not as enemies of the Empire, but as two of the four people (including Han and Chewie) sought by “the tyrant.” A tall, green, beautiful winged woman arrives, flanked by large catmen, who announce her as “Majestrix of Skye.” The crowd parts, but she bumps into Leia quite violently. Luke’s first instinct is to protest, but the princess chooses to let it pass and stay out of the limelight. However, this proves futile when Luke find a dropped money pouch and the Majestrix accuses them of thievery and orders her servants to kill them. The catmen approach, but Luke instinctively draws his light saber, kills one and he and Leia make a run for it. The Magestrix smiles, as the pre-planned hunt is now on. A wild chase ensues, but eventually Luke and Leia are trapped. Exhausted, Luke is no match for the catumen and is beaten pretty badly until Chewbacca appears and, with Han’s help, cuts down the attackers. They return to the Falcon where Luke is given medical attention. Shortly following, a visitor from Han’s past arrives: a beautiful young smuggler named Katya. When Luke tells them about the Tyrant of Skye, Han and Katya clearly remember their situation and Han decides to go in and settle the matter. He leaves Katya on the Falcon with the instructions to take everyone off-planet if Han isn’t back by dawn.
As Han goes to find Kharys, the Tyrant of Skye, a creature of smoke enters the Falcon and weaves its way through the ship, finding Katya asleep. It touches her flesh and she screams. It sucks the energy from her, painfully and slowly taking her life until only her clothes remain. Having felt her death-cry, Luke bursts into the room and is attacked by the now-solid energy demon. Chewbacca saves him at the last second, but neither the giant Wookiee nor Leia’s blaster shots can stop it. Finally, Luke grabs his saber and impales the creature, killing it. Han returns and is greeted by the death of his old friend. They take off to the home planet of the Tyrant: Marat V, also knows as Skye, and he tells how he, Katya and a few other Corellians were smuggling there; how he and his friends were captured and made part of the Great Hunt. All but he and Katya were killed. Finally, the Falcon arrives and a holo-communication from the Tyrant tells him all of this was meant to draw them to Marat. The Falcon is intercepted by a squadron of TIE fighters. Han orders everyone but Chewie into the life pods as he holds off the fighters. Luke, Leia and the droids evacuate and believe the Falcon destroyed. The pod is quickly captured and later, Luke and Leia are in a cell, greeted by Aragh, Patriarch of the S’Kytri – the Windborn. He is handsome as the Tyrant is beautiful, only bluer. They are taken to the Supreme Council to face judgment. When they hear Luke’s name is Skywalker, there is a sudden shift in their attitude. They test his honor and tell him that Han and Chewie aren’t dead, merely captured by the Tyrant. Regardless of the odds, Luke vows to rescue them. The S’Kytri promise to give him all the help he needs.
-Scott McIntyre
Scott: Much as I hate annuals, this one is really quite good. Part of the reason is that the art is beautiful and more realistic. Unlike the strange, Manga-style pencils of Carmine Infantino, Mike Vosburg and Steve Leialoha go to lengths to capture the likenesses of the actors and characters. It’s a very lovely visual experience. The story itself isn’t bad, it just doesn’t feel very Star Wars-y. Flying people of blue and green skin feels more Flash Gordon. However, it’s better than 6-foot-tall bipedal green bunny rabbits. The insight into Han’s past is very nice and it’s good to see him more serious and less quick to crack wise. Katya is a fun “street” type character and it’s fun to play up the friendly rivalry between Luke and Han when she arrives by having Leia show a little jealousy. Chris Claremont writes a good fantasy space-yarn. While not great Star Wars, it’s still a good story and a fun issue. Surprisingly.
As I finished reading, it struck me how anyone writing for Star Wars in the late ‘70s, though, is at a distinct disadvantage for a number of reasons. First of all, at this time, there aren’t eight Star Wars movies, dozens of books and comics, and literally dozens of animated shorts from which to glean material – there’s one movie. At this point, it’s reasonable to wonder whether Luke or Han might wind up with Leia (although Luke and Leia seem more palsy than turtle-dovey).
The Vosburg/Leialoha art is a curious pairing, but Leialoha’s inks achieve the best-looking results we’ve seen to date from Vosburg’s pencils (testament to the skill of the proven finisher). Highlights include: the myriad creatures at the market (p 1-2); Luke & Leia move thru the multi-leveled city (p 7, 1st pnl); the smoke demon is fairly well done, although the concept seems more at home in Dr Strange than in a space opera (p 14-15); Kharys looks pretty spectacular throughout, as once again I regret never having signed up to take a year-long live-modeling course (p 30, pnl 2) – even when she’s evil, she’s plenty sizzlin’ (p 39, pnl 4).
"A Princess Alone!"
Story by Archie Goodwin
Art by Carmine Infantino and Gene Day
Colors by Petra Goldberg
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Carmine Infantino and Bob Wiacek
Metalorn is an Imperial Factory Planet, with a human slave labor force working long hours under the watchful eye of Governor Corwyth’s Stormtroopers and trackers. A young girl named Tammi sneaks away from school to plant seeds in an area of dirt. Her mother attempts to stop her before getting in hot water with the guards, who shoo the girl away, ruining her planting. Unknown to any of them, Princess Leia is dispatched to the planet to find her old mentor and hopefully build a new arm of the Rebellion. At the same time, Baron Tagge arrives under orders to make sure the Rebellion has not reached Metalorn. Cornwyth assures Tagge that nobody could penetrate their security. However, Leia has attacked a stormtrooper and taken his weapon. Cornwyth boasts how each weapon is equipped with a tracking device and uses it to follow her movements. However, Tagge is no longer there to hear. Leia hops on to a conveyer carrying ore and stromtroopers move to head her off at the Smelter Bay, but the princess jumped off en route, leaving the gun behind.
Matthew: It was rather poignant re-reading this one-off featuring Princess Leia less than a month after Carrie Fisher’s premature passing on December 27, followed by her mother, Debbie Reynolds, the very next day. That may have made me more favorably disposed toward Archie’s story, but I will say I liked the “hearts and minds” message about how not every victory is a military one, and that instilling—as it were—“a new hope” among those oppressed by the Empire is just as important. The stuff with Tammi was a bit more trite, and while they doubtless intended the labor force’s uniforms to be depersonalizing, they perhaps succeeded too well; I had a hard time differentiating between Leia in page 3, panel 2 and Tammi’s mom in page 5, panel 3.
"Ring Around the Bull!"
Story by Roy Thomas
Art by Arvell Jones and Chic Stone
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Keith Pollard and Bob Layton
The Mighty Thor is flying over Los Angeles when he sees a peculiar sight: a man dressed as a bat falling towards the ground. After the thunder god has rescued him and taken him back to his flat, the man explains that he is a big-time Mexican wrestler named El Vampiro but he has been beaten badly by another wrestler with the handle of El Toro Rojo. Suddenly, as if on cue, a giant man dressed as a red bull (ergo "El Toro Rojo!") busts through the wall and attacks Thor. The villain explains that he is a Deviant and he knows all about the Asgardian Avenger. The two duke it out but, during the fight, Thor is separated from his hammer and changes into lame Doc Blake. Rojo is able to escape with Blake's walking stick but El Vampiro tells Don that Rojo has a match that night. Don heads over to the arena, where he spies the Bull in the ring, using Don's walking stick to pummel an opponent! The not-so-lame Doc hops into the ring and manages to get hold of his stick. A huge lightning bolt hits the middle of the ring and there stands... "Thor -- Lord of the living lightning and heir to the throne of eternal Asgard!" The bout continues on, with Bull and Thor trading half-Nelsons and piledrivers, until Thor climbs atop the ropes and dives in for a back elbow drop-slam (no, not really, actually Thor takes off his cape and Toro charges him... no, seriously!). Adding insult to injury, Thor destroys El Toro Rojo's horns, leaving the Deviant half a man (or half a bull). Goldilocks is crowned the new champion and caps off a perfect night by turning down a sleazy promoter's wrestling contract. It's great to be a thunder god! -Peter Enfantino
 |
| Sound effect from the bottom of the barrel: "Scraaaaa-pe!" |
Thor also might ask Roy how the Warriors Three are faring; when we last saw them, they were facing a standing eight-count against Fafnir. No update on events transpiring with our supporting cast, so all I can do is hope the guys are okay. Arvell Jones provides the adequate art; say, if Arvell Jones is here, does that mean we might see Rich Buckler next issue (just kidding)?
"What If Dr. Strange Had Been a Disciple of Dormammu?"
Story by Peter Gillis
Art by Tom Sutton and Bruce Patterson
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Cover by Keith Pollard and Pablo Marcos
The Watcher tells us of Dr. Stephen Strange, how he became the disciple of The Ancient One and later Master of the Mystic Arts. However, in another world, Mordo befriended Strange under orders from Dormammu, instead of attacking him like in our reality. Then he heals Strange's hands, sending him back to the medical world, where he's found guilty of "flagrant malpractice." Seeking more power, he becomes Mordo's willing apprentice, then swears loyalty to Dormammu, which saddens The Ancient One. The wise old master travels to Latveria to recruit Victor Von Doom, even saying he can heal his face, but the tyrant declines. Instead TAO is left with seven magicians and two acolytes, including Dr. Anthony Druid, Genghis, and Agatha Harkness, in hopes of battling Dormammu, with the Eye of Agamotto holding the key to victory. The Eye is a gateway to the being Eternity, and is held in trust for TAO's successor.
Meanwhile, Dormammu decrees that Strange kill Mordo with his burgeoning powers, witnessed by the Dread One's sister Umar, whom Strange is dreaming about, and soon the two spark a romantic relationship that's not entirely trustworthy of course. Dormammu's wraiths find the good guys, who quickly prepare for the attack by an increasingly arrogant Strange and his minions. But Druid and Genghis break the spell with one from an ancient scroll to call on the power of the Eye, but instead "all becomes a vortex to madness!" Genghis is lost as Strange is caught in the whirlwind and sent through time and space to the lair of Eternity! The being examines Strange yet tosses him away when he suspects missed potential. Back at the sanctum of TAO, the white sorcerers try to regroup, with TAO using the "essences of the three Deathless Spirits" to inhabit Wong, Miss Bentley and the faithful Hamir, in hopes of getting guidance. 
The idea of assembling an all-star team of Marvel’s magical heroes is an interesting one, and it’s fun to see such long-sidelined supporting players as Lord Phyffe and Rama Kaliph, but while I’ll admit I didn’t rack my brain to come up with any omissions, I immediately pegged Turan Barim and Count Carezzi as one-time-only seat-fillers, and don’t know why that was necessary. They contribute nothing, and it’s not as if there were some insurmountable reason why we had to have a specific number of magicians. The artwork is better than this always-marginal mag deserves, at times positively Ditko-worthy: the sinister siblings in page 16, panel 5; whirlwind in page 23, panel 4; plunge on page 25; bisected Strange in page 44, panel 1; and Eternity, well, any ol’ time.
Clever moment by Gillis to pair Strange with Umar, and to provide insight into their plotting against each other, as they also quietly scheme to usurp Dormammu. It would have been the right idea to develop this theme fully, and for Umar to figure prominently in the climax; as it is, Umar does not appear at all in the final seven pages, last seen expecting to reign unopposed once Strange and Dormammu have finished each other off (p 36).
The ending also is unclear; why does Strange suddenly choose to support the “cosmic affirmation” and reject the “cosmic denial”? We know the Vishanti (briefly, comfortably assuming human form, another clever moment –p 31) have offered the Ancient One their advice, which could mean they also recognize what Eternity has seen, that Strange has “potential,” albeit “sorely misused” (p 27); but, that’s about the only straw I can draw. If Gillis wants us to believe that a what-if Dr Strange would willingly cast aside the well-practiced evil we’ve witnessed him indulging in from the outset, then Gillis would have to do more to foreshadow the character’s reversal properly. (note: Gillis will script the final six issues of Doc’s Bronze-era mag, #76-81.)
"The Action of the Tiger!"
Story by John Byrne and Chris Claremont
Art by John Byrne and Terry Austin
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Cover by George Pérez and Terry Austin
Having taken the body of his father, Joe MacTaggert, Proteus, his mother Moira in tow, turns the town of Edinburgh inside out. The X-Men hope to draw the rogue mutant out of the city and into the country where they can fight him. Cyclops hatches a plan to exploit Proteus’ weakness to metal and constant necessity for a new host body. The team attacks viciously, trying to get the mutant to use as much of his strength as possible, to weaken him greatly and make him vulnerable. Storm attacks and Proteus encases her in a hard, airtight cocoon. Wolverine frees her and gets his senses scrambled. Banshee shoots Proteus before he can kill Wolverine, but Proteus is able to seal Banshee in a bottomless pit. Nightcrawler saves him, but the effort wipes them both out. Jean attacks savagely, but even she is no match for him. Finally, Proteus takes Moira away, seconds from taking over her body, when Colossus grabs him by the shoulder and tosses Proteus against a wall. His decayed body shatters into dust and his true form attacks the Russian. He toys with him, making him suffer, but this only gives Peter Rasputin enough time to take on his armored form and slam his fists into the heart of the deadly mutant. This short-circuits Proteus, causing him to explode and spread what’s left of him to every corner of the globe. Comforted by Banshee, Moira is left to mourn the deaths of her husband and son. -Scott McIntyre
Of all the comics I’ve covered since joining this merry band of bloggers, the Byrne/Claremont X-Men was truly my steady favorite. It was, at its worst, “good.” The characters truly took on new life when Byrne was handed over the pencils and the only regret, with this blog ending, is not being able to cover the greatness to come. From here, the X-Men meet the Hellfire Club and we learn that Jason Wyngarde, who has been influencing Jean Grey, is really Mastermind. We’ll meet Sebastian Shaw and the White Queen, and then move on into the apex of this team’s greatness: The Dark Phoenix Saga. There aren’t enough adjectives to cover how amazing this book gets. After introducing Kitty Pryde, Byrne leaves the book with one parting shot: "Days of Future Past," a superior storyline that finally became a great film. JB would then move to the Fantastic Four and, as writer/artist, usher in that team’s second golden age. It was a pleasure and an honor to chronicle this run.
As for the micro, Cyke demonstrates his combat-worth in several instances: he immediately blasts thru the covering over the pit Banshee has dropped into, and orders Nightcrawler to bamf Sean out (p 11-14); he positions himself and Havok on opposite sides as they hit Proteus simultaneously, and inflict serious damage to his wearing-thin physical form (p 21); he ingeniously pulses his optic blasts to slow Wolverine’s fall so Colossus can catch him, then sends Colossus to finish what’s left of Proteus, telling young Peter, “You know what to do,” to which he replies “I will not fail, Cyclops.” (p 22).
As Proteus wears down, he has several opportunities to snatch an X-body and continue the fight. Most of the civilians have been safely cleared away, so the X-teamers (and associates, like Moira) are the only available options to increasingly-desperate Proteus, which leaves our heroes particularly vulnerable. As we noted when he appropriated helpless Jennie Banks in #127, it doesn’t take more than a second or two for Proteus to snatch-and-grab. So, why doesn’t he? Is he enjoying the vitality of his father’s body? Perhaps he’d thought he’d had more time, and the strategy to burn him out proves more effective than Cyclops had anticipated. It isn’t until p 22, 1st panel that Proteus realizes he’s at risk to “discorporate,” but by then, he has only minutes to live. His “fatal mistake” is when he tortures Peter with fire and painful memories of his dead brother, Peter observing “You toyed with me when you should have slain me … that mistake will be your last!” (p 26).
A few art highlights before I go: Proteus twists poor Moira around, looming over her in a spooky bright red light (p 6, last three panels – colors by G. Wein, as you know); Storm’s shadow visible as she closes in on Proteus from above (p 7, last pnl); Phoenix’ attack, as Wolverine watches from above, followed by Proteus’ particularly nasty counter-strike (leaving Jean feeling as if she’s been dead and buried, “in the ground” for a year), and Wolverine’s classic gut-slash (all on p 19); Proteus, reduced to rags and sagging grey flesh, as he taunts Moira one last time (p 23).
Matthew: I’m glad our coverage coincidentally stops here, both because the Proteus arc ends with such satisfying closure and because the next nine issues, brilliant though they may be, are tinged with sadness due to—no, not the Dazzler’s debut, but (spoiler alert!) the decline and fall of Phoenix. Claremont takes his title from Shakespeare’s immortal “Once more unto the breach, dear friends” speech (Henry V, Act III, scene 1), which tells you the level we are playing at here, right from the memorable Perez/Austin cover. Love the quick look at Proteus’s real form, which reminded me of Swamp Thing, in page 5, panel 5; Wolverine’s unrestrained savagery in page 19, panel 6; the sweater-clad, decaying “Joe” in the climax; and…well, just about everything, really.
Mark: "Ever hear a city scream?"
Matthew: I’m glad our coverage coincidentally stops here, both because the Proteus arc ends with such satisfying closure and because the next nine issues, brilliant though they may be, are tinged with sadness due to—no, not the Dazzler’s debut, but (spoiler alert!) the decline and fall of Phoenix. Claremont takes his title from Shakespeare’s immortal “Once more unto the breach, dear friends” speech (Henry V, Act III, scene 1), which tells you the level we are playing at here, right from the memorable Perez/Austin cover. Love the quick look at Proteus’s real form, which reminded me of Swamp Thing, in page 5, panel 5; Wolverine’s unrestrained savagery in page 19, panel 6; the sweater-clad, decaying “Joe” in the climax; and…well, just about everything, really.
Good opening line, and things only get better from there. I'd carped about Proteus' almost complete lack of characterization before my resistance was worn down last issue by his sheer malevolence. He's just, as a certain blowhard billionaire might opine, a "bad hombre." When the X-ers finally get the upper hand, Protie, unable to find a new body to snatch, is trapped in the quickly-decaying shell of wife-beating pappa Joe MacTaggert, revealing the moral rot and gleeful sadism of both father and son.
I almost cheered aloud when Colossus scattered "...every scrap of the villain's being...to the four corners of the earth" in a burst of light so dazzling (p.27) ya gotta wear shades.
Cover to cover, it's a bravura performance but...
How does Sean fall down a fifty foot hole without so much as a sprained ankle? And what the hell is the title - "The Action of the Tiger!" - supposed to mean?
It ain't easy being the faculty scold, class, but someone's gotta take a little edge off the hosannas...
Joe: Someone please remind me for the last time why I sold my stinkin' X-Men for a handful of Proteus pebbles? Sigh...
Also This Month
Crazy #57
Fantasy Masterpieces Volume 2 #1
Fun and Games #4
< Machine Man #12
Marvel Tales #110
Marvel's Greatest Comics #83
Sgt Fury #155
Shogun Wariors #11
Tales to Astonish Volume 2 #1
Aaron “Machine Man” Stack witnesses a series of violent crimes. In his frustration at these instances of “man’s inhumanity to man” (yes, that’s a direct quote from the issue), Aaron angrily releases “a coruscating charge” of electricity, which affects five people in a nearby tenement, causing them to “evolve.” The beings drift down from the sky to meet with Aaron, who is threatening to kill a law-breaker, and challenge him to recognize “life is sacred,” even the life of one who would commit evil. As Aaron continues his angry tirade, stating “the world would be better off without men corrupting it!," the beings ask themselves whether they should destroy Machine Man, to prevent him from interfering with mankind’s progress. A child, the son of a man Aaron had saved from a shooting, speaks in MM’s defense, stating Machine Man is “not a monster.” Aaron marvels at the child’s acceptance of him, despite their differences; contented, the beings fly off to seek their destiny.
Wolfman’s depiction of MM is wildly out of character, as the ordinarily even-keel MM spouts rageful pronouncements thru most of the issue. One being asks Aaron, “Can you not comprehend the illogic of your actions?” and another observes Aaron’s emotional state could indicate he is “more human than [he is] aware” (p 21); moments like these stand as opportunities missed by both the title character, and his writer/editor, to move the story in a more productive, less repetitive – and less shrill – direction. Lastly, I did mention that these beings were evolved due to an electrical charge emitted by Aaron, didn’t I -? -Chris Blake
THOSE MARVEL-OUS MAGAZINES
The Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian 47
Cover Art by Earl Norem
“The Treasure of Tranicos”
Script by Roy Thomas
Art by Gil Kane, John Buscema, Joe Rubinstein & others
“The Secret of the Black Stranger”
Text by Fred Blosser
“Swords and Scrolls”
As mentioned in my write up of Conan the Barbarian #104, this issue of Savage Sword — the final to be reviewed under the aegis of Marvel University — presents the last of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories that Roy Thomas needed to adapt. Well, yes and no.
In the 1930s, Howard wrote a 29,000-word novella starring his Cimmerian hero titled “The Black Stranger.” However, the story was rejected by Weird Tales for not being, um, weird enough. I think I’ve written that before. Anyways, the Texan, never one to waste typewriter ribbon, recast the story as “Swords of the Red Brotherhood,” setting it in on the west coast of North America and changing the protagonist to Black Terence Vulmea, his big, black-haired Irish pirate. Sadly, that didn’t do the trick and Robert E. finally abandoned the plot and moved on. However, in 1951, L. Sprague de Camp somehow unearthed the original “The Black Stranger” and saw its potential. He tinkered with the tale, inserted Thoth Amon into the proceedings and rechristened it “The Treasure of Tranicos.” This one was ultimately published, included in the 1953 Gnome Press collection King Conan. Now all of this is detailed in “The Secret of the Black Stranger,” the Fred Blosser article included with this magazine.
The baron invites both Strombanni and Zarono into his compound to parlay. But it soon becomes apparent to the two visitors that Valenso has not been lying and does not have the knowledge they seek. Suddenly, a ferocious storm created by the Stygian sorcerer strikes, smashing Zarono’s ship against jagged rocks and killing his entire crew, leaving Strombanni’s craft as the only one manned and seaworthy. After the winds subside, Conan surprisingly strides into the room and produces a map that leads to the treasure — shockingly, he tosses it into a fireplace. As the pirates proclaim their outrage, Conan reveals that he knows the treasure’s exact location and does not need a map: it is in a haunted cave he used to hide from his superstitious Pict pursuers. The Cimmerian offers all a deal. With Strombanni’s men and Valenso’s supplies, they have the resources to secure and transport the treasure back to the stronghold. Afterwards, they will split the gold and jewels four ways, and Zarono and the baron can sail off on the Barachan’s ship leaving the barbarian in command of the fort with the men who could not fit on board.
If you remember, we have met Black Zarono before: he actually teamed with Thoth-Amon in an attempt to overthrow King Ferdrugo of Zingara in the four-part adaptation of the L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter novel Conan the Buccaneer that ran over Savage Sword #40 to #43. I wonder if there was a scene between the former allies in issue #48. Since Zarono has lost his men and ship, Conan only includes him in the four-way split of the treasure through the kindness of his heart — nah, he actually does it to stop the Zingarian from whining. We’ve never encountered Strombanni before but the pirate sure as heck heard of the mighty Cimmerian.
The Hulk! 18
Cover Art by Bob Larkin
Cover Art by Bob Larkin
“Cast Away”
Script by Doug Moench
Art by Ron Wilson and Alfredo Alcala
“Shadows in the Heart of the City”
Script by Doug Moench
Art by Bill Sienkiewicz and Klaus Janson
“Readers Rampage”
Following up on the events of last time, a panicked Bruce Banner wakes up in an African hospital. He hulks out, smashes a tank, leaps away, lands on a strange, crescent-shaped island and changes back to Banner. The scientist soon meets the island’s only inhabitant, an old hermit named Thaddeus Hatcher: the man used to be a widower working as a carpenter in Milwaukee until he lost his job and home. Cashing in his meager savings, he traveled the world by tramp steamer. When he eventually landed in Africa, he rented a small fishing boat — a storm shipwrecked him on this uncharted atoll. Over the years, Hatcher came to realize that he was on his own private paradise, a fertile land that offered all he needed. But there is one catch: drug smugglers use the island to store their ill-gotten goods.
We start off with a two-page recap of part one, so this wrap up is even more flimsy plot wise. Basically, Moon Knight chases his brain-damaged brother around Central Park for 15 pages until the Hatchet-Man does himself in with an ill-time leap. There’s a running subplot about how the chase mirrors Marc and Randall’s childhood war games. Marlene's wounds seem quite serious but we all know she’ll pull through: she will remain a supporting character as Moon Knight rises in stature in the Marvel universe. After his next appearance in The Hulk! #20 (April 1980), he gets a solo shot in the next month with the black-and-white magazine Marvel Preview #21. Finally, Moonie will get his own color comic series in November 1980. Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz will team on all of these — at least until Bill leaves and is replaced by Kevin Nowlan in issue 31 (June 1983). Plus, believe it or not, University whipping boy Tony Isabella will replace Doug with #34. -Tom Flynn
Cover by Val Mayerik and Peter Ledger
"Animal Indecency!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Gene Colan and Klaus Janson
"The Crash of '79!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Gene Colan and Dave Simons
Howard and Bev are a bit apprehensive about their first day as actors in a new movie, to be produced in Cleveland by Digatalis Productions (Howard’s a bit more on edge than Bev, since that morning he’d fought off an attack by a tentacled and taloned killer alarm clock). After all, they both have pretty good paying gigs right now: Howard as a hack driver for Bev’s Uncle Bev’s taxi company, and Bev as a live model (a career to which she is, let’s say, uncommonly well suited). Still, the draw of the bright lights is undeniable, so the two crazy young kids ride downtown to Union Terminal Tower, to take their shot at stardom. They’re both floored when they arrive inside, and see the terminal converted to a working studio set! Director Dino Digitalis is pleased to see his young stars – his feature, Duck Rogers, is sure to be a great success! Before they change to their costumes, Digitalis introduces his accountant, a polite but curious man who keeps his face hidden by a paper bag (shaking his hand, and observing the accountant’s cracked nails, Howard wonders, “Where’ve I seen that manicure before?”).
No sooner have they changed and emerged bright-eyed from their dressing rooms (admittedly, nothing more than the terminal’s public restrooms …), Howard and Bev are surprised to see the movie trappings have vanished, leaving one person – the mad magician/accountant, Pro Rata (aha – so that explains the alarm-clock attack from before)! Pro Rata still aspires to cash in on the cosmic dividend. To that end, he has taken a calculated risk by arranging to borrow additional powers (from a “force bank”) for 24 hrs; he intends to use this time to force Howard to return the gem key (retained by Howard after their first encounter, chronicled in the four-color HtD #1), to unlock the mystical money-load! Howard has bad news about the key – he hocked it. Rata rages, and sics his allies on Howard and Bev – a gargantuan, but filling and nutritious breakfast of Eggs, Toast, Bacon, OJ, and Coffee! H&B have a means of escape, as a “supermarket moon rocket” (which had been at rest in the terminal) springs to their aide. The rocket observes his ability to speak is no less inexplicable than Howard’s own capacity to communicate – plus, Rata’s magic has altered rules of reality in the terminal – but still, he cannot fly unless he’s fed quarters. H&B charge the rocket up, as (under Howard’s able piloting) he flies thru the Toast, and far above the terminal floor, where the pursuing Juice and Coffee are frozen in the thinning air. The rocket’s forward guns dispatch Eggs and Bacon, right before the Rocket crashes into Rata’s flying cash register, sending him spiraling down. Howard reminds Bev – as they also begin to plummet – that the terminal’s reality is of Rata’s making, so all they have to do is “divest!” to find themselves freed from Rata’s realm, and returned safely to the Cleveland that is … home. -Chris Blake
Then, it’s sixteen pages before Pro Rata reveals himself to H&B. During that time, I’m reminded that Gerber’s blend of satire and absurdity is difficult to mimic, let alone match; the inexplicable assault by the alarm clock is agreeably nutty, but overall, the goings-on in the first act are noticeably missing Howard’s oddball comments and acerbic wit. We also don’t have Gerber’s whack-job narration to add another amusement-layer. Anyway, then we have a six-page recap of HtD #1, which prompts Bev to ask aloud, “Ducky, why’s he blathering on about facts we all know?," to which I had no reply.
Cover by Bob Larkin
"The Dimensional Man"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by Steve Ditko
"Dracula Director John Badham: the Making of the Movie"
Text by Steve Swires
"Nosferatu the Vampyre"
Text by Tom Rogers
"Court of the Dead"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by Frank Robbins, John Romita, and John Tartaglione
"The Dimensional Man" opens with a splash inarguably drawn by Steve Ditko. And a disembodied narrator who isn't the Count. "I am an evil, a dark force, an unwilling incubus..." A trench-coated, fedora-wearing figure stumbles through dark city streets and falls...then absorbs the life force from a wino who tries to roll him. Soon he does the same to a married couple, stalking him from a sedan. And we learn from the woman that she is/was his mother!
The shifting face of the killer resembles amoebas dancing under a microscope, Rorschach by way of a Dr. Strange spell.
Back at her apartment, Angela is captured by a coven, learns that the pain of the "Why them?!?" cry was for her parents, killed in the sedan by her "unwilling incubus" brother, Joshua. Their Jewish Hungarian parents, desperate to escape the Gestapo, made a deal with an occultist. He shielded them and they soon became willing converts, the woman bore twins Josh and Ange, born marked with an upside down cross. Sticking with his folk's religion, Joshua was touched during a ceremony by evil entity Asmodeus, sparking his Dimensional Man transformation. He's taken to killing fellow cultists since, and arriving at Angela's place, Josh fights for his sis but falls back under the control of cult leader Damien. He can only watch as they strap her to an upside down cross, preparing her to mate her with Asmodeus!
Then Angela's plea to leave Vlad alone, her proclaiming that Damien and his rapist-blob master have won, stirs her brother to defy his master. Asmodeus oozes down from the cross and Joshua attacks. The Count scoops up Angela and heads toward the door. Josh forces beast-blob into the open portal in the floor and follows him down into the abyss...
There's a text piece on film director John Badham (Saturday Night Fever and, more on point, the then-current Dracula), then an article comparing classic creepshow Nosferatu with the Werner Herzog remake.
[A big favorite of mine. --MRB]
The second story, "Court of the Dead" finds the Count hosting the Sultan of Turkey. As the tubby Turk feasts, Drac has his vixen vamps entertain the Sultan's guards as he regales his guest with the tale of how he, along with father and brother, were ambushed on a diplomatic mission to the Turks, fifteen years before. Vlad and brother Radu were held hostage to ensure his father complied with the Sultan's wishes. Radu died in captivity, while Vlad the First was assassinated for kowtowing to the Turks.
Dracula escaped and returned home to extract vengeance on the assassins, and now, apparently, has lured the Sultan here to settle the last score. The guards, meanwhile, have been snacked upon by the vixens, and the Count carries the Sultan to the castle's ramparts and throws him to his death.
What a surprise to crack the cover (okay, I opened a digital file) and see our fave fanger rendered by Objectivist Man himself, Steve Ditko! As probably this august institution's biggest Ditko and TOD booster, I was both delighted and wary. Not only has Gene Colan long-ago established himself as the definitive Drac dramatist, but the more Mr. D focused on spreading the Randian word the less effort he lavished on his work for hire.
other-worldly angst is Pure Ditko. His Count is, of course, off model: more pleasant and sociable, in a dapper '30s movie-star way, than Gene Colan's feral red-eyed fiend. Perhaps Ditko-fanboy fervor colors my judgment, class, but I find his version endearing.
Poor Angela (yeah, she lived but...raped by a hell-slug...) puts lie to the notion Ditko can't draw attractive women. Where he does fail is in his little-more-than-a-doodle depiction of Angela on the cross. Not that I wanted a raunchy rape scene to take advantage of a magazine's less restrictive format, mind you, but Steve's offering is so bloodless, it almost evaporates off the page. One imagines a distaste for the material - perhaps subconsciously - led him to self-censor.
The Turk's tale is a brisk little revenger. Sure, ya wonder why the Sultan marches a huge army to the castle of an enemy then chooses to pow-wow inside, accompanied by three whole guys. And, yeah, the vixen-victim guards become instant fangers, sans the requisite three days dead, but, still and all, you hafta cheer whenever a Turkish despot gets tossed off a rampart. And John Romita does enough to make Frank Robbins endearing.
The last TOD we'll cover is an entertaining, if lightweight grace note to its four-color predecessor, lacking depth of characterization and the moral uncertainty Wolfman had injected in the comic. Gene Colan's absence plays a part, of course, but he did the debut issue and Marv's story was still only thimble-deep. Given Marvel's magazine track record, maybe he already heard the first shovel of dirt on the Count's black-and-white coffin (the zine would only last four more over-sized issues).
While this final offering adds nothing vital to the Count's Marvel canon, you still get your pint of blood's worth. -Mark Barsotti
NEXT WEEK: OUR LONG-AWAITED WRAP-UP.
THE BEST, THE WORST, AND THE MISC.
Can't believe you're actually nearing the end. I'll have to find something else to read for 30 minutes each Wednesday lunchtime now.
ReplyDeleteI was going to suggest you carry on and go through the 80s, but I think that would be a chore both to write and read.
Darren-
DeleteThough our weekly coverage of the monthly titles ends today, there's still a lot to come. The plan is a series of essays looking at what happened post-Dec 79, the first of which will arrive on March 15th. Keep tuning in to this channel for updates.
I looked at ToD 2 again after all those years and still can't stand the Ditko art. The Heck Giant-Size in the monthly were bad compared to everything Colan, but this didn't work at all.
ReplyDeleteThe Micronauts sure had some rough times ahead, the only artists I liked were Broderick in parts and Guice, who did some inspired work. I bought this until Gillis arrived, after this I dropped the book fast like so many others.
I never read Thor except the odd issue, but by chance I got the rest of Thomas' run, 293-300. It seemed a strange mix with his incorporation of composer Wagner's Rhinegold, another version of the nordic myths and the Celestials. But I enjoyed it a lot. Frankly I was surprised how lame the road to these were.
I am saving a few comments for the wrap-up :-)
Andy-
DeleteThanks for sticking by us all these years. Our wrap-up will have each professor's choice for Top Twenty stories of the 1970s, so if you're in the mood and have a little time for reflection, please post YOUR choices!
Why do people capitalize ROM? Because the toy was named after the term "read only memory." So it is an acronym. Rom became ROM. Which is actually a pretty dumb name. But I guess it's better than COBOL, which was Parker Brothers first choice.
ReplyDeleteI could swear I had the Howard and Hulk mags, the stories sound so familiar.... but now I have to figure out why I bought them...
ReplyDeleteAndy D
ReplyDeleteI'd have preferred Colan art in TOD 2 if I coulda got it... And I admit to grading Ditko on a curve.