Iron Man 128
"Demon in a Bottle"
Story by Bob Layton and David Michelinie
Art by John Romita, Jr. and Bob Layton
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Bob Layton
Drowning his sorrows in booze, IM considers giving up his civilian i.d., rather than vice versa; flies out of his office without opening the window first; and creates a deadly chlorine-gas leak while “helping” the police deal with a derailed LIRR tanker. Returning to S.I., he reaches for another drink in his penthouse and is stopped by Bethany, who was admitted by his secretary, Mrs. Arbogast. Assured that he can handle things himself, she tells Tony of her husband, Alexander van Tilberg, a West German junior ambassador to the U.S. who used her as “window dressing for his diplomatic ambitions,” and whose reliance on pills was the possible cause of his fatal car crash—an object lesson that finally persuades Tony to ask Bethany for help.
Matthew Bradley: I’ll leave the paeans of praise for this alleged classic to others, because I’ve never liked it. At 16, I disliked it because, while I neither expect nor want my super-heroes to be perfect, which would be boring, I do want them to be, oh, you know, heroic. Over the decades, I disliked it because it set the wheels in motion for Rhodey’s tenure as Iron Man, thus exemplifying the worst excesses of the Shooter Regime, which reached their nadir with the degradation of my beloved Hank Pym. And now, re-reading it on the very day a personal drama related to alcoholism (not mine) coincidentally unfolded, I disliked it because, his eventual recidivism notwithstanding, it cheapens this supposedly bold and “realistic” development with a sobriety far too easily restored.
Matthew: I dislike the apparent attempts at levity, such as Tony’s goofy face and pose in page 3, panel 1, or the utterly pointless “Mrs. Whiggins” shout-out on page 23. While I will admit to enjoying Bethany’s wood-inducing cleavage in page 11, panel 1, I dislike the oh-so-convenient parallel between Alex’s and Tony’s addictions; never really warmed to her character or their relationship; and found the accelerated-12-step montage on page 16 pat and cheesy. And I especially dislike the contrived mechanism of Jarvis’s shares, making Tony’s alcoholism indirectly responsible for his losing controlling interest. If the papers blown by Beth’s Porsche distressed you (“So long, J.R! We’ll miss ya!”), worry not: Romita will return...more than once.
The notion that the sale of two shares of publicly-traded stock could determine control of a multi-national corporation is pretty hilarious (English majors …). Tony Stark, on some level, has to realize he isn’t contending with Midas for control of his home for “modern miracles of design"; with SHIELD as a competitor, it’s more to do with a clash of philosophies. Tony’s final thought, that he’s prepared to fight for his corporation (remember last time, how he hid away from the fight, and spent a few days riding horses with Whitney -?), gives him a sure opportunity for a successful outcome.
Mark: The dramatic Bob Layton cover is scarifying enough for a EC horror mag, and surely must have sent some unsuspecting tykes scurrying from the spinner rack to the safety of mom's skirts, in the feminine products aisle at the Rexall.
At the risk of being churlish, I do have to point out that David Micheline's depiction of alcohol abuse isn't terribly realistic in detail (a booze detox doesn't last "for days...", and Tony's dive into the bottle, while a lengthy sub-plot for comics, was far too brief to turn him into a hard-core alkie), but it does pack an emotional punch. And in 1979, it was certainly groundbreaking to depict a superhero with, not just feet, but a liver, of clay.
Give this one four Bloody Marys. Virgin.
"Mysterio is Deadlier by the Dozen!"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by Sal Buscema and Jim Mooney
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Irving Watanabe
Cover by Keith Pollard and Bob McLeod
The police find Spider-Man passed out in Kingpin's lair and rush him to the hospital, where Doctor Winters refuses to let the cops unmask the unconscious hero. Spidey begins having nightmares, and they have to sedate him before his powers cause damage. At Restwell, Dr. Rinehart reveals his true colors, causing hallucinations that spook The Burglar, or as Rinehart calls him "you stupid, cretinous dolt." The diabolical doc tells how he was defeated by Spider-Man and imprisoned, where he met cellmate Danny Berkhart, who became the "perfect patsy" to be taught all Rinehart's secrets, witness his "death," and take his place, only to be beaten. Then the criminal con man set up this nursing-home scam, amassing money and learning secrets, including The Burglar's plan to get the "treasure" from the Parker home—so he chloroforms the befuddled Burglar!
Spidey realizes the tiger and the deadly snakes in the hall are mirages, so he fashions a web mask to keep his other senses sharp. Crashing through a wall, he confronts the deadly Mysterio, self-proclaimed master of illusion! The two enemies battle, with Spidey showing some agility, Mysterio some tricks like corrosive acid in his glove to burn webbing, when suddenly a dozen globe-wearing goons appear at once! Spidey's senses "aren't pinpointing the real McCoy," and after he leaps into a wall, the real Mysterio smashes him from behind! Soon after, our hero is chained to the bottom of a swimming pool, normally used to help the elderly patients get some relief, not meant as Spidey's "watery grave"—and the water is rapidly rising!--Joe Tura
Favorite sound effect is when the "tiger" leaps at Spidey on page 16 with a Tony-esque "GROAWLLL!" Luckily, the web-slinger realizes it's as much of an illusion as the idea that Frosted Flakes are good for you.
Chris: Mysterio's never done much for me – all smoke and mirrors. I'll give Marv full credit, though, for timing our villain's appearance, since: 1) I never suspected Marv to play Mystie for us [Let the record show that when I made the same pun in reviewing the next issue, I had not yet read this. --MRB], so good job to keep that info under wraps; and 2) the diving-at-shadows, shutting-his-eyes to block the illusions, etc, approach to battling an opponent is in stark contrast with the rock 'em sock 'em contest we saw with the Kingpin in our immediately-proceeding #197.
We seem to have Jonah restored back to his usual character; I guess he's gotten over Marv making him feel sorry for himself, as we saw last ish. Dr Madison – the likeliest person to spare Jonah from feeling alone, as he was complaining about last issue – also is here. So, did we really need those self-pity panels in our last issue, Marv? Well, all forgotten now.
Marv seems to take pride in the stirring speech by the doctor, who waxes romantic about Spidey's role as a hero (or something). It's really pretty embarrassing, though – all that's missing is a steady build and swell from the string section, maybe with the ol’ stars and stripes flapping firmly in the background. In fact, the sight of a costumed patient in a hospital bed, wearing a mask that covers his entire face (how are they supposed to take his temperature -?) is more than a little ridiculous. A practical solution to addressing Spidey's medical needs, while still maintaining his privacy, might've made for an entertaining moment, free of the high-falutinism.
Mark: Marv keeps the momentum building - barely - toward the Big Anniversary, yet it's anything but a smooth ride. And while Spidey's smackdown with the Kingpin last month was epic enough to paper over most of that tale's shortcomings, here Wolfman's deployment of tired tropes almost sinks the whole enterprise.
The Sal Buscema - Jim Mooney art is tremendously... adequate. Jonah's gal pal Marla puts in her first appearance in a while, but it's just to be on hand for J.J.'s meltdown. Whatever's medically wrong with the publisher gives Marv an excuse to rev up Jonah's bluster and paranoia, and the couple pages of J.J. as Rant-Man is the most entertaining thing here, before he tumbles into unconsciousness.
Mark: Marv keeps the momentum building - barely - toward the Big Anniversary, yet it's anything but a smooth ride. And while Spidey's smackdown with the Kingpin last month was epic enough to paper over most of that tale's shortcomings, here Wolfman's deployment of tired tropes almost sinks the whole enterprise.
Marv's most egregious cliché-slinging is a near-fatal overdose on that moldiest of oldies - dating to the penny dreadfuls, if not before - the I'll kill you but not before brag-'splain' my master plan/backstory ploy. The Burglar, whose own scheme is the shopworn work with a partner now, kill them later, was actually about to implement it when we check in with our baddies on p.6, but Rinehart/Mysterio (I admit, class, to not recognizing Misty's alias from ASM #24, although I knew the Rinehart name was key. I deliberately didn't look it up or even prematurely peek at this month's cover, to conjure, to the degree possible, a sense of reading this fresh off the spinner rack. And I frankly didn't care much about the mystery.) quickly subdues him then, with a jaunty, "...I can afford to be generous before destroying you." Mysterio launches into his half-baked prison break yarn (Misty's fake death means the guards who fake-shot him had to be in on it, right? What about the prison doctor and the warden? And since he was already "certified dead" and thus off the grid, he didn't need a fake Mysterio at all), after which he decides to let Burglar live a bit longer. Later, a billy club Whakko! to the noggin takes out Webs, who comes to, chained to the bottom of the rest home's empty pool, now beginning to fill with water. Mysterio bloviates about killing with theatrics. I like the big red Hah! Hah! Hah's! as the waters close over Spidey's head in the last panel, but we know next ish Misty's gonna leave our hero to his fate, thus missing his amazing escape.
And Wolfman opens with another Spidey standard, the Web-spinner hurt, helpless, and in the hands of Authority, but a kindly doctor who knows SM's a real hero keeps the cops from unmasking "my patient." How come the fuzz never think about the mask in the ambulance?
The nightmare Peter has in hospital, with screaming Jameson and hectoring friends, is also a cliche, but also fits perfectly with Misty's temporary psychosis gas. Yet here it's just a regular old nightmare, post K-pin thrashing. One could imagine Marv was going for something twisty there, but I think his Spidey Plot Flash Cards were just in the wrong order.
The Sal Buscema - Jim Mooney art is tremendously... adequate. Jonah's gal pal Marla puts in her first appearance in a while, but it's just to be on hand for J.J.'s meltdown. Whatever's medically wrong with the publisher gives Marv an excuse to rev up Jonah's bluster and paranoia, and the couple pages of J.J. as Rant-Man is the most entertaining thing here, before he tumbles into unconsciousness.
Admittedly, I was also skeptical of Wolfman's run up to the FF's 200th, but he came up in the clutch, so perhaps the benefit of the doubt is due here (And yes, kids, there will be a supplemental class on Amazing Spider-Man #200, even through it'll be dated - gasp! - 1980!).
So let's just hope, like Spidey in the pool, we've reached bottom.
"The Arms of Doctor Octopus"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by John Byrne and Terry Austin
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Keith Pollard and Bob McLeod
In a one-page Prologue, a "government stoolie" is tossed out of his apartment window by a sideburned sadist who wonders if a message was sent to the Feds. In Chapter One, "Spider-Man! I Know Who You Really Are!," Doctor Octopus rails against everyone in sight when he learns his plans have been stolen, an act blamed on "slickly-dressed dolt" Jimbo Ryan. Jimbo himself is spotted prowling around a warehouse by Spider-Man, who takes out the flunkies fast, but Jimbo jets away. While watching the cops take the goons away, Spidey meets a strange man who tells him to go to the funeral of Secret Service agent Kent Blake, to prove Blake's death wasn't a suicide. As Peter Parker "from the Globe," he learns Blake's wife feels the same. At his apartment, the strange man in the suit is somehow there, and he knows Peter is Spider-Man! He gives Peter Jimbo's address, and Pete shows up, undercover, as "Kid Parker," complete with shades, five o'clock shadow, and fists of fury! The gang boards a freighter to get parts for a "super-type weapon," and new member Kid Parker uses some webbing to save a guard from being shot.
Chapter 2, titled "Tentacled Encounters of the Octopus Kind," finds Doc Ock breaking into the police station to find Ryan's rabble-rousers have been bailed out, then he goes in search of Jimbo, finally busting into the hideout and recognizing Peter Parker! Ock skulks away since Jimbo wasn't there, and the goons dump Peter into the river, where he's saved by the strange guy in the suit! After a change to Spidey, it's off to Jimbo's pad to find Doc Ock on the warpath looking for the plans, but after Ock knocks Spidey out the window, he disappears. The mysterious G-man is there to tell Spidey they're at a downtown construction site.
After our story, we are treated to some of Spidey's deadliest foes, from Kingpin and Rhino to Looter and Kangaroo. Well, maybe deadliest is a matter of opinion. We also get looks at Peter Parker's Pad, the Daily Bugle, the Daily Globe, and Empire State University. Think of it as the Google Street View of 1979!
Chris: Marv being Marv, he gets so carried away with the hype – he tells us on page 1 “This Is The Strangest Spidey Saga – Ever!” – he nearly pushes it to the point of parody. I wish I could say Marv simply is offering a taste of Smilin’ Stan-style good-natured hyperbole; but, since this is the same writer/editor who insisted Marveldom was going mental for Nova, I approach the issue with doubts. If Marv’s going this hard on the sale, I have reason to be suspicious.
I admit the handling of the ghost character is well-done, particularly the way John Byrne presents him as a corporeal being, not wispy and wraithlike (which would’ve given it away from the start, right?). Agent Blake’s appearances seem to take Spidey consistently off-guard – again, facilitated by Byrne, as the ghost becomes fully visible in one panel, when he hadn’t been there a moment ago (such as p 8 pnl 2, and p 9 pnl 5). There’s no Spidey-sense tingle, so he’s not a threat – still, Spidey’s not accustomed to people getting the drop on him that way. Plus, how could he have figured out Spidey’s secret ID so easily – (p 9, pnl 6)!
"Wings and Arrows!"
Story by Mark Gruenwald, Roger Stern,
Steven Grant, and David Michelinie
Art by John Byrne and Dan Green
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by Jim Novak
Cover by John Byrne and Dan Green
Calamity time at the Avengers Mansion. No, there are no killer robots stalking the halls; it's just that, with so many Avengers left hanging around after the Arsenal battle (see Avengers Annual #9), things can get a bit hectic. Thor says his goodbyes as he flies off to re-join his Celestials battle (already in progress - neat trick that), nearly downing the Falcon in his jet stream. Sam arrives at the Mansion and learns about the new retinal-scanner installed for security. Hawkeye, feeling useless, insults Sam and goes back to his apartment to pout. The Scarlet Witch announces she needs time off and that sends Agent Gyrich into a tizzy. Back at his seedy apartment, Hawkeye notices an ad for a company needing a security man and breaks into the office of Cross Technological Enterprises' head honcho without setting off alarms. This impresses the chief and he hires the hero, explaining that the firm has had numerous break-ins lately. Later that week, while he is on guard, an alarm goes off and Hawk investigates, discovering a huge hole burned into the ceiling, the work of seventh-tier villainess, Deathbird (from Ms. Marvel #9-10). The winged Shi'ar warrior lets on that she needs some of the equipment located at CTE in order to return to her world and no two-bit ex-Avenger will stand in her way. A fierce battle ensues but, finally, Hawkeye is able to wrap the birdgirl up in one of his net-arrows. He delivers her (with a kiss) to local authorities and feels genuinely pleased with himself for not having to call his ex-comrades for help. Meanwhile, back at Avengers Mansion, Agent Gyrich gets plenty steamed and proclaims that "this is the end of the Avengers!" -Peter Enfantino
Matthew: I’m always surprised that such an issue would require so many writers, in this case plotted by Gruenwald, scripter Grant, and Stern, with “creative kibitzing” by Michelinie. It’s a shame they couldn’t have thrown Claremont into the mix, since he made such interesting use of his creation, Deathbird, in Ms. Marvel (and as much as I enjoy seeing Hawkeye in the spotlight, he should have had a harder time with her); also curious that, although the guards wear the same distinctive uniforms on page 27, no mention is made of the fact that this is the same CTE from the Michelinie/Byrne Ant-Man stories in Marvel Premiere #47-8. I wonder, if you’ll pardon the pun, how that Off-Broadway gig is going for Wonder Man when he doffs his shades?
Joe: Awful lot of questions on the front cover, and a decidedly mixed bag at that. Hawkeye gets his moment in the sun, which is welcome because we don't have to hear his bellyaching all issue. The rest of the soap opera stuff, from the Cap & Falcon "destiny" thing, to marital strife between the mutant and the android, to Thor leaving, which is not a huge issue, to my favorite, the Gyrich government harassment, complete with fist-shaking fury! But what about the insides you say? Byrne and Green keep up the fine work on the easel, with Steven Grant's script adding to the aforementioned mixed bag. There's a bit of melodrama, a lot of "superhero play by play," a bunch of asides to other titles, and a Hawkeye tour de force that's pretty interesting. But I could see the archer's shtick wouldn't carry his own title. Well, until the 2000s, that is. At least we get a nice Beast moment on the final page as Cap holds him back from popping Gyrich a well-deserved smack. Maybe this recent run has been so good, this one feels ever-so-slightly disappointing.
The Byrne/Green art continues to hold together, with most highlights involving Hawkeye: his grubby apartment, with a saggy window blind, a few unwashed items in the sink, an unmade bed (with a picture of Wanda taped above … interesting touch), and a makeshift Falcon dartboard (p 11); a funny bit involving Hawkeye’s boss, named “Mr Keeshan,” who has a noteworthy resemblance to a certain Bob Keeshan, better known to our younger students as Captain Kangaroo (p 14-15); Deathbird’s arrival in shadow (p 16, last pnl); Hawk’s comical posture, as he’s trapped with his back against a stack of boxes, his legs over his head (p 22); the bright flash takes out the lights, as Deathbird disappears into shadow (p 26, 1st pnl).
"Space-Mimic!"
Story by Bill Mantlo
Art by Sal Buscema and Klaus Janson
Colors by Bob Sharen
Letters by Irving Watanabe and John Costanza
Cover by Pat Broderick and Terry Austin
The fleet is in disarray and Adama is still in the Memory Machine thanks to Sire Uri’s treasonous actions. He and his men are put under arrest until the counsil can rule. Col. Tigh takes command and, with the agro ship missing, orders the fleet be placed on strict rationing. This will only buy them two weeks before all the food runs out. Meanwhile, repairs and upgrades on the slower ships go smoothly. Working on the outer hull, Master Tech Shadrack gives instructions to Junior Tech Whittaker. Moments later, a strange alien entity, one who was imprisoned in the void, touches the young tech, who reacts in pain. The alien becomes Whittaker, complete with his memories. The alien is a Space Mimic who severs the young man’s lifeline and casts him adrift to die in space. Reaching the Galactica, the mimic attacks Shadrack, who hits the faux-Whittaker with a wrench. He takes the being inside to the Med Bay where Dr. Spang tells Apollo, Starbuck and Athena that Whittaker not only is dead, but never seemed to be alive. Spang is left alone to run tests when the mimic revives and becomes Spang. The warriors return with Muffey to see the duplicate Spang about to murder the real one, who was about to discover the mimic’s secret. Muffey can tell them apart, so a wild chase ensues, where the mimic becomes Boomer, then Cassiopeia, and then finally Adama himself, complete with his memories and feelings for the people in his care. Because of Adama’s submergence in his memories, the alien cannot handle the influx of emotion from the humans who adore him. He becomes Adama and the alien realizes he had no identity of his own. Unable to withstand the pressures, the alien body explodes. -Scott McIntyre
"Mind-Stains on the Virgin Snow!"
Story by Peter Gillis
Art by Fred Kida and Don Perlin
Colors by Nelson Yomtov
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin
Outside the gates of Dovecote, the big bruising Widowmaker is forcing Captain America to eat copious amounts of snow, but a distraction caused by the telekinetic Snowfall (held prisoner inside the fortress) helps Cap get the upper hand. Our hero blasts his way through the massive gates and searches the halls for the cell holding Snowfall. When he thinks he's sniffed out the right room, he busts the door down, only to be confronted by... Nick Fury! Has the entire adventure been a dream? Did Cap imagine the wondrous and pretty darn gorgeous Snowfall? As the Avenger reaches into his suit, he finds one of the concussion packets Nick gave him before sending him off to Dovecote. Fury vanishes and Cap realizes that Snowfall has been guarded with illusions to throw him off the track. After more trickery, Cap bursts through the door and finds the man who has been holding Snowfall the entire time, the retired eighth-tier villain, Mind-Master, now confined to a wheelchair and distant memories of battles with superheroes who no longer have their own books. The old man confesses that he'd been training Snowfall but she proved too rebellious and powerful and he'd had to trap her in a "life-support coffin." As soon as he's finished his confession, Mind-Master lets on that Dovecote is about to be blasted into atoms and then he vanishes. Cap tears the coffin open to find... a very young, pig-tailed girl. Forgetting that this was the girl he was lusting for, Cap scoops Snowfall up in his arms and hightails it, exiting the building just as it explodes. Outside, the little girl tells Cap that she can see the future and that bad men will be coming for her. She freezes the Avenger's muscles and disappears into the driving snow. When the blizzard dies down, Cap follows the girl's footprints to the edge of a cliff. -Peter Enfantino
“The Vale of Lost Women!”
Story by Roy Thomas
Art by John Buscema and Ernie Chan
Colors by Ben Sean
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by John Buscema and Bob McLeod
Livia, a blonde and beauteous noblewoman from Ophir, rouses from a fitful sleep in the village of the Bakalans, a fierce Kushite tribe: along with her brother, she was captured while traveling to Kheshatta, the City of Magicians, to study their mystic arts. With a shudder, Livia remembers how her sibling was tortured to death soon after. Peering through the bamboo posts of her grass hut, she is shocked to see a brawny white man and a group of Bamula warriors stride into camp and up to the throne of Bajujh, the obese, toad-like king of the Bakalan people. After being welcomed as friends, the bronzed barbarian and his men are given plentiful food and drink as well as lodging for the night. When the noisy festivities are done, the Ophirean woman slips by her drunken guard and into the stranger’s hut. There, she tells the man, who is named Conan, about her kidnapping and offers herself up as a slave if he helps free her. The lustful Cimmerian agrees.
Hours later, the woman is thrown from her spooked mount. When Livia dusts herself off, she realizes that she is in what the Bakalans call the Vale of Lost Women, a haunted plain inhabited by ghosts with white, luminous eyes. To her dismay, the legend is true as weird, brown-skinned women emerge from the shadows and force her unto a round altar. Suddenly, a fearsome, winged monstrosity soars down from the sky and lands on the stone dais, its huge, gaping maw lunging for Livia’s throat. But Conan appears with a roar: after a rough and tumble tussle, he manages to slash the reptilian demon across the throat — the wounded creature tears away and flies off. The Cimmerian tells the noble-born woman that she is not of the sturdy stock to survive as concubine of a Bamula war chief and grants her freedom untouched. -Tom Flynn
From what I’ve read about the original, “The Vale of Lost Women” was written from Livia’s point of view and The Rascally One is faithful to that approach. While we all obviously know who he is, Conan is not actually named until page 14. And while she uses the word “slave” when making her bargain with the Cimmerian, sex is obviously what is implied. But when she lays eyes on the blood-drenched barbarian — gripping Bajujh’s ragged mop of hair in his right hand — Livia realizes that she has bitten off far more than she can handle and beats feet out of there. Now there’s not much explanation for the Vale itself. A few of the faces of the blank-eyed women are shown on the splash page and I actually thought they were supposed to be Bêlit with their flowing black hair. What curse makes them wander the plain and sacrifice trespassers to the winged monster? Who knows. But their hideous god is quite a fright — even though Conan manages to wound and chase it off in only about eight panels.
Daredevil 161
"To Dare the Devil!"
Story by Roger McKenzie
Art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Diana Albers
Cover by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
Turk has been on the run, from the Fulton Street wharf-rat bar to Coney Island; and, Daredevil has been on his tail, every step of the way. Turk’s employer, Eric Slaughter, is not impressed that this “frightened little fool” led DD straight to him. Daredevil makes it clear, though, he isn’t particularly interested in Slaughter and his hit-man crew; DD is after Bullseye, who has taken the Black Widow captive. DD is briefly drawn to Coney Island’s Astrotower (which provides Slaughter’s crew with another opportunity to pick DD off in an open, exposed area), but a voice over the loudspeaker – Bullseye’s voice – turns DD’s attention to the Cyclone coaster, where the Widow is tied to the rails as a string of roller-coaster cars (filled with armed hoods, their sights on the man in crimson tights) bears down on her. DD moves in for the rescue, despite the threat of gunfire – but then backs off, as the cars smack into the Widow, and knock her body to the ground, far below. Except, it’s not the Widow, is it – it’s a faceless mannequin, with a dark-red wig. “He knew!” Bullseye exclaims; “Somehow … some way … he knew!”
Bullseye orders one of his men to dispatch the real Widow (still Bullseye’s captive), but as the man throws knives at the Widow, Bullseye realizes too late that she is twisting around not to avoid the incoming knives, but so she can use a bearing-down blade to catch the ropes binding her, to free herself. Bullseye decides to manage the Widow’s execution himself, until his knife-bearing hand is caught from behind by DD’s billyclub cable. DD tees off on Bullseye (as Natasha smacks-down the rest of the thugs), his ferocity gaining him the upper hand, until Bullseye snares DD’s flung billyclub, and turns the club against its owner. DD still isn’t beaten, as he catches Bullseye with a series of blows and knocks him to the floor. Bullseye doubts himself, as he wonders why Daredevil hasn’t given up – “What sort of man is he?” He then grabs a loose pistol from the brawl-littered floor, and takes aim. Daredevil recognizes he’s particularly vulnerable without his club (DD caught a slug in mid-air with the club in #159, right -?), but he picks up on Bullseye’s rapid heart rate, and decides to bluff, as he asks “You tried that before, remember?” [in #146, for those of you scoring at home] “It didn’t stop me then. And it won’t stop me now.” Bullseye cracks completely under DD’s unflinching (you might say “fearless”) confidence, and is left unarmed, muttering to himself. Slaughter states Daredevil has earned his respect; they will meet again, and “things will be different, then.” DD hoists Bullseye over his shoulder, and as he and Natasha walk out, he quietly fires back, “Count on it.” -Chris Blake
B.D. F. of Chino CA calls the McKenzie/Miller Daredevil “more mysterious, more somber, more of a devilish force to the foes he encounters.” His inability to save Maxwell Glenn – and his relationship with Heather – have changed Matt Murdock; as Natasha observes, he’s “so grim … so cold-blooded. He’s changed, he’s not the same man I used to know.” The self-questioning, gaily-bantering figure is dead and gone, as Daredevil continues to reassert his place as one of Marvel’s standout characters.
Mark: A great, vertigo-inducing cover by Frank Miller, but I'm almost more impressed that Marvel published it, completely unmarred by word balloons.
Once inside, class, prepare to be confounded by one of the most schizophrenic tales I've read in many a moon. Fortunately, the plus side of the ledger weighs heavier, thanks to the burgeoning talents of Mr. Miller. Not only does the art itself (Frank in harmonious harness with Klaus Janson) continue to improve (check out the extreme close-up of Eric Slaughter's murderous mug on p.2), but, even more impressively, Miller's genius for panel composition and layout is now in full flower, most notably in the double-splash of DD battling Slaughter's gunsels on the Coney Island roller coaster, but also evident in the thin, vertical panels of Natasha avoiding Cutter's hurled knifes and the two-panel crane-shot on the final page. Miller's multiple time-lapse shots of Hornhead in mid-tumble evoke Steve Ditko's Spidey, and, cover to cover, this one's a feast for the eyes.
The plot-character development side also shows Miller's growing influence, as the Widow notes, "...I don't think I've ever seen Matt so grim...so cold-blooded," and the still-new character Ben Urich proves to be a better connect-the-dots reporter than the Bugle's beloved Joe Robertson (admittedly, Robbie's real boss - not J.J.J. but high Bullpen muck-a-mucks - kept him from following P. Parker's web fluid-sticky breadcrumb trail).
So this one has all the makings of a classic, until things break down completely thanks to...Bullseye's breakdown. That one of Marvel's most cold-blooded psycho killers can't pull the trigger on DD just because he's taken a punch or ten, but instead mentally crumbles into thumb-sucking "D-Don't hurt me...Devil" mode simply beggars belief.
That Miller and Roger McKenzie poop out completely about three pages from the finish line of a long, compelling story arc is, to your humble prof, completely baffling. Outright schizo.
But keep the faith, effendi. Despite the steaming deuce into the punch bowl ending, Frank Miller has just started to vault Daredevil into the big leagues.
The Defenders 77
"Waiting for the End of the World!"
Story by Steven Grant and Mark Gruenwald
Art by Herb Trimpe, Al Milgrom, Chic Stone
and Steve Mitchell
Colors by George Roussos
Letters by Joe Rosen
Cover by Rich Buckler and Al Milgrom
Ruby Thursday confronts James-Michael about the disappearance of Omega and the boy has no answers for her. Just then, one of the space invaders who are chasing J-M busts the door down and heads for the kid. Coincidentally, the four fine females that (at this moment) constitute the Defenders are walking down the same Las Vegas street, looking for the kidnapped teen. A disruption ahead convinces the girls they are close. The space robot has been tossed through a wall and Ruby Thursday and Dibbuk stand among the rubble, urging the heroines to have a go at them. A rumble ensues and J-M wanders off, with Moondragon following. A fleet of spaceships appears overhead and J-M lights them up with his Omega-driven powers, destroying half of Vegas and killing thousands of alcoholic gamblers. Moondragon saps some information from one of the dying robot men and discovers that the Defenders have had it all wrong from the get-go. Meanwhile, "somewhere on the Atlantic Seaboard," the Hulk is absorbed by the white blobby bowling pin thingie (seen last issue) and spit back out, vowing this will all mean something someday.
Back to Sin City... the Wasp has had enough and takes action, blowing Ruby's head off with a well-placed bio-disrupter blast (Jan's guilt lasts all of a half-panel). Dibbuk gathers up the springs, batteries, and gears that once constituted his hot boss and disappears in a burst of flame. Hellcat, Wasp, and Val head off to find Moony, who is in battle with James-Michael. The bald beauty begs J-M to link his mind with the dying space man and, when he agrees, the entire origin of Omega/J-M is laid out for his young eyes to behold. Hoping to survive by sending out "models" of its own civilization, a dying race crafts Omega (né X32) and plans his journey to Earth. At some point, it is determined by other space beings (our big bad robot friends) that the X32 may be too dangerous to ship to Earth and an invasion is planned. The X32 destroys the invaders but the energy unleashed also destroys the planet. Omega heads to Earth. Back in the present, J-M vehemently denies the story he's been shown and gets ready to full-blast Earth until an injured Dian (victim of a falling space ship) begs J-M to rethink his strategy. Knowing the only way to contain his immense power is to absorb it into himself, the kid commits energy Harakiri. Disgusted with the way the Defenders handled the entire situation, Moondragon flies off, vowing never to shop with any of her fellow heroines again. -Peter Enfantino
Chris: The cover come-on proclaims “Starring the Hulk,” etc; yeah okay, we’ve seen this before – so tell me, what should we expect of the Hulkster this time – will he commune with a whale? Will he eat a hot dog -? Ah, the rich array of possibilities. No, of course not; all we get is a one-page conclusion of Hulk’s one-page encounter from #76 with “silverthing.” That’s right, one page each in consecutive issues; that means, of course, this two-page encounter could’ve been presented in its entirety in one issue. So, despite more than one printed LOC complaining about cover-misrepresentations of the Hulk’s role in a given issue, the trend unapologetically continues.
Speaking of the almighty lettercol, longtime LOCer Cat Y. of Birch Tree MO sends a lengthy missive, filled with commentary about the inconsistencies and other story-telling breakdowns in the needless Omega wrap-up, and pointedly states, “WHO IS EDITING THIS MAGAZINE? …This kind of sheer unadulterated bogus nincompoopery looks like the work of rank amateurs.” Well, editor Al Milgrom does step forward and identify himself (and also drags poor assistant Jo Duffy into this), but not until after he’s spent five paragraphs trying to weasel out of Cat’s carefully-observed and well-earned criticisms.
Moving on. An advantage to the ol’ non-team model is it entitles you to recruit a non-member to fulfill a specific purpose (sorta like how Daredevil could tactilely “read” both sides of a coin, and thereby outwit the Grandmaster in G-S Defenders #3, remember -?). The Wasp’s seemingly random presence allows for some fun at Ruby’s expense. First of all, Ruby comments on how “Dr Strange and the rest” appear no longer to be connected to the team; I guess Ruby missed Dollar Bill’s dynamic Defenders documentary, hmm? (Although, it’s probably a sound decision on Ruby’s part, when you think about it … .) Secondly, the Wasp (after flying the team to Vegas in a quinjet – that’s handy) blasts a hole in Ruby’s dome head, taking her out of the fight (that was easy), before she and Dibbuk vanish in a classic puff of smoke (p 15).
The rest – page after page of exposition – rounds out the issue. Moondragon laments how the Defenders have interfered with something, but it seems the decision to shut down Omega originates from the robot-men, due to their realization that he can’t adequately handle the power built into him. Or something like that – I’m not going back to double-check the particulars. Moondragon (also dropped-in to serve a specific purpose, not part of the organic development of the story) leaves in a huff, stating Earth-based heroes should “never summon [her] again!” Well, you forget, Ms Moonie (or maybe it was scripter Grant) – you volunteered your services in #76; it’s pretty likely no one would purposely petition your input.
This title has gone from a showcase for unusual circumstances (Gerber/Buscema) to straightforward team-based action (Kraft/Giffen) to inconsistent (Kraft/Hannigan), to what’s now a downright pointless and uninteresting monthly afterthought (Hannigan, Grant/Trimpe). But wait – sez here the Hulk is back next issue -! Reserve my copy ..!
Fantastic Four 212
"Battle of the Titans!"
Story by Marv Wolfman
Art by John Byrne and Joe Sinnott
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Walter Simonson
The distracted reader might think they've stumbled into What If? as "Battle of the Titans" opens with the Watcher, nattering on while narrating a three-page flashback stretching all the way back to FF #204. Baldie's his usual contradictory self, first calling the coming battle for Earth "...an already pre-determined struggle," then announcing "...I do not know" if Earth will survive.
PROLOGUE OVER, new Galactus herald Terrax (his face almost a dead ringer for Kirby's Darkseid) buzzes NYC, terrorizing civilians. The Thing attacks, but it's Big Purple who puts his new hire in his place, while air-walking the Fabs to the roof of the Bax Building. There, we see the effects of the Skull's aging ray have accelerated to the point that Sue is a withered crone, near death! Old man Richards ain't looking so hot himself, but can still scoop up his wife and stretch from the roof down into one of the labs, installing Sue in a cryo-chamber. Wolfman doesn't explain it (or bother to mention it at all), but let's assume Ben's rocky exterior is aging him extremely slowly, since he's still able to throw down with Terrax.
In his now-standard brief appearance (parceled out here at a stingy two panels), Herbie locates the Sphinx in... Egypt (well, whaddaya expect, Lower Slobovia?). Galax dispatches Darksi... er Terrax to lead the way then transports the male Fabs to his spherical ship so they can accompany him to the battle. You'd think Reed would lobby to be allowed to stay behind and, you know, work on an aging-ray-cure before they all kick, but maybe that's just me.
THEN THE SKRULL who beamed into the Bax on the trail of Princess Adora back in #204 (explaining why the Watcher mentioned him during his bloviations), and was assumed dead, morphs into Skrully shape, after hiding out in the guise of one of Reed's many gizmos, lo, these long months. And then he reveals himself as a robot, soliloquizing about "...my Skrull creators" and a couple panels later he's working on his mechanical chest with Reed's tools, while pilfering "Earth's primary defense secrets" and beaming them to his big-eared overlords. Seems they're gearing up to invade Earth again.
Get in line, greenies.
The new herald's blasted off his flying rock and about to be trampled under foot when Big G arrives. The two titans face off. Sphinx's comment to Galax - "The same words, eh (Galactus)... but all I need is one minor alteration," suggests the coming battle was revealed by Sayge and/or lived before.
Mark: This one's not bad (and given Marv Wolfman's recent run of stinkers, not bad = good), if largely concerned with running in place, given that nine of the seventeen pages are devoted to flashbacks: three narrated by the Watcher, six by the Sphincter, er, Sphinx. Yeah, we get a bit more of the latter's backstory, but his new Galactus-like height wasn't accompanied by an increase in stature or character-depth. He remains a one-note baddie, no matter how many living computers or faceless ancient oracles he encounters. Let's hope Marv - eventually - provides fan service by letting us see Galax beat the tar out of him.
If you're willing to settle for mere decent execution of the Big Stakes - the fate of the world! - sci-fi super heroics that Fantastic Four once pioneered and now traffics by rote, this one gets it done. And I am willing, class, provided Marv sticks the landing.
We're well-removed from recent atrocities like Security University, thankfully, but that's a really low bar, Marv, so just make sure Galactus wails on the Sphinx...
Chris: I’ve made no secret of my dislike for Marv’s tendency to fail to capably develop suspense in a continuing storyline, as he either drags out the set-up, or follows a tangent into a dark corner, far removed from the story-at-hand. For once, I won’t complain that there’s more Galactus vs Sphinx battling featured on the cover than there is in the entire issue. The fact is, #211 (the Introduction of Terrax) and #212 (the Life and Times of the Sphinx, for Whom Life Had Become a Chore, Until He Did Attain Great Power) serve together as a tantalizing warm-up to the featured attraction; once the battle begins in earnest, we the readers will have a thorough appreciation for the Sphinx’s experience. It helps that Marv feeds tantalizing lines to the Sphinx, which clearly indicate he’s envisioned (and possibly, in some other reality, already has fought) this battle, possibly countless times before. At the same time, we also can expect a simultaneous undercard bout, as in this corner, the Aging Unto Death FF will face Already Twice-Cowed Terrax the Once-Tamer, as he seeks to reclaim his mojo! Instead of momentum-derailment, Marv has managed this time to build up beautifully toward our next thrill-packed chapter. (Now, if FF #213 turns out to be a full issue devoted to Herbie’s nifty Manhattan shopping spree, then I will take back absolutely everything I just said.)
Matthew: Can we agree to thank God that Byrnott doesn’t depict Ben with the prune-face he sports on Simonson’s cover? Holy cats! Marv’s been spinning out this yarn for so long that he feels the need to expend three pages on an Uatu-provided recap…which, ironically, helps spin it out even longer. Then, presumably to benefit those who didn’t thrill to his origin in Nova, the Sphinxter walks us through it again, consuming four more pages. Then, they burn off two more on an admittedly handsome spread of Egypt 2.0 that doesn’t move the plot needle either, so we’ve now accounted for more than half the page count. At least it all looks awesome, especially the air-walking Galactus and tiny Terrax and FF above Manhattan in page 10, panel 1.
Byrne excels, as always, both in the big spots, and in the subtler moments. Let us count the ways: the city-spanning Galactus, as he schools Terrax (p 7 last pnl, aided by colorist Carl Gafford); the Sphinx peers down purposefully at Xandar, before he totally freaks out when he absorbs the knowledge of their Living Computers (p 19, pnl 2 and 3); the splendour of olde Egypt, in a double-page spread! (p 22-23); the Sphinx cast in shadow, as Galactus makes his inevitable, as-prophesied approach (p 26, last pnl).
Lastly, after a series of works by Pollard and Byrne, how do you suppose Walt Simonson was selected to provide the cover art -? Years, many years from now, Simonson will bring his writer/artist approach – the same one that will shine from Thor as a beacon of brilliance in the later Bronze era – to the FF, and provide a nifty, exuberantly-illustrated series of adventures. Not assigned reading, but still, you could look 'em up.
The Incredible Hulk 241
"Partners in Deception!"
Story by Roger Stern
Art by Sal Buscema
Colors by Glynis Wein
Letters by Jim Novak
Cover by Al Milgrom
Once the flame is powerful enough, the aged Des releases two giant mechanical claws to grab the others and draw off their life energy. This was the master plan all along: Des uses their energy to recreate a youth-restoring elixir and return to the youthful form of Tyrannus! Now, the mad former ruler of Subterranea has the power to take over the world. Goldbug attacks Tyrannus and lobs a gold-emitting thingamabob at the half-Hulk. It encases him in hard gold, panicking him enough to make the change complete. Hulk breaks free, but it’s too late. Tyrannus has the full power of the flame behind him and declares himself ruler of the world. -Scott McIntyre
Scott: I remember when I saw this issue, it was well after publication, roughly around the time The Incredible Hulk TV series was in its fourth season. The premiere that year was an amazing two-parter where radiation from a fallen meteor causes Banner to be stuck in mid-transformation. I snatched up this fairly recent back issue expecting something truly great along those lines. I didn’t get it and have hated this issue ever since. It’s a dreary, talky issue with art and character design so bland that you can’t even tell the figure trapped in the machine is a Hulk/Banner mashup. It just looks like a smaller, lighter colored Hulk. Banner was always drawn very nondescript; Buscema had his own version: white guy, shaggy dark hair parted down the middle. Actually, I don’t know if there was even a model to keep consistent from artist to artist. Other than that, this is so heavily weighed down with exposition, there’s no excitement. Honestly, this is just bland crap, wasting Tyrannus as a villain. 
Chris: Tyrannus works the long con, as he plays both Prince Rey and the Keeper of the Light for suckers; don’t these guys know that a three-headed leadership scheme is doomed to failure? Stern sets up Tyrannus’ double-cross well, as he shows Rey comfortably positioned to assume the lead role in the triumvirate, and “old Des” expected to serve a supporting role – that is, until Des snaps up both Rey and the Keeper and has them drawn into the flame, where their life-forces are unapologetically burned to feed the fire. To top it all, the Hulk is trapped between Banner and Hulk, in an effort to tap his gamma-fueled power without allowing him to be powerful enough to break free; as a result, Banner sees and hears the results of Tyrannus’ cruelty as he enacts his coup, but finds it “so … hard to think!” and thus is powerless to stop him. Nice play to have Goldbug (remember Goldbug? He was asleep down the hall as this played out) step in and amp the Hulk to his full Mean Greenness, thereby foiling a phase of the grand scheme. Tyrannus still expects to succeed in his plan to become “absolute monarch of the planet Earth!," but I gots my doubts. You hear dis, Tyrannus – now that ol’ Hulk done got hisself free, I figga you in for a big-time hurtin’; don’ tell me I dint tell ya so, now …
Much ceremony was made over Joe Sinnott’s arrival as new embellisher, and the art-results for #240 were quite good as a result. I’d had enough to say about last issue, so I thought I’d hold off until this time to respond to the Buscema/Sinnott art. But now, after the one issue, I see Sinnott is gone, and doesn’t appear to return to the pages of the Hulk for the remainder of the Bronze era! So, what happened … Sinnott is finished as inker for MTIO, so he isn’t busy with that. Well, in any case, Sal B. is a decent inker, but he’s not the best self-inker; the art, even though inks have been applied to pencils, appears indistinct, as though it still awaits an embellisher’s arrival.
The Man-Thing 1
"Regeneration -- and Rebirth"
Story by Michael Fleisher
Art by Jim Mooney and Bob Wiacek
Colors by Carl Gafford
Letters by John Costanza
Cover by Bob Wiacek
Late into the evening hours, nearing midnight, Dr Oheimer tirelessly continues his study of a process that could result in brain-cell regeneration. On his way home for a few hours rest, Dr Oheimer is abducted and taken to a house in the swamp. There, Oheimer meets a man who identifies himself as a deputy director of the CIA, who recounts for the molecular researcher the incredible tale of Ted Sallis. Sallis’ failed attempt to recreate the super-soldier formula resulted in his transformation to the mindless, shambling Man-Thing; the agents now hope Oheimer’s processes can help restore Sallis’ mind and provide them with a potential super-solider formula, “before the Russians develop their own version of it!” First order of business is to build a massive structure in the swamp, intended both to lure and contain the Man-Thing, so he might be subjected to mind-regenerating treatment. Once construction is complete, a device within the structure broadcasts a “sonic vibration” that unsettles all the swamp creatures; on cue, Man-Thing is deeply disturbed by the discomfort experienced by the nearby living things, and arrives to stop the disruption. On some level, Man-Thing (somehow) recognizes he’s walked into a trap; but, in short order, he’s assaulted by microwaves, leaving him dehydrated and debilitated. M-T is contained, and Dr Oheimer injects his “cerebral regenerative serum” into Manny’s form, in the hope that the Sallis brain cells “uniformly spread throughout his mass” will begin to coalesce. Over the course of the next few days, Manny receives both serum injections and coaching from Oheimer, as a nascent intelligence begins to develop. Meanwhile, other swamp dwellers (humans, this time) have taken photos, which are sent to Miami, and find their way to the FBI; the Bureau recognizes Oheimer has been taken in by a group of enemy agents who hope to claim the super-soldier formula to advance their own aims!
A squad of commandos is dispatched, with orders to retrieve Oheimer unharmed (they aren’t concerned whether Man-Thing suffers bruising in the process). The commandos rout Oheimer’s captors, but when it becomes apparent they mean to eliminate M-T as well, Oheimer (in an attempt to protect the emerging Sallis) is caught by his would-be rescuers’ bullets. Man-Thing turns on the soldiers, some of whom – as they realize their conventional firearms and small explosives can’t damage M-T, typically passing straight thru him – begin to panic, and to feel fear. Man-Thing desires, more than anything, to destroy this hateful emotion, and so, those who know fear Burn at the Man-Thing’s Touch. M-T carries Oheimer’s body with him, into the swamp. Does he shed a tear, for the loss of a man who sought to help him, and for the forever-lost chance to re-connect with his humanity? -Chris Blake
Michael Fleisher tells a decent story, and gets some of the tragic nature of the once-brilliant, now-mindless character. Still, the powers of Marvel editorial must’ve realized there’d be no way to match the weird vibe of Steve Gerber’s better efforts on the original title; well, in any case, they thought they’d give it a try, and M-T vol II lasted eleven issues. Personally, I would’ve preferred to see M-T as a semi-regular feature in a revamped Strange Tales, as an anthology spotlighting semi-retired “mystery” types like Son of Satan, Brother Voodoo, Werewolf by Night, and (dare I say it!) perhaps even Morbius (provided, of course, there’d be no chance of a rematch with Helleyes …). This way, M-T would’ve appeared only periodically, and only when there’d be a sure-fire (so to speak) Man-Thing story to tell.
When IM 128 hit the stands I was 19, and I hated the ending. Why bother even taking this topic if you write such a superficial ending. Cured in 5 panels. Yeah, right. Later Denny O'Neil/Luke McDonnel gave Tony's alcoholism much more space, but cranked the melodram to eleven. But I am prejudiced, I fear, because I couldn't stand McDonnel's art. So maybe the O'Neil run is better as I remember.
ReplyDeleteThis Man Thing is a new one for me. Never knew it even existed. Fleisher should have been a good choice for this. I only know his later Conan, which was disappointing in every regard. Sometimes I think his rightly high regarded Spectre was a fluke. I could never understand his lawsuit.