The taming of a tyrant!

 Week Ending 21st December 1974

The Mighty World of Marvel #116

This cover was drawn for this issue by Ron Wilson with inks by Frank Giacoia. Nick Caputo from  the Grand Comics Database believes that Mike Esposito possibly assisted with the inking. I'll have to mark it down because Doctor Doom looks as big as, if not even bigger than the Hulk. 

The Incredible Hulk “Mine is the Power!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Dick Ayers

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #144

Cover date October 1971

(Published in July 1971)

The opening splash page uses the cover artwork from Marvel Superheroes #20, cover dated May 1969, published February 1969, by Larry Lieber and Vince Colletta. That comic featured Doctor Doom in a story called "This Man...This Demon!" The first half was re-printed in last week's Planet of the Apes and while the second is printed in this week's POTA. Doom has orchestrated an attack on a neighbouring country to look like the Hulk was responsible by escaping with a Gamma bomb, so that in Valeria's eyes Doom is a peace maker. 

However the bomb goes off before it can reach its target. Doom learns that Valeria, had used his own subliminal inducer to change Banner back to normal and sabotaged his plan. The Hulk returns to furiously attack the castle. Doom has to fight off the Hulk in a colossal clash of titans over the Latvian capital city. When their battle puts Valeria at risk of injury, Doctor Doom selflessly uses his force-field to protect her. Seeing an advantage the Hulk leaps in, smashing Doom's force field to grab the dictator in a bear hugging crush. Valeria, not wanting to see her childhood sweetheart killed, begs the Hulk to spare him. Deep within the Hulk's savage mind a connection between Doom and Valeria's love and his own relationship with Betty leaves the green monster sad and so he decides to leave, bounding off into the distance. Angered that his grotesque opponent has walked away from him Doctor Doom shouts at him to come back and finish their fight.

One last thing about this story, when I re-read this story as part of my preparation for this week's blog I recognised the fifth panel from the tenth page as a piece of art that was used on the inside of the 1974 Marvel Annual, published in the autumn/winter of 1973. I fell so headlong in love with that annual that half a century later I still recall every page. I adore British hardback annuals, I wonder will I get any this Christmas? *Teaser* If you have fond memories of annuals from years gone by it might be a good idea to keep an eye on the Power of the Beesting blog later this month. 

Daredevil “The saga of the Stilt-Man!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in Daredevil #26

Cover date March 1967

(Published in January 1966)

The fourteenth page of the original story comes at the perfect time to make a great second part opening splash page. As Daredevil continues his battle with the freshly returned Stilt-Man Stan Lee and Gene Colan have the good sense to fill the readers in on what happened to the lanky lawbreaker. After Wilbur Day had fallen victim to his own shrinking gun, as seen in MWOM #72, he found himself trapped in a timeless limbo, until many months later he reverted to his original size at the same point he originally disappeared. Well that's an easy plot fixer!

As if Daredevil fighting the Stilt-Man isn't enough for the fearless Daredevil readers the Masked Marauder turns up, breaking into the offices of Murdock and Nelson in the hope that he can find some connection between the law firm and Daredevil himself. I guess Karen Page must have shredded the letter from Spider-man stating the he knew Matt Murdock was Daredevil. (I wish Stan and Gene had done that when they came up with the Mike Murdock plot.) In a Scooby Doo way the Marauder reveals himself to be Frank Farnum, the manager of the building where Murdock and Nelson rent their offices. In the action packed ending to Daredevil's battle with the Stilt-Man, which to be honest it's what we all came for, our hero ties up the villain's stilts causing him to fall into a dark alley way, where Frank Farnum is just leaving. He helps the Stilt-Man into the back of his car, good thing those stilts retract when the villain is unconscious. Daredevil is too late but Farnum notices that he called him by his name even though he's never meet him before. The plot thickens next week.

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Elaine Nixon from Hampshire is thirteen years old at the time of writing, a keen footballer who plays in a local girl football club called "Floral Way United" and is also a Man United fan. Hopefully she still keeps up with the football but has grown out of the Man United bit. She's also a Marvel fan which I really hope she still is. You never outgrow Marvel Jim Ivers from Dublin is a massive Marvel fan, regular readers will recognise his name and remember the many long and interesting letters he had written over the years. Jim suggests which artist and writers are best suited to various super-heroes. I haven't the room to repeat it all but if you read one letter from this week's letter pages make sure it's this one. I like his point on the Master of Kung Fu strip, but I'm not sure I fully agree with him when he says it was a big mistake replacing Steve Englehart with Doug Moench. Both are really great, similar in many ways but also different. I wouldn't say Doug replacing Steve was a big mistake, just something different. Peter Leckie from Liverpool thinks that the current set of Marvel comics are great but the older issues from 1 to 10, were better because they had some colour pages and free pin-ups.    

P. Panayi from London is sick of people writing in complaining, moaning and groaning. Some are fine but too many makes the mailbag boring. Michael Melsom KOF, RFO, from Wiltshire describes Marvel mags as the epitome of comic mags. He found the John Romita Sr's works to be superb. Michael comments on Steve Deane's opinions and agrees with David Barber comments that the US Marvels are "drying up" over Kevin Nuency's remark that took a different opinion. Michael challenges Kevin to a "duel" over their Marvel knowledge. Martin Dean from Buckinghamshire picks up on a minor plot-hole from MWOM #92. J.D. from South Wales thinks that Spider-man, Thor, Hulk and Shang-Chi are fantastic and not to drop them. Frank Lythgoe from Wigan congratulates Marvel on the 1975 Annuals. He's got all three and they're great. Steven Nolan from Gorton asks why does Johnny Storm say "Flame On!" It's just his battle cry. Gary Pleace from Cardiff wonders why in the 1968 Fantastic Annual there are pictures of all the stars on the inside including Doctor Strange, but he's not featured in the book. Gary McKler RFO, from Oldham, spotted on the cover of MWOM #97 that Ka-Zar was supposed to feature inside but he didn't.

The Fantastic Four “Klaw, master of sound!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Joe Sinnott 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #53

Cover date August 1966

(Published in May 1966)

The third panel from page twenty-eight from last week's comic is used as an opening splash page to this week's second part. It's all out action as the Wakanda forces repel gigantic crimson monsters created by Klaw, the master of sound. So the Black Panther and the Fantastic Four join in the action. It's the kind of jungle action with a Jack Kirby take on it that I absolutely love.   

The Panther tracks Klaw to his hide out, where the fiend is controlling his sound creatures via his "sound transformer. The two face-off with against each other. Klaw's damaged hand has been replaced with a metal "force glove" that he says can unleash powerful energy activated by the slightest sound. The Panther battles him but the carnage destroys  Klaw's base, which in turn causes his solid sound creations to vanish. Barely surviving Klaw crawls into the sound transformer hoping to gain the power necessary to crush the Black Panther once and for all. But that's a story for another time.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #97

The original artwork for this cover was penciled and inked by John Romita Sr. for the Amazing Spider-man #79. It was adapted for this issue of Spider-man Comics Weekly by Mike Esposito. The main change is instead of Peter Parker falling through the window Spider-man does, obviously to appeal to a more "super-hero" interested public. This cover was adapted again and used for Marvel Tales issue 60, cover dated August 1975, published May 1975. The "To prowl no more!" text is also changed for the British version so that Jameson's speech bubble can be added, because Brits love a speech bubble on a cover. 

Spider-man “To prowl no more!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Jim Mooney

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #79

Cover date December 1969

(Published in September 1969)

Peter hurls himself out of a window to end his struggle with the Prowler, so that he can make the quick change into the wall-crawler. Shocked by what had just happened the Prowler flees with Jameson accusing him of being a murderer. Spider-man cuts him off at the roof and the pair begin to fight.

With ease Spider-man's over-confidence gets the better of him as the Prowler releases gas pellets from his boot catching Spidey off guard. The reluctant villain flees back to his home. Spider-man changes back into Peter Parker giving Jameson and Robertson the excuse that Spider-man saved him from his fall, but he never had any time to take any photographs of the two costumed characters fighting. Hobie Brown is distraught and his mind can only think of one way to clear himself and that is beat Spider-man and deliver him to the police. Next week "Vindication!"  

Iron Man “If I fail, a world is lost!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #66

Cover date June 1965

(Published in March 1965)

Tony Stark is called on by Senator Byrd to demonstrate his latest invention, a transistorised one man submarine. Stark explains that he will get Iron Man to carry out its maiden shakedown run, but Happy Hogun volunteers to take his place, so that he can impress Pepper Potts. Stark declines the offer as Iron Man is more familiarised with the sub's operation. Happy throws a hissy-fit and quits.

Iron Man takes the sub out for its test run and soon the sonar-alarm detects something ahead. Leaving the sub to investigate Iron Man stumbles upon an undersea army lead by Attuma who has been building a giant weapon. Quickly Iron Man attacks Attuma's troops. But confronted by Attuma is too much for the armoured Avenger, who is quickly defeated and imprisoned by the Atlantean warlord. Breaking free of his prison, Iron Man then uses the experimental sub to destroy Attuma's weapon.Later on the surface Iron Man keeps Attuma's attack secret, leading Senator Byrd to assume that the sub was a failure which was due to Tony Stark's apparent playboy attitude.

The Web and the Hammer

Byran Foster from Surrey thinks Marvel mags are fab and he's got over 70 of them. Jadavji Bhudia from London says that he enjoys reading the "brain-blasting" mags, Spider-man, the Thing and Daredevil most of all. Malcom Moore from Birmingham bought issue one of SMCW out of curiosity but has bought every one since. Andrew Stocker from Heuras Water wants to become an artist like Paul Gulacy, he's been practising for years. Russell Norluno from Middlesborough points out that even though Marvel editors want to receive more letters with constructive criticism in them they would be to no avail, as the stories in the UK mags are reprints and therefore it's impossible to change their artwork, stories or generally affect their future by letter writing. The editor replies that even though the stories have already been created years ago it doesn't mean that they can't change the line-ups and re-shuffle the mags to tailor them to what British fans want. Jonathon Turton from Sheffield is sad to say that he's the only one in his family who likes Marvel comics. Well all families have their problems. Jim Rogan from Belfast considered giving up on the weeklies after a slight decline. But now they are as good as ever. 

Chris Briscoe RFO, KOF, from Worcester has already written to MWOM and has decided to write to SMCW. He points out to David Taylor whose letter appeared in Avengers mailbag in #48 that he said "So until Iron-Man's suit melts...Make Mine Marvel" in Tales of Suspense it did. Anthony Clarke from Hertfordshire writes that's John Romita Sr is fantastic and his artwork leaves him breathless. Ernest Hobbs from London asks where did Spidey

get his costume from? Peter Parker made it himself. John Goldsmith from Middlesex says Selfridges are selling Hulk, Silver Surfer and Spider-man T-shirts for £1.60. Jim Hendry from Dundee says Spider-man cartoons are shown on his local ITV station. Oliver Shudder from Kent gets SMCW and he introduced his twin brothers to the Avengers and MWOM. Frank Collingham RFO, KOF, from St. Albans has got every Spidey story from the origin of Spider-man. A.B. Oxford thinks Marvel could adapt Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" in the same way they have done adaptations of stories from books like Robert Howard's "Conan" and Lin Carter's "Thongor". The only problem is the copyright permission. 

The Mighty Thor “The circus of evil!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Mighty Thor #145

Cover date October 1967

(Published in August 1967)

The fifth panel from the last page of last week's Thor tale is blown up to become this week's second part open splash page. Thor dressed in civilian clothes has been attacked by Princess Python's pet snake. The Thunder God's strength is enough to subdue the giant python but a blast from its mistress's electric prod stuns him.

The circus that Thor had gone to with hope of finding employment turns out to be owned by the Ringmaster and his Circus of Evil. They are looking for a new strong man. Thor tells them he is the Asgardian Thor but when his hammer fails to return to him, as Odin has stripped him of his godly powers save for his incredible strength, they don't believe him. Offering him a chance to prove his strength they present him a giant lead model of a gold bull and if he can lift it he can become their new strong man. Thor carries the statute onto his shoulders, impressing the Ringmaster. Needing a strong man for their criminal plan the Ring Master hypnotises Thor in readiness for their crime. 

Avengers Weekly #66

Arvell Jones and Aubrey Bradford drew this cover with Frank Giacoia and Mike Esposito inking it. It's a so-so cover, one easily forgotten. 

Doctor Strange “...This spell I break Asunder!”

Writer:Roy Thomas

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Tom Palmer

Originally published in Doctor Strange #173

Cover date October 1968

(Published in July 1968)

This splash page is actually the first panel of the very next page, leaving the readers with an intent feeling of déjà vu. Doctor Strange grows weaker as Dormammu's mystical chains tighten around him. Dormammu marches his demonic troops toward the gateway to Dimensions in readiness to invade the Earth's dimension.

Umar belittled by her overbearing brother wishes she had the strength to oppose him. Clea and Victoria plant a suggestion in her mind via the Orb of Agamotto to reverse a spell that limits her powers. Seeking revenge against her brother Umar allows Doctor Strange's bonds to weaken so that he can burst the chains asunder. Dormammu reaches the portal but instantly Strange charges at him, sending the fiend through the portal, closing it behind him so that Dormammu's hordes are trapped in their own dimension. The two foes fight in a mystic duel but ultimately Dormammu is drawn back to the Dark Dimension. Wearily Strange arrives home to be confronted by Doctor Benton, who asks Strange to come back to work for the hospital as a consultant. Strange asks to be left alone as he's tired, causing Benton to lose his temper and storm out. 

Bullpen Bulletins

"A batty barrage of bombastic banter and bare-faced babble."  This week's Bullpen Bulletins page features the same Items which appeared in last week's MWOM Bullpen Bulletin page, so I won't go through all that again, if you haven't read that blog you can read it after you've finished this week's Power of the Beesting blog. This page also features an in-house advert for this week's MWOM.

Avengers Readers Assemble

Ron and Don Sladdin from Halifax have started their own Marvel fan club, they have produced a fan magazine and also have a competition where the winner receives ten pound in prize money. Robert Rogerson from Oxfordshire has never read anything as exciting or as authentic as Iron-Fist. Although the stories bear some resemblance to Shang-Chi, Iron-Fist has that extra something. The artwork and fighting positions are fantastic, he wonders if a few Bullpen members aren't Black Belts. Chris Hard from Cornwall comments on the quality of tone application, which varies greatly from story to story and week to week. A bad tone job can spoil the impact of the original artwork. A case in point is Avengers, the worst culprit, in which you rarely see Goliath as he should look, a fairly dark tone with the costume detail left white. Instead we get him all in one dark shade, which often leaves the detail hidden behind a mess of black. Alan Bloomfield from South Wales wants to write to Stephan Tindall who had a letter published in Avengers #39. Did he get it? Who knows.

Michael Harries from Milford Haven has sympathy for people who can't regularly get a copy of their favourite British mags, his advice is place and order with your local newsagents. Russell Webb RFO, KOF, from London has picked out numerous No-Prizes opportunities but believes that the editors will dream up a good excuse to not award him one. But he does get a dusty one from the vaults. Andrew Greene from Notts gets the Avengers every week, while his younger brother gets SMCW and MWOM and asks does that make them a RFO? The generous editor says they can share the rank as well as a QNS. Nicholas Dawes from Suffolk has been hunting for Marvel character models everywhere. He needs to look for shops that sell Aurora Models.

The half page in-house advert for Dracula Lives uses Pablo Marcos's artwork from the cover of Dracula Lives issue five.

The Avengers “To tame a titan!”

Writer:Roy Thomas

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: John Buscema

Originally published in The Avengers #50

Cover date March 1968

(Published in January 1968)

The Wasp has to break up Hawkeye and Goliath as a furious shouting match explodes between  the two, who venting their frustration at recent events, particularly the disastrous standoff with Magneto at the United Nations, have reduced the Avengers as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch have left to join his Brotherhood, leaving the Avengers with only three active members. Goliath is keeping quit that he has lost the ability to grow larger. The Wasp suggests they search for Hercules before they continue looking for their mutant teammates.  

They take off in a Quinjet following his trail to Greece. Each of the three disheartened Avengers secretly wonders if the team should simply disband. Meanwhile in a strange limbo dimension, where the Titan known as Typhon had banished Hercules to, we find the Prince of Power fighting a monstrous creature, beating it with his godly might. Searching the netherworld, Hercules finds his father, Zeus, along with the other banished ancient Greek Gods, who have also been exiled by the mad Titan. Zeus sends Hercules back as he believes only he can vanquish Typhon. The Titan has grown restless ruling over an abandoned Olympus, so he descends to the Mediterranean Sea below where he encounters an US naval ship. He attacks them to demonstrate his might. The Avengers arrive, opposing him but they are seriously outmatched. At one point, Goliath is cornered and unable to grow, luckily Hercules arrives so that next week we can feast our eyes on "When clash the Gods!"

Master of Kung Fu “Massacre along the Amazon!”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: Al Milgrom, Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss and Walt Simonson

Inker: Sal Trapani

Originally published in Master of Kung Fu #24

Cover date January 1975

(Published in October 1974)

This adventure has four artists and one inker working on it. You can spend ages trying to pick out which artist did which panel and I won't spend your time naming artists and panels, but to my eyes page thirty-three had to be drawn by Jim Starlin. While you're examining the artwork take a closer look at Shang-Chi's shoulder in any of the panels. Last week he took a bullet to it as he dived into the river. There is no wound and no acknowledgement of it made of that fact this issue.  

Deep in the Amazon jungle Shang-Chi spies a caravan of Fu Manchu's Si-Fan Assassins, knocking out the last man in the convoy, he takes his place. Fu Manchu surveys Wilhelm Bucher's encampment via his helicopter. Bucher orders his men to shoot at the aircraft. Fu Manchu flies off to join his men. Bucher's weird crew of nazis look like a bunch of rejects from "Springtime for Hitler" crossed with members of the "blue oyster bar" with their swastika singlets and leather peaked hats! A mass fight breaks out between Bucher's nazis and Fu Manchu's Si-Fan warriors with Shang-Chi stuck in the middle. Fu Manchu out flanks them with half of his men slaughtering them, showing that next week, "death hath no mercy!"

Dracula Lives #9

Gil Kane's original cover from Tomb of Dracula issue 5 is re-coloured for this weekly. Tom Palmer added the final inks. 

Dracula “Death to a vampire slayer!”

Writer: Gardner Fox

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Tom Palmer

Originally published in Tomb of Dracula #5

Cover date November 1972

(Published in August 1972)

The credits for this story lists the writer as Gardner F. Fox and the artist as Eugene Colan. Fox, whose real name is Gardner Francis Copper Fox, is more commonly recognised as the co-creator of the DC characters Jay Garrick's Flash (in Flash Comics January 1940), Barbra Gordon, Hackman, Doctor Fate, Zatanna and the original Sandman. He joined Marvel in 1971 when he wrote Marvel Spotlight issue 1, cover dated November 1971, published June 1971, that featured the Native American hero, Red Wolf. That's Johnny Wakely, not the Roy Thomas/John Bucema Red Wolf, William Talltrees, who appeared first in the Avengers, US edition, #80, cover dated September 1970, published July 1970. 

Frank Drake and Rachel Van Helsing enter the room to witness Dracula dragging Taj through the black mirror into a barren world filled with demonic beings that claw and bite at the Lord of the Undead. The Vampire lord protects Taj knowing that the mute human may be his only source of food. Inside the demon world Dracula searches for another black mirror that will take them back to earth. He finds one that allows them to travel to Transylvania in the 19th century. The Count stores the unconscious Taj in a sarcophagus for later consumption. Dracula sets out into the Transylvanian countryside to search for fresh blood.

Cryptic Correspondance

Robert Wolstenholne from London thinks the two new weeklies are great, although the title, Dracula Lives is a bit confusing as there's also an American black and white magazine with the same name. (To be honest the same can be said for Planet of the Apes.) He likes Mike Ploog adding it's a real treat to have two stories drawn by him. E. Redfern from Derby is very happy with the two new weeklies and he wants to see seven or eight comics a week. Stephen Whitehouse RFO, KOF and FOOMer from Wolverhampton has already got the first few American editions of Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night but still says it feels like a super mag. He also thinks that the Frankenstein strip was good but he thinks that the artwork in that one and Werewolf by Night is "shoddy".  Ketan Tailor RFO, KOF, from Middlesex thinks that the two new mags is great. He really likes the front covers of the first issues and the free posters.

This Marvel Masterwork Pin-up was originally the cover of Werewolf by Night #25, cover dated January 1975, published October 1974, drawn by Gil Kane with Mike Esposito the inker. 

Werewolf by Night “Trapped on the Island of Doom!”

Writer:Gerry Conway

Artist: Mike Ploog

Inker: Mike Ploog

Originally published in Marvel Spotlight #4

Cover date June 1972

(Published in March 1972)

The fourth panel from the eleventh page of the original strip is enlarged and repurposed for this second part opening splash page. That panel was replaced in last week's last page (page 23,) by the fifth panel from page 14 of this comic. I know that it sounds complicated but trust me it makes sense if you take a look at this and last week's issues. Garth mistakes the rampaging Werewolf for one of Blackgar's monstrous human experiments. The Werewolf frees the deformed humans who get their revenge by killing their torturer.

Marlene, unmoved by the carnage, guides the Werewolf to Blackgar's study. Inside the mad scientist studies his notes when the Werewolf enters and grapples with him, knocking him out of a window to his death. Marlene wants to leave the island now her tormentor has died and tries persuade Jack's hidden subconscious to leave the island with her. But the Werewolf  feels her icy touch on his hand and accidentally knocks off her sunglasses, revealing her mutant gorgon-like power to turn people to stone with her gaze. We learn her father's horrific experiments on human subjects where to find a way to cure her. In the end she decided she wanted to keep her strange powers. Her mutant gaze transforms the Werewolf into a stone statue like her other similar victims found in the garden. "To be...continued?" next week? May be.

This in-house advert shows two more triumphs packed with action in the mighty Marvel traditions, featuring super-hero action from Daredevil, the Hulk, Iron Man, Spider-man, the Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Thor, every week. I wonder why the Fantastic Four don't get a mention and why Spider-man Comics Weekly's cover doesn't get shown? Either way they were all on sale in this week in 1974. But if you did miss out you could have read all about them 50 years later in this blog. 

“My name is Death!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Joe Maneely

Inker: Joe Maneely

Originally published in Adventures into Terror #16

Cover date February 1953

(Published in  1953)

This story narrated by the Iron Maiden describing the events surrounding her creation at the hands of Sigmund Graasp. Graasp demonstrates his new device to a Governor of a Spanish district who can see its advantages but doesn't want the peasants to know who developed the torture device so he orders his guards to use it on Grassp. It's a nice little terror tale but in truth none of it is true. The Iron Maiden was created around the beginning of the 19th century, however there are ancient reports of the Spartan tyrant Nabis using a similar device around 200 BC. The original designer of the torture device is unknown.

Frankenstein’s Monster “The final tribute!”

Writer: Gary Friedrich

Artist: Mike Ploog

Inker: John Verpoorten

Originally published in The Monster of Frankenstein #4

Cover date July 1973

(Published in April 1973)

The sixth panel from the final page of last week's Frankenstein's Monster is enlarged and repurposed as the new opening splash page for this third part. The Monster carries the dying chieftain on a makeshift stretcher so that he can die in the traditional burial ground of his people. Once there the monster turns to announce to his friend that they have arrived, only to find that he has passed away. With sadness the Monster erects a funeral pyre for the Chieftain. After he lights it the Monster watches his friend disappear into flame and smoke.

Suddenly, a quake erupts beneath him, as the heat from the pyre melts the ice causing a shard of the cliffside to crumble into the icy sea. The Monster plummets from the frozen precipice and into the black waters of the arctic. His body lands into the frigid depths below where he will eventually freeze and become trapped in the ice for the next hundred years. Mike Ploog's artwork on this page is beautiful in its cold way. The detail and sadness in the Monster's eyes as the creature holds his breath, until he could no longer. Then freezing salty waters fill his lungs, finally gifting him peace. Gary Friedrich's writing also has tenderness that you wouldn't normally expect from a horror story. 

After finishing his tale, the Monster realises that Sean the cabin boy has died in his sleep and the Captain, Robert Walton, has little time left on this world either. The Captain begs the monster to find peace and end his violent temper. He tells the Monster that Victor Frankenstein has a descendant who is still alive, who knows of his creation and may be able to help him. After Walton dies, the Frankenstein's Monster makes a crude raft from the wreckage of the old ship and begins to sail southward towards his future, leaving three marked graves on the shore line.

Planet of the Apes #9

This cover was possibly drawn by Ron Wilson, although the Grand Comics Database suggests that Ed Hannigan could also have drawn it. The inking was probably done by Mike Esposito. It doesn't have the "big" names behind it's creation like Romita and Kane but there's something about it that appeals to me, The action and dynamism of a horse chase scene with the hero rescuing his girl while being pursued by gorillas on horse back. What's not to love? My Cover of the Week! 

Planet of the Apes “Chapter nine: Chaos in the Forbidden Zone”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: George Tuska

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in Planet of the Apes #5

Cover date February 1975

(Published in December 1975)

This ninth chapter takes the second part of the US edition of Planet of the Apes issue five and uses an enlarged first panel from the very next page to act as an opener. Again this story is printed in the UK some eleven days before it gets released in the US. Taylor, Nova, Zira, Cornelius and Lucius have entered the Forbidden Zone in search of answers to their many questions. They follow a river to the sea where Cornelius had studied an archaeological dig where an ancient dwelling was found in the cliffside. 

Doctor Zaius and a hunting party of gorillas have caught up with them, leading to an armed stand-off. The two side agree to lower weapons and move into the ancient dwelling to discuss Zira and Cornelius's acts of treason and heresy, while the chimpanzee archaeologist shows Doctor Zaius his discoveries that could prove them innocent. Taylor asks Doctor Zaius when the Sacred scrolls where written, Zaius replies twelve hundred years ago, but Cornelius has identified evidence in a cave of an early ape creature dating back to roughly thirteen hundred years ago, that used cutting tools and arrowheads. Zaius calls the fossils and artefacts worthless. At a different level more objects were found that showed a more advanced culture would had fashioned objects that required  a knowledge of metallurgy. Doctor Zaius is still convinced that they don't represent evidence of anything. Then Cornelius presents him with a doll. A human doll! to which Zaius is struck speechless. "The shocking secret" is revealed next week.

The Apes on TV

This week's star of the Planet of the Apes TV series in focus is Ron Harper. The blond actor who plays the fugitive astronaut Colonel Alan Virdon from the Planet of the Apes TV series graduated from Princeton University, but turned down a fellowship to Law School in favour of becoming an actor. He performed two seasons with the Princeton University Players, and then went to New York's Lee Strasburg's Actors Studio to learn his craft. Harper made some television appearances, before joining the US Navy, but after leaving the services he made his name on the Broadway Stage, and also toured with a production of "Sweet bird of Youth". Returning to the small screen he appeared in "87th Precinct" and "Garrison's Gorillas". Although his starring role in Planet of the Apes is kept him busy, the actor's sporting activities include tennis, sailing and horse riding. When it comes to relaxation, Harper is an excellent oil painter.

Ka-Zar “The battle of New Britannia!”

Writer: Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Tom Sutton

Originally published in Astonishing Tales #8

Cover date October 1971

(Published in July 1971)

Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe open up this new Ka-Zar adventure with their trademark way of storytelling and a scene that might have come from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The lost world." or "The land that time forgot" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which had been made into a film from a screenplay by science fiction and fantasy writer Michael Moorcock and James Cawthorn, coincidentally it had been released in cinemas on the 28th November 1974. Here Trimpe has a ball drawing a Pterosaur attacking a plane.

The pilot orders the girl, Bobbi Morse, who was the girl seen in England looking for Lord Kevin Plunder and who will play a big part in future Ka-Zar adventures as well as in the super-hero part of the Marvel universe, to bail out of the plane with a parachute. As the plane collides with a flying beast the pilot, Paul, is forced to crash-land in an area of the Savage Land that is inhabited by Lizards who walk like men. Ka-Zar and Zabu rescue Paul. "Barbara" has landed in a large lake but she is attacked by men riding plesiosaurs.

 

Luckily the plesiosaurs riders are attacked by "the British" who are flying on archaeopteryx, giant primeval birds, who drop stones on their enemies below. Bobbi is rescued by one of the archaeopteryx pilots who tells her that "the Germans are beaten." and he'll take her back to "New Britannia!" The mystery is revealed that the two factions have both fought in the Second World War, after surviving their destroyed destroyer and U-boat in June 1942 the remaining British and German crews had founded colonies in the Savage Land, with New Britannia a remote island in the giant lake. Ka-Zar and Paul venture into the Lost Lake to save her. I have to say that this story may have borrowed literary ideas from everywhere but goodness me I really do love this tale. It's certainly one I'm going to pay a lot of attention to over the next few weeks. The story and artwork is wonderful.

Doctor Doom “The dread alliance!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Frank Giacoia

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Marvel Super-Heroes #20

Cover date May 1969

(Published in February 1969)

The twelfth page of the original strip makes a perfectly timed second part opening splash page. Doom has been pondering since Diablo left with Valeria his hostage, over the alchemist's proposal. Doom has always dreamed of ruling the world like he does his small kingdom, ever since his face was disfigured by the fiery explosion so many years ago that scarred his face, which he hides behind an iron mask. 

Diablo returns with the captive Valeria, Doom's childhood friend, to hear his answer. More willing to listen Diablo outlines his plan to use Doom's time machine to take over the planet Earth. At this point it's worth noting that the double page splash featuring Diablo imagining how their partnership would allow them to conquer the past and shape the Twentieth Century in their image, has been left out of this UK version, probably for reason's of space.

Doom feigns interest just long enough to shatter Diablo's spell over Valeria. Diablo strikes out against Doom but Valeria moves to block him however Doom intervenes, blasting the alchemist. The two villains face-off against each other, manoeuvring each other into tactical positions. Diablo thinks that Doom is on the Time Machine platform but it is he himself standing on it. Diablo is sent through the millennia to a distant post-apocalyptic future.

Doom proclaims that the supreme jest of all is Diablo marooned in the far future can now be the Ruler of the Earth forevermore! With enough time wasted Victor and Valeria can now recapture their lost time together. However years of dreaming of this moment Valeria has awaken to the fact that her beloved isn't the man she knew called Victor but the cruel, callous Doctor Doom she now sees gloating over Diablo's fate. She asks him is she wrong, but his silence is her answer. She leaves the armoured figure standing in silent brooding. No longer the boy she once knew, but the tortured twisted being whom the world calls Doom!

The back page of this week's Planet of the Apes features another full colour pin-up photo from the Planet of the Apes TV series, starring Ron Harper as Virdon and James Naughton as Burke, the two fugitive astronauts who befriend the chimpanzee Galen as played by legendary actor Roddy McDowell, while they attempt to escape capture.  

Time to sign off and sign some Christmas cards. Next week it'll be the Christmas weeklies, meaning lots to do and little time to do it. So I'll wish you a merry X-mas dash in the week up to the big day. Till them... 

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel