A Mighty Merry Marvel Christmas

 The Mighty World of Marvel #13

Week Ending 30th December 1972

The Mighty World of Marvel #13 would've hit the newsagents on the Christmas Eve in 1972 and if you were lucky enough to have parents who ordered it every week the paper boy/girl would deliver it with the Christmas Eve edition of what ever newspaper was your families choice. A merry Marvel-ous treat before the big jolly man in red came. (And no I don't mean Deadpool!) Another great cover by Jim Starlin and Joe Sinnott (I really love Starlin's Thing) but there's nothing to single it out as a Christmas edition apart from the header text that informs us that "Inside: A special Bullpen Christmas greetings!" 

The Hulk story originally appeared in Tales to Astonish volume 1 Issue 60,  the first issue of that comic where the Hulk would share the starlight with Giant-man after his own comic was cancelled, meaning that he'd only have half the page count, a change from his previous comic page count where he would have around 20 or so pages a month. That meant that now MWOM would print a complete story every week instead of half a story a week. This week Banner/Hulk would struggle between transformations induced by chemical reactions caused by stress and relaxation allowing him to revert back to human or monster states. The story line this week revolves around an experimental robot designed by Banner that is stolen by a mysterious spy (whose identity we'll find out in future stories). Bruce is blamed for the theft until the very end of the story when he's found the worse for wear after he changed back to normal while the robot continued on its rampage.  It's a fine story, if not a little on the short side, mainly because it's missing some of the padding that came with the Hulk's original comic tales. Of which some of that padding came from Rick Jones, whose's missing this issue, possibly in a change of style where a teenage side kick wasn't required. 

 One of the things that sprung to mind when I read this comic today was the fact that General Ross used  a "Drone Tank" to over-power the robot. Drone planes and drone vehicles are used in modern warfare but did Stan Lee invent the idea of a drone vehicle back in 1964 (when this story was first written) or was that a concept very much around at that time?

 

This weeks mail bag contain only three letters, but they were of larger size than previous weeks. Terry Harrison from Surrey wrote about how the Hulk reminded him of Frankenstein's Monster and suggested that his stories could follow the classic Frankenstein films with titles such as "The Hulk", "Bride of the Hulk" and "The Curse of the Hulk"! A female Hulk, now would that catch on? John Stevenson tells us that he's the envy of Haywards Heath in Sussex because of his Hulk t-shirt. Finally Nigel Jones from Manchester doesn't like the Fantastic Fours new costumes, much preferring to see the members of the FF in ordinary clothes as costumes make them look childish, like "circus performers". While adding "Miss Storm" would look "smashing" in a mini-skirt.

As a special treat this issue there's a "Guest Star Page" possibly drawn by Steve Ditko, as it says in the text "drawn in the somewhat different Ditko style!" Strangely enough Steve Ditko had been drawing the Hulk for some time and Spider-man from the very beginning, so I'm not sure it's all that different. Ditko's FF definitely aren't as good as Jack Kirby's version.

Spider-man's adventure, the second part of our heroes first encounter with the Lizard, uses a splash page made from an adapted "A gallery of Spider-man's most famous foes" page first seen in the Amazing Spider-man Annual issue 1 from 1964 as shown on the right next to the 1972 MWOM page on the left. The story continues from last week as Spidey rescues Billy Connors from his transformed father. 

Using Curt Connors own formula and Peter Parkers limited high school science major knowledge the web slinger makes an antidote in an effort to change the scientist back to his human form. But first he has to negotiate the swamp, which he does with the aid of web "swamp-shoes"! A very novel use of web fluid! 

After a showdown set at an abandoned Spanish fort between the Lizard with his army of alligators and our hero. Spider-man makes the Lizard take his medicine. Sure enough the serum works and the Doctor is reunited with his family. Peter makes up a story to Jonah Jameson about an old Indian guide who faked the whole man-lizard thing. A very "Christmasy ending", maybe, apart from the fact that Peter doesn't get the girl in the end. The final panel of this strip is an addition to the British comic as it states that next issue Spidey would fight Doctor Doom in a "battle you never expected to see!" Although that tale should have been printed before this story and continuity wise Doom would have three more altercations with the Fantastic Four that have yet to be printed in MWOM before that story.

Stan Lee "Sounds off" as the Human Torch and the Thing wish all the Merry Marvel readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! In his seasonal soapbox Stan bigs up the 1972 Marvel Annual (dated 1973) as if it was published by Magazine Management London Ltd, (the publishers of MWOM and the forerunners of Marvel UK) which wasn't the case as IPC under the name of Fleetway Annuals produced that annual. To be fair they did so under licence from Marvel so good sales of that annual would improve future deals as well as help sell MWOM more issue on the back of fans reading their yuletide  present after the festive season had ended. But more about that Annual soon! 

 The Fantastic Four's Hall of Infamy feature, originally from the Fantastic Four Annual #1 from 1963, is also a promotion for next weeks FF adventure, where the fab four encounter the Master of Planet X- Kurrgo!

 

The Fantastic Four find out that they are trapped by Doctor Doom in an act of science fiction craziness (uprooting the Baxter Building from it's foundations in a gravity defying feat with only the aid of a "Magnetic Grabber" and specially developed craft that takes the skyscraper beyond Earth atmosphere on a journey toward the Sun.) that has anyone's suspension of disbelieve at a hard pressed level to hold. It's still a classic in as long as you can engage your inner 70's child imagination. 

Namor soon realises that he too is caught in the same trap as the FF by that "double crossing dog" Doctor Doom. He offers is aid to the FF, dons a space helmet and after a quick strength enhancing shower he makes a colossal leap into the unknown, to reach Dooms space craft and take on the evil genius.

  More science bending feats by Namor, like hopping on a passing meteor shower to reach Doom, ripping the ship outer hull and releasing the ships atmosphere yet Doom is unaffected by the loss of air (maybe his armour has its own supply), the Sub-Mariner absorbing a high voltage electrical current to sends it back against the armour clad monarch with shocking results and then having the King of Atlantis pilot the craft with the Baxter Building in tow back to Earth to set it down in exactly the right spot that it originally was found. An absolute miracles but not as much as how the electrical wiring, phone lines and plumbing gets repaired. Which isn't as incredible as Doctor Doom escaping into deep space on a passing meteor! All in a weeks work for the imaginations of Stan and Jack.

Let's face it all that isn't as far fetched as a man who delivers gifts to all the good children around the world during one night, in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. And Father Christmas is real, right?   

So as you read this I'll wish you a Merry Marvel Christmas and a Happy Hero-full New Year.

See you in seven! (Or maybe sooner-no spoilers, keep following this blog.)

Make Mine Marvel!