The terrible threat of the Living Brain!

The Mighty World of Marvel #18

Week Ending 3rd February 1973

Jim Starlin lets his imagination run with his interpretation of this weeks Hulk story by drawing an almost limitless supply of Humanoids to battle the green rage monster, when originally the Leader sent only around a half dozen into battle. It does look more impressive, I imagine Steve Ditko didn't have the time to draw all those figures, or just couldn't be bothered. Fair enough there's a deadline to work to! Starlin always liked to give more with his artwork and was clever enough to draw the hundreds of Humanoids very small in the back ground, then only a hand full at normal size. Frank Giacoio adds the inks to Starlin' work. A panel of floating heads from the Fantastic Four surround a Gene Colan Sub-Mariner on one side while a Steve Ditko panel, lifted straight from the Spider-man strip, on the other finish of the cover.

The incredible Hulk "On the rampage"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Dick Ayers

"On the rampage" I feel there should be an explanation mark there, but there isn't so I won't add one! This story follows straight off from last issues battle against the Leaders horde of Humanoids, but Stan and Steve quickly push that encounter to one side with an onrush of US marines attacking the fighting mass of synthetic androids and the Hulk with a barrage of grenades which causes the cliff edge they where fighting on to collapse into the sea. Which was in some way good timing for the Hulk as he feels himself getting weaker (yeah he did that a lot in the earlier days, now he just gets angrier,) triggering his transformation back to Bruce Banner, only to be "rescued" by a Bodavian Submarine.  

The Hulk had already encountered Cold War enemies, like the Gargoyle (MWOM#2), Boris Monguski (MWOM#8) and General Fang (MWOM#10) but the use of Communist, Commie, Red, Russia or China was edited out for the more middle of the road Brits. A new nation was found to be used instead, Bodavia! Commie subs became Bodavian subs. Bodavia was made up purely for the British market, it would be used time and time again in early Marvel UK comics. Its only appearance in a US comic was in Marvel Premiere #49, where the Falcon was invited to a function at the Bodavian Embassy in a story published in May 1979, (cover dated August 1979) written by Mark Evanier. Evanier is well know as the writer on Groo theWanderer, he suggested the title of The Merry Marvel Marching Society for an early Marvel fan club and around 1969 he became a production assistant to Jack Kirby, so he could have suggested the name as a Russia replacement in 1973 to the US based Marvel UK editors but I can't be sure. What I do know is Evanier wrote a fantastic book on Kirby called "Kirby King Of Comics" which I'm presently reading and he also convinced Jack Kirby to stop using Vince Colletta as an inker on his work, for that we should be grateful, if not a little sad, it's never good when someone losses a job.  

Banner is taken unfed, in rages and chains to Bodavia to work in a prison camp with other scientists to develop weapons for the evil regime. The Russian (I mean Bodavian) Commandant is a heartless evil tyrant who drives his prisoner to insane despair. This of course sets off the incredible transformation from man to rampaging monster with obvious results. The Hulk escapes, attacks the Bodavian guards and befriends a fellow prisoner while a fanatical Commandant plots a plan to destroy the Hulk, more on that next week.

Spider-man "The Living Brain!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Right confession time, from the minute I first read this story, in the Marvel Annual 1974 (to be published around September of 1973)  I absolutely loved this story. I love the Living Brain, I love the action scenes, I love the comedy and I love Peter Parkers high school class scenes. It's perfect Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-man. My everlasting memory of this story will always be from the 1974 Annual  where the full class room scene is played out.

Five original pages are condensed into two pages for this weekly comic, with most of the Flash/Peter confrontation missing and the back story behind the Living Brain shortened for no reason but to give Spider-man a "full" story in this issue, something of a teaser for things to come possibly. This spoils the story context somewhat. Peter looks in a bad light with him agreeing to a fight after just one incident with Flash, Thompson pushing Parker, causing his glasses to fall and break. While in the original Peter's temper takes multiple belittling comments to be ignited. It also removes the plot line that the Living Brain can answer any question, including "what is Spider-man's secret identity?" That's something that Flash wants to get his hands on. The Living Brain does answer it but in the form of a coded tic-a-tape message that Peter is asked to decode. He would conveniently loose in the final panel. I do like this edited version, just not as much as the original or the 1974 Annual version. 

The Living Brain is a beautiful design, I adore its cute head,  basic legs and powerful arms with delicate pincers. It's a classic from Ditko. There's a touch of Robby the Robot, Metal Micky and Doctor Who's Pyramids of Mars robots. The robots creator Mr Petty was never seen again but his creation was  in a poorly written story in Web of Spider-man #35 and later reappeared in Dan Slott's run on Superior Spider-man of which I haven't read so I can't comment on. 

    

This weeks strip is full of slapstick, whether it's either Peter knocking out Flash with the slightest of punches...

...the Living Brain knocking Spider-man down when coming through a closed door, then riding over it and him...

...quickly followed by two escaping reprobates who run over it and Spidey too...

...only to have Flash poleaxe them while tying his shoelaces...  

 ... which leads to making Flash the final joke as Peter nearly convinces him he really could be Spider-man.

 The final panel shows a happy hero in a classic Ditko half and half pose.

One last thing about this story, when reviewing issue 7, (MWOM#7) I mentioned that the Professor Warren made his first UK appearance in a pin-up page of that issue was the Jackal. That's not true, the Professor Warren of that pin-up and this story is in fact Professor Raymond Warren, the brother of Professor Miles Warren who will become The Jackal. A No-prize for all those who spotted that one. And a smackie-smackie-bum-bum for me making that howler! 

Two surprises this week, number one the "F" in FOOM stands for "Friends" and the second surprise is a brand new comic coming to the UK on the 10th February! They're really milking this FOOM day event. Mr. Fantastic won't tell us the name of the new comic, but there's a little clue to part of the new comic weekly title. More next week!

Heel and heart-throb features everyone's favourite secretary, Betty Brant and everyone's favourite cigar chewing publisher (no not Stan Lee!) J. Jonah Jameson. You work out which is which.

This weeks Mighty Marvel Mail Bag has poetry from Stephen Brailsford (from Willesden), Peter Gregg (from Northern Island) bragging about the size of his Marvel collection,  and Allen P. Moore (not that Alan, this Allen is from Lancaster not Northampton,) wants MWOM to feature Stan's Soapbox. The UK editor points out that Stan's specially written UK column, "Stan Lee Sounds Out" regularly features every four weeks. We also hear from Alan Hunt (from London) who's missing issue two of the Mighty World of Marvel and finally L G Goode writes that he reads his son's copy of MWOM. I say get your own Mr. Goode, 'cause "Marvel's are Goode Mr. Goode"! Sorry to the Shaman for murdering that lyric.

In the final strip this week we find Namor watching his water proof TV, (every undersea palace should have one! Is that a picture of Sue Storm I see? That's a bit creepy!) when news of the Fantastic Four's financial problems are mentioned on the news. By the next page we get to hear all about their money troubles from them, it seems that Reed didn't read the fine print, "Stocks and share can go down as well as up. Your money could be at risk." The stock market crashed leaving the FF penniless! But Good news is on the horizon, the FF have been offered starting rolls in a new movie! Let's hope Marvel Studios are making it and not Fox! The last one was terrible!

A star-struck Fantastic Four arrive in Hollywood at SM Studios (oh may be its a Sony/Marvel production,) withs its gates bulging with celebrities. Some may not be known to 2023 readers never mind 1973 readers, but here's a list of some you may have heard of, from right to left Amanda Blake, James Arness, Alfred Hitchcock, Charles Bronson, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dean Martin and Jackie Gleason. If you don't know who they are or what films they starred in just Google them, what else is the internet for?

It turns out that Namor, the Sub-mariner is the Studio producer, a Studio he bought with all the lost treasure he recovered from the ocean depths. He plans to make a film about the FF without a script, (now that does sound like a Marvel Studios project!) with each member of the FF going it alone in solo action before the big finale. 

First ups is Mr. Fantastic on the Island of the Cyclops! Reed believes he'll encounter a "King Kong" like movie prop, but he's in for a shock when Cyclops turns out to be real and very deadly as we'll all learn next issue.

See you in Seven!

Make Mine Marvel!

Correction! Matthew Finleyson pointed out that Tony Isabella should be given credit with creating Bodavia. Although I never claimed that Mark Evanier created the concept (he is credited as doing so on the Marvel Database wiki page,) I only mentioned the only recorded use of that country in a US comic. Matthew was absolutely right picking me up on that so I went right to the top to get the definitive answer. I Tweeted Tony Isabella about the subject and he very quickly replied. Here is what he wrote.

"It was me. With our UK partners bemoaning any use of Communist villains, I came up with this huge and very evil country that represent both Russia and China. I designed the thunderbolt in a circle emblem to replace the actual symbols of the real countries."

Thanks to both Matthew and especially the legend that is Tony Isabellafor putting it right.

Friends (and fiends) in high places!

The Mighty World of Marvel #17

Week Ending 27th January 1973

Spider-man makes it to another smashing cover from Jim Starlin, this time inked by Frank Giacoia, who in my opinion is a poor choice for inking Starlin' work. I'd much prefer Joe Sinnott who brings out the best in Starlin' pencils. Still this cover is a real winner, sticking Spider-man on the cover has got to make  copies fly off the shelves. I would have him on the cover every week but that would be hard on Hulk fans, unless there was more than one weekly comic from Marvel UK. Now there's an idea.

The Incredible Hulk "The horde of Humanoids!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: George Roussos

This story starts off with Bruce Banner under arrest for suspected treason, still unable to explain the truth about his connection with the Hulk. This is incredible to me that no one ever realised that the Hulk and Banner are one and the same. When the Hulk disappears Bruce turns up in ripped clothes! Both man and monster have, even by 60's standards, a weird dress sense when it comes to trousers. Does anyone really own purple pants? 

Rick Jones comes to his friends aid by passing over the chain of command and going straight to the top, the very top, he asks to see the President of the United States! To gain access to the President he shows the White House security detail a letter from Reed Richards! In the original print of this story, Tales to Astonish #64 US (cover date February 1965, published November 1964,) he showed the security men his Avengers ID. Why the change? Well in the MWOM timeline the Avengers hadn't been introduced and even though he had yet meet to the Fantastic Four, but they were well known to the MWOM readership. Although in the Marvel timeline both Dr. Banner and Rick had meet the FF (Fantastic Four #12 March 1963) in a tale that would appear in MWOM #24 in the near future. Notice how Ditko depicts Rick as a "teddy-boy" with kiss curl blonde hair and a cowboy neck tie, it looks weird but he was a teenager from New Mexico. Was the hair colour change a sign of rebellion against Captain America, when he was encouraged to leave The Avengers and Caps side, (he had posed as his original partner Bucky who had dark hair). Later on in other comics Rick would have a back ground as a country/pop singer, an idea that may have had its seeds within these early Hulk stories. We only see the back of the Presidents head or just is hand which is quite normal when very important people are used in comics, so as not to offend the person or date the comic too much. At the time of the original publication it would have been Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, who died in 22rd January 1973 the very week this comic came out!

Like the story title says the Leader uses a "horde of Humanoids" to subdue the green goliath! The Hulk throws every thing at them, from giant Hulk "smashes" to giant boulders but against the Hulk's might the rubber army's best bet is to just "pile on!" Speaking of rubber dummies, Major Talbot is an absolute annoying moron, not only does he not spot the clues linking Hulk and Banner but he is quickly becoming unlikeable with his hatred of Banner, and his over eagerness to win Betty Ross' affections.  

Spider-man "Battle at the Bugle"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

As it's the second half of "The Vulture return!" story Spidey needs a new splash page, and what better page to use is the original cover! The thought balloon text is even the same but fresh recap text boxes are added. One thing about using this splash page is Spider-man sprained his right arm fighting the Vulture and though out the second half rematch either Peter or Spider-man have that arm in a sling/web sling. Its a great page anyway so why not reuse it for this British issue, let's just pretend we've not noticed it.

 

The Vulture wants to steal the Daily Bugle pay roll which he reckons to be worth quite a bit, but does he realise that Jonah Jameson is a skinflint and his staff are pittance or that Spider-mans alter-ego works for him and may well be in the building when he attempts his scheme. The Vulture wants the contents of Jamesons safe but the publisher talks the winged fiend to distraction while Peter does a quick change in the office next door. Out one window and in the next as Spider-man takes the fight to the Vulture in the confined office workspace. The Vulture can't find the space he needs to manoeuvre so he dives down a stairway towards the larger printing press area and the finally out into the open air. Even with one arm our hero manages to defeat the fowl villain without the aid of any techno devices, just good old fashioned Spider-action. 

Jameson is fuming and won't give the webbed wonder any credit for saving is money from the thief,  he's incensed with all the damage done during the battle. The teenager gives the cantankerous old man what's been coming for some time, a gag made of webbing. I petty certain that this is the first time in a story we find out that Spidey's webbing dissolves after an hour.

Everyone knows Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy and even Liz Allen but Peters first sweetheart was Betty Brant. This is the point where their relationship starts to blossom. She may be a couple of years older than Peter, after all she must have left higher education to start a job at the Bugle, but the young couple look like a perfect love match as the kids look into each others eyes. Steve Ditko draws her with more romantic appeal than Peter's classmates. I kind of like her too. If only things had happened differently , she could have been Mrs Parker.

One last thing with this Spider-man story, I noticed that the first six panels have been shortened, given away by the flat edge on the thought balloon in panel 5 that has been moved upwards to avoid the cut. This was quite common as the American page had to be changed to fit the British print size. I kind of feel that the top and bottom margins could accommodate the extra panel size, may be that's something that gets changed in the future to save all the bodger work. In most of the other times this happened I never noticed it so I guess it shouldn't be an issue, best move on.

Stan is back with his UK soapbox "Stan Lee Sounds Off!" with news that Marvel super-heroes are taking the UK by storm with "thousands and thousands of fellow Marvelites" in the UK getting their reading kicks with the Mighty World of Marvel every week. Stan was always great at hyperbally but thousands and thousands seems a lot but who can tell just how many people got hooked on Marvel back the 70's. In 2023 there are globally billions of Marvel fans who enjoy Marvel comics, movies, TV shows and even the odd toys, or am I full of hyperbolism? Either way the growing amount of fans brought about Stan's latest news, Marvel UK was about to publish a second weekly, He says this new comic hasn't been named yet but I imagine that was a clever lie as the design and format of a comic takes weeks to produce and the new comic would be on sale in just three weeks. I suppose it was a case of giving the fans what they want, but keeping them guessing and leave them wanting more. Stan was a proper showman. The other bit of news on this page was about FOOM. Last week we learned that FOOM was  an acronym, this weeks fact is the forth letter stands for Marvel! Bet you all saw that coming! More facts coming next week in readiness for FOOM day on the 10th of February!

Another Pin-up Page, this week it's Mr. Fantastic originally printed in the Fantastic Four Annual #2  (US) from October 1964. Only Jack Kirby or Reed Richards knows what the machine does, we can but guess at its function, but like Stan says it does look great!

The Fantastic Four "The lady and the Monster!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Quick recap incase you're wondering why the Thing is attacking Johnny and Reed, last week the Puppet Master has sent his step daughter Alicia Masters, disguise as Sue Storm with a mind controlled Ben Grimm to keep the FF busy while he keeps the real Sue Storm prisoner and arranges a breakout at the state prison.

The Thing in his mind controlled state crashes into Reeds lab, knocking over the chemicals that Mr. Fantastic was working on. Which set off a reaction in Ben Grimm's cosmic ray enhanced body, turning the monster back to human and in doing so releasing the Thing from the Puppet Masters mind control. Ben's joy isn't long lasting as his transformation reverts Ben back to his orange rocky hide form. The blind sculptor senses that even in his monster incarnation Ben Grimm is a strong and kind hearted soul. 

Sue manages to temporary escape from her kidnapper and signal the FF with the use of a FF flare gun, which quickly alerts them to her location. Once they arrive to make a daring rescue they have to overcome the puppeteer's giant puppet robot just as the Puppet Master makes his escape with Sue on a mechanical flying horse! Where does he get those toys from? That's never explained and does make the story feel a bit clunky, but that's just how early 60's stories are, they still have a certain charm.

Ultimately the Puppet Master brings about his own demise with his over eagerness to crown himself ruler of the world, Alicia knocks his king figurine out of his hand and in his rush to get it back he trips over Alicia's out stretched arm and falls from a window. Does Alicia realise that she caused his doom? May be. Did the FF see it all but kept Alicia's secret so as to not upset her even more? May be that too. Have we seen the last of the Puppet Master? Nope!

In this weeks Mail Bag Stewart Pollack from Lanarkshire thanks Marvel for producing a spectacular magazine. Mr. R. Wilkinson (I wonder if he's related to the Dean of Lee University from the Hulk story in issue 15?) asks could Marvel send him a copy the Mighty World of Marvel #1 for his "demented" seven year son Stephen. A little harsh calling his own son demented but missing an important issue can make you a little cuckoo! Finally James French from Shropshire thinks that the Hulk is Marvel's best character by far, because he feels Spider-man and the Fantastic Four are too similar to other superheroes in other comics. Really? I think not!

 

Next to the regular Mighty Marvel Mail Bag page was a full colour advertisement for Shell Fuels. When your parents filled up their cars they could get 1 of 12 free "Bizzy Pens" with every 4 gallons of petrol or every pint of Shell oil at participating Shell garages. That's not all if you pleaded with your parents enough they might buy you a 10p "Bizzy" Box to save them in, Which comes with a bonus free entry form to Shells own Walt Disney Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs colouring in competition, which could win you a bike or one of hundreds of other prizes like radios, cameras or watches! If you really begged your parents they could also buy you one of three 20 X 30 Walt Disney posters to colour in for 20p each! Them were the days, get the kids to persuade their parents to buy your product, progeny pressure! Can't say it worked on me, although I do remember having lots of Smurfs figurines from BP garages.

Again this week the centre spread was half used to promote next weeks comic. The Fantastic Four face one of life's little problems as they're evicted from the Baxter Building for not paying their rent! "Heroes one minute...bums the next!" but that's not all that the FF have to worry about, there's a gloating Sub-Mariner to fret about too! Spider-man takes on the Living Brian, one of my favourite Lee/Ditko creations, only used once but it was a cracking story. As for the Hulk, he's on another rampage, against the Leader and his "horde" of Humanoids I guess. All that and possibly more, come back next week to find out.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel!