Week Ending 23rd June 1973
If I may take a little time this week to mention that as I was preparing this weeks look at Marvel UK from 50 years ago sad news broke of the passing of a Marvel Legend. John Romita SR sadly died at the age of 93, in his sleep at his home in Floral Park, New York, on 12th June 2023. Regrettably this weeks comics have no artwork by the super talented artist otherwise I could show examples of all the wonderful stuff he did. I can promise you that those amazing stories will be featured in three months time. That's the great thing about his work it will go on for along as comic fans want to pick up great stories to read about romantic adventures that combined soap opera and fantasy action. Over the last eight or so months I've talked about Steve Ditko's interpretation of Spider-man, yes I do love his version, but to me when I think about who is the definitive artist of Spider-man there's only one answer...John Romita SR. I may joke that in my top three artists I can name ten, which will change daily. Romita isn't always on that list, but he should be at the top of that list. His beautiful lines and clear story telling make him a delight to read. His characters are realistic each displaying distinctive personalities through their body language. His designs are creative and unforgettable. It's no wonder that in 1973 Stan chose him as Marvel's art director, he designed hundreds of images, covers, comics and characters that will always be associated with Marvel. He designed or helped to design characters like the Punisher, Wolverine, Luke Cage, the Kingpin, the Rhino, the Shocker and Bullseye to name a few. We all know what the Black Widow looks like, even if you've only seen her look in the movies. John took a character designed by Don Heck and give her a sexy black jumpsuit that really made her unforgettable, A look that has more or less remained the same since 1970. Romita was the second artist on Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, and arguably DareDevil (may be I should say as the second regular artists that is, there had been a number of other artists on DD but I'm implying he followed Wally Wood who held a very strong run on that comic.) following and improving on the great works of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Wood. He took over Captain America after Kirby and then Gene Colan had set a high bench mark, Romita became the regular artist, making Cap his own. Even though Ditko first drew Mary Jane (as seen in this weeks Spider-man story,) in my mind Romita created her because he drew her first full reveal, which give her a full character. I grew up every Christmas reading annuals that regularly featured John Romita SR stories, his work is part of my childhood and even through my adult life. When I left home I bought a pile of second-hand Spider-man Comics Weekly that were filled with the more mature Peter Parker stories that I found myself reading while sharing my new independence with Peter's adulthood ups and downs. So who's top of my all time favourite artists? Face it Tiger, John Romita SR is number one!
John Romita SR 24th January 1930-12th June 2023. RIPIf I get time I may write a special blog on my favourite John Romita SR comics, but let's now take a look at what was going on in Marvel UK for the week ending 23rd June 1973.
The Mighty World of Marvel #38
The other most noteworthy thing about this cover is the new title logo. It now goes by the full title of The Mighty World of Marvel starring the Incredible Hulk! Or MWOMSTIH for short. A bit long that, I think I'll stick with MWOM. You can see a definite push to make the Hulk the star of this comic.
The easiest way to accomplish the dark task is to use his Gamma Ray Projector, which for some reason is now located at the New Mexico Army Base and not the cave that Banner used to hide all his equipment. May be the US army discovered it at some point and removed it to its new location. At the said base three security breaches have occurred including an attempt to kidnap Betty Ross, is the General including the attempts by Boomerang, the Secret Empire or the Leader's agent, the Chameleon, or are these new attempts? Either way Major Glen Talbot is a pretty poor security chief, he spends too much time being jealous of Bruce Banner and pining over Betty Ross to do his job properly. The spy/saboteur in question is a Croatian Yugoslavian communist called Emil Blonsky who is working for China, although none of that is mentioned in the UK or the original version. In the US version he says "There are those behind the Bamboo Curtain who will pay any price for Banner's invention!" while the UK version refers to "certain foreign lands" instead. Security is so poor Banner wearing nothing but ripped jeans gets all the way to his lab before there's any attempt to stop him! Blonsky who to be fair his wearing a military uniform, from the shadows spies the vagrant scientist desperately trying to operate the Gamma Ray Projector before the guards drag Banner away. Blonsky decides to operate the machine on himself just to see what it does.
With the success of the Leader it was little wonder that Stan would use gamma rays to create another gamma powered antagonist to match the Hulk. I'm only surprised it took five years to make an evil version of the Hulk. Fans wanted to see big clashes, a thing that would become the default plot line for Hulk stories for many years to come. Gil Kane created an incredible opponent for the Hulk. The Abomination lived up to his name in looks and fear factor.
The mixture of power and intelligence give the Abomination the upper hand, winning the battle with the Hulk. It would seem he was unbeatable. Too clever to allow the General any chance of pursuit by armed aircraft the Abomination took Betty Ross as a hostage while leaping away in a Hulk fashion. She's always getting kidnapped that Betty. Can anything stop the Abomination? We'll find out soon.
One of many readers pet peeves is spoiling the story when they want to cut out a coupon or an offer. The general suggested solution is to put the adverts back to back. Marvel did this in this issue (and in SMCW,) with these two offers for a Spider-man Medallion coin and a Hulk T-shirt. I noticed in a digital copy I have, that the previous owner had cut out the order form, but I couldn't make out which offer was wanted as the form is on the reverse of the other. So I guess you could only have a medallion or the T-shirt. If you could choose which would you have? Thankfully my paper copies of this weeks comics are both fully intact.
The Hulk does recover and after Jones talks him down, telling him he is needed to save Betty's life the Hulk's heart rate slows allowing the transformation into Banner to occur. Banner suggests using a top secret "Infinite weapon ray" to attract the Abomination back to the base where the now angry Hulk swiftly defeats the other green monster. The Stranger, who has been observing it all from afar declares the Hulk valorous, making him unsuitable to be controlled. Also noting that the Abomination is truly evil and transports him away, leaving the Hulk to start a "New Chapter"
In reply to Kevin Magson's letter in MWOM #25 wanting Marvel Binders, Nicholas Oldfield from Norwich suggests using large cornflake cereal boxes to store his comics. Harry T. from London relies to Peter Millington who wrote in MWOM #26 saying he had to rely on the unpredictable arrival of US Marvel comics, Harry mentions that there are many American comics for sale in his local newsagents. He suggests that WH Smiths are the best place to find them. He also comments that Oldham's Power comic range simply stopped because they too quickly caught up to their American counter parts. He also has a plan to create another weekly comic that should have the Avengers, Doctor Strange and the X-Men in it, plus Iron Man should join Thor in a comic. Does he have a crystal ball? I find it strange but also wonderful that the editor is allowing readers to write about the Avengers, Dr. Strange, Iron-man and the X-Men as previously they wouldn't have been edited out of the featured stories. Has the coming of FOOM wetted readers appetite for more heroes? Speaking of FOOM, N. Binet from Jersey wonders why is FOOM and not MMMS (the Merry Marvel Marching Society.), where have you been N. ?
The inside back page with an in-house advert for this weeks Spider-man Comics Weekly that promises Spider-man being "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson!" and Thor facing deadly doom when the "Tomorrow Man returns!"
Smyth and the Spider-Slayer aren't the only note worthy first appearances in this story. No we get to see, well her long legs and shapely body at least, Mary Jane Watson, the niece of Anna Watson, Aunt May and Peter's next door neighbour. Why Ditko decided to draw a flower in front of her face we'll never know. May be it was fate that would allow John Romita SR to reveal the complete version and give readers millions of hours of reading pleasure. This tale ends with Spidey deactivating the robot, then slips out of the Slayer's coils, leaving the Slayer holding a web filled Spider-man costume and a confused Smyth and Jameson to figure out what went wrong.
Writer: Stan Lee
The Incredible Hulk "The Abomination!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gil Kane
Inker: Gil Kane
Originally published in Tales to Astonish #90
Cover date April 1967
(Published in January 1967)
From last week the Stranger winds up the Hulk with a hypnotic command sending him on an uncontrollable rampage to cleanse the Earth of the "unfit"mankind, so that it can be rebuilt with the Stranger as the world's new ruler. Bit of a mad plan there! After ripping apart a bridge he feels tired and needs to rest, which leads to the emerald berserker chilling out for a bit, leading into the his transformation into the weary Bruce Banner who no-longer feels any of the Strangers manipulations. Banner decides that the best way to end the Strangers plan for global annihilation is to commit suicide through a Gamma ray over dose.
The Incredible Hulk "Whosoever hates the Hulk..!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gil Kane
Inker: Gil Kane
Originally published in Tales to Astonish #91
Cover date May 1967
(Published in February 1967)
I'm really liking the Hulk stories at the minute, with John Buscema and then Gil Kane taking over the art chores the strip has had fresh life breathed into it. The Hulk knocking on death's door, while the Abomination leaping away with Betty Ross, the drama is really ramping up. Rick Jones suggests using "Gamma Electrodes" to revive the Hulk. They're a bit like a defibrillator for gamma spawned monsters. That's a pretty clever idea from Stan Lee or Gil Kane, the theory of electric shocks stopping and starting a heart was demonstrated in 1899 by two physiologists from the University of Geneva, Jean-Louis Prévost and Frédéric Batelli on a dog. The first external defibrillator as it is known today was invented by Electrical Engineer William Kouwenhoven in 1930. This was refined by Dr. Albert Hyman, heart specialist in 1933. Many refinements later we get the idiot proof portable models you see everywhere today. I like the way the creators of this story used the basic idea. It's a great set piece of many hospital dramas.
next week.
The Mighty Marvel Mailbag.
On the subject of Friends Of Ol' Marvel more readers are writing in with their feelings for it. Mark Graham from Leighton Buzzard thinks FOOM is great and has calculated using the check list for Fantastic Four comics he found in FOOM first issue that at the current rate the FF stories will not catch up with the American comics till Mighty World of Marvel issue 283. His friend disagrees and says it will be issue 264. If only they knew about the full stories that will be printed in the Titans and later in the Complete Fantastic Four. Finally for this weeks Mighty Marvel Mailbag Steven Laming from County Durham, who also things FOOM is great, wants to see more Marvel weekly comics, possibly starring Ant-man, the Avengers, Captain America and the Sub-Mariner. Now if that was to happen I'd have to spend more of my time blogging about them, which may or may not be good for the dear readers of this blog but at least I would get to re-read some fine comics.
The Fantastic Four "The final chapter"
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
Originally published in Fantastic Four Annual #1
Cover date July 1963
(Published in July 1963)
The final chapter of this epic Fantastic Four vs. the Sub-Mariner tale. It uses panels from last weeks chapter as a quick recap. We see Mister Fantastic's incredible devise that evaporates the life giving water the Atlantean troops require to survive from their helmets. This seems extremely cruel of Reed Richards, causing them to literally suffocate. But when at war! Namor allows his army to retreat back into the life giving seas while he confronts an injured Richards. The rest of the FF rush to help Reed, so out numbered Namor flees taking Sue Storm as hostage. The male members of the FF follow in an attempt to rescue her, in turn bringing Namor to the surface to do battle. A jealous Lady Dorma smashes the undersea craft's porthole to drown her prisoner. Seeing the consequences of that action Namor rescues Sue and takes her back to New York to a human hospital as quickly as he can. Ending his desire to fight with the surface world. This story was quite an epic that sets up future events. It's from this story that Sue realises that she really love's Reed and give's Namor lots of food for thought about his place in the world. Like many stories from this era Stan and Jack tend to rush the later parts to fit it into a comic, but still it was an enjoyable romp.
The lower advert teases "The word is coming!" What that means I have no clue, I don't recall what it relates to and I won't sneak a peak at next week issues to find out. Is it another competition of some more offers? If you want to know you'll have to come back next week and find out with me what the word is!
On this weeks MWOM and SMCW back pages there's another football contest. Answer five questions to be entered into the draw. Five first place winners will receive a Kodak camera, the next ten runner-ups will receive a Wembley Club trainer football. The ten third place winners will get a Soccerama game each, leaving the next 400 correct entrants the consolation prize of a model space craft. All you need to do is collect two football coupons, one from this week, the other from next week and answer correctly five questions. I got four completely right but had to look up the Bobby Charlton question. Have a go and I'll print the answers when Marvel UK does in a later blog. So here's the questions.
1) Spider-man's webbing
a) can only be destroyed by special chemicals.
b) can only be destroyed by fire.
c) melts into nothing after a few hours.
2) Thor's profession when he changes to Don Blake is
a) Scientist.
b) Professor.
c) Doctor.
3) How many caps did Bobby Charlton get before he retired?
a) 99.
b) 106.
c) 109.
4) The first British team to win the European Cup was?
a) Celtic.
b) Chelsea.
c) Manchester United.
5) The Hammers is the nickname given to?
a) West Bromwich Albion.
b) West Ham.
c) Sunderland.
Spider-man Comics Weekly #19
Another Marvel UK cover specially created by Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito. Spider-man Comics Weekly covers always seem to be more brighter and enticing than those used on its companion comic. The original Spider-Slayer with Jameson's smiling face filled with enjoyment looks more interesting and enjoyable than the Ditko version. Was SMCW aimed at a slightly younger readership than MWOM?
Spider-man "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson!"
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko
Inker: Steve Ditko
Originally published in The Amazing Spider-man #24
Cover date May 1965
(Published in February 1965)
This story marks the first that Steve Ditko was credited as coming up with the plot for a Spider-man tale. The way the Marvel Method worked was Stan Lee would come up with a plot idea, then after discussing it with the artist he left him to rough out the story. Stan would then take a look over the layouts, make any suggestions he felt was necessary, then leave the artist to complete their pencil work. The inker would then ink the artwork and at certain stages Stan would cast his eye over the work to make remarks on things he wanted changing. Stan would then add dialogue to finish the storytelling off. Artists like Kirby and Ditko had a massive input into the storytelling. Lee was more an editor who added dialogue than a writer. These wonderful stories were made possible by a grand collaboration, in my opinion they're better for it. Great ideas come from teamwork. Ditko may have felt hard done by, with Lee claiming all the credit on previous comics, Steve might have mentioned this to Stan. In fact in The coming of the Scorpion! Stan put Steve Ditko's credit above his, although he does use a bigger font for his own name. Was Ditko starting to feel aggrieved with Lee? In thirteen stories time Ditko would leave Marvel after the rift between the two had become unrepairable. In a deposition statement in 2010 John Romita SR recalled that Lee and Ditko "ended up not being able to work together because they disagreed on almost everything, cultural, social, historically, everything, they disagreed on characters. ..." A sad end but we still have thirteen great stories to read and review, followed by collections of Lee/Romita classics.
This story marks the first ever appearance of Spencer Smyth the inventor of the Spider-Slayer which also made its first appearance. The Mark I Spider-Slayer had unbreakable coils that it could entrap its victims with and a two way audio/video monitor which displayed the image of whoever was controlling it. This in itself must have been terrifying, seeing Jameson's gloating mug on the slayer's face. This story was filled with mirth rather than menace, as Jameson, like a boy with a new toy hunted down Spidey with utter glee, Flash wanted to smash Parkers face in because the amount of time he was spending with Liz Allen studying together and Betty who was getting jealous of Liz and why Peter was always with her.
The Web and the Hammer
Mark Peatfield writes this weeks first letter in the WatH mail bag, he gets both SMCW and MWOM each week and likes picking up the odd US comics but is finding it harder to find them. Ian Hunter from Blackpool has been thinking if Marvel UK does bring out another comic he would like to see Daredevil or the Silver Surfer or the Avengers in it. Colin Baxter from Knutsford Cheshire wants to see the return of the Spider-man and Fantastic Four cartoons to ITV, saying readers should write in to their local ITV network and demand it. I'll be honest I didn't think there was either a Spider-man or FF cartoon made at around that time. But I checked and the first Spider-man cartoon was made in 1967 (I think I remember seeing repeats in the late 70's which I may have thought of them as new.) together with a FF cartoon also by Hanna-Barbera from 1976, which I have never seen but Colin had. N. Arif from Loughborough University of Technology has been discussing with his University colleagues the man with out fear himself. They can accept Spider-man and the Hulk but feel to their well trained minds that for a bind man like Daredevil to accomplish the incredible feats he does while being blind is stretching credibility and is taking "an unfair advantage of our imaginations." I do see his point, no pun intended, but I do love some upcoming DD stories, Romita anyone?
More FOOM letters in what the editors are calling "It's the FOOM page", the first is from Paul Lambert from Argyll, who has a question about a Hulk panel seen in issue 1 of the FOOM magazine and features a character of Aguon. Is this too much spoilers? John Morley from Nottingham writes after seeing features in the first FOOM magazine he wants to have a regular flow of American comics coming into the UK. John Stevenson from Haywards Heath in Sussex also wants to see more US imports like the many "creepy-tale" magazines advertised in FOOM #1. Finally from FOOM fans this week Steven Drakeford from Birmingham, who really thinks FOOM is great and the free poster is the best.
Instead of a weekly FOOM advert we get a FOOM bulletin, informing us that the second issue is out in JUNE, featuring photos of the bullpen and articles like "The many faces of the Hulk", a check list for all the green ones comic appearances, puzzles and other diversions to keep comic fans busy. Plus a special feature on the new Marvel Magazine "Savage Tales". Now there was a great magazine.
The Mighty Thor "The Return of Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man!"
Artist: Jack Kirby
Inker: George Roussos
Originally published in Journey into Mystery #101
Cover date February 1964
(Published in December 1963)
It's the return of Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man, (last seen in SMCW #4,) and the return of the "King" as Jack picks up his pencil and draws the Thunder God again. I have to be honest the break hasn't helped, his artwork looks basic and a bit rushed, but is that the fault of the inker George Roussos? I can see Kirby's style but I feel Roussos brush has simplified the artwork for speed.
It's a simple tried and tested Thor plot line, Loki wants revenge on his half brother so he secretly enlists the aid of a villain to fight Thor for him, in this case its Zarrko. The God of mischief returns Zarrko's memories (which Thor removed,) of his defeat at Thor's hands. After a brief recap of that tale the Tomorrow Man visits the present day to challenge Thor with a "Day the Earth stood still" robot. Thor fights the robot but Zarrko threatens the to destroy the planet with it if Thor does not return with him to the 23rd century. Thor agrees to his demands and leaves in Zarrko's time cube.
As it says "Because you demanded it, here's your very own -- Thor Mobile!" From a time when a "mobile" is a small electrical device that you can watch TV or video on, send mail, find out about anything in the world, play games on, have social interactions with people you may or may not know from all around the world, use as a torch at a concert, check on your money, pay for things, find out where you are and where you need to go, and even make phone calls, this 1973 "mobile" looks very low-tech. But back in those days it was a thing to be creative. I like it, although I'm pretty sure I would't cut out a whole page just so I could hang a flying Thunder God from my ceiling.
Finally the inside back page boasts that this weeks MWOM has a triple treat that awaits you, first the Hulk vs the awe-inspiring Abomination, second the Hulk must face both the Stranger and the Abomination, (does he really? We hardy saw the Stranger in that story, Sounds a little over egging the hype there.) and then the final battle between Namor and the Fantastic Four. But of course you've already read about those magnificent Marvel masterpieces. And don't forget about "The word is coming". What ever the word might be you can be sure that I'll talk about it next week. So till then...
See you in seven.
Make Mine Marvel.
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