The Humanoid, the hero, his Goblin and the gangsters!

Week Ending 9th June 1973

Before we get into this weeks issues you might remember a February edition of the Power of the Beesting blog entitled Mischief makers! in which I looked at MWOM #22 that featured the first Marvel Mini-poster, to which I wrote "As a kid in the early 70's I would love it, but my boring grumpy old man self in 2023 feels a little deflated with it." My slightly underwhelmed review was noted by POTB reader John South who commented that he loved it so much he scanned it, increased its size slightly, printed it out and then framed it. After seeing what John had done it has changed my opinion. My 2023 grumpy old man self is very impressed, it looks really great.

And here it is, in a very fetching colour coordinated green frame. In 1973 the editors asked readers how they would display it, back in those days kids would cut it out and stick it on their bedroom walls with drawing pins or tape it to a school exercise book. What John has done would have seemed like pure fantasy/science fiction, "Home scanning and printing?". 

By sheer coincidence John also commented on last weeks blog, via the Facebook group, Marvel UK Comics, he had written in to MWOM but they didn't print his letter. However they did print his name in last weeks MWOM Mighty Marvel Mailbag at the end in the "We have also heard from" section. Can you imagine a young John South writing in to tell them he was going to scan it, enlarge it and then print it out in colour! I bet they would have printed his letter then!  

The Mighty World of Marvel #36

In 1973 Rich Buckler started the now classic Panther's Rage storyline and also a great run on the Fantastic Four, so I can forgive the quality of his work on these new Marvel UK covers. It has all the elements from the two strips inside but even though John Buscema drew the Hulk strip with the spool of cable that was used to defeat the Humanoid Hulk-Killer, in Buckler's version it just looks like a giant cotton reel under the Hulk's arm or that the Hulk just throws a bucket of water at his foe. It loses a lot of dramatic effect that Buscema caught beautifully. After reading the Panther's Rage all is forgiven. Mike Esposito inked the cover.

The Incredible Hulk "The birth of...the Hulk-Killer!" 

 

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #86

Cover date December 1966

(Published in September 1966)

I might have suggested that Buscema wasn't completely suited to drawing the Hulk, that may well have come from John Tartaglione's inks on last issues Hulk story. Give Big John a good inker and his artwork leaps off the page like an enraged green giant. This and the next Hulk story are as good as any of Buscema's Silver Surfer strips. Even the story and plot have improved over the hot then cold run of Hulk stories we've seen lately. I goes to show that the Marvel way or Marvel technique was reliant on a great artist who plotted the story from an idea given to them by the writer, who in most cases was Stan Lee. Then after the artist had storyboarded the artwork Lee would check it and make changes if he thought it was necessary. Then after the artwork had been inked Stan (or the writer,) would add the script to the page. John Buscema was an incredible story creator. One of the best.

My only fault with John Buscema's artwork on the Hulk was how he drew Bruce Banner. Banner was always supposed to be a skinny scientist but Buscema filled him out a bit too much. I get the story plot needed Banner to hold onto the side of the Orion Missile while he manually reset the guidance system in flight, so he had to be seen to be capable of doing that.

A sign of improving plot ideas was the introduction of this weeks big/bad antagonist, using a Humanoid that was specially built to defeat the Hulk by the Leader, found in the old big green head's abandoned New York lab made loads of sense. The ground work had already been laid many issues ago. Bucema could redesign the Humanoid how he like with just the explanation that this version was specially make to destroy the Hulk.

With the collective military mind believing that the Hulk was responsible for the Orion Missile attack on New York, General Ross orders a chief military scientist to reactivate the Humanoid so it can be sent after the Hulk. It's a classic Frankenstein scene that Buscema used and will use again in the Silver Surfer and in the Avengers, I'm thinking of the creation of Ultron or the Vision. Stan Lee even gives the classic Universal Pictures line "It worked! He--he's ALIVE!" 

One last thing Mike Esposito's name was listed as the inker on the British version, while the American copy had used his pseudonym Mickey Demeo in the credits.

With Boomerang making a guess appearance in this weeks Hulk stories and a spare page in the weekly what better page filler than a Pin-up page featuring the crazed killer who keeps coming back? This pin-up re-uses the cover of Tales to Astonish #81, cover dated July 1966, published April 1966, drawn by Jack Kirby. The Grand Comicbook Database suggest it was inked by Bill Everett but Marvel.Fandom.com makes no mention of Everetts input into the cover. He does add finish pencils to Kirby's layout for that comic and then adds inks. In my opinion the style of the finished cover/pin-up does look like Bill had some hand in the finished work. 

The Incredible Hulk "The Humanoid and the Hero!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #87

Cover date January 1967

(Published in October 1966)

It's another great opening splash page that just pulses power! The title is brilliant too. It comes right out of the mind of Stan Lee. It's so simple but so stimulating to a young inquisitive mind. It calls out to the nostalgic child in side. I just love these "Ronseal" titles, it does exactly what it says on the page!

 The Humanoid synthetic android is now nick named the "Hulk Killer!" Again this leaves the reader in no doubt what it's function is. Having super strength, incredible agility, regeneration abilities aided by invulnerability to any kind of beating the Hulk can give out this version of the Leaders androids looked very capable of being a Hulk killer.  

Another odd little thing about Buscema's Hulk issues was the redesign of Boomerangs costume. Jack Kirby had originally created the costume, although I wasn't a massive fan of the design I'm not overly excited by John Buscema's version. May be Stan wasn't to and wanted to flex his power as Marvel's chief writer and editor in chief by getting John Buscema to have a go at redoing it. I much preferred the John Byrne version as first fully seen in Iron Fist #13 from June 1977, published March 1977. For the second time in two Hulk tales Bruce Banner ends up taking a major part, either by stopping the destruction of New York by the Orion missile and in this story by working out a way to stop the Hulk Killer. This story also marks the first time that General Ross, Major Talbot and Betty Ross witness that the Hulk and Bruce Banner are one and the same.

At last I can announce the winner of the fantastic, fabulous football competition. The first prize winner is... Barry Brown of Nottingham who wins a brand new Raleigh Chopper Mark II bike. They were all the rage in 1973. Ten runner ups each received a pair of tickets to watch an England v Wales schoolboys international game at Wembley stadium on the 9th June. Now I couldn't find any record of a match with Wales on that day but I did find England V Scotland school boys on the 9th June 1973, that match ended England 2 Scotland 4. It was noticeable because it was the first ever schoolboy international match to be broadcast live on television. Did Marvel mix Scotland up with Wales? There was over 32,500 supporters at Wembley on that day, does anyone remember it? Were you one of the ten lucky runners up football ticket winners? Their names are on the first page together with 200 of the 500 Model Lunar Space-craft winners, I've no time or space to list them all but if you zoom in you might see your name. As for the answers:-

1) Spidey sells Photographs to...the Daily Bugle.

2) The Human Torch and Sue Storm are...Brother and Sister.

3) England won the World Cup in...1966.

4) Anfield is the home ground of...Liverpool.

5) The last team to do the Cup and League double was...Arsenal.

This double page feature on the Football Competition was also printed in this weeks Spider-man Comics Weekly but with a red tint, it may have faded slightly to an orangey shade due to age or maybe design. There's no letter page in this weeks and that's simply due to lack of space.

The Fantastic Four "Sub-Mariner versus the Human Race!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in Fantastic Four Annual #1

Cover date July 1963

(Published in July 1963)

Marvel UK jumps tracks a little, last weeks story had come from the Fantastic Four #17 which was published on the 9th May 1963, issue #18 was published on 11th June 1963 while this story was published on the 2rd July 1963 and was taken from the Fantastic Four's first annual. Marvel UK chose to print issue 18's story after this one in three weeks time. I can't think of any possible reason why and either way the order of these three stories doesn't really matter. 

The second and third pages of this story make up a wonderful double splash page that features a noble Namor, the Sub-Mariner greeting his jubilant subjects after finally finding his lost under-sea kingdom. Marvel UK messed up as the third page was printed on the back of the second which made viewing the spectacular scene in one go impossible. They could have moved an advert to accommodate this splendid Kirby spectacle. 

This story marks the first appearance of Atlantis, not the original kingdom that had been destroyed in  1958 by Destiny (see Namor the Sub-Mariner #1 cover dated May 1968, to be retold to British readers in The Titans from issue 1, 25th October 1975, ) but a new Atlantis that the nomadic Atlanteans had settled. This story also marks the first Silver age appearance of both Lady Dorma, Namor's love interest and Warlord Krang, the Sub-Mariner's most bitter of rivals. Kirby makes Dorma look stunning with flowing untamed hair that is left to dance in the under-sea currents. Krang as portrayed by comic book villain short hand, looking wicked and evil in that Ming the Merciless way. 

Reed suggests a cruise as a way to check out reports of giants sea monsters. During those investigations the FF are captured by Namor who demands that the FF deliver a message to the United Nations declaring that the seas and the air above them belongs to the nation of Atlantis. To be continued next week.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #17

Another cover by Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito and this one is more pleasing to my eye than this weeks MWOM's cover. Both share similar design but this one looks lighter and brighter which just about edges it with me.

Spider-man "The Goblin and the gangsters"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko    

Inker: Steve Ditko 

Originally published in The Amazing Spider-man #23

Cover date April 1965

(Published in January 1965)

There have been many Green Goblin stories, many to be honest haven't been my cup of tea, although there has been some cracking ones. Sadly this one isn't one of them. That's fine I can see the direction that the character and plot is going so I'm more than happy to take this story on its merits. It's well drawn, well plotted, with fun dialogue, good action and it's a good read, just not a gold star classic. I think my problem is with the Green Goblin, it's not with Stan, or Jack, or with you my dear reader. To me he's just a generic villain who wants to be mobster boss, without any back ground to give him any depth or motivation. Yeah I know that will come, I'm a little too impatient to get there. See I told you the problem was with me.

The Goblin asks the New York mobs to take him on as their leader, but like myself they can't take him seriously in his "corny costume". He does show them why they should consider him as good leadership material by giving them a taste of his "corny" weaponry in the form of a well placed Pumpkin bomb or Goblin glove blaster.

Jameson goes to his gentleman's club in one part of the story. Take a close look at the gentleman to Jameson's right in the first panel and then to Jameson's left in the next. Quite a unique haircut! I wonder who he is? Could he be an important industrialist and businessman with the initials N.O. and who's favourite colour is green? 

This story also marks the return of Fredrick Foswell, the disgraced Daily Bugle reporter who was the brains behind the Mob leader the Big Man and his Enforcers. Having gotten out of jail, again another sign that the American Justice system in Marvel comics is extremely lenient. J. Jonah Jameson has given him his old job back because in his word "he believes in forgiveness charity and brotherly love." It could be that Foswell still has loads of good underworld connections that give him access to the inside scoop on reporting of crime in the city. This could also have been a plot red herring that Jameson could have been the Goblin and was using Foswell as an underground sergeant, by either Stan or Steve. 

The Green Goblin takes on Lucky Lobo's mob which brings the attention of Spider-man. The Goblin's plan works, but works too well as the entire mob he had planned to take over gets arrested leaving him with no gang to lead. It's all quite a strange ending, but maybe it'll have long reaching consequences. 

  The Web and the Hammer

SMCW's editor managed to squeeze in half a page of readers letters this week by removing the adverts from the Football Competition answer/winners pages, making this weeks mail bag short but sweet. First up Brian Patterson from County Armagh in Northern Ireland thought the science section in issue 5 was brilliant and very interesting. The mysterious Martin (no surname given,) from Stourbridge Worcestershire comments that the Stone Men from Saturn remind him of the Thing and also asks is the Things skin made out of rock, stone or some other substance? The editor gets out of that one by saying no-one knows. Joseph Ruddock from Dunlaoghaire Ireland wonders how Spider-man's web fluid turns into webbing when he presses a button? It's quite easy for any highly talented science-student like Peter Parker to develop a liquid that when mixed with air under pressure forms strands of webbing, or at least it is in the Marvel universe. Finally Adrian Smith from Bury asks the Spider-man question we've all thought about, no not the "how does Spidey pee when in costume?" No, it's the does Spider-man have shoes on under his costume question? The editor answers he has built in light weight shoes. Just wait till someone writes in and asks "How can he walk up walls with those light weight shoes on?" The real answer is "It's comic book magic!" 

This Marvel Masterwork Pin-up of Spidey originally appeared in the Amazing Spider-man #23, the same issue that this weeks Spider-man story "The Goblin and the gangsters!" came from.

My first ever encounter of this poster was in the Amazing Spider-man Summer Special from 1980 by Marvel UK. I absolutely love that special. That's where I fell in love with Steve Ditko's art, this poster by Steve was one of the reasons why.

This is nothing to do with this weeks Marvel UK comics but on a side note, Amazing Spider-man #23 also featured a letter from a young reader named Jim Shooter. I wonder what became of him?

The Mighty Thor "The mysterious Mister Hyde!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #99

Cover date December 1963

(Published in October 1963)

Now this Thor tales gives people who don't like Don Heck's work ammunition to fire at him. It looks very messy and really has little going for it. But if I'm going to give any praise for it I can say that with the introduction of the vile villain Mister Hyde the artwork does suit the characters mood. Stan Lee is a writer who plagiarises other peoples ideas, but in away that brings a clever new twist. This isn't a bad thing, it could be levelled at many fantastic authors. There's nothing new in writing or science fiction writing. So if you're going to steal, steal from the best. Stan for this story steals from Robert Louis Stevenson's creation of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. Stan doesn't hide from that, he even names the characters evil half Mister Hyde, he does resist calling Hyde's alter-ego Jekyll, instead naming him Calvin Zabo. Another change from the Scottish writer's masterpiece is the Jekyll character isn't portrayed as being good. Calvin Zabo was a medical research scientist who was morally abject and fired from various employments because of the many times he robbed them.   

The only real difference between Zabo and Hyde is Mister Hyde has the strength of twelve men and a slightly more unhinged mind. Zabo does retain a more analytical mind though.

 

It was after being rejected by Doctor Don Blake when he applied for a research post with Thor alter-ego that Calvin Zabo set out creating a formula similar to the one that Doctor Jekyll had discovered in the Robert Louis Stevenson novel "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." A novel that Zabo had become fascinated by. After believing he had taken revenge on Don Blake's rejection, by pushing him out of a window, only to find that Thor had rescued the Doctor (of course Blake had changed into Thor by hitting his walking stick on the outside wall as he fell, transforming him into the God of Thunder,)  the mad scientist plots to frame Thor as a bank robber by disguising himself as the Norse God. And that's where we'll have to leave it as this is the first Thor tale that ends on a cliff hanger, with a promise to finish this epic tale in next weeks sensational 18th issue of Spider-man Comics Weekly.

 With a spare page to fill Marvel UK fills it with a pin up of Kraven the hunter, one of "A gallery of Spider-man's most famous foes!" from the Amazing Spider-man Annual #1 cover dated October 1964, published June 1964 by the great Steve Ditko. 

And on that note another blog ends for a week so that I can spend some time in the sunshine rendering more classic comics in readiness for next week.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.