The missing Surfer.

Week Ending 30th June 1973

 

Missing panels and missing pages. Strips with any mention or image of the Surfer and Thor removed so as to not spoil future stories. We get a "Future Shock" that would make the mighty one feel green with envy. The Skrulls walk among us this week. Can you pick who's who in this weeks web of mystery in Spider-man's strip? No Skrulls involved. Plus can Thor save the future? Read on to find out about all that and more.

The Mighty World of Marvel #39

I think it's fair to say that both weekly comics covers are going through a poor period at the minute, especially the Mighty World of Marvel, which is surprising as Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito are both very accomplished artists. May be it was the hard deadline with two covers a week and also Bucklers regular comic book chores in Jungle Action drawing the Black Panther regularly. So for that he can be forgiven. Marvel UK would produce some cracking covers once they concentrated on showcasing one story per cover rather than the split covers.

The Incredible Hulk "Turning Point!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #92

Cover date June 1967

(Published in March 1967)

Following a great artist like John Buscema is a challenge, but it helps if you're already a great artist like Gil Kane, but then when you have to follow Buscema and then Kane it becomes an even greater challenge. Marie Severin followed those legendary artists and meet the challenge head on with one of my favourite runs by any artist on the Hulk. Marie Severin isn't a name that is held in the same high esteem as Buscema, Kane, Ditko or Kirby, but she should be. The opening splash page showcases her creative craftsmanship. An impressive looking Hulk looming over a detailed city landscape, it's iconic. After the number of artists who would tinker with the Hulk's features Marie sets out on the page the definitive look for the green giant that would last more or less for decades, perhaps until Todd McFarlane in 1987. Marie took all the best bits that had come before and made a universally recognisable Hulk, who dare I say looked more appealing.

Marie Severin knows when to have detailed backgrounds and when to have close up of characters with more simple background for efficiency, but those close ups never lose any detail, take the panel of the Hulk holding onto something that's moving at speed, the artwork on the Hulk is full of incredible detail but that background is uncluttered. As to what that object that the Hulk is holding on to you'll have to wait one hundred weeks to find out! No I'm very serious, the story ends after nine pages with the tenth page removed to stop any spoilers. The next Hulk story that follows on from Tales to Astonish #92 doesn't get printed in the UK until 7th June 1975 in Mighty World of Marvel #140. But who or what is the Hulk chasing?

The answer is shown on page ten of Tales to Astonish #92. It was the Silver Surfer that the Hulk saw in the night sky. Norrin Rand wouldn't make his first Marvel UK appearance till 28th September1974 in the Fantastic Four story from MWOM#104, so the last page was left out leaving a very strange conclusion. In many ways "Turning point!" need not have been published, it's a great little story but British readers could have gone straight onto Tales to Astonish #94 "..To the beckoning stars!" as we'll see later. "Turning point!" and "He who strikes the Silver Surfer" will both get a full reprint for Marvel UK fans in the Mighty World of Marvel issues 139 to 140 (31st May 1975 to 7th June 1975,) in which those two stories are neatly squeezed between the Hulk's regular continuity. If you'll stick with the Power of the Beesting blog I'll discuss that and how readers from 1975 felt about a story being repeated within two years. I imagine they were happy to finally see its conclusion.

    

   

The Incredible Hulk "..To the beckoning stars!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #94

Cover date August 1967

(Published in May 1967)

Herb Trimpe joins the art team as an inker this week, a name totally synonymous with the Hulk. 

The strange light/object in the sky from the previous Hulk story is left hanging, leaving the British readers to assume that it was the mysterious "New Man" that featured in this tale. I'm not sure how well that sat with the MWOM fans from 1973, I know the "Turning Point!"/"He who strikes the Silver Surfer" story line so well that it feels an obvious gap. We'll see in future mailbags if this caused any tension. I totally understand the reasons why the Silver Surfer's involvement was removed, with hindsight I always felt it was a mistake to allow the Hulk to race ahead of other stories like the Fantastic Four. Easy for me to say, harder for the editors to get right without producing handfuls of Marvel UK comics to bridge the gaps. Although in a couple of years they did just that. 

Unlike the Silver Surfer's continuity the editors must have felt that preserving the High Evolutionary's  continuity wasn't a problem. He makes his first UK appearance here however in Marvel continuity he would first appear in The Mighty Thor #134 cover dated November 1966 (published in September 1966,) which would get it's UK debut in Spider-man Comics Weekly #72 on the 29th June 1974. I imagine that explaining the Surfers continuity with the Fantastic Four would cause problems, but the High Evolutionary and his New Men's out of order stories would be less so. 

A brief recap on the High Evolutionary, his creation of a race of New Men and their time at Wundagore mountain was seen as a flashback, but with the image of Thor removed. They could have left in his part in that adventure, using it as a teaser for a future story, but they didn't. The High Evolutionary had left Earth with his New Men to build a new society on a new planet which he named Wundagore II. 

    

But some of the New Men reverted to their bestial heritage and rebelled against the High Evolutionary. H.E. arranged for the abduction of the Hulk, who he hoped would turn the tables in that rebellion. This week's Hulk tale ended with the line "A world he never made!" which many of you readers will associate with Howard the Duck as used by Steve Gerber to demonstrate a young ducks plight with "Trapped in.." added at the beginning. It it's actually comes from a poem by A.E. Housman called "The Laws of God, the Laws of Man" in which the line is "In a world I never made".

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

There's only two letters in this weeks mailbag, the first is from the mysterious Captain Vole from Kent. Not sure that's the name on his passport. He questions the lack of colour in British weekly comics. He wonders if the scope of Marvel UK comics will include the Silver Surfer and the Inhumans. If not would it be because in Britain the market is so small, stating that even if the whole population of the UK were to buy MWOM it still wouldn't add up to the sales in the UK as the US has a larger population. The editor replies that there are many reasons why at the time there is no colour in UK comics and economics is certainly one of them. Peter Crawford from Crawley Sussex is puzzled why so many characters have the same face, no matter which artist draws them, but the Hulk's features alter like a chameleon on a patchwork quilt. He goes on to list eleven changes from issue 1 to issue 27 and the artists who were responsible. I do get his point. I think with the new art team of Marie Severin and Herb Trimpe that will ease considerably. 

 "The last rocket!"

Writer: Stan Lee and Larry Lieber

Artist : Gene Colan

Inker: Gene Colan

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #39

Cover date March 1963

(Published in December 1962)

With the first Hulk story missing a page and there being only one letter page in MWOM this week has a couple of spare pages free. So they decided to use that space to print a lovely sci-fi tale from Tales of Suspense #39. That comic is more widely known as the comic that featured Iron Man's first ever appearance. Some of the original panels were removed to shorten the story from five pages to four, but that doesn't spoil the story at all. In fact I think it actually helps the narrative run more smoothly. When the sun starts to burn out a married couple refuses to leave the planet with everyone else, because of their love for each other and the planet. The couple remain to watch a giant flash of light as a new sun forms. They pledge to start the human race anew as a breed that will love the planet as much as they love it. The real twist in the tale is their names are Adam and Eve. Stories like these were the inspiration for Tharg's Future Shocks in the Prog. You can see why, even at four pages it's a cracking little yarn.

The Fantastic Four "A Skrull walks among us!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in Fantastic Four #18

Cover date September 1963

(Published in July 1963)

After the last three weeks adventures which involved the Sub-Mariner from the US Fantastic Four Annual #1 MWOM goes back to the original continuity with the story that follows their adventures from MWOM #35, that featured a battle with the Lord of Latveria but in doing so it replaces an image on a TV screen of Doctor Doom for one of Namor the Sub Mariner. The Fantastic Four take a well earned rest whether they had been fighting Doom or the Sub-Mariner, so our attention is taken to the Andromeda Galaxy, where the evil Skrulls make plans to defeat the Fantastic Four.

Their master plan involves enhancing a Skrull with the combined powers of the Fantastic Four. The Super Skrull demonstrates each of his new powers to the Emperor who soon sends him to Earth to battle the Fantastic Four. Find out next week are the FF any match for the Super Skrull? 

On the inside back page we get an in-house advertisement for this week Spider-man Comics Weekly #20, in which Spider-man must solve the mystery of "the Man in the Crime-Masters mask!" as well as defeating the Green Goblin. Plus Thor is a "Slave of the Tomorrow Man!" Keep reading and we'll get to those chestnuts.

But before we can get to all that there's the question of "What's the word?" Some of you might have said "Grease" is the word! I'm afraid not. The word is "Wordophobia!" Yep that's just a made up word that means it's another Marvel competition that has something to do with making up as many words as you can from a single word or phrase. The prizes are for the boys, Superstar sets and Mark Strong kits and the girls Barbie Beauty centres and Barbie kits. A total of 240 prizes in all! More on that next week.

The back page features another Marvel Collectors Special, this time its No.6 in the series with a noble looking Sub-Mariner, taken from the cover of Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner #1 cover dated May 1968 (published February 1968,) by John Buscema and Sol Brodsky. The back ground of the original cover is replaced with a water coloured seascape scene.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #20

This cover is a remake of Steve Ditko's the Amazing Spider-man #26 cover by regular Marvel UK cover artists Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito. I have to honestly say they should have reused the Ditko version, it's virtually the same except it has better composition and it also features the Green Goblin. The inclusion of a panel of Thor as a "Slave of the Tomorrow Man" doesn't let the cover breathe either.

Spider-man "The man in the Crime-Master's mask!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #26

Cover date July 1965

(Published in April 1965)

After last weeks acknowledgement right after the credits that "Sturdy Steve Ditko dreamed up the plot" of that "tantalising tale", this weeks credits go further by telling the readers that Steve Ditko plotted and drew this tale. I almost think in the credits section of this story I should add Steve Ditko's name together with Stan Lee as writer. Although it's universally known that Lee and Ditko would knock about the plot on these Spider-man stories together. The plotter or writer would either tell the artist the plot or write out a rough draft of it for the artist to work from. Obviously, I wasn't there but I imagine Stan and Steve would discuss the plot before Steve drew it, in the case of this story imagine Steve told Stan what he wanted to do and Stan just let him. The plot is a nice little "Who is he?" story line thread, with that question directed to both the Crime-Master and the Green Goblin.

The identities of both would at this point remain a secret, even though both criminals stated that they knew each others true identities. J. Jonah Jameson and Frederick Foswell were prime suspects due to their shady comings and goings. I'm pretty certain that they were intended as red herrings all along. I'm not sure whether by design or coincidence but one of Jameson's fellow gentlemen's club members looks very much like Norman Osborn, who ever he may be! The mysterious stool pigeon known as Patch makes his debut this week. But what is his connection with everything? Can't tell you/won't tell you, spoilers!

As you would expect from a Spider-man tale there's loads of Peter Parker's real life problems, possibly as much as 40% in the Peter/Spider-man split. With Peter looking for is confiscated costume, dealing with Betty's anger at Peter for siding with Jameson against Spider-man and her jealousy over Liz Allan and Mary Jane! Then there's his work life at the Daily Bugle and school life. At one point he blows his top and takes on Flash Thompson and his friends in a fight. The school Principal sees Peter starting the fight and so punishes him for it as Peter is willing to take all the blame. Flash overhears Peter's confession and secretly tells the Principal his involvement in it taking some of the blame. This could be the start of a move to Peter and Flash's future friendship.

 

Peter's solution to his missing costume is to buy one off the peg from a costume shop. like so many parts in Peter/Spidey's life thing's don't quite work out, the costume doesn't quite fit so he has to glue the gloves, boots, top and mask together with webbing. Which with hindsight is a good thing as later the Green Goblin tries to unmask the unconscious hero, but of course it won't budge.

The action plot revolves around both villains wanting to take over the New York underworld, but as they won't agree to work together they lock horns to see who will out think the other. It looks like the Crime-Master comes out on top but as this weeks instalment ends the Goblin produces an unconscious Spider-man and claims the position as the New York mobs boss as his! Most Spider-man stories are single issue stories, this two part ends on a cliffhanger and it's better for it. Can't wait for next week's conclusion.

The Web and the Hammer

Like MWOM's letter page this weeks TWatH page is a single page, so much for the two pages of letters promised. First up is Allan Waite from Bedford, who is glad to see Marvel starting all over again in the UK, allowing readers to those early classics from Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Roger Stanley from Shropshire used to collect Fantastic (what??) from the sixties and doesn't want Marvel UK to repeat all Thor's stories from that comic. The editor tells Roger to hold on to them as they could be worth a fortune. (I must find out how much mine are worth, not that I have any British Marvel comics from the late 60's, because such comics don't exist so I wouldn't have any of them in my collection! Well not many.) Tony Dixon from Manchester is pleased with is FOOM parcel, but wants to know what are the meanings of "Nuff Said", Peta" and "Excelsior!" Well nothing more needs to be said about "Nuff Said", as for Peta that's the real name of Marvel UK's editor Peter L. Skingley, the editor calls her the "Lovely lass" who looks after the London office, I wonder was she smiling as she typed out that reply. As for "Excelsior", ever upward, ever higher. Finally Jim Harding from County Down in Northern Ireland is really "grooved" by his FOOM kit and wonders where he can send off for the 1973 Marvel Annual. I would say eBay but that was an impossible dream in 1973. The 1970's answer was always second hand bookshops. 

The Mighty Thor "Slave of Zarrko, the Tomorrow man!"

  

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: George Roussos

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #102

Cover date March 1964

(Published in January 1964)

The opening splash page of this Thor story must have been drooled over by a young Barry (Windsor) Smith, because the framing is similar to a splash page he used in an Avengers story he drew, that was later used as a Marvel Collectors Special in SMCW #16. And why not, it's an incredible dynamic pose. Zarrko the Tomorrow Man bribes Thor into becoming his obedient slave and travel with him to the 23rd Century, so that he can take over that century's world controlling "Master Machine". Thor of course plays along until he tricks Zarrko into releasing him from his promise and allows the machine to finish the job for him. It's a cool little tale but I imagine that at any point, even with his strength at half of what it was after Odin stripped half from him (because of his unrelenting love for Jane Foster.) Thor could have beaten Zarrko, but that would have shorten way to much of a cracking story.

On the inside back page we get an advert for next weeks Wordophobia competition, which we've already seen in the pages of this weeks MWOM above an advert for this week SMCW, Spidey returns the favour to show an advert for this weeks MWOM. I must admit the cover artwork does look better in black and white. Not that I'm suggesting they should try a black and white cover, they definitely should not do that! 

   Finally for this week, No.5 in the Marvel Collectors Special and its Odin's turn. This brooding portrait of the All Father looks to me to have been drawn by John Buscema. I did some checking and I found it in The Mighty Thor #202 cover dated August 1972 (published May 1972,) in a story entitled "--And none dare stand 'gainst Ego-Prime!" It was indeed drawn by John Buscema with inks from Vince Colletta. Marvel UK fans would have to wait until Super Spider-man with the Titans #212 (published 2rd March 1977.) to read it. Hopefully I'll talk about that story in under four years time. 

You won't have to wait that long to find out what went on in next weeks issues, just seven days. So until then...

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.