Tales of magic as old as time.

 Week Ending 21st July 1973

A quick update from last weeks Power of the Beesting blog in which I made a comment about the badly drawn Jonah Jameson that featured in Comic Collectors Special Number 8, regular blog reader/commenter Rod Tough pointed out correctly that it was a badly re-drawn copy of panel 3, page 9 of Amazing Spider-Man #51 cover dated August 1967, originally by John Romita SR and inked by Mike Esposito. 

Look closely and you can tell it isn't the original artwork, note the detail in the newspaper print, his ear and hairline changes, the tie is cut short, his left arm moves from behind the paper to in front, more of that arm is showing, the cigar smoke changes and probably more if you look very carefully. I love Romita's work but the copy cat artist makes me feel that issue 51 wasn't his best. Thanks to eagle eyed Rod for spotting that.

The Mighty World of Marvel #42

The main part of this weeks cover is taken from the cover of Tales to Astonish #99 by Marie Severin with inks by Dan Adkins although the colours of the Legion of the Living Lightning have been altered considerably from the original version, slightly leaving them to look washed out and uninteresting. The lower panel is made up of adapted panels for the most part from last weeks Fantastic Four story, however Mister Fantastic's cameo doesn't appear to have been part of that story, so that may well have been freshly drawn. The Human Torch part was cut from a panel in which he talked to the Thing and Alicia Masters. 
    

The Incredible Hulk "When the monster wakes!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: John Tartaglione

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #99

Cover date January 1968

(Published in October 1967)

This story quickly wraps up last weeks Hulk strips making a neat but ultimately unmemorable story trilogy. The Hulk wakes up to find himself in a prison cell with Betty Ross, General Ross becomes angry that his daughter's life could be in danger. The Lightning Lord becomes frustrated because the Hulk refuses to become aggressive to Betty or harm her in any way, spoiling the Lightning Lords plan to force the old "Thunderbolt" Ross to order the base's surrender. The Hulk reverts back to Banner, Major Talbot forms a rescue plan.

The Lightning Lord orders the Legion of Lightning to abandon the base to enact the next part of their plan. Which entails launching all their missiles at the Air Force Base. Banner uses a Gamma Ray device to change back into the Hulk and smash the Living Lightning's now not so secret base. In the carnage the Hulk throws a heavy plant machine at the atomic pile, setting off the mother of explosions. Late to the party an Air Force jet surveys the scene of destruction, radioing back to command that the enemy's base is totally destroyed with no hope of anyone surviving, not spying an uninterested Hulk walking away.

  Like last weeks Tales of Asgard full page teaser, the cover of the Avengers #1 is used  to preview that Earth's Mightiest Heroes are coming soon to the pages of the Mighty World of Marvel. With only the Hulk and Thor so far having their own strips published in Marvel UK comics, plus the Ant Man making a cameo in a Fantastic Four story readers would for the most part be teased by the mystery of who are Iron-man and the Wasp (apart from those readers who had read Fantastic and Terrific comics from the late 60's which we don't mention or any of the American imports from Marvel which are supposed to be rare,)? Loki will of course be know to the many readers  of Thor from Spider-man Comics Weekly. The artwork from this page is by Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers from the comic published in July 1963, cover dated September 1963.

The Incredible Hulk "Heaven is a very small place!"

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #147

Cover date January 1972

The next Hulk story must have felt like a massive jump in style from what had been printed before. Stan Lee was credited as editor, with Roy Thomas as writer, a new name to young Marvel UK readers in 1973, but a name of someone who would shape the Marvel universe more than any other creator, with the exception of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. He sometimes gets over looked but as a writer and editor is responsible for some of the greatest storylines in Marvel, as well as co-creating some of the most important characters in the Marvel universe. I won't bore you with a list, it'll go on for far too long and anyway this blog will hopefully get round to discussing them at length as they make their first appearances in many Marvel UK comics in the 70's. If you love Marvel comics from the late 60's to 1980 you can't help but appreciate what he contributed to them. Even if you love later decades or may be you're just a fan of the MCU, you've got to be thankful for Roy Thomas because the company you know these days wouldn't be here today if not for Roy and his crazy idea to adapt a cheap space opera film into a comic that would save Marvel from bankruptcy. If you didn't know that film was Star Wars.

The artist felt new too, although he had inked Marie Severin's Hulk pencils last week. Together with Marie's brother John Severin supplying the inks this story does feel very new. In fact it nearly was, it had only just been published just over a year and five months ago. The previous Hulk story had been taken from Tales to Astonish issue 99, issues 100 and 101 would feature an epic battle between the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner. which was saved over till next week. So this out of time short would fill the gap till then. And I'm glad it was chosen, Thomas/Trimpe Hulk stories are what make Mighty World of Marvel great. The holy trinity of those together with DareDevil by Stan Lee/John Romita Sr or Gene Colan and the Fantastic Four by Stan Lee/Jack Kirby are what I think of when I imagine MWOM at it's best, even though many magnificent strips will feature in it's 329 issues. 

The plot of this story is simple but at the same time very engaging, the Hulk lost and alone walks through a desert in need of water while searching for peace, away from the humans who hunt him. He spots in the distance an oasis of a town with white picket fencings around its ordered gardens, neat wood framed bungalows edged with brick and stone walls. Thirsty and curious the Hulk approaches the mirage of a perfect town to find its silent inhabitants happily going about their day in a friendly way, not frightened of the green-hued giant. One gentleman tips his hat towards the confused monster, another waves "hello" as he drives by, all mute. The Hulk likes this place, if only someone would talk to him and be his friend. Then a girl, sitting in a wheel chair catches the Hulk's eye. As she smiles she softly speaks to the green behemoth, without fear, echoing his soul she tells him how lonely she had been until he came. The Hulk has found a friend but as soon as that moment of joy can fill his heart sadness fills the girls face. The Hulk reaches out to comfort her but she fades like a ghost, followed by the neat gardens, the town and its population. 

Confused and angry at being alone again the Hulk with his child like mind does what a temper tantrum child would do and lasts out in frustration! Miles away two scientists monitor a seismograph that indicates an earthquake in the isolated desert. This "Twilight Zone" tale is full of Roy Thomas's poetic writing, it's a joy to read and Herb Trimpe's artwork is so easy on the eyes too. I have a "Love/Hate" feeling towards their time on the strip, as a kid I always believed that all Hulk's stories were just "monster of the week", "Hulk smash" plots that were childish and pointless, much preferring the more mature Spider-man with its young adult themed stories. Although when I imagined my own Marvel stories at that age the Hulk was always involved. Later when I re-read these classics I saw the intense literature of Thomas's writing and quickly grew to adore them. This little treat was a sign that even greater things were coming!

This story would be repeated in Marvel Treasury Edition #8 (1975), Spider-man and Hulk Weekly #391 (4th September 1980 Marvel UK),  in the American magazine Hulk! #19 (February 1980) and Heroes Reborn #37 (5th July 2000 Panini comics). The Hulk! magazine gets a fresh re-coloured look. Of course you can find it in loads of graphic novels, collections and the odd omnibus too. 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Gary Appleby from Staffs writes he believes, after reading the American Fantastic Four comic #126, he has found clues that there may have been a Human Torch before Johnny Storm had gained his powers. You're not wrong there Gary, even if the editor wouldn't say for sure. Shane Mackle from County Tyrone wants to know if a number of super villains will team up to battle the Fantastic Four, because he love's super-heroes getting into trouble. Heroes getting into trouble happens all the time so he'll get his wish soon. James Harrington from Hunts wants an extra mag that could come out monthly and feature DareDevil, Ant-Man and the Avengers. Another mag with the Avengers or a monthly that features the Earth's greatest heroes, now I like the sound of that. Gary Reader from Birmingham writes that he has read the Marvel Annual and is intrigued by the list of characters mentioned within. I think that's a hint that he wants to read more about their adventures. He used to read Fantastic and Terrific back in the late 60's but says that Marvel is much better. Hand on heart I'm a Marvel UK diehard, but don't tell anyone but those two comics where pretty terrific too, in many ways the blueprint for Marvel UK.

Finally Paul Raizis from Wellington, New Zealand, writes to tell us that he has been reading American comics for a long time, but after he stumbled upon Mighty World of Marvel he's become a fan with a collection that holds issues 14,15,16,17 and 18. He wonders why the date on the comics might say February but he gets them in April? The simple and obvious answer is it takes that long for the consignment of comics to reach the shores of New Zealand. In many ways Paul is lucky to be getting both American and British Marvels. 

The Fantastic Four "Slaves of Rama-Tut, Pharaoh from the future!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in the Fantastic Four #19

Cover date October 1963

(Published in July 1963)

This weeks opening splash page is taken from the American cover of the Fantastic Four issue 19 with the speech balloons removed and text boxes added to fill the British readers in on what went on last week. The Fantastic Four are over-powered by a futuristic ray that makes them slaves to Rama-Tut's will. The Thing is put to use as an oars man in his royal galley, Mister Fantastic used as an observer for the legions of Rama-Tut, the Human Torch becomes a court jester much to the Pharaoh's delight and finally the Invisible Girl becomes the Pharaoh's Queen much to her repulsion.

 Rama-Tut will have future history for this kind of forced sexual attention, just ask Carol Danvers about her time in Limbo with Rama-Tut's future identity Immortus. They would have stayed enslaved if not for a subtle change in body chemistry of the imprisoned Thing. The text written by Stan Lee suggests that the heat from the Egyptian sun being far hotter than twentieth century New York was the reason for his transformation into the human Ben Grimm, allowing him to overcome the effects of the mind ray and slip out of his oversized shackles. 

Is this an acceptable explanation, I feel not when the Thing would encounter heat many more time in future stories with no effect. But I'll not mount a picket line in protest. He battles his way to rescue Sue and retrieves Rama-Tut's ray gun that when fired for a second time restores the enslaved heroes own free will. Sue frees Johnny with it who in turn frees Reed after they fight their way past the palace guard. After a battle with Rama-Tut the time traveller abandons his damaged Sphinx shaped time machine in a smaller escape pod time machine. 

The Fantastic Four find the optic nerve restorer just as Doctor Doom's Time platform lowers over them to return them to their own time period. The effect of time travel renders the optic nerve restorer useless much to Ben's dismay. At one point in this story Reed ponders that if Rama-Tut's ancestor invented the first time machine could he have been the descendant of Doctor Doom? It's a fantastic story that leaves many repercussions for the Marvel Universe. 

     "Action is the word for Spider-man Weekly #23" it says inside back page of this weeks MWOM. Unusual that they call it "Spider-man Weekly", missing out the "Comics" part. Was it because they couldn't find the space for it? It does roll of the tongue easier than its full title. "Magic War!" is another strange (pun intended,) headline on the cover and for the advert. We're so used to Secret War this, Armour War that, Civil War the other, in the 70's Magic War must have stood out. Although the story itself bore little resemblance to a war. Also in that exciting issue Thor faces his deadliest of Super-foes when he must confront Mister Hyde and the Cobra. More in detail later on in this blog.

Also there's still a chance to buy a FOOM start kit for only 50 pence!

Both the Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-man Comics Weekly used their back pages for Marvel UK's latest competition, "One pound a week pocket money for a year!" Not a catchy name but it does exactly what it says. You could have a pound every week for a whole year fall through your letter box by answering five easy questions and collect two coupon, one from this week, the other from next week. No entries will be opened unit the 3rd August 1973 and the winning entry will be drawn from the first all-correct entry drawn at random. In the entry form young readers were asked to finish this sentence "The most exciting super-hero and villain in Marvel and Spider-man are...." I imagine this was an easy way to find out which hero British readers would like to see in upcoming comics. Here's the five multiple choice question for you to have a go, although there's absolutely no chance of winning it unless you own a time machine like the one that Pharaoh Rama-Tut used or like Doctor Doom's time platform. 

1) The Capital city of the U.S.A. is:

a) New York

b) Washington

c) Los Angeles

2) The world's largest ocean is:

a) The Pacific

b) The Atlantic

c) The Antarctic

3) The longest river in the Untied Kingdom is:

a) The Thames

b) The Humber

c) The Severn

4) What natural element makes the Thing change back to Ben Grimm:

a) Rain

b) Heat

c) Thunder

5) Jane Foster is Dr. Blake's: 

a) Sister

b) Nurse

c) Sister-in-law

My copy of MWOM had the answers fill in by the comics original owner, a young Paul Roughley aged 12 from Anfield in Liverpool. He got three out of five but must have had another go using an entry form from another comic because he cut out this weeks coupon. I'll let you guess which two are wrong, no googling the answers, I'll print them when I get round to reviewing the issue they appear  in together with the winner. I like Paul's answer to the unfinished sentence, he wrote "DD because he is so exciting". I wonder if Paul regrets letting go of this comic? I can't remember if I bought it in a second-hand magazine shop in Manchester or through eBay? His loss is my gain.

  Spider-man Comics Weekly #23

The Grand Comic Database tells me that this cover is by Rich Bucker with inks applied by Mike Esposito. It's back to a better standard than some over the last month. I particularly like Doctor Strange and Spider-man being attacked by Xandu. The artwork on the lower panel featuring Thor smashing Mister Hyde and the Cobra a lot less so.

Spider-man "The wondrous world of Dr. Strange!

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man Annual #2

Cover date October 1965

(Published in June 1965)

This is Ditko heaven! Doctor Strange and Spider-man! It should have a health warning, reading this comic and explode your mind and take you to higher planes of consciousness. It can become very addictive and you may spend all your money getting more of the pulp stuff. I've just realised I'm addicted to comics! And have been for a long while. It started off with Spider-man and then a few 2000AD's, but before you know it I was reading Vertigo comics. It's too late to stop now, I'll just have to live with it. Back to this class A comic, Steve Ditko again is given a plot and artwork credit, it's deservedly so, you can feel and see his genius with every shadow, with every thug, with every strangely choreographed fighting scene and with trippy magical effect or dimension the main characters fight through. 

Xandu, a sorcerer of some power, owned one half of the powerful Wand of Watoomb. With the other half he could become the greatest sorcerer of all time. All that stands in his way is Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. To aid in his plan to steal Strange's half he enlists two thugs from a seedy New York bar, to bend them to his will by a hypnotic spell that also endows them with no feelings of pain or fear. Through their strength and his guidance his puppets break into Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, over power the good doctor and leave with the second half of the wand. This commotion alerts Spider-man who attempts to stop them with little luck, but he does manage to follow them to Xandu's hideout. With the two halves of the wand united the evil sorcerer attempts to kill the unconscious Doctor Strange through a magical portal. Spider-man interferes, while also falling through another portal created by Xandu he webs up the Wand and takes it with him into a strange psychedelic wonderland.   

 

While this is going on Doctor Strange recovers and guided by his mystical Amulet follows a trail that leads him to Xandu. The evil sorcerer's henchmen battle Spider-man in the weird dimension given Xandu a chance to recover the Wand of Watoomb, and both Spider-man, the henchmen back to Earth. With Doctor Strange's help Spider-man defeats the two thugs, allowing the two heroes to concentrate their efforts on the evil mage, overpowering him and allowing Strange to drain the powerful artefact of its magical gifts. Strange cleanses Xandu's mind of all magical knowledge and what had occurred. Of course you know that won't last long. Doctor Strange offers Spider-man his friendship and his thanks. As Marvel UK's first appearance of the Master of the Mystical Arts this was a cracker of a tale that'll have readers demanding more. I've always loved these Spider-man/Doctor Strange team-ups, I think I've never read a bad one and with the Vishanti's blessing I never will.  

The Spider-man/Doctor Strange team-up made its debut in the second Amazing Spider-man Annual (US of course,) which by coincidence also featured a large number of villains in A Gallery of Spider-man's most famous foes! That feature was drawn by Steve Ditko, including this one. The Circus of Crime had appeared in Spider-man Comics Weekly twice before, once in #8 and again in #16. 

 

The Web and the Hammer

Starting off this weeks Web and the Hammer a letter from Michael Obwoneran from Leeds who say his two favourite heroes are Spider-man and DareDevil. Also his favourite villain is Electro. He asks two questions, "Is Prince Namor a human who has adapted to the water or a human like fish?" and "how do you make such great comics without making them funny?" The first answer is that he comes from a race of people who through generations have evolved to living a life under the sea. My answer to his second question is by not having silly ideas like fish who become human. Sorry Michael, no offence meant and you never know with some of the crazy ideas that have come from Marvel over the decades. Graham Richardson from Hull wants to know where Spider-man gets his web fluid from? He makes it from a secret formula. Ivan Cummings from Hatton has only started reading MWOM from issue 25 and SMCW from issue 6 but he has become a massive fan and loves the mini posters. Leonard Sessions from Islington writes to say he has received issue 1 of FOOM and can't wait for issues 2 to 4. He would like to see a subscription service for British readers for Marvel comics like Dracula Lives, Doc Savage, Werewolf by Night, Hero for Hire, Jungle Action, Marvel Team-up, Warlock, the Defenders and the Hulk. That's some list, but many of those would eventually appear in Marvel UK comics in the coming years. 

Finally Steven Davison from Middlesex wants to set alight Marvel UK's letter pages by suggesting that he doesn't believe that the Hulk is the strongest mortal alive! Naming Hercules as his choice, reasoning that in an American Marvel comic, which he thinks it was the Sub-Mariner #29, Hercules almost beat the king of Atlantis! His list of strongest starts with 1) Hercules, 2) Hulk, 3) The Thing, 4) Thor, 5) Sub-Mariner, 6) Spider-man, 7) DareDevil, 8) Captain America. In his list of strongest villains he has Kraven the Hunter tied with Doctor Doom in first, second the Lizard, third Doctor Octopus and fifth the Ox. I'm not sure he's thought all those through. I can imagine there'll be some different list published in future mail bags.

The Mighty Thor "The Cobra and Mr. Hyde!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #105

Cover date June 1964

(Published in April 1964)

This story starts off with a splash page panel that uses the artwork from Journey into Mystery issue 105 by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone, instead of the original splash page that featured Thor in a meeting at the Avengers mansion with his fellow teammates. The Avengers were coming very soon but it must have been felt as being too soon to reveal Iron Man, Giant-man, the Wasp and Captain America to British readers, at least not until they make their debut in three weeks time. The second page is also missing save for the bottom two panels used under the opening splash panel.

 

As Thor soars through the New York sky he is attacked by his old enemy the Cobra. unable to swiftly defeat the Thunder God the serpent villain slips into an open window to discover Calvin Zabo the alter ego of Mister Hyde. Startled by the sudden appearance of the villain Zabo drinks his formula that transforms him into the savage Mister Hyde. Thus begins the most unusual partnership in super-villainy in Marvel comics. The two villains attack each other at first them realise that they share a common enemy in the God of Thunder.

In the British version of this story as the two fiends discuss a plan they jump to the conclusion that Don Blake is connected to Thor in someway. However this leap of thought originally was arrived at in a logical manner, with the aid of a slightly far-fetched way. Mister Hyde's latest invention, a Time Reversal Ray, a devise that when focused on an individual could replay an image of that persons past. They use it to discover that before a planned encounter with Mr. Hyde Thor had come from the office of Don Blake. The four pages that detailed all that was removed from the British version and a panel was redrawn removing the Time Reversal Ray gun and adding dialogue to inform us of their Thor/Blake connection theory. After the four missing pages the story continues pretty much as is seen in the US version with the two villains demanding that Don Blake summon the Thunder God so they can battle him. 

Blake tells them to signal Thor they must tap his cane on the floor and look out the window so they can see him appear. Stupidly they do this without question, Mister Hyde taps the cane on the floor but even his strength cannot hold the transformed mallet for a second and is pulled down to the floor. They then notice the Thunder God now standing with his hammer that had slipped from under Mr. Hyde, the explanation he give was Blake had out smarted them, while they were looking out of the window he had ran to call the police (Yeah I know, he's a lame doctor. These villains are pretty gullible.) and Thor had entered through the same door he had left. The villains aren't the only ones who are gullible, Jane Foster also payed too much attention to the misdirection, saying that Dr. Bake took a chance risking his life for her. I would have thought she might have considered him to be seen as a coward, Thor tells her that Blake's love for her must be greater than she can imagine. 

Then follows a battle between Thor and the villains in the mighty Marvel manner, which leads to a "Heavy Machine" demonstration. A plot devise employed so that the Cobra can use an Atomic-powered hydraulic hoist to lift Thor's enchanted hammer from is grip leading to a cliff-hanger ending as weaponless Thor has sixty seconds to defeat the villains before he becomes the mortal doctor again! The only way to end it is to tell you..."...Continued Next Week!"

 

 

All that's left to mention is the inside back page advert for this weeks Mighty World of Marvel, all the excitement of the Hulk's cataclysmic  showdown with the Living Lightning and the world's greatest heroes trapped in ancient Egypt as they battle the powerful Rama-Tut, Pharaoh from the future. No sign of my favourite strip from that comic, the Hulk in "Heaven is a very small place!" but it wouldn't be easy to make a tag line for that tale. I kind of imagine that if you have these comics in your collections that you are reading them either before or after I blog about them to give yourself the full nostalgic feel, it's fine if you don't or can't but this week if you can read only one strip read "Heaven is a very small place!" either from a black and white copy, a colour American edition or any digital version. If you really love comics you'll thank me for it. Till next time, happy reading.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.