The Power of the Super-Skrull!

 Week Ending 7th July 1973

As you may well already know, if you're a regular blog reader, I've got a thing for "The power of..." titles. So I couldn't help using the title from this weeks Fantastic Four story as the title for this weeks blog. But did you know that the title of the Sub-Mariner story from Tales to Astonish #95 (which also featured this weeks opening Hulk tale "A world he never made!") was a titled "The power of the Plunderer!" You did or you didn't, well read on and find out some more stuff you may or may not already know as I go on a nostalgic look at Marvel UK from 50 years ago.

The Mighty World of Marvel #40

Yet another Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito cover, with a little strange colouring. The High Evolutionary has more or less worn purple and silver armour but in the original Tales to Astonish comic he had red and silver armour. On this weeks cover he sported an orange and yellow suit of armour. (Ok the orange might have been meant as red and the yellow could have represented gold.) Either way it kind of washed him out, making him fade into the corner. The left bottom panel doesn't help either, crushing the antagonist to one side.

The Incredible Hulk "A world he never made!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #95

Cover date September 1967

(Published in June 1967)

From last weeks adventures the Hulk has been kidnapped from Earth by Sir Ram, a genetically evolved creature, half man half ram, created by the High Evolutionary as part of his Knights of Wundagore. Although Wundagore is never mentioned, as the High Evolutionary's first appearance in the Marvel timeline has yet to see print in the UK, as I mentioned in last weeks blog in Super Spider-man Comics Weekly #72. More on Wundagore later. While the space craft tries to deliver the Hulk it is pulled off course into a deadly cosmic storm. Sir Ram dies in his attempt to alter course. Luckily the High Evolutionary gains remote control of the craft and brings, the now human Bruce Banner, to Camelot II.

In the original comic the planet was named Wundagore II after the High Evolutionary's first Citadel of Science on Wundagore Mountain. Marvel UK replaces it with Camelot II and reference to the Knights of Wundagore is replaced with the Knights of Camelot. I see the reason for the change but I doubt it was really necessary. 

The High Evolutionary's original plan was to use the Hulk to quash the rebellion of his New Men Knights of Camelot (Wundagore,), but with the appearance of Bruce Banner he intends to use the scientist as a guinea pig in an experiment that will evolve the subject by a million years into the future, creating a super evolved defender. His methods are very devious and unethical, using a vacuum ray blaster to over come and imprison Banner. Will he succeed with his plan? Stay tuned and we'll find out.

 

While we take a little break from the green one, we can take a look at this Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up of the Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone. Doctor Doom might get away with many crimes due to his diplomatic immunity, but does those illegal loopholes include vandalism and graffiti? It originally saw print in the Fantastic Four #34 cover dated January 1965 (published October 1964.) 

The Incredible Hulk "What have I created?"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in Tales to Astonish #96

Cover date October 1967

(Published in July 1967)

This story starts off with a wonderful splash page that features no super heroes or green rage monsters, just a detailed army of New Men Knights. I love that her credits for this strip is "Marie (The She) Severin the smartest artist. Many of the Knights shields on this page sport the letter "W" for Wundagore. Those rampaging knights break into the High Evolutionary's laboratory in time to halt his unethical experiment making him release Banner so that he could transform into the Hulk. As the tide flows against the High Evolutionary and his ally he takes extreme measures that involve using his equipment to evolve himself by a million years into a god like being.

In his new state he devolves the Knights of Wundagore (Camelot II,) to their original forms and also transports the Hulk back to Earth with nothing but the power of his mind!

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Another short one page mailbag this week, first up is Adrian Poole from Wembley Park, who enjoyed the Hulk's exploits in Bodavia but he's glad that the Hulk has returned to the US for more adventures. Barb Hampton from Macclesfield who is concerned that the science in Marvel is very dodgy, to highlight this he repeats Johnny Storm's line were he says "I can concentrate my flame so much that it burns without heat!" Barb goes onto explain why such a statement is impossible. The editor counters it with codswallop that involves infra-red and cooking without heat, so without running down a rabbit hole let's move onto the next letter. Joe Wesson from Bognor Regis who loved issue 21, noting that Daredevil and the Fantastic Four were marvellous. Joe's only complaint was that in every issue the Hulk is "left fighting someone or someone is about to attack him." Joe wants them to cut down on those continuous stories. I. haven't the foggiest what Joe wants to see instead but his point did get his letter printed.

The Fantastic Four "The power of the Super-Skrull!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in the Fantastic Four #18

Cover date September 1963

(Published in June 1963)

This opening splash page uses the from cover of the Fantastic Four issue 18 drawn by Jack Kirby with inks by Paul Reinman. The Thing is removed in an attempt to hold continuity from last weeks ending, although not completely as it jumps forward slightly to show Mister Fantastic catching the Human Torch and them jumps backwards showing the Torch and the Super-Skrull in mid air combat. "The power of the" (insert name here,) is a great default title that Marvel UK uses when a story is split over two weeks. As you can imagine one that I have a fondness for. The FF are meet with over powering force when ever they confront the Super-Skrull, from this Reed forms a theory that the Super-Skrull gains extra power from another source. Seemly fleeing from the fight the FF return to the Baxter Building so Reed can locate the source and devise something to counter it. An energy beam transmitted from the Skrull home world supplies the Super-Skrull with the extra power he needs. Arranging a rematch with the Super-Skrull the FF use teamwork to keep their opponent busy while the Invisible Girl attaches a jamming device to the Skrull, blocking the Super-Skrulls booster ray. Trapping the evil alienl inside a crater as the Torch fuses sand to form an air tight dome over it. The FF are victorious. It's a nicely worked story that any 60's/70's kid would enjoy, in fact as a middle aged man I love it too, with only the inhumane imprisonment at the end pricking my conscience. However the evil Skrull would have far worse planned for humanity and anyway the future tells me that a dozen tonnes of rock and sand won't keep an evil Super villain down.

The Mighty World of Marvel Maze Page! The sinister Skrulls have declared war on the world of the Watcher! Can you help him get to his home planet to warn his people? A fun feature that many kids would love. As a boring adult I'm not sure the powerful Watcher would really need our help. But if there's one thing I've learned as I grow old, it's to never grow up! 

Many of the panels featuring the Skrulls come from the Fantastic Four #2 that was printed in MWOM #3 and #4. I'm not completely sure where the Watcher panel came from, he doesn't look like he was drawn by Kirby.

Next we get an advert for this weeks Spider-man Comics Weekly that features double trouble for Spider-man and Thor as the webbed wonder must take on the Green Goblin and the Crime-Master, while Thor encounters the Asgardian power of the Enchantress and the awesome might of the Executioner! More on those tales coming right up.

   

Marvel UK's latest "Free" competition, Wordophobia! All you had to do is find as many three or more letter words that could be found in an English dictionary from this sentence:- CHILDRENS FILM FOUNDATION. Three boy winners who sent in the most correct answers would receive a Model Aircraft (that could really fly,) and three girl winners with the most correct answers would win a Barbie Beauty Centre set. Twenty boy runner-ups would win a Mark Strong nine and a half inch figure and twenty girl runner-ups would receive a Barbie doll. The next 200 entries would then win a Fantastic Fun Buggie. 70's sexism in action there. I wonder did anyone pretend to be of the opposite sex to win a different prize?  Regular Facebook group member Gorki D Laughlin recalled this competition in a discussion we had about previous Marvel UK competitions, to which he felt that this one wasn't quite above board, sighting that an unfair advantage might have been given to the kids who sent in the most Green Shield stamps. Also that the entries had to be sent to an iffy sounding Uncle Reg. Gorki did admit that his childhood memories might have coloured the facts slightly. All the entries had to indeed be sent to an Uncle Reg at the ABC Cinema on Uxbridge road Earling London. The outside of the envelope had to have the number of words you believed you had found correctly, making it easier for the winner to be found after they had been checked of course. The number of Green Shield stamps also had to be written on the front of the envelope too. Green Shield stamps were a British sales promotion scheme that rewarded shoppers with stamps that could be used to buy gifts from a catalogue or from certain retailers. One stamp was typically issued for each 6d (2½ new pence) spent on goods. The aim of sending in these stamps was that for every 172 books of Green Shield stamps sent in a "Chairmobile" (I presume that's a wheel chair,) for a disabled person could be bought. Each book contained 1,280 stamps. So at face value that part looks like a noble thing and hopefully enough kids collected the stamps from their parents. As an example of what you could get in 1965 the internet suggests that you would have to spend £32 to get just one book that could get you a set of six mugs in pastel colours. As a bonus for each of the 10 MWOM/SMCW readers who sent in the most stamps, Spider-man LPs and VIP giants size ball point pens were given as prizes. Was the inclusion of prizes for  Green Shield stamps a charitable act or a scheme to take advantage of children or their parents? I hope it was the first and that nobody stole the stamps from their parents or from well intentioned Marvel fans. 

Spider-man Comics Weekly #21

Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito hand in another Marvel UK cover, of this weeks covers this is more my favourite, although both are very similar is look and style. The thugs that attack Spider-man look to have been drawn better, in fact Spider-man bursting out of his chains and fighting criminals looks more impressive than the Hulk on MWOM's cover. The Goblin is shown as the main villain with the Crime-Master nowhere to be seen.

Spider-man "Bring back my Goblin to me!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #27

Cover date August 1965

(Published in May 1965)

The Green Goblin crashes in on the Crime-Master's meeting in which he plans to take over New York's crime gangs. Bringing with him an unconscious Spider-Man as proof that he should be leader of the city's underworld. It's worth noting that once again Steve Ditko is given a credit for plotting and drawing this weeks story. Spider-man regains consciousness resulting in a fight between himself, the Green Goblin, the Crime-Master, the criminal gangs and the newly entered police, who were alerted to the meeting by stool pigeon Patch. At this point in the tale with all the excitement the Marvel UK editors or more possibly the printers mixed up pages 11 and 12, printing them in the wrong order. 

In all the confusion the Goblin and the Crime-Master make their escape. Spider-man believing that Frederick Foswell is either the Goblin or the Crime-Master enters Jameson's office at the Daily Bugle to confront him. Across the street from the office the real Crime-Master is arrested as he attempts to shoot Foswell, Jameson and Spider-man. Foswell explains that he had informed the police about Nick "Lucky" Lewis, who he believed to have been the Crime-Master and had acted as bait to entrap the criminal. 

Peter decides to sell the pictures he had taken to the Bugle's rival paper, the Daily Globe, together with its editor Barney Buskin making their first ever appearance. I had always thought that the Globe was a late 70's/early 80's creation but credit must go to Steve Ditko. Although I feel it was intended to be a light dig at DC's Daily Planet. Was the point of Peter going to a rival paper, making Jameson realise that he could lose one of his best photographers intended to make Stan Lee think that Ditko could do similar and leave for DC? 

As well as the reveal of the Crime-Master's true identity we also learn that the aid of a mask, Foswell was really Patch the informer. The identity of the Green Goblin would remain secret for now.

An half page advert for this weeks Mighty World of Marvel #40, featuring the Incredible Hulk battling against the "New Men" and the Fantastic Four fighting for their very lives against the star spawned might of the sinister Super-Skrull! As already described else were in this blog.

Under that ad a teaser for next weeks competition that had also seen print in this weeks Mighty World of Marvel under the in-house advert for Spider-man Comics Weekly. "Put a merry jingle in your pocket" the tag line says. It sounds like a Christmas themed competition. You could be a merry Marvel madman reader of either MWOM or SMCW with a chance to win pocket money week after week! Are you interested? Well you'll have to read next week comics to find out, or the blog next week. But unless you have a time machine you're not going to be able to enter the competition for it. 

The Web and the Hammer

Just two letters in this week The Web and the Hammer mailbag this week and the first one is a biggie. Richard More (already a K.O.F and F.F.F. holder. I'll go into what they mean if you don't already know, in later blogs when Marvel UK does.) who's surname possibly should have an extra "O" but I'll write it as it was printed on the letter page, from Cheshire writes that SMCW is the best of the two weekly comics by Marvel UK. While adding FOOM is a lot better than he expected it to be. He has a few suggestions for Marvel's British invasion. The first being an increase in American mags imported into the UK. The second only print adverts in FOOM for things that can also be bought in the UK as well as the US. Thirdly get Marvel comic shows of TV by getting readers to write into TV companies demanding they broadcast them. Fourthly have adverts in all UK Marvel comics for posters, writing paper, et cetera, like those seen in US mags His fifth suggestion is a new weekly comic that could feature super hero teams like the FF, the Avengers and Captain America with the Falcon, while Iron Man or the Silver Surfer could replace the FF in MWOM. Finally he suggests after printing some of the "Golden Oldies" of Marvel Print some more recent creations. He ends with "So until Nick Fury breaks his eye-patch elastic-Make Mine Marvel" A nod to Nick Fury and the Falcon who both have yet to see print of even mention in Marvel UK at this date. Dave Driver from Hyde in Cheshire writes to say that Peter Parker's Marvel's most human hero adding that with the combination of action, adventure and human realism Spider-man is the best comic out there. He would also like to see Marvel UK comics have their own Bullpen Bulletin page with news from both sides of the Atlantic. 

The Mighty Thor "The Enchantress and the Executioner!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #103

Cover date April 1964

(Published in February 1964)

Jack Kirby is definitely back in the driving seat, is artwork is more of what you expect on a Thor tale, but some of that is because of Chic Stone's inks. They both get to flex their artistic muscles with Asgardian mythology. I've read that Kirby more in to it than Lee. It was Jack who wanted to feature it more. Unlike many of Marvel's Asgardians, the Enchantress (later known as Amora,) is not actually based on a goddess from Norse mythology, although there are many references in folklore to female sorceresses or witches who as well as magic use seduction to entrap their pray. 

The Executioner is also not directly taken from Norse mythology but like the Enchantress Kirby makes the reader feel he was. This story is the first appearance of both characters, although the Executioner from a British point of view had already appeared in MWOM #30 in which the Hulk had traveled to the future and battled the Executioner. The Enchantress's attempt at seducing Thor in his Doctor Don Blake identity fails so she enlists the aid of the Executioner.

In this story the Marvel UK editors reference that tale in an added word balloon from the Enchantress that says "Odin had exiled him, but now he is back--back to do my bidding!" That line wasn't necessary and if anything confused the readers even more. The Executioner kidnaps Jane Foster which brings Thor into combat with him. To gain Jane Foster's freedom Thor surrenders his hammer to the Executioner but he is unable to lift it, the Enchantress believes the Executioner has betrayed her she transforms his limbs into branches and roots like a tree. As Lee and Kirby need to finish the story before they run out of space, Thor transports the two Asgardian villains back to Asgard with the power of his hammer, leaving Thor to change into his mortal ego so that he can walk off with a frosty Jane Foster who is jealous of the earlier encounter between Blake and the Enchantress. As Odin rages about his son who refuses to follow his wishes and carry the love of a mortal in his heart. 

Spider-man Comics Weekly ends, like this weeks Mighty World of Marvel with at the Wordophobia competition filling the back page. So now we know the secret of Wordophobia, what secrets will we learn next week? You can find that out here in just seven days.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.