The (Space) Phantom menace.

Week Ending 25th August 1973

I was a little late last week with The Power of the Beesting's Week Ending review. Never fear normal service has resumed. Nothing to worry about, I took sometime off to spend with the family and expected that I would have plenty of time to catch up with my usual blog routine and in doing so I was a day late. I don't have set hours to compile this nostalgia waffle about my love for Marvel UK, but here's what I try to stick to. On Monday after work I try to read at least half of MWOM, then at night I create the weeks title image (as seen above) and may be crop images of the weeks publication for use in the blog. Tuesday again after work I finish the second half of MWOM. Then at night I finish off cropping pages and images. Wednesday I read Spider-man and if I have time I start writing an early version of the blog. Thursday is Thor's night and more blog writing with a little research into ideas that I've had. Saturday sees more writing,  research and fact checking, leaving Sunday to finish off the blog, some proof-reading and checking that the overall look is working on the preview. Then hopefully around four or five o'clock the blog goes live. I publicise its release on Twitter and number of Facebook groups, starting with UK Marvel in the Seventies at around teatime, the Mighty World of British Comics sometime Sunday evening, Make Mine Marvel UK Monday evening and then Marvel UK Comics Tuesday evening. The timings are chosen so that Facebook users don't get bombarded with the same post all at once if they are members of multiple groups. As for the order there's no reason in general other than that I imagine that a 70's comic would be more on topic for the first two and the second two feature general interest in Marvel UK from the 70's, 80's and the 90's. I have no favourites they're all great and I get positive feed back from them all. If any one chooses to share it or recommend anywhere else to post I would be very happy to see others with interests in it getting the opportunity to "feel the power of the Beesting!"  Speaking of sharing I'll like to thank Steve W. from Steve does comics who over the last two weeks has added the PotB to his Blogs of Interest column. Steve looks at comics from the US and UK in his blog in a humorous pop culture style, that regularly includes look backs at Marvel UK comics. It's a fun read. I won't lie, reading some of his stuff helped sparked my interest in turning the blog into more of a regular weekly review. So if you think this is bad you can partly blame him. If you think it's good or even just OK read on.

The Mighty World of Marvel #47

"Have the Avengers turned evil?" a strange question to lead this weeks cover. I think Marvel UK have always wanted to push the Hulk forward as the hero and not the misunderstood monster he is. Not the greatest artwork on this cover but together with the headline it must have tempted young readers to buying it. Dick Ayers pencilled it with Mike Esposito inking it, Jack Kirby and George Roussos drew and inked the side panel, which was taken from this weeks FF story.

The Avengers "The Space Phantom"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Paul Reinman

Originally published in The Avengers #2

Cover date October 1963

(Published in July 1963)

The strip title says the Avengers and the incredible Hulk but that's just Marvel UK's way of letting the reader know that this is at least half a Hulk story. To me it'll aways be an Avengers story. Whereas with the first story my memory of which was rose filtered but slightly underwhelmed when read in the light of 2023. With this story I came with low expectations but when I read it this time I felt a warmth for it. The Wasp's overbearing flirting was toned down to a comfortable level. This may have been subconsciously because Hank Pym in becoming Giant Man has given her a suitable target for her affections, or maybe Stan decided to turn it down a little. The dynamic between the heroes feels more realistic now they've gotten over the initial reason for being together. They simply are the Avengers.

Since last issue Ant-Man and the Wasp have encountered the  Porcupine and the Living Eraser in Tales to Astonish #48 and #49, in which Ant-Man takes on his guise as Giant-Man. Thor had fought Lava Man and the Cobra in SMCW #15 and SMCW #16, Iron Man had battled the Crimson Dynamo and the Melter in Tales of Suspense #46 and #47 (future stories that will appear in SMCW #62-65 20th April to 11th May 1974). The Hulk still without a comic of his own hadn't appeared in another since last weeks Avengers story. 

The antagonist for this weeks tale is the Space Phantom. Not someone who I'll wax lyrical about but after re-reading this tales for the blog I found I had grown a soft spot for him. Some of that might have come from his inclusion in the Avengers Forever a 12 issue mini series released in October 1998 cover dated December 1998. Another great Avengers series beautifully crafted by Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern (writers) and Carlos Pacheco (artist). Some of the things he knows in this story make more sense when you read that series, like his knowledge about Tony Stark being Iron Man, even the existence of the Avengers and their new headquarters at Starks New York mansion. His intension right from the start is to break up the Avengers by creating mistrust within their ranks by impersonating each of them. 

The Space Phantom uses his power to take on the shape of another person, who would then be sent to a dimension called Limbo while the Space Phantom used their guise. The person who was sent to Limbo would have little or no recollection of their time there depending what was needed to serve the plot. Iron-Man, the Hulk and Giant Man would  actually meet future versions of  The Wasp, Hercules, and the Black Knight when they are transported to Limbo in this story as seen in Avengers #267 cover dated May 1986 (US, published February 1986 by Roger Stern and John Buscema). But on their return they have no recollection of those encounters. When the Phantom tries to replace Thor but in doing so he sends himself to Limbo as his power has no effect on a God.

News comes in of "a magnificent effort", "almost unbelievable" and "beyond all expectations" as the response to Marvel UK's Wordophobia competition was so great and the overwhelming number of readers who sent in Green Shield Stamps in, extra prizes will be awarded. Come back next week and I'll print all the details. 

Under that notification Marvel UK printed another chance to send in your offers and wants for the up coming Pen Pals and Swap Shop page. 
  
 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

From the Bullpen to you column writes about readers dream team-ups, one of them being the Hulk and Namor, the Sub-Mariner, which ties nicely with next weeks Avengers story as the green goliath does indeed join forces with the Atlantean prince against the mighty Avengers. Also hid within the text two little gems can be found, the first the Avengers are to be given their own comic! While the second an appearance of the uncanny X-Men is also coming soon. I can't wait for both.

On to readers letters, Stephen Kennedy from London wants to compliment Marvel UK on their high standards. David Witherow from County Tyrone wants to know the best way to become an artist. The editor gives some great tips but as ever the most important one is practise, practise, practise! Colin Putney from Hampstead gives his ideas how to show off the Mini Posters that were given away in MWOM which include mounting them onto a ceiling hung mobile. Kevin Tier from Carlisle wonders why in MWOM#34 the discs that Doctor Doom attached to the Human Torch's wrists didn't melt when he flamed on? Like the editor replied I imagine that Doom would have triple-tested it for being flame proof. 

 Katherine Donnaghie from Ross-shire Scotland doesn't like Marvel comics!!! Saying they're "corny" and "really sickening" but she does read the letter pages as she finds them funny, adding that she doesn't know why anyone would write in and asks do they make them up? Is Katherine trying to be ironic? The fact that she bothers to buy them, read them and then write into the comic she hates the most is plain weird. John Dignan from Putney wants to see the Silver Surfer added to the Marvel UK line up, possibly in the pages of SMCW. Mark S. from Surrey reads both of the weeklies but wants to know how certain villains and DareDevil gained their powers. Like in that letters page I've got no room to explain. B. Bukunola as a member of the Anti-Hulk Cub wants to see the return of DareDevil to the pages of MWOM. Finally Peter Smith  from Swansea asks will there be other comics added to the MWOM and SMCW line up? The editor says that nothing is certain but their wish is to do so. Strange they don't instantly say the answer is yes, as they mentioned in the Bullpen column. 

A teaser for next week, the Avengers battle... the Sub-Mariner! Reserve your copy now!

The Fantastic Four "The return of the Mole Man!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: George Roussos

Originally published in The Fantasia Four #22

Cover date January 1964

(Published in October 1963)

This story is a land mark issue, not because of the return of the Mole Man, that isn't very interesting to me, it's the early horse play between the FF members as Reed tests Sues powers, which leads to her develop a greater control of the energy that enables the ability to turn herself invisible. Adding new wonderful powers. It's a game changer that allows Sue to shine giving her power levels that rival her teammates. 

 Due to the release of radiation from Reed's nuclear measuring devise Sue's power is increased. Bit of a mad scientist moment from Reed, that's supposed to been his girlfriend he's using as a guinea-pig! But it works as now she becomes more than just an Invisible-Girl. She can now create invisible force fields and also turn other objects other than herself invisible. 

It lifts Sue up from being a bit part player and a side piece to a valued member. Again a bit of it I find strange is that Reed is OK letting the Thing smash into Sue's untested force-field to find its power level. Could have been messy if it wasn't as strong as he had imagined.

After all the hijinks Lee and Kirby offer to showcase Sue's new powers a precession of characters who make complaints about the Fantastic Four causing public nuisance issues that lead the FF into looking for a new headquarters to store their Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. With luck would have it a pamphlet arrives that offers a sale of a small deserted island off the coast of New Jersey. The team travel to it to find its strange geography hides dangers including the Mole Man and his army of Moloids, seen here, Marvel US continuity wise, for the first time. Although they had appeared in Marvel UK continuity in the Hulk story from MWOM #33. More next week.

 

 The inside back page features an advert for this weeks Spider-man Comics Weekly, declaring that Kraven the hunter is back! And Thor battles Mister Hyde and the Cobra for the life of his beloved Jane Foster. 

There's also a teaser that next week the winner of the first of three One Pound a Week Pocket money competitions will be announced. 

As a way to "Fill that empty space" this weeks back page of both the Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-man Comics Weekly this week boasts an offer for three iron on t-shirt transfers that feature Spider-man, the Hulk and the mighty Thor, at a price of 45 pence each including postage and packaging. Pay all three for the discounted total of £1.30. There's a special discount rate of 40 pence each for FOOM members. I think someone got their adding up wrong because if you wanted all three of the transfers and was a FOOM member the ad shows it costing you just £1 for all three, which is a discount bargain if you're in to all that. I thought it was very trustworthy of Marvel to accept at face value that the person who fills the FOOM members only offer form is really a FOOM member. Did they check if they were? 

Spider-man Comics Weekly #28

Steve Ditko is the artist for the main panel of this cover, which is taken directly from the cover of the Amazing Spider-man #34. The lower panel featureing Thor battling against the Cobra and Mister Hyde is by Jack Kirby from the cover of Journey into Mystery #111 with alterations to fit the space. Chic Stone inked the original cover.

Spider-man "The thrill of the hunt!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko    

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #34

Cover date March 1966

(Published in December 1965)

I've a really big soft spot for this story, Steve Ditko is on top form this week, it's worth noting that he gets his now standard plotting credit and Stan Lee dialogue comes across as smooth. But the real reason why I love this tale is I own a copy of the original US comic. The story of how I came to own it bears telling. In my pre-teenager days my family and I would quite regularly go on holiday to Cornwall and spend the summer on the beaches of Harlyn bay near Padstow. One year, possibly 1981 or 1982 the weather was colder than usual, too cold to swim in the sea we hide behind wind breakers hoping for the wind to drop and the sun to come out. What is there for a kid to do to keep himself occupied but read, alas with nothing to read I remembered a small stall in the beach carpark that sold old books and I was sure that I had spotted a tatty comic with the Spider-man logo sticking up from behind some paperbacks the last time we had driven by.

I asked for some spending money so I could buy it, thinking it might worth a bit due to its age I took a much loose change as I could get. Taking the long walk across the beach and up to the hill side car park crossing the wind swept Cornish coast line. When I got to the stall my heart leaped as I noticed it was issue 34 and even in its tatty condition it was a classic. I asked the old man who ran the stall how much for it and he replied in a Cornish accent that it was for sale at "tuppence". I didn't understand what "tuppence" meant, thinking it was Cornish slang or did he mean an amount in old money? He told me again and again, then the penny dropped. He meant two pence! What a bargain! I quickly frond two pence in my mums purse, paying the man and quickly hurried back to my family to tell all about the treasure I had discovered. I read that comic under a giant beach towel from cover to cover and I didn't care about its dogeared pages. You can see to the right I've still got it. I'm told in near mint condition it's worth £1472. It's definitely not in near mint condition but for my two pence worth it's absolutely priceless.

This story deals a lot with Peter Parkers cast of extras, with even Betty Brant having a dream about Peter revealing to her that he's Spider-man, which will add more to the break up of their relationship. Now that Aunt May has recovered Peter becomes more relaxed and tries to make friendships with his new collage classmates with unsuccessful results.

With Gwen Stacy snubbing him and Harry Osborn filling in for Flash Thompson as the class bully. Gwen does shows signs of interest in the young Peter, wondering why he's the only boy who hasn't shown any attention to her. There's defiantly signs of future relationships that I can't wait to see develop.

After being exiled from America for his crimes Kraven the hunter returns to New York to take his revenge on Spider-man the greatest prize denied from his trophy room. Using the Chameleon's old hideout, last seen in SMCW #7 as a base to plot. He comes up with an idea that masquerading as Spider-man will bring out the teenager hero.

 

Kraven uses the publicity from his tormenting J. Jonah Jameson while dressed as the Web-slinger to force Spider-man into action. After pages of classic Ditko fighting scenes Spidey defeats Kraven, who his honour bound to confess that he had harassed Jameson while impersonating Spider-man.

As per the standard ending we are left with a brooding teenager and a promise of another returning villain next week to give Spider-man a run for his money.

  

 I love this Spidey's flashback battle page that sees Spider-man take on the Sinister Six. It's taken from the Amazing Spider-man Annual #6 cover by John Romita SR from November 1969. 

The Web and the Hammer

The Bullpen column like the one in this weeks MWOM leads with news that the Avengers will be getting their own comic and the uncanny X-Men will also appear soon in one of Marvel UK mags. I think this might have lead to some fans presuming that the mutant teenagers would appear in the new Avengers comic. That wasn't to be. Teased about next weeks SMCW we're told that mighty Thor will have to face the Incredible Hulk and the Molten Man battles Spider-man. 

Andrew Oyster from Yorkshire want's Jonah Jameson to shut up and stop printing lies. J.A. Logan from Forest Hall does like Spider-man but he's completely fascinated by Thor. Stephen Masztalir from Bradford is puzzled that Thor is the strongest Norse god but he believes that shouldn't the strongest god be the Norse god of War? Raymond Faulkner from Smethwick wonders why don't all of Spider-man's villains take him on together rather than one at a time like the Sinister Six did. 

Steven Bernard from Dudley questions the answers to the question of "who is Spidey's worst enemy" as seen in the Spider-man LP competition , with the possible answers being Flash Thompson, the Tinkerer or Doctor Doom. His answer is Doctor Doom but adds that Doom isn't really a Spider-man villain but a Fantastic Four foe. Savinder Singh Arora asks why the Spider-man's tracer plane is never mentioned and why Spider-man doesn't reveal his identity? It's because it was a free gift only and for the second half of the question why give his enemies an advantage. Peter Dibella from Surrey wonders how Spider-man breathes through his mask? Peter it's made from a light weight material that he can breathe through. Paul Thompson from Blackburn wants there to be an action figure like Action man but with interchangeable outfits that are based on Marvel characters. He wants to call the figure Marvel-man! Now that's a name! Finally Ian Davies from Welshpool has just finished reading SMCW #14    and wants to know when the Scorpion will be returning. Here is the story of that missing Scorpion tale.
  

The mighty Thor "The power of the Thunder God!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #111

Cover date December 1964

(Published in October 1964)

"The Power of the Thunder God!" now that's what I call a title! Although the main action of this stories plot doesn't completely connect with Thor, it doesn't matter it's still a cracking title. The Thunder God must battle with Mister Hyde and the Cobra as the life of Jane Foster hangs in the balance. It's another action packed tales as our Asgardian hero must fight overwhelming odds to save the day as another God enters a quest to find a cure for the nurse.

 Kirby pencils out some fantastic action and battle scenes in his usual style. I kind of feel sorry for the villains as they get quite a hammering.

In Asgard Odin gives Loki a note for the Hardol the Healer to make a portion that will save Jane Fosters life. Balder the brave takes the note from the God of Evil, knowing that Loki intends to not hand it on, and makes a quest to reach the healer.

 Thor defeats the fiends but just as Jane Fosters life ebbs away. Suddenly Balder's sword falls to Earth with a vial and a note attached that reads "The medicine is hers! Odin has ordained that the female shall live! -Balder." Thor rushes to his beloved's side and gives her the medicine saving her life just in time. Balder's sword rises upwards to heaven's rainbow bridge and into the brave Balder's outstretched hand. And so end his mission, the girl lives. Next week more mighty Thor action as the God of Thunder must take on the Incredible Hulk in the mighty Marvel manner.

 

The final inside page offers a look at this weeks Mighty World of Marvel in which the Hulk and the Avengers take on the Space Phantom and the promise of more action from the ever fabulous Fantastic Four! Much like we've read about earlier in this blog. 

So I'll leave you digesting all that as I take a breathe and start planning next weeks blog and the blogs ahead as another comic will soo appear over the horizon. Till then...

See you in seven. 

Make Mine Marvel.