Building the pathway to the future!

Week Ending 15th September 1973

Last weeks blog brought up three pin-up puzzlers that I was unable to place exactly the artists or where they were originally from. Facebook friends and blog commenters have all joined in to shed some light on the subjects.

First up Thor! Rod Tough feels that the Thor Pin-up was by John Romita SR, Gary Bell also thinks it was by Romita SR. Paul Lynch has found it as part of the Topps Marvel stickers series. John South has seen it used in a "Marvel Stand Up set" and also in a Marvel Treasury Edition. Well I did some digging myself and found a version of it in my copy of Marvel Treasury Edition issue 8, titled Giant Superhero Team-Up. However that was cover dated September 1976 some three years later than Marvel UK's version. Steve Mills is unsure who the artist is but does think that Chic Stone did do the inking on it.

Rod Tough things that the Spidey Pin-up is also by Romita SR, Steve Mills and I both agree. Steve also believes that the Enforcers Flashback page was an unused cover for the Amazing Spider-man #10. Rod agrees with Steve after seeing it in a Marvel Masterworks/Epic collection/Omnibus. I tracked it down to Mighty Marvel Masterworks: the Amazing Spider-man volume 1 and here it is drawn by Steve Ditko. That page also shows Ditko's original Amazing Fantasy #15 cover, which was never used, the classic Jack Kirby/Steve Ditko was preferred by Stan.

One final correction to last weeks blog, I mentioned that the Looter changed his name to the Meteor Man in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-man #41, well Paul Lynch pointed out that he was renamed by Gerry Conway in Marvel Team-Up #33 cover dated May 1975 (published  February 1975,US) which I should have known because I read that story in Marvel UK's version of Marvel Team-Up, issue 7 that was published on the 29th of October 1980. Thanks to all those Friends of the Beesting (FOTB) you can all have a Power of the Beesting No-Prize (PotBNoP) each. 

The Mighty World of Marvel #50

The text box reads "A Marvel Masterwork!" but is it? I can't make my mind up on that, one minute I love its bright energy, the next I find it a mess. I really have mixed feeling about Ron Wilson's artwork, but on the whole he does deliver both great story telling and eye-catching cover artwork, like this, which tells the story of what to expect inside the covers. There's a good amount of text on the cover too, to which I find liberating and limiting with equal measure. British comics would tend to use text to inform buyer of it's wares, but in doing so you cut down on showing more of the art. Frank Giacoia inks the piece that marks Captain America's first appearance on a Marvel UK cover. 

The Fantastic Four "The Avengers take over!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: George Roussos

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #26

Cover date May 1964

(Published in February 1964)

Cross overs and team-ups are big pleasers that satisfies comics fans of any generation. This one didn't just have one guest star or pulled together a group of individuals to form a super group. No this one made history as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby pulled out all the stops to get ten super heroes together and fight. I know that some will say that last week's story featured the Hulk and the Avengers, but the mighty assemblers only appeared in two panels so I can't say that was anything more than a teaser. This week saw all ten duking it out. Does the historical occasion live up to the expected hype and readers delight?

In truth no! At least not when viewed by this aging comic fan, may be yes to the young readers in the 70's. I may be too critical, each character gets their own time to shine in the spot light, even the Wasp manages to hold the Hulk's rampage awhile by becoming an annoyance in the Hulk's ear. Some of Jack Kirby's artwork show great skill in telling the story while at the same time highlights his creative flair for dynamic panels. It's a shame that George Roussos's inking seems to cheapen the final effect. Stan Lee give the readers what they wanted but apart from a lasting bond between the two groups and the world building in a setting to which all the heroes and villains could interact, as they inhabited the same world, gifting readers with stories with endless possibilities, the outcome fizzles out.  

I am being too hard on this story, after re-reading it I'll admit it is what it is. A cool knock around that showed the way the Marvel universe could work. The millions of stories that I've read from Marvel Comics with the interactive characters have had their origins with this and many more stories by the fathers of Marvel. Thank you Stan and Jack you've made billions of other readers and myself happy for decades. Next week the Hulk returns to his own title's continuity as he confronts the Space-parasite while the Fantastic Four jump back a couple of American issues in their continuity to once again face Doctor Doom! 

A Marvel Masterwork Pin-up featuring the Incredible Hulk by the classic Hulk artist Herb Trimpe with inks handled by John Romita SR. Not sure where this was first published, when I do an image search with google there's lots of hits that say it was from a poster in 1978 but as this comic was published in 1973 I guess it's origin lays elsewhere. 

  

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Jean Hartill from Dudley wants to congratulate the team at Marvel for their colourful action packed covers, but inside she would rather see DareDevil than the double helping of the Hulk. Adrian Casey from Fulham has created a comprehensive list of the objects that the Hulk has crushed, crash through, lifted or thrown during issue 1 to 37. I'll not repeat them, they are there if you zoom in. Alan Miles from Fife like Jean Hartill wants to see the return of DareDevil. Igor Repo from London is very keen on the Hulk and the Fantastic Four saying that their stories are truly incredible and fantastic. His only question is who's the strongest out of the FF. Come on Igor, it's the Thing hands down. Ian O'Hara from County Derry points out that in the Fanatsic Four story seen in MWOM #26 the Mad Ghost's Super-Ape Gorilla was said to have lifted a 5 tons generator, but as they where in space at that time wouldn't that have been weightless? I'm pretty sure I pointed that out in my blog about that FF story, I'll have to look back at it myself to find if I did.

Paul Manning from North Harrow wonders if Marvel UK can grow like Marvel America did from humble beginnings to it's huge 1973 output of thirty odd monthly and bi-monthlies. I could never imagine that Marvel UK could get to those heights, but in saying that Marvels UK's output under Paul Neary in the early 80's (if you count the number of comics in a month at 29 at one point, weeklies, monthlies, pocket books and specials) and countless comics from Paul's second stint at editor in chief of Marvel UK in the 90's (too many for me to count with the British newsstand monthlies, American MarvelUK imprint and limited series. I wonder what was the highest number of Marvel UK comics in any month? A Power of the Beesting No-Prize (PotBNoP) and a mention if anyone knows. Libby Rissveglia from London comments that most letters in the Marvel Mailbag come from boys. But Libby (17) and her three sisters (Franca 15, Anna 13, Lilly 11.) all read MWOM as well as their younger brother Tony aged 10. They all also would like to see DareDevil's return. And finally with this weeks "Bring back DD" message Nicholas Gray from Bradford-on-Avon wants the Hulk replaced with the Adventures of Ant-Man and DareDevil.

The X-Men "Five against Magneto!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Paul Reinman

Originally published in The X-Men #1

Cover date September 1963

(Published in July 1963)

The opening splash page of this weeks story comes from the cover of the X-Men issue 1 by Jack Kirby with inks by Sol Brodsky, a fine use of a great cover. The story quickly starts with Bobby, Hank and Warren perving on a freshly dress Marvel Girl in her new X-Men uniform. Professor X grabs their attention alerting them to their first mission. Quickly suited and in Ice-Man's case booted, they fly off in the Professor's private jet to confront Magneto at Cape Citadel.

At the military base the General in charge gives the order to cease fire on Magneto's magnetic force field. Cyclops introduces himself by saying that the only way to stop the evil mutant is to hold off firing to allow the X-Men a chance at defeating him. He gives them fifteen minutes but also asks "Who or what are the X-Men?" His troops are quickly presented to the X-Men in each of their individual styles. Cyclops breaks down the magnetic force field with his optic beam. Magneto retaliates by launching hunter missiles that the Angel must dodge. Ice-Man hits three with ice grenades while the Beast and Marvel Girl dispose of the last one. Angel is the first to confront Magneto but is trapped in a scrap metal cage. Cyclops blasts it apart just as Magneto sends a blazing fuel tanker towards the young heroes. The X-men escape through teamwork and attempt another attack on the master of magnetism who flees knowing that the odds are against him.    

The General called the display of fighting prowess "Uncanny" as the fifteen minutes weren't yet up. This fastpaced story and artwork is both fun to read and looks great too, even with (not one of my favourites inkers) Paul Reinman's inks. This story really works and in many ways it's better than the first Avengers story that saw print at the same time. The final text box asks the reader if they like what they see do they want to see more of the X-Men? My answer would be yes but it does take a year and seven months before we see them again! Which is a shame but maybe there wasn't a massive mailbag requesting their return or maybe the editor didn't feel that the young mutants warranted their own comic as the Avengers stories that would be coming were of better quality. I do think British mentality of cheering for the underdog would get readers behind this group of outcasts. I guess the American editor had always favoured the Avengers over the X-Men.

  

"It's a clobbering' time!" as the Thing graces a Mighty Marvel Pin-up page. Aunt Petunia's blue eyed boy shows what he'll do to enemy's of the Fantastic Four by smashing a Yancy Street lamp, drawn by Jack Kirby with inks by Joe Sinnott. originally a pin-up page from Marvel's Greatest Comics issue 24 from December 1969, which was a reprint bi-monthly from Marvel US that featured the Fantastic Four reprints as well as other Marvel heroes.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #31

A really early Spider-man Comics Weekly cover that is actually a re-coloured version of the Amazing Spider-man #37 by Steve Ditko. I'm kind of puzzled why more weren't used as it would've saved the trouble and effort needed by commissioning a new cover. 

Spider-man "Once upon a time, there was a robot...!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko    

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #37

Cover date June 1966

(Published in March 1966)

Steve Ditko offers up as plotter and artist a story that looks to be at first viewing a "mad scientist leaves prison to take revenge on" insert name here, plot line. But its so much more than that. Professor Stromm is a robot expert and mechanical genius who wants revenge on the man who cheated him out of his invention. The name of that cad will have to remain secret for a while as we first take a look at Peter Parkers private life. 

As Peter grows up he becomes more confident, may be its because of his time being the web-slinger or dealing with a relationship as he did with Betty Brant but he starts to engage more with the fairer sex. This flirtation with the beautiful blonde Gwen Stacy may well seem like a boy at junior school pulling the pony tails of the prettiest girl in class as the only way to get their attention, as they reach their teens that interaction matures into longing looks behind long fringes in sexually charged tension. This is those early days for Peter and Gwen but you can see the awkwardness play out on the pathway built by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko that will lead to one of the most important and far reaching relationships in comics. 

Back to Professor Stromm and his act of revenge, he sends out his first robot, a blob tentacled machine that is very much the vision of what Ditko sees a robot, to an electronics firm to smash and destroy the livelihood of the man who cheated and framed the Professor. Spider-man tangles with the octopus-like automation, escaping barely after the factory goes up in flames. Ditko later draws a more traditional sci-fi looking robot, but both are controlled by a Ditko designed Virtual Reality headset by the Professor. 

We find out that the factory belongs to the father of Peter's nasty classmate Harry Osborn. Steve definitely wanted Harry to appear as a spoilt rich kid, his look and Stan Lee's dialogue say as much, but later on Lee and John Romita SR would portray Harry as a good friend to Peter and explore his characters "parent pressure" that leads to mental health issues. It's really good to see characters grow and develop in this way. That's part of what makes Marvel unique and so readable unlike other poorer Deficient Comics. It comes to our attention that Mister Osborn isn't a nice man, he's offhand with his son (although at this point I can't say I blame him,) he also did indeed cheat Professor Stromm out of his inventions, then railroaded him into a one-way trip to prison after the Professor began to threaten him.

After defeating Professor Stromm's last robot Spider-man corners the future "Robot-Master" (stories for another time,) who still wanting revenge on his nemesis is about to tell all, just as a gun shot from a high window silences the Professor, not by fatal wound as Spider-man pushes him to safety but by heart attack. The gun man fled before Spider-man got up to the high window which outside was a number of stories up with no sight or sound of a rope, ladder or helicopter. A mystery remained how did the gunman get up there?

OK there's no need for a SPOILERS warning, I imagine that any Spider-man fan of any age knows Norman Osborn is the Green Goblin. Steve Ditko laid the clues out for readers in plain sight. He even had Norman holding what looks like a rifle barrel in one panel. One rumour that Stan Lee used to peddle was Ditko left Marvel due to the fact he didn't want Norman Osborn to be the Goblin. Ditko admitted in an interview to "The Ever Unwilling, Robin Snyder's the Comics" in March 2009 that it wasn't the case, as he had planted both Norman Osborn in Jameson's gentleman's club and his son in Peter's college class on purpose. Giving them both the same distinctive hairstyle as seen in SMCW #20 and SMCW #26 as he had intended Osborn to be the Goblin all along. John Romita SR confirmed this story in an interview with the Grand Comicbook Database contributor Nick Caputo in his own Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae blog. It's well worth a read for the full story.

The Web and the Hammer

Two more pages of letters this week so let's swing through them. Kevin Pratt from Northallerton who is dying to see Doctor Doom without his mask that he's come up with an idea for a competition in which readers could draw what he looks like without it. Chris O'Saughnessy from Leicester wonderers why can the webbing that holds up Peter camera stay there when it dissolves after a few minutes. Chris it's more than a few minutes, more like an hour. Anne-Marie Lacey from Edinburgh wants to see the return of the Stone Men from Saturn and Electro. She also writes that lots of girls like her read comics but not enough have the nerve to write in. Also from Scotland but this time Inverness Stephen Devlin loves both MWOM and SMCW, asks three questions, the first is when will Kraven return, the second is will there be more weeklies coming out soon and the third will they bring out any holiday specials? The answers from the editor is Kraven's next return is unknown. Overwhelming demand for another mag means at least one more comic will be produced. That was a perfect opportunity to tease the new Avengers weekly, but it wasn't mentioned at all in the mailbag! As for holiday specials the regular weekly pressure means they haven't time for any specials. Just wait for Dez Skinn to get his hands on the Marvel UK hot seat and then you'll see lots of summer and winter treats. 

  David Evans from Wigan gives a long review of Marvel UK's twin weekly output. He like many readers of MWOM want to see the return of DareDevil, as you can see in this weeks Mighty Marvel Mailbag. He theorises that the powers that be at Marvel UK are planning another comic that may feature old DD. If they are he would love to see the Avengers and Captain America in it. Still no teasers from the editor apart from they are getting excited about the "new one", still not named in the letter page. David finishes his letter by adding "don't forget DareDevil, bring him back soon and furthermore, keep up the good work." Jonathan Buddy from Herts wants to know where do all the heroes and villains get their powers from? That is a big question, keep reading and you'll gradually find out. Finally this week Martin Deakin from Notts thinks SMCW is great but wants to ask two questions. What is Thor's surname? and how are Doctor Octopus's arms fastened to him? The editor says that Thor doesn't have a surname but you can call him "Goldilocks". Shouldn't his surname be Odinson? As for Doc Ock's arms they are bonded to him by the accident seen in MWOM#7. 

Tales of Asgard "Surtur the fire demon!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #99

Cover date December 1963

(Published in October 1963)

This weeks Tales of Asgard looks back at a legendary epic of old with a tale of when Surtur the fire demon joined forces with the trolls to rebel against Odin. The All-father single handedly takes on a army of deadly trolls in a forbidden land, overpowered by their onslaught he plunges his sword into the ground to draw the limitless power of the gods sending the trolls back to their caves in fear. Odin ventures forward over a sea of flames to engage Surtur in a battle that will plunge the fire demon to the very core of the Earth, sending a chunk of the planet up into the heavens, forming our very Moon. Odin draws the electromagnetic particles from the cosmos with his sword creating the centrifugal force that spins the planet and keeps the fire demon a prisoner, giving heat and energy to the world he hoped to destroy. Surtur sends the victorious God a gift of a winged horse to appease Odin's wrath, but he'll have to wait an eternity for that to fade. Even though it isn't scientifically correct it's a bloody good tale. Stan and Jack have fun with this one.

This is a really cool Marvel Masterwork Pin-up of Spider-man. It looks like a John Romita SR piece to me, it's got his clear lines. I'mm surprised that it isn't used more as a poster. It's beautiful! 

I can't find out where it was originally published as I'm running out of time this week so I'll leave it up to you, the Friends Of The Beesting (FOTB) to answer that one if you can. There's a Power of the Beesting No-Prize (PotBNoP) in it for you and a mention if you can.

The Mighty Thor "The clutches of the Grey Gargoyle!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #113

Cover date February 1965

(Published in December 1964)

After last weeks instalment were Odin removes Thor's godly powers from Don Blake as he declares is love for Nurse Jane Foster by telling her he is Thor, son of Odin, God of thunder, only to be attacked by the Grey Gargoyle. Blake and Jane escape from the stone menace with the aid of a mysterious benefactor. Who at the most desperate of moments returns Thor's powers to the fallen mortal. Thor defeats the vile villain and we find out that the mysterious stranger was Honir the Hunter, sent by Odin to aid his son. Seems that Odin's wrath isn't as eternal when directed at his son. Don Blake brushes off "outing" himself as a touch of madness brought on by too much hard work. 

Another feature pin-up page from "A gallery of Spider-man's most famous foes!" originally seen print in the Amazing Spider-man Annual #1 cover dated October 1964 (published June 1964, US.) by Steve Ditko. It's much the same as the original except for the removal of the "First appearance..." text. It's a nice pin-up but has little connection to this weeks stories. In fact I imagine that the page could have been used for other things....

....Like a teaser for next weeks latest weekly from Marvel UK! But they didn't which was a pity because it would have given loyal readers a chance to work on their parents to pry an extra six pence needed to buy the new Avengers comic! 

It's a real shame that, so I made my own advert, because next week the Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-man Comics Weekly are joined on the nations newsstands by the Avengers! 

So you've heard this before, "Marvel UK merry mass of marvellous magazines marches on! Three comics a week, more research to carry out, more interesting facts to find, more images to crop, more grammar to correct, more zany titles to make up, more puns to shoehorn in, more opinions to tell,  more mistakes to make, more nostalgia to remember and love. But most of all more comics to read!" Click in next week to find out if I can do this blog with three comics a week and keep my sanity. I better get started.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.