Of rampaging Rhinos and Wonder Men.

 Week Ending 27th October 1973

Before I start this weeks nostalgic trip down Marvel Lane in good old Blighty in the last week of October 1973, I would like to talk a little about something that came up during a Facebook conversation from a Power of the Beesting post I wrote. It was about the use of the name Marvel UK. It's a name that I and many others use to define a publisher of comics set up by Stan Lee in 1972 to be a British wing of the American parent company Marvel Comics who itself had a parent company called Magazine Management. The original name of this British company was Magazine Management London Ltd. This name lasted until 26th March 1973 when the Mighty World of Marvel #37 and Spider-man Comic Weekly #15 were published under the name of Marvel Comics Ltd just like the American parent company. The gentleman who brought this up, Derek Skinn points out that the name Marvel UK wasn't used until 1979 by the new editor Dez Skinn, so I guess he should really know. However it was only in the 90's that the copyright text listed the company as Marvel Comics (UK) Ltd. and only later did it become a logo on the John Freeman edited Overkill Magazine as well as the Marvel UK imprint comics all under the Editor in chief view of Paul Neary. I judge it like your favourite pub that has changed its name numerous times or you haven't been to in years, you still call it by what you and your friends know it best. But as I said in that post ..."some clever editor at that time came up with that perfectly functional name which has stuck with me ever since as I can't think of any thing else to call it. Marvel Comics Group doesn't place it's self in the British comic "zone" and Magazine Management London Ltd doesn't connect well with what people consider as Marvel, plus it takes far too long to type. So I guess it's got to be Marvel UK as it says it all. Very clever man that editor, very clever." It might not be correct but it does work, so until someone comes up with a better and more correct name, make mine Marvel UK. 

The Mighty World of Marvel #56

This weeks cover drawn by Ron Wilson is of the Hulk in the grip of the giant "Smashor!" Frank Giacoia applied the inks to the artwork. Heritage Auctions state that John Romita SR art was used as paste up corrections for the Hulk's upper body and part of Smashor's chest, were it sold for $5,160 (around £4248) in April 2021. Sub-titled "Frenzy in a far flung land!" the Smashor's looks cut very close to the PC bone with its yellow skin and oriental features. 

The Incredible Hulk "The master plan of the Mandarin!"

Writer: Gary Friedrich 

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Syd Shores

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #107

Cover date September 1968

(Published in June 1968)

A blown up panel from last week story makes this weeks opening splash page as the android "Smashor" crashes through the doorway to battle with the green-skinned goliath under orders of the villainous Mandarin. This is what you expect, a colossal clash of titans as the Hulk and the "monster of the week" face off in panel after panel of mayhem. Some kids love this week after week, but as a kid I wanted more plot, more character and more clever story, I thought it was too childish and I was above that. But as an adult I kind of like a bit of both, as I get older I appreciate the stories more for what they were, which is good clean fun. 

When I think back about certain stories I don't always remember them from when they were first published, my memory of this story mainly comes from reading it in The Incredible Hulk! issue 8 from 19th May 1982. A short lived Marvel UK comic that feed off the popularity of the Hulk TV series, now in its fifth and final season, made by Universal Television that at the time was shown on CBS in the US and ITV in the UK. The comic used various Hulk stories from The Incredible Hulk #107 to #129, (US editions from June 1969-April 1970,) although not always in order. These stories had already appeared in MWOM starting from last weeks issue. The 1982's comic did offer some pages of colour and was a nice enough comic with some good back up stories but my recollection of this story via the 82 version, the battle with the Hulk and the Mandarin's Android (Smashor to all 73 version fans,) was very short. I found out when reading the older 1973 comic that more pages of action had been cut from the 82 weekly. I always recall the colour version of the panels seen above but boy am I glad I read the MWOM edition. 

Android/Smashor vs the Hulk there's really only one winner and it's the Hulk. What the Hulk has in strength he loses in intelligence and that's something the Mandarin has loads of. The Mandarin tricks our green skinned friend into charging headlong into a pit of quicksand ending this weeks instalment on a sticky cliffhanger.

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Simon Rogers from Kent writes to point out some minor errors that do and sometimes don't make sense, click on the image if you what to know more but he does also ask why they scrapped Daredevil which we'd all like to know but more importantly when is he coming back. Jonathan Hennion from Cricklewood thinks that MWOM is the best comic in the Universe. That's a big statement but he has collected 200 "Marvel Group" comics so may be he's had a good sample to work from. I wonder how many does he have at the peak of his comic collecting? David J Parker from Northwich asks what's the matter with you lot? You introduce Daredevil to the British public, then you stop his stories. David's got to be another "Bring back DD" fan. Richard Marshall from Teeside said that in most of the American Fantastic Four comics he collected Medusa is a member of the FF instead of Sue Storm. Well that Richard is what is now known as spoilers! A Roderick Barr from Paisley is glad to see that Marvel has finally come to Britain properly, but why the withdrawal of DD from MWOM he asks. 

There seems to be a lot of "Bring back DD" fan and I can understand why. G Lambert from Glasgow has been collecting old American Marvel comics for quite some time before MWOM came out and loved the ads in the American editions but was unable to send of for any of them. The success of MWOM is so much that he can name at least twenty lads who line up at the newsagents on Monday morning waiting for their copies of the weekly. Gerald Peters from Gosport has spotted a mistake in the Human Torch/Thing story from MWOM #32 Johnny called the Sub-Mariner "Web-head", Gerald suggests it should have been "Wet-head", for which he is awarded a "super glossy" No-Prize for being the first to spot it. Joseph Ruddock from Dublin has searched every shop in town and still hasn't found a better comic than MWOM. 
 

It's that Web-head..Namor, the Sub-Mariner! or should that be Wet-head?

"The Stone Man"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #70

Cover date July 1961

(Published in May 1961)

Let's get straight to the point this story is a page filler, it's quaint and nicely drawn but it's a page filler. It feels like a European folklore tale. It's about a village, called Oakfast that falls on hard times. An old man prays to a statue of a legendary warrior Drallas to bring deliverance to the famine-stricken village. As the old man sleeps the villagers wake up to find nuggets of gold that make them rich. Once the old man awakens the once generous people refuse to share any food or money with him. Hearing this the statue of Drallas springs to life and passes judgement on villagers who's new-found prosperity was due to the prayers of the old man who had faith in the warrior and so they deserve nothing. Their gold vanishes, while the warrior lifts the old man onto his horse flying him up to heaven as a reward for his faith. It's no folklore legend, it's just from the minds of Stan and Steve. Nice but I much preferred seeing Daredevil return.

Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott drew this image of Mister Fantastic taken from the cover of The Fantastic Four #59 cover dated February 1967, published November 1966. 

Fantastic Four "Battle beneath the waves!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: George Rousoss

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #27

Cover date June 1964

(Published in March 1964)

 As with many second halves of stories the opening splash page uses the cover of the original American comic. That cover from Jack Kirby was inked by Chic Stone, not the inner story inker George Roussos. While am mentioning George I'll have to make a correction to last weeks Power of the Beesting blog where I give the inkers name as George Bell. Which although technically is true is also not fully correct. The opening splash page credits list the inker as Geo. Bell, but George Bell was one of the pseudonyms of George Roussos. This week credits, as seen on this splash page, correct this minor error naming him as Roussos. George was born in Washington DC to Greek/American parents. 

Doctor Strange sends the Human Torch and the Thing to aid Mister Fantastic in rescuing Sue from the Sub-Mariner. I sometimes wonder why Namor doesn't live in a flooded palace when he encounters the FF, surely that would give him an incredible advantage over them all. But in this occasion some of Namor's loyal officers do open an air lock to flood a chamber in the royal palace to Sue and Johnny. Another thing that bugs me is even though Reed, Ben and Johnny have taken some of Reed's "underwater breathing tablets", (A bit of a plot saver that!) how does Johnny's flame work underwater and the other two stop from floating off if they are fighting underwater? Unless of course the palace is dry so that Atlanteans and humans can move more freely, which would explain a lot. How do the Atlanteans breathe though when they only have gills? It's a minefield that one! It's Sue who stops the boys from fighting and Doctor Strange who teleports the FF back to their submarine. Sue declares her love for Reed but later prefers not discussing it. Oh emotions like love are a mysterious thing. Next week the X-Men!

A page of in-house adverts for this weeks Avengers weekly and Spider-man Comic Weekly. Note how the Avengers feature this weeks cover showing Wonder Man advertising this weeks full-length thriller. More on why that's not so unusual later. In SMCW Spider-man takes on the Rhino and more adventure and excitement from the mighty Thor. Speaking of that comic....

Spider-man Comics Weekly #37

This weeks cover uses a slightly re-coloured version of the Amazing Spider-man #43 original cover by John Romita SR. Titled "Rhino on the rampage!" it looks smart and gets my "cover of the week" award. 

Spider-man "Rhino on the rampage!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita SR

Inker: John Romita SR

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #43

Cover date December 1966

(Published in September 1966)

 

Part three of the unofficial Rhino/John Jameson trilogy opens with the Rhino breaking out of prison after his strength sapping tranquillisers wear off. John Jameson recovers in hospital after the space spores that had affected him had disappeared due to the  electric shock treatment he received last issue from Spider-man, but the Rhino still believes that their secrets could be worth something to foreign power and goes to find Colonel Jameson. With the reduced page count this story is shortened from 20 pages to 17. These pages included guest spots for Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson plus the origin of the Rhino. This might have been because an origin of sorts had appeared in the Hulk story from MWOM#52, which suggested that in that story the Rhino had made his first appearance. Also the final page is missing which showed Flash telling Peter news of him being drafted into the army and Peter calling off a following up date with Mary Jane, in an effect to see money for Aunt May's medicine. 

What we do see is news from Spider-man's supporting cast as Ned Leeds and Betty Brant tell Fred Foster of their engagement. Not that Peter would lose any sleep over that, he's having such a great time with Mary Jane. She's a "living doll!" But the kids fun time is stopped for news of the Rhino's escape, starting the fun for all Spidey fans. MJ and Peter hop onto his bike and race to find the Rhino. When they do Peter goes off to take some pictures and changes into Spider-man. It's a hard fight and the Rhino escapes again. Spidey forms a plan with the help of Doctor Kurt Conners to enhance his webbing with a new formula that dissolve's the Rhino's hard costume giving the web-slinger an advantage.
 

Spider-man knocks out the rampaging villain just outside of the hospital saving Colonel Jameson, leaving everything wrapped up nicely and not how it originally ended as I mentioned before. I do kind of like the fact that in this version Peter will be seeing Mary Jane tomorrow for another date. I'm just a romantic at heart. But before Marvel has to make up a reason why they don't meet Spider-man will have to meet up with the Lizard next week. 

The web and the hammer

B Bectwith from Manchester writes in knowing that with two pages there will be better chances of getting printed as there are two pages of letters every week. Gien Dakin from St. Neots starts his letter with a joke..."I've heard of the long arm of the law, but Mr. Fantastic is stretching it a bit!" Elizabeth Brown from Ayre in Scotland called to pick up her copy of SMCW at her local newsagents to find him reading her reserved copy, now they're friends showing us that comics bring people together. An unnamed Marvelite from Essex writes to complain that when reading about real life criminals in the papers none of the Marvel villains make it into the press reports. Strange that, maybe they should read the Daily Bugle instead. Mark Broughton from Yorkshire wants Marvel to send him a Spider-man costume, a radioactive spider, some science books and the formula for webbing as I think he wants to become Spider-man. A bit demanding that, but he does offer to send them money when he receives the goods! Sue Dale's younger brother reads Spider-man and now so does she as she thinks it's great. 

Anthony Hopkins from Wolverhampton is head-over-heels with joy at reading Thor. Gerard Rogers from Edinburgh is also a big fan of Thor and wants to see him have an increase of pages for him as he only gets 13 to Spider-man's 21. K Sadler from Darlington thinks that the Fantastic Four are great and Spider-man is fabulous but they don't like the Hulk. But weirdly they don't like Spider-man Comics Weekly because they now has so many of them that there's no space left for them. All comic collectors have the same problem, you'll find solutions. And the final letter in this weeks TWatH mailbag comes from Nigel Poulton from Stanmore who would like to see Captain America, the Avengers and the Silver Surfer soon in the limelight. Plus he also wouldn't mind paying and extra penny an issue just so they are in colour. Well he gets the Avengers and by default Captain America in the new weekly but colour for a penny? No chance with the current level of inflation and the cost of living.

   

You have to turn your comic sideways to enjoy this landscape Marvel Masterwork Pin-up of the Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby. That may in the future give the editors ideas about getting more comic strips per page. But lets wait till then to discuss that plan. I feel I should know in what story these images were from but I can't place them. A Power of the Beesting No-Prize (PotBNoP) to anyone who can.

I can't quite place this pin-up of the mighty Thor either. I'm thinking it too is by Jack Kirby but can anyone shed some light on its origin? Again another PotBNoP for the correct answers.

The Mighty Thor "This deadly land!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #116

Cover date May 1965

(Published in March 1965)

This story continues with the second half of last weeks adventure from JIM #116 and uses the cover of that issue as an opening splash page. Which is itself used, all be it from a different angle, the same scene that opens last weeks story. Thor continues his "Trial of the Gods" with Loki staying one step ahead through unfair illegal means. While on Earth the Enchantress and the Executioner continues their plan to capture Jane Foster as Balder the Brave arrives on Earth under Odin's orders to stop them.

 Strangely enough some of the artwork has been altered in the original version by Carl Hubbell. Hubbell probably isn't that well known to readers of Marvel UK in the 70's but he had been working at Marvel as a art fixer and inker for a number of years, as far back as when Marvel had been called Atlas Comics. If you want to find out more Nick Caputo writes an interesting blog about Hubbell, it's worth a read you've probably seen more of his artwork than you realise. Nick explains why some of this weeks artwork was changed.

Loki strikes a fatigued Thor knocking him onto his knees and giving the God of Mischief enough time to cross the dimensional barrier that leads back to Asgard, so through cunning and deceit Loki wins, but what surprises await the two immortals next week? Come back in seven days and find out!  

As usual with these weeklies we get an in-house advert for their "shelf buddies", so it's the Avengers and the Mighty World of Marvel's turn. But for some strange reason they've printed the cover of last weeks Avengers featuring Kang the conqueror instead of this weeks Wonder Man and the Masters of Evil against Earth's mightiest heroes. Is this to make up for printing the Wonder Man cover in last weeks ad instead of Kang? Two wrongs don't make a right. Yes I'm still awaiting my No-Prize, but I have to admit I'm fifty years too late really to demand one. The cover for MWOM is correct.

The Avengers #6

This weeks cover is a slightly re-coloured version of the cover from the Avengers issue 9 by Jack Kirby with inks by Dick Ayers. 

An inside front cover advert. Get the most out of the 73-74 soccer season with Inside Football and Striker, on sale every Wednesday for only six pence. Not sure how many young readers swapped their six pence for this football mag instead of their copy of the Avengers. May be you bought both. I kind of think that some kids played out all day with their mates and then when the Autumn nights drew in they would come home and read their Marvel weeklies. But who's to say you can't love both? I did, but I wasn't that good at playing football and am not great at drawing or writing stories either. But I do like both football and comics.

The Avengers "The coming of Wonder Man!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in The Avengers #9

Cover date October 1964

(Published in August 1964)

Jack Kirby, the original artist on the Avengers, handed over the regular art chores to Don Heck who would remain as the main artist on the book for quite sometime, creating some of the most memorable moments in their early history. Together with his work on Iron Man Heck earns his place as one of the three founding fathers of the artistic side of Marvel in the 60's, Kirby and Ditko being the other two. Not to everyone's taste I'll admit but he has put in the hours slaving over an art board and the number of character designs that he created at the time is gigantic. 

This issue's Don Heck creation is Wonder Man, originally known as Simon Williams, an industrialist who embezzled his own company when things got hard under the advise of his older brother Eric. A name that in future stories we'll hear more about. There is a morally right side to Williams, he does admit his guilt of his wrong doings but at the same time he blames Anthony Stark for his downfall. The Enchantress persuades Williams to allow Baron Zemo to use an experimental ionic ray process that will grant him super human strength and durability. The down side is that the process will increase his metabolism that would cause his death within a week unless he is given regular treatments. A pawn in Zemo's plan to defeat the Avengers he agrees to gain their confidence. 

Gifted a garish costume (It's got the hallmarks of a Don Heck design but I'll admit it isn't one of my favourites,) and a rocket belt (which is almost instantly forgotten about,) by Zemo he befriends the Avengers. Off page Wonder Man kidnaps the Wasp and calls the Avengers, luring them into a trap set by the Masters of Evil. When all the Avengers are defeated Zemo orders their deaths, an order that doesn't sit well with Williams morals. He releases Thor from under a large bolder that had entrapped him in the form of  Don Blake as his hammer had fallen out of reach. One by one our heroes are freed and over come the Masters of Evil who as you would expect make an explosive get-away. Wonder Man dies in Iron Man's arms as he questions why he had sacrificed himself. Williams replies "Every man dreams of doing one noble thing in his life." 

Avengers Unite!

It's only the Avengers letters page that has the "From the Bullpen to you" column, maybe because the weekly, being very new, hasn't received as many letters as MWOM and SMCW have. This column teases great surprises in store from now till Christmas. Could this be just to fill space in the same way it goes on to talk about this weeks Avengers contents? Or is that a way to get the readers engaged in the conversation with them by having them write more letters? Who knows? But the first engagement via a letter this week is from Timothy Craig from Norfolk who writes asking does he qualify to be a RFO, adding that he regularly gets MWOM, SMCW and has already placed an order for the Avengers. RFO stands for Real Frantic One, which means someone who buys three Marvel comics a month if you're American, or a week if you're British. Norman Dorey from Titchfield has also been buying all three weeklies and enjoys them greatly. 

This is Jim Ivers RFO KOF and a FOOMer from Dublin first letter to Marvel UK as far as I can tell. But it won't be the last as he'll become a regular writer of opinion filled correspondence. You get value from his letters, you might not agree with all his points but many are valid. To see what I mean zoom in on the letter, it's a nice read. This weeks letter is a good one. I agree with his point about missing the Silver Surfer from the Hulk stories and new material for the 1974 Marvel Annual, which to be fair it does have some new material as well as some old stuff too. The editor gives Jim a long reply that matches his letter. This could be the birth of interesting letter pages. The first Masters of Evil write to say they don't want to see any early Avengers stories as they don't like the endings. Wow that went from intelligent mail to a silly letter very quickly. Finally Paul Coupland from Dorset writes to say that he's just finished reading Avengers #1 and he's really excited about future issues.

A Marvel Masterwork Pin-up of the mighty Thor taken from The Mighty Thor Collector's Album Paperback Book published by Lancer Books somewhere in 1966, with the artwork by Jack Kirby with Chic Stone inks. It looks very similar to the cover of Journey into Mystery #89, cover dated February 1963, published December 1962, but that is a different pose.

Doctor Strange "The many traps of Baron Mordo!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in Strange Tales #117

Cover date February 1964

(Published in November 1963)

Baron Mordo makes another return, which might become tiresome but Stan and Steve make this charming tale an easy read that allows the reader to just enjoy it for what it is. And that is a classic nine panel per page mystic romp. The kind of thing that Ditko excels in, short and snappy tales. It's a fun page filler that helps fill out some of the Doctor Strange universe out a little, cementing the style with all the weirdness and wonder that make Doctor Strange really cool.

A nice way to leave this weeks trip down memory lane. Hope you all come back for more next week for more of the same. Till then.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.