The birth of what super-hero?

 Week Ending 20th October 1973

Marvel UK passed its first year with flying colours producing three strong titles with a little bit of super-hero action for everyone's taste. The Avengers weekly with its fifth issue had become a strong proposition with its glossy cover selling itself to young British readers. But was it really worth the extra penny when you only got 36 pages, as opposed to MWOM and SMCW with their 40 pages for five pence? Well there was a way to make the Avengers look better value for money than its shelve-fellows and that is to de-value the other two comics! This week both MWOM and SMCW dropped their page counts from 40 to 32. That seems like the standard number of pages for most Marvel UK comics in the 70's. Losing eight pages felt big. I noticed it right away, they cut back on pin-ups, splitting the Hulk and Thor strips over two weeks and reducing the letter pages in SMCW to just one page. Was it a necessary evil, or Marvel UK's first mistake? Let's find out.

 

The Mighty World of Marvel #55

The wonderful wide web of knowledge and nonsense tells me that this weeks MWOM cover is a stat from the Incredible Hulk #107 by Marie Severin with Frank Giacoia inks, well apart from the Hulk's choice of jeans colour going a shade or two lighter they do look very similar. But on closer inspection the Mandarin's pose looks different, his left hand closes and he seems to be standing more upright in the UK version. Did someone not like the original Mandarin and had him redrawn?                  **Update 21/11/2023: John Romita Sr made adjustments to the upper half of the Mandarin, for the original US cover.**

The Incredible Hulk "Ten rings hath...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)

So the first story of this weeks shorter MWOM is a shortened Hulk story, printing the first 13 pages of this adventure's 20. It's of course quite normal practice for Marvel UK to print the original story in two halves over a fortnight, The FF, Daredevil and Thor have had this done to them since the beginning of Marvel UK, with the Hulk it does feel a little strange, but in saying that it does work really well, leaving the climax on a cool cliffhanger. 

After the Colonel Brevlov is rescued by Nick Fury and his agents of SHIELD the story quickly moves on to this weeks villain of the piece, the Mandarin! By today's standards the Mandarin is anything but PC, coming from a long line of "yellow peril" antagonists like Fu Manchu, the Yellow Claw and Ming the Merciless to name but three, he doesn't feel as offensive to me, certainly not in his Marvel 60's/70's form but that may well say a lot about my age and the kind of fiction I was raised on during my childhood. I have lately been reading some war comics from Marvel from around that era and other comic companies in which oriental characters are treated in a very poor way that I find very unsettling. The Mandarin makes his first Marvel UK appearance here but in the US that was issue 50 of Tales of Suspense, cover dated February 1964, published November 1963, in an Iron Man Story called "Hands of the Mandarin!" Marvel UK fans will have to wait till 27th July 1974 to see it printed in SMCW #76. 

It's nice to see the Hulk fighting a villain who isn't a super-strong monster of the week type and isn't the Leader. I like this story and how Friedrich weaves the Mandarin into the plot. As I mentioned earlier this shortened page count leads nicely onto this weeks "Monster of the week" template that is very common in Hulk stories with the Mandarin releasing Smashor, or at least that what's Marvel UK readers are told he is called. In the original US it is called "merely a gigantic android" "that will serve the Mandarin's purpose admirably!" How will our green hero get on against Smashor? Don't miss next week to find out.

This Marvel Masterwork Pin-up is a close up of the Human Torch  taken from the cover of the Fantastic Four #36 cover dated February 1965, published November 1964, with Dick Ayers inking Jack Kirby's original artwork. Johnny is originally throwing a fire ball at Dragon Man who is attacking Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl, while the Thing clings onto the monsters leg. 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

A devout Marvelite and member of FOOM Gerard Moriarty from London wants to see more of Captain's America and Marvel as well as the Avengers and Iron Man as he's seen them in the US imports that cost six pence each. Another regular reader of MWOM and American Marvels, Alan Keegan from Doncaster writes that sometimes he can't get the second halves some stories as the newsagent doesn't always know what comics he's got. Alan would like an order system like they use in America so that comics and posters can be ordered. If you look at the second page of this weeks Mailbag you'll see "reserve" forms for both Spider-man and Marvel for the reader to give to their newsagents to make regular orders. It's a little funny that they aren't called Spider-man Comics Weekly and Mighty World of Marvel, maybe it simplifies it if the titles are changed slightly. Andy from Leeds writes in warning that Peter Kirkham, also known as "Hulk 2" is a rival to Marvel's own green goliath. Avengers follower Roger Ravenscroft from Grimsby what's to know when the Avengers will be appearing? They're here already. Nicholas French from Sussex wants both the Avengers and the X-Men to be featured in a new weekly. 

The Avengers are also a personal favourite of Sandy Hagen from Falkirk, who wants to see the assemblers in their own comic. Hopefully Sandy is happy with the new weekly to hit the newsstands. Roy Health junior from Wembley has some complaints to make. His first is super-heroes always battle against humanoids, when they could battle against "lower life forms including alien plants and animals." Also he would like to see guest stories from other heroes like the Silver Surfer and Iron Man. He has some questions too, "Is Prince Namor a villain or a super-hero?" "Why does the Human Torch not start fires when he sits down or walks around the room?" and finally "Do both Marvel comics and DC comics originate from the same company?" Marvel's answers are Subby starts out as a villain but is gradually seeing the error of his ways, Johnny has better control of his powers than people give him credit for. As for the last question I'll let Marvel answer it..."You've got to be kidding", only Marvel comics come from Marvel!" While we were speaking of Prince Namor...

The Fantastic Four "The search for Sub-Mariner!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: George Roussos

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #27

Cover date June 1964

(Published in March 1964)

Marvel UK finally gets the Fantastic Four chronology back on track with this issues story following on from the FF/Avengers/Hulk crossover that ended in MWOM #50, there's even a reference to it in the opening splash page in a text box that says "After bringing you the breathtaking 'Hulk vs. Thing' battle in the previous two issues, we now follow up with an equally sensational tale!" And that sensational tale starts off with some FF hi jinx beginning with Reed using a new "Thought projector" that creates an image of Sue in a swim suit (oh how Jack loves those glamour shots,) and then Ben uses it to create an attacking Doctor Doom image. 

Later we see Namor pining for Susan Storm, which drives him to act like a creepy stalker into kidnapping her. Creepy and not cool. Reed had hoped Sue would agree to a wedding proposal but finding her gone with Ben and Johnny unable to stop the under-sea prince the FF leader goes into a fit of rage to find Namor. Johnny contacts Doctor Strange in hope that his mystical skills might help in the search for his sister. This is Doctor Strange's first crossover with other Marvel super-heroes, predating his team up with Spider-man as seen in SMCW #23. Reed finds Namor's under-sea palace through scientific means and takes on the Atlantean Prince single handed, while Doctor Strange in his astral form locates them too. Returning to the the Baxter Building Strange informs Ben and Johnny of his news, requesting they take the underwater breathing pills so that he can send them to Reeds aid. And on that point we'll have to wait till next week to find out more. 

We get a page full of news leading us to action in the Avengers comic with the Earth's mightiest heroes and spine-tingling supernatural tales of Doctor Strange. Plus adventure and excitement in Spider-man Comic Weekly with everybody's favourite web-slinger and the immortal God of thunder Thor!

Spider-man Comics Weekly #36

This weeks cover is a direct copy of the cover from the Amazing Spider-man #42 together with the title "The birth of a Super-hero!" but the UK version gets added speech and thought balloons. It's that a British thing, originating from British comics were the first page of the story was the front cover, or are there classic covers from American comics with balloons on them? I have no personal preference if they are or they are not there really. The artist for this cover is of course John Romita SR.

Spider-man "The birth of a super-hero!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita SR

Inker: John Romita SR

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #42

Cover date November 1966

(Published in August 1966)

I couldn't when I first read this story, or now when I've just read it, see the connection with the title. Yes John Jameson gains super-strength after contact with "space-spores" and decides to go after Spider-man who the public believe has robbed a bank, what later turns out to be a case of mistaken circumstances were Spider-man removes a money bag from that bank with a hidden bomb planted by real thieves. Yes John Jameson has a costume of sorts that might look like a super-hero garb, but it's only there to regulate his new found strength. 

But by the end of the story it's John's fever, driven by that spore infection, that drives him on to battle Spider-man, turning the well balanced astronaut into a bitter, arrogant and merciless menace that his father would liken to other vigilantes. Spidey put him in his place with the help of a little scientific knowhow. This story does skip along nicely with the Rhino/John Jameson sub-plot still ticking over from last week and onto next weeks adventure. On the whole I would never call John Jameson a super-hero though.

On to Peter's private life, things are looking up with a now friendly Gwen Stacy, sporting her trademark hair band for the first time, asking Peter if he would like to come to a party at her house. Even I know that's a big chat up line from a girl. Peter you fool! He turns it down as he's already got a dinner date with his Aunt, her friend Anna and her niece someone called Mary Jane! I always loved Gwen, this version of her by Romita is beautiful. I think if I could fall in love with a fictitious comic character on a personal romantic level, (which would be weird and possibly creepy right?) I think it would be with Gwen. She's smart, caring and beautiful. But when you turn the pages and get to these classic Romita panels revealing the stunning Mary Jane Watson for the first time you get another bout of weird creepiness that some may call love! She has me at the word "Tiger!" I think Peter is starting to grow up and let's face it, I think he's hit the JACKPOT, tiger!

The Web and the Hammer

With only 32 pages in this weeks SMCW there has to be cut backs, so this weeks The Web and the Hammer mailbag gets cut down from two pages to just one with only three letters. The first is from Steven Millington from Cheshire, he had 476 comics and in one of those it said that Ant-Man became Goliath who later becomes Yellow Jacket. It's funny this week as Mark Lotinga from the UK Marvel in the Seventies Facebook group made a comment about spoilers appearing in the Marvel UK letter pages, in that case a picture of the Vision, well before he makes his debut. Steven drops the whole multi-identity spoiler in full sight, the editor goes the full circle on it adding Giant-man to that list. I think for the most part that's OK, I can live with it. My view is when does a spoiler become a teaser? When it's printed on a Marvel UK letter page is the answer. Christopher Fisher from Tottenham asks why are Marvel turning their tales into love stories? Listing romantic encounters between Bruce Banner and Betty Ross, Glen Talbot and Betty Ross, Sue Storm and Reed Richards, Sue Storm and Prince Namor, Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters, Karen Page and Matt Murdock. And of course Peter Parker having complicated relationships with Betty Brant and Liz Allen. (Don't forget Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson too.) Let's forget Jane Foster who's in love with Don Blake and Thor. So Christopher is left saying that they shouldn't ruin a good comic with all this sweetheart business. I kind of like all that match-making nonsense, I'm a big romantic at heart. Although I do like seeing Marvel characters kicking seven shades of sh........each other! The third letter is from someone who I imagine might like all that "sweetheart stuff", Mamta Kapoor from Staffs who introduces herself as a girl of eleven years and ten months and a massive fan of Spider-Man Comics Weekly. She wants a pin-up of the might Thor in colour as she thinks Thor is great. 

   This Marvel Masterwork Pin-up is taken from the Amazing Spider-man Annual #4 cover dated November 1967, published August 1967, from a feature titled "Spidey's greatest talent", written by Stan Lee and drawn by his brother Larry Lieber. Larry may have cut and pasted the heroes on top of the disc that Spidey's holding from other artists work. 

The Mighty Thor. "The trial of the Gods!"

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 weeks Thor epic story line continues with "The Trial of the Gods!" which has Vince Colletta taking over the inking duties. He has a a reputation of cutting corners with his inking and I do wonder when I see his inks on Kirby strips, what has he removed from the Kings original artwork? This is one of his early works on Thor, I can't say it's his best, I only think what could have been if someone else had inked it. I'm petty sure we'll get to see better ink jobs from Colletta but what I can say he's not the worst inker of Jack Kirby's art that for sure as I do find some of it quite good.

Thor and Loki must face a trial to determine which of the two gods lied. Yeah we all know it's Loki, his title is literally God of Mischief, it could well be the God of Lies, but hey let's not let that get in the way of the fun. Odin sends the two half-brothers to Skornheim to face a number of trials without the aid of weapons or friends. That doesn't stop Loki sneaking an enchanted stone to give himself an advantage and enlisting the Enchantress and the Executioner to kidnap Jane Foster as leverage against Thor. The traps like a sea of quicksand, that Loki turns into molten lava, a thick forest of thorny plants and the guardian of Skonheim, the invincible slayer called Yagg, stand in both gods ways!  Can Thor win? Can someone save Jane from the two evil Asgardians? Find out next week.

Another in-house advert showing action in the magnificent Marvel tradition as "the Avengers are here!" But the image shown isn't this weeks cover from the Avengers but next weeks issue 6 introducing Wonder Man instead of featuring this weeks cover with Kang, as seen in the advert from this weeks MWOM and also very shortly in this blog. In the second half of this page an advert for this weeks Mighty World of Marvel #55 featuring both the incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four.

The Avengers #5

This is probably my Cover of the Week, but only just beating MWOM's Hulk/Mandarin confrontation. This flipped Ron Wilson cover is a homage to Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers original cover from the Avengers issue 8. You wonder why they didn't use the original, surely it would have saved money to do so. Frank Giacoia is the inker on Ron pencils work. 

   

The Avengers "Kang, the conqueror!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in The Avengers #8

Cover date September 1964

(Published in July 1964)

This story is an absolute classic that sets up the Avengers with one of their most deadly and well known enemies, Kang the conqueror! It also sets up the Avengers as a fighting force that will answer the call of the American government, in later years this will form plots were their allegiance to the US is a benefit and at other times a problem. In this story they receive a request from the Pentagon for an emergency "Red Alert meeting". They return to Anthony Starks luxurious town house to communicate with the Pentagon via their direct closed-circuit TV channel. This shows that even then those ties were strong. The emergency is the sighting of a strange UFO over a wooded area of Virginia.

The owner of that UFO turns out to be Kang the conqueror a time traveler born in the year 3000 who has come from the year 4000 to claim Earth in the year 1964, or 1974 if you read this story in the Marvel UK edition. His costume design is amazing, it has a crazy 60's "space-man" look that has stood the test of time in a steady but can be changed slightly look, when variants are needed. Kirby was a master of the unusual.

We get to see Stan and Jack's long term planning in action. Kang is a villain from the future much in the same mould as Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, first seen in the UK in the Thor tale from SMCW #4, they even share the same "bored with future life" character trait. And of course Ramma Tut as seen in the FF tale from MWOM #41 who also bears similar character traits as Kang, mainly because instead of creating the same character for the third time Stan and Jack adapt one character from the other. That's a very clever move that will pay off a hundred fold.

Having the character want to find adventure in the violent past first and then travel into fortieth century to a savage world where men are constantly at war, then turn up in our "present"day that paints an interesting picture. With his fortieth century weaponry he manages to capture the Avengers leaving the Wasp and Rick Jones free to rescue them. Kang's over confidence lets him down as you can imagine. Through trickery and good fortune Rick and the Teen Brigade distract Kang while the Avengers gain their freedom. The Wasp brings one of Giant Man's special guns that shoots an acid based solvent that rots and decays any fabric or any kind of wiring insulation, rendering Kang's armoured costume useless. In a final act Kang releases a "Neutrino Missile" that Iron Man deflects into space with his repulser rays. A bit like the ending in the MCU Avengers Assemble movie but less spectacular. Kang flees back to the year 4000. Like I said it's a classic!

Avengers Unite!

"From the Bullpen to you" opens the newly titled letter page with a teaser for next weeks Avengers story, that starts off with a recap of Zemo and the Masters of Evil from last weeks issue but then goes on to the tasty bits about next weeks stories. Simon Trewale from Watford saw the news about the new Avengers comics so he got the newsagent to deliver a copy every week. Eric Tranter from Bucks asks why didn't they produce an Avengers comic before as it's great. David Hawes from the Isle of White says the Avengers are his favourite fighting team, he particularly likes Giant Man. 

Tony Girdler from Walsall has been reading comics and used to have one comic delivered every week. But now he's discovered the Avengers weekly he's going to start having that delivered instead as he thinks it's far better. He doesn't say what that other comic was though. Roger Haden from Hull has decided to write in as a long time Marvel fan he is enjoying the new UK weeklies, especially the larger letter pages as he finds it interesting finding out what other readers think. He enjoys when one hero is helping the Fantastic Four in one issue and then the next he's appearing with Spider-man in his story. Stephen Test from Leeds who is interested in machinery wonders what Iron Man's armour is made out off? Surely not out of old fashioned iron? The editor replies saying that Tony Stark uses specially constructed tempered and hardened lightweight steel from a secret formula. Finally Peter Thirkell from Doncaster remembers reading an American comic where the Hulk was a member of the Avengers and asks why isn't he a member of the team in the Avengers weekly? I guess that Peter hasn't read those MWOM issues before they got their own comic.

Another Marvel Masterwork Pin-up, this time featuring the beautiful artwork of Barry Windsor-Smith, taken from the cover of  Marvel Premiere #3, cover dated July 1972, published April 1972 starring Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts. Barry's exquisite artwork is inked by Frank Giacoia. Spoilers: That comic sees the return of the classic Doctor Strange antagonist Nightmare. I really can't wait for that period of Doctor Strange to get printed in the Avengers.

  

Doctor Strange "Return of the Nightmare world!"  

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko

Originally published in Strange Tales #116

Cover date January 1964

(Published in October 1963)

This weeks Doctor Strange tale would have originally been published just before Halloween in 1963, as this reprint also gets published just before Halloween but in 1973, which is great as this story definitely has a supernatural feel to it. It was printed after Doctor Strange's origin story as seen in The Avengers #1, which was the good doctor's fourth story, we're back on track now. Some might already be getting tired with the return of villains like last weeks Baron Mordo and this weeks Nightmare. 

But Steve Ditko does really know how to draw the weird and wonderful and in this one I'm really pleased to see the dream demon's return together with his eerie nightmare world. It may be a short terror tale but don't let that put you off its frighteningly sweet in a dark way. I have a very guilty pleasure soft spot for these Steve Ditko classics.

Slight changes to this weeks Double Dynamite in-house advert for MWOM and SMCW, the Hulk's image for the MWOM insert is taken from Tales to Astonish #77, but this weeks version on the Web-slinger is different than the last two weeks. I know it well but can't place it. So I'll leave all you Friends of the Beesting to tell me where it's originally from and who drew it? A Power of the Beesting No-Price (PotBNoP) to the reader who gives the first correct answer through the usual ways. Till next week then.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.