From the depths of defeat, glorious endings!

 Week Ending 8th December 1973

A quick correction to last weeks blog, that no-one spotted. The Marvel/Grandreams Spider-man Annual was released in 1981 not 1980, as the copyright date states 1981 on the inside cover. British Annuals are released in the Autumn of one year, just in time for the Christmas market and sometimes have the date of the following yearn the cover. That annual had no cover date so goodness knows how I came up with the wrong date. I'll give myself a Power of the Beesting No-Prize for spotting that cock-up but I'll send it back for being at fault in the first place.

The Mighty World of Marvel #62

Umbu blasts the Hulk as Ka-Zar swings into action on this Herb Trimpe and John Severin created cover that was originally used for the cover of the Incredible Hulk #110, although in that version the background was red not white. It takes me very little time to find out that it was by Trimpe and Severin as they signed it.

The Incredible Hulk "Umbu, the Unliving!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Johnny Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #110

Cover date February 1969

(Published in December 1968)

The world is facing climatic disasters on a doomsday level caused by an alien machine that is hidden deep in the Savage land jungle by an unknown race, don't worry we'll find out lots more about them in the coming weeks. The only man capable of stopping the machine from carrying out it's deadly function and destroying the planet is Doctor Bruce Banner, which is all well and good but he's since become the rampaging green rage monster again. Only Ka-Zar and his friendly sabre-toothed tiger, Zabu, must find a way to transform the raging man-brute into the mild mannered scientist.

If things couldn't get any worse the ancient device that is altering the rotation of Earth's axis is guarded by a giant robot left by the aliens, who the Swamp-men worship as a deity, named Umbu, the Unliving. So it might be a good thing that Banner is now green and angry if he's going to get passed the false god. For a robot Umbu is loving this worshipping lark, he's got the Swamp-men doing his every wish, even having them take the unconscious Ka-Zar for a human sacrifice on his "Alter of death!"

The Hulk takes on the giant robot and makes a good fist of fighting the mechanoid, until the machine releases its potent "vapour attack" that causes the Hulk to transform back into Banner, giving the world a fighting chance of stopping the disaster. Let's not forget Ka-Zar who is held crucified over a pit filled with burning coals and around that deadly reptiles. Stan really rolls out the jeopardy in this story. Herb Trimpe rises to the occasion showing the savage is a hardy breed and as strong as any man. It's the boys own adventure action that has the reader punching the air with joy when he does escape from his predicament. Ka-Zar defeats the Swamp-men, Banner removes the machines "Master Control Unit" which halts Umbu and stops the world controlling machine, but at a cost as Banner is bombarded with deadly radiation. Ka-Zar finds the seemingly dead Doctor at the foot of the machine...Hulkinued next week!

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

The first bullpen pal this week is from Anand Malik from Shipley in Yorkshire, who isn't a Hulk fan, calling him a green over-sized "jelly bean!" One Hulk strip is enough, not two. Anand's choice would be Ant-man to fill that void. Mike Mittelstadt from Bedford has an interesting point to make about a letter published in Captain Marvel #26, US edition, but as it would take longer to get to the New York Marvel offices he sent it into the London office instead. Read it if you want but that part isn't really connected to British Marvel. His second point is, he would like the text size of the letters that are printed in Marvel Mailbag and the Web and the Hammer letter pages to be smaller so that more letters would see print. I personally glad they aren't as 50 years later I would struggle to read them. Thank god for glasses. Horace Bravo is pleased to see Sue Storm's battle against Doctor Doom as it shows how capable she can be. Marvel issue a "Newsflash" for the twenty boys and twenty girls second place winners who haven't received their Mark Strong or Barbie Doll prices, please contact the London Bullpen immediately. But I guess if you're reading this 50 years later you're really too late. Also all FOOMers who are awaiting for issue 4, the winter edition, they will be dispatched in January. In other FOOM news there will be no more FOOM kits despatched, if you have sent your coupon with 50 pence your money will be returned. I imagine that means any one who ordered a membership kit with badges, membership card and poster as well as the FOOM magazine and haven't already got it by November 1973 won't be getting one. 

 Excitement for Christmas is starting to ramp up at Beesting Manor this year, imagine what it must have felt like for a Marvelyte in 1973 when they were teased with the prospect of finding this little beauty in their Christmas stocking, or Santa sack in 1973! Here's a little teaser from the Power of the Beesting, there might be a little treat coming this festive season if we're all on the "good list" for Christmas this year. 

Back in 1973 the Thing shouts "It's money-making time again!" if you where good enough to buy next weeks issues you could enter Marvel's next get-rich-quick competition. All the details next week.

The Fantastic Four "The battle for Ben Grimm!

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #30

Cover date September 1964

(Published in June 1964)

  

As pretty much standard with the second half of stories printed in British Marvel comics the opening page uses the cover from the featured strips original cover and so the Kirby/Stone cover from Fantastic Four issue 30 is made use of. An economical solution that does jar slightly with story continuity, but I can easily forgive that. Now that Diablo's potions have failed globally the UN have submitted plans to stop the alchemist. The FF take that as good enough reason to jump into action and attack Diablo's castle. 

Inside the castle dungeons they find a glass capsule with an imprisoned Ben Grimm within. Diablo enters using his potions to counter the FF's attacks, leaving them unconscious. Like all of the villains potions their effects aren't permanent as the Thing slowly regains consciousness. The shatter proof capsules created by Diablo's alchemy also show that it too has a time limit as the FF's strongest member presses hard against the inside of  the shell, cracking then shattering the impossible substance. Ben chases Diablo back to his tomb, imprisoning the fiend once more. The castle collapses around the Fantastic Four but Ben rescues them from disaster, apologising for the way he acted last week, he's quickly forgiven. The Human Torch fuses the crumbled castle stones to make sure Diablo can't ever escape. Well until the next time Stan wants him too.

Excellent use of the colour back page to promote British Marvel's two other triumphs, the Avengers and Spider-man Comics Weekly. After reading MWOM's two great strips you're definitely left wanting more, so a trip back down to your local newsagent with 11 pence in hand will snap you up these two beauties. Let's find out what's inside them, next up Spider-man Comics Weekly. 

Spider-man Comics Weekly #43

For the third week running British Marvel uses a cover from the American reprint title Marvel Tales #35, covered dated June 1972, published March 1972, on SMCW instead of the original cover from the Amazing Spider-man. Again Gil Kane produces the neat artwork although upscaling it to fit the UK formate size does spoil Kraven and the Vulture slightly in my opinion. It's worth noting that the original artwork would have been drawn larger and down scaled to fit the US comic book size. Either size it's a good cover.

Spider-man "From the depths of defeat!" 

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: John Romita Sr

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #49

Cover date April 1967

(Published in March 1967)

Blackie Drago, the new Vulture, defeated a flu filled Spider-man last week, leaving him for dead on a snow capped skyscraper.

Which is where we find our hero in this brilliant opening splash page, that sees an unconscious Spider-man sprawled out in the winter snow, the floating heads of loved ones and deadly enemies hovering above him. This is a perfect winter's tale to read in these long nights. As you'll know if you had read last weeks Power of the Beesting blog this story saw print in the Marvel/Grandreams produced Spider-man Annual from the autumn/winter of 1981. It's a belting story that deserves reading again and again, whether it's in black and white, colour or black and white with hues of red.

The web-head regains his senses and slopes off to bed to recover from the beating and his cold. Kraven sees TV coverage in which the Vulture is considered the deadliest menace in the city, not impressed Kraven tracks down the feathery fiend to show him who's the mightiest. Spider-strenght works wonders on Peter's immune system and it's not long before he's ready to pull the webs on and duke   it out with the two villains, this time in full health Spidey beats both with by a double knock out. Im surprised that Kraven doesn't mention that he had been in the Sinister Six with the original Vulture. Stan missed a trick there.

The Web and the Hammer

William Saville from Notts asks a few questions, 1) could the Hulk lift Thor's hammer? Answer: no. 2) Is Spider-man's costume water proof? Answer: only slightly. 3) Will Peter make up with Betty Brant? Answer: only as friends. 4) Will Thor battle Odin? Answer: only a battle of wills, like some father/son relationships. 5) If Spider-man was to have children would they have super-powers? Answer: who knows? Glenn Flakin from St. Neots notes that in MWOM #2 Spidey couldn't cash a cheque as it was addressed to Spider-man, he would also have the same problem from a cheque from Jameson he could have won in SMCW #24 but why didn't he get the cheque written under the name of Flash Thompson and get flash to cash it? Wouldn't people think he's really Flash? Mary Weinskopf from Stroke-on-Trent, has written a neat little poem about Marvel and her favourite hero, Spider-man. Craig Tompkins from Sheffield who is a big Spider-man and Thor fan and would like to see them both on TV. 

Andy Kirkpatrick from Reading thinks that Marvel comics are the greatest thing to happen to British comics as he's collected American Marvel comics for several years, but he's not happy that British Marvel comics are reprinting the US strips that he's already read. He wants new ideas for MWOM that he hasn't read. Well Andy let those who haven't read them catch up. Even though Andy is a big Hulk fan but he feels that it's unfair that the Hulk was getting two strips a week and Daredevil getting none. Matthew Leith asks why hasn't the Sub-Mariner got crooked bones as a men generates electricity to keep bones straight but in water that electricity would be lost. I'm pretty sure that theory is just made up. Stephen Lliffe from Leicester wants to know which ocean or sea Namor's kingdom of Atlantis can be found, as it must have been somewhere he would have not suspecting it to be? Atlantis is in the Atlantic Ocean. The editor theorises that volcanic disturbances caused the sea bed to change giving the reason why Namor struggled to find it. In later stories we'll find out the real reasons. 

The Mighty Thor "The end of the power!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #119

Cover date August 1965

(Published in June 1965)

The second half of this Thor tales uses the cover from Journey into Mystery #119 by Jack Kirby as the opening page, it does look like a page of a comic anyway so it's quite easy to adapt. I always like these British Marvel's made up titles, they can be very creative. I've been known to use them myself, but I hope I won't be using this one for some time.  To sum up Thor is in grave danger as the unbeatable Destroyer fixes his disintegrator gaze on the Thunder God, while Loki is fearful that if Odin wakes from his Odinsleep to fine his first son dead at the hand of the Destroyer, Loki will receive the full force of Odin's wrath. 

Loki projects his mental image towards the Karnilla the Norn Queen, to ask that she use her mystical powers to raise Odin from his slumber, to which she does for Odin to find his son seconds away from annihilation. Odin warns Thor to stand away from Destroyer as only Odin has the power to halt his attack. But Thor tells his father to hold while the Thunder God wages is own war of wits against the man who controls the Destroyer. Returning his life force to his human shell so that he might move his own frail body away from the Norse God but Thor is quicker and he brings down the temple around the inert Destroyer, entombing the lifeless armour once more, while also pulling the helpless mortal away from the crumbling Temple of Darkness, who Thor lets go free to face his own conscience of the evil he as the Destroyer would have done. Unable to fly with his damaged hammer Thor uses one of Loki's Norn Stones to levitate to America to find a forge to repair his disfigured mallet. It's been a magnificent number of weeks reading these Thor adventures and I don't feel its quite ended as Thor seeks a final reckoning between his half-brother and himself, it continues next week.

Like Mighty World of Marvel before, Spider-man Comics Weekly uses the full colour back page to glorious effect to promote British Marvel's other great weekly masterpieces, showing the covers of MWOM and the Avengers in all their glory. Speaking of "Britain's greatest" comic....

The Avengers #12

This week's cover is an adapted cover by Jack Kirby originally used the US cover of the Avengers #15. The Wasp is moved lower down and the Melter costume has its colours changed slightly. Chic Stone was the inker on this artwork

The Avengers "Now, by my hand shall die a villain!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby (layouts), Don Heck

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in The Avengers #15

Cover date April 1965

(Published in February 1965)

A very ominous title "Now, by my hand shall die a villain!" It's almost Shakespearean, I'm sure that Stan Lee intended it as a teaser that made the Avengers stand up to their title, but I also feel it pushes what is essentially a kids comic to a darker place. This week Baron Zemo and his Masters of Evil story line that has been running on and off over a number of issues reaches a conclusion, opened with the assemblers ending a meeting in which Giant-man gets to show off his new helmet and outfit in the pages of the Avengers for the first time. Thankfully I'm glad he doesn't keep it very long.

Baron Zemo rages against his many losses against the accursed Avengers, calls the Enchantress and the Executioner to enlists two ex-members back into the team, the Black Knight and the Melter, but first they have to break them out of prison. Cap spots the two evil Asgardians while he's posting a letter to his old friend Nick Fury, in which he's asking for a job in his new counter-espionage group he's in the process of setting up. We'll learn more about that letter in later issues.

The newly combined Masters of Evil kidnap the young Rick Jones to use as bait. The Avengers set off in chase but are delayed by the Masters with only Cap getting past their blockade. The four remaining Avengers are more than a match to defeat the four remaining Masters of Evil. Maybe the Avengers are just to strong and powerful which makes a very one-sided contest. Who knows how Stan will address this plot problem, Marvel comics like their heroes to face heavier odds  so that it makes a more interesting spectacle.

Cap in his XL-750 Hunter Rocket Plane, kindly donated by Tony Stark, arrives in the Amazon jungle to rescue the abducted teenager, but of course he must face Zemo and his private army. Using the skill and finesse that makes him a living legend Cap isolates the evil nazi from his men to create an Amazonian stand-off. Zemo, armed with a powerful disintegrator ray gun make things look bad for Cap until he uses his shield to reflect the sun's powerful rays back at the Baron, momentarily blinding him, in the confusion the bewildered Baron to fire wildly. I guess that's why the nazis never won the war as they can't shoot straight. In his panic the ray causes a fatal landslide that buries the master of villainy. Cap finally gets his revenge for Bucky's death, but was it really at his hand? Or was it just a foolish villain getting what he deserves from his own destructive ways. 

Your Letters...

Robert James from Northolt wants to congratulate British Marvel for releasing the Avengers weekly. Chris Vogel from Northampton loves the Avengers weekly but is not happy when letter writers who are supposed to be regular readers write asking questions that have already been answered. An example of this is when people ask "why don't you bring back Daredevil?" even though the editor has replied many times that DD will return one day. Paul Donnadice from Ross-shire ask a point that must make Chris say I told you so, as he asks "why not bring back Daredevil?" I've no problem with that line of questioning. Sometimes you have to keep asking so that the editor gets that DD is really popular. Keep the pressure on so they won't change their minds. 

J DeVeries from Chelmsford is proud of all the British weeklies, noting that the Avengers was brought out one week before Mighty World of Marvel's first anniversary. He owns MWOM #1-51, SMCW #1-32 and the Avengers #1, that's some collection for just one years worth of comics. John Smith from Leeds has a few ideas about Marvel, 1) bring back Daredevil, 2) a bit less of Thor, as he appears in two comics and 3) how about a story featuring the Silver Surfer. Finally the last letter this week doesn't concern the three British weeklies. Bill Houlston from Birmingham writes about how he buys up to twenty monthlies plus a few bi-monthlies each month, but since May of 1973 he can find no more Amazing Spider-man issues in the shops, missing issue 120 which would have wrapped up the Hulk/Spider-man battle. In missing those Spider-man issues Bill has found out from reading Daredevil #103 that Gwen dies in a Spider-man adventure! Spoilers Bill! In 1973 us Brits haven't read that yet. The editor replies that American monthly are still being sent over. Bill ends his letter with RIP Bill Everett.

Right after the Avengers strip we get an in-house advert for this weeks Spider-man Comics Weekly and the Mighty World of Marvel comics both out this week, but only in black and white. The colour back page is reserved for something very special about next week's Avengers. More on that later.

 
 

Doctor Strange "The challenge of Loki!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: George Roussos 

Originally published in Strange Tales #123

Cover date August 1964

(Published in May 1964)

This is another one of those stories that I've read elsewhere, before reading it in this Avengers weekly. For me I fell in love with this classic in the pages of Marvel Super-heroes Summer Special from 1979. In the original US comic the inker was credited as George Bell, a pseudonym of George Roussos. He's credited with his full name in this British version. early Ditko Doctor Strange stories had Ditko handling his own inks but I kind of like Roussos's ink-work on this. Yeah it does make it look more like a super-hero comic strip but at the sametime it doesn't take anything away from the mystic elements.

Loki tricks Doctor Strange into believing that his half-brother Thor has imprisoned him and is an evil god. Loki adds to the lies by saying that Thor's hammer holds the key to the chains that bind him. Doctor Strange uses a sliver from the leather thong of the enchanted mallet to cast a spell to steal the weapon from the gods grasp. The Doctor suspects that Loki may not be telling all the truth but goes along with the Asgardian in hope that the truth will be revealed.

   

What comes next is some of the most classical mystic battle scenes that have graced Marvel comics, variations of are still used to this day in comics and movies such as the energy bands and multiple illusions images of the master of the mystic arts. Learning the hard way Strange releases his spell that holds Thor's hammer, allowing it to return to its rightful master. Thor then uses his enchanted mallet to lead him towards those who caused the theft. Loki's Asgardian magic may well be too much for Strange as his magic energy bombardment starts to break through. Loki sensing the coming of the Thunder God flees. 

 Thor sensing that all the danger has gone just flies past the Doctor's Greenwich home in one of the most spectacular images ever. Does the Doctor's Sanctum Sanctorum grow to allow Doctor Strange to view the Thunder God in majestical flight. Strange and Thor never really meet in person but I like to think that they give each other a knowing nod. As for this story,  Steve Ditko was good, no he was really good, no he was really, really good! Can't wait for next week.

As I mentioned previously the Avengers weekly colour back page isn't used to advertise this week's other mighty Marvel weeklies. Instead it introduces British Marvel readers to three new super-stars in readiness for next week's history making events. Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch hadn't made their first appearances in British Marvel comics yet, but next week they would make their Avengers debut, so this feature gives readers a heads-up on their history. Hawkeye would have made his first appearance as the pawn of the deadly foreign agent known as the Black Widow in the Iron Man adventures. While Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch appear as members of Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. All three started as duped villains but Stan had always written them as characters with something good about them. Perfect for the next version of the Avengers. Yeah it's a shame that we would have to wait for their earlier stories to be printed, but next week we are set ready for a fun ride.

So come back next week to see how British Marvel fit them into Cap's Kooky Quartet. Old order changeth next week.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.