Guess who's back?

 Week Ending 26th January 1974

Friend of the Beesting Mark Lotinga has brought up another interesting point on last weeks mags, which I have to agree with and fancy adding my thoughts too. He suspected that the mis-colouring of the MWOM cover, the awful "bodged" lettering and the lack of reproduced covers in the in-house ads could be lined to the stresses and strains of three mags a week production. With going from one mag a week to three in the space of a year is definitely a steep learning curve, then you add changes to those comics format and there will be teething problems. Instead of four complete stories, (three large- Hulk, Spider-man and the Avengers, plus one small- Dr. Strange,) and two shorter, edited stories, (the Fantastic Four and Thor,) you've now got five half size stories that needed to be neatly edited to fit, (Hulk, DD, FF, Spider-man and Thor,) two shorter ones (Iron Man and Dr. Strange,) and one large completed one in the Avengers. Keeping a head of the continuity from different periods of Marvel's timeline as some stories where from 1964, while others like the Hulk was racing ahead into the late 1969. Mistakes will happen and whose fault could well lie on either side of Marvel's production offices, American or British. Even during British Marvel or Marvel UK's most productive or successful periods mistakes were made. That's sometimes part of the charm of British Marvel, although I'd rather they hadn't made so many. I do think they improve, in less than a year there'll be two more mags added to the weekly list, four months later another two, making seven a week and I feel that they really hit their prime at that time, with very little mistakes, or very few that I can remember. Stick with the Power of the Beesting and we'll find out together. 

Another nice little debate or discussion from Mark. Maybe I should title it..."Marks remarks" or "Loting-a-to-talk about". Maybe not. Thanks Mark, let's see what this week's weeklies from week ending 26th January brings up.

The Mighty World of Marvel #69

"Head's up, action-lover--" guess who's back? DD's back! And British Marvel wasn't going to let you forget it. It's great to see this line up, even with this pasted together cover it sends a tingle down your spine at the thrill of seeing the most perfect Mighty World of Marvel line-up back in the mag. The Hulk image is probably taken from the cover of the Incredible Hulk #116, drawn by Herb Trimpe, with slight adjustments to the green ones' face by another artist. I wasn't very complementary about that cover last week to be honest. Daredevil looks like he was drawn by John Romita Sr. DD really makes this cover look great, I really feel that I've seen it before but can't place it. The Grand Comics Database suggests that Jack Kirby may also have worked on this cover, which does leave you thinking that he may well have drawn the Fantastic Four figures. It's possible but I'm not fully convinced myself. Adjustments and additional art was added by Mike Esposito.  

Update 2rd March 2024: Daredevil appears on the cover wearing his new red costume, even though he wears his original red and yellow outfit in this issues Daredevil story. 

The Incredible Hulk "World's end?"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #116

Cover date July 1969

(Published in April 1969)

 

Sometimes I really love Herb Trimpe's artwork, sometimes I'm not that sure and in those times I agree with the many who say Trimpe's pencil needs sharpening as his pencil lines get thicker and thicker. After a couple of down weeks it was time for more agreeable artwork, in this story he nails it. He really does with incredible creative panel shapes and story angles. All of that inventive artwork comes from Herb's own hands as he both pencils and inks this week's work.

The rage and anger of the Hulk really comes across well, the artwork is genuinely a highlight. Stan Lee's writing is very serviceable too, although I don't like the section where the Leader sends the escaped Hulk with his Super-Humanoid away to a remote volcanic isle, while the villain carries out his plan to start World War Three. It isn't the plot, but the plot choice that the Super-Humanoid starts to verbally inform the Hulk about his actions. It feels really clunky. A silent assassin routine would have felt much better, but I imagine that Stan felt he had to have someone to push the story along with the two heavy hitters isolated and the intelligence of the Hulk wouldn't allow for that. The Hulk does seem to be getting the upper hand in the battle, which forces the Leader's Humanoid to up the ante by continuing the battle with "Total Power!" Will the Hulk prevail? Find out next week!

Another "Double Dynamite" in-house ad from "magnificent Marvel" for The Avengers and Spider-man Comics Weekly. 'Two great hits on sale now!" Only thing is they aren't! The two covers shown are next weeks issues, Avengers #20 and SMCW #51 not issues #19 and 50 from their respected mags. A small slip up, granted, but also a nice look into the future anyway.

On the next page nesting between the adverts for stamps, a new body like Charles Atlas and the newsagents reserve form for Spider-man, (should that be for the Mighty World of Marvel as it is inside of MWOM or is it connected to the advert for Iron Man in the pages of Spider-man Comics Weekly?) is a short in-house advert in which Iron Man really "breaks loose", who this week makes his first solo strip appearance in Spider-man Comics Weekly. The images of Iron Man aren't from his first appearances but from a later period, around Tales of Suspense #77 to #79 in 1966, by artist Adan Austin with inker Gary Michaels and artist Gene Colan with Michaels adding the inks once again. Now those are an artistic crew we can look forward to. We won't need to wait long to see some of Colan's handiwork, because on the very next page....

Daredevil "Here comes...Daredevil the man without fear!"

  

Writer: Stan Lee and Roy Thomas

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: George Klein

Originally published in Daredevil #53

Cover date June 1969

(Published in April 1969)

We see the return of the man without fear with a retelling of his origin by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan with the original dialogue from Daredevil issue 1 by Stan Lee reused. This is a jump of 47 US issues from the last time DD appeared in MWOM, but after this story continues next week, the week after we go back to where they left of with ol' horn-head. The first panel of this page uses images taken from the cover of that issue by Jack Kirby with inks from Bill Everett. The origin story made its British Marvel first appearance in MWOM #20, This retelling of that origin will be seen in full in the pages of MWOM #172 and #173,  on the 17th and 24th January 1976, where DD recalls his origin in between an encounter with Starr Saxon! You'll have to wait to find out more on that story. That story also gets a UK reprint in Marvel Super Adventure #8 24th June 1981. 

The "binder note pad" text box tells the reader that Matt Murdock was a boy in 1964, (the year that DD's first issue appeared,) which would add ten years to his age when this comic came out making him 18 to 21 years old when he first started being a blind super-hero,  in the original US version the year in which we see the Matt as a boy was 1950. They didn't bother changing the year countdown seen on the right of his opening page. I guess that was too hard, or too expensive to fix. Regular Power of the Beesting readers will know how much I adore the original version of Daredevils origin as seen in MWOM #20 or the 1974 Marvel Annual, but how much do I like this version? Well I really love Roy Thomas and Gene Colan's work, but it's only a copy of the original. The original will always be the best. In saying all that it's great to have Daredevil back.

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Brett Taylor from Victoria in Australia thinks there are a lot of issues were the Hulk finds a friend only to lose them, citing "Heaven is a very small place", as seen in MWOM #42 and wants to cheer up the Hulk at least once with a story in which everyone likes him. Poor Hulk, we're all friends of that big dumb giant. A.J. Coleman wants the next British Marvel mag to come out as a monthly, so that he could afford it. I'm sure I've read a letter like this one recently, did the editor reuse this letter from another comic's letter page? Trevor Main from Morrayshire in Scotland wants to see the Silver Surfer replace Thor in SMCW or have the Surfer appear in a new comic with DD and the X-Men. Kevin Manning from London wants an entire issue to be devoted to a super team-up of the FF, the Avengers and the X-Men against either Kang, Doctor Doom, the Masters of Evil, the Mandarin or the Rhino. That's super one-sided towards the heroes. Keith Bessant from Cheltenham has pointed out some mistakes from MWOM #59 and the 1968 Pow annual too. In "Bullpen News" we'll find out next week who has won what in the recent Marvel Angling competition.

The Fantastic Four "Death of a hero!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #32

Cover date November 1964

(Published in August 1964)

It was only in last week's blog that I mentioned the 1970 Pow Annual that this story appeared in, recalling the fact that it had been badly coloured like last weeks MWOM cover. That shoddy colouring won't spoil this version as we get it in glorious black and white with shades of grey. After a failed attempt to cure Ben Grimm of his monstrous looks, which ultimately fail after it gives him a case of amnesia, that leads to violent outbursts from Ben, Reed is forced to turn him back into the loveable but orange rock version, telling Ben that the experiment failed rather than having Ben loose the memories of his love for Alicia Masters. I kind of feel that was a bit hard, why couldn't he relearn his love for Alicia? But then the FF wouldn't have their strongest member. 

Meanwhile, I love that word, it's a great transition, from a distant planet a strange beam cuts through space and strikes an isolated long dead volcano on a deserted isle, releasing a strange being. Who travels some distance, using powers similar to those the Fantastic Four possess, to the prison cell of Sue and Johnny's father. Inside the cell the sinister figure rearranges his molecules to resemble Doctor Storm. Then he sends the Doctor on a journey to the fifth quadrant of the Andromeda galaxy. Have we meet this being before? I'm not telling yet. Johnny and Sue visit their father, while Sue recalls how their father became a guilt ridden prisoner. But the being who looks like their father declares himself invincible and escapes the police by turning himself invisible and smashing through the prison walls with incredible strength. Later proclaiming that he possesses all the powers of the Fantastic Four and much more, the newly costumed, newly named Invincible Man confronts the FF. But who is he? Find out next week.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #50

"Starting this issue: the invincible Iron Man!" the comics headline tells us, and just so we don't forget it there's an insert of the golden Avengers by Jack Kirby, with inks by Chic Stone to remind us. The background Daily Bugle headline informs us that "Spider-man joins Doctor Octopus!" That's a typical Bugle headline from J. Jonah Jameson, but this time it could well be true! John Romita Sr crafted this cover to make an impressive cover for this mag and its original usage on the Amazing Spider-man #56. The only differences are Doc Ock's costume colour scheme, his UK version is still the best, and the background behind the newspaper is changed from yellow to black. Cover of the week? Yeah it's got to be.

Spider-man "Disaster!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #56

Cover date January 1968

(Published in October 1967)

Spider-man following Doctor Octopus's orders?? Yep, all because of a blast from the stolen "Nullifier" that has induced a case of amnesia in Spider-man, which the villain saw as a chance to gain control over the web-slinger. Even when the confused Spidey questions why he should do what the Doctor orders, the four tentacled fiend worms his way into making Spider-man believe him like a mollusc slipping out of a predator's grasp.  

With Colonel John Jameson heading a security taskforce to recover the stolen "Nullifier" he calls on help from numerous authorities both military and police. One of which will become another of Peter Parker's ever expanding cast of friends and acquaintances with the introduction of Captain Stacy, retired police officer and father of Gwen Stacy. Will his experience help stop Doctor Octopus and his duped partner? Well we'll find out next week, because with three strips every week in his mag Spidey will have to be content with his stories being split into two halves. 

"What a catch!" Next week in all weeklies will see a list of the lucky prize winners for the recent Marvel fishing contest that was run in the weeklies from Week Ending 24th November and 1st December 1973. Was your name amongst the lucky ones who hooked a big one? We'll find out in seven.

  

The Mighty Thor "While a universe trembles!" 

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #123

Cover date December 1965

(Published in October 1965)

Thor has agreed to take reporter Harris Hobbs to Asgard, albeit against his better judgement. Wait till Odin finds out he's brought a mortal to the Golden Realm, boy is he going to be in trouble? But not as much as Loki will be, after Odin has dealt with the mortal his adopted son brought to Asgard to kick up a storm. Stan and Jack are really laying on the troubles for our Asgardian Gods at the minute. 

Kirby is in fine form this week with his artwork being some of his best. It feels majestic, even Colletta's inks haven't taken away some of the beauty of it. Also this week Lee's plotting, or should that be Kirby's plotting, includes the almost forgotten lost Norn Stone that Thor dropped in SMCW #44 as an Asian Witch Doctor known as the Demon finds it and gains enough superhuman strength and durability to take on his Communist suppressors. This story is becoming an epic tale, but more on that next week.

The Web and the Hammer

Marcus Hill asks who Steve Reeves is? As his name was used in reference for someone with strength in SMCW #21. Sometime when they leave some of the American references in they do go over British readers heads. Steve Reeves won Mr. America one time, and later Mr. Universe too. Tyrone Henry from Rutland picks out a boob from issue 35 of SMCW where we will be told that happened when Heimdall failed to protect the Rainbow Bridge, but instead we got the "Trail of the Gods!" Oh well, mistakes happen. Alan I'Anson from Preston joins the list of keen model makers who wants Marvel to produce some Marvel Model kits. Paul Varnovery points out another mistake that earns him a Marvel No-Prize. He also thinks that Jim Steranko's FOOM poster is brilliant. It is and I only wish that I too owned a copy of it. 

    Another "Double Dynamite from magnificent Marvel" but unlike the in-house advert from this weeks Mighty World of Marvel this one shows this weeks covers for the Avengers and its shelf brother MWOM. I wonder did your newsagent display their British Marvel weeklies on a shelf or a spinner rack? I pretty sure that weeklies would be displayed on shelves, while in some newsagents American imports took pride of place on spinner racks in the seventies, even into the eighties.

 

  

Iron Man "Iron Man is born!"

Writer: Stan Lee and Larry Lieber

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #39

Cover date March 1963

(Published in December 1962)

The much maligned Don Heck isn't always given credit for his contribution to Marvel unlike some of his peers. But Heck must be given credit for the design of Iron Man and settling on Tony Stark's "Errol Flynn" look that we all instantly recognise. There's a bit of businessman Howard Hughes too, but that was how Stan Lee wanted to model him. Jack Kirby together with Heck roughed out an early design for the armour that was  more of a clunky grey heap which Don Heck modified to incorporate more gadgets. The first version would be grey, but British readers wouldn't know that, not in these black and white pages, on the covers of this comic and in the Avengers weekly he was always red and gold!

You all know the tale and for those who have only seen the 2008 Iron Man film it goes pretty much the same way. Evil communist tyrant Wong-Chu takes over a small Vietnam village, at the same time industrialist, inventor Anthony Stark is also in Vietnam demonstrating his latest micro-transistor-powered weaponry to the US Army that could help the Americans to end the conflict. Stark triggers a tripwire that detonates a landmine, wounding the inventor and allowing Wong-Chu to capture him. With a deadly piece of shrapnel that is slowly moving deeper into his heart Wong-Chu blackmails Stark into making weaponry for him, in exchange he would get a doctor to save his life. A captured physicist and engineer Professor Yinsen is also forced to help Stark in his task. Guessing that Wong-Chu's offer of aid is a lie the two construct a chest plate that will stop the shrapnel from killing Stark and a suit of armour that they can use to escape. Time is running out so Yinsen desperately tries to delay Wong-Chu and his men, as Starks armour powers up a single gun shot rings out.

 Once the armour becomes fully charged Stark carries out his revenge for Professor Yinsen, by chasing the Vietnam warlord to his death, using the many gadgets that his suit has Incorporated into it. Wong-Chu meets his end as an ammunition depot explodes when Stark ignites a stream of lubricating oil with his flame torch towards it. Thus making Iron Man the first Avenger by name and action. Well that's how it should have ended. In August 2000 the story was retconned in the Iron Man 2000 Annual  #1 so that Wong-Chu survived and part of Professor Yinsen's brain was saved! I much prefer the 1964/74 ending. 

The Avengers #19

This cover sees the original US cover from the Avengers #22 reused with slight colour changes made to Power Man's costume for absolutely no reason what so ever. The floating heads of Hawkeye, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have also been removed from the bottom of the original cover, an improvement as they gave nothing to the overall look. Jack Kirby was the original artist with Wally Wood applying the inks.

The inside front page of this weeks Avengers mag proclaims "New stars from mighty Marvel" with Daredevil joining the Mighty World of Marvel and Iron Man in the pages of Spider-man Comics weekly. In truth Daredevil had already had a small run in MWOM and Iron Man had also appeared regularly in the Avengers when they starred in MWOM and their own comic. But let's not let that small factual slip-up get in the way of a great headline, because face it this period was a pretty cool point in the British Marvel part of the "Marvel Age of comics!"

The Avengers "The road back"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Wally Wood

Originally published in The Avengers #22

Cover date November 1965

(Published in September1965)

After last weeks debacle as Power Man and the Enchantress frames the Avengers in such away that they are made to look pitiful are ordered to disband. This story starts with more fuel to those flames as all they seem to do is argue and fight among themselves. One thing I will say for Don Heck, is that he does draw faces beautifully, that's why he's perfect for romantic genre comics, a good reason for his work on playboy Tony Stark's Iron Man stories as seen in SMCW and on these early Avengers strips. The heroes are always handsome and the female leads look beautiful. Just look at the Scarlet Witch in this opening splash page, she's gorgeous!

With the team splitting up Hawkeye and the two mutant siblings look for work, at one point joining the circus. A fair idea as Hawkeye has had experience of the Carney life. Not a good idea to join the Circus of Crime though as they soon find out. This part  of the story does feel a little like padding really.

It's Cap who looks for a way to regain the Avengers reputation by disguising himself as a promoter to secretly tape a confession from Power Man. Which does work until the Enchantress becomes suspicious, leading to a fight. Power Man inferior strength beats Cap but help is on the way as the other three Avengers answer an accidentally transmitted signal. The four beat Power Man, causing the Enchantress to flee. 

The Avengers reputation is reinstated. Quicksilver declares that bygones should be bygones, but Cap still angry with the team tells them that he's had enough and is leaving causing another crucial split-up in the history of the Avengers. One last thing I noticed that in the last line of the text box the letter bodger changes the cents to pence but leaves "month" instead of "week". Yeah I realise it still makes some sense but "the zingiest 6p worth of the week" does sound better to a British reader. Then again shouldn't that be "craziest", but then again (again,) where do the British editors stop without re-writing the whole script?

Avengers Assemble!

John McNutty from Coventry thinks the new Avengers mag is great and that Doctor Strange is an extra treat. Alan Bratt from Lincoln also thinks that the mag is great, the transfers are super and Captain America is sensational. Brian Purshouse from Rotherham thought that in the Avengers #8 Spider-man should have joined the group after all he doesn't think that the Avengers will be the best super-team without the web-slinger. Jeffery Howitt from Aberdeen wants to clear up a point from Margaret Linz in her letter seen in the Avengers #8, to which he says that "maybe the reason our early ancestors taught the early Americans English was because the early Americans were British themselves!" Alan Laddds from Sheffield was thrill to see British Marvel bring out the Avengers, especially with Cap as a member, as he found a copy of Captain America and the Falcon in his newsagents and it was great.

Joseph Brancato from Kensington in London wonders after the first three "Meet the Avengers" features what has happened to the other two? Stephen Foster from North Harrow would like to see Doctor Strange taken out of the Avengers weekly and be replaced by Conan the barbarian. Now that's an idea. I wonder if that will ever happen? Only time will tell. Nudge, nudge. Wink wink! Finally for this weeks letters Rerato Luchesi from Galston Ayrshire Scotland, who wants to congratulate Marvel for starting  a Doctor Strange comic strip, as he thinks he's great. He asks why there are so few letters printed from Scotland in the letter pages? His brother says that the letters are made up, with not many little towns mentioned. Well Rerato I don't think Marvel would make up your letter, not with your name, but if anyone who reads these blogs does see their letter mentioned let me know. It's always great to hear from those who have been a small but interesting part of British Marvel's history.

Doctor Strange "The hunter and the hunted!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko 

Originally published in Strange Tales #131

Cover date April 1965

(Published in January 1965)

This story might to some, feel like another "fill-in" between the bigger sections of the story arc, but it isn't at all. It's really wonderful and a fantastic read that sees Baron Mordo, empowered by the Dreaded Dormammu, and his followers search Hong Kong for Doctor Strange, who slips past all manner of oriental underworld types that the Baron has allied to his task. Strange uses cunning and guile to slip through the enclosing net, setting false trails through the eastern city. Magic and martial arts are his tools to stay one step ahead when he's found. 

Wrath like spirits nearly stop him as he reaches his daring escape route to sneak aboard an airplane. One of the Wraths does discover him, but the Doctor in his astral form defeats it. Then still in his spirit form he disguises himself to look like one of the Wraths, he tricks the others into disregarding the plane as a possible escape route. This chapter of the running story would make a fantastic movie with all its physical and mystical action set in Hong Kong. It's a brilliant Steve Ditko classic! Can't wait to read more next week.

All three weeklies this week sport the "pink" Marvel Artist competition feature on their back pages with the entry form printed on the reverse, giving budding artists another chance to perfect their latest creation. They've still got till the closing date of Monday the 11th of February 1974 to get them to Marvel. With loads of prizes to be won in nine different age groups plus a Colour TV to the overall winner lots of Marvelytes must have been jumping at the chance. 

So while you all think about what you would have created in 1974, I'll go and sort out the pile of comics I bought this weekend. Isn't it really about time I grew out of buying comics. But that's never going to happen! I keep buying them but I've got very little time to read them. So same time next week then?

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.