To kill a Beesting.

Week Ending 23rd February 1974

 The Mighty World of Marvel #73

This cover is possibly one of Ed Hannigan's first pieces of artwork for Marvel. The artist and writer most well know as penciller on the Defenders and later Peter Parker, the spectacular Spider-man, where he co-created Cloak and Dagger, as well as writing the Defenders for others to draw. DC fans may recall his Bat-man covers, circa 1983-85. His first Marvel US cover was for the X-Men #89 cover dated August 1974, published May 1974, which at the time reprinted old X-Men Stories. His first story artwork for Marvel was a story that appeared in Planet of the Apes #5 (Curtis Magazines) cover dated February 1975, published December 1974, called "Evolution's Nightmare". That story will appear in the UK version of Planet of the Apes issue 20 in just over a year's time on the 8th March 1975. May be this cover was a try out. Mike Esposito inked the artwork for this cover. Why wasn't the original Hulk artwork used? Well it's gets used next week, which is more fitting to the second half of the story. It also doesn't give away the cliffhanger ending of this week's Hulk strip.  

The inside cover features a host of adverts, the first being a Matchbox Surtees Formula 1 club. After winning the Formula 2 championship in 1972 (it was with the Surtees Ford Cosworth team,) and being the runners up in 1973, Matchbox are entering the Formula 1 championship in 1974 with Matchbox Surtees. As a promotion Matchbox are offering membership to this fan club for just 25 pence, which gets you a regular newspaper, a free poster, a free sticker, a free badge and your chance to enter super competitions as well as information on all the latest Matchbox models and kits! There is also an advert from a stamp collectors starting kit, a Charles Atlas kit that you get a body building book that starts a 7 day "trial offer". And finally a newsagent "reserve" coupon for "Marvel" not "the Mighty World of Marvel", I presume the newsagent would realise what it was meant for.

The incredible Hulk "At the mercy of..Maximus the Mad!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #119

Cover date September 1969

(Published in June 1969)

Although the cover keeps the identity of the Hulk sparring partners secret, the opening splash page doesn't. Black Bolt's brother gets mentioned in the title headline and a text sphere lets the reader know this story will feature the "Incomparably Evil Inhumans!" even though we'll have to wait till next week to feast our eyes on them. What the cover and opening page do show us is Maximus's statue, called "the Stone Man" on the cover, but thankfully nowhere else. The Inhumans, or at least some of them, appeared in MWOM #58 #59 and #60, their original US first appearance has yet to see print in British Marvel, more on that this July.

Bruce Banner finds himself in the made up by Stan Lee country of Costa Salvador, not to be confused with the real country of El Salvador, after recovering from the Hulk's battle with the Sub-Mariner. Finding the locals to be under a trance caused by strange rays emitted by a weird gigantic statue. A local peasant who's seems to have been spared from the effects of the ray informs Banner that the "Great One" holds power over Costa Salvador as he created the great statue. As the statue's influence starts to effect Banner, changing him into the Hulk. The green giant tries to smash the statue, but to no avail, changing tack he leaps off towards the "Great One's" castle to take his anger out on him. In the heart of the Oval Office of the White House orders are sent out as the situation in Costa Salvador comes under the mutual defence pack. General Ross following those orders immobilises a task force to that South American country. The final page has the Inhuman Maxmius declare that the time is near for him to turn the statues ray on all of mankind as he was born to rule the world. Next week, "Enter the green behemoth" to stop those plans.

Daredevil "That he may see!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Wally Wood and Bob Powell

Inker: Wally Wood

Originally published in Daredevil #9

Cover date July 1965

(Published in May 1965)

  

I was certainly one of the fans that wanted to see Daredevil return to MWOM, for two reasons. The first was to slow down the Hulk's strip usage that was racing ahead of all the other strips at an average rate of four UK stories a month to one US story. An extra strip in the weekly mag slows it down to two UK stories a month to one US. The second reason is there are some great Daredevil stories coming, just not straight away, we would have to put up with some weaker adventures before we get to the good stuff. This week's story is one of those weak one's. Possibly the weakest. Matt Murdock meets an old college class mate called Klaus Kruger who just so happens to be a dictator of a small European country and uses the title of the Duke. A bit of a BTEC Doctor Doom. Murdock goes to his country as a guest but soon gets involved in a rebellion. There's a sub-plot too that he hold captive an eye surgeon called Doctor Van Eyck, who could cure Murdocks blindness as hinted at last issue. There's little more to say apart from it being nothing more than a page filler that was fine for the era it was created in.    

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Carol Newton from Cheshire points out that she isn't a fan of the Hulk who's seems to be taking over the mag as his name on the cover is bigger than the comics title and both the FF and Daredevil don't get a look in on the cover. Gwynfryn Davies from Glamorgan as also noticed that the Hulk hogs the covers, offering a solution that they should rotate between the Hulk and the FF. Gerald White who has a lot of honours after his name- RFO, KOF, TTB, FFF, QNS, PMM, asks if Rama-Tut and Kang are one and the same person? The editor says "the resemblance between Rama-Tut and Kang is purely co-incidental. Adding they don't even know each other and probably wouldn't like each other if they did." Was this meant to be a joke? Or did the editor not read the Avengers #5? John Millard and Simon Upton from New Zealand ask who would win a fight between the Marvel Super-heroes and DC super-heroes? The editor won't answer that question,  but I'll give it a go. On average for sheer physical strength DC characters win out, but lets face it that would be boring, DC heroes are mainly represent godlike beings, who try to become men, while Marvel are ordinary people with extraordinary godlike powers. Marvel are a lot more interesting, so for the sake of an interesting fight Marvel would win out by sheer grit and determination. If it was a cinematic fight it would be Marvel again as Marvel's characters are more relatable, just look at the Box office returns, although I wouldn't count Sony's efforts in that group. 

Paul Moorhead RFO, asks if Reed Richards and Sue Storm married and had children, would their children inherit their super-powers? Almost certainly they would. Will the next Fantastic Four film with Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby be any good? I ask. Almost certainly it will, I love Pascal in everything he's done, although I wanted John Krasinski to play Mr. Fantastic again. Vanessa is both beautiful and talented, with a surname like Kirby she's a sure fire hit for a Jack Kirby character. Ross Sampson RFO, KOF, FFF, thinks that the three Marvel weeklies are the best in Britain. Ross collects US Marvel mags too, with Conan and the Ghost Rider among his favourites. Alistair Sloan from Renfrewshire doesn't want Marvel to put up the prices of the weeklies as he gets all three. Ian Buckley from Fulham has been reading Marvel comics since the Avengers advert came on television and he wants desperately to join FOOM. Don't we all, but I'm afraid it's too late as the membership is full. Garry Brown from Nomifieth wants to see Conan in a mag as he's one of his favourite heroes.

The Fantastic Four "Side-by-side with Sub-Mariner!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #33

Cover date December 1964

(Published in September 1964)

 

This story should have been printed two weeks ago, but the adventure featuring Gideon was published instead, so that the appearance of the Sub-Mariner wouldn't clash with his appearance in the Hulk adventure printed in MWOM #71. The ironic thing about all that is Attuma is the antagonist in this story but he is also the antagonist in the Avengers strip from their own mag this week. I guess that appearing in two separate comics in the same week is alright. 

Attuma first appearance was in this very story in the US comic so it's true to say that this is his first UK Marvel appearance, even though he also turns up in the Avengers strip this week. I've always had soft spot for the fishy villain, ever since he threatened Giant Man and the Wasp in the Marvel Annual 1974, which would have been seen by most well before this comic was printed, making that his first UK appearance. Fight among yourself as you work that one out. Lady Dorma seeks the help of the Fantastic Four as Attuma and his undersea army fight for the crown of Atlantis, feeling scorned by Namor as he attended to the invasion of his kingdom, Lady Dorma may have betrayed Atlantis to Attuma by releasing the guards from a vital outpost. There seems to be a theme with Namor and Dorma in which they seem to betray the trust of one another, it does get worse in future stories. It's like the 60's (70's) version of Ross and Rachel from Friends.

The FF agree to help Sub-mariner and set off in their "Bathysphere" but no before Richards bathes them all in his latest invention that will allow them to breathe underwater, an "Oxo-spray" that supplies a layer of self-perpetuating oxygen! Marvel science is amazing, Lee and Kirby science is fantastical! How that works or how it conforms to any scientific law or principle is anyone's guess. Jack uses a Kirby classic technique to realise the FF's journey to Namor's kingdom, a photo background is used with the FF's sub and strange fish drawn then pasted on to it. I guess it may well have look good in the American colour version, but the British version seems very dark, almost as if whoever added the tones to this strip went a bit heavy with it. Take my word for it, it does on the printed page, the lifted image I cut and pasted seems to have lightened up somewhat. The FF are attacked by one of Attuma's vigilant patrols, how they get on after that will have to wait till next week.

The back page hosts the usual in-house advert for MWOM's brother mags. Attuma graces the cover of the Avengers and Jameson driven Spider-Slayer crashes through a brick wall to advertise the latest issue of Spider-man Comics Weekly. Take note that this version of the Spider-Slayer is lifted  directly from the cover of the Amazing Spider-man #58, cover dated March 1968, published December 1987, by John Romita Sr. and not the version used on the cover of this week's issue. More on that next...

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #54

This cover shows J Jonah Jameson unleashing the terrible onslaught of the Spider-Slayer against Spider-man. Technically, it's the Spider-Slayer Mark 2. The original version of this cover from the Amazing Spider-man #58 by John Romita Sr. hasn't been used, possibly because that version only showed the Spider-Slayer smashing through a dark wall and not toward it's intended victim Spider-man. This chubby version by artist Ron Wilson wraps its tentacles around a defeated Spider-man. The Thing is this Mark 2 Slayer doesn't have tentacles at all in this story or even next week's second part. Mike Esposito inks the cover. 

Spider-man "To kill a Spider-man!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita Sr and Don Heck

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #58

Cover date March 1968

(Published in December 1967)

   

This weeks adventure kicks off where last weeks finished with Ka-Zar rescuing Spider-man from a watery grave. Don Heck is still finishing John Romita's breakdowns and Mike Esposito inking the lot, I have to say either this combo of artists are growing on me somewhat, or Romita is finishing more of his own artwork than Don Heck is, or maybe Heck is just adapting to Romita's style more. Either way I like it a lot more. That deep swim in the lake has done Spider-man the world of good as it cures him from his amnesia. Ka-Zar senses that Spider-man is telling the truth and is a noble man so he discontinues their fight.

Elsewhere Jameson receives a call from inventor and engineer Spencer Smythe who wishes that the publisher visit him so that he can reveal his latest invention, the Spider-Slayer Mark 2. I can see a lot of Don Heck design in the new Spider-Slayer, in fact Smythe looks more like a character drawn by Heck than the Steve Ditko version that first appeared in SMCW #19, for UK readers, Amazing Spider-man #25 for US readers. Strangely enough all the others characters from Peter civilian life look true to their Romita original design. Jameson is impressed with the new version and takes it for a spin to capture Spider-man who returns home before he checks in on Aunt May who he is still unaware is ill in hospital. But before he can visit her his Spider-sense warns him of danger. What danger? Find out next week where someone is "Out for the kill!"

The Web and the Hammer

Vincent Savin from Bristol who has spent ages listening to the Amazing Spider-man LP, at least four times in one day. Vincent also asks for a No-Prize to earn a TTB award. The editor says no to that as a no-prize has to be really earned. Alan Harwell from Surrey thinks he should have a TTB because he's spotted that in SMCW #39 Mrs Connors wants to protect her son Billy from the truth that his father is the Lizard, but earlier in MWOM #13 Billy says "Don't hurt him Spider-man. He's still my father!" The editor tries to get out of awarding the No-Prize by suggesting that the the story featured in MWOM may have happened after the one in SMCW. Which is totally wrong! Who ever has been answering the letters in the current run of letter pages has been getting Marvel continuity completely wrong a large number of times. Was it the office intern let loose on them? Lorraine Walker from Sheffield wants Thor removed from SMCW, she adds why can't girls have a comic of their own? She thinks that some DC stories are better than Marvel's because they have some good girl stories in them. She suggests that Shanna the She Devil and the Cat could be printed. Now I have no problem with female lead characters, the two mentioned have some great stories, but "DC having better stories than Marvel" I'm not having that. There's no competition. John Batting from Worthing read a book on Mythology in which Thor needs to wear "iron gloves" to use his hammer efficiently. Well that's legend, this is Marvel.

Michael Maceariello from London has every edition of MWOM, SMCW and the Avengers so far. Like many young fans he wants Marvel Super-heroes action figures, Marvel TV series and Marvel super-hero costume, well sort of, not so much a costume but a life-size Thor hammer. There are hundreds of these letters printed back in the 70's, do you think that Marvel action-figures, Marvel TV series and cosplay will catch on? A. Russell from Sheffield reminisces about the classic Wham, Pow, Smash, Terrific and Fantastic comics from the late 60's, which all seemed to be slowly combined then cancelled. They wonder was the reason they ended was it because they ran out of material when they caught up to the American issues or did they have a limited copyright? A. buys the US editions too but they're get harder to find. They want to see more adventures from a number of heroes as their stories get better as the sagas go on, adding that the early adventures of Spider-man, Thor and Daredevil have better artwork and plots as they mature. They mention that some Avengers later plots are a work of brilliance. I agree the best is yet to come. As for comics merging and canceling, that's just the way of life for a comic reader. Enjoy the good stuff while it's there. 

  A Marvel Masterwork pin-up of the Spider-man villain the Rhino. I'm sure I should know where this pin-up was originally from but I can't quite place it. Can anyone help? I think the artist is John Romita Sr.

Iron Man "Trapped by the Mad Barbarian!"

Writer: Stan Lee and Robert Bernstein

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #42

Cover date June 1963

(Published in March 1963)

  

If you thought that this week's Daredevil story was not good, a piece of work that's better left in the 60's you haven't seen "Trapped by the Mad Barbarian!" The Mad Barbarian, or Red Barbarian if you read the original American version, is a general in some unnamed Communist country, who runs a spy ring that is set up to steal secrets from Stark's weapon factories with the aid of a spy know as the Actor, who's greatest skill is mimicry and disguise. Do they succeed? Find out next week, if you're still interested. It's not quite that bland, I class it as with a certain 60's charm. But that is all. 

The Mighty Thor "When meet the immortals!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Journey into Mystery #125

Cover date February 1966

(Published in December 1965)

Lee and Kirby run a very tight comic strip with plot over lapping plot. One story doesn't start then finish with their Thor tales, no much like their later Fantastic Four adventures a plot from the last issue of Thor's strip ends at the open of the comic book, then the plot for next week's opens, while a third plot takes the next natural steps. Here we have Thor confronting the Demon in battle for three pages, then Hercules getting a lift by helping free a stuck train for two pages. then it's back to Thor who very quickly defeats the Demon, scaring off his followers and returns the Norn Stone to Asgard.

He's greeted not as the returning hero, no  but as the naughty son of a very angry God who's not pleased with his heir going against his wishes and informing the mortal Jane Foster of his love and true identity. Odin decrease that Thor must endure the "Ritual of Steel!" as he orders Balder and host of Asgardian warriors to "smite him!" Plot, action, plot, action, plot, action, all that in the space of nine pages. Some of those pages have as little as two or three giant Kirby panels per page. Reading this tale does make me want to dig out a Marvel Treasury Edition featuring the Mighty Thor to get the most of Jack's super charged art. I might just do that later.

To allow the Thor tale to end on a cliff hanger the final two pages of this comic are given to a special "Thor Bonus Feature" Like a google street view of Asgard. Drawn by Kirby with inks by Colletta and added dialogue by Lee this tour of the Golden city takes us on a site seeing walk past the Temple of Titans, Yggasdral the tree of life monument, the Warlock's Haven, a giant Bust of Odin, the Dome of Combat, the Monument to the Unknown Warrior, the Hall of Heroes and finally to a Museum of Weaponry. This feature originally appeared in the first and only Journey into Mystery Annual cover dated October 1965, published June 1965. 

Two more triumphs from Marvel are featured in the back page in-house advert. No "Double Dynamite" or "Marvel's Greatest Comics" tag lines are used for this week's Mighty World of Marvel and the Avengers mags, instead you simply get a "On sale now!" headline. Notice now the colours of Attuma and the Wasp in the Avengers cover change from this advert to the finish mag. Attuma and his armour have been "blued" out and the glass container holding the Wasp is more translucent than the cover version.  So let's take a look at this week's final mag right now.

The Avengers #23

This is a cover of two halves, the first partially positioning the Avengers around the outer box area from the cover of The Avengers #26 by artist Don Heck and inker Frank Giacoia, to frame the second inner panel of Attuma and the imprisoned Wasp. Although in a similar pose to the original the Attuma and Wasp figures were redrawn by Ron Wilson and Mike Esposito as penciler and inker. It's worth noting that the Marvel Fandom page for the Avengers #26 (US version,) states that Jack Kirby and Don Heck drew the cover, but the Grand Comics Database state that Heck and Giacoia drew it. Personally I see a lot of Heck in it and not any Jack Kirby so I'm going to go with the GCD listings. The Heck version of Attuma isn't great so I'm glad that Wilson and Esposito got to re-draw him. I really like the effort that had to be taken to get to the UK version and it does look great, so I'm making it my Cover of the Week.

Spread throughout all three weeklies was this teaser from Ben Grimm telling us that it was "gonna be money-making time for one lucky guy next week!" So we'll find out the answers to the third pocket money competition questions and the name of the Marvelyte who pockets one pound a week for a whole year. As well as a Stamp Quiz, (Really it's just an advert for any budding philatelist to join the Stamp Club based in Goole, Yorkshire. I wonder is it still going?)  there's an advert for Spider-man weekly and not Spider-man Comics Weekly. This kind of quick advert pops up now and again with the Mighty World of Marvel ad simply titled Marvel in a kind of Short hand. See earlier in this blog for an example.

The Avengers "The voice of the Wasp!"

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in The Avengers #26

Cover date March 1966

(Published in January 1966)

The credit box lists the name of the inker as Frank Ray, that was in fact a pseudonym of Frank Giacoia that he would use from time to time until it was revealed in the Bullpen Bulletin feature seen in the Fantastic Four #53, cover dated August 1966. The story starts of with the usual in-fighting squabbles set of by an introduction to a new messaging device, then quickly turns to the Atlantic Ocean as Namor, the Sub-Mariner swimming toward the Eastern seaboard of America on an unknown mission, a story that we'll see much later in The Titans #9 printed on the 20th December 1975 or Tales to Astonish #78 cover dated April 1966 for any of POTB's American readers. 

Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne, who are aboard a ship that the Sub-Mariner has just left, discuss how they can alert the mainland about Namor's coming, with the radio destroyed Janet changes into the Wasp to fly to shore to raise the alarm. Resting for a while in the sea the Wasp is captured by Attuma and his forces.

Janet recognises Attuma, but he fails to recognise her as she wears only a swim suit and not her Wasp costume. That places this adventure after the Giant-man and the Wasp story printed in last Christmas's Marvel Annual dated 1974, which would have come after this week's Fantastic Four adventure as seen in MWOM. Attuma plans to raise the tidal waters of the world to flood the surface, so that any surviving humans can become his slaves and serve him in his war against the Sub-Mariner. The Wasp escapes and finds a radio devise that she uses to summon the Avengers. Cap, Wanda and Pietro answer the call to action, only Hawkeye misses it due to a damaged "signal ring". The Avengers are captured by Atuma's ship but still put up a fight until the bulkhead of the undersea craft is damaged by a Hex bolt from the Scarlet Witch, causing it to leak. Meanwhile Hawkeye returns to find the Avengers gone but forgets the code needed to operate the message devise to find out where they've gone to. While using a "Subliminal recall-inducer" a shadowy figure enters the scene. 

A special page asks the question "will Hawkeye be able to help his fellow Avengers?" Well come back next week to find out how this pretty cool story continues in "Four against the flood tide!" It'll bring you hidden danger under the sea and peril on the surface! Will the Avengers survive? This one page promo for next week is almost like the ending of those classic black and white Flash Gordon TV series that they used to show on Saturday morning for kids to watch. I like it and if my memory serves me well next week's story will be a cracker. I can't wait.

 
 
 
     

Avengers Unite!

Mark A. Freeth from Birmingham is head over heels with the Doctor Strange story "Possessed!" seen in the Avengers #7, yeah I liked that Stan Lee/Steve Ditko classic too. Paul R. Kelly from London thinks the Avengers are brilliant and he also wants to see the Ghost Rider in a weekly at some point. Mark Varley from Nottinghamshire is slightly confused with the change of costumes and membership of the Avengers from their time in the Mighty World of Marvel and when they appeared in their own weekly. Stephen Thatcher RFO from Portsmouth thinks the Avengers mag is great especially the Doctor Strange stories. He has spotted one boob, in the Avengers #10 Baron Mordo called Doctor Strange Doctor Doom instead. Well these things happen.

Gregory Wild from Northern Ireland is "wild" about the large number of reprinted stories published in the three weeklies as he has already read them when he bought Fantastic and Terrific before they were sadly cancelled in the late 60's. The Spider-man stories had also appeared in Creepy Worlds, Sinister Tales, and Suspense Stories. Stick with Marvel Greg, eventually the brilliant newer stuff will see print. Gary Whitehead on the other hand is very pleased with the Avengers comic, he joined FOOM and thinks that club is great too. Steve Jackson from Huddersfield think of all the weeklies the Avengers is the best. Steve thinks a new mag with Captain Marvel, the Inhumans and may be Ghost Rider in it would be cool. Sounds like a "Titan(s)"ic idea Steve. Christopher Moss from Orpington believes that the current line-up of Avengers is better than the old one, but he's glad Captain America stayed on as team leader. Stuart Foster what's to congratulate Marvel on their latest success with the new Avengers mag. Finally John Swales writes about all three Marvel weeklies, giving the highs and lows of each. Leaving the Marvel editor with the problem of which letter page in which mag to print it in.

Doctor Strange "Eternity beckons!"

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Steve Ditko 

Originally published in Strange Tales #135

Cover date August 1965

(Published in May 1965)

 

Travelling to England seeking information about the mysterious  Eternity, Doctor Strange pays a visit to an eerie castle and its owner Sir Baskerville, who was once a disciple of Baron Mordo. Baskerville tells Strange that he has knowledge of Eternity in some scrolls. Meanwhile in the Dark Dimension Dormammu learns of who had released the Mindless Ones during his previous attack on Doctor Strange, it was the (still unnamed but we all know her as Clea,) girl who had helped the sorcerer when he last fought Dormammu in the Avengers #15. Baskerville alerts his master, Mordo who sends out one of his minions to do his bidding, channeling his mystical powers through him. Through smart trickery Strange easily knocks out Mordo's minion and places Baskerville in a trance to find out that the old man knows nothing of "Eternity". Strange sends Mordo's newly arrived astral minions on a wild goose chase into the Netherworld in search of him before departing the castle. Mordo arrives shortly after to find that his opponent has escaped. As much as these stories are the handy work of Steve Ditko, and they are brilliant because of that, the final text box must surely have been written by Stan Lee and it too is fantastic. What a brilliant way to end a Doctor Strange tale, "And so , the mists close over the fog-shrouded seacoast and the words of the evil one are lost in the murmuring of the midnight breeze..." The End. Brilliant!

The Mighty World of Marvel takes the place of the Avengers weekly in this in-house advert for "Marvel's Greatest Comics!" in a smart use of the image from that cover next to the comic's title logo. The other difference between this advert and the one featured on the back of the Mighty World of Marvel is the Week Ending date is shown, informing the readers they have until the 23rd of February to pick up these treats. 

Well I better crack on and start reading next week's weeklies and planning for that blog. So until then... 

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.