The great escape!

 Week Ending 25th May 1974

The Mighty World of Marvel #86

Last week I had a problem picking my Cover of the Week because the three covers weren't of any real quality. This week I have another problem picking my favourite, in that this week's artwork is really great. This Herb Trimpe cover is a cracker and in my opinion it looks even better on the UK version than it's original outing as the cover of issue 126 of the Incredible Hulk. I really prefer the pastel covers on the British variant, the American cover was way too bright and garish. Although I do like the Night-Crawler's colour scheme on the US version, if only the UK colourist had used a pastel blue and yellow palette, it would be perfect. Also the UK cover has Barbara is shown with brown hair and she definitely has blonde hair as all Defender fans know. Spoilers: Barbara has a big part in that non-group but I'll not say more, that's all for the future. I'm not going to pick it for my CotW, but if you do I would totally respect your choice. 

The Incredible Hulk “If a Cosmos should die!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #126

Cover date April 1970

(Published in January 1970)

Continued from last week the Hulk is confronts the Night-Crawler has he threatens the life of Barbara and an ensuing battle follows. It's the kind of battle that Hulk-fans of a certain age absolutely love, even in my "should know better age" I get a big kick from it. The Hulk's thunderclap sends back the Night-Crawler's sonic beams, destroying the entire pocket universe that it takes place in. The Night-Crawler transports himself, Hulk and Barbara into the neighbouring universe of the Undying Ones.

The three dimension jumpers land on a weird jump-gate portal the the self-prisoned Doctor Strange has incarcerated himself in with a spell that holds back the forces of the Undying Ones from entering the Earth plain, but a spell that requires a sacrifice to remain within the portal. This version of the Doctor looks different from the one readers of Avengers weekly will be familiar with. His costume looks even more like a generic superhero costume while his facial features are covered in a featureless full faced mask.

As it was the Nameless One's disciples who indirectly caused the destruction of the Night-Crawlers realm, by sending the hulk to destroyed him, the demon attacks the Nameless One and its minions. Even though Strange is prepared to remain within the poles of ethereal force if it means the Undying One remains trapped too. Barbara sacrifices herself by taking the Doctor's place. The good intension will lead to future tales with the young girl, that I for one can't wait to read. I can't wait to read the complete trilogy of tales starting in the Doctor Strange strip in Avengers weekly #86 next year and the follow up Defenders stories starting with "The Day of the Defenders" staring in MWOM#147. We're going to have to wait a little while to see Barbara next in "Four against the Gods", next seen for UK readers, in Rampage weekly #4 cover dated 9th November 1977. I'm a bit of a Defenders fan, I liked them more than the X-Men, or at least until Chris Claremont took over the gifted youngsters strip.

Daredevil “Enter: The Plunderer!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby and John Romita Sr

Inker: John Romita Sr

Originally published in Daredevil #12

Cover date January 1966

(Published in November 1965)

This strips starts a little weirdly, first thing you might notice is the title was change from the original "Sightless, in a Savage Land!" to "Enter: the Plunderer!" possibly so as to not give away Daredevil's adventure in the Savage land, which mainly takes part in next week's second half. That title does get used next week. The second thing about this story is it follows Matt Murdock's intension to leave his job at Nelson and Murdock to take a leave of absence as last seen in MWOM #80. The story line does follow perfectly on from where that story ended, but the fill in Ox story, seen in MWOM #81 and #82 would feel even more out of sync if not for the little break from DD over the last two weeks. This story marks John Romita Sr's first time of inking Daredevil.

Matt Murdock takes a holiday on a cruise liner that coincidentally gets boarded by modern day pirate, the Plunderer. It feels like Stan Lee has thought up another lame baddie for DD to fight. But there's more to this story than first imagined. Ka-Zar the noble savage turns up for his third appearance in UK Marvel comics, his first UK appearance being in MWOM #61 his second in SMCW #52. Marvel US continuity has this story as his second appearance with his first (modern appearance anyway,) being in the X-Men story "The Coming of... Ka-Zar!" with UK readers having to wait till August 1975 for it to appear in the Super-heroes #23. As for the connection between the Plunderer and Ka-Zar you'll have to come back next week for that answer. 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

George Howie from Fife proves that US Marvels do get to British shores as he got the latest Avengers and Defender comics and he thinks they're fantastic. M J Fieldhouse complains about the missing Swap Shop pages from the most recent mags. Has it been removed to make space for the "Charley Atlas" adverts? Paul Charles from London wants to congratulate Marvel on publishing over 100 British Marvels and having over 1000 Marvel group readers too. Paul wants to know what TM stands for, it's "Trade Mark" Paul. J Trasler has a theory that the Human Torch has a chemical reaction that causes his outer layer of skin burn, but instantly grows back making his skin the same thickness as before. He says to fly he creates a thermal up-draft to make his body lighter than air while he pushes off by directing his flame I the opposite direction. The letter page contains a teaser for the Fishing contest that I presumed was coming this week, but it looks like it'll be here next week instead.  

The Fantastic Four “The Frightful Four--plus one!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #41

Cover date August 1965

(Published in May 1965)

Here's another opening page in which the original title has been replaced, "The brutal betrayal of Ben Grimm!" does get reused next week. The thing having grown tired of constantly being the fall guy for the Fantastic Four,  has decided to leave the group. Not sure of his next move Ben stows away in the back of a pick-up that is heading out of city where he falls into a deep sleep that he doesn't awake from even after falling out of the back of the pick-up on a remote country-side lane. Suddenly, a beam of anti-gravity lifts Ben off the ground and carries his sleeping body to a nearby house.

Where we find a playful Frightful Four hiding out. The Wizard plans to use his ID machine, a device that allows him to drastically change the personalities of those attached to it, on the Thing. Alicia is upset that Ben left without saying goodbye so Reed, Sue and Johnny set off, after a motorist report places him in the back of a pick-up truck along route 4 in New Jersey. The three set off to track him down. The Wizards ID Machine is successful and Ben's personality has been changed to a more aggressive level. With his three ex-partners getting closer we're going to be in for a big showdown next week.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #67

This week's Spider-man Comics Weekly cover is almost an exact replica of John Romita Sr from the Amazing Spider-man issue 65. The only difference is that in the US version Spider-man is slightly covered in shadow. I love the design as Spidey runs along the side of a wall away from the escaped convicts. It's not over complicated, not over busy. The covers are all pretty good this week but I prefer this one above the rest. This week's Cover of the Week goes to Spider-man.   

Spider-man “Bust-out!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Jim Mooney

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #65

Cover date October 1968

(Published in  1968)

The second part of Spider-man's adventure behind bars starts with a new splash page made up of page 12 panels 1and 3 from last week's story, with a third panel which would've featured as the fifth panel from the final page of last week but it was replaced with a fresh ending panel. A new title and credits have been added to the top. It doesn't look like a great page because of the basic-ness of it but it does serve its purpose. 

Spider-man blows the fuse box for the prison and takes out the escaped prisoners one by one. When the remaining convict discovers that he's been double-crossed by Spider-man he threatens that no-one is going to take him alive and he'll use Captain Stacy as a shield. Ducking at the right time Stacy gives the web-slinger the chance to knock out the jailbird. Stacy says he'll testify on Spider-man's behalf as he hasn't done anything wrong. But fear of being unmasked makes up the Spidey's mind to take freedom while he can. 

I really like this Spider-man story, it's simple but charming. Spider-man and Captain Stacy bond over a shared experience. Nice.

Marvel Bullpen Bulletins

The Bullpen Bulletin page has an item on the number of college and university students who have been asking for information about Marvel Comics for a term paper, treatises or doctoral theses. The nest item asks the readers what news items they would like to see discussed in the Bulletin page. Stan's Soapbox goes for the big one this week as Stan puts bigotry and racism under the microscope. Stan sees it like this, "The bigot is an unreasoning hater, one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately. If his hang-up is black men, he hates ALL black men. If a redhead once offended him, he hates ALL redheads. If some foreigner beat him to a job, he's down on ALL foreigners. He hates people he's never seen—people he's never known— with equal intensity, with equal venom." This is one of the legendary Soapbox that was taken from the American Bullpen pages. The next item is about the best way to find Marvel mags. Place an order at the newsagents is the answer. A special to Spider-man Comics Weekly talks about new Spider-man inker Jim Mooney, who we find that Madcap Mooney is one of Stan Lee's oldest friends. The page finishes with a Marvel Checklist for this week's Avengers and MWOM. 

Iron Man “Master of the demon dolls!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #66

Cover date May 1963

(Published in March 1963)

This continuation of last week's story starts with a splash page that uses the Jack Kirby cover from Tales of Suspense #66 with inks by Sol Brodsky. The rest of the artwork is Steve Ditko's. I have to make a correction to last week's Iron Man entry, in which I said that Ditko had drawn two Iron Man stories, this one and "The New Iron Man Meets the Angel!" from Tales of Suspense #49, but Rod Tough quite rightly pointed out in the comments of last week's blog that Steve Ditko had drawn Iron Man's adventure in Tales of Suspense #65 as seen in SMCW #64 and #65. 

There's not much to the second half of this Iron Man tale. After the Golden Avenger gets his new red and gold suit there's little to get excited about. Iron Man defeats Mr. Doll by rearranging the features of his voodoo dolls with what looks like a laser pen, in to an effigy of the villain. A lame ending to a lame villain. The spirit of Mr. Doll, whose real name is Nathan Doll, would inhabit and animate the mannequins dolls known as the Brothers Grimm, that too is pretty lame. 

The Web and the Hammer

P Williams from Suffolk calls the changes to SMCW, the use of glossy covers and the halting the page count for the Spider-man strip horrible. Adding he's nearly broke after forking out 18 pence for three mags a week. Anthony Kyprianou from London thinks that after reading Spider-man for over a year Peter Parker doesn't seem to get any older. Robert Baker RFO, KOF, FFF from Hants says he wouldn't last a week if he didn't get his hit of Spider-man and Thor. Robert Parfitt from Treherbert picks out a problem with a six legged Spider-tracer from SMCW #47, may be someone pulled off the other two legs. M G Stock FFF, TTB, FOOMer from Hampshire daydreams on a Sunday afternoon about a sky outside his bedroom window filled with the Black Knight on a winged horse and Spider-man quick and agile upon the rooftops. He adds that Marvel has really captured his imagination. 

S Webb from Walton collects both SMCW and MWOM and he's looking forward to the Marvel annual that his friend has ordered for him. Ricky Bedford RFO, FFF, KOF, from Reading never misses a single issue of Spider-man. Ricky does question that if web fluid dissolves after an hour why is the fluid in his web shooter still OK the next day. Well it's kept in a perfectly ready-to-use condition indefinitely until it is exposed to air. Paul Jacques from Devon has done some research into the background of Doctor Doom, taken from the "Origin of Doctor Doom!" seen in the 1970 Fantastic annual by Oldhams. I guess that Paul must have missed MWOM #63 week ending 15th December 1973, as that story also appeared there. D Morley from Berkshire placed a bet with his friend that there is no such thing as a No-Prize! To prove his theory he points out a mistake when Thor drops his hammer while fighting Atlas in issue 7, (you might feel that he meant SMCW #7 but it was actually the Avengers weekly #7.) he never turn back into Don Blake. Well D probably didn't get his No-Prize as how was he certain that a full sixty seconds had passed. John Buxton discovered SMCW about a month ago, he went straight to his local newsagents and cancelled his three other comics and placed a regular order for it and the Avengers weekly too.  

The Mighty Thor “Earth..the Galactic Colony!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Mighty Thor #131

Cover date August 1966

(Published in June 1966)

This opening splash page takes a panel of the mighty Thor and blows it up to fit the page. no dialogue or text box re-caps are added, just the new title and the credits. It does feel lazy and it might be catching because after a short period of looking for the original artwork location I gave up. Anyone know where it was originally from? Thor is searching for Jane Foster but instead encounters Tana Nile and two other Colonizers.

The Colonizers use a Proton Coagulant Ray to trap the Thunder God, which renders him immobile inside a block of solidified protons. A sign of Jack Kirby's wonderful imagination that's embellished by Stan's play with words. The two male Colonizers take Thor to their ship where later he escapes from the proton prison but he considers that it is wise to remain a passenger on board to the Coloniser's home-world of Rigel if he is to save Earth and all of mankind. More next week.

Avengers Weekly #36

This is a wonderful cover by Gil Kane (pencils,) and Tom Palmer (inks,), first used on Master of Kung Fu #19, that would be my Cover of the Week any week of the year. It's got kung-fu action from Shang-Chi and the macabre menace from the Man-Thing, all the things I love, so what's not to love? But the Spider-man Comics Weekly cover slightly edged it purely on the fact that I've picked a lot of Master of Kung Fu covers lately, so I feel when its close I'll give someone else a turn. Am I pandering to the populous view? Maybe, or is it that I can't decide? Probably. Which ever cover you pick this week you've probably got a really good reason too, so you've as much right as I have. Please feel free to disagree or agree with me.

Master of Kung Fu “Retreat”

Writer: Steve Englehart 

Artist: Paul Gulacy

Inker: Al Milgrom

Originally published in Master of Kung Fu #19

Cover date August 1974

(Published in May 1974)

This is an incredible opening splash page. I would love to have it framed on my wall. I know I come across as a die-hard Master of Kung Fu fan, that's because I probably am. But just go away and read this story, in black and white if you can. It's gorgeous. Master of Kung Fu meets a muck monster, what more in life do you want? It starts with Shang-Chi coming face to face with the Man-Thing in an Everglade swamp, with flashbacks of Shang-Chi chase by Fu Manchu's Si-Fan assassins, Jekin and Dahar. 

Shang-Chi's path is blocked by the swamp monster and may be because of the residual effects of the mimosa drug still in his body the martial artist attacks without any fear. Which is a good thing as any Man-Thing fan knows those who know fear burn at the touch of the Man-Thing. You get a strange but intriguing image of Shang-Chi stuck half way inside the monsters body. This is the Man-Thing's first appearance in British Marvel comics. I might be over egging this but surely young inquisitive Marvel readers would have loved to see more of his mis-adventures and got out their pens and paper to ask for it. I'll keep an eye on the letter pages.

A young man called Lu Sun appears, who bears an uncanny resemblance to David Carradine's character of Kwai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu series. Lu Sun pulls Shang-Chi out of the Man-Thing's sodden mass, feet first. It's a wonderfully choreographed scene. Paul Gulacy is giving us his best artwork here, he's a fantastic replacement for Jim Starlin. Steve Englehart crafts beautiful characters too, with Lu Sun seeing to Man-Thing's aid before checking on Shang-Chi, with a perfect line of dialogue from Lu Sun "I saw you were in no danger after being freed, so I looked to the most unusual being."  

Gulacy has had a history of using real people in his artwork for fictitious characters. David Carradine was possibly one of the first but James Bond actors and Humphrey Bogart also appeared in later tales. Gulacy rented the film "Enter the Dragon" and took over forty pictures from it of Bruce Lee to use as reference for Shang-Chi. In the original Master of Kung Fu issue Lu Sun had a moustache, but for some reason in the Avengers weekly British comics it was removed from every panel! Why I don't know. It's a really great job by the art bodger, it makes me wonder if the original artwork Lu Sun never had a moustache and it was added later, while the UK edition used the original black and white plates. Or was it felt that it made him look too much like a stereotypical Chinese character. I much prefer the black and white version. Gulacy's work is is much better in monochrome. 

The story continues next week.

Marvel Bullpen Bulletins

The Avengers weekly Bullpen Bulletin page has pretty much the same contents as the one featured in this week's Spider-man Comics Weekly but with two changes. The obvious one is a change in the Mighty Marvel Checklist as a SMCW listing is included instead of the Avengers weekly and there's a special item for the Avengers. With Man-Thing's guest appearance in the Master of Kung Fu this item informs readers that they are planning to distribute more of the US full-colour comics throughout the UK, with Man-Thing being one of them. 

The Avengers “The light that failed!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in The Avengers #35

Cover date December 1966

(Published in October 1966)

It looks like the end for Hawkeye and Captain America as the lasers from Living Laser's trap close in on them. Luckily Goliath arrives just in time to save them. With the Wasp still the Living Laser prisoner the fiend flees to South America at the request of rebel leaders who wish to over throw the current dictator of Costa Verde. Motivated by the expectation of fame and reward money he creates a powerful laser cannon. 

The male Avengers arrive in Costa Verde to rescue the Wasp and put an end to the revolution. Although this issue marks the arrival of Roy Thomas as story writer he mainly writes text and dialogue for a plot conceived mostly by Don Heck with some small help by Stan Lee. It still feels like a Stan Lee story. Don't worry better Roy Thomas scripts are on the way. Thomas was the chief writer on the Avengers from this tale in late 1966 to Avengers #105, cover dated November 1972, published August 1972. UK readers will have to wait till late 1976 to read his last 1970's Avengers strip in Super Spider-man and the Titans #202, cover dated 22rd December 1976. We've got lots of great Avengers adventures till then. 

Avengers Readers Assemble

Stephen McDermott from Lancashire is only just a new comer to Marvel and asks what are the pictures for that appear in the letter pages. Well Stephen they're there to make the page look good. Dean Edwards from Eynesbury has been counting fingers on the Space Parasite to claim a No-Prize. His favourite hero is Captain America and is offering Kull #11 and Where monsters Dwell #25 for any Captain America comic in good condition. Tony Dibb from Middlesex thinks he has a solution to the fans who can't afford three mags a week. Why not put all the strips in one monthly magazine called Marvel Monthly, as by the time a month comes round everyone can afford it, he says. 

 

A pair of winners take centre stage on this Double Dynamite in-house advert for Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-man Comics Weekly. Have you noticed that both issue sport a six pence price tag. That must have been changed before the comics went to print.

Doctor Strange “The origin of the Ancient One!”

Writer: Dennis O’Neil

Artist: Bill Everett

Inker: Bill Everett

Originally published in Strange Tales #148

Cover date September 1966

(Published in June 1966)

The Ancient One relates a tale of his past and his relationship with the mystical being known as Kaluu. Five centuries ago, in the Himalayan land of Kamar-Taj, where the Ancient One and Kaluu grew up to study magic together. They cast a spell of prosperity on their village. Kaluu expressed his desire to rule, using his powers to serve his own ego, he hypnotised the villagers to crown him King, while the Ancient One took a more passive role. In present day Kaluu stole the Book of the Vishanti only to find the spells it contained were only useful in defence not attack. In the past Kaluu ordered an attack on a neighbouring village as the ever watchful Ancient One finally spoke out, warning that the prosperity spell would be broken by this hostile act. 

Kaluu froze the Ancient One in stasis and forced him to witness the battle, the looting, and the enslavement of the other village. The Ancient One's prediction came true, as a plague struck the village. Realising his mistake Kaluu fled into another dimension, breaking the stasis spell that imprisoned the Ancient One and allowing him to detain Kaluu in that dimension. Back in the present, Strange learns that the battle between Dormammu and Eternity loosened the boundaries of the multiverse, allowing Kaluu to escape. Dennis O'Neil and Bill Everett craft a smart tale using parts of Doctor Strange's recent past with new ideas and characters to make an interesting strip.

But more of all that next week, it's time for me to get some sun and read some comics.

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.