A Saucerful of Secrets

 Week Ending 3rd August 1974

The Mighty World of Marvel #96

This Herb Trimpe (pencils,) and John Severin (inks,) cover was a little too "orange" for me. It was too static, missing action and void of dynamism. Some might say the Hulk with an injured Jim Wilson in his arms while surrounded by agents of Hydra with weapons raised feeds on suspense, but lets be honest the Hulk isn't going to be injured by those guns and he could leap away with Jim in his arms, even inside an aircraft, tension what tension? The original US version from the Incredible Hulk #132 did have a blue floor at least. No CotW for this one, way too much "orange"!

The Incredible Hulk “The Hulk, Hydra and holocaust!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #132

Cover date October 1970

(Published in July 1970)

This opening splash page is last week's finishing splash page, but with the detailed background blacken out. It's a real shame that, I wouldn't mind seeing it in all it's detail again. The over use of  Letratone in British Marvel weeklies was becoming a problem. It certainly didn't enhance the artwork replacing the lack of colour, a little bit here and there is fine, but it's an art in itself, when and how much to use makes a difference to create the illusion of colour and light. 

Anyway, Jim falls for the miss-direction of a video showing the US Army beating the Hulk cruelly with tanks, flame throwers and jet planes and agrees to help Hydra free the Hulk. Unknown to Jim it was a training video made with a robotic Hulk dummy. Typical of a group like Hydra that uses a half truth to legitimise their own agenda. Thank goodness that doesn't happen these days...oh dear, there still is! Hydra manages to kidnap the Hulk but once Jim's usefulness isn't needed anymore he is beaten much to the Hulk's anger and we finally get to see him kick six (or should I have said seven, sorry Mark you're right.) shades of green out of them. The Hulk smashes the Hydra ship, destroying their anti-radar equipment, which alerts the Army just as the Hulk leaps away with Jim. Next week more "Rampage" from our angry green giant. 
  

Marvel Bulletin Board 

MWOM doesn't have a Bullpen Bulletin page this week, instead we're given a Marvel Bulletin Board. More functional, less fun. The first notice is about the Meccano-Marvel Bonanza competition from a couple of weeks back. No news on the winners, their names coming soon, but we do get more details on the prizes, in particular the under eight age group prizes, with a clearer description of what an Army Multi-kit is. In truth, shouldn't that have been made clearer at the time of the competition? The next notice is regarding order forms and coupons, or more strictly some of the disasters and schoolboy errors readers make when filling them out. In all their excitement in getting their coupon and money to the post office, they forget to write their name and/or address clearly on the coupons! Some even forget to write their address! "The Post-Man" could sound like a super-hero character, but he can't keep searching the country for "JOE SMITH" from England! The third notice details an apology about the delay in sending of Posters as seen in the weeklies from around the 6th April. They go into detail of how the posters were drawn by one of Spain's top illustrators (Rafael Lopez Espi,) and that they were also printed in Spain. Well the route these poster took goes like this, the truck that was transporting them gets fogbound in France, then later stuck in a snowdrift over the ice capped Alps, breaks down in Belgium, and takes the wrong turning in Ostend, only to have them held up in the customs shed while the whole load is double checked by security? Well that wouldn't happen these days with free-trade borders! Oh well maybe it would now that we've left Europe. That isn't the last of it! When they finally arrived in the UK they had forgotten to send the Daredevil poster! The truck had to return and collect them! Did you order a set and how long did you have to wait?

Daredevil “None are so blind..!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in Daredevil #17

Cover date June 1966

(Published in April 1966)

The second story in this Spider-man "try-out" for John Romita Sr starts with Spider-man trying to make Foggy Nelson confess that he really is Daredevil. As Foggy's chubby figure probably rules him out as a super-hero Spider-man leaves, with a very strange three-way thought balloon interchange between Foggy, who's planted the seed that he may be Daredevil to win Karen Page's romantic attention, Karen, who can't believe it 'cause she's seen Foggy and DD together, but foggy might have hired someone to play DD and any way she's worried that Matt will be envious of Foggy and not feel her affection to him, while Matt is worried that Foggy could be playing a dangerous game if the underworld finds out his ego busting lie. It's all very convoluted, which is pretty much what super-hero comics are.

 

Daredevil rushes off after all that sub-plot word-play and concocts a plan that will entrap the Masked Marauder by having Jameson print a headline in the Daily Bugle detailing that the stolen XP-390 engine was useless without the special Fuel formula. DD hopes that the Marauder would return for them and fall into his trap. This second panel from the fifth page of the strip, (page 18 of the comic,) would later be used as the the corner box of Daredevil's own US comic from issue 27, replacing the Wally Wood "folded arms" Daredevil image. The Masked Marauder takes the bait, but so does Spider-man who heads to the World Motors Centre, just before Daredevil arrives. Spidey thinks that DD is in league with the Marauder and attacks the man without fear before he can explain that they should be working together against the Marauder. Guess what? Oh you've already guessed, they start up their fight again, but will the two costumed combatants conflict allow the Masked Marauder to gain his sinister objective? Find out in next week's conclusion. 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

John Black from Liverpool asks four questions about how big the Hulk is, how far can Mister Fantastic stretch and how long can the Invisible Girl stay invisible? But his first question is when will Daredevil be able to see? Which kind of misses the point of a super-hero who's USP is he's blind. J Watts from Hanpshire gives his reasons why most of your superheroes have short hair or close fitting hoods, by using the story of champion barefist prizefighter, Daniel Mendoza, who was beaten by "Gentleman" John Jackson who during a fight pulled Mendoza's hair, not only hurting him but pulling his opponent onto a punch. Mendoza was told "Get your hair cut" after he lost the fight. N. Oats from Cornwall suggest that UK Marvel comics are deteriorating slightly with mistakes in the Swap Shop feature, poor title pages for second part episodes and that the Hulk is on the cover too much. Other heroes should get a go. They say the same about SMCW and the Avengers weekly. John Moore from Leamington Spa wants to start a raging controversy conversation about the effects of Cosmic rays by asking could they given the Thing immortality? Patrick Pike from Surrey asks the questions that many have been asking, what is a No-Prize and what does QNS, RFO and ROF stand for? Well firstly a No-Prize is a highly honoured award from the Ranks of Marveldom which gives you the rights to place the letters T.T.B. (Titanic True Believer,) after your name, showing that you've spotted a major mistake or come up with a great point to a plot hole. A bit like a Power of the Beesting No-Prize (PotBNoP,) but miles better, because it's from Marvel. QNS stands for 'Quite Nuff Said', a writer of a printed letter, RFO 'Real Frantic One', a buyer of at least three Marvel mags (a week if from the UK, a month if your from the US,) and KOF 'Keeper of the Flame", someone who recruits a Marvelyte to the hallowed ranks. These honoured awards were suggested by Mark Evanier in a letter to Marvel that was published in the June 1967 edition of Stan's Soapbox. Robert Lax had a letter printed in November's Bullpen Bulletin page dismissing the idea, however in the letter page of the Fantastic Four #87, cover dated September 1968, published June 1968, a full list of the Hallowed Ranks of Marvel was printed. Evanier would later go on to work on Groo the Wanderer, write Garfield, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo for  Hanna-Barbera cartoons and but before all that he also worked for Jack Kirby as an assistant. Mark Evanier has his own blog while I've no idea what Robert Lax is doing these days.

Robert Chaves from Lincoln voices his opinion that MWOM and SMCW are two of the best comics around and is after back-issues. He doesn't like covers that don't go with the stories inside. Stephen Martin RFO, KOF, FOOMer, from Nottinghamshire writes a massive letter to Stan about the dwindling supply of US Marvel comics in the UK and the return to previous splendour. He adds that British Marvels are a great way to fill the gaps in his collection. He then goes on to list a number of mistakes he's spotted in the hope of a No-Prize. Karl Schumann from London writes in on behalf of the number of people living in the area of Tottenham who have struggled to find issues of MWOM. The editor says they will look into it, adding that they are sending steady streams of the weeklies into the area, but maybe a regular order with his local newsagent would help.

The Fantastic Four “To tame the dragon!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Joe Sinnott 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #45

Cover date December 1965

(Published in September 1965)

It's a great opening splash page from Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott. One thing I particular love about this period of the Fantastic Four is that their adventures start and finish right in the middle of the action without missing a beat. So when it ends you are hunger for next week's climax and you are treated to action from the word go. Gorgon has demolished a deserted building with an awesome ear-shattering kick while the Fantastic Four stood on top of it. Reed, Ben and Johnny quickly set to saving themselves, as for Sue, the Dragon Man has flown her out of danger. 

The Torch tracks Dragon Man down quickly, using a super-nova burst he temporarily blinds the poor creature, allowing Sue to slip free of his grasp in a safe landing. The fifth and ninth pages from the original US comic have been removed, missing out some sub-plot about the imprisoned Trapster and the Sand-man and another scene where the Dragon is made welcomed in the Baxter Building, which would've split Johnny's two encounters with Crystal nicely. I was lucky enough to have read the full story many years later in the Fantastic Four Pocket Book #2 from May 1980, which I bought before getting my copy of this MWOM.

We get to see the beautiful Inhuman Crystal and her giant dog Lockjaw at the end of this adventure's first part. Johnny listens in wonder as the girl tells Johnny that Lockjaw is as powerful and as wonderful as his master Black Bolt himself. This would have been a mysterious name to US readers back in 1965 as it was to me in 1980, but to readers of the Mighty World of Marvel in July 1974, many would be aware of the ruler of the Inhumans from his appearances in the Hulk strip first seen in MWOM #58. Did any of them make the connection? Some may have seen the US imports of that story too I suppose. For now we'll have to wait till next week to put the face with the name as "Among us hide the Inhumans!"

The inside back page features a Double Dynamite page that has been used before and will no doubt be used again in the future to advertise Spider-Man Comics Weekly and the Avengers weekly.

I really love this Marvel Masterworks Pin-up of  Daredevil. Even with the miss colouring of DD's belt buckle and chest symbol. I'm not sure who was the artist or where was it first printed, but I certain that there'll be at least one Friend of ol' Beesting reader (FOOB) who'll supply the answer. Check back next week if someone knows.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #77

This weekly, like MWOM, uses original US artwork, this time from the Amazing Spider-man #68 cover by John Romita Sr and thankfully without the need to re-colour any of the back-ground. Some of the foreground crowd do have minor out changes but nothing to cry about. It's quite possible that Marie Severin coloured the original. The image of Spider-man is a classic and will get used again and again. So just for that it gets my Cover of the Week award.

Spider-man “Crisis on campus!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Jim Mooney

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #68

Cover date January 1969

(Published in October 1968)

This story starts off harmlessly enough, with an expert, named Wilson, later fully named as Louis Wilson, giving the Kingpin a briefing about a petrified clay tablet. This Tablet will become the centre plot-device for eight issues of the Amazing Spider-man, making a sixteen week run in SMCW. From humble beginning an epic will run. We aren't made aware of what valuable properties the Tablets pertains to, but the Kingpin wants it because as a priceless artefact and the secrets in the mysterious text make it an object that the Kingpin desires. 

The Tablet are being held at the ESU campus in the hope that professors and scientists can decipher it. This has caused some disturbance with the student community who are demonstrating for cheep and affordable student accommodation and they see the Tablets security as an expense that would be better spent elsewhere. Stan Lee was using political and social commentary like this to make interesting stories that his young readers would relate too. 

Here he meets Randy Robertson, the son of the Daily Bugle's Editor-in-Chief Joe Robertson for the first time. Another example of Stan Lee and John Romita Sr expanding Peters cast of friends across a diverse community. Something that would probably be called WOKE. I hate that word, it doesn't mean what it was originally supposed to mean (Women Of Colour and Ethnicity,) now it's used as a weapon to brand anyone or any group or anything you disagree with. Marvel has always given a voice to those who are forgotten or the quietest, whether it's teenagers, mutants, green monsters, or those who are different. May be the current Marvel or culture has gone too "politically correct" for the sake of being seen to be "politically correct", and forgetting what makes a great, thought provoking and intelligent story. They can call people snowflakes now, in the 70's and 80's they called them punks, in the 50's and 60's they called them hippies. What did they call you when you were young? Anyway the protesters get angrier and Peter is stuck between his friends and some of the more radical students as the demonstration heats up. Creating a perfect distraction for the Kingpin to steal the Tablet. More crisis next week.

The Web and the Hammer

Graham Prater from London wants to know if it's cheaper to send off for one issue at a time of his missing SMCW issues or them all together? The editor explains that they no longer hold back issues anymore for economical reasons. Stuart M. Baker from Kent asks why Spider-man's web-shooters don't fire every time he throws a punch? The answer is the trigger is further down his palm than his fingers would be when he forms a fist. John O'Brien RFO, QNS, KOF from Liverpool has noticed that the letter page was missing from SMCW #61 but did like the "How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-man" short strip. Well John you can't always have both when space is short.  

Iron Man “Meets the Angel!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Paul Reinman

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #49

Cover date January 1964

(Published in October 1963)

This is Steve Ditko's third Iron Man story and the secord to feature Iron Man Mark II armour, meaning that this should have come between SMCW #67 and #68. It does feel old and clunky even when compared to the Stan Lee/Don Heck tales that we've seen lately. In this strip Iron Man tries to warn the Angel that he's about to fly through an atomic test range near one of Stark's weapons plants. But he does so too late and the young mutant becomes affected by the radioactive fallout. His personality is altered, making him want to join the Evil Mutants. The X-Men call the Avengers for help but only Iron Man is available. It's a silly tale that will be concluded next week. Not one I'm going to wait excitedly for.

Bullpen Bulletin

In a Special to Spider-man Comics Weekly takes a look at this week's Thor adventure as a way to warm readers up for next week's teased clash between the mighty Thor and Hercules the Prince of Power. The next item is all about the editorial staff and their many trips to comic conventions in the US. Not quite like the San Diego Comic Cons we have today but I imagine they were still bigger than the ones in the UK. Roy Thomas went to the New Orleans event, Marv Wolfman visited one in Toronto, Canada, while Tony Isabella was a special guest in his old stomping ground of Cleveland. A marry item next as in January of 1974 Gerry Conway weds his bride Carla Joseph, who was Roy Thomas's secretary. Carla at the time was also an "off-broadway" playwright between her secretarial chores. The final item this week is news that Gerry Conway has also had his newest science fiction paperback novel published, called Mindship. Married and a novelist at the age of 21. I was to busy going to the pub and buying comics at that age! Let's not forget Stan's Soapbox as we end this Bullpen Bulletin, in which he discusses that he has been working with one of Japan's largest magazine publishers to get Marvel stories published there, in much the same way as British Marvel does. The publisher requested a brief resume of Marvel's philosophy for his readers. So in typical Stan Lee showmanship he sold them his latest version:- "Our Marvel sagas originate in the United States-but, in a true sense they belong to the world. Our theme is justice, tempered by tolerance, honed by humour, and leavened with love. We support people everywhere. People striving to improve themselves and their lives. People working and praying for a better world, a world without war. Our heroes are your heroes, our villains your villains, our problems your problems, as are our triumphs and defeats. We espouse no cause save the cause of freedom.No philosophy save the brotherhood of man. Our purpose is to entertain, to take the world as it is and show it as it might be." He goes on but you can guess, or read, the rest. Excelsior.

A competition that is really an advert for Scalecraft models, but it is offering you a chance to win your own Hi-Fi system worth over one hundred and fifty pounds for the winner! Plus one hundred runner-ups will win prizes of a Scalecraft kit each! All you have to do is match the eight model silhouettes with one of the seventeen Scalecraft models listed. It might be harder than you think as some silhouettes look like generic vehicles. But it is quite a good prize. One hundred and fifty quid was a lot in 1974. You also had to send a cut out name from a Scalecraft or flying model box. Scalecraft members didn't have to do that, with their membership number they could enter the competition for free, as long as they could match the silhouettes. 

The Mighty Thor “Now comes..the Unknown!”

Writer: Stan Lee 

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Mighty Thor #136

Cover date January 1967

(Published in November 1966)

Second part of  this story starts with a new splash page made up of the fourth panel from page 35 of last week's comic enlarged with the new title added to the top. Two recap captions and credits finish off the page at the bottom. The image really looks like Vince Colletta just blacked out all the detail because he either didn't have the time or he couldn't be bothered. Which is a crying shame really. As a final test of her worth, Jane Foster, now gifted with godlike powers by Odin sends her to face  the Unknown in a locked room, to see if she has the courage to be amongst the gods. 

However, Jane is horrified by the creature, cowering away from it in utter fear. Thor has to come to her rescue, fighting the monster off like a god born. Jane finding everything too much for her,  demands to be returned back to her to her normal mortal everyday life with no memory of Asgard. Odin complies with her wish, in spite of Thor's protests. Jane is shunted back to Earth. To be honest I never saw Jane as the Asgardian type, I never got behind the Lady Thor, OK the terminal illness plot worked but Jane Foster just always seemed a bit wet to me, I could see Mary Jane being heroic but Jane Foster was a perfectly fine every day hero as a nurse. Although I remember once Hercules and Lady Sif had to once join Sif's life-force with the dying Jane Foster and they became a being like Don Blake and Thor. That worked for me for a while.

Speaking of Lady Sif, Odin softens Thor's heartache by playing match maker with his son and the beautiful Goddess. Yeah, a raven haired Goddess in a tight fitting armour, with the softest, reddest of lips is always going to keep the blonde haired lover boy distracted while he forgets about his human girl. Don't worry Odin didn't just play omnipotent All-Father with his son, no Jane Foster got a memory wipe and a new job at a hospital with a dishy new blonde haired surgeon called Keith Kincaid. We'll later find out that Kincaid was the template that Odin based Thor's alter-ego Doctor Don Blake on.  
 

Avengers Weekly #46

Ron Wilson (pencils,) and Mike Esposito (inks,) created this Master of Kung Fu "Fists of Fury!" cover. The design is fine but the artwork doesn't hit the target, a bit like the text. Shang-Chi deflects the Shuriken, that's throwing stars to any none master of kung fu, with his open hand, but "Deadly hands!" doesn't read well with "Stars of Death.."

Master of Kung Fu “...Moment of death!”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: Paul Gulacy

Inker: Al Milgrom

Originally published in Master of Kung Fu #21

Cover date October 1974

(Published in July 1974)

I have to be honest I've always supported Master of Kung Fu, even when others berated the strip for taking some of the limelight away from the Avengers. But I have to admit that this one looks rushed and I didn't enjoy it as much as the earlier strips. Now would have been a good time to rest it in the UK and allow the US editions to get ahead without rushing multiple comics to fit the UK weekly demand. 

Shang-Chi escapes the gunmen sent by mobster Demmy Marston by jumping into a tank where the kung fu master has to punch a shark a few times to knocks it out. Reaching the surface for air Shang-Chi gets knocked out. Later he awakes tied to a tree at Marston's mercy, on an island in the Florida Keys, Marston beats Shang-Chi until he has to stop when Fu Manchu's Si-Fan assassins start killing his men. A helicopter lands, and Fu Manchu emerges. He calls Marston arrogant and presumptuous, then releases a poisonous snake that kills the mobster. He then releases his son, letting him live. It's all a bit strange, only last week he had ordered his Council of Seven to kill Shang-Chi. Was it because of honour, did he want to save face and only have his trained men kill the son he himself trained to be a kung fu master. What strange machinations the Chinese master criminal plays. As much as I like Ron Wilson's later work, this current artwork is poor. Let's hope things get better next week.

The Avengers “Suddenly...the Sub-Mariner!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in The Avengers #40

Cover date May 1966

(Published in March 1966)

The Scarlet Witch isn't feeling too well so Quicksilver stays with his sister while the rest of the Avengers and Hercules investigate the cosmic cube with information from Captain America. Similarly a US Navy sub-marine is testing nuclear torpedos in the seas near the search area. Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner is alerted to these war manoeuvres and makes his own investigations. Finding the Sub he leaps to the wrong conclusions and attacks the sub.   

This is a standard Sub-Mariner plot, he thinks someone is attacking his kingdom so he retaliates, making him look like the villain. It isn't the most adventurous of plots and I'm becoming slightly embarrassed that the really good Roy Thomas Avengers stories haven't arrived yet. They're coming stick with it. I think what's also making things worse is Don Heck's version of the Sub-Mariner. He looks like Rob Liefeld had drawn him during his Captain America Heroes Reborn period in the 90's, with a chest the size of a mini car. Hopefully it won't be long until John Buscema takes over the art chores.

Avengers Readers Assemble

There's no Bullpen Bulletin in this week's Avengers weekly, instead we get the repeat of the Marvel Bulletin Board as seen in this week's MWOM. The Avengers Readers Assemble letter page is doubled this week, so let's get stuck in. Joseph Mulcahy writes begging, with good manners I'll add, for issues 20 and 22 of the Avengers weekly, but he equally gets a well mannered sorry, they no longer have any to send. Ralf Ludemann from London loves both SMCW and the Avengers weekly, plus he really enjoyed the short sci-fi strips "The Fatal Words", "Six Strange Words" and "The Secret of the Universe" as it really give those comics a kick. John Swales KOF, RFO, QNS from Yorkshire praises the latest version of the Avengers battling the Keeper of the Flame and Doctor Strange's free for all with the Dread Dormannu, but the highlight of issue 29 was the amazing Shang-Chi's superb fight with Tai. He adds that Jim Starlin's artwork had him breathless. He doesn't think much of Iron Man in SMCW but he hopes they improve. 

Pier Galliet RFO, KOF, QNS from Upper Norwood in London starts a very long letter with this praise for Marvel, "OboyOboyOboyOboy! Now and not before, the BRITISH MARVEL AGE starts in earnest! Now out (sic) mags have nearly all that US Marvels have ('cept lotsa good ads)!" He then goes on in great detail a review of SMCW #61 and Avengers #30. It's quite a good read, certainly of it's time. He openly admits that he hasn't got MWOM #80 as they have been late the last couple of weeks. Maybe that was a London thing as Karl Schunmann from Tottenham had a similar tale to tell in his letter seen in this week's Mighty Marvel Mailbag (earlier in this blog). See it's worth reading all the blog, I don't just throw it together. Well... I literally do, but don't tell everyone. Ian Waithorne FFF, TTB, QNS, RFO, KOF thinks it's terrible that Thor has been taken out of the Avengers. He's also not best pleased that the word "Marvel" in the Mighty World of Marvel is so small while stuck down underneath it there's a great big "Hulk"! A. Black from Orpington considers himself to be a "senior citizen" reader at 15 years old but he questions what are they doing to a good mag? He understands that Kung Fu is growing in popularity, but the idea is appalling. To him those ten pages of mag are for the Avengers. "Whoever heard of a mag called 'The Avengers starring Shang Chi Master of Kung Fu' Co-starring the Avengers"", he jokes in all seriousness. Suggesting that Shang-Chi can have the ten pages at the back instead of "Doc Peculiar" he quips. Those jokes are going to stir up a storm on all sides. 

Another Double Dynamite of Marvel action is used in another in-house ad that uses the tried and tested formula and format, with only this week's cover for Spider-man Comics Weekly fresh in the lower half. 

Doctor Strange “The sands of death”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in Strange Tales #158

Cover date July 1966

(Published in April 1966)

The Living Tribunal has appeared judging that the Earth should be destroyed. It explains to Doctor Strange that when he freed Zom and destroyed the creatures forelock he unleashed a terrible power on the Earth. These events have awakened those with latent mystical abilities to manifest magical abilities and in the process become evil. Which thereby upsets the cosmic balance, resulting in a possible threat to destroy the universe.

The Living Tribunal is a wonderful creation from the incredible minds of Roy Thomas and Marie Severin. He is a vastly powerful humanoid cosmic entity, the personification of multiversal law,  a God like being, neither good nor evil, just morally just. His design is inspired by Jesus on the cross, paying for the sins of man. With a three faced head that wears a hood, representing the three sides of his personality. The front face represents equity, the fully hooded face on its right side represents necessity, and the partially hooded face on its left represents vengeance. He has now come to offer judgement on Earth. 

Doctor Strange fights the Living Tribunal in a futile battle. Strange tries to convince it to give him some time so that he may try to stop these newly awakened mystics, by claiming that he possesses the power and the will to deal with the menace from worlds beyond worlds. As a test the Tribunal agrees if Strange can show his power by repairing his nearly destroyed Cloak of Levitation. He succeeds restoring it to its former glory. The Tribunal fades into infinite nothingness while bringing forth an hour glass he names as the "Sands of death" to count down the limited time that Doctor Strange has to solve the problem. Doctor Strange flies off to correct the terrible mistake he has made. 

It's a brilliant tale that's only just beginning. Roy Thomas and Marie Severin are giving it their "A" game, work that will inspire comic fans, future comic creators and so many other creators who are masters of other crafts.

Just like Storm Elvin Thorgerson, an artist, art director, graphic designer and video director, who in 1966 co-founded the graphic art group Hipgnosis. Thorgerson is probably most well known for creating album covers for musical artists like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, 10cc, the Alan Parsons Project, the Cranberries, Biffy Clyro and Pink Floyd, plus many, many more. He attended the same high school as Pink Floyd founding members Syd Barrett, (who was in the year below him,) and Roger Waters (who was in the year above him). He was also a teenage friend of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, later becoming his best man at Gilmour's wedding. His first album cover for Pink Floyd was the 1968 album "A Saucerful of Secrets" seen on the left. 

If you look very, very closely you can see pieces of Marie Severin's artwork taken from page six of the original Strange Tales #158 comic, page 31 of this Avengers weekly. Some of the colour has been removed from the original page with the planets seen in an orange shade, the Doctor is mainly painted in dark shadows much like the Living Tribunal.

If you can't see them clearly here are the two images together with coloured circles marking what was cut and pasted into the cover. The Living Tribunal is seen in the top left corner with the planets moved slightly closer to his three-faced head. Doctor Strange is centred more on the right. I wonder if Marie Severin was compensated for her work, or was she just chuffed to have her art appear on an album cover?

Right I'm off to draw circles on my comics, Oh no I'm not, keep those pens and pencils away from my mags. I only use imaginary circles for the comics I'm going to read next. Hope to see you next week as I pass judgement on more British Marvel mags from 1974. So till then...  

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.