When titans clash!

 Week Ending 10th August 1974

The Mighty World of Marvel #97

OK, straight away I have to award this Hulk cover my Cover of the Week award, not because it's utterly amazing, I couldn't in all honesty admit that, but it is quite good. It's the best Ron Wilson drawn cover for sometime. One of his stronger Hulk covers too. It doesn't give too much away, if anything at all about the story inside, but so what? As long as the kids picket up that's all that counts.

The Incredible Hulk “Day of thunder--night of death!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #133

Cover date November 1970

(Published in August 1970)

This week's Hulk strip starts off with a beautiful image of the Hulk carrying an unconscious Jim Wilson, towards a lake as the sun rises behind him. The story title makes a dramatic symmetry with the green giants reflection in the cool water. It's all very poetic and beautiful, something that Roy Thomas and herb Trimpe's Hulk stories aren't noted for, which is a shame as they are very much tales that are sensitive as well as imaginative, with a rage monster added to to keep the kids happy.

Another thing that is readily visible is the braveness of General Ross. In many Hulk adventures he's cast as the Captain Ahab of the green goliath's world, driven by nothing but his hatred of the Hulk. Thomas is clever here, he gives Ross the chance to be seen brave as he tries talking the Hulk into letting him have Jim so that he can treat his wounds. Trimpe must also be given credit too, showing the menacing shadow get closer and closer to the general, but switching the focus and light when he's right on top of him to show the Generals desperation in a very cinematic way.

Jim calms the Hulk's rage allowing Ross to call in a jet-copter to take Jim away for treatment. Maybe the Hulk can be reasoned with, well until a trigger happy pilot loses his cool and shots the Hulk in his back. The Hulk hurls a boulder at one of the jet-copters, destroying it. The army retreats as the Hulk heads towards to pacific coast. The main plot of this story is having the Hulk fight a European dictator so to get him all the way over to Europe Thomas has to coordinate the journey, which in it's self is a leisurely stroll through possible coincidences. The way Trimpe visualises it  is wonderfully charming. First nine panels allowing the reader to understand how the Hulk gets into a crate bound for Morvania. The lack of text actually draws the reader in as they connect the clues. The next pages have to have more explained, as the crate is loaded onto a ship that's bound for Europe via the Panama Canal, across the Atlantic and through to the Mediterranean port of Vastopal in the country of Morvania. Then on to a road trip to the capital city, all the while using beautiful postcard images from the pencil of Trimpe.

This strip may have seemed like a summer holiday slide show but its all a build up so that we can discover for ourselves that Morvania is a repressed country, ruled by a dictator and war monger who puts Hitler and Napoleon to shame. Draxon who toiled in the hard-soiled fields to make a living, as the hand of fate made him first a soldier in his countries tiny army, then a general and then his nation's ruler, with ambitions to make himself the master of the Mediterranean, then Europe and then all of the world! You can see why Thomas decided to show General Ross in such good light. That simple technique allowed him to show how much of a polar opposite Draxon is towards the General Ross. Come back next week and we'll get to see how men can be monsters and how monsters can be as human as any godly man.  

This week's Double Dynamite in-house advert takes the tried and tested route of two reused images to sell Spider-man Comics Weekly and the Avengers (starring Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu) weekly. It's an advert that has been used many times before and no doubt it will be used again, however I think the editors missed a trick this week as Spider-man appears in this week's Master of Kung Fu strip they could have made something of this. Which would in a way boost Shang-Chi's appeal as many disliked his stealing of the Avengers limelight. More on that strip later in this blog.

  

Daredevil “Enter the Masked Marauder”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in Daredevil #17

Cover date June 1966

(Published in April 1966)

The opening splash page of this second half from this story uses a blown up final panel from last week's strip, which works really well, showing how much of a great artist John Romita Sr is. The dialogue does leave a lot to be desired, it wasn't from last week's first half and there's no way that Stan Lee wrote Daredevil calling Spider-man a "night-crawling nitwit!" Shouldn't it have been "wall-crawling," and nitwit feels way too British. Some panels featuring DD and Spidey fighting have been removed to save space, which is a shame because they showcased Romita's dynamic artwork. 

Of course losing those panels does move the action on to the Masked Marauder and his gang. Daredevil lets Spider-man leap into action first, taking down the group of thieves, but the Marauder takes down Spidey with his "Opti-blast". Daredevil jumps in to the action, but as the blast has no effect on a blind man, the man without fear knocks out the Marauder and stops his men from escaping by shooting their blimp with a gun. The Marauder makes his escape, later overhearing Karen Page discussing with Foggy that he must be Daredevil, something that Foggy is OK to go along with if only for his secretary's attention. That may not end well. Next week: the Gladiator!    

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Bruce Banner (surely not that Banner!) from Hull who wrote in to complain about the reduction since issue 68, so much so he has kidnapped Steve Hemingway and will only release him if the Hulk strip is returned to it's old length. Somehow I think it might have been Steve writing this letter. Another Steve, this time Steve Deane from London who is a big fan of the Ghost Rider and wants to get back to the US to catch up on his adventures. This Steve has spotted Lady Dorma without a water filled helmet in the Baxter Building in MWOM #73, which she would obviously need to breathe. For that he wins a British-style No-Prize. George Elias from Potters Bar has also spotted a boob in MOWM #69 in which an in-house advert for SMCW #51 and Avengers weekly #20 suggested that they were on sale that week, but they should have been for that week's issues of SMCW#50 and Avengers weekly #19 instead.

Kevin R. Nuency from Walsall thinks that all the weekly mags are great and so are the American monthlies. He has been collecting Marvel, DC and Charlton comics for a number of years, but considers that Marvel is the best because of their fabulous stories and artwork. Kevin wants his full address printed so that other fans could send him any questions about Marvel, DC or Charlton comics with a stamped addressed envelope that he would gladly answer. Colin Gridley RFO from London explains with a (very short letter) what he knows about Gamma Rays, describing them as being like X-rays but more penetrating. N. Smith RFO, KOF from Leamington Spa writes that Marvelmaina is sweeping his home town with force, within two days of arriving at the newsagents, Marvel comics are all sold out. He also suggests that Marvelites who wish to see Spider-Man on TV writet to the BBC demanding it.    

The Fantastic Four “Among us hide...the Inhumans!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Joe Sinnott 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #45

Cover date December 1965

(Published in September 1965)

This week's Fantastic Four second half opens with a splash page that uses the fabulous original cover artwork from the Fantastic Four issue 45. I love the design of this artwork ever since I first saw in on the cover of the Fantastic Four Pocket Book way back in May 1980. Seeing this page in MWOM had the same effect on me years later when I picked up my second hand copy. My love of it makes it a fine use of original art but it does foreshadow events that haven't occurred yet.

Sue, Reed and Ben are still at the Baxter Building trying to coax the distrusting Dragon Man into a room they've prepared for him. Meanwhile Crystal is introducing Johnny Storm to her uncanny family. Karnak's welcoming hand shake flips Johnny onto his back where he unceremoniously is reintroduced   to Gorgon and Medusa as well as, for the first time, a covered Inhuman called Triton. Kirby is having some fun with these new characters, he's always on form when he gets to create new designs and concepts.

They imprison Johnny in a cell which slowly fills with water. The Torch melts through the ceiling and burns a 4 into the sky, alerting his teammates to his predicament. As Gorgon had damaged the FantastiCar three issues ago Reed has completed a Airjet-cycle for the three heroes to fly to Johnny's aid. The Airjet-cycle is another fantastic creation from the mind of Kirby. I love the design, it looks like a load of compressed air tanks strapped together on a bike frame.

The team are reunited as Johnny fills them in on his meeting with the strange group. With their first appearance the Inhumans seem bloodthirsty and willing to do anything to stop any knowledge of their existence being revealed to the world, what with their attempts to drown Johnny and this final page where they try to crush the FF under a falling wall. Their malevolent intent does not last long, in the next few episodes they are shown in a fairer light. Maybe Stan and Jack fell in love with them or thought they would make great characters to be used in any expansion of the Marvel comics range. Any British Marvel reader who had read any US imports of their published adventures or those who recalled their appearance in the Hulk strip starting in MWOM #58 would be slightly confused with their fiendish behaviour. The final member of the Inhuman family appears in the last panel leading the reader to crave the shocking, mind-staggering secret of Black Bolt! But they'll have to wait till next week.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #78

I really have to say that this cover is poor, but what it misses in quality it makes up with the fact that this wasn't originally a Spider-man cover. The inside Spider-man story deals with student unrest at the Empire State University campus involving the lack of affordable student accommodation. In this cover the students are protesting about an unnamed war. One protester throws a brick or missile at Spider-man missing him completely and hitting the ground near his feet. I guess angry mobs, even these days, are rubbish at throwing objects. The image of Spider-man is one of the worst I've seen but that's because it wasn't completely in the original artwork. The original artwork had been taken from the cover of Iron Man #45, cover dated March 1972, published November 1971, drawn by Gil Kane with inks by Frank Giocoia and  adaptions by John Romita Sr. The artist of the Spider-man image is unknown, however to me it does look similar to the version of Spider-man from SMCW #60 and that was drawn by Ron Wilson with Mike Esposito, so maybe Ron was responsible. The "Calamity on campus!" subtitle appeared on the original cover too, I feel they could have used it for this week's Spider-man title, mating nicely with last week's "Crisis on campus" title.   

Spider-man “The Kingpin strikes!”

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)

The second part of this story uses a blown up panel from last week's ending with a new title added as well as new recap text boxes and credits. Peter's thought balloons are the same as those from last week's panel. The Kingpin arrives at the ESU to personally steal a priceless tablet. What I find really strange is that many students recognise him as a crime boss. In general his identity as the kingpin of crime is kept secret. In the 80's Wilson Fisk was always presented as a businessman. May be those students mixed with nefarious criminal types when they sort out any illegal substances that they might have abused in their spare time when they wasn't studying or protesting. 

The Kingpin was definitely more hands on in the 60's and 70's, he employed smoke grenades and a blast cane to get his way as well as engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the web-slinger. At points he really does keep up with Spider-man proving that his large frame is more muscle than it is fat. However in the confusion of the raid and the riot the Kingpin makes off with the precious tablet, leaving the students, most notably Randy Robertson and his friend Josh to take the blame for its theft. Spider-man has some unfinished business with the Kingpin if he's going to prove they weren't responsible for its appropriation.

Bullpen Bulletin

In a Special to Spider-man Comics Weekly in this week's Bullpen Bulletins we learn that this week's original Spider-man strip was first presented at the height of student unrest and this tale was used to reflect it. Naturally Peter Parker and Spider-man would be involved in a student uprising as he was presently a student at ESU. Stan wanting to stay away from controversial subjects so he made up his own "issue", that of the clay tablet and the low-rent accommodation. The next item involves John Romita Sr as a guest on the Larry Bear's radio talkshow on station WABC, where he shared the billing with three syndicated cartoonists of note, but all the eager callers who phoned in wanted to ask about was Marvel. JR senior wasn't the only one to make another show biz appearance, Roy Thomas recently appeared on KFVS-TV in his home state of Missouri. He ended up doing a 20-minute bit! Roy looked splendid in a suit and tie with his long blonde hair. Stan's Soapbox and the final item will be revealed later in this blog when I review the Avengers Bullpen page.  

Iron Man “Battle in heavens!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Steve Ditko

Inker: Paul Reinman

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #49

Cover date January 1964

(Published in October 1963)

 The second half of this Iron Man tale starts with the original artwork by Jack Kirby, with inks by Steve Ditko from the cover of Tales of Suspense #49 as an opening splash page. Iron Man manages to cure the Angel from his radioactive induced evil ways by firing him to rescue the golden Avengers from a deadly fall from a great height as his boot jets failed. Iron Man explains to the awaiting police how atomic rays from a Stark test site had affected the young mutant's brain. It's a cheap and cheerful tale, one that's quickly forgotten.   

The Web and the Hammer

Neil Greenwood notes that webbing from Spider-man's costume was missed on the "Terrible threat of the Living Brain" way back in 1974 Marvel Annual. Of course all of Spider-man's webbing doesn't have to be shown. The Green Goblin, possibly not the original Goblin, suggests that he's coming back with LOVE, that's the Loyal Order of Villains Etc. Richard Moore from Cheshire brings up three points, the first is that the artwork for Spider-man in SMCW #61 is marred with heavy shading. The second is the present Thor saga is immaculate due to the artwork of one of comicdom's greatest illustrators, Jack Kirby. Thirdly both "Midnight brings dark death!" the Master of Kung Fu story from the Avengers weekly #30 and "Heaven is a very small place" the Hulk story in MWOM #42, are the best stories he's read in a Marvel comic for some time. You know I have to agree. Stephen Neville wonders if he's too old to be reading comics at the age of fifteen? Stephen no you're not and you never will be. Laurence Toft from Reading gets all three weekly mags and his favourite characters are Thor, Ka-Zar and Zabu.

Tony McCoy from Northern Island has spotted that in the Daily Mirror TV pages Granada TV were showing Spider-man from 4.35 to 5.00. Strangely enough my TV region was Granada but I can't remember those cartoons till I was much older, so I guess it must have been a short run, or I must have had BBC on instead. Brian Goldstein RFO, KOF from London discusses a letter in SMCW #48 from Paul Hoffman about Black Bolt and his silence, I'll not go into it as it might spoil events that are happening in MWOM. Sarah Lambert from Wiltshire is horrified to read in SMCW #62 a letter from Andrew Todd suggesting that Thor and Iron Man be removed from the comic. She says she can't afford to buy more mags if they were moved out and into MWOM. Frank Coyle from Stockport thinks that Marvel is the greatest thing to hit the UK. Nicholas Hall from London has been collecting Marvel weeklies for some time but the rising cost has started to worry him.

The Mighty Thor “When titans clash!”

 Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Journey into Mystery Annual #1

Cover date October 1965

(Published in June 1965)

This is a bit of a flashback tale for British readers. It should have been printed before SMCW #52 as a prequel, but instead we get to see this charming tale in all its Lee/Kirby glory. Well apart from all the panels and pages that have been removed to fit it in the page count left in this issue. But least ways it a nice quick read. Eager for adventure the young Thor and Loki travel to Jotunheim where the Storm Giants dwell. They encounter a horde of Giants who have found the pathway leading to Olympus, home of the Olympian Gods. Thor defends the passage, easily defeating them by causing an avalanche that sends him tumbling through a mystic barrier and into Olympus.

Exploring this new land he encounters a small bridge across a river with a brown haired brute blocking his way. Who turns out to be Hercules who refuses to move. The two young gods buck heads with their twin egos and fight. This is what most readers of a certain age want to see, a clash of titans, who later become good friends. Thankfully only one page of this battle royal was removed so we get to see most of the Kirby choreographed clash.

But every fight must reach an end and this one is stopped by the intervention of Zeus who recognises Thor's courage, honour and respect he shows towards the Father of the Gods. Zeus makes them both shake hands in the manner that noble princely immortals should. Zeus returns Thor back from where he came. In one panel Thor tells Loki, when he asks where has he been, that "It matters not! Already the memory grows dim within me!" Which could be a clever lie to keep the secret of Olympus. Or as a ploy by Lee so that next time Thor and Hercules meet it will be more like strangers, as possibly intended in SMCW #55. Later in the same strip Thor thinks to himself that it is best that Loki never knows about Olympus as he would surely use that knowledge for his own evil ends. We'll get to see Hercules very soon, in the next mag in fact. 

But before that let's take a look at the advert on the back page for Marvel's first Marvel Treasury Edition, the Spectacular Spider-man. A deluxe limited edition of the world's greatest superhero. One hundred full colour pages, (well apart from the inside front and rear pages and a two page mockup of the Daily Bugle, that were black and white,) containing seven great stories for only forty pence! Now that's a bargain. These editions are really giant sized, they are thirteen and a half by ten inches. Marvel Treasury Editions where available in the UK with a pence price, although some dollar variants did make it to the UK, I own an American priced variant that has a one dollar fifty cent price on it. Forty pence is now worth five pounds and twenty-two pence today. So if you spent your forty pence on this treat you better have looked after it.

Avengers Weekly #47

This is another strange looking version of Spider-man on a cover this week. Here Ron Wilson teams up with either Frank Giacoia or Mike Esposito to produce a grim looking Spider-man looking down on Shang-Chi in combat with a group of Spider-man themed thugs. Getting superheroes into a kung fu comic and kung fu masters into a superhero comic was a clever masterstroke my Marvel's editors. Cornering the market from all sides.

Master of Kung Fu “Masterstroke!”

Writer: Len Wein 

Artist: Ross Andru

Inker: Al Milgrom

Originally published in Giant-size Spider-man #2

Cover date October 1974

(Published in July 1974)

This team-up story was originally published in Giant-size Spider-man issue two, released on the 23rd of July 1974 in America, just eleven days before this issue of the Avengers weekly was released in the UK. That's a pretty close deadline. It features the current Amazing Spider-man artist of the time Ross Andru, with writer Len Wein who would soon become Marvel's colour line editor and ASM writer among many other strips. Spider-man encounters a group of art thieves who freely give him the impression that they are working for the criminal master-mind known as Shang-Chi.

Later Shang-Chi comes across a group of muggers, wearing Spider-man t-shirts and masks similar to the web-slingers, attacking an old China man. Very early on we see that Fu Manchu has been manipulating the two heroes into engaging in combat with one another in the hole that either will kill the other. Ross Andre is great at drawing 70's Spider-man, whose villains look every part a 70's super-fly villain. His Fu Manchu does look very much a stereotypical Chinese fiend. More than Jim Starlin's or Paul Gulacy's versions, leaving me feeling it has gone a little too far. However I must read and interpret them as of their time and not get too PC with it all. Andre does draw great fight scenes though. That's what makes him a great Spider-man artist. Up there with John Romita Sr, John Byrne, John Romita Jr and Steve Ditko. Of course there are others but I don't want these blogs to be lists of artists I like.

Bullpen Bulletin

In a Special to the Avengers weekly the art of drawing kung fu action in a comicbook form is discussed between Marvel artists who all agreed that one of, if not the hardest strips to draw is Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu! The reason for that is the majority of super-heroes such like the FF, Thor, the Avengers, are pitted against equally super-powered foes, while kung fu heroes and villains fight on a purely physical level, with perfectly disciplined bodies against superbly trained assassins who use kung fu weapons. These artists must be exceptionally skilled in drawing fighting technique as well as human anatomy. In Stan's Soapbox this week he discusses a point made by a letter writer who asks why so many of Marvel's stories might deal with issues like pollution, civil rights, student unrest, etc. They add was "Marvel trying to brainwash the public," that "your kind of people are pulling the wool over your readers eyes." and that "You're

probably doing it because you think it's the 'in' thing to do - and to make a fast buck." Stan freely admits that during the early years he never felt it was in Marvel's remit to editorialise. However, as time went by he realised that the readership was far more mature, than anyone had suspected, they began to touch upon real issues, real problems. The only problem with this style is you open yourself up for flak from all sides as the radicals claim they're too archaic! The conservatives claim they're too liberal! It's hard to win sometimes. Stan sums it up with "If we can make you think, if we can anger you, arouse you, stimulate and provoke you, then we've served our purpose. In fact, how's this for a new Marvel motto: "Entertainment-with a kick in it"? Excelsior. In the last item of this week's Bullpen page we get a bombastic biography about writer and editor Tony Isabella. Tony joined Marvel in 1972 after calling Roy Thomas, who offered him a job after seeing Tony's work in fanzines. Soon he had risen to the position of overseer of these weeklies, editor of FOOM and editor of nine large sized US magazines, as well as providing scripts for many comics and the innovator behind a variety of new strips and series in Marvel comics. I personally don't think British Marvel would have had the success it had in the 70's, 80's and beyond without Tony's original support in the early days, giving the UK brand good foundations. 

The Avengers “Crisis in the Caribbean!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Don Heck

Originally published in The Avengers #40

Cover date  May 1967

(Published in March 1967)

This sorry looking opening splash page, like many second half splash pages this week uses the final panel from last week's first half, by blowing it up in size and repurposing it. Don Heck's art never looks great when it's enlarged unlike John Romita's which is always on point what ever size it is. The Avengers encounter the Sub-Mariner in the Caribbean while looking for the Cosmic Cube. Even though it's a tough battle they look like they are beating him until Hercules lets slip that they were there to find the Cube.

Namor leaves the battle and goes in search of the legendary Cosmic Cube. To locate it he uses his power to communicate with the under-sea creatures. A power that I feel he hasn't used before or since. I could be wrong about that but it's a daft idea that doesn't suit Marvel comics. I think that the comic aficionado Roy Thomas was channelling DC's Aquaman, (who?) I hate to sound like a sourpuss but I've never read nor own an Aquaman comic and I probably never will. Anyway Namor uses the Cubes power to forge itself into an amulet so that he can wear it while he fights the Avengers again, using it's power to create a giant-sized "amalga-beast" to distract the Avengers while he battles Hercules. The Wasp realises that the amulet is really the Cosmic Cube so she zaps the chain, allowing the Cube to fall down a deep crevice that was created by the battle of the two titans.

The Avengers leave as they can't recover the Cube, but unknown to them in the subterranean caves deep below the Mole Man discovers the cube shaped object, only to discard it thinking it was only human waste. Roy Thomas wrote in 2004 in the Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers volume 4 that this story was one  of his favourites amongst his early Avengers tales. I have to disagree with Roy's opinion for me it was one of his worst early Avengers stories. Thankfully things do get better.

Avengers Readers Assemble

Paul Donnachie writes that it has become tiresome reading the British letter pages when they are filled with readers who just complain or ask for No-Prizes because they've spotted mistakes. He would much prefer letters from readers like Mike Mittelstadt and Jim Ivers. Paul gives even more great points of views and ideas in his letter, The Avengers letter page is always a great read. Steve Jones is a big fan of the Master of Kung Fu strip, describing it as the "best new feature of the year!" He adds that Steve Englehart brings thrill in his scripted stories, showing "the real meaning of the mind over matter philosophy." Anthony Lordan RFO, KOF from London writes in his fifth letter to Marvel that there must be something wrong when a comic containing black and white reprints costs seven pence, he adds the only thing original about them is the letter pages. He still buys them though. Richard Sweeting RFO, KOF from Bedfordshire finds letters that constantly ask for certain heroes to be printed a bit boring. He suggests that a form in the letter page could be added so that readers could fill it out saying who they would like to see in the mags and who they don't like. 

Nick Davies ROF, KOF, QNS, TTB, PMM from Newquay in Cornwall thinks after reading twice the "Sons of the Serpent" saga in the Avengers weekly #32 is the best epic ever. He considers that Shang-Chi having eleven pages per issue and the Avengers only having ten is a bit of a "swizz" and by that I think he means unfair. He's not happy with the title of the mag, calling "The Avengers starring Master of Kung Fu" is a bit daft. He suggests retitling it "Master of Kung Fu" but I wouldn't have been happy with that. Paul White from Glasgow write in saying he needs issues 1 to 4 of MWOM and he'll send them the money, I'm not sure that's how it works. He also asks four typical questions and gets four zippy answers. The final letter this week is from David Morris from Devon who think's that Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange is a great read. David has spotted a spelling mistake in the Master of Kung Fu strip in the Avengers #33 in which "me" and "my" was mixed up, but he doesn't win a No-Prize, because they don't award them for small spelling or grammatical errors as they wouldn't have any left. So no-luck with the No-prize.

Doctor Strange “The evil that men do...”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Herb Trimpe

Originally published in Strange Tales #159

Cover date August 1967

(Published in May 1967)

Doctor Strange returns to his Greenwich village home to find his Sanctum Sanctorum has vanished leaving a pit where it once stood. A distraught Wong comes out of the shadows, describing  that Umar had destroyed their home with a spell that did writhe the building like a distorted mirror, while she was searching for the Doctor. While meditating on the fate of his home Strange considers that Umar neglected to place a psychic seal of permanence upon her spell of vanishment enabling him to restore his Sanctum to its original glory.

With little time left from the Living Tribunal's deadline Strange must stop the mystics who were "awoken" by the freeing of Zom. Now organised they form a large group called the Circle Sinister who intend to release their master from a mystical sphere in a weird dimension. Doctor Strange tracks down the Circle to their meeting place where he easily defeats their apparent leader. However he soon learns who their real leader is as their now freed master steps forward revealing himself to be none other than Baron Mordo. 

I had become slightly tired of Mordo's constant appearances in the Doctor Strange strip, but after a break from the evil sorcerer I'm quite happy to see him back. So come back next week as the Power of the Beesting takes a look at "the power of Mordo!" among the other treats that UK Marvel had in store for us fifty years ago next week. Till then... 

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.