The Horror of the Beesting!

Week Ending 2rd November 1974

This is the second week with five weeklies to read. It must have been fun back in the day but fifty years later I'm not sure how I find the time to read these mags, let alone blog about them. But it's great finding new things that I missed the first time. One of the things I missed from last week's first issues is that the two new mags are a penny dearer than the other three, at eight pence each for the same number of pages, the same size and the same glossy covers as the three super-hero mags. I'm not sure I would have noticed it back then, but DL and POTA were probably aimed at slightly older children who might have had more pocket money. But saying that, many still would have bought all five, I know I would have. 

The Mighty World of Marvel #109

This cover drawn by Arvell Jones (pencils) and Frank Giacoia (inks) especially for the UK weekly, shows a pre-gamma irradiated Doc Samson using an egg-shaped machine to drain the psychic force and presumably some of his gamma radiation in an attempt to cure the Hulk. It doesn't quite happen like that, it was Betty Ross in the egg-shaped machine, but still it's an eye catching cover. 

The Incredible Hulk “His name is Samson!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #141

Cover date July 1971

(Published in April 1971)

Straight from the opening splash page you can tell that things are different, there's a more detailed feel to the Hulk's artwork. You might think that Herb Trimpe has been replaced as the strips artist, but you'll only be half right. John Severin has replaced Sam Grainger as inker, in the past Grainger, Sal Buscema and Trimpe himself had inked Trimpe's pencils to various results. I think that when Trimpe and Grainger inked the pencil lines would get thicker, leading to letters in the letter columns requesting that Herb sharpened his pencil as it seemed to be getting blunter. I think Severin takes Trimps layouts as a guide and inks with a greater deal of control. For Trimpe's artwork Severin was the best inker available. 

I love the opening serenity of this strip as the story segues from the Hulk viewing a passing plane that gets closer and closer until we find General Ross, Major Talbot and the crystalline form of Betty Ross who is being transported to an installation where psychiatrist, Leonard Samson hopes to find a cure for her and in the process the Hulk too. Thomas and Trimpe have used this kind of storytelling before with Hulk stories from MWOM #97 and MWOM 101 being variations of this theme. Samson needs the energy from Banner/Hulk so after Talbot locates old greenskins, allowing Samson to use a holographic gun to calm the beast enough to convince Banner that Betty needs his help. Another classic Trimpe theme is a set of panels showing the same scene as it develops. like here as Samson's Cathexis Ray Generator drains off the Banner's liberal energy/psychic force.

A similar set of panels shows Betty's transformation from crystal to flesh and blood with the energy siphoned off Banner. Samson is the "egghead" who gets all the praise while Banner seems all but forgotten even though his curse may now be well behind him. The Cathexis Ray Generator still has some energy left which gives Samson food for thought, what if a controlled amount of gamma-radiation was directed at a man whose intelligence and psyche could control the effects? Curiosity gets the better of him and his mini experiment bathed Doctor Samson from head to foot with a preordained dose of gamma-rays. In past days gamma-rays have created the rampaging Hulk, the evil Leader and the cruel Abomination. What effects they have on Samson will be revealed next week.

Play Charades the Marvel way and win a colour TV with a different set of clues to find just one three-syllable word. All five of UK Marvel weeklies will give you two sets of clues each week, one for what the word is, while the other is a clue for the first syllable of that word. The following week will bring you two more sets of clues in all five weeklies, then in the third week the final sets of clues. No two sets of clues will be the same. Wow that should be easy, or is it? The prizes will be awarded to the Marvelites who then best-describe the word in the Merry Marvel Manner! As well as the star prizes of one of two colour TVs, there are two second placed prizes of a pound-a-week pocket money for a year, 10 "The Spine-Chilling Tale of Vampirism!" LP's, narrated by Christopher Lee, 10 Marvel 1975 Calendars signed by Stan Lee or one of the 50 Fantastic Four, 100 page colour Specials. 

This week's MWOM's clues are:- 

Clue 1. Night and day I travel unceasingly.

Clue 2. The last letter in my first syllable is a

popular drink.

There'll be more clues in this week's issues of Spiderman Comics Weekly, Avengers weekly, Dracula Lives and Planet of the Apes. 

Daredevil “DD goes wild!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in Daredevil #23

Cover date December 1966

(Published in October 1966)

In order to secure leadership in the Maggia, the Masked Marauder and the Gladiator have forced Daredevil to fight the Tri-Man. However, the man without fear has managed to defeat their creation, forcing the Marauder to teleport the android back to their lab. Daredevil grabs onto the Tri-Man's leg and is also transported. DD finds himself inside a glass tube but using his hyper-senses he escapes and also in the process releases the Dancer, who engages in a fight with our hero, which also leads to  the Mangler and the Brain's containment tubes breaking. 

These early Daredevil strips may have some lame plots but they make up for that with great action. I have to say that when it comes to great action Gene Colan draws it brilliantly. He's great at one page splash pages like this second page alternative opening splash, as shown on the left, but he's economical with the number of panels per page, needed to get the most out of the action. His super-hero strips are so different to his supernatural strips like Dracula as we'll see later. Both are great for different reasons. 

Daredevil may have seen off the Tri-Man, the Dancer, the Mangler and the Brain, but he'll still have to deal with the Gladiator and the Masked Marauder in next week's conclusion. 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Jack Dawson from Oldham, which in 1974 was in Lancashire, but now it's in Greater Manchester, gets lucky by having his fifth letter to MWOM finally published, which must have pleased him loads as he didn't half want to get a QNS. What he really wants to know is "how many annuals will they be publishing for 1975. The answer is three, the Avengers, Spider-man and a Marvel annual too. John Bilour from St. Helens is willing to pay 25 pence  or swop a copy of MWOM #91 for the Avengers weekly #40 as that issue is missing in his collection. Tommy Plinked from County Westmeath in Ireland questions that the Hulk maybe indestructible but surely his clothes aren't, in MWOM #97 he received a rocket blast which would have ripped open a tank, but Greenskin's clothes survived! Alan Jeffery from Ramsgate is collecting all the pin-up pages from MWOM and SMCW into a scrapbook. So far he's fill one and a half books.

This in-house advert for this week's Dracula Lives and Planet of the Apes appears in Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-man Comics Weekly. Notice the mention of "First collector's item issues" at the top of the advert and the "In this issue: Make-up of the Planet of the Apes!" line next to the POTA logo? Well they seem to suggest that this could have been an advert for the first issues, not this week's second issues. Also the image of Count Dracula on the Dracula Lives' cover is taken from the US, Tomb of Dracula #1, which featured the Dracula story that was used in the UK Dracula Lives issue one, or at least the first half of it did. Did the editors for British Marvel intend that cover to feature on the first issue instead of last week's Pablo Marcus's cover,  as seen last week. The Neal Adams cover from Tomb of Dracula #1 will be used as the cover of Dracula Lives #4 but flipped over as we'll see in a couple of week's time. 

The Fantastic Four “This man...this monster!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Joe Sinnott 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four #51

Cover date June 1966

(Published in March 1965)

This is one of the best opening splash pages Jack Kirby has ever drawn. It's perfect in black and white as good as the original artwork must have looked like. In my opinion this must have been the inspiration for John Byrne's version of the Thing. It doesn't need thought balloons, speech bubbles or elaborate text boxes, the rain washing over the Things down trodden frame and those depressed eyes say it all. "This man...this monster!" indeed.

Ben Grimm is weighed down by his troubles, which if he really stops and asked others about them he would find them first world problems. Just talk and listen to Alicia Ben and stop being so grim. The situation had become compounded by Alicia's interest in the Silver Surfer, which without giving away any spoilers will come back to haunt his ego. Ben's self-pitted walk has lead him to the home of  Ricardo Jones, a scientist whose own self-pity due to his low standing in the scientific community and his unusual features have grown a hatred of Reed Richards superior standing and an infatuation with the Fantastic Four. Their meeting was planned, after Jones drugs the Thing's coffee, the scientist reveals that a "short range subliminal influencer" had lured Ben into his trap. The using a "duplication apparatus" Jones transforms his own body cell by cell, molecule by molecule into a copy of the Thing. While at the same time the Thing reverts to his human form.

As the Thing/Ricardo Jones goes to the Baxter Building to carry out what ever devious plan intended. It says in a caption "A few days later," which would have given Jones time to practice being the Thing, but in those few days wouldn't Ben's teammates or his girlfriend miss him? Yes Reed is distracted while working on a weapon that will help the Earth against some extraterrestrial threat, like Galactus, but still I prefer the time lag to have been hours not days. Also when a human Ben Grimm turns up and calls the Thing an imposter neither Sue or Reed have any sympathy for Ben. This is one of Lee and Kirby's greatest FF stories but that plot-hole bugs me to this day.  

My only explanation is did Jones use his "short range subliminal influencer" to gain Reed and Sue's trust? That makes some sense. Anyway Reed has made a breakthrough in his experiment, by creating a dimensional entrance into sub-space. He plans to explore it with the Thing as his anchor on our side of the gateway, holding a reel of super-tensile-strength cable. As you would! Reed opens the barrier, stepping through into another universe, shredding the very fabric of infinity, where all positive matter is transposed into a negative form, plunging thru' the void created by the space-time dimensional barrier. He witnesses a four dimensional universe to which his three-dimensional vision cannot describe, then towards a kaleidoscope of light and sound. Ladies and gentlemen Jack Kirby gives you the Negative Zone! You'll be a fool to miss next week's conclusion.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #90

Created especially for this issue, I think this cover by Sal Buscema, wins this week's Cover of the Week award, just slightly beating the Avengers weekly cover his brother John drew. Sal is a brilliant artist who sometimes is overlooked as John gains all the plaudits. "Terror times three!" indeed, yep it's the winner.

Spider-man “Death without warning!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Romita Sr

Inker: Jim Mooney

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #75

Cover date August 1969

(Published in May 1969)

Spider-man is in a race against time to find Doctor Curt Connors and more importantly his kidnapped wife and child. All three are being held by Maggia, whose leader, Silvermane wants Connors to decode and create a formula that will reverse the aging process, which unknown to Spider-man, he has done just that. Creating an elixir of life that has de-aged the crime-boss nearly thirty years. So to quicken Spider-man search he hangs a couple of low-life Maggia thugs outside a twenty story window to find out where the Maggia headquarters are.

Not everyone believes that this youthful Silvermane is the same man who was their boss. Silvermane is pumped with energy that he hasn't had since is younger days. Caesar Cicero convinces  "Man-mountain" Marko that this young Silvermane is an impostor, so the dim-witted thug clashes with his youthful boss, who is still growing younger by the minute. Spider-Man crashes in through a window, instinctively Marko follows Silvermane's orders and attacks Spidey. The web-slinger makes short work of Marko but has to fight the de-aged Silvermane who looks now to be in his twenties. 

And if that's not enough action, Curt Connors has escaped and is looking for his wife and child, but he's been fighting back his transformation into the Lizard. The strain is more than he can bear as he cannot hold back the transformation any longer. Scales start to grow on his skin, his right arm starts to re-grow. The monster he loathes, runs rampant through the Maggia hideout. Marko, Silvermane and the Lizard, it's triple trouble for Spider-man next week. 

Readers of Spider-man Comics Weekly get a fresh set of clues to Marvel's Charades competition, giving them a greater chance of finding the three-syllable word that's the winning answer. So here they are:-

Clue 1. Fat folk should envy me, 'cos I have no weight problem.

Clue 2. My first syllable rhymes with "Hat".

Match up the answers from the Mighty World of Marvel and we're two fifths of the way to finding out what the first syllable is and maybe what the word could be now we've had two over-all clues. More clues in the Avengers weekly, Dracula Lives and Planet of the Apes.  

Iron Man “Suspected of murder!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Don Heck

Inker: Dick Ayers

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #60

Cover date December 1964

(Published in September 1964)

Tony Stark's weakened heart needs the life giving power of his chest plate to survive, meaning that he can't remove his armour. Making up half-hearted excuses for the billionaires absence hasn't helped as Pepper and Happy grow suspicious. The pair call the police whose untimely arrival find Iron Man taking money from Stark's personal safe. Things couldn't get worse, oh put they do as the unpleasant questioning causes Iron Man to flee. Now things really couldn't get any worse, except for the "pre-Avengers" Hawkeye breaking into Stark's factory under the orders of the Black Widow. Iron Man rescue Pepper, which buys him some trust from her. Hawkeye escapes, while the Black Widow is taken back to the east side of the Iron Curtain by Sergi Amok for interrogation. It's a pacy early 60's Iron Man fair, but nothing special.

The Web and the Hammer

Stephen M. Jenkins, the Secretary of Marvel Club, Bettws Branch, from Newport, Gwent, points out that on the cover of SMCW #68 featured the murderous Mandarin among the other Marvel characters from the that issue, but the villain didn't appear at all in that comic. His one strongly offered comment was that Shang-Chi shouldn't get star billing on the Avengers weekly and allow the Avengers strip to be the first in that mag. Stephen offers any Marvel readers wanting any missed issues of Avengers, SMCW or MWOM a chance to complete their collection if they contact him at the address given. Maybe the writer of the next letter should get in touch with him. The second letter in this week's The Web and the Hammer is from Jim Kirby RFO, KOF, who has been reading Marvel comics since the days of Power Comics, but he was forced to give them up. Now he has re-started and the new British Marvel mags have helped. He has immediately placed orders for MWOM, SMCW and the Avengers weekly. Recently he has been unable to get hold of MWOM since issue #68. He writes asking if anyone has any of those issues.  

The Mighty Thor “The Wrath of Replicus”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Mighty Thor #141

Cover date June 1967

(Published in April 1967)

A new splash page has been created for this second half of this Slugger Sykes/Replicus adventure. The artwork looks to have been cleverly adapted from the Jack Kirby/Vince Colletta cover from the Mighty Thor #137, with Ulik removed from it, although if you look really closely you can still see lines where the trolls chest and arm would have been. A new title, a catch up text box and a footer credit box are added to complete this opening slash page.

The removal of an unwanted troll isn't the only thing that has been removed from this strip. Panel two of the tenth page, as well as the fourth panel from page eleven and the third panel of page twelve of the original strip have all been removed so that the strip fits into the pages allowed it in this issue of Spider-man Comics Weekly. It doesn't affect the story at all. It's still a rip roaring adventure, as you would expect from a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Thor tale. 

The twist in this tale is two fold. The mysterious scientist who created the unstoppable robot Replicus called Chuda turns out to be an alien whose plan was to distabilise the planet by having an army of robots like Replicus wreak havoc all over the world. Making the planet easier to conquer. Slugger Sykes might not be a flag waving patriot but he wasn't going to let any one make a "patsy" out of him. Even after he gets shot by Chuda he still sabotages the aliens equipment. I love it when someone gets shot in a Kirby comic, boy does the King know how to draw people getting shot, it's not a bullet, it's a blast that rips your clothes to shreds. The second twist is that Slugger Sykes was like a son to Granny Gardenia, possibly even her actual son.

Avengers Weekly #59

This John Buscema cover, originally from the Avengers #46 (US edition), is a cracker and a good call for the CotW, but as I said before John's younger brother wins that award this week. I'm slightly put off with all the floating heads, which kind of make it a bit messy. 

Iron Fist “With the rotting of the soul...”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: Larry Hama

Inker: Dick Giordano

Originally published in Marvel Premiere #18

Cover date October 1974

(Published in July 1974)

This second half opening splash page uses page  sixteen from Marvel Premiere issue eighteen with some slight adjustments. Mainly the inclusion of the Iron Fist panel on the top left, a darkening of the main page snow filled mountain and a new title. With the exception of the new title, which as ever is always necessary for the second half of a split story, the entire page could have and possibly should have, been used. 

The top two panels could have been lowered to make space for a new title without much fuss. We find out that Meachum had attempted to return to civilisation but had blacked out on the fifth day due to the loss of all sensation in his limbs. The daughter of Da Temba, a local farmer had found him and carried him with some sherpas to her father's house where they had to remove his legs due to gangrene setting in. During a period of convalescence a traveling monk pays a visit to his friend Da Temba, bringing tales of the legendary city of K'un-Lun and the immortals who live there. Also they had taken in a young boy whose parents had died on the mountain. A shocked Meachum listens closely. The monk had been escorted through the streets of the city by Yu-Ti, who had shown the boy under the tutelage of Lei Kung as he goes through his martial arts training. The monk was told that the boy was obsessed and may be successful enough to face Shou-Lao the undying Dragon Lord and become the unconquerable Iron Fist. I question some of this, I know some of it has been retconned, but for the sake of argument, it says that K'un-Lun only appears every ten years and by that I imagine it can only be accessed for a day, but Meachum was on the mountain for four days, his recovery could have been a week or so. How did this monk visit K'un-Lun after Danny Rand arrived. Danny had gotten so far into his training that Yu-Ti believed that he would be so successful in such a very short time? I like to imagine that K'un-Lun remains on the mortal world for ten days, or so every ten years, that squares the circle for me. 

So after Meachum tells Danny how and why he had prepared for his coming after ten years of tension and paranoia, spending a fortune on traps and hiring assassins to stop him, he is open to his fate. Iron Fist can't bring himself to hate this corroded shell of a man, let alone take his life for revenge. Danny turns, leaving Meachum to his slow death, just like Meachum left him and his mother to die. Meachum cries after him, saying he wants Iron Fist to kill him. Meachum draws a gun from his desk and takes aim with ten years of guilt rotting away at his soul. He shoots but a ninja star spoils his aim, causing the shot to go wide but still grazes Iron Fist's head. The mysterious Ninja seen over the last two weeks draws his sword and grants Meachum's wish. 

Iron Fist raises through the queasy agony and hears an anguished scream of horror to find Meachum has been silenced forever. The Ninja gone with only his sword in Meachum's chest left as evidence of murder and a hole in the window as an impossible exit some twenty-four floors above the city pavement. At that point Meachum's daughter, Joy, enters the office to see Iron Fist leaning over her father's limp body. She accuses Iron Fist of putting her father through a living hell for ten years and ending it by murdering him in cold blood. No matter what Danny says he can't convince her that he didn't kill her father. She vows to get revenge on Iron Fist. He turns and leaves, knowing exactly what a thirst for vengeance can do to a person.

It's been a great eight weeks of Kung Fu action. In many ways better than the Master of Kung Fu strip, but as this strip was quickly catching up with its original US counterpart it's time for it to take a break, which is a pity, as it'll really get good over the next couple of stories. Kung Fu fans won't have to wait long for their kung fu action, because Shang-Chi returns next week. 

Bullpen Bulletins

"Items of incredible import to illuminate your interest and invigorate your imagination." is the sub-title of this week's Bullpen page. This version only appears in the Avengers weekly as MWOM and SMCW don't feature any Bulletins. Dracula Lives and POTA have their own version as you'll see later. Speaking of those comics the first Item introduces us to the new back-up strip in the second issue of Planet of the Apes. Everyone's favourite jungle lord -Ka-Zar! Who will be starring with Zabu, the sabre-tooth tiger! Item! Writer Gerry Conway may be a new name to British Marvel fans with only the second week of Dracula Lives out that lists him as writer of Dracula and Werewolf by Night, although American readers will be aware of him as writer of Spider-man, Thor and the Fantastic Four. In the next Item the editors want to know out of the two kung fu heroes they would like to see the most, Shang-Chi or Iron Fist. Item! The British department in the America Bullpen has posters of Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill to make them feel part of England, they even have tea breaks too. Item! Tony Isabella attended the World Science Fiction Convention in Washington DC but when he returned home he found that his house had been broken into and two typewriters were stolen but the thief's didn't take other valuables. The Bullpen came to the  conclusion -that the robber was a comic book fan who disliked Tony's work. Item! Awhile back the Bullpen mentioned that Scott Edelman was a lyricist. Well production manager David Cohen not only composes music, but he also teaches it on the side! The final Item reports that the final production editor, James Salicrup, has probably slept little more than a few hours during a lost weekend up at the Marvel offices.

The Avengers “The agony of the anthill!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Avengers #46

Cover date November 1967

(Published in September 1967)

This second half opening splash page uses a flipped image of the cover from the Avengers #46 (US edition) drawn by John Buscema. The floating heads of the Avengers are removed and the Whirlwind's head is flipped and lowered to the bottom of the page. The original title is used this week as it makes more sense. Goliath and the Wasp are trapped inside a red ant nest, have been shrunk by Whirlwind who used one of Hank Pym's devices. Captain America and Quicksilver having just returned to the mansion after having their tennis match rained off. Although in last week's UK edition they were going to watch a baseball game. Maybe the editor thought that British readers wouldn't know what baseball was. If any British readers who are reading this blog still don't know, baseball is like rounders but played by boys.

Goliath and the Wasp manage to beat the red ants and with the help of Goliath's equipment inside the nest Pym builds a new cybernetic helmet to control the ants. They warn Cap and Quicksilver about a time bomb that the Whirlwind has planted in the mansion, allowing Quicksilver to remove it before it blows up. Pietro wonders if Whirlwind is a mutant like him? In later stories it turns out that he is one. Also in this tale Quicksilver's mistrust of humans is brought up a number of times, foreshadowing up-coming stories. It's not the best Thomas/Buscema Avengers story by a long shot. But for a nice couple of minutes read it will do. More interesting stuff next week. 

The Avengers weekly version of the Marvel Charades competition uses the opening splash page from last week's Avengers story, with Captain America moved to the right and flipped around to face the clues. Speaking of clues, here's this weeks Avengers weekly clues:-

Clue 1. My place is in the sky.

Clue 2. A chair helps with my first syllable.

Still confused? Me too. More charades clues in Dracula Lives and the Planet of the Apes comics coming up very soon.

Avengers Readers Assemble

Stephen Jones from Worcestershire agrees with Keith Graham's letter in MWOM #53, in that Marvel shouldn't spend money on trying to put colour into the weeklies, but rather develop more characters towards expanding British Marvel. Stephen also wants to congratulate Marvel on Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu. The writing and artwork on that strip is superb, far surpassing anything published elsewhere. Kenneth Davidson from Glasgow believes anyone who writes in criticising Marvel for stopping the US colour mags deserves sympathy, but in his area he is well supplied with them. Kenneth graciously wants Marvel to award Ewen Menzies a KOF as he recruited him to the wonders of Marvel. Donald Delap from Newcastle wants to brag that he has 98 issues of MWOM, every issue of the Avengers weekly, 71 different US colour Marvel mags, nut sadly only 21 issues of Spider-man Comics Weekly. Graham Parkinson from Yorkshire is fed up with whiting letters that don't get published, yet Marvelites with only a few copies get their letters printed. Well in his letter he brags that he has every issue of SMCW and the Avengers, plus every issue of MWOM from 92 and 100 American Marvels, of which two are number ones. Plus issue 100 of Daredevil.

Simon Connors from London thinks that by removing Iron Man from SMCW and replacing it with ads would earn enough money to pay for Spider-man and Thor to be printed in colour. He does say that the Iron Man strip in SMCW #78 was the best he's seen in ages. He then goes on to critique MWOM and the Avengers weekly. David Joslin from Gloucestershire makes a bold but never-the-less accurate statement that the Avengers is without a doubt the best comic ever written. He and his friends meet every Saturday and read comics in his loft above his stables, which they have carpeted out and furnished it with a set of table and chairs. Joseph Heffeman from Eire thinks the new line up in the Avengers weekly is great but asks the editors to not forget Doctor Strange, as he's marvellous! Wayne Wootton from Staffordshire wants to see MArvel's greatest heroes battle DC greatest heroes. That's a little one sided don't you think, with all of Marvels greatest heroes against a lone Batman!

Doctor Strange “To dream..perchance to die!”

Writer:Roy Thomas 

Artist: Dan Adkins

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Doctor Strange #170

Cover date July 1968

(Published in April 1968)

After the last two weeks retelling of Doctor Strange's origin Steven hears a cry out from the Ancient One as he sleeps. Rushing to his Master's chamber he finds him in some kind of coma, which the Doctor tries to wake him from but is unable to even with an arousal spell. Hamir, the Ancient One's manservant, heard him say, "Nightmare."  Strange tries to enter his masters dreaming mind. But before he can complete his preparations, he is forcibly pulled into the Ancient One's nightmare.

Doctor Strange falls unconsciously to his knees as Hamir gloats that he has won! Removing his robes he reveals he is really Nightmare the evil master of dreams in disguise. Inside the Dream Dimension Doctor Strange finds himself in his astral form facing a pulsating globule that grows closer and closer. 

This story is back on top form with Roy Thomas and Dan Adkins firmly in control of this strip. The artwork is at its psychedelically brilliant once more and the writing in Thomas's hands couldn't be in a better place. Can't wait for next week's conclusion.

The second great issues for Dracula Lives and the Planet of the Apes only get a half page in-house advert in Avengers weekly. But you do get to see more of their covers than you did in the adverts seen in the Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-man Comics Weekly. An Airfix advert for model kits related to "great victories" takes over the other half of this inside back page.  

Dracula Lives #2

This cover was originally used on Tomb of Dracula #2, cover dated May 1972, published February 1972, by John Severin. It looks so much better on the US comic, I'm not completely sure. why but the colouring and print definition doesn't travel across to this UK version. The idea's great, but somehow it fails.

 

Dracula “Dracula shall Live again!”

Writer: Gerry Conway

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Gene Colan

Originally published in Tomb of Dracula #1

Cover date April 1972

(Published in November 1971)

I've 'bigged" up Gene Colan as being one of Marvels greatest artist of action super-heroes and supernatural strips and there's loads of proof supporting that statement, but this second half opening splash page goes against that point. It's the last panel from last week's Dracula strip, blown up to show too much of the fine and maybe rough pencil lines. You can put that down to the magnification, as for the roughness of the rest of this week's strip I firmly put that down to the poor use of tones. It almost looks like a different artist did last week's Dracula.

But saying all that the story and the artwork still has enough quality to reach through the heavy tones to tell a great horror story that's a perfect read for any dark night or even a special Halloween night. Stupidly Clifton Graves removes a stake from the lifeless skeleton of Dracula. An ancient mist starts to knit together the dusty ash, forming flesh on the bear bones until the Lord of the undead rises again. Graves tries to stop Dracula but he is over-powered. Dracula needs fresh blood and goes in search of fresh victims. Confronting Jeanie the Count hypnotises her, but still weak he is fought off by Frank Drake. Later in the village he finds the barmaid and drinks her blood deeply. Dracula returns to take Jeanie's blood. Frank is ready for him but the vampire throws him to one side, but while asleep Frank had made Jeanie wear a silver cross around her neck. Dracula commands her to remove it. The villagers raid the castle causing Dracula to flee. Frank carries Jeanie out of the burning castle only to fine that Dracula had already tasted her blood, passing on the demon's curse, turning her into a vampire.

Dracula Lives first Bullpen Bulletin page welcomes you "to the wonderful world of Marvel madness!" But it's a short bulletin,  with only Stan's Soapbox and an in-house advert for the three Marvel super-hero weeklies. This page is also repeated in the Planet of the Apes. Stan welcomes readers to the second issue of DL and POTA. He says for months the growing louder Voice of Marveldom Assembled has been demanding a new mag. So instead of one new mag they bring out two. He spares no details of the seven-day week they've been working or the countless sleepless nights. However he must confess that they've enjoyed every hectic moment of it. In a message directed at new readers to Mighty Marveldom,  he says that these columns, known everywhere as the Batty Bullpen. This is where you can get to know who are the people behind the comics, rather than just credits themselves, as well as some of the whys and wherefores of the comic business. Stan asks every Marvelite to "Stay with us. tigers. You may not have been with us thus far, but the best is yet to be!" 

Werewolf by Night “Wolf vs wolf!”

Writer: Roy Thomas, Jean Thomas and Gerry Conway

Artist: Mike Ploog

Inker: Mike Ploog

Originally published in Marvel Spotlight #2

Cover date February 1972

(Published in September 1971)

Again like Dracula it's another blown up panel that opens the second half of Werewolf by Night. The third panel from last week's page 19 to be precise. The artwork holds fairly well to the magnification, but who ever completed the full moon has done a terrible job, it looks like an egg and what are those markings around the edge? Continued from last week as the second night of the full moon rose, Jack flees along a beach as pain surges through him while his body  transforms into the Werewolf.

Almost on auto pilot Jack's human personality sits at the back of the Werewolf's consciousness, with the wolf's instincts taking over. After rumours of a roving pack of wild dogs hunting in Los Angeles the Werewolf's heighten senses pick up a lone wolf. Instinctively, the Werewolf finds himself drawn to a beach-house. He smashes through a patio door where he finds a growling guard dog, or is it the lone wolf or just a rabid dog? It isn't clear but the two beast attack each other. The Werewolf struggles with the beast for several minutes before hurling itself and it outside, shattering a window in the process. Still struggling with the rabid creature the Werewolf rolls with it, throwing the beast over a cliff to the sea below. The Werewolf howls at the moon before making his way homeward. As the hours before dawn approach remnants of Jack's personality stares down at the water and begins to realise that he hadn't dreamed of being a werewolf the night before. He truly was a werewolf. As the sun rises Philip Russell finds his step-son, half naked on the beach near their home. "The secret of the curse!" next week.

Marvel charades even goes as far as Dracula Lives chilling pages with another two clues to the mysterious word that gives you a chance of winning one of two colour TV's or one of ten LPs narrated by Christopher Lee, the record "The Spine-Chilling Tale of Vampirism!" is courtesy of E.M.I./Studio 2/Hammer City Records. Here are this week's two clues:-

Clue 1. Around and around the world in far less than eighty days.

Clue 2. There are three letters in my first syllable.

Two more clues this week can be found in Planet of the Apes.

Frankenstein’s Monster “The monster lives!”

Writer: Gary Friedrich

Artist: Mike Ploog

Inker: Mike Ploog 

Originally published in The Monster of Frankenstein #1

Cover date January 1973

(Published in October 1972)

Now this second part makes great use of the original Mike Ploog cover from the Monster of Frankenstein #1 as the opening splash page this week. Much more pleasing than a blown up panel. Thinking he had failed to create new life with his patchwork monster, Doctor Frankenstein believes it's a dream that the creature walks, but soon the reality of it all becomes a nightmare.  

Victor tries to fight the monster but has to flee. Later Victor receives news from home that his brother William has been murdered.and that his father's young ward, Justine Moritz was responsible. Victor can't believe that she would do so as the constant spectre of the creature he created haunts his every waking moment. Filled with remorse Victor takes solace with  a trip into the snow filled landscape. But the Monster follows him and at his campfire the creature declares his creator must die! 

Back in 1898 Captain Robert Walton is relating those events to a young cabin boy onboard a sailing ship that had found the Monster encased in ice. But before he can continue telling his tale, the rough weather means all hands are needed on deck. The mast of the ship becomes heavy from the frost and topples over. The ship begins rocking back and forth. The superstitious crew believe that the body they found in ice is a bad omen and it must be released back to the icy waters. As the Captain holds no truth in superstitious nonsense he refuses, but this ignites mutiny amongst the crew. 

The rough seas knock a lantern over  causing a fire to erupt in the cargo hold where the creature is contained. The ice around him begins to melt and its hand begins to move!

Dracula maybe the star of this comic, but Frankenstein's Monster is by far the best written and best drawn story. The softer use of tones helps greatly, but the core story telling wins the reader over. Its placement at the rear of the comic was a clever way of keeping readers interested enough to come back next week for more.

 The inside back page re-uses last week's advert for Planet of the Apes, but this time shown in black and white. Issue one's cover was still used but instead of a text circle advertising a "free colour apes poster inside!" the text inside of that circle reads "As seen on T.V." pushing that fact that 13 of the 14  ITV companies had started to broadcast the CBS made Planet of the Apes TV series in the United Kingdom every Sunday from 13 October 1974, until 18 January 1975. Meaning that there was a ready audience for the mag. The only region that never broadcasted the series at that time was Scottish Television (STV). So those north of the border might have wondered what the hype was about, but at least they still got to read the mag if they were smart enough to buy it. If they didn't up next is what they were missing. 

Planet of the Apes #2

I don't and I won't create a Worst Cover of the Week award, but if I did, this would win it. It's by Ed Hannigan (pencils) with Frank Giacoia adding the inks. I imagine it had to be rushed to hit the deadline as the cover from the Marvel/Curtis magazine Planet of the Apes (US version) had already been used for issue one of the weekly. They could have used the US magazine issue one for this weekly but that was used as the free poster give away with the first issue. I would have been fine with using it again as Bob Larkin's painted art is just cool!

Planet of the Apes “Chapter two: World of captive humans”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: George Tuska

Inker: Mike Esposito

Originally published in Planet of the Apes #2

Cover date October 1974

(Published in August 1974)

The astronaut Taylor has suffered a throat injury while being hunted by a group of gorillas on horse back. Unable to speak the wounded man is rounded up with other captured humans by the gorilla hunters and taken to a hospital, or sorts, in an Ape City for treatment. 

Only recovering for a moment Taylor assesses the situation, concluding that on this planet humans are the prey, while apes are the predators, who hunt them for sport, as one gorilla has his photo taken with a killed human. The loss of blood is too much to bear and the wounded astronaut slips back into unconsciousness. In the horse pulled cart a future companion watches the strange man. Later she will be named Nova. 

Taylor's injury is seen to by a veterinarian, but he is still rendered mute. The apes in the animal hospital don't realise that he's different from the other mute primitives. Doctor Zira, an animal psychologist wants to examine Taylor closely, placing him in a cage a with a female human. Taylor watches as Zira converses with her assistant, Dr. Galen. It seems out of the dominant simian species, Chimpanzees make up the scientific class, while gorillas represent the city's military. Taylor tries to communicate with Zira but is beaten back when he tries to get hold of Zira's pen and note pad by a hospital orderly. Doctor Zaius an orangutang who is the city's leader arrives. Zira tries to convince him that Taylor has shown signs of intelligence, but he disagrees with her theory completely. 

Gullivar Jones “Warriors of Mars”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Gil Kane

Inker: Bill Everett

Originally published in Creatures on the Loose #16

Cover date March 1972

(Published in December 1971)

Gullivar Jones story has been adapted from the novel  Lt. Gullivar Jones, originally written by Edwin L. Arnold. I must confess I wasn't aware of the character or the writer and kind of thought that Gullivar Jones was a rip off from the Edgar Rice Burroughs character  John Carter. In fact the Gullivar Jones character may have been the inspiration for Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series, which was written six years later. In 1917 Burroughs wrote "A Princess of Mars" in which the character of John Carter first appeared was some twelve years after Arnold created Jones.

Arnold had an interesting life, born in Kent, the son of Sir Edwin Arnold, he spent most of his childhood in India, but later returning to England to study agriculture and ornithology. In 1883 he became a journalist. His first book "A Holiday in Scandinavia" was published in 1877, his second "Bird Life in England" was published ten years later in 1887, while his first novel "The Wonderful Adventures of Phra the Phoenician" was published in 24 parts in the prestigious Illustrated London News. Later it was collected in book form in the US and the UK. This Marvel version of Gullivar Jones by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane was probably a reaction to DC gaining the rights to publish Burroughs' "John Carter" at that time. Thomas moved the Jones character on, making him an Viet Nam veteran. Kane's wonderful fantasy artwork is perfect for these stories. Making this story a surprise favourite of mine. Jones encounters a dying stranger who sends him through time and space to Mars one billion years in the past, with a gift of an amulet that allows Jones to communicate with the Martians he encounters. Jones finds he's stronger and faster than he was on Earth. This story might not be what you expected as a back-up strip for POTA but it nicely matches the sci-fi fantasy remit of the comic.

The artwork for the Planet of the Apes "Play Charades with Marvel and win a colour T.V." competition is taken from the Terror on the Planet of the Apes series from the Marvel/Curtis magazine #1 cover dated August 1974, published June 1974. It was drawn by Mike Ploog, in the original panel the two apes behind the Lawgiver were both on the right-hand side of the panel. Readers of Planet of the Apes will have to wait till issue twelve to see that story, which would see print in the UK on the week ending 11th January 1975. As for this week's mag's charade clues here they are:-

Clue 1. I'm close to stardom.

Clue 2. My first syllable starts with the sound of the scale.

Next week there'll be another pair of clues in each of the five British Marvel weeklies.

Ka-Zar “The power of Ka-Zar!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Sam Grainger

Originally published in Astonishing Tales #1

Cover date August 1970

(Published in May 1970)

Keeping up with the jungle/savage action remit of this comic we get a Savage Jungle action story courtesy of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. "The Power of Ka-Zar" now that's a great title, I wonder where I've heard that before? With the Fantastic Four, the Inhumans in Amazing Adventures and Astonishing Tales featuring Ka-Zar Jack was on his last thread of patience with the powers that be at Marvel. Some say he wasn't on talking terms with Stan at this point. Mark Evanier in his book "Kirby King of Comics" describes that Jack, as 1970 approached Kirby's contract at Marvel had expired, everyone at Marvel was just too busy to address the need for a new contract. By early January 1970 one finally arrived, needing Jack to sign it. Jack refused to sign, New lawyers at Marvel had offered "no raise, no credit, not even any security." A lawyer or exec from Perfect Film/Marvel (the company that Martin Goodman had sold the rights to,) called Jack up and asked if he'd received the new contract? When Jack told him he had but it needed changing, the lawyer/exec replied "there would be no change: take it or leave it, sign it or get out." The next couple of strips in those three comics would be his last for Marvel for a while. He did as the caller suggested, he got out.

 You can see from this page how much Kirby's style was changing. It's still Marvel Kirby at heart but some of it looks very much like the artwork he would be know for when he left for Marvel and worked at DC. When he did return to Marvel later in the mid 1970's  some of that style returned with him. The Jungle scene seen here on the left bear a resemblance to his Black Panther and his Devil Dinosaur work. I do have a soft spot for his later Marvel work on those strips as well as Captain America and 2001, but I have to wonder was the King of Comics becoming a dinosaur himself, when you looked at the new run of new artists like Neil Adams, Barry Windsor Smith, Jim Steranko, Jim Starlin, Paul Gulacy, John Byrne and George Perez or the older but still great John Romita Sr, John Buscma and his brother Sal? Sometimes in the cold light of day I think so. Then other times I say no, he's still the King of Comics.

This tale is one of those times when I see the wonderment that was a Jack Kirby strip. Kraven the Hunter plans to capture Ka-Zar's sabre-toothed companion Zabu. The Spider-man villain travels to the Savage Land trapping Ka-Zar in a pit and takes Zabu as a captured trophy. Ka-Zar climbs out of the pit but he's too late to stop Kraven and his men loading the cages sabre-tooth tiger onto a helicopter and then on to an awaiting ship out at sea. Ka-Zar swims as the ship prepares to set sail, allowing the savage hero time to climb the anchor chain to free Zabu. However Kraven stops him before he can finish the task, using knock out gas to subdue the savage, then dumps him over board. Two passing aircraft see Ka-Zar's body adrift in the ocean, dropping a life-raft for him. This page reminds me of a page from one of Kirby's DC strips, "Kamandi, the lost boy of Earth" from issue one, dated October 1971. Ka-Zar travels to New York City's concrete jungle in the hope that he can confront Kraven and free Zabu. More next week.

Planet of the Apes returns the compliment that Dracula Lives gave to it, when it showed an in-house advert for POTA, by also having an advert for Dracula Lives within it's pages. It uses the Dracula image from last week's free poster and has this week's second issue on top of it. A timely piece of advertising as this week's issue comes out over the Halloween week. And what better way to spend Halloween than read some great horror comics. 

That's what I'm going to do after I've finished this blog.  

One last image before I do that, both Dracula Lives and Planet of the Apes feature on their back page this Standard Fireworks advert/fireworks code warning. The Mighty World of Marvel, Spider-man Comics Weekly and the Avengers weekly didn't. Maybe they thought that it should be aimed at older readers. 

Anyway stay safe this Halloween, don't mess about with fireworks and do read some great horror comics.

Now were did I put those "This Comic is Haunted" mags from The77 that I haven't yet read? Till next week...

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.