Good Lord! What wonderful comics!

 Week Ending 17th May 1975

For those who wondered why last week's posting of the "Week Ending..." blog was late, well it was due to a busy weekend that started with a trip to the cinema to watch the Thunderbolts*, or * the New Avengers if you like. Well it's not a spoiler it's on the trailers and billboards now! That was followed by a trip to Manchester on the Saturday to see what International Free Comic Day had to offer, there are some nice titles but I'm not sure how much of them will tickle my comic reading bones. What did tickle my comic addiction and stretched my wallet was the Golden Orbit Comic Mart in the city. A massive stash of 70's and 80's colour Marvel mags came home with me. Many that I've already read in the British Marvel weeklies, but it would have been rude not to have them. The May Day bank holiday offered me an excuse to take my time at finishing the blog later than I would normally. Normal service, or as normal as I can manage it, is resumed. So let's take a trip back fifty years to these wonderful weeklies. 

The Mighty World of Marvel #137

Herb Trimpes's artwork for the Incredible Hulk #153 gets reused as the cover of this week's MWOM with John Severin supplying the inks. It's a fine cover but if I'm being honest nothing to write about.

The Incredible Hulk “The world, my jury!”

Writer: Gary Friedrich and Roy Thomas

Artist: Dick Ayers and Herb Trimpe

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in The Incredible Hulk #153

Cover date July 1972

(Published in April 1972)

This week's story opens with the Hulk facing a trial, bound and gagged to the witness chair, which lasts as a teaser of events to come as the next page shifts to a flashback to the Hulk's rampage across the landing strip at JFK International Airport, with the Fantastic Four trying to contain him. Dick Ayers artwork even with Herb Trimpe finishing his layouts hasn't improved from last week's strip, the whole fight scene is very blocky and rough. Watching the battle unfold is J. Jonah Jameson who barks orders at photographer Peter Parker to take pictures. However, Peter slips away to change into Spider-man. But he's not the only super-hero there, as Matt Murdock changes into Daredevil and joins the fight. 

Daredevil rushes towards the Hulk as the Human Torch creates a blinding flash of light that temporarily distracts the Hulk long enough to allow the Thing to grapple with the green goliath. All giving Mister Fantastic time to put the finishing touches to a "Nega-Gamma" rifle that when complete he brandishes against the gamma spawned monster. Firing an excessive dose of concentrated Gamma radiation which overwhelms him in a force that sends him crashing towards the ground, unconscious. SHEILD agents bound the beast and transport him to a triple-layered titanium steel containment pod designed by Tony Stark. Murdock prepares a legal defence case for Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Days later the proceedings are brought forward due to the possible danger in keeping the supposed green menace confined. The trial continues next week. 

The Mighty Marvel Mailbag

Christopher Philips KOF, RFO from Staffordshire has been collecting both British and American Marvel comics for over six years, his favourite superheroes are the X-Men, but unfortunately very few are available in the UK, so he would like to see them feature in their own comic. Never fear the Super-heroes are here. Peter Adlon-Fionn Conn has been using his university grant to supplement his comic needs by buying colour American as well as black and white British Marvel mags. Peter takes Stan Lee to task for his incorrect use of "Avalon" in the Fantastic Four story from MWOM #118. Peter gives some great knowledge about the legendary isle. Peter also points out inconsistencies between the Sphinx in the Hulk tale from that issue and its appearance as Rama-Tut's Time Machine in the Fantastic Four story from MWOM #42. John Carter from Coventry writes that his first letter was about the lost land of Lyonesse and Conan and his second was about the greatest fantasy writer ever, Professor J R

R Tolkien. But neither got printed. Third time lucky with this one which pleads with Marvel to print letters that are more intelligently written than the letters they have been printing of late.

Daredevil “The living prison!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Frank Giacoia 

Originally published in Daredevil #38

Cover date March 1968

(Published in January 1968)

Now there seems to have been a jump in continuity from last week's ending, which isn't directly explained in this week's full length episode. The reason for this is the final page from Daredevil issue 37 doesn't get printed in last week's Mighty World of Marvel, which ended with a plexiglass cylinder dropping over Daredevil as he fights Doctor Doom in the Latverian Embassy. The missing page sees an identical cylinder slide over Doom and a "Body Transferral Ray" transform one into the other. Wouldn't a mind transferral be more easily explained? The Fantastic Four get a "Guest starring" credit at the bottom of the page, this was unique to the Mighty World of Marvel as it didn't appear in the original US comic, I guess it was a sneaky way of keeping Fantastic Four fans happy. 

Daredevil, trapped in Doctor Doom's body and locked away in a cell is powerless to stop Doom, in DD's body, from seeking revenge on the Fantastic Four. Until he tricks the guards into thinking he's really their master. DD tries to warn the FF, but when this fails he sets Doom's guards to attack "Daredevil". However like a theatrical farce that plan backfires when the real Doctor convinces his men who he really is. He then orders them to attack the imposter. Our hero using Doom's diplomatic immunity he has the local police arrest them. The only way Daredevil can stop Doom is to warn the FF. Elsewhere, Foggy prepares for his date with Debbie Harris when he spots her talking to Daredevil, who is of course Doctor Doom, who pushes her away. Foggy unaware of this overcomplicated plot gets mad at the way Debbie is treated. The real Daredevil tells Doom he has ordered the Latverian army to attack all other countries on its boarders. It's a dangerous move but it does make Doom in Daredevil's body, return to his embassy and reverses the process to stop his country from starting war. Back in his own body, Daredevil destroys Doctor Doom's machine. Doom concedes defeat and allows Daredevil to go free. One final twist comes as Doom, using a voice modulator imitates DD's voice to warn the FF that Doctor Doom plans to attack them once more disguised as Daredevil. I hope you're following all that, because Stan continues this corny plot line with next week's full length Fantastic Four epic with guest appearances from the mighty Thor and the amazing Spider-man! 

This inside back page offers two in-house adverts amongst the paid for adverts. A half page advert for the Super-Heroes title, focuses on the Silver Surfer, a wise choice as Fantastic Four fans who regularly pick up the Mighty World of Marvel would probably be interested in the cosmic hero's adventure, if they weren't interested already. The smaller of the two in-house adverts asks "Could it be true? Spider-man..the killer!" a question that would take all intrigued readers back to their local newsagents to pick up the latest copy of Spider-man Comics Weekly. This important event probably deserves a larger column space than it was given.

This Spider-man patch offer features on all of the British Marvel weeklies back covers in one form or another, but only the blue back ground appears on this comic and on this week's Spider-man Comics Weekly. It was for a limited edition sew on patch, seven times bigger than other regular Marvel patches, which would be easy to imagine as the size of the weekly comic, that's eleven inches by eight inches. For only one pound, that includes postage, packaging and VAT, that's great value if you like that sort of thing and in the 70's lots of people did. Each patch would get it's own unique number, as they planned to only screen print one thousand of them they offered the readers a chance to pick the number, with the first twenty applicants having their names drawn from a hat for numbers one up to twenty. As an added bonus they would also get their names printed in the mags. The choice of art for the patch was Spider-man Comics Weekly #88, published the week ending the 19th of October 1974. This original British Marvel cover was drawn by Sal Buscema with Frank Giacoia inking the final artwork. A splendid choice for the first of these.  
  

Spider-man Comics Weekly #118

The Gil Kane cover from the Amazing Spider-man #90 is used for the web-slinger's British weekly without any changes. It really doesn't need any, it's smart, dramatic and eye-catching. I think my younger self would want more action, he'll learn, action isn't everything. John Romita Sr. supplies the inks.

Spider-man “And death shall come!”

 

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gil Kane

Inker: John Romita Sr.

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #90

Cover date November 1970

(Published in August 1970)

This second part story uses page eleven of last week's issue, with the centre circle panel from that page, which featured the "Spider-signal" image, removed and replaced with a new title. The speech bubbles from the first panel are removed as re-cap boxes are added and Spidey's speech bubble from the bottom left panel is lowered to make room for the new title. All in all a clever re-use of the page. This montage of panels and those from the page that follows, show Spider-man scouring the city in search of Doctor Octopus. 

Soon he picks up the signal from his Spider-Tracer,  coming from a nearby window. Doctor Octopus has discovered the Spider-Tracer and placed it inside the room as a trap, that as soon as Spidey falls for it he launches a surprise attack. The battles take's them to the rooftops where Spider-man manages to spray his enemy's tentacles, which with the added chemicals to its formula causes them to flail around, out of Doc Ock's control. The appendages turn on their human host. Spider-man is not out of danger either, as the mechanical arms smash a nearby chimney, causing bricks to rain down on the crowd below. 

Beneath the falling debris Spider-man sees a small child, but he is too far to do anything about it. At that moment Captain Stacy pushes the child out of danger. But is doing so the rubble's target is the good Captain. Shocked in seeing that, Spider-man rushes to George's aid, digging his body out off the masonry with his bear hands. Still alive but weak, Spider-man finds a faint pulse. Stacy says he's done for, but the web-slinger isn't having any of that and lifts Captain Stacy's injured body into his arms, racing up a walk with his limp form in desperate hope of getting him to hospital as quickly has he can. That panel shows the scene from the cover of the comic but now we can clearly see it's Captain Stacy in Spider-man's arms. The watching public blame our hero for the unfortunate Captain's death. However, George has been fatally wounded, but he's not dead yet.  

On the rooftops he tells Spider-man it is hopeless to take him any further. With so little time he asks the web-slinger to listen to him. His final words to Spidey are after he is gone there will be no-one to look after Gwen. No one except Peter, except him. This revelation that he knows who he really is shocks the wall-crawler. His dying wish is that he should always be good to his daughter as she loves him very much. Peter is horrified at losing George in much a similar tragic way as he lost his Uncle Ben. He wonders how he can ever reveal the truth about his double identity to Gwen once she finds out that he is responsible for the death of her father. This final page is wonderfully set out with credits going to Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. for perfectly pitching the artwork and to Stan Lee for beautifully matching the tear jerking dialogue. As such as many play down Lee's participation in these classic tales, I will never deny that he knew what worked and how to write it. He was The Man! As Stacy dies the reader's point of view is pulled away from this personal moment. It's one of those stories that deserves to be called a masterpiece.

The Web and the Hammer

Duncan Philips from New College Oxford offers David Ewen, whose letter was printed in SMCW #103, a lesson in physics as a student of the subject. Amazing as it sounds, as far as the Surfer is concerned, the faster he goes, the slower his time runs. and at the speed of light it would stop altogether, so he could go anywhere without getting any older. However the trip of 27 light years as David mentions would still seem to take 27 years to us who stayed-at-home. Patrick Hedge from Harrogate lists his favourite artists for different strips, John Romita and Jim Mooney for Spider-man. John Buscema for The Avengers. Herb Trimpe for the Hulk, Bob Brown or Gene Colan for Daredevil, Don Heck for Iron Man and Jack Kirby for the Fantastic Four. Jayson Lowery from Northumberland takes us through his weekly comic reading routine. 

Iron Man “Into the jaws of death”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Jack Abel

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #85

Cover date January 1967

(Published in October 1966)

 

Last week Happy Hogan was posing as Iron Man in order to protect Tony Stark's secret identity, when suddenly the Mandarin kidnaps him by teleporting him to the villains secret lair. The oriental villain had been listening in to Stark's hospital room and believed that Happy was really Iron Man. The Mandarin easily defeats the inexperienced stand in. 

Back in the States, Tony discharges himself from the hospital and returns to Stark Industries where he builds himself a new, more powerful suit of armour. As throughout his time as Iron Man Stark has constantly set up improvements to his armour, which comes at a perfect time to rescue his friend, but to do that he must first get to the Mandarin's lair, so that's sorted by the use of Stark's missile development centre's new rocket. Iron Man launches himself towards the Mandarin's castle. Upon landing the Golden Avenger fights his way into the castle's dungeon just before the Mandarin can execute Happy.

The Mighty Thor “Madness is the Mangog!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Mighty Thor #155

Cover date August 1968

(Published in June 1968)

Page fifteen of the original US comic is cut down slightly and re-used as this week's second half opening page, with a new title added to the top and a credit box also added. The Mangog continues his travels toward the city of Asgard with the aim of getting revenge on Odin for imprisoning him. Witnessing the battle from the palace, Thor decides that he cannot wait any longer and must confront Mangog. 

Loki cowers at the prospect and refuses to go with him. Thor visits his slumbering father, before setting off to defend the kingdom. Thor tracks down Mangog by following his trail of destruction, meeting the dregs of Asgardian army that failed to stop Mangog, Eventually he finds the Warriors Three who have been trapped in a stone prison following an unsuccessful attack on Mangog. Unable to free his friends as behind him he hears the muffled footsteps of the giant brute. Mangog grabs him the son of Odin in his pincer like claws. Thor is unable to break the monster's grip having completely underestimated Mangog's super-strength. Continued-eth next week!

Avengers Weekly #87

Now I really like this cover, originally from the Sub-Mariner Volume 2 issue 22. Drawn by Marie Severin, who can really draw, it mixes "cemetery at night" horror with super-hero action. Is Doctor Strange haunting Namor? Well you'll have to buy it and see! The idol of the Undying Ones in the original was coloured green and yellow, which I think works better than the golden "British" version. A nice touch is the names on the gravestone, "Severin Giacoia 1969", obviously Frank Giacoia inked Marie Severin's art.   

Master of Kung Fu “Crucible of deceit”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: Paul Gulacy

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in Giant-size Master of Kung Fu #3

Cover date March 1975

(Published in December 1974)

This third part opening splash page uses the cover artwork from Giant-size Master of Kung Fu issue three by Gil Kane (pencils,) and Joe Sinnott (inks.). It wasn't really necessary to use that piece of artwork because the following page was the splash page from the third chapter that contained the choice of title for this week strip. I really feel that this was a wrong choice as it didn't connect well in the continuity of the story, readers must have been very confused at seeing the assassins crash through a window to fight Shang-Chi... 

...When the next page they the three members of the Phansigar cult sneak up on an English police officer who is guarding an old curiosity shop, following orders from his superiors in Scotland Yard. A bola chokes the life out of him as it tightens around his neck. Breaking into the shop the three Phansigars search for a mysterious unknown object. From behind the locked front door, a figure stands with a coat, scarf and a hat, covering his identity. The muffled figure says only, "Stop." One assassin creeps up to the door, revolver ready in his hand. Suddenly a fist punches through the door, stunning the Phansigar hiding behind it. 

Shang-Chi drops his disguise and goes after the other assassins in fighting scene choreographed from a classic kung fu movie. Disarming the two swords men of their weapons, Shang-Chi pins the remaining assassin to the wall with their swords. The final assassin sneaks behind Shang-Chi but the Chinaman throws him through the window knocking the dead police man off the railing to the floor. The pined down assassin tries to break free, but Shang-Chi punches him unconscious. Outside Shang-Chi finds the police mans wallet with a picture of his wife, son and daughter inside of it. Smith wants someone to interrogate. Shang-Chi returns the wallet to the officer's body and drags the surviving Phansigar away as Shang-Chi too also would have word with the assassin.

Avengers Unite!

Gareth Green from Lancashire thinks that the new Super-Heroes mag strips, Silver Surfer and the X-Men are fantastic and the poster was absolutely out of this world! In the Avengers weekly he thinks that all the Kung Fu spoils a great comic, to which he would like to see a new comic that could feature Shang-Chi, Iron Fist and The Sons of The Tiger, so dissolving any need for them to be in the Avengers as well. Gareth has spotted that the US Doctor Strange could soon be running out and the Defenders would make a great replacement. Wing Lane forgives Marvel for the anti-communist stories seen in Iron Man and the Avengers like the Sons of The Serpents saga, because in the 60's anti-communism was popular, But, in Avengers weekly #76 the Son of the Tigers from the 70's showed similar trends. Wing says he isn't a fan of communism but he does put forward the history of the political movement. The editor puts forward their view on it all by including of all people "Mike Yarwood"! Thomas TimLin RFO, KOF from Liverpool enjoyed the Avengers fighting the Avengers and also the team's appearance in Doctor Strange all seen in Avengers weekly #78. Thomas has a "pop" at Jim Ivers and the readers who like his letters, but for Thomas he doesn't like how Jim "babbles" about other things except Marvel. That's going to stir things up a bit. Keep reading the letter pages for the fireworks. The last column of this letter page informs the readers that there are no more back issues for sale as the recent increase in postal costs, and the difficulty of keeping adequate stocks of the hundreds of titles Marvel have produced in England, it is simply too costly in time and money to keep up the service.

The Avengers “Who is Yellowjacket?”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: George Klein

Originally published in The Avengers #59

Cover date December 1968

(Published in October 1968)

This week's second part uses panels from last week story, the second panel from page nineteen, with a new title, credits and a re-cap box, with panels three and four from page twenty-one, again from last week's issue. It looks cheap but it does function well. These panels and the pages that follow tell from Yellowjacket's point of view, how he defeated Goliath and shrunk him down to the size of an ant and how he abandoned him to the aggressive clutches of a spider. Yellowjacket concludes his tale by saying the last time he saw Goliath he was stuck on a spider's web.

Enraged the Avengers attack, but Yellowjacket is able to fight them off long enough to grab the Wasp and escape. He takes the Wasp to his hideout, a miniature base that is up in a tree. Yellowjacket boasts how they will never find Goliath, and forces the Wasp to kiss him. Suddenly he decides to let the Wasp go. Later the Wasp's homing device begins to operate as the Avengers search the city, leading them to the City Hall where the Wasp and Yellowjacket have just exited. The Panther attacks the Yellowjacket, but the Wasp stops them, telling the group that she is going to be married. So next week you are cordially invited to "the Wedding!" 

There must have been a number of pages spare this week only a short chapter being used in the Master of Kung Fu story and multiple pages and panels missing from the Doctor Strange story as we'll see. Those spare pages don't go to waste as the Super-Heroes, Savage Sword of Conan. Planet of the Apes and Dracula Lives each get a half page in house advert. All of which have been seen previously. 

Another page is used to advertise the Master of Kung Fu. Some might consider it a pin-up page. I imagine that it originally appeared in the Marvel/Curtis Magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Not sure which and who by. Answers will be appreciated, send them through the usual means. 

Doctor Strange “The mystic and the monarch!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: Johnny Graig

Originally published in Sub-Mariner Vol 2 #22

Cover date February 1970

(Published in November 1969)

Panels form the Sub-Mariner comic, issue 22 are repurposed to make the opening page of this Doctor Strange story, missing out many panels that relate to Namor's previous adventures. Panel four from page two, panels three, five and six from page three are used with the original title, "The monarch and the mystic!" switched to read "The mystic and the monarch!" to fit in with, which for British readers is Doctor Strange's strip. Doctor Strange enters Namor's dreams telepathically, to who ask for his aid in stopping the Undying Ones, demons from another dimension who centuries ago once ruled over man, until man defeated them.

The Sub-Mariner agrees to aid Strange and travels to Boston. Searching the city Namor is lead by a mystical force to Kenneth Ward's house, where he is greeted by someone claiming to be Ward's daughter Joella. Strange mentally instructs his ally to search Ward's study. The place has been trashed with furniture and paintings slashed as if by a demon's claws. Suddenly Namor is attacked by a lion-like demon. After defeating it the Sub-Mariner discovers Joella on the floor outside the study.  Behind a portrait of Joel's grandmother they discover a clue that leads them to the nearby cemetery, where in they are lead to a statue of John Goodwin, who was the judge at the Boston Witch Trials. Namor lifts the statue revealing the idol of the Undying Ones beneath it. Doctor Strange appears and takes possession of the idol. He then reveals that the girl named Joella Ward is really the demon who attacked Namor earlier. More will be revealed next week.

Another Marvel Comic Mart, I wouldn't send of to any of the offers, because by now I imagine that most of them would have been bought, sold or swapped by now. 

This yellow backgrounded Spidey Cover Patch advert variant appears on the back pages of the Avengers weekly, Dracula Lives, Planet of the Apes, the Super-Heroes and the Savage Sword of Conan. It was a brave choice to use a British cover and not an original US cover for this Spider-man patch as you sort of limit the area where you can sell it to. But well done anyway. 

Dracula Lives #30

This is an original cover made just for this weekly by artist Ron Wilson and inker Mike Esposito. I have to give credit it's quite good. It does bear some similarities with the Marvel/Curtis Magazine Dracula Lives (US) issue 13 by Earl Norem, cover dated July 1975, published 1st May 1975. In that one Dracula is descending on a kissing couple, while here the Lord of the undead is attacking a mugger and his female victim, almost like a hero would. As that seen appears in this week's story I imagine that Ron didn't copy Norem. Dracula does stop the attacker, but (spoilers,) he's no hero, the girl has gone from one terrible encounter to another. 

Dracula “To kill a vampire!”

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Tom Palmer

Originally published in Tomb of Dracula #13

Cover date October 1973

(Published in July 1973)

Events follow on from last week's issue that saw Quincy Harker forced to kill his own daughter after Dracula has turned her into a vampire. While Harker mourns the loss of his daughter, Frank Drake is furious and turns his anger towards Blade. Blade's bluntness is easily explained later. Quincy tells him that there is no time for loss nor a funeral as Edith's body will be cremated, following the vampire slayers usual procedure. Meanwhile in another part of London a man named Skinnee forces himself on a woman named Cecile Parker. Dracula interrupts the attempted rape and kills the rapist. Then using his hypnotic powers on Cecile, the Vampire Lord feeds on her, not killing her, instead satisfied that he can summon her as his slave whenever he chooses.  

Meanwhile at the Scotland Yard morgue, a man named Mister Lo has bribed Mister Toomy, the morgue official, to allow him to examine the recently deceased body of Lucas Brand, who had been transformed into a vampire by Dracula and was kill by Jason Faust as seen in Dracula Lives #23. Mister Lo secretly works for the mysterious Doctor Sun who requires Toomy's silence. But it's not the bribe that guarantees that, but a bullet. Mister Lo and his associates remove Brand's body and all trace of their involvement.  After Edith's cremation, Blade confides in the other vampire hunters, explaining that he began hunting vampires so that he can get revenge on the vampire that murdered his mother while she was pregnant with him. There had been complications that required a doctor during his birth. Unknown to all the doctor was really a vampire. As she gave birth the vampire fed upon her, killing her in the process. His mother's friends burst into the room, as the vampire fled through the window leaving them to complete the child's delivery. Blade tells the other vampire slayers that they should not have the moral high ground to preach about mourning those who died at the hands of vampires. There's lots of horror in Marvel's horror strips but they certainly didn't pull any punches with the attempted rape scene, nor the murder of Blades mother during his birth, although that scene is heavily hinted at and seen in dark shadow. 

Cryptic Correspondance

Jim Charlton from Northumberland writes that Dracula Lives is a master-piece, with a line up that couldn't have been better picked for a horror mag. He concedes that there could be problems with scripting a Dracula story. Since Dracula is the villain, you can't kill him or the story is finished. Nor can you kill "Harker's Heroes" because the story would lose its point. So a sort of "Perils of Pauline" effect is produced, where something dramatic happens at the end of each story, only to be explained simply at the start of the next issue. P Russell from County Antrim writes to criticise Planet of the Apes comic as one of the worst books out there. He doesn't have any thing to say about Dracula Lives, which is strange considering that it's that comic's letter page that his letter is printed in, but maybe it was edited out. Gregory McGinogle from Middlesex congratulates British Marvel on the black and white weeklies. He gets Planet of the Apes every week. No mention of Dracula Lives, did the editor just fill out the Cryptic Correspondence page with POTA letters? In saying that there is a Dracula name check for Deborah Searle from Prestatyn, Micheal Keene from Essex, Philip Madden. Mark Clement from Hertfordshire and Chris Smith from Sussex.

Werewolf by Night “Comes the Hangman”

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Gil Kane

Inker: Tom Sutton

Originally published in Werewolf by Night #11

Cover date November 1973

(Published in August 1973)

Members of the Committee look on as Professor Makko hooks Phillip Russell up to his machine known as a Negative Impulse Charger. They want to know information about his step-son, Jack Russell and if he refuses to answer the machine will simply destroy him from within. This story is the first Werewolf by Night tale to be written by Marv Wolfman and he isn't the only new name to join the cast of creators as Gil Kane starts as penciler. The pair soon shape the horror and mystery of this strip wonderfully. 

Jack decides that it is time to move out of Buck Cowan's bungalow and moving to an apartment complex known as Colden House. There he meets several of his fellow tenants including Tina Sands, who likes to be called Sandy and her friends Clary Winter and Sam, who's never given a surname. Also living there is the  particular unlikable Raymond Coker, who we'll discover more about in tales to come. Elsewhere a young woman is attacked by a man with a knife, who wants money. His aggression with a knife is plain to see, he desperate and he's sweeting profusely. He's obviously meant to be a drug addict. In the original US comic he tells the girl that he's "gotta have a fix" and he needs "the bread to buy it", in the British version you might feel a little more sorry for him when he tells her "everyone hasta eat sometime."  What happens next might be viewed differently depending which version you read. 

A masked vigilante saves the life of the girl from the mugger by stabbing him in the back with a scythe. As the mugger's blood drips from the blade he calls himself the Hangman. The girl faints and the Hangman takes her back to his secret lair. He claims that he's protecting her, however he is actually keeping her prisoner in a dungeon. The Hangman had idolised the clean and good film heroes and sort to become like them, even fighting the murderous nazis during the second world war. But as he delighted in torturing the enemy he was court-martialled. He tried to join the police but his record turns them against him. Believing that the police and other officials had become corrupt he created the identity of the Hangman as an unstoppable nemesis of all evil. Find out what this loonie does next week.

Brother Voodoo “Baptism of fire!”

 

Writer: Len Wein

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Strange Tales #170

Cover date October 1973

(Published in July 1973)

After last week's witnessing of his brother's death Jericho Drumm had taken a quest to find Papa Jambo and learn the ways of Voodoo. Between the two issues he had participated in intensive training, leading Drumm needing to pass one final test in order to take over his sibling's mantle of Brother Voodoo. Wein and Colan brush through the practicality of all that with a couple of pages of flashback and a nod to Drumm's humiliation at his brother's killer Damballah's hand. It's all a typical super-hero origin fair, but here comes the supernatural angle. 

The final ceremony ends with Daniel's soul merged with Jericho's, symbolised with the mark of voodoo appearing on Jericho's forehead and a white streak appearing in his hair. Grey hair must be a sign of a supremely good sorcerer. I guess that makes me 

a candidate for sorcerer supreme, although some of that grey hair is disappearing. Anyway back to the plot, with his purpose in life over, Papa Jambo passes away telling Jericho that he is now worthy of the title Brother Voodoo. Jericho then goes after the man responsible for his brother's death. Meanwhile Damballah has gathered the Council of the Vadaou, an international group of Voodoo practitioners. He plans to take control of the organisation, but one member, Fong Lee, challenges his take over and dies for the audacity to do so. More voodoo hoodoo next week.

This checklist appears on the inside back page of Dracula Lives, as well as featuring on the inside back pages of the Super-Heroes and the Savage Sword of Conan. Unlike its previous appearance all seven weeklies get a write up, not just a cover shot. It's a nice way to promote the week's comic fair, showing regular readers and interested browsers what an eclectic range of comics British Marvel produced weekly in 1975. Surely readers never had it this good, or won't again in future years. Well of course there are arguments of quantity over quality, which I'll accept to a point, but each weekly during this period has some cracking strips with some incredible stories, created by some legendary creators. All jam packed with great stuff to read.

Planet of the Apes #30

You'd think that this cover, from Amazing Adventures issue 21 would need loads of adjustments to change it from a War of the Worlds cover to a Planet of the Apes cover, well you would be right, but not for the reason's you first imagined. The "gorilla face swap" is hardly needed, if you look closely at the "crab mutant" the art bodger does give it a gorilla face, but the main art adjustments are the removing of Killraven's kinky boots and Carmilla Frost's belly is covered up. Changing them into the Apeslayer and Sandra Simian respectively. The bridge is re-coloured too. As this week is the last Apeslayer story this will be the last War of the Worlds adjusted cover. This cover is terrible as a Planet of the Apes cover, but let's be honest it was terrible as a War of the Worlds cover too.

Planet of the Apes “Apeslayer dies at dawn!”

Writer: Don McGregor

Artist: Herb Trimpe

Inker: Yolande Pijcke

Originally published in Amazing Adventures #21

Cover date November 1973

(Published in August 1973)

For the final Apeslayer last week's cover artwork by Ron Wilson (pencils,) and Al Milgrom (inks,) is repurposed as the opening splash page with the new title "Apeslayer dies at Dawn!" Well truthfully he doesn't die at dawn, but the strip does and after eight weeks what started off as a creative idea to fill in for the Planet of the Apes strip until the American magazine could race a head with material for it's British cousin to reprint, has become very tiresome. The War of the Worlds sequel plot found itself buried beneath a mess of re-drawn ape heads and an even more convoluted plot. 

The changing of artist each two weeks didn't help and this mutant crab/ape hybrid hammers the final nail in the coffin. For any readers interested Apeslayer, with help from the Freemen and San Simian, escape but only as far as the Arena, which had once been the Yankee Stadium in New York. There they face-off against some of the weirdest creatures from Herb Trimpe's imagination. The mutant crab/ape hybrid look's equally as bad as the mutant crab/human hybrid from the original comic.

The Freemen and Apeslayer defeat the menagerie of mutant freaks leaving the Warlord with no option but to leap into the fray and take on the Apeslayer in armed combat. But the cyborg ape soon becomes "armless" when the Apeslayer defeats him by forcing his bionic arm into a puddle of acid, left by the mutant crab/ape hybrid. 

The conclusion does seem rushed, the original War of the Worlds series would continue in the US Amazing Adventure comic for eighteen more American issues, but thankfully the editors of the British Planet of the Apes weekly thought enough was enough. Next week sees the beginning of a new Apes block buster..."Kingdom on an Island of the Apes." And surely it can't be as bad as the Apeslayer saga! Did the experiment fail? Well only partly, at least it did what it was intended to do and that was fill a gap until better Ape material could be produced. Another thing it did was make everything that came after it look amazing!

Apes Forum

Karen, Lynne, Chalk and Wendy from Birmingham all went to see the Planet of the Apes film and were pleased to see that the comic adaptation followed the film very closely. They also voice their opinions on the second follow-up film Escape. Jacqueline Doody from the West Midlands enjoys POTA and points out that some people say these comics are just for boys, but Jacqueline says if girls enjoy reading these Apes books then they should buy, read and enjoy them. Next a letter from the ape Galen, who says of Nathaniel Nobblenose, from New Apetown, that he must live in a, shall we say, uncivilised part of our world. Where he comes from Humans certainly do understand the rudiments of the wheel. J Sadler from Ipswich was excited with the Planet of the Apes ending from POTA #15, as a girl she says that she can't stand any of those pop mags, much preferring Planet of The Apes. John Scott from London relished the interview with Rob Sterling, adding that he cleverly disclosed the shock-type ending of Pierre Boulles' novel "Monkey Planet" which inspired the first Apes film.

The Power of Warlock “A man-god reborn!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Gil Kane

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Marvel Premiere #1

Cover date April 1972

(Published in November 1971)

This third part opening splash page uses art by Jim Starlin , signed by the artist, which was taken from Strange Tales (US) issue 178, cover dated February 1975, published November 1974, when he had taken over as artist and writer on the strip.  Man-Beast has boarded the High Evolutionary's space station while the geneticist slept. Witnessing the development of the scientist's latest creation, Counter Earth the Man-Beast revives the killer instinct in mankind. The history of mankind on Counter-Earth evolves at an accelerated state, following the same history as Earth, with scenes from history re-enacted in much the same bloody way. Scenes shown range from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the slaughter of war battles through the ages, the rise to power of tyrants and dictators. 

Man-Beast is satisfied with the chaos he has created, but then the High Evolutionary wakes, striking down the evil beast. Man-Beast calls his army of beastly new men but the High Evolutionary scatters them with a mind blast. The Man-Beast retaliate with his own mind blast that downs the geneticist. "Him" watching this all from his cocoon, emerges to oppose the Man-Beast, but he and his allies flee to Counter-Earth. The High Evolutionary dissatisfied with the failure of his experiment sets about to destroy it only to be stopped by "Him", who offers the High Evolutionary another option. He will go to Counter Earth to find and kill the Man-Beast. Reluctantly the High Evolutionary agrees. Sending him to Counter-Earth, the High Evolutionary gifts "Him" an emerald gem on his brow. In the future it will be called the  Soul Gem, one of six  Infinity Stones that will become a major part in the Marvel Universe and the MCU in many years to come. The start of a classic saga!

“Good lord!”

Writer: Marv Wolfman 

Artist: Dave Cockrum

Inker: Neal Adams, Terry Austin, Pat Broderick, Russ Heath and Joe Rubinstein

Originally published in Marvel Preview #1

Cover date July 1975

(Published in February 1975)

This short story is more than a fill in, it's one of those strips that makes Planet of the Apes worth reading. Fantastically written by Marv Wolfman with incredible art by Dave Cockrum, aided and abetted by the Crusty Bunkers this tribute to EC Comics is probably one of the best comics strips around. The Crusty Bunkers are made up of some of the best artists and inkers that hung out around Neal Adams' and Dick Giordano's New York City-based art and design agency, Continuity Studios from 1972 to 1977. The collective worked together, if a job was late the Crusty Bunkers would gather and turn out a whole book in a day or two, all under the supervision of Neal Adams.

When non-comic readers ask "why you read comics?", don't show them Alan Moore's Watchmen, or his From Hell graphic novel. Don't offer them a copy of the Dark Knight Returns to read. Start them off with this tale. It'll blow their mind as they think it's a space opera spin-off. If you've never read this tale I suggest that you skip this part and move onto the Super-Heroes, because a head lays spoilers. Get yourself a copy of Marvel Preview #1, or issue #20, cover dated January 1980, published December 1979, where it was reprinted. The cheaper option would be this POTA comic. I was sure that it was re-printed in Star Wars Weekly too but I can't find which one. What starts with a "Flash Gordon" homage turns into something more. The crew of the Anteres would explore space in search of answers to the universes biggest questions, like the discovery of a supreme being who was responsible for the creation of the universe. Doctor Archer Wilson is positive that such a creature exists, while the Captain of the Antares, Bob King is more pragmatic believing life is just a matter of evolution. Everywhere they go they encounter hideous creatures that attack and kill the crew. On one planet they find an eden paradise but still inhabited by deadly monsters.

One by one the crew is killed and it all comes to a head with the discovery of a majestic city, built like a Cathedral. All the way through their trek on this planet they have been observed by a silent creature that watches their every move. In one of the great structures they find a hallway lined with the giant statues of alien celestial figures. as they reach the end familiar figures from their race memories line up, Horus, Ra, Zeus, Odin, Yo-Ti, Quetzalcoatl, stand with earth born emissaries like Buddha, Mohammed, Moses and maybe even Jesus. All those gods and one other, who steps from the shadows, the creature who had been tailing them. King only sees another creature with intensions of sucking his bones dry. Wilson tries to stop him but it's too late as King's laser pistol slays the monster. A black liquid oozes out of the wound. It isn't alien blood, but the total embodiment of death. Having finally found God man has slain it as the blackness spreads out across the universe, destroying everything. With each panel the darkness consumes the page, beautifully rendered by Dave Cockrum and the Crusty Bunkers. Whether there's a moral to be learned or whether it's just a cracking tale to be enjoyed, that is up to you. Take from it what you will, because that's what great comic strips should do, 'Cause in the end it all ends in darkness. Fin!

The Super-heroes #11

Now this is a superb cover by John Buscema, originally from the Silver Surfer issue 8. Super-hero action, supernatural horror and sensational design. It's a real winner! I love the panic in the streets, I love the manic look on the Ghost's face as the Surfer flies through his intangible form and I love the boldness of Buscema's mixing of genres. It brilliant! It's my Cover of the Week! Oh yeah Dan Adkins inks Buscema's artwork. 

Silver Surfer “Now stakes the Ghost!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Silver Surfer #8

Cover date September 1969

(Published in June 1969)

After reading "Good Lord!" from the Planet of the Apes, it's time to read a slightly less darker story about the Devil. In this case Marvel's version of him Mephisto, who is still furious over his previous attempt to collect the Silver Surfer's soul having met failure, as seen in the Super-Heroes #6. With his hatred so strong he decides to try again, once more attacking the Surfer. But the assault is so strong that it nearly kills the evil entity, forcing the demon to stop. 

He needs to acquire the Surfer's soul before he can slay his body. To accomplish that task he journey's to Earth to enlist the aid of a mortal who practices the satanic arts, who had hoped to have brought for a Demon to do his bidding. He had not intended to bring forth Mephisto himself, but it was the evil fiend who uses the  satanist as a mortal bridge to summon a demon from the endless realms of Limbo. As so steps forth the withered form of Captain Joost Van Straaten, known in legend as the Flying Dutchman!  

The wandering ghost of Joost van Straaten had been trapped in limbo as punishment for forcing his crew to sail on a fatal journey through a deadly storm. Mephisto uses his demonic powers to transform the ghost of van Straaten into a super-powerful entity known as "The Ghost." With powers enough to crush the Silver Surfer's body and weaken the Surfer's hold on his soul, making it an easy picking for the Prince of Lies. I loved the imagery of the Ghost when I first saw him many years later in the Avengers story from Super Spider-man #267, Week Ending 22rd of March 1978. In that tale Sal Buscema drew the artwork, but here we get to see his brother John, the Ghost's original creator, excelling at his craft with stunning renditions of his wraith-like appearance and the Mephisto transformation which is even more horrific and deadly. Stan Lee and John Buscema's Silver Surfer is a joy to read, well worth coming back next week to see the Ghost whip up chaos to attract the Surfer's attention.

Cosmic Communications

The first letter to the Super-Heroes letter page, smartly named Cosmic Communications, comes from Andrew Capostagno from Bath, who starts with a dig at the "crummy title" that masked a masterpiece inside. That masterpiece was the Silver Surfer of course. He's got less praise for the X-Men as he can't see why they're so popular. The Silver Surfer has long been his favourite Marvel character, since "The Coming of Galactus". He points out that Stan is an admitted Shakespeare fan and the Surfer was the first Marvel Hamlet. Alexander Birchall suggests that to solve the problem of having to cut the stories in half because there are three characters in each mag, the mags should be brought out on a fortnightly basis, so that the number of pages could be doubled with three full stories in each mag. That would lead to the doubling of the cover price. Concerning the two newest mags, "Super-Heroes" and "Savage Sword of Conan", Alexander describes them as very good. Adding that the Silver Surfer and Conan stories should be kept at full length without cutting them in half.

The X-Men “Sub-Mariner! Joins the Evil Mutants”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone

Originally published in The X-Men #6

Cover date May 1964

(Published in July 1964)

Now in the early days of Marvel comics Stan Lee would shoe horn in the Sub-Mariner into every super-hero strip with many different results. This one is no different to any of those, but what make it important is here for the first time the (obvious to us now,) revelation that Namor, the Sub-Mariner was one of Marvels, and it's forerunners, first mutants. Professor Xavier reads an article about the Sub-Mariner and wonders whether or not the Sub-Mariner is a mutant. Meanwhile, Magneto ponders the same thing. Both leaders tries to recruit the Sub-Mariner by projecting their astral form under the ocean.

Magneto finds Namor's underwater kingdom first, but decides not to approach the Sub-Mariner after witnessing an outburst from the undersea monarch. Instead he approaches an unnamed Atlantean and makes him a deal in which if he delivers a message to Namor for him, asking him to meet up with Magneto, the one person who could help him in is fight against the surface world, the Atlantean could become the new ruler of Atlantis. Namor considers that he himself may well be a mutant and the meeting with Magneto intrigues him. Namor meets up with Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants on an island somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. Still searching for the Atlantean Prince the X-Men are drawn to the area. Discovering the Island and with the danger of the powerful mutant joining the evil band the Angel attacks. Look it is what it is, a sixties X-Men tale that's going to see the X-Men fight the Brotherhood. And for that it's an easy and pleasant quick read.

Savage Sword of Conan #11

This is the first and only original Savage Sword of Conan weekly cover as all the others came from the US original comic. The reason why a new cover was needed was because the "Rogues in the House" was a longer length story than usual and would be split into two halves with the conclusion printed next week. I'm sorry to say that it's a poor cover, that was drawn and inked by Frank Giacoia.  

Conan the Barbarian “Rogues in the House”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith

Inker: Sal Buscema

Originally published in Conan the Barbarian #11

Cover date November 1971

(Published in August 1971)

"Rogues in the House" is based on the Robert E Howard story of the same name featuring Conan, which first saw publication as an original short in Weird Tales magazine from January 1934. The tale starts with Conan sitting chained in a Corinthian jail after being betrayed by Jenna. Murilo, a Corinthian lord, arrives with an offer of freedom if the barbarian kills Nabonidus, the secret head of the city. 

Murilo is concerned with the Red Priest's pillaging ways. Conan agrees but is told that his release from prison will be delayed until the proper time. The plan hits a snag when Athicus, Murilo's agent in the jail, is imprisoned himself. Murilo decides to take matters into his own hands and deal with the Red Priest himself. Meanwhile, after hearing about Athicus's imprisonment Conan takes his escape into his own hands. Having been freed of his chains by Athicus before his arrest Conan over powers the new guard and escapes.  

Seeking vengeance on Jenna, Conan makes his way to her lodging to find Igon on the way to get fresh wine to celebrate the bounty they made from betraying Conan. The Cimmerian kills the boy with his own knife. Jenna is horrified to discover Igor dead. In an effort to save her own skin she says that Igor was on his way to free Conan, then she claims that she knew the barbarian would free himself and later she lies that Igon made her do it. Conan takes the betrayer upon the roof, without mercy the Cimmerian throws her off it. This perfectly paced piece of comic strip art finishes the page with Jenna falling to her death, with the cold heart face of Conan looking on. Different times maybe but this Conan is a cold blooded murderer. Or is he? As the next page see Jenna hit the ground in a steaming pile of garbage in the alley. Did he know her landing would be soft but smelly? Who knows, but the Cimmerian hasn't laughed as freely as he does in a long time. A moment of unshackled joy. The moment passes and he turns his sights on killing Nabonidus, as we'll see in next week's "Talons of Thak!"

The Hyborian Page

Marvel have put themselves in Andrew Hortus Daines from Middlesex good books forever for bringing Conan and the Silver Surfer to the UK. Rod Summers, RFO, KOF, QNS, TTB, PMM FFF from Bristol thanks Marvel for nine years of solid adventure, excitement, superb stories and entertainment, during which time he has collected 1,061 British and American comics. It would have been higher if he saved his "Fantastic", "Terrific","Smash","Wham" and "Pow" comics. He says that the Savage Sword of Conan is one best mags out at the moment. Barry Smith is a great artist, but he thinks John Buscema is better. Rod makes a point about Micheal Moorcock who once wrote some "Conan" stories, even though he once said;

"I find Howard and E.R. Burroughes in particular virtually unreadable." Jeff Taylor, KOF, RFO, from Glamorgan congratulates British Marvel on their latest comics, The Super Heroes and Savage Sword of Conan. He thought Conan was brilliant and read it three times, however King Kull was a little bit boring. As for the Super Heroes he thought the Silver Surfer was fabulous with great art.

Kull the Conqueror “Night of the Red Slayer!”

Writer: Gerry Conway and John Jakes (plot)

Artist: Marie Severin

Inker: John Severin

Originally published in Kull the Conqueror #4

Cover date September 1972

(Published in June 1972)

Fantasy writer John Jakes, famous for his Brak the Barbarian series of novels, plotted this story, one of several he did in the early seventies for Marvel. The story opens with a late night brawl involving the Red Slayers guard, which gets broken up by King Kull and his right hand spear carrier, Brule. The plotting minstrel, Ridondo is involved, but sneaks away, having taken a fancy for the blacksmith’s daughter. 

The next day Ducalon, one of the four rebel conspirators meets with Melkori, a sorcerer, who uses his magic as a mercenary for gold. He makes an eye which he gives to the Rebel's Four. Shortly  the blacksmith is killed by a Red Slayer and a large amount of gold is taken from his corpse. At Kull's castle we see Melkori with his daughter Jirane who dances for the King. Melkori makes known that she would desire a trip in the cooling ocean breeze, which Kull arranges. Later that night, the Red Slayers kill more citizens. In the morning, Brule meets Alecto who pulls a sword on him so in defence the savage Pict throws his spear, killing the guard before riding off to warn Kull of the treachery. All will be explained next week.

Tales of the Hyborian Age! "The blood of the dragon!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Gil Kane

Inker: Gil Kane, Tom Palmer and Bernie Wrightson

Originally published in Conan the Barbarian #12

Cover date December 1971

(Published in September 1971)

This story is not only written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Gil Kane but they feature in it. Thomas says that the Conan stories are a blast but there are more stories from the mystical Hyborian Age and it's a shame they aren't told. So with that the creators set out to address that failing.  The noble Kalligor emerges victorious from a joust, defeating Valanus. Kalligor treats his valet like dirt. Later he attends a banquet at the baron's castle. 

A monstrous creature called the Hydragon has been attacking a nearby village. Kalligor graciously allows the baron's son to tackle the monster first,  but when the boy fails to return, the arrogant knight valiantly decides to kill the monster himself, knowing full well that to do so would gain the Baron's daughters hand in marriage, making him next in line to the throne. Kalligor finds the beast, with his poison laced sword he fatally ends its life. The Knight is horrified to see the monster transform into the baron's son. Touching the boys bloody armour to get proof that he had kill the beast his own body instantly starts to transform, with the realisation that whoever touches the blood of the Hydragon is cursed to transform into the Hydragon. A Hyborian tale with a twist in the tale.

Well it's nice to finish on another wonderful strip as I move onto the next week's collection of wonderful weeklies from the brilliant world of British Marvel mags. Till then...

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.