"If I die, so does the world!"

 Week Ending 2rd August 1975

This blog is all about the nostalgia from youthful times, the comics you may, or may not have, liked when you were a kid. The past like the present had great things of joy as well as darker moments, but like Colin Jones commented on last week's blog,  "I like taking day-trips to the past but I don't want to live there!" There are benefits to the past and the present. I wouldn't want to give up any of my modern comforts. My only problem with those comforts is how much I rely on them and miss them when they're not there. Finishing this blog has meet with one of those moments, for the second week running on the Sunday before I post the blog my internet has gone down! It's a pain but I'll work round it. Luckily I have the paper copies of the weeklies as back up. I'm so old school. Anyway on with the blog.

The Mighty World of Marvel #148

This week's MWOM cover sees Namor, the Sub-Mariner clashing with the Hulk, so obviously drawn by Ron Wilson. It's definitely selling the comic and story to potential readers. It's so powerful you almost miss Doctor Strange in the middle trying to break the two up. The Grand Comics Database believes that Frank Giacoia inked the piece.

The Incredible Hulk “The Doomsday Machine!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Ross Andru

Inker: Bill Everett

Originally published in Marvel Feature #1

Cover date December 1971

(Published in July 1971)

The Neal Adams cover from Marvel Feature issue 1 is repurposed as this week's second part opening splash page. I never mentioned this last week but I first saw this cover artwork and the story "The day of the Defenders" in the winter of 1980 when it appeared on the cover of the Marvel UK special Marvel Super Adventure, with the story sharing the line-up with a Sub-Mariner and Iron Fist strips. On a side note the Sub-Mariner story "The Sub-Mariner and the Icebergs" from Sub-Mariner #40 was also repeated in both Marvel Feature #1 and the Marvel Super Adventure special. 

Doctor Strange pin points Yandroth's Omegatron to a lighthouse in Maine. The three heroes take different paths to enter the lighthouse, Namor enters beneath through the ocean, while the Hulk enters through the front. Doctor Strange uses his astral form to scout the building, eventually he enters the main room where he meets Omegatron, who explains that Yandroth sent Strange on this path intentionally so that the machine could harness the power from Strange's allies. Namor and Hulk soon enter and Strange tries to explain why they cannot harm the machine or else the planet will be destroyed. The two take this as a hallucination presented to them by Omegatron and attempt to force their way past. Strange, left with no other option, pits his friends against each other to distract them, making them see hallucinations to fight one another. Strange casts a spell around the lighthouse slowing down the flow of time to a crawl, so that it will be centuries before Omegatron's counts down reaches zero and detonates. With the threat postponed indefinitely, the Doctor explains what had happened. Namor points out that for all their good intentions they nearly caused Earth's destruction, even though they fought to be its valiant defenders. Strange finds the name Defenders a fitting name should the need arise and they reunite. However, Hulk expresses his distaste for the idea of being in a group after having already been in the Avengers. The Defenders do indeed return next week, as does the Dread Dormammu!

Daredevil “A hero gone mad!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: John Tartaglione 

Originally published in Daredevil #43

Cover date August 1968

(Published in June 1968)

The Jack Kirby cover from Daredevil issue 43 is repurposed as the second half opening splash page, with the usual catch up text box, credit box and a new title. To get over Karen's decision to leave the Nelson and Murdock law firm Daredevil goes on the trail of the criminal Jester. However he overhears a radio report of a burglary of radioactive vials from a medical centre. Daredevil easily tracks down the criminal, but after knocking him out the Radium radioactive material unsteadies the hero, who is then reminded of how as a kid he had saved a blind man from a runaway truck, but had lost his own sight when a radioactive material fell on him. 

The Radium has a weird effect on Daredevil, causing him to become aggressive and go berserk. Traveling to Madison Square Gardens he finds Captain America readying himself to have a charity fight. Daredevil pushes a contender out of the way to challenge Cap to some real competition. In a peaked frenzy Daredevil then attacks the Star-Spangled Avenger catching him unaware. Cap is taken back, he tries to calm the Man without fear down, telling him it should just be an exhibition match. Eventually Cap realises Daredevil is fighting for keeps and gives as much as he gets. It's quite a spectacle seeing two of Marvel's heroes duking it out, for the readers and for the "in story" spectators. A photographer, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Peter Parker takes pictures of the fight. As the fight continues with the pair crashing down a lift shaft and through the lobby. The effect of the Radium starts to wear off Daredevil. He quickly retreats leaving Captain America and the watching public confused. This story was a nice distraction for Matt and me, but next week there's more of a serious adventure to enjoy when we discover "Daredevil, wanted for murder!"  

The Fantastic Four “The menace of Psycho Man”

 Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Joe Sinnott 

Originally published in The Fantastic Four Annual #5

Cover date November 1967

(Published in August 1967)

This opening page was created for this second part opening splash page by an unknown artist, it is basically a recap from last week's issue, where the Psycho Man and his crew recover a miss sent package to Alicia Master's apartment. Ben and Alicia head to the Baxter Building to tell Reed all about it. Reed seems a little uninterested and distracted, puzzles Ben, but in a scene similar to the teaser trailer from the new Fantastic Four film that's doing the rounds Johnny, Ben, with Alicia and Crystal find out that Sue is pregnant, which makes some sense of her dizziness last week. 

The group celebrate the great news in typical Jack Kirby fashion. Elsewhere the Psycho Man's secret base has been discovered by the Inhumans and the Black Panther near Panther Island. The group of Kirby classic creations break in to the dome like structure but are instantly confronted by the Psycho Man's crew, as the villain fixes "component four" to his giant-size mind ray, that he hopes will bend everyone's emotions on Earth to his will. Black Bolt flies swiftly down the corridor to the mind ray chamber to stop the villain, then... 

...Well, then the next page shows Black Bolt commanding Medusa and Karnak to cease fighting against the Black Panther!?!? What the heck you may ask! Well page 34 should have appeared in last week's issue instead of page 34 from that issue and vice versa. I guess the printers mixed the two week's pages. Or was it the UK editorial staff who sent the wrong set of pages? Look out for an explanation in future letter pages. Things get sorted out next week. With no end text box the readers could have been left stumped, but it's only seven days to find out what happens next.

Spider-man Comics Weekly #129

Another Ron Wilson British commissioned cover this week, with Dan Adkins inked it. It features the main story plot of Spider-man catching a young lad after he steps off a high building in a drugged haze state, but it doesn't capture the full dramatic intention of the story, which is a shame.

Spider-man “..And now, the Goblin!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gil Kane

Inker: John Romita Sr.

Originally published in the Amazing Spider-man #96

Cover date May 1971

(Published in February 1971)

This opening splash page by Gil Kane is a clever use of a close up of Joe Robertson's hands holding a picture of Spider-man in London and his pipe, that for shadows Peter Parker returning to America and going to the Daily Bugle and sells his pictures of the trip. My immediate thought was if Peter was worried that Gwen would suspect Peter of being Spider-man when they both appeared in London, would be that Robertson would also jump to the same conclusion. Maybe it was jet lag that stopped Peter from thinking that one over, but Robertson's response does make Peter wonder if maybe Joe does know of Peter's secret identity.

The next day Peter heads to classes at Empire State University, when he bumps into Harry Osborne, who asks him to join him to see Mary Jane's performance in an off-Broadway show. Peter is broke and has to reluctantly agree to let Harry pay for his ticket. Harry reminds Peter of his father's offer of a job at Oscorp. While web-slinging as Spider-man, Peter thinks about Norman Osborne and their past encounters as enemies, when Norman was the Green Goblin. However he decides to take Norman up on the job offer. He meets with Norman who tells Peter that he will be attending the show as well. Later while web-slinging across town, Spider-man spots high up on the roof tops a young man out of his mind and high on drugs, thinking he can fly like a bird! He slips and falls but Spidey rescues him. In America this strip was the first "above ground" comic book to be published without the clearance of the Comic Book Authority Code, due to the Code's strictness on depicting drug use in comics regardless of context. Since this story dealt with the negative aspects of drug use and the consequences of drug abuse the code rejected the story. Stan Lee felt it reflected drug use in a negative light and had a positive social message, so he had the story published without Code approval. I wonder did the weekly's target audience age group understand its intensions? Personally I'm glad Stan and British Marvel printed the story, it's a cracker of a tale that allowed readers to make up their own minds on the issues it featured. Can't wait for next week's second part. 

The Web and the Hammer

Philip Smith RFO, KOF, from Hull started collecting Spider-man Comics Weekly with issue 72 and MWOM with issues 97. Paul was missing quite a few issues but one day in a drama lesson at school he saw a friend wearing a shirt with a Spidey transfer on it.  When asking where it was from his friend replied he sent off for it in SMCW issue 28. The conversation ended with Philip getting all his friends issues of SMCW, MWOM and issues one to thirty-three. Mike Griggs PMM, from Kent recently used the Spiderman Annual 75 as a subject for his literary study for English. Luckily for him it was accepted. If not, it would have cost Mike his grade for CSE English and Marvel a reader. He learned later that two of his three English teachers read comics in their spare time. Anthony Harries from Dyfed writes that a FOOM-tastic fan club is FOOM! When he first saw the advertisement for FOOM he thought it would be an ordinary fan club, but it's better than that, No. 8 was great. When his mother saw the surprise package she nearly fainted. Matthew J Lee from the West Midlands writes that a mere two years ago the word 'comic' meant a childish periodical with art to him. It was then, that he saw a different comic, a better comic, he was hooked. A year later he has every SMCW issue ever published. Matthew really enjoyed Stan Lee's Soapbox especially the one from Avengers weekly #36 that spoke of the poison of bigotry and most of the Silver Surfer stories, which related to the faults of human nature.

As a regular reader of Spider-man Comics Weekly Nicholas Clark from Kent would often fill in the competitions or forms on the back of the comics, but he didn't want a hole in the cover of the issue. So his solution is to have the coupons appear separately in the mag, so it doesn't ruin the cover. The editor's counter solution is to make a copy of any coupon on a separate piece of paper. Alan Douthwaite KOF, QNS from Essex writes about Balder from the Mighty Thor strip. He says that Balder was a very beautiful god who was loved by everybody in Asgard. One day Balder felt the shadow of death upon his heart. He went to his mother, Frigga who made everything promise not to hurt her son, but she forgot the mistletoe. Now Loki found out about the mistletoe not having promised and made a stave out of mistletoe, which he threw into Balder's heart, killing him. Odin was very sad, so he sent the god Hermond, down to Helhiem to retrieve Balder from Hela, the Queen of the dead. Hela told Hermond that Balder would only be returned if everything and everyone wept for him. Everything and everyone DID weep for him except Loki. So Balder was kept by Hela. Myths say that one day Balder came back to Asgard,

Iron Man “Power vs. power!”

 Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Frank Giacoia

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #93

Cover date September 1967

(Published in June 1967)

This week's continued Iron Man strip uses the Gene Colan artwork from the cover of Tales of Suspense issue 93 as the opening splash page, it keeps all the text from cover, using the "Power vs. power!" text as this week's story title. A recap box is added. In the credit box both Frank Giacoia and and Dan Adkins are listed as embellishers, Frank inked pages 17, 18 and 19 of the weekly, while pages 20 to 25 were inked by Dan, which would have been taken from Tales of Suspense issue 94. While Iron Man is taking a pounding from the Titanium Man, in the States, a mysterious visitor comes to Stark Enterprises and asks to see Tony Stark. Note that in the text and in the panel Stark's company is named Stark Enterprises. Later the company is named Stark Industries on a sign. Back in Vietnam, the Titanium Man has defeated Iron Man and Half-Face orders him to destroy a nearby village that has been sympathetic to American forces.

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Tales of Suspense #94

Cover date October 1967

(Published in July 1967)

The first page of ToS #94 is left out but British readers wouldn't notice that as the first part rolls into the second. In truth I don't imagine many would notice the change of inker as Dan Adkins took over. I didn't. Weakly Iron Man drags himself along Half-Face's lab floor to plug in a power cable to recharge his armour. After making some running repairs the armoured Avenger heads off to stop the Titanium Man from destroying a small village who had been sympathetic to the US Army. To get there Iron Man has to fight his way through Half-Face's men. Half-Face instructs the Titanium Man to start wreaking havoc on the town. Meanwhile, in the United States, the mysterious visitor returns to Starks's factory, you've guessed it now named Stark Industries. The guard tries again to politely turn him away, but before he can the intruder knocks out the guard and scales over the wall. Who the mysterious figure is and will Iron Man defeat the Titanium Man are questions that could well be answered next week in "the final battle!"

The Mighty Thor “Shall a God prevail?”

 Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Vince Colletta

Originally published in The Mighty Thor #161

Cover date February 1969

(Published in December 1968)

Unconscious and adrift in space Thor and the Recorder float helplessly after being struck by the backlash of a battle between Ego the Living Planet and Galactus. The two are rescued from cold vacuum by the Wanderers, a group of aliens who are the lone survivors of a world consumed by Galactus. The Wanderers had been following the Thunder God to seek out the devourer of worlds himself.

Jack Kirby uses his trademarked technique of featuring the fantasy of space or the weirdness of another dimension with the use of a photo image with his artwork pasted on top of it. This montage technique might be frowned upon in modern comics, but with Kirby's classic art there's always been an awe filling joy at seeing a page of it presented in a comic. So this double page pushes the right buttons of my childhood love of comics. 

Jack's pencil work is breath taking too. 1966 to 1970 is peak Kirby and in 1975 British readers were treated to the best of Kirby. 

Deep in the Black Galaxy, Ego and Galactus' battle rages on, with the two's overwhelming cosmic powers appear evenly matched. Aboard the Wanderer's ship, Thor and the Recorder are revived and learn of their saviour's mission. The Recorder advises the aliens that their mission would only lead to their own destruction. Thor is also against the idea of the Wanderers attacking Galactus directly. The Thunder God offers to fight Galactus on their behalf. Suddenly, as the Asgardian speaks an alert sounds throughout the ship. A galactic upheaval lays ahead and the crew are commanded to return to their stations as Galactus has been found! The space adventure continues next week. 

Avengers Weekly #98

Super-action from the past and the present is the theme for Arvell Jones' commissioned merged cover for this week's Avengers and the Savage Sword of Conan. In the past Conan is fighting a pterodactyl, with, of all weapons, a mace. While the Avengers a robotic pterodactyl on the other side of the page. Both images have nothing to do with either story. This kind of cover sets a precedence for future covers that equally promotes both lead strips. I have to say that I think this is Arvell Jones's best British cover, so much so I have to give it my Cover of the Week award. Al Milgrom inked this cover. 

Conan the Barbarian “The way of the Black Hound!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Conan the Barbarian #20

Cover date November 1972

(Published in August 1972)

The Barry Windsor-Smith artwork from the cover of Conan the Barbarian issue 20 is used as the first panel of the opening page to this second part Conan tale with a new title, catch-up box and credits added. The unconscious woman is dressed quite riskily for a cover much less the interior of a comic at the time. Not that I'm complaining Barry Windsor-Smith's artwork is incredible, Princess Leia like from the Return of the Jedi, before it's time. Although Queen Melissandra doesn't wear the same outfit in the strip, mores the pity. The four other panels have been saved from last week's final Conan page and used here as a smart way to continue the story. 

After encountering a young woman, who calls herself Caissa inside the temple, Conan is greeted by Kharam-Akkad who uses his magic via mirrors to let loose a skeletal warrior on the Cimmerian. Conan flees to another room where his reflection in another mirror appears as another skeleton with intentions of killing him. He realises that smashing the mirror will destroy the phantom, as in the previous day's battle the wizard Kharam-Akkad's used mirrors to create similar spectres. Caissia is revealed to be the queen of Makkalet when she begins to berate Kharam for hiding the "living Tarim", the object of worship Yezdigerd desperately wants. Conan finds a mirrored room containing the Tarim, but falls through a trapdoor and confronts the Black Hound. Conan manages to choke the great beast with its own chains and kills the creature. Conan stumbles away, weak and injured, back to the Turanian ships.

In a wonderfully drawn and written epilogue Conan finds out that Balthaz has already fled back and ordered all the dead and dying to be thrown overboard, including Fafnir, who Balthaz knew was not deceased. Conan calmly walks over to the arrogant Balthaz and swiftly pulls out Balthaz's sword, stabbing him through the heart. Yezdigerd calls for Conan's death, but the Cimmerian slaughters a good portion of the army before he can reach the side of the ship and the waves below. Standing in his way is Prince Yezdigerd himself. "Halt savage! I Yezdigerd command it!" orders the Prince. Conan replies "Get out of my way!" before he slashes at him, scarring his cheek. Conan dives into the ocean under a shower of spears and arrows. There's no need for word balloons, the beautiful text and detailed artwork do all the work and leave the reader wanting more, which of course they'll get next week.

The Hyborian Page

Kieran O'Mara from Southampton has read about two different Conans, both from Irish folk law. The first Conan from the clan Morna, was fat, bald and told tales of other men's deeds. Kieran goes into more detail about him in his letter. The second Conan was a brave warrior from Maclia. He grabbed Finn McCool and held him, proving himself the strongest man in Ireland. So Finn made him a member of the Finnia, which he was for 30 years. Paul Smith from Cleveland writes that Barry (Windsor-) Smith's artwork is out of this world, especially the hanging sequence from SSOC #10 page 15. His artwork is much better in black and white because of the detail he put in each sketch. Details that just wasn't there in the early American Conans, because it was marred by clumsy colouring. M Simpson from London has just finished reading Stan's History of Marvel Comics and he says that it's one of the best books he's ever read. He doesn't want to see three strips in SSOC and the Super-Heroes because it would mean that the lead strip would be cut in half. He's heard that some readers want to have the old-style rough covers mags back. But when Marvel first came to Britain he never took them seriously mainly because the mags were just like other comics, and not mags. Now with the glossy covers they feel more like magazines.

The Avengers “Betrayal!”

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith

Inker: Syd Shores

Originally published in The Avengers #66

Cover date July 1969

(Published in May 1969)

This mag feels like it should be called Barry Windsor-Smith weekly because of all the wonderful Barry artwork in it. And I don't mean that in a bad way. If the Doctor Strange strip from a few week's back had been saved till now, I think it could have been. I love this opening splash page, it reminds me in a nostalgic way of the back cover from the numerous Power Comics from the late 60's, where Barry would draw different Marvel characters. His artwork on this Avengers story isn't as refined as the Conan strip seen in the same weekly as they stood some three and a half years apart, but you can see signs of greatness in his creative design. It takes decades to get from this Avengers strip to the current Conan strip seen in this weekly. Barry was improving in a flash, no pun intended for any DC heads. 

Thor has rejoined the Avengers, with Iron Man, to test a cylinder of Adamantium. The new super-metal makes its first appearance together with its creator, scientist Myron MacLain. All safely under the watch of SHIELD, aboard their Helicarrier. While Avengers each try to bend, break or dent the new sup-metal, starting with Thor hammering it, Iron Man blasting it and Goliath foolishly punching it as the others discuss the potential use of the metal. The Vision feels an unseen force start to take over his mind, so he slips away without a word to his fellow Avengers.

Roy Thomas thought up the name for the indestructible metal. He wrote in "Rise to the challenge" which featured in the Avengers Omnibus Volume 3 that he got the name from his favourite Greek tragedy "Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound", in the opening speech Might (Bia) reminds the blacksmith god Hephaestus that Zeus has commanded him "to nail this malefactor" (the fire stealing Titan, Prometheus,) to the craggy rocks in fetters unbreakable of adamantine chain". Roy like the sound of it and as the more common adjective form "adamant" ment stubborn or determined, was nothing special, adamantine sounds cool. And thus Adamantium was born. 

The Vision enters a darkened graveyard, musing aloud to the turbulent wind, thoughts that cross his troubled mind. The grave is of the dead would be Avenger, Simon Williams, also known as Wonder Man, whose brain patterns were used as the templet for the Vision's mind. Inside his mind a voice speaks to him and suddenly he knows what to do!  Shortly afterwards the Avengers return to their Mansion, Henry Pym considers the Vision's disappearance and ponders just how much they know about the android. In the training room Iron Man works out testing his armour when suddenly the session becomes more intense than the program should have allowed when a panel opens up and fires "heat shells" at the armoured Avenger. The game is getting rough, find out how rough  next week.

Butlin's Super-Jokers

Here's the winners checklist from Butlin's Super-Jokers competition. Marvel fans had a chance of winning by telling jokes at one of the many Butlin's holiday camps in the summer of 1975 to win Marvel themed prizes. This week I'll list them all, but I may decide to not do the same in up coming blogs. The holiday camp is listed in brackets. For the week commencing 17th May winners are (Ayr) Dominic Field (age 10) from Blackpool, (Bognor) Richard McArthur (age 7) from London, (Clacton) Martin Godfrey (age 7) from Oxon, (Pwllheli) Diane Taylor (age 8) from Warrington, (Skegness) Terry Duncan (age 8). The Super Joker of the Week (Barry) Nicola Poland from Bridgend, "Question: There were four Irishmen climbing Everest. Why did they stop half way up? Answer: Because they ran out of scaffolding." The week commencing 24th May winners are (Ayr) Anthony Nicolson (age 13) from Tyne and Weir, (Barry) Alan Bullock (age 9) Kidderminster, (Filey) Stephen Harvey (age 8) from Manchester, (Minehead) Ceri-Anne Getvoidsen (age 10) from Pembrokeshire. Super Jokers of the Week (Bognor) Maxine Briggs (age 4) from Middlesex, "Question: Why did the little bird go to the doctor? Answer: For tweetment." (Clartion) Mark Watts (age 5) Suffolk, "Mary had a little lamb. Her father killed it dead. And now it goes to school with her Between two chunks of bread." (Skegness) Kevin Ellis (age 7), "Question: What do you get if you cross a flea with a rabbit? Answer: Bugs bunny." The week commencing 31st May, (Barry) Richard Edwards (age 6) from Glamorgan, (Bognor) Jayne Wall (age 8) from Gloucestershire, (Clacton) Shaun Norris (age 5) from Kings Lynn, (Filey) David Hayes (age 9) from Warrington, (Pwllheli) Adele Houghton (age 9) from Manchester. Super Jokers of the Week (Minehead) Martin Boon (age 10) from Bristol. "Spidey went to the doctor and said. "Doctor, I feel like a bridge" and the doctor said. "What's come over you?" Spidey Said "Two buses, a car, and a lorry!" (Skegness) Robert Budd (age 7 1/2) from Fulham. "There was a young man called Spidey Who went for a walk with friend Bridey, The wind was so strong, It just blew them along, They arrived home for tea on Good Friday." (Ayr) Alan Orr (age 8) from Glasgow. "Did you know that before Uncle Johnny was a Redcoat he was sacked from the fruit factory because he threw away all the bent bananas."

Doctor Strange “The secret of Sligguth!”

Writer: Gardner F Fox

Artist: Irv Wesley

Inker: Don Perlin

Originally published in Marvel Premiere #5

Cover date November 1972

(Published in August 1972)

This second part opening splash page was commissioned by British Marvel to link last week's first part to this week's second and was drawn by an unknown artist. If I'm being honest and slightly mean who ever it was did a better job than the strip artist Irv Wesley. Sorry Irv, I know following Barry Windsor-Smith on a strip is going to be a tough act to follow. Doctor Strange fights off bats and skips past a trap door that leads to a pit where hideous creatures dwell as he makes his way deeper and deeper into the labyrinth in pursuit of the Sligguth.

Meanwhile in the Ancient One's sanctum, the Doctor's mentor aids his disciple by transferring a portion of his powers to the Doctor, but this weakens the protective mystic barrier allowing the Shadowmen of Kaa-U to capture him. In the Doctor's Sanctum Sanctorum Clea awakes from a dream in which Strange is in terrible peril. She wakes up Wong and they watch current events via the Orb of Agamotto. The pair witness the Doctor in danger and immediately set off to Starksboro to help him. Strange's battle with Sligguth begins to weaken him. The Doctor summons the spirits of the Vishanti, a trio of supernatural, god-like entities, but they refuse to help, citing that if humanity is to be saved from Shuma Gorath it must  be by one of their own. Doctor Strange resumes his battle with Sligguth and manages to bind the creature, who escapes when Ebora casts a spell causing the cavern to flood. The water rises trapping Strange. You'll have to wait a good number of weeks to find out if he survives drowning, because Shang-Chi returns once more to the pages of the Avengers weekly next week. Some may not like that but I could do with a breather from this strips current art.

The inside back page is given over to two adverts. The first is for the Planet of the Apes rodeos that were touring the country as advertised in previous week's mags. See last week's blog for more details. 

While under that is a half page advert for the newly released Doc Savage film that would have been hitting selected cinema screens throughout the country. I remember seeing the exciting adventures of Doc Savage on BBC2 many years later, but not at the cinema. What I also remember is the Marvel comic strip that appeared in the Super-Heroes weekly comic. In fact I'm surprised it wasn't mention in this advert too. More on that later in this blog. We think we're spoilt with the number of super-hero/comic movies these days. Well in the seventies we still had Doc Savage, Planet of the Apes, super-agent action with James Bond, horror films with what ever Hammer films put out, kung fu film and fantasy films like the Golden Voyage of Sinbad. Things weren't that bad in the old days, in fact they were just as good, if not better in some ways.

Dracula Lives #41

This cover by Gil Kane (pencils,) and Tom Palmer (inks,) was originally used on Tomb of Dracula issue 19. Now I spend a bit of time researching the blog and I'm sure I've read it somewhere that someone describe it as the worst Gil Kane cover ever, or words to that extent. I could have just dreamt it or be making that up, but I have to agree with the sentiment. It feels a lazy attempt.

Dracula “Snowblind friend!”

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Gene Colan

Inker: Tom Palmer

Originally published in Tomb of Dracula #19

Cover date April 1974

(Published in December 1974)

This week's second part opening splash page artwork comes from last week's Dracula Lives cover by Rich Buckler (pencils,) and (possibly) Dan Adkins (inks). Rachel Van Helsing hangs by a rope  as she fell off side of the mountain, relying on Dracula to save her. Her rescue leads to an argument over who will destroy whom. With a stalemate reached the two once more seek refuge in another cave to rest. Meanwhile in Paris, Quincy Harker is about to drive a stake through Blade's heart in preparation for him transforming into a vampire after Dracula had bitten him. Before Quincy can strike, Blade suddenly revives, to Quincy's surprise Blade did not changed into a vampire. Through some twist of fate when his mother was bitten by a vampire while Blade was being born he is immune to vampire bites.

Back in the Alps, as Dracula rests, Rachel attempts to stake him through the heart. However the vampire lord was waiting for such a move and knocks the girl away. Suddenly they are attacked by a mountain goat. Rachel realises that she has to save Dracula or die alone in the cold. So she pulls out a gun and shoots the ram to death. Just then, Frank Drake, who had been searching for Rachel in another helicopter, spots his friend with Dracula  and goes in for a rescue. Spotting Frank's helicopter, Rachel flees from Dracula, who pounces on her and attempts to feed upon her. However he is chased away when Frank begins firing at him with wooden bullets. Frank then rescues Rachel. United they fly back to Transylvania, leaving Dracula in the Alps all alone. Next week a helicopter chase down the Transylvanian Alps with Dracula the living target and the unveiling of Doctor Sun!

Letters to the House of Dracula

David O'Mears from Southampton assumed that the magazine was going to be entirely devoted to Dracula, just as the American version is and was slightly disappointment to find other strips included. The editor considers that David has come down a mite hard over that question of contents and cover? ""Dracula Lives" (and we're talking about OUR "Dracula Lives") is a British comic. So look around the British comic field and tell us whether you see other British comics containing ONLY material indicated on the cover or the title of the mag." The Werewolf from St. Helens says that British Marvel has done an outstanding job, making Dracula Lives realistic, so full of action and suspense as your other great mags. His only problem is on the Werewolf by Night strip. When Jack Russell changes, he changes too fast. He knows Marvel doesn't have much space, but three or four more scenes should be used. The writer goes into full graphic details of how a werewolf's transformation should go. Well he should know, after all he is a werewolf. Matthew Lonsdale from Sussex thinks that Planet of the Apes is a good comic, but Dracula Lives is brilliant. However there is just one mistake, in issue 20, Vincent said his uncle put a normal brain in the Monster's body, but he was wrong. His uncle used an abnormal brain. That is why the Monster went wild and mad.

Werewolf by Night “...Of beasts and men!”

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Mike Ploog

Inker: Frank Chiaramonte

Originally published in Werewolf by Night #16

Cover date April 1974

(Published in January 1974)

Mike Ploog and John Romita Sr's cover from Werewolf by Night is reused as a symbolic second part opening splash page with a new story title, catch-up box and credit box added. After a bodged hijack attempt at a Paris airport by the hunchbacked hijacker escapes, fleeing to Notre Dame Cathedral, with Topaz as his hostage.

Jack Russell in his Werewolf form tracks the pair to the Cathedral. The beast and the hunchback fight in the bell tower. As they battle Topaz calms both minds to halt the frenzy. When she locks mind with the hunchback she senses his early rejection as a freak and a monster at a very young age. The pain, rage and anger built up at those who would not look beyond what they saw. He vowed to have vengeance on humanity. The mental strain became too much for Topaz to stand, making her black out. The Werewolf restarts his attack, lifting the hunchback above his head, ready to throw him from the parapet. Topaz regains consciousness just in time to reassert her control over the Werewolf, making him grab on to the hunchback. But his weigh was too much for the beast as their hands slips from one another. The hunchback falls to his death as the police below watch. Next week "The Trap!"

Frankenstein’s Monster “All my children!”

Writer: Bill Mantlo

Artist: Val Mayerik

Inker: Dan Green

Originally published in The Frankenstein Monster #18

Cover date September 1975

(Published in June 1975)

Page fourteen of the original American The Frankenstein Monster comic is used as the second part opening splash page. A new title is squeezed in and the writer and artist credits are wedge in at the top and bottom of the page. Out in a dark forest, the Monster and his new friend, the tamed Berserker robot are attacked by a band of freaks hunting the Monster for their "mother". 

Their sheer numbers pulverise the already damaged Berserker, destroying it beyond repair. The loss of his new friend pushes the Monster into a rage, but the relentless pounding and overwhelming odds take there toll on Frankenstein's creation, as eventually the freaks forcing his head under water makes him lose consciousness. They then take the Monster back to the castle of their "mother", who also claims to be a descendant of the Monster's creator, Baroness Victoria Von Frankenstein. 

The original American series abruptly ended with issue 18 and this story, even though an infobox at the end of the story announced a next issue and in the UK mag "To be concluded!" appeared on the last panel. Doug Moench had wrapped up his writing and the story line with issue 17 of Frankenstein Monster as seen in Dracula Lives #39 and 40 which the three final pages were printed. Page 28 of Dracula Lives #40 was the last page of Frankenstein Monster #17 and the final panel originally had the caption "FIN" at the bottom as the Monster and Berserker walked towards the horizon like the final scene from Casablanca. When Bill Mantlo steered the strip away from the concept of the strip version of Mary Shelley creation. No follow up was created. In the end it all ended poorly. The Thought Balloon goes into great detail of what happed with Frankenstein Monster issue 17. It's worth a read if you're a Frankenstein's Monster fan.

Planet of the Apes #41

Another Ron Wilson Apes cover and not a good one. Was there any need for a gorilla face behind the tribunal of mutants? I think not. Nice bit of promotion for the "senses-shattering conclusion of" the Day of the Triffids! Although that text box does get a little lost amongst the chaos.

Planet of the Apes “The horror inquisition”

Writer: Doug Moench

Artist: Alfredo Alcala

Inker: Alfredo Alcala

Originally published in Planet of the Apes (US) #9

Cover date June 1975

(Published in 1975)

Time lost astronaut Brent has land on a world of apes and now stands in front of a tribunal of humans who have mastered telepathic powers and whose god is an atomic bomb. Through telepathy they interrogate him about where he came from and the outside world, including the ape city and its aggressive ape inhabitance.

When their interrogation reaches an impasse the mutant humans talk to Brent instead of using their telepathy, admitting that talking is a rather primitive accomplishment, one they only use when necessary or when they pray and sing to their god. Brent tells them that the thing that they worship as a god is over two thousand years old and is an obscenity. They consider the bomb as god's instrument on Earth. It is written in the first year of the bomb that the holy fallout descended from above and anointed the chosen people. To them the bomb is a holy weapon of peace! Brent calls them crackers, because where he came from the bomb was "a bloody weapon of hell". When Brent ridicules their belief they contest that they have no psychical weapons, all that they have used are pure illusions. All they want to know is what the apes want, war or peace? They the demonstrate the use of illusions to cause Brent pain, describing their powers of traumatic hypnosis as a weapon of peace, merely illusions. This morality play is laid out perfectly with exquisite art from Alcala, that captures every bit of emotion and gravitas that the actors from the film would have used. Moench's dialogue hits home the intent of the screenplay too, artist and writer in perfect harmony with the source material but at the same time lifting up the message that could have been over looked by viewers of the film. Brent's plight continues next week.

Apes Mail

Neil Brooks from Glamorgan is one of the original Marvel supporters who has collected Marvel and Spiderman from soon after their beginnings, as well as Avengers and Planet of the Apes all the way from their creation. His claim for a No-Prize is two mistakes in POTA #30. On the cover the story is called "Cry Apeslayer", but inside it is called "Apeslayer Dies at Dawn". Also, on page 9, San Simian's mutant pet is called "Grok" but as everyone knows, his real name is "Zom". The next letter is from "A devoted Apes fan" who is a great fan of Planet of the Apes the TV series but thinks it is ridiculous the way TV companies don't know whether or not to show it on TV. Julie Murfin from Lancashire gets POTA every week and loves the features in the comic, especially when it has pictures of James Naughton as played by Peter Burke. She thinks he's fantastic so she wrote to his fan club's address that was printed in the comic. Julie likes the strips in the comic and has seen three of the five Apes films. Her final statement is there are hardly any letters from girls. The editor adds "Letters from girls scarce? In Apes Forum? Sheeeeesh! You've just gotta be kiddin', Julie! Why even the James Naughton fan-club is run by a girl Marvelite!"

The day of the Triffids

Writer: Gerry Conway

Artist: Rico Rival

Inker: Rico Rival

Originally published in Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #2

Cover date March 1975

(Published in December 1975)

The third panel from last week's page thirty-five is used to form this week's second part opening splash page as Marvel's adaptation of John Wyndham's classic 1951 sci-fi novel The day of the Triffids continues. Bill is shocked that his blind group that he had been forced to lead have all ended up dying when they stumble into a mass of Triffids or later they succumb to a plague that seems to affect only the blind. Tracing his steps he returns to the University Museum in hope of finding Josella. Instead he finds it abandoned with a message left on a wall for only the sighted to read. It reads an address for Tynsham Manor in Wiltshire, presumably the location they have travelled to. He also finds Coker, who too has lost his blind charges to the deadly disease.

 The two men drive out to Tynsham manor only to find that the Colonel and his group had left to somewhere in Beaminster in Dorset, leaving a group of blind survivors and a sighted woman who had no liking for the Colonel's plans of the future which involved abandoning descent morality and breeding like animals to continue the human race. Bill and Coker search Dorset without any luck and agree to split up. Bill finds a young girl, Susan, whose brother had just been killed by a Triffid, so she joins him on his journey. Finally Bill remembers that Josella wanted to live in Sussex Downs so Bill and Susan head towards Sussex. Spotting a light in the night sky they follow it to a farm where Josella had found safety with a blind family. They all stay there, fortifying it against Triffids and farming its small land. One day a helicopter arrives with a pilot who knows Coker. He has come from a safe haven on the Isle of White. Bill's group makes plans to relocate there. But before they can leave Torrence and his thugs from the Emergency Council for the South East region of Britain arrive. They propose that Bill and his group will join with fifty or so blind folk to become a work force and Torrence's group will offer them protection. Knowing that Torrence's offer had nefarious intentions Bill applies them with drink and slips away with Josella, Susan and the blind family. Crashing through the fencing they escape leaving the drunken men to the encroaching Triffids. Bill and Josella with their friends set off to start a new beginning, "surviving ever since...!" That was another brilliant adaptation. The Planet of the Apes has a long list of great sci-fi stories that capture the hearts and minds of young readers, always a cracking read. And it's followed by another one.

"Hey Buddy, can you lend me a..."

Writer: Michael Kaluta

Artist: Michael Kaluta

Inker: Michael Kaluta

Originally published in Scream Door #1

(Published in 1971)

Original Marvel publication in Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #1

Cover date March 1975

(Published in December 1974)

This strip originally appeared in a well-known fanzine from 1970, Scream Door #1. It was one of Michael Kaluta's first works and would be reprinted around four years later in Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction issue 1. The original five pages of artwork was sold by Heritage Auction on the 20th November 2009 for $2,031.50, which is approximately £1,512 in today's money. I don't have that kind of money to spend but I do have to say that the artwork does look amazing and the plot is completely engaging. It's all brilliant!

A futuristic aircraft leaves a space port on auto pilot with a small number of passengers who are heading to California in a desolated Earth. Something goes wrong and the craft has to make a crash landing in the radiation ravaged world. A giant insect hunts the survivors. Luckily one survivor, Wayne, has a gun and kills the monster. The survivors look for food and after hearing a ringing sound stumble across some damaged buildings and a lone telephone box. Gebson, an expert in vintage artefacts realises what it is and that it needs a coin to make it work. Foolishly one of the survivors tries to by pass it but gets electrocuted. Another giant insect arrives and attacks, The men die and Gebson is wounded. Maecia, the only woman in the group finds the gun and kills the creature. Gebson thinks the insects came from a nest and there will be more of them. Maecia discovers that Gebson had a vintage collection of coins, but had been keeping them a secret. The giant insects move in on Gebson as Maecia uses the coin to make a call for help, coldly letting the insects feed on Gebson to give her more time. She hears a soft click as the call is connected, there's silence for a second than a recording plays, "Deposit five cents more please to complete your call." The receiver falls as she stares in terror when she realises Gebson has stopped screaming!

The Super-heroes #22

John Buscema pencilled this cover, originally from the Silver Surfer issue 10 where it was inked by Dan Adkins. It was quite a brave cover for the American mag or the British version, there's no super-human battle or cosmic setting, just the Surfer facing some repressive troops. It's a very grounded cover, I do like it.

Silver Surfer “A world he never made. Part 2”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Dan Adkins

Originally published in Silver Surfer #10

Cover date November 1969

(Published in August 1969)

The Kieth Pollard and Dan Adkins cover from last week's Super-Heroes is repurposed as this week's second part opening splash page. It doesn't fit in with the events from last week's ending and this week's continued story and without a concise catch up box it must have looked a little strange to casual readers. Still it does look dramatic. The Surfer had traveled to a small South American town where he finds an occupying army enforcing a curfew. After some soldiers try to arrest him, the Surfer is offered refuge by a villager named Donna Maria who lets him stay the night hidden in her attic.

While the Surfer rests Donna Maria is captured and taken away for questioning about the alien's location. The Surfer awakes later to find her gone and her Mother be side herself with worry. He travels in his civilian clothes to the occupying force's castle and asks to be taken to Donna Maria. One of the soldiers who the Surfer injured last week recognises him and opens fire on him with an automatic rifle. The bullets harmlessly bounce off him as if he's surrounded by an unseen force field. The troops bring out a powerful cannon and fire a shell at the silver alien. This knocks him off his feet, destroying his clothes. This provokes the surfer to take more direct action. Calling his board to him he blasts the soldiers weapons with his cosmic powers, fighting his way past the guards to free Donna Maria from the country's leader, El Capitan. As they escape the castle, Donna Maria kisses the Surfer in thanks, just as Shalla-Bal and Yarro arrive in Earth's atmosphere and their ship's psyche-sensors pick up the Surfer's impulses, placing on Shalla-Bal's screen the heart breaking image of the Surfer's embrace. Stan Lee and John Buscema have crafted a cosmic tale of heart crossed lovers that ends in bittersweet agony. An under sold classic.

"Have no fear.. ..Doc Savage is here!" it reads on this full page teaser, "..because you demanded it!.." Well I'm not sure many British readers actually demanded it, or even knew much about the "Man of Bronze" but with a new movie starring the pulp classic hero coming out in June of 1975 and out soon hit the cinemas across the UK it might have been a good time to cash in on the hype. Marvel comics in America had released a bi-monthly colour comic starring the Man of Bronze in July 1972, which lasted for eight issues. And a second volume, this time in black and white came in June 1975 from Marvel/Curtis Magazines in a magazine format, perfectly timed to tie in with the movie with added articles about the cast and production of the cinematic spectacle. So British Marvel wasn't going to let this opportunity for free publicity slip, so starting next week in issue 23 of the Super-Heroes "The greatest crime fighter ever returns..in an all-new, star-studded series of his own!" Will the strip live up to all the hype? Find out next week.

The X-Men “Enter, the Avengers!”

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Inker: Chic Stone

Originally published in The X-Men #9

Cover date January 1965

(Published in November 1964)

Somewhere in the Northern Atlantic a passenger ship is on a collision course with an iceberg, in till two red beams of light shatter the iceberg. The weakened Scott Summers is lead back to his cabin before anyone could witness the his life saving feat. Scott explains to the other X-Men that Professor Xavier had instructed him to bring the X-Men to Europe for a very special mission. Receiving a telepathic message from the Professor the students learn he has located his foe, Lucifer, in the Balkans, and he wants them to aid him if he is unable to stop Lucifer. Professor Xavier enters the cave, but is engulfed by a cyclone that carries him before Lucifer. The Professor left the X-Men in issue 13 of the Super-Heroes, which this story should have followed with last week's tale instead of the stories that where printed in Super-Heroes #15 and onwards, thanks to British Marvels mixing up of X-Men continuity. 

The Professor is captured by Lucifer, but the mutant leader pulls a gun on his enemy only to learn that if he pulls the trigger the world will be doomed. The X-Men arrive in a Bavarian village, as do the Avengers who are investigating strange impulses detected by Thor's hammer. Lucifer reveals to Xavier that he has built a thermal detonator attached to his heartbeat. If he is harmed or killed, it will blow up, causing worldwide damage. Lucifer knows that the X-Men have arrived in Europe, so he fires an ionic ray at them. Luckily the Professor warns his students of the threat and they dodge the deadly ray. The Avengers arrive to destroy the menace detected by Thor's hammer. The Professor warns his X-Men of the consequences if the Avengers injure or kill Lucifer. So the X-Men try to halt the Avengers and a battle between the two groups ensues.

It becomes a typical Lee/Kirby plot having two sets of heroes battle each other. The Professor could have used his telepathy and ask the Avengers to stop, but where's the fun in that? Lucifer laughs after seeing the two groups fighting each other. This distraction allows the Professor to mentally knock Lucifer unconscious without changing his heartbeat. Then and only then does Xavier using telepathy alert Thor to the danger. Thor stops the fighting and votes that they allow the X-Men to deal with the threat. The Professor leads the X-Men to him so they can defuse the bomb. He detects the bomb's weak point and orders Cyclops to use his power full force but in a hairline beam on the bomb's fuse, shattering it. With the bomb is diffused Xavier mentally wakes up Lucifer. The villain tells them that it took him 10 years to construct the bomb.Weirdly the Professor allows the villain to walk away now that his diabolical scheme is over. The X-Men leave telling him that there is no place on Earth he can go to escape the retribution of the X-Men. The mystery of Lucifer and how he crippled the Professor will have to wait for another time.

Also in this weekly are another two pages of in-house adverts. The first is tucked in the pages between the X-Men strip, telling readers not to miss the second part of the Day of the Triffids adaptation in the pages of the Planet of the Apes. It uses artwork from pages thirty and thirty-five of last week's issue of POTA. The next in-house advert featured on the inside back page, also asks readers not to miss the spectacular new line-up in the Avengers, editing the cover from this week's issue to emphasise that the mag has Conan the Barbarian facing perils from the past while the Avengers battle a "tomorrow-spawned terror!" The bottom tag line reads "Super action in the past and the present" I certainly think that both mags shouldn't be missed as they contain the best that British Marvel had to offer. But saying that the other four weeklies are nothing to sniff at. It was a great time to read Marvel mags. But then again it's always a great time to read good comics. I'm off now to read some more, from every decade of great comics, maybe even some modern ones. So until next time... 

See you in seven.

Make Mine Marvel.