The first three issues of Marvel Feature contained stories about the Defenders, Marvel's newest non-group. Due to their popularity they'll be given their own comic series, starting next month. Starting this month, Marvel Feature will contain stories about Ant-Man. To recap his appearances briefly:
Hank Pym first appeared as a scientist in Tales To Astonish #27. It's obvious that this was a one-off story, and he was never intended to return at the time when Stan Lee wrote the story.
In Tales To Astonish #35 Hank Pym returned as the super-hero Ant-Man. This made him the fourth Marvel silver age super-hero after the Hulk, Spider-Man and Thor. His stories continued until Tales To Astonish #48. After this he gained the ability to increase his size, so the series continued as Giant Man from Tales To Astonish #49 to Tales To Astonish #69.
It's worth noting that he appeared in Avengers #1 as Ant-Man, and as the one who suggested the formation of the team he's the only super-hero who has the right to call himself the first Avenger. By the time Avengers #2 was released, he had already become Giant-Man. He remained in the Avengers until Avengers #16, when he said he was leaving the Avengers temporarily to take a vacation. It must have been a long vacation, because he didn't return until Avengers #28, changing his name to Goliath, because he thought Giant-Man sounded too corny.
In Avengers #59 Hank Pym was suffering from schizophrenia, and while he forgot who he was he adopted the identity Yellowjacket. In Avengers #63 Clint Barton, formerly Hawkeye, stole his super-hero name and became Goliath, so he had to remain Yellowjacket. In Avengers #75 he decided to give up being a super-hero and concentrate on working as a scientist.
After sporadic appearances as Yellowjacket in the following issues, he announced in Avengers #93 that he wanted to be known as Ant-Man again. He had a solo story as Ant-Man in Iron Man #44. The success of that story has led to him returning to his own series.
Marvel Feature #4
Title: The Incredible Shrinking Doom!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: kidnappers
Regulars: Wasp (flashback)
Guests: Spider-Man
Hank Pym is carrying out an experiment for Dr. Curt Connors, assisted by a young student called Peter Parker. There's an explosion, and they have to abandon their work.
This is news to me. I didn't think that excitement changed Dr. Connors into the Lizard. I thought the change just came sporadically, over time.
There's been some confusion in past issues as to whether Hank Pym's super-hero identities are secret or not. I'm glad it's finally been cleared up.
A gang announces that they've kidnapped Dr. Connors' son Billy. They want his drug samples. Dr. Connors himself is away on a trip, so Hank Pym goes into action as Ant-Man. He's told he can't attack the gang, because Billy has been injected with rabies, and if the gang doesn't give him an antidote he'll die. The gang also injects Ant-Man and Peter Parker.
Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man and finds the antidote. The gang is easily defeated. Everyone receives the antidote, but Ant-Man finds that a side-effect of the rabies injection is that he can no longer change size, so he's stuck at ant size.
The first two issues of Marvel Premiere contained stories about Warlock, whose full name is Adam Warlock. He'll be given his own comic series, starting next month. Starting this month, Marvel Feature will contain stories about Doctor Strange. To recap his appearances briefly:
Doctor Strange first appeared in Strange Tales #110, and he shared half of the comic with various other super-heroes until Strange Tales #168. The stories written by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are some of the best stories ever written by Marvel.
The following month Doctor Strange was given his own comic, retaining the numbering of Strange Tales, i.e. Doctor Strange #169. The series continued until Doctor Strange #183, when it was cancelled in the middle of a storyline. This story was continued in Sub-Mariner #22 and concluded in Incredible Hulk #126. At the end of that comic he said he was quitting his role as Doctor Strange and would live as a normal man.
His retirement lasted only 18 months. He became Doctor Strange again in Marvel Feature #1.
Marvel Premiere #3
Title: While the world spins mad!
Writer: Barry Smith, Stan Lee
Artist: Barry Smith
Villain: Nightmare
Regulars: Ancient One
Doctor Strange is hit by a truck when he crosses the road without looking. While lying in hospital he's trapped in the dream world of Nightmare. He wins the battle against Nightmare, eventually, but Nightmare warns him that he's working with someone else who's even more powerful.
Fantastic Four #124
Title: The Return of the Monster!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Buscema
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Villain: Monster from the Lost Lagoon
Reed Richards collapses from exhaustion and has to be taken to hospital.
The Monster from the Lost Lagoon, last seen in Fantastic Four #97, kidnaps Susan Richards.
Amazing Spider-Man #110
Title: The Birth of the Gibbon!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Gibbon (Martin Blank)
Regulars: Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, Flash Thompson
Spider-Man has a temper tantrum when he realises he forgot to take photos of his meeting with Doctor Strange last issue. He throws his camera off the roof, immediately regretting it. It's caught and returned by an incredibly agile man called Martin Blank. He has an inferiority complex because he's always been ugly.
The next day Martin puts on a gibbon costume and asks Spider-Man if he can be his partner. Spider-Man laughs about it, which makes Martin bitter.
Someone is watching.
Avengers #101
Title: Whatever Gods there be!
Writer: Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas
Artist: Barry Smith
Avengers: Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision
Villain: Leonard Tippet
Guests: Watcher
This is a strange story that's made me see the Watcher in a different light. I've always thought of him as a naive good guy, but this story shows him as someone who's ruthless and willing to do bad to achieve the greater good.
The Watcher approaches an old man called Leonard Tippit and tells him that he's destined to save the world from a nuclear holocaust. There are five people in different parts of the world who will one day have children who will do something momentous to bring about global destruction. All five must die before they have children, and only Leonard can kill them. The Watcher unleashes Leonard's buried potential and sends him on his task.
The Avengers try to stop Leonard, but all five people are killed.
Then the Watcher appears and takes Leonard away. He says that he lied to Leonard. The five people and their children were harmless, the real danger was Leonard himself. Leonard unknowingly had enough power to kill the Watcher, so he had to exhaust himself by killing five people.
Wow! So the Watcher organised five murders to save the world? What do you think?
Iron Man #48
Title: The Fury and the Inferno!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Firebrand
Regulars: Marianne Rodgers
Tony Stark challenges the board members of Stark Industries who have been plotting against him for the last three issues. Using his controlling interest he votes himself the new Chairman of the Board, and he asks for them all to resign.
The former Chairman of the Board, Simon Gilbert, attempts to pay the villain Firebrand to destroy the main Stark Industries factory. Stan Lee wants to tell us when we last saw Firebrand, but he's not a very good librarian, because he gets the issue wrong. It was Iron Man #27.
Firebrand rejects the money and says he'll do it for free. He's an idealist who wants to stop wars by destroying warmongers and their property. Iron Man defeats Firebrand, so Simon Gilbert starts an explosion himself and kills himself in the process. Firebrand reveals that Simon Gilbert was his father.
Sub-Mariner #51
Title: Armageddon at Fifty Fathoms Full!
Writer: Bill Everett, Mike Friedrich
Artist: Bill Everett
Villain: Byrrah, Llyra (flashback), Brother Royale
Regulars: Namorita
Namor battles Lord Byrrah, aided by his second cousin Namorita. Is that what the daughter of your first cousin is called? Or is it a cousin once removed? I get confused. Let's just call her cousin, for the sake of simplicity.
Byrrah has allied himself with the Badoon, led by Brother Royale, who we last saw in Silver Surfer #2. The Badoon aren't interested in conquering the Earth, they just want to plunder its natural resources, starting with oil.
Namorita relates how she was adopted by Llyra in Lemuria after the death of her mother. Lord Byrrah came to Lemuria after he was exiled from Atlantis, and Namorita thought of him as a father.
Namor causes an underwater explosion with stolen TNT. The Badoon leave the Earth. Namorita begs her cousin to spare Byrrah.
The Incredible Hulk #153
Title: The World, my Jury!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Dick Ayers
Regulars: General Ross
Guests: J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Foggy Nelson
At New York Airport (probably the JFK International Airport) the Hulk fights with the Thing, who's aided by Daredevil, Spider-Man and the Human Torch. Reed Richards has invented a device he calls a Nega-Gamma (TM), which is supposed to turn the Hulk back into Bruce Banner permanently. It doesn't work. It merely knocks the Hulk unconscious. This allows him to be restrained in triple-layered titanium bands built by Tony Stark.
At the trial a few days later, the Hulk is threatened with death if found guilty. (The exact charges against the Hulk aren't named, but you can think them up for yourselves).
Iron Man is the first defence witness. His testimony is rejected as irrelevant. Thor is called as witness, but he isn't allowed to speak. Finally the Hulk is allowed to speak in his own defence, but his words show that he has no idea what's happening. Matt Murdock asks for the Hulk to be declared mentally incompetent to stand trial, which the judge understands, but he says that the protection of the public takes priority over the Hulk's rights.
Reed Richards enters the courtroom and says that Bruce Banner should be allowed to testify. He says he's improved the Nega-Gamma. He fires it at the Hulk, but this time it increases his strength. The Hulk breaks free of the titanium bands and jumps through the roof of the courthouse.
The Hulk's increase in strength is only temporary. He collapses after leaping to South Bronx.
Captain America and the Falcon #151
Title: Panic on Park Avenue
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Scorpion, Mr. Hyde
Regulars: Sharon Carter, Nick Fury
The Scorpion and Mister Hyde are waiting to attack Sharon Carter, because they know she's an agent of SHIELD. How do they know? Ask Gerry Conway.
They ambush Steve Rogers as he walks past them, not knowing he's Captain America. Surprised by his fighting skills, they flee. He then goes to talk with the Falcon, because he's puzzled. He thought they were both dead. The Scorpion's death in Daredevil #82 was highly publicised, because the Black Widow was charged with murder. Mister Hyde supposedly died in an explosion in Daredevil #83. Unknown to Captain America they were both androids built by Mister Kline. The real Scorpion and Mister Hyde had been captured by Mister Kline to be duplicated. When they escaped they assumed that the laboratory they found themselves in belonged to SHIELD.
Captain America and the Falcon battle with the Scorpion and Mister Hyde outside Sharon Carter's lodgings. When she comes out, Mister Hyde grabs her and they flee.
Nick Fury arrives and tells Captain America off for approaching a SHIELD building. Captain America hits him. He deserved it.
Thor #201
Title: Resurrection!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Pluto, Hela, Karnilla, Ego (flashback), Ego Prime
Regulars: Odin, Balder, Sif, Hildegarde, Heimdall, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg
Guests: Tana Nile
Gerry Conway confuses me. Most of his stories are awful, but on occasions he can rise to works of brilliance. Like this comic. It seems like he's developing a feeling for epic adventures.
Heimdall and a dwarf named Kamorr have been sent to New York on a mission.
Thor fights valiantly against Pluto, even though he's badly outmatched. Meanwhile, Hela returns Odin to life, because she doesn't want to risk Pluto claiming him.
Pluto attempts to send the Warriors Three to Hades, but Odin diverts the spell and sends them to Earth. To New York, of course. Where else?
When Odin arrives, Pluto returns to Hades. Thor requests permission to go to Earth to aid the Warriors Three. Balder asks Karnilla for permission to accompany Thor, so she releases him from his pledge and tells him he can do whatever he wants.
Tana Nile explains to Sif and Hildegarde that the Colonizers created Ego Prime by removing a sliver from Ego, the living planet. Tana Nile took Ego Prime to a primitive planet called Blackworld. They used Ego Prime to trigger the planet's evolution, but as he evolved he became powerful enough to break free of Tana Nile's control and steer the evolutionary process himself. Blackworld is heading quickly towards a nuclear war. (Isn't this a repeat of the story of the High Evolutionary and the Man-Beast in Marvel Premiere #1?)
An atomic explosion occurs, and Ego-Prime appears in New York with Tana Nile, Sif and Hildegarde.
Daredevil #89
Title: Crisis!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Killgrave, Electro
Regulars: Black Widow, Ivan, Danny French
Daredevil spends his time mopping up Killgrave's gang. Killgrave hears that Electro is in San Francisco, so he recruits him as an ally. Daredevil defeated Electro in Daredevil #87.
Natasha has some sort of a history with Danny French. It's hinted that they weren't only partners, they were also lovers. Natasha leaves at night to go to Danny. Daredevil follows her. Together they're challenged by Electro and Killgrave. Natasha battles Electro while Daredevil faces Killgrave himself.
Killgrave's aircraft crashes and he dies. Seemingly. Natasha lures Electro to a store where lightning rods are sold and stored outdoors. They drain Electro's power, and he's helpless.
Amazing Adventures #13
Title: Iron Man: D.O.A.
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Tom Sutton
Villain: Blob, Unus, Mastermind
Regulars: Vera, Patsy Walker, Buzz Baxter
Mastermind makes the Beast lose his memory of all that he did before fighting Iron Man last issue. He persuades him to join their team, the Brotherhood of Mutants – discreetly omitting the word "Evil" – and they use his skills to steal the world's biggest diamond.
In Hank McCoy's absence two characters visit Brand Corporation: Buzz and Patsy Baxter. They're the characters of Patsy Walker and various spin off comics that ran from 1944 to 1967. These comics were a mixture of humour and romance. The last time Buzz Baxter was mentioned, he was fighting in Vietnam. They've married between 1967 and now. Patsy had a cameo appearance in Fantastic Four Annual #3, but it's a whole new level for her to have an important role in a super-hero comic.
I don't consider Patsy Walker's own comics to be canon, otherwise we'd get into problems with her age, since she was an older teenager in 1944.
When the Beast's memories return, he defeats the three evil mutants. They underestimate him, because they don't know that he's the same Beast who used to be a member of the X-Men.
Tomb of Dracula #3
Title: Who stalks the Vampire?
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: John Drake, Clifton Graves, Rachel Van Helsing, Taj, Ilsa Strangway
Kills: One woman (total 4)
Embraces: One man (total 2)
John Drake can't deal with having killed his girlfriend Jean. He attempts suicide, but he's rescued by a woman and her mute servant. The woman is Rachel Van Helsing, the man is called Taj.
Dracula hypnotises Clifton Graves and sends him to find his coffin. This isn't because it's essential for him, as he has other coffins. It's because Dracula's gold is hidden in it.
Dracula kills a woman in the street, and he makes a night porter a vampire.
The police arrest John, Rachel and Taj on suspicion of killing the porter. Inspector Chelm finds the stories of vampires implausible, until he witnesses the porter rising again and being staked by Taj.
Castle Dracula was bought by a woman called Ilsa Strangway. She was once a beautiful model, but after 20 years her beauty has faded. She wants to regain her former appearance with the help of Dracula.
Ilsa uses Bram Stoker's "Dracula" as her source of knowledge, because she knows the story is based on truth.
Let's continue with the rules for Marvel's Dracula:
Vampires can only enter a house if they're invited in.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Marvel Team-Up #3 (Gerry Conway, Ross Andru)
Conan the Barbarian #16 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Kull the Conqueror #3 (Roy Thomas, Marie Severin)
My Love #18 (Stan Lee, Sal Buscema)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #100 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Red Wolf #2 (Roy Thomas, Syd Shores)
Rawhide Kid #101 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Creatures on the Loose #18 (Gerry Conway, Ross Andru)
There's an interesting letter from a Philosophy professor challenging Stan Lee's statement on the April Bullpen page that there are no right or wrong opinions.
Michael Levin is a renowned philosopher, and it's interesting to see that he's a reader of Marvel comics. He has often been criticised for his opinions, but in my opinions the criticisms come from people who don't understand him. Other people talk about what they think is fair, but Professor Levin talks about what he considers to be philosophically logical.
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