Iron Man #55
Title: Beware the Blood Brothers!
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Thanos, Blood Brothers
Introducing: Drax, Mentor, Eros, Kronos
This is a landmark issue in so many different ways. It's the first comic written by Jim Starlin, after he's already drawn a few random comics for the last four months. He also draws this comic. As an artist he was always brilliant. As a writer he was erratic. He's written some of Marvel's best ever comics, but in later years his writing was poor, as if he'd burnt himself out.
Iron Man #55 contains the first appearance of Thanos and his eternal nemesis Drax the Destroyer. You can see straight away that Drax is a very different character to the man called Drax in the Marvel films.
Thanos was born on Titan, one of Jupiter's moons, the son of the planet's ruler Mentor. After he was exiled from Titan he became a warlord and conquered many planets throughout the galaxy. Now he wants to conquer Earth.
Drax has been created by Kronos, the God of Titan, to protect Titan against Thanos. Drax has an unquenchable hatred for Thanos, which will be explained in future issues of Captain Marvel. Drax sends a telepathic warning to Iron Man that two servants of Thanos, the Blood Brothers, are about to commence an attack on Earth. Iron Man is defeated and carried to Thanos' desert lair.
This is Marvel's first picture of Thanos.
This is the first clear view that we have of him.
In Iron Man #55 the citizens of Titan are shown as having purple skin. In later stories Jim Starlin changed his mind, and everyone on Titan is pink-skinned, with the exception of Thanos.
Iron Man and Drax defeat Thanos. The Thanos saga will continue when Jim Starlin becomes the regular writer of Captain Marvel.
The Incredible Hulk #160
Title: Nightmare in Niagara Falls
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Rhyno, Tiger Shark, Llyra (flashback)
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Talbot (formerly Betty Ross)
Guests: Sub-Mariner (flashback)
The Hulk has heard that his girlfriend Betty Ross, who has now married Major Glenn Talbot, is in Niagara Falls on honeymoon. He wants to go there and rescue her, but he doesn't know the way. He turns back into Bruce Banner, who vaguely recalls that the Hulk wants to go to Betty. He thinks she might be in danger, so he hires a private plane to fly him there.
On arrival at Niagara Falls he turns into the Hulk and starts smashing. It figures. He's attacked by Tiger Shark, who we last saw in Sub-Mariner #46.
The Talbots flee into Canada. The Hulk defeats Tiger Shark, then hides from General Ross's planes.
Captain America and the Falcon #158
Title: The Crime Wave Breaks!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Viper, Morgan, Plant-Man, Porcupine, Eel, Scarecrow
Regulars: Sgt. Muldoon
Captain America and the Falcon manage to drink the antidote for the Viper's poison.
Sgt. Muldoon suspects that the Cowled Commander is Steve Rogers.
The Falcon battles and defeats the Viper.
Captain America notices that he's much stronger than usual.
Hero For Hire #6
Title: Knights and White Satin!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Billy Graham
Villain: Raymond Forsythe Jr
Regulars: Claire Temple
Hoodlums enter Luke Cage's office to beat him up. Bad idea.
Two rich sisters hire Luke Cage to investigate murder attempts on their grandfather, who is close to death anyway. The one guilty is their cousin, who is named as the sole recipient of the Will if his grandfather dies before he turns 25, and this date, 13th November 1973, is only days away.
Exact dates weren't often mentioned in Marvel comics, but when they were it was usually the date the comic was published, about three months before the cover date. This is probably a mistake, as the comic was published in November 1972, making the story take place one year in the future.
Luke Cage says that this is the first money he's earned as a "Hero For Hire". After six months, it's about time.
Avengers #108
Title: Check and Mate!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Captain America, Vision, Black Panther, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch,Thor
Villain: Space Phantom, Grim Reaper, Hydra
Regulars: Jarvis
Guests: Rick Jones, Captain Marvel
Can you spot Captain America on the splash page?
The Vision pretends to go along with the Grim Reaper's plans as a distraction for Captain America to attack. The Grim Reaper is knocked out, and they go to the Space Phantom's lair to free the other Avengers. The Grim Reaper returns to the fight, and the Avengers are defeated. The Scarlet Witch escapes and runs to the Avengers Mansion, where she's captured, along with Jarvis and Rick Jones.
Rick Jones makes a rash attack on the Space Phantom, provoking the Space Phantom to swap bodies with him. The strain makes the Space Phantom pass out, because Rick Jones is part of two bodies, together with Captain Marvel.
Fantastic Four #131
Title: Revolt in Paradise!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Ross Andru
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Villain: Maximus, Omega, Sentinels (flashback)
Regulars: Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, Crystal, Lockjaw
Guests: Quicksilver
Finally it's "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" again. Seeing it called "The World's Greatest Comix Magazine" for the last five issues churned my stomach.
There's a new artist this month, Ross Andru. The changeover from John Buscema didn't run smoothly. Last month John Buscema drew Crystal in her blue Fantastic Four costume, but this month (a mere moment later in Marvel time) she's wearing her old yellow costume. The colourist can't be blamed, because Petra Goldberg coloured both issues and should know better. Maybe.
Johnny Storm finds Quicksilver with Crystal, and they seem to be a couple. They fight, until they're interrupted by an earthquake. Maximus is the chief suspect, but he swears it wasn't him. The Alpha Primitives, slaves kept by the Inhumans, have rebelled, led by a giant called Omega.
Thor #208
Title: The Fourth-Dimensional Man!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Mercurio
Regulars: Hildegarde, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg
Guests: Vision, Jarvis
This story seems like a dull filler tale while we're waiting for something big to happen. The best part of the comic is a small incident at Avengers Mansion.
Thor yells at Jarvis. Then he sleeps for a few hours.
When he wakes up, he apologises. That's moving. I like Jarvis.
Now for the action. A being from another world, the Fourth Dimension, uses the energy of Thor's transformation to and from Donald Blake to restore his true form. He's stuck halfway, with fire in one hand and ice in the other. He fights against Thor and the Warriors Three until he loses, seemingly dying.
What's this weird curse uttered by Thor? Could it be that the letterer, Charlotte Jetter, doesn't know how to spell Heimdal?
Amazing Spider-Man #117
Awful, non-canon junk. Marvel should be ashamed of itself.
Daredevil and the Black Widow #96
Title: The Widow will make you pay!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Man-Bull, Itch
Daredevil has been badly injured. The Black Widow swears revenge, but when Man-Bull flees she remains with Daredevil and accompanies him to hospital.
Man-Bull puts a serum into the city's water supply which will turn everyone into monsters. The Black Widow fails to stop him. Daredevil leaves hospital and manages to defeat Man-Bull, despite being in a weakened state.
The Crazy Credits say that Irving Forbush gives moral support. Nobody needs it more than the colourist whose name has been censored.
Sub-Mariner #58
Title: Hands across the water, hands across the skies
Writer: Bill Everett, Steve Gerber
Artist: Bill Everett
Regulars: Vashti, Tamara
Namor feels homesick and returns to spy on Atlantis. In his absence Lord Vashti has assumed the throne.
A woman called Tamara is the sole survivor of the race butchered by the Atlanteans last issue. She pretends that she wants help returning to her own planet, but she really wants revenge. After her space ship is repaired she mounts an attack on Atlantis. Namor defeats her, and she begs for mercy. Vashti grants mercy. Namor says he will return to Atlantis to be Tamara's guardian as a new citizen of Atlantis.
Defenders #4
Title: The New Defender!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Defenders: Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, Valkyrie (Barbara Norriss)
Villain: Executioner, Enchantress, Casiolena
Guests: Black Knight
In the last issue Barbara Norriss was driven mad. The Hulk holds on to her, because he doesn't trust the others to help her. He takes her into a castle. When the others follow, it seems they're in a different world. It's ruled by Queen Casiolena, assisted by the Executioner, who we last saw way back in Incredible Hulk #102. Fighting against him are the Black Knight and the Enchantress, both of whom we last saw in Avengers #100, where they were fighting against one another. Times change. One kiss from the Enchantress, and the Black Knight is her slave. If there's one woman in Marvel Comics that I could have a crush on, it's the Enchantress. In my eyes she's the perfect woman.
Doctor Strange's magic is too weak in this other world, so together with Sub-Mariner he's thrown in a dungeon. Bruce Banner is also in the dungeon with Barbara Norriss. When the Enchantress sees her, she transforms her into a warrior called Valkyrie.
This is the third incarnation of the Valkyrie. In Avengers #83 she was an alternate form of the Enchantress herself. In Incredible Hulk #142 she was Samantha Parrington, transformed into a warrior by the Enchantress. Now she's Barbara Norriss.
After defeating the Queen with the help of Valkyrie, the Enchantress says that she wants to be partners with the Executioner again. The love-stricken Black Knight complains, so she kisses him again, and he's turned into a stone statue. That must have been a powerful kiss, because he remains rock hard for the next 10 years.
Doctor Strange returns to Earth with Hulk, Sub-Mariner and the Black Knight's statue. Valkyrie follows them on the Black Knight's horse. She tells them she wants to join their team.
Warlock #4
Title: Come sing a searing song of vengeance!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Gil Kane
Villain: Triax (Apollo)
The creature who called himself Apollo now calls himself by his birth name, Triax. Warlock can't attack him, because he's holding two teenagers hostage. The US army attacks, and one of the youths, Eddie Roberts, dies. Warlock attacks, and Triax falls to his death.
For unknown reasons, Triax was scared of the presidential candidate, Rex Carpenter.
Shanna the She-Devil #2
Title: The Sahara Connection!
Writer: Carole Seuling
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: El Montano
SHIELD asks Shanna to help stop a criminal called El Montano stealing a French Moon rocket. She's reluctant to help, but when she's told that he keeps slaves she changes her mind. She stops the theft and defeats him.
Marvel Spotlight #8
Title: The Hordes of Hell!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Michael Ploog
Villain: Snake Dance
Regulars: Roxanne Simpson
Crash Simpson is unable to attack while his daughter Roxanne is threatened, so Satan transports Ghost Rider and Crash into Hell. Ghost Rider pleads with him not to fight, and eventually he helps Ghost Rider, dying in the process.
A man calling himself the Messenger takes Crash Simpson's body and promises he will give his soul eternal peace. Ghost Rider finds himself back on Earth in the morning. Roxanne thinks it was all a dream.
Johnny Blaze has to perform a stunt, jumping over Copperhead Canyon in Arizona. An Indian tries to stop him. At night, an Indian medicine man uses ancient rites to fight against Ghost Rider. He runs away by leaping across the canyon, and his motorbike explodes in mid air.
Adventure Into Fear #12
Title: No Choice of Colors!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Jim Starlin
Man-Thing witnesses a man running away from the police. He's shot and falls headfirst into the swamp. Man-Thing rescues him and puts his arm in a sling. The man says that he's being hunted by the police because he's a black man who was dating a white women. Man-Thing has sympathy with him. Then the policeman arrives, and in the conversation it becomes clear that the man was lying; he's a murderer. Man-Thing stands and does nothing when the policeman shoots him. Then he hears the policeman rejoicing, so he grabs him, and because of his fear he burns at the Man-Thing's touch.
This is another beautiful story with mixed morality messages. Steve Gerber is a good writer, and Jim Starlin is an incredible artist.
Astonishing Tales #16
Title: To stalk a city!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Rich Buckler
Regulars: Barbara Morse
It's a two-way hunt. Ka-Zar is looking for the drug dealer who injured Dr. Calvin last issue. The drug dealer wants revenge on Ka-Zar for disturbing his operations. The drug dealer uses Vinnie, Dr. Calvin's son, as bait. Ka-Zar defeats the dealer in a fist fight, then leaves him for the police. Vinnie is badly injured and is put in the same hospital room as his mother.
Mike Friedrich isn't a bad writer, but I can't get excited about his recent Ka-Zar stories. They're too bland.
Non-Canon comics published this month:
Amazing Spider-Man #117 Gerry Conway, John Romita)
Doc Savage #3 (Steve Englehart, Ross Andru)
Conan the Barbarian #23 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Our Love Story #21 (Joy Jackson, Jim Mooney)
Combat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen #5 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Outlaw Kid #14 (Mike Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Gunhawks #3 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Journey Into Mystery #3 (Ron Goulart, Jim Starlin)
Supernatural Thrillers #2 (Ron Goulart, Dan Adkins)
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