Fans know Marvel as a company that has produced high quality super-hero comics since 1961. Some fans know that they used to publish horror stories in the 1950's and 1960's. What they don't know is that throughout the 1970's Marvel was struggling to return to its root as a publisher of horror comics. This was done in three ways.
1. Marvel wrote comic adaptations of the classic monsters of the Universal Studios horror films: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Werewolf, the Mummy.
These comics were successful in the 1970's, mainly due to the high quality writers and artists assigned to the series.
2. Marvel wrote anthology comics with horror short stories.
These comics were a failure. There was little interest among fans.
3. Marvel published large format black and white comics for the Mature Audience.
Even though these comics were a financial success, their publication was short-lived. The first of these comics was Savage Tales, published in May 1971, but after a single issue it was cancelled. The rest of the comics appeared from 1973 to 1977. Marvel chose to brand them as Curtis Magazines, which as far as I can tell was a fictional company, based on the name of Marvel's distributor. (See the logo on the top left corner of the cover). The writers and artists were Marvel employees or regular free-lance workers, and some of the featured characters also appeared in the mainstream Marvel comics, for example Morbius. However, the stories are distinct from the Marvel continuity. This is the most obvious in the case of Dracula Lives, which features the same character as Tomb of Dracula, but tells unrelated stories.
I emphasise that even though Marvel's b/w comics of the mid-1970's are non-canon, they're extremely enjoyable. Omitting them from my reviews is not meant as any sort of criticism.
This is another example of Marvel trying to revive its horror and science fiction comics in the 1970's. They were the company's mainstay in the 1950's, but by the mid-1960's they were all cancelled to give priority to its super-hero comics. Like all of the other revival attempts, "Worlds Unknown" failed; it was cancelled after eight issues. This wasn't necessarily because it was a bad comic. Times change, and people change. The anthology comics weren't what Americans wanted to read in the 1970's.
Fantastic Four #134
Title: A Dragon stalks the Skies!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Villain: Gregory Gideon, Dragon Man
Regulars: Susan Richards, Franklin Richards
Last month Gerry Conway wrote the script for a Roy Thomas plot, and this month he takes over the complete writing duties for the Fantastic Four. I can't conceal that I'm disappointed. The world's greatest comic magazine needs a better writer. It's not just the many, many mistakes he makes; his stories just aren't appealing.
Agatha Harkness's house has disappeared.
The Dragon Man attacks. Roy Thomas wrongly states that he was last seen in Sub-Mariner #16. It was Sub-Mariner #15. Come on, Roy, where's my No-Prize?
The Thing is reading Marvel's latest anthology comic, "Worlds Unknown". He says he paid 25 cents for it. He was ripped off! The cover price is 20 cents.
Almost three years? Come on, Johnny, it was more than seven years ago. Have you forgotten already? Or is this yet another Gerry Conway blunder? He should take a month off from writing, so that he can read all the old comics.
Doris says that Johnny dropped her. Another blunder. She dumped him by telephone in Fantastic Four #45.
Doris has put on weight in the last seven years. This is what she looked like in Strange Tales #132.
So what's happening? The multi-millionaire Gregory Gideon, who we last saw in Fantastic Four #34, wants revenge for his defeat. He wants revenge on the original Fantastic Four, not newcomers like Medusa, so he's also captured Susan Richards.
Amazing Spider-Man #120
Title: The Fight and the Fury!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gil Kane
Regulars: Gwen Stacy
Guests: Hulk, General Ross
The events in this comic take place before this month's Hulk comic. Spider-Man continues his battle against the Hulk. They both escape from the dam, and the Hulk leaps away.
This panel leaves me speechless. Gerry Conway makes a mistake. He knows that he's made a mistake. He doesn't correct his mistake. He doesn't even apologise for his mistake. In the Hulk's own comic, written by Steve Englehart, General Ross has been given permission to use his own armed forces, including the Hulkbusters, in Canadian territory. Gerry Conway has written that General Ross has been assigned to the Canadian army. Yes, Gerry, we expect consistency, and if you aren't consistent we consider you a failure.
And talking about errors, Peter Parker calls his aunt Max. At least there isn't a text box saying, "We know her name has been May for the last 10 years, but whaddaya want? Consistency?"
Spider-Man has been reading DC comics. He should be ashamed of himself.
Peter Parker goes to Montreal to speak with the lawyer who contacted Aunt May. He's interrupted by the Hulk rampaging. The lawyer is shot by someone working for Doctor Octopus.
The Incredible Hulk #163
Title: Trackdown
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Gremlin
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross
The Hulk continues leaping north, until he finds himself in the ice north of Canada. That's a lot of leaping, because Canadian territory stretches a long way.
He's captured by a Russian scientist called the Gremlin. Does he look familiar? He's the son of the Gargoyle, who died in Incredible Hulk #1, back in the days when the Hulk was grey. General Ross is hunting the Hulk and is also captured. The Hulk escapes and leaves General Ross behind.
Daredevil and the Black Widow #99
Title: The Mark of Hawkeye!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Sam Kweskin
Villain: Dark Messiah
Regulars: Ivan
Guests: Thor, Black Panther, Vision
This mini-masterpiece begins with a beautiful double splash page. Steve Gerber has to be praised for capturing the feeling of Daredevil as a character. In his dealings with women he's a gentlemen, but Hawkeye's macho posturing brings out the worst in him.
The two heroes squabble with one another over the Black Widow like two immature teenagers. Finally they calm down. The Avengers arrive to ask Hawkeye to help them in their battle against Magneto. Hawkeye refuses, but Daredevil and the Black Widow agree to join them.
Avengers #111
Title: With two beside them!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Don Heck
Avengers: Vision, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow
Villain: Magneto, Piper
Guests: Hawkeye, Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman
This is yet another great story from Steve Englehart!
The Avengers who are still free (Thor, Black Panther and Vision) prepare to attack Magneto, accompanied by Daredevil and the Black Widow.
Hawkeye sits around moping after refusing to help the Avengers. He consoles himself by letting his arrogance run wild.
"Some day soon, the name of Hawkeye will mean more than the Avengers, Daredevil and the Black Widow put together".
Wow!
Magneto is using his newly developed mind control power on the remaining Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America and Scarlet Witch) and the X-Men (Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Iceman). He makes them fight against the other Avengers, but like a puppeteer, he only has a limited number of hands to pull the strings. He can't make them all fight at once, just a few at a time.
After defeating Magneto, the Avengers offer Daredevil and the Black Widow membership in their team. Daredevil turns down the offer, but the Black Widow accepts. Daredevil is still feeling temperamental after his recent battle with Hawkeye, so he thinks the Black Widow wants to get away from him.
Captain America and the Falcon #161
Title: If he loseth his soul!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Dr. Faustus
Regulars: Sharon Carter, Leila Taylor
Captain America finds Sharon Taylor's farewell note, and he's determined to help her. He asks the Falcon for help, after they parted company last issue.
This is a magnificent speech, that could have been penned by Stan Lee in his best days.
Sharon is being held in a hospital against her will after a supposed car accident. The doctor is Dr. Faustus, who we met once before in Captain America #107, so we know something as wrong. There's a mystery woman that Sharon recognises. Despite what's drawn on the cover, Captain America doesn't meet her in this issue.
Hero For Hire #9
Title: Where angels fear to tread!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Doctor Doom, Faceless One
Guests: Reed Richards, Johnny Storm, Ben Grimm. Medusa
The concept of this story is ridiculous, but it's well written. Luke Cage flies halfway around the world and invades a foreign country to collect an unpaid debt for $200. Even when you consider that it's worth $1100 in today's money, it's totally over the top.
I take Doctor Doom's side in this argument. Luke Cage is crazy.
Luke Cage links up with the Faceless One, who we last saw rebelling against Doctor Doom in Astonishing Tales #3. They remain allies until the Faceless One is about to kill Doctor Doom. Then he saves his life. After all, if Doctor Doom is killed he will never be paid.
Doctor Doom pays Luke Cage his $200 out of gratitude. In cash, and not one dollar extra. I think Luke Cage deserved a bonus for saving Doctor Doom's life.
This is a hilarious issue. If Reed Richards had charged rental on the intercontinental rocket craft, Luke Cage would have made a big loss. Hilarious!
Thor #211
Title: The End of the Battle!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Ulik
Regulars: Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Tana Nile, Silas Grant
Guests: Jarvis
Thor regains his hammer seconds before the time limit passes. He travels to Earth, where Ulik is mounting an attack to conquer the human race. As we know, if anyone wants to conquer the Earth he starts in Manhattan. That's the way it's always been, that's the way it always will be.
Thor defeats Ulik with the aid of Tana Nile's weaponry. The Trolls return to their kingdom.
Fandral tells Thor that Balder has returned to Earth, but he's gone mad.
When I began my Marvel Years reviews I considered giving each comic a rating from one to five stars, the same system that I use for my films. I decided against it because almost every comic would receive a five-star rating, which would be boring. At that time I only intended to review from 1961 to 1972. Now I've extended the limit to 1991, and there's much more variation in the quality of the stories. Unfortunately. This issue would be given three stars, a slight improvement over two stars for last month's issue. Maybe I'll start rating the comics soon. What do you think?
Iron Man #58
Title: Mandarin and the Unicorn: Double Death
Writer: Steve Gerber, Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Mandarin, Unicorn
Regulars: Pepper Hogan
Mandarin and the Unicorn attack Iron Man together. The Mandarin's new Yin Headband of Power allows him to control the Unicorn as if he were an eleventh ring.
In a flashback we learn that the Unicorn originally went to the Mandarin for help, fearing that his mind was deteriorating. That was obviously the case. He's forgotten that his partner in Iron Man #16 was the Red Ghost, not the Red Guardian.
I've forgotten when this was. I think it's referring to Tony Stark's first heart attack after his heart was replaced. Was that in one of the first solo Iron Man comics? I've forgotten. Anyone who can tell me the answer, please leave a comment.
In the final conflict the Mandarin suddenly finds himself in the Unicorn's body. That's weird. He grabs hold on his own motionless body and flies away.
The workers abandon their strike after finding out their union leader was the Mandarin.
Sub-Mariner #61
Title: The Prince and the Pirate!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Bill Everett, Winslow Mortimer
Regulars: Vashti, Tamara, Betty Prentiss, Namorita
Villain: Dr. Hydro, Gremlin, Lazard
Namor's coronation is celebrated in Atlantis. I still haven't figured out why his title as ruler is Prince and not King.
Betty Prentiss and Namorita go on holiday to Florida. Their plane is hijacked by someone called Gremlin. No, it's not the same Gremlin who appears in this month's Hulk comic. Marvel is running out of names for its characters. Gremlin works for Dr. Hydro, who is kidnapping people to transform them into water breathers. He wants to conquer Atlantis as their new home. Prince Namor is captured when he investigates.
Sadly, Bill Everett was taken ill after completing only the first three pages of this issue. The rest was completed by Winslow Mortimer. These three pages were the last artwork Bill Everett did for Marvel. Assuming that this comic was published in early February, three months before the cover date, he passed away a few weeks later. Because of the printing delays, etc, his death wasn't announced until the comics with cover date September 1973.
Night Nurse #4
Title: The Secret of Sea-Cliff Manor!
Writer: Jean Thomas
Artist: Winslow Mortimer
Regulars: Christine Palmer, Linda Carter (flashback)
Maybe I misunderstood this series. I assumed it was about Linda Carter, since the series is a sequel to the 1960's comic called Linda Carter, Student Nurse. Now there's an issue which is based solely on the supporting character, Christine Palmer. Linda herself only appears in a single picture in a flashback.
After the events of Night Nurse #2, when she had to testify against her lover, Christine quit the hospital and looked for a new job. Now she's found a job as a physical therapist at a remote manor. She has to take care of a crippled young man called Derek Porter.
Unlike the previous hospital drama stories, this is an excellent haunted house story. The atmosphere and the suspense are outstanding, making it the best comic in the series. Unfortunately, it's also the last comic in the series.
Captain Marvel #26
Title: Betrayal
Writer: Jim Starlin, Mike Friedrich
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Super-Skrull, Skragg, Thanos (Masterlord), Death, Controller (cameo)
Regulars: Rick Jones, Lou-Ann Savannah
Guests: Thing
This issue wins the Comic Of The Month Award. None of the other comics come close. It's the second part of an epic story which will get better from issue to issue. I remember when I first read this comic. I was stunned.
Captain Marvel is tricked into a fight with the Thing. The Thing's voice is taken away, so he can't yell his battle cry at Captain Marvel as he does on the cover. The covers are often inaccurate. He has to wait to speak until the battle is over: It's clobbering time!
We find out that the Masterlord of the last issue is Thanos, who first appeared in Iron Man #55. When I first read the comic I didn't recognise the Earth Outlaw, but I had to kick myself afterwards. I should have recognised him straight away, even though he's in the shadows in the third panel of page 3. But do you recognise the other figures in the shadows? One is Thanos, the other is Death, who's also shown on the cover.
On page 5 we see Death again, still hidden in the shadows, only recognisable by her cowl.
Here's another glimpse of Death again on page 14.
There's an even clearer view on page 15.
On page 18 we finally see her in her full beauty, accompanying Thanos and the Super-Skrull.
Thanos knocks the Thing unconscious with a flick of his fingers. Then he changes Captain Marvel back to Rick Jones and carries him into space.
Marvel Feature #9
Title: The Killer is my Wife!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Craig Russell
Villain: Whirlwind, Doctor Nemesis
Regulars: Wasp
Guests: Bill Foster, Iron Man
Henry Pym (Ant-Man) is still trapped at miniature size, and he's being attacked by his wife, who's turned into a mutated wasp.
It wasn't last issue, whatever Roy Thomas says. It was in Marvel Feature #7. Has he forgotten that last month was a Dreaded Deadline Doom issue?
Henry Pym's colleague friend Bill Foster, who hasn't been seen since a brief appearance in Avengers #75, refuses to believe that Henry Pym is dead, so he searches the rubble of their house. He's assisted by Iron Man, who quickly gives up when there are no traces.
Roy Thomas says that Iron Man was tied up on the West Coast in the current issue of Iron Man. Really? The current issue has Iron Man fighting the Mandarin at Stark Industries' main factory on Long Island. And before that he battled Fangor in Central Park. So what's he talking about? His most recent visit to the West Coast was four months ago in Iron Man #54.
Henry Pym uses his cybernetic helmet to calm his wife, and she returns to human form, though still wasp sized. They fight with a cat, and she's knocked unconscious. He's confronted by a costumed man who calls himself Doctor Nemesis.
Marvel Premiere #8
Title: The Doom that bloomed on Kathulos!
Writer: Gardner Fox
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Demons, Kathulos
Regulars: Wong, Clea, Ancient One (flashback)
The Shuma-Gorath story is plodding on slowly from episode to episode. I really don't think that Gardner Fox is the best writer for a story like this. However, this issue stands out because of the incredible artwork by Jim Starlin. This is one of very few Doctor Strange stories that he drew, but it's so impressive that I wish he'd been the regular artist.
Doctor Strange escapes from the haunted, poltergeistish house and sends Wong and Clea home. They should never have been with him. He goes to Stonehenge by himself, where he faces an army of demons. After defeating them he travels to a living planet called Kathulos. By defeating Kathulos he strands himself on the planet with no way of returning to Earth.
Tomb of Dracula #8
Title: The Hell-Crawlers!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, Taj, Quincy Harker, Edith Harker, Clifton Graves
Kills: None (total 12)
Embraces: None (total 3)
Dracula is wounded worse than it seemed in the last issue. A poison is spreading through his body. He turns into a bat and flies to Dr. Mortte, a vampire who still works as a physician. He gives Dracula a blood transfusion.
Meanwhile, Frank Drake and his friends defeat the army of hypnotised children.
Dr. Mortte has invented a device he calls a Projector (TM). By shining it at graves, the dead rise as vampires without the need to be bitten. That's a strange device. Dracula uses it to make new vampires, but Dr. Mortte has a bad conscience and begins to fight with him. Dracula kills him, but the Projector is destroyed, and all the vampires that it's created disappear.
Werewolf by Night #5
Title: A Life for a Death!
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Mike Ploog
Villain: Luther Kane
Regulars: Lissa Russell
Jack Russell flees after killing Joshua Kane. He meets Joshua's brother, Luther Kane, who makes him an offer. He can prevent Jack's sister Lissa becoming a werewolf, but he'll only do it if Jack agrees to kill a millionaire businessman the next day. Jack reluctantly agrees, partly because he loves his sister, partly because he knows that by killing one person he'll save the lives of the many people his sister would kill.
There's an error in the story. Last issue was the third night. See the splash page of Werewolf By Night #4. The following night is also said to be the third night.
The Werewolf finds the millionaire, but he's old and demented, so he doesn't want to kill him. There's a lunar eclipse, which makes the Werewolf turn human again. Jack returns to Luther Kane and demands the cure. Luther refuses, and he dies in a fight. Jack frees his sister.
The Monster of Frankenstein #3
Title: The Monster's Revenge!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Mike Ploog
The Monster rescues Captain Walton and two of his crew. The Captain tells the rest of the story from Mary Shelley's novel to the other two sailors.
I greatly enjoy the way the Frankenstein story has been retold in lengthy flashbacks, while other things happen in the present. It skilfully shows the way the Monster has changed over the last 100 years.
The ship begins to fall apart around them.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Dracula Lives #1 (Gerry Conway, Gene Colan)
Marvel Team-Up #9 (Gerry Conway, Ross Andru)
Conan the Barbarian #26 (Roy Thomas, John Buscema)
Kull the Conqueror #8 (Roy Thomas, Marie Severin)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #110 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Red Wolf #7 (Gardner Fox, Syd Shores)
Creatures on the Loose #23 (Gardner Fox, Val Mayerik)
Chamber of Chills #4 (John Jakes, Frank Brunner)
Worlds Unknown #1 (Gerry Conway, Ralph Reese)
Spoof #5 (Stu Schwartzberg, Marie Severin)
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