This is Marvel's most Satanic month ever. Stan Lee introduced Mephisto, his personal version of the Devil, as a recurring character in Silver Surfer #3. Satan, Gary Friedrich's version of the Devil, was introduced in Marvel Spotlight #5, relegating Mephisto to a minor demon. Or is he? There are obvious contradictions. Both Mephisto and Satan collect souls, which would make them rivals. It's more logical to see them as different aspects of the same being, even if that's not what Stan Lee and Gary Friedrich intended. As I see it, Stan definitely intended Mephisto to represent the Judaic-Christian Devil, he just wasn't brave enough to use the name Satan. He was afraid of offending his Christian readers in the early days when the Comic Code Authority was stricter and Marvel was still fighting to survive. Five years later, Gary Friedrich wasn't afraid to use the name Satan. The Comic Code Authority was more relaxed, Marvel had become the biggest comic company in America, and apart from that, Gary Friedrich wasn't Marvel's boss. He was just an employee, and if complaints rolled in he could be fired, unlike Stan Lee.
Ghost Rider #2 features Johnny Blaze's willing descent into Hell. Marvel Spotlight #12 reveals that Daimon Hellstrom is the son of Satan. In Vampire Tales #2, which I've arbitrarily declared non-canon, Satan's daughter Satana is introduced. In addition, the stories of Morbius, the main feature in Vampire Tales, also feature Devil worshippers.
Ghost Rider #2
Title: Shake hands with Satan!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Jim Mooney
Villain: Satan, Witch-Woman
Regulars: Daimon Hellstrom, Roxanne Simpson
Ghost Rider has been a fascinating character ever since he was first introduced in Marvel Spotlight #5, but in my opinion this is the issue in which his full promise is unleashed. This is the issue that displays what sets him aside from all of the other Marvel super-heroes, if it's even possible to call him a super-hero. This is the issue that reveals the world of Satan, which is more than just Hell.
Feeling unable to fight any more, Ghost Rider surrenders to Satan.
Satan comes in the form of a beautiful woman, the body of Linda Littletree, which he's been possessing since last issue.
It doesn't last. Satan goes back to his usual appearance.
Ghost Rider wants to make his surrender to Satan conditional on his girlfriend Roxanne being promised her safety. No deal. Satan never makes deals with anyone, so Ghost Rider has to fight the hordes of Hell.
Meanwhile, Daimon Hellstrom has promised to exorcise Linda Littletree.
Marvel Spotlight #12
Title: The Son of Satan!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Satan, Witch-Woman (Linda Littletree)
The first issue of Marvel Spotlight to feature Daimon Hellstrom as the main character is intertwined with Ghost Rider #2. Pages 1 to 12 take place after page 14 of Ghost Rider #2. Pages 13 to 19 take place after the end of Ghost Rider #2. Maybe the story should have been divided into two chapters to make it clearer, but I shouldn't be a nit-picker. It's still good writing by Gary Friedrich in his first crossover story.
The artwork is spectacular. Herb Trimpe has stepped in as the new artist, both for the cover and the comic itself. It's an amazing cover, and just look at Daimon's chariot! Herb is the right person for this comic.
Similar to other Marvel characters, like Jack Russell (the Werewolf), Daimon Hellstrom has a different personality at night. In the daytime he's a religious, God-fearing man. At night he becomes as evil as Satan himself. Daimon saves Johnny Blaze and Linda Littletree from Hell, not because he cares for them, but because he wants to spite his father.
Vampire Tales #2
Despite having said that this is a non-canon magazine, I'm including the untitled four-page story about Satana. It's short enough for me to reproduce the whole story.
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Romita
Do you like the story? I do, but I have one small criticism of John Romita's artwork. Why does he make Satana look scared when she's being followed? She knew from the beginning that she was in no danger.
Avengers #116
Title: Betrayal!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Bob Brown
Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Swordsman
Defenders: Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, Silver Surfer, Valkyrie, Hawkeye
Villain: Dormammu, Loki
Regulars: Mantis
Guests: Wong
This is Chapter Two of the Avengers/Defenders War.
The Avengers visit Doctor Strange's sanctum sanctorum to inquire about the Black Knight. His defensive mechanisms throw them in the air. Wong comes out and tells them Doctor Strange doesn't want to see them, so they break the door down. They see the Black Knight's stone body before they're cast out by another defensive spell.
Using the Orb of Agamotto, Doctor Strange finds the locations of the six pieces of the Evil Eye. The six Defenders each go to one of the locations.
Loki suspects that Dormammu will betray him, so he warns the Avengers. He tells them that Earth's most fearsome villains, the Defenders, are searching for the Evil Eye for their own evil purposes. They have to be stopped. The Avengers split up to challenge the Defenders.
Title: The Silver Surfer vs the Vision and the Scarlet Witch
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Bob Brown
Avengers: Vision, Scarlet Witch
Defenders: Silver Surfer
Villain: Dormammu, Loki
This is Chapter Three of the Avengers/Defenders War.
The Silver Surfer goes to Rurutu in French Polynesia. The segment of the Evil Eye is hidden in a volcano. The Vision and the Scarlet Witch attempt to stop him retrieving it. The Scarlet Witch is knocked unconscious when the volcano erupts. The villagers want to sacrifice her to the Volcano God, so they lay her in the path of the advancing lava. The Vision rescues her while the Silver Surfer leaves with the Evil Eye.
Defenders #9
Title: Divide and Conquer
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Black Panther, Swordsman
Defenders: Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer
Villain: Loki
This is Chapter Four of the Avengers/Defenders War.
The Silver returns from Rurutu, French Polynesia, to warn Doctor Strange that the Avengers are trying to stop them gathering the pieces of the Evil Eye. Doctor Strange probes Avengers Mansion, and he detects the recent presence of Loki. He also sees that the Swordsman, an internationally known criminal, has become an Avengers, which convinces him that the Avengers have become evil. He leaves the sanctum to aid the other Defenders in their quest.
Title: Iron Man vs Hawkeye the Archer
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Avengers: Iron Man
Defenders: Doctor Strange, Valkyrie, Hawkeye
This is Chapter Five of the Avengers/Defenders War.
Doctor Strange warns Valkyrie and Hawkeye that the Avengers are trying to prevent them from retrieving the pieces of the Evil Eye. Valkyrie drops Hawkeye in Monterrey, Mexico.
Iron Man arrives and finds the Evil Eye in the local university. Hawkeye grabs it out of his hand. After a short fight Hawkeye runs away, not wanting to continue fighting now that he has the Evil Eye.
Title: Doctor Strange vs the Black Panther and Mantis
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Avengers: Black Panther
Defenders: Doctor Strange
Guests: Mantis
This is Chapter Six of the Avengers/Defenders War.
Doctor Strange finds a piece of the Evil Eye in a cornfield in Indiana. Black Panther and Mantis try unsuccessfully to take it from him.
Captain America and the Falcon #166
Title: Night of the Luking Dead!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Yellow Claw
Regulars: Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Countess Valentina, Sharon Carter, Peggy Carter, Leila Taylor
Captain America carries Nick Fury back to SHIELD for medical attention. Dum Dum Dugan is understanding, but Countess Valentina accuses Captain America of beating Nick Fury up on purpose.
Steve Rogers has been evicted from his hotel room, so he moves in with Sam Wilson. Together they search for the Yellow Claw. They're attacked by mummies.
The Yellow Claw raises the mummy of Fan-Le-Tamen. Her spirit occupies the body of the Yellow Claw's grand-niece Suwan. What's a grand-niece anyway? I need to look that up.
The Incredible Hulk #168
Title: The Hate of the Harpy!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Modok, Harpy (Betty Ross)
Regulars: General Ross, Jim Wilson
This is another big change where I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall during Steve Englehart's conversations with his bosses, Roy Thomas (chief editor) and Stan Lee (publisher). He's made a major change to one of Marvel's founding characters, Betty Ross, who was first introduced in Incredible Hulk #1 in May 1962. This timid little girl becomes a bloodthirsty monster. Did Stan really agree to this, or was it slipped past him? Of all the writers at Marvel, past and present, there's none I'd like to talk to as much as Steve Englehart.
Last month Betty Ross was in a sanitarium, recovering from the loss of her husband. (That wasn't clear to me from last month's comic, but now I know). Modok failed in kidnapping her, but he planted a signal in her brain. She climbs out of the window and walks naked to a waiting space ship. This takes her to Modok, where she's bombarded with gamma rays.
That makes four gamma ray created creatures now. Steve Englehart names them, but he fails to say when it happened.
Bruce Banner became the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #1.
An unnamed labourer became the Leader in Tales to Astonish #63. Much later, in Incredible Hulk #129, we found out that his name is Sam Sterns.
A soldier, still unnamed at this point, became the Abomination to Tales To Astonish #90.
And now Betty Ross becomes the Harpy in Incredible Hulk #168.
It's a shame I'm writing this information 47 years too late. If I'd put this information in a letter in 1973 I would have won a shiny little No Prize for my efforts.
Jim Wilson drives the Hulk to a safe house (his girlfriend's house) in Newark, New Jersey, but she doesn't want to keep him. He wanders into Manhattan, where the Harpy attacks him. She defeats him with power blasts from her hands.
Hero For Hire #14
Title: Retribution!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Billy Graham
Villain: Big Ben Donovan, Commanche, Shades, Rackham
Regulars: Noah Burstein, Claire Temple, Phil Fox
This is a breath-taking, street-level action story. Is it written by the same Steve Englehart who's currently writing the mind-bending Doctor Strange epics? That's hard to believe. All sorts of problems are coming into Luke Cage's life at once.
Mrs. Jenks has been sexually harassed by a lawyer called Big Ben Donovan. She seeks shelter in Luke Cage's office, and he breaks in to start a fight.
The prison guard Rackham, who mistreated Luke in Hero For Hire #1, has been fired for misconduct. Now he's in New York looking for a new job.
Two other prisoners from Seagate Prison have escaped and are looking for Rackham.
Phil Fox hears that Rackham was in prison and interviews him to find out about Luke Cage. Rackham wants him put back in prison, and he thinks he can blackmail him to turn himself in. He wants to kidnap Luke's girlfriend Claire Temple, but when he sees Luke with Mrs. Jenks he kidnaps the wrong woman. Rackham forces Phil Fox to go to Claire's apartment. They argue on the stairs, and Rackham shoots Phil dead. Claire comes out of her apartment to see what's happened. She foolishly picks up the gun, and the police arrive, seeing her with the smoking gun in her hand.
Wow! What a story!
Amazing Spider-Man #125
Title: Wolfhunt!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: Man-Wolf (John Jameson)
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, Randy Robertson
The Man-Wolf , who still hasn't been officially named, attacks Spider-Man again. Early in the story he's called a man-wolf (indefinite article), and later he's called the man-wolf (definite article), but in the context it's to refer to a monster that people know.
The man-wolf is stronger than Spider-Man, but he flees when the full Moon begins to set.
JJJ goes to his son's house. John tells his father that he collected a red moon rock while on a Moon landing. He made it into a pendant, and this is what makes him turn into a werewolf every full Moon. He can't remove the pendant, because the rock has grafted itself into his skin.
The next night Spider-Man removes the pendant by force, and the werewolf turns back into human form, badly injured. This is witnessed by JJJ, who almost thanks Spider-Man. Almost.
Fantastic Four #139
Title: Target: Tomorrow!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Villain: Miracle Man
Regulars: Wyatt Wingfoot, Susan Richards, Franklin Richards
I have no idea what the title of this story means. Do you?
The Fantastic Four and the Indians (now called Native Americans) are falling down a bottomless pit to their deaths.
The super-powered heroes can save themselves. The Human Torch invents a new method ad hoc to save them. They head back to the surface and face the Miracle Man.
Did you notice that the Thing uses his battle cry on the cover? He repeats it inside the comic: It's clobbering time!
Meanwhile, Franklin Richards has a strange fit, as if becoming mad. This will be explained in upcoming issues.
Meanwhile, in the Baxter Building, Reed Richards is working on a machine and doesn't notice a warning light blinking over the Negative Zone portal. Next month.....
Meanwhile, the proton supply of atomic material throughout the world is being drained, threatening nuclear explosions that will destroy the world. Next month? I think not. The text box suggests that it's because of the Miracle Man, but it isn't elaborated on in the rest of the story. I think it's one of Gerry Conway's notorious dangling plotlines.
The Cheemuzwa, who have moved onto a different plane of existence, stop the Miracle Man by taking him to themselves.
Thor #216
Title: Where Chaos Rules!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: God-Jewel, Mercurio
Regulars: Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Balder, Tana Nile, Silas Grant, Hildegarde, Odin, Heimdal, Sif, Karnilla
Thor requests Odin and the other Asgardians to stay away. They agree. They sail away in the Starjammer. Only Mercurio insists on continuing with the battle. because he needs the Jewel to save his planet.
Odin has a plan. He is somehow guiding the God-Jewel towards a sun that's about to go super-nova. When the Jewel absorbs it, it's destroyed.
What a mess! This is an awful story.
Meanwhile, Balder and Volstagg go to Asgard and find it empty. Wait! Didn't something like that already happen a few months ago? If you know what issue it was, let me know, because I have no interest in checking for myself.
Summing up, in recent months Gerry Conway has been writing good Spider-Man stories, average Fantastic Four stories and awful Thor stories.
Title: Prey of the Hunter!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Kraven
Regulars: Ivan
We find out more about the Black Widow's history. She auditioned for the Bolshoi Ballet and the Russian Olympics gymnastics team, and she was accepted for both. It's unusual that she was allowed to turn down the offers. I thought Russia would pressurise talented athletes into performing.
The secretive man in a wheelchair who has been hiring men to fight Daredevil has now hired Kraven. He's offered $100,000, but he says he'll do it for fun. I know that fun is fun, but I would have taken the money as well.
Kraven captures the Black Widow and takes her to a zoo. Daredevil rescues her after a brief fight with Kraven. This was just a test to find out Daredevil's skill.
A few days later Kraven attacks again, when Matt Murdock and Natasha Romanov are at a party. Natasha's identity is public knowledge, Matt's isn't, but Kraven assumes that Daredevil will be somewhere close to protect her. Kraven knocks them both out in the fight, and he prepares to throw Daredevil off a cliff.
Sub-Mariner #66
Title: Rise, thou killer whale!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Virago, Orka
Regulars: Vashti, Tamara
When she arrives on Earth, Virago begins to attack Atlantis, but she's blocked by Sub-Mariner. She retreats to make a plan. A mine left on the sea bed since World War Two explodes, releasing Orka, who seemingly died in Sub-Mariner #24. He's alive and well after lying buried under rubble for the last three years.
Orka and Virago team up to attack Atlantis. Giant whales are the main forces that attack. Sub-Mariner fights with Orka and Virago while the whales destroy Atlantis.
Iron Man #63
Title: Enter Dr. Spectrum
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Dr. Spectrum
Regulars: Happy Hogan, Pepper Hogan, Roxanne Gilbert, Eddie March
It's been four years since we saw Dr. Spectrum in Avengers #70, and I hoped he would never come back. He's obviously a rip-off of DC's Green Lantern. He should stay in DC Comics, where he belongs.
Tony Stark is in Detroit, and he tries to begin a relationship with Roxanne Gilbert. She's reluctant, because of his past as a weapons manufacturer, but he swears he's changed.
Dr. Spectrum arrives, telling the world that he wants revenge on Iron Man for being defeated in the past, but his inner monologue suggests that he has different motives. Badly weakened in the fight, Iron Man pretends to be dead, and Dr. Spectrum leaves.
Pepper Hogan, formerly Potts, seeks comfort in the arms of her employer after being left by her husband. The comfort turns into a kiss, just as Happy walks in.
This comic also shows the return of Eddie March, who briefly became Tony Stark's replacement as Iron Man in Iron Man #21.
Marvel Premiere #11
This is a Dreaded Deadline Doom (DDD) issue. It's a big disappointment after last month's brilliant issue.
Adventure Into Fear #17
Title: It came out of the sky!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Val Mayerik
Villain: Wundarr
Regulars: Jennifer Kale, Andy Kale, Joshua Kale
This was a controversial issue when it was first released. DC threatened to sue Marvel for plagiarising Superman, its best-selling character at the time. Roy Thomas read the plot as editor-in-chief and told Steve Gerber to change the story before giving it to the artist, but he didn't. When the comic went on sale Stan Lee threatened to fire Steve Gerber, and he probably would have done so if DC had sued. It took all of the friendly chats between old friends in the two companies to calm down the tempers. "Steve Gerber is only 25, he's just a kid, he doesn't know what he's doing". That's true. He didn't know what he was doing. It's the sort of mistake I might have made when I was 12. We can just be happy that he wasn't fired, because his best stories at Marvel are still ahead of him.
A rocket falls from the sky into Man-Thing's swamp. Does the swamp have a name? I just know it's in the Florida Everglades. The Man-Thing smashes the rocket open, and a man emerges.
24 years ago a scientist on the planet Dakkam an astronomer/scientist called Hektu discovered that the planet's sun would go super-nova within a year. He pleaded with Dakkam's rulers to build spaceships to evacuate the population, but they didn't believe him. He built his own spaceship for his family, but the government sent soldiers to arrest him, because they thought he would create a panic. When he resisted arrest they shot him and his wife. It was only possible to put their new-born son Wundarr into the rocket before launching it.
And the rocket flew across the universe at random, until the computers picked the Earth as a suitable place to land.
On Earth he's fully grown, but he still has the intellectual development of a child. He thinks Man-Thing is his mother. He has difficulty coordinating himself, because he's too strong. When he jumps for joy he accidentally jumps three miles into the sky. He can effortlessly run with super speed. Bullets bounce off him. He has X-Ray vision and telescopic vision.
Really, Steve!
Wundarr runs away, waiting for his next adventure... if DC allows it.
Strange Tales #170
Title: Baptism of Fire!
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Damballah
Papa Jambo teaches Jericho Drumm everything he needs to know to become the new voodoo priest in his brother's place.
These are his powers. In addition, he's possessed by the spirit of his brother, so they'll be two men in one body. As we see later in the story, Daniel's spirit is able to leave Jericho's body and possess others for short periods of time.
Jericho Drumm fights against Damballah, who is killed when his own serpents turn against him.
Tomb of Dracula #13
Title: To kill a vampire!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Quincy Harker, Edith Harker (corpse), Frank Drake, Rachel Van Helsing, Taj, Blade
Kills: One man (total 19)
Embraces: None (total 7)
Edith Harker is dead. Her grandfather, Quincy Harker, doesn't want to waste time. Her body is cremated, and they continue the hunt for Dracula while it's still night. They follow him to a country village and reach him shortly before dawn. After a harsh battle, Blade stabs him in the heart with a wooden knife.
Does that mean it's the end of this comic book series? Wait till next month.
This is a fast-paced action story from beginning to end. My brief synopsis doesn't do it justice.
Werewolf by Night #10
Title: The Sinister Secret of Sarnak!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Tom Sutton
Villain: Sarnak, Committee
Regulars: Lissa Russell, Philip Russell, Lou Hackett
The Werewolf spends the whole of the second night in a pit. Even after he breaks free from the shackles he's still too weak to escape.
Sarnak reveals his origin. He used to be a sound engineer. The police found him making illegal copies of pop records – what an awful crime! – and they shot him while he escaped, scarring him for life. He's invented a whistle which can have various effects on its listeners, such as controlling people, causing pain, or even turning people into monsters.
Sarnak is working for an organisation called the Committee. They want to revive the economy by making people scared. When they're worried, people buy more. Just look at how many rolls of toilet paper people bought because they were afraid of the Coronavirus.
The next day Jack escapes. He finds a sound engineer who builds him a device that blocks out high frequency sounds. He returns to Sarnak's lair. In the third night Sarnak's whistle doesn't affect him any more. The Werewolf smashes the whistle, then carries his sister Lissa to safety. The slaves are no longer under Sarnak's control, so they turn against him.
The Frankenstein Monster #6
Title: In search of the last Frankenstein!
Writer: Mike Ploog, Gary Friedrich
Artist: Mike Ploog
Villain: Colonel Blackstone
Beginning this issue, the title is changed from The Monster Of Frankenstein to The Frankenstein Monster. I approve.
The Monster arrives in Ingolstadt, where Victor Frankenstein once lived. His intention is to take revenge by killing all of his descendants.
First the Monster is attacked by a soldier, an unnamed Leftenant (sic). Yes, that's how his rank is spelt in the comic. Maybe it's supposed to be imitating a German accent?
At Castle Frankenstein the Monster witnesses men being thrown into a pit to a giant spider. The Monster is captured and chained. The acting head of the castle is Colonel Blackstone. The last living descendant of Victor Frankenstein, Jason Frankenstein, left 20 years ago. The Colonel tells the Monster that the spider doesn't kill the men, it removes their will power, making them his slaves. That's a weird idea, dreamt up by artist Mike Ploog in the only issue that he plotted himself.
The Leftenant returns to the castle and fights with the Colonel. The Monster uses this distraction to break free of his chains. When he rips the shackles from the wall, the chamber is flooded. The spider swims out of the pit. The Monster manages to destroy it.
Now the Monster continues his search for Jason Frankenstein.
Warlock #8
Title: Confrontation!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Man-Beast (Rex Carpenter)
Regulars: High Evolutionary, Memorax (Recorder)
In the American capital of Counter-Earth there are demonstrations by young people in favour of Adam Warlock. Behind closed doors, President Rex Carpenter is telling other politicians that Warlock is the biggest threat to America.
Demons attack the protesters. The police don't see the demons, so they think the demonstrators have gone crazy, and there are mass arrests.
The Rigellian Recorder, who has accompanied Thor a few times, most recently in Thor #162, is visiting the High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary asks him to go to Warlock's side and record his adventures. He's given the new name Memorax. Wasn't Recorder good enough?
Astrella reveals that she's the sister of President Carpenter.
Warlock is given illusions to turn him evil. He resists. When he opens his eyes he's in the White House. President Carpenter reveals that he's been possessed by the Man-Beast. The Man-Beast returns to his own body, ready to fight Warlock... in a battle that we'll never see!
This is the last issue of Warlock, for now at least. The text box tells us that "This particular clash will be concluded sometime, somewhere in the Marvel Universe". That's what usually happens when a comic is cancelled in the middle of a storyline, but this time it doesn't. Some of the loose ends will be tied of in a future issue of the Incredible Hulk, but we'll never see the clash between Warlock and the Man-Beast in the White House. That kinda sucks.
Astonishing Tales #20
Title: The Final Battle!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Marie Severin
Villain: Gemini, Plunderer, Victorius (Professor Conrad)
Regulars: Barbara Morse
Guests: Nick Fury
Ka-Zar continues his battle against Victorius. Eventually Ka-Zar is knocked unconscious.
Barbara Morse (now usually called Bobbi) finds the vial of super-soldier serum thrown away by Ka-Zar. She goes into the castle to help him. She sees him waking up, so she distracts Victorius. Ka-Zar wins the fight and throws Victorius through the window into the castle moat, where he possibly drowns. It's left open.
This is the last story of Ka-Zar in Astonishing Tales. The stories weren't bad, but they weren't particularly good either. It's time for Marvel to try something else.
Non-Canon comics published this month:
Savage Tales #2 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Dracula Lives #3 (Marv Wolfman, John Buscema)
Vampire Tales #2 (Don McGregor, Rich Buckler)
Tales of the Zombie #2 (Steve Gerber, Pablo Marcos)
Marvel Team-Up #14 (Len Wein, Gil Kane)
Doc Savage #7 (Tony Isabella, Ross Andru)
Conan the Barbarian #31 (Roy Thomas, John Buscema)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #115 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Combat Kelly and his Deadly Dozen #9 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Reno Jones, Gunhawk #7 (Gardner Fox, Dick Ayers)
Note: The series Gunhawks changed its name to Reno Jones, Gunhawk for its final issue.
Many of this month's comics (I estimate 25%) contain this survey. I assume that Marvel itself sponsored the survey, but I have absolutely no idea what they want to do with the results. Today I filled out the survey twice, first with my present details, then with my historic details from October 1973. That was necessary to win my No Prize. Mailing the questionnaire to the no longer valid address isn't necessary, because the No Prize is awarded before the mailing instructions.
Questions 6 and 7 are critical. If the majority answer No, it will make the advertisers want to pay less, and Marvel will lose money. I answered No to both questions.
I'll be watching the bullpen pages closely in coming months to see if there are any comments on the survey result.
One last thing though... if I'd been sitting with a comic in my hand back in 1973, there's no way I would have mailed in the survey. That would have meant tearing a page out of the comic. No no no no no!
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