This month Marvel publishes three new comics. The first is a solo comic featuring Man-Thing, who first appeared in the b/w comic Savage Tales #1. After a guest appearance in two issues of Astonishing Tales with Ka-Zar, he was given a solo series in Adventure Into Fear. This was a surprise hit for Marvel, outselling many of the established series, which resulted in this solo comic being published at very short notice.
Man-Thing #1
Title: Battle for the Palace of the Gods!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Val Mayerik
Villain: Thog
Regulars: Jennifer Kale, Howard the Duck
Guests: Daredevil, Black Widow
Man-Thing and Korrek the Warrior Prince fight with the demons at the building site while Howard looks on. Neither side can win, until Dakimh arrives and banishes all the demons with a spell. They rescue Jennifer Kale from the clutches of the Overmaster.
The five of them travel through different levels of reality. Howard plunges to his death. Seemingly. The other four battle the Overmaster, who's revealed to be Thog the Nether-Spawn, who last appeared in Adventure Into Fear #13. When Thog is defeated his servants run back to their respective universes, and reality has been saved.
The second new comic this month features Ka-Zar, who appeared in the first 20 issues of Astonishing Tales. Wait! Wasn't there already a Ka-Zar solo comic? Yes, there was a comic called Ka-Zar from August 1970 to March 1971, but it only contained reprints of Ka-Zar's early adventures, with backup stories about Hercules and the Angel.
Ka-Zar #1
Title: Return to the Savage Land!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Paul Reinman
Villain: Malgato, Maa-Gor
Regulars: Shanna the She-Devil
This comic continues directly from Astonishing Tales #20, showing his return to the Savage Land after spending months in America.
Ka-Zar and Zabu are captured by a wizard called Malgato, who's assisted by the man-ape Maa-Gor. We last saw Maa-Gor in an extended flashback in Astonishing Tales #11. Malgato says that there has to be a sacrifice of a noble man and woman every thousand years to prevent the Savage Land freezing. The time has now come, Ka-Zar is to be the sacrifice. And the woman? It's Shanna the She-Devil, who we last saw in Shanna The She-Devil #5.
The third new comic this month is Marvel Two-In-One. It features the Thing, teaming up each month with a different super-hero. At this time Marvel Team-Up was Marvel's best selling comic, so Marvel wanted to make more money by doing something similar. Personally, I dislike the concept of this series, and I've declared it non-canon. My reasons are the same as what I wrote for Marvel Team-Up in March 1972.
1. Marvel Two-In-One has been created as a solo comic for the Thing, a member of the Fantastic Four. The problem is that all the personal developments in the Thing's life take place in the Fantastic Four comics. The Marvel Two-In-One stories are action adventures which add no emotional development to the character.
2. At the same time, no attempt is made to synchronise the stories with the Fantastic Four comics or the adventures of the guest stars in their respective comics. If any stories just happen to "fit in" with other comics, it's by accident, not by design.
3. It's ridiculous that the Thing should just happen to meet other super-heroes every month.
I'm not saying that the comics in this series aren't good stories. Being non-canon doesn't make a story bad. The first issue is an excellent story by Steve Gerber. All I'm saying is that the story doesn't fit in with the standard Marvel continuity.
Avengers #119
Title: Night of the Collector!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Bob Brown
Avengers: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman
Villain: Loki, Collector
Regulars: Mantis
Guests: Tom Fagan
Thor decides to lock Loki in Avengers Mansion until his madness disappears, if ever.
Mantis has a vision that there is danger in Rutland. It's the day of the annual Rutland Halloween Parade.
Jarvis has slaved over a hot stove to make a delicious meal for the Avengers, but now they're gone. I assume Rutland has a good Macdonalds.
As Roy Thomas points out, the Rutland Halloween Parade has been shown in Avengers #83, Marvel Feature #2, Thor #207 and Amazing Adventures #16, but what's the fifth reference that he fails to name? It's Justice League of America #103, a comic published by Marvel's biggest rival, DC Comics aka Brand Echh. I'm glad Roy stopped himself just in time.
Tom Fagan welcomes the Avengers, except it isn't Tom Fagan. It's the Collector in disguise. Do you remember the Collector from Iron Man #26? My father collected stamps. I collect films on Blu-ray and DVD. The Collector wants a complete set of the Avengers to hang in his trophy room.
After the Collector has been defeated, Thor decides to leave Loki in Rutland, since it's a place with scenery similar to Asgard. Really? Apart from that, is it wise to let Loki walk around free? Sometimes I think I'm smarter than the Gods.
Captain America and the Falcon #169
Title: When a legend dies!
Writer: Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Tumbler
Regulars: Sharon Carter, Leila Taylor, Countess Valentina
Guests: Black Panther
The Falcon is attacked by members of Morgan's gang, ordered to kill him because he refused to join Morgan. When Captain America arrives they flee. This adds to the Falcon's inferiority complex. He wants to increase his powers in some way, so he contacts the Black Panther to ask for help.
Sharon Carter tells Captain America that her sister Peggy has joined SHIELD. He wants to visit the SHIELD helicarrier to talk to her, but Countess Valentina blocks him.
Television ads are running, telling the public that Captain America is evil. Is it true? If it's on television, it must be true. Television never lies.
Captain America witnesses the Tumbler, who we last saw in Tales Of Suspense #83, committing a petty crime.
The next day, Captain America visits an exhibition to take part in a boxing match for charity. He sees the Tumbler in civilian clothes and attacks him. The Tumbler falls over and dies. This turns everyone against Captain America.
Stever Englehart wrote the plot for this issue, but he didn't manage to finish the script. He must still be struggling with his personal crisis.
The Incredible Hulk #171
Title: Revenge!
Writer: Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Abomination
Regulars: General Ross, Betty Ross, Jim Wilson
The plot is by Steve Englehart, but Gerry Conway has handled the script while Steve is away dealing with his personal crisis.
We didn't see it happen last issue, but the Hulk stowed away in the plane that rescued Betty Ross from the monster island. The plane lands at the Hulkbuster base in New Mexico. It's deserted.
The Abomination (last seen in Incredible Hulk #159) and Rhyno (last seen in Incredible Hulk #160) have teamed up to take revenge on General Ross, the Hulk and humanity in general. They set a gamma bomb to explode within a few minutes. The Hulk defeats his two enemies while Jim Wilson defuses the bomb.
Afterwards, General Ross appreciatively shakes the Hulk's hand. Colonel Armbruster sneaks up with a big military device and captures the Hulk.
Amazing Spider-Man #128
Title: The Vulture Hangs High!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: Vulture (Doctor Shallot)
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Ned Leeds, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson
Spider-Man manages to save himself from the fall by spinning a web to catch him. He tracks the Vulture, after deducing that he isn't the real Vulture, it's a university professor who genetically mutated himself into the appearance of the Vulture.
Hmmm... okay. That's a bit far-fetched, even for Marvel.
Fantastic Four #142
Title: No friend beside him!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Rich Buckler
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Villain: Doctor Doom, Darkoth
Regulars: Wyatt Wingfoot, Susan Richards, Franklin Richards, Alicia Masters
The Fantastic Four go their separate ways. Only Reed Richards and Medusa remain in the Baxter Building.
Susan Richards returns with Franklin to the farm in Pennsylvania. Johnny Storm and Wyatt Wingfoot visit their old university, but it's not clear where they'll be staying. Does Johnny still have the house in Glenville that he used in the early issues of Strange Tales?
The Thing has been invited by his girlfriend Alicia to a "Balkan country", where she has to undergo an operation to restore her eyesight. He's attacked by a monster called Darkoth, who claims to be a demon out of Hell. There is no operation. It was just a ruse to lure the Thing.
It takes a big warm up, but the Thing can still yell his battle cry: it's clobbering time!
Reed is invited to a college reunion. He doesn't want to go, but Medusa persuades him. The host is Doctor Doom. He's the Fantastic Four's greatest enemy, but he was last seen fighting Luke Cage in Hero For Hire #9.
Thor #219
Title: A Galaxy Consumed!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Black Stars, Kragonn, Protector
Regulars: Balder, Sif, Tana Nile, Silas Grant, Krista, Hildegarde
The heroes (Thor, Balder, Sif, Tana Nile and Silas Grant) meet Avalon, the representative of a slave people kept by the Black Stars. They fight against a creature called the Protector. After defeating him, Dragonn, the ruler of the Dark Stars, reveals himself.
The box on the cover announces "You'll be staggered to learn the Protector's startling secret, revealed only on this issue's final page!" Huh? What secret? I don't feel staggered at all. Did Gerry Conway forget something?
Title: Blind Man's Bluff!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Kerwin Broderick, Ramrod, Angar, Terrex, Thanos (flashback)
Guests: Captain Marvel, Rick Jones, Moon Dragon
Kerwin Broderick and Terrex meld into one creature, Terrex's body and Kerwin's face. This makes him all the more deadly.
Terrex was originally created on Titan, so the rulers of Titan send Captain Marvel to fight him. That's strange. He's in the middle of a war with Thanos, which is even mentioned in this comic, so why did they send him on a (relatively) trivial mission like this? Captain Marvel already has blond hair, so this evidently takes place after Captain Marvel #29, and based on the spoken explanation it must take place before this month's Captain Marvel comic.
Angar turns against Terrex, because he's killed his girlfriend. He screams and creates an illusion that confuses Terrex. Then he creates an illusion of un-life, and Terrex ceases to exist. Captain Marvel flies away to face Thanos.
Tomb of Dracula #16
Title: Return from the Grave!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Quincy Harker
Kills: One man (total 23)
Embraces: None (total 8)
A skeleton is attacking people in a small English town near London. Dracula is angered when it kills two men he intended to be his food. He destroys the skeleton twice, but each time it rises again. It's the skeleton of a man who was moved from his grave to a different location. He will only remain dead if he's laid in his original grave.
This story has all the characteristics of a classic Marvel horror anthology story. Dracula is almost an incidental character. Marv Wolfman's Dracula stories are different from anything else being published by Marvel. They're beautiful.
Werewolf by Night #13
Title: His name is Taboo
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Mike Ploog
Villain: Taboo, Topaz, Algon
Regulars: Philip Russell
After taming a wild horse, Jack Russell is given a job as a stuntman at Burbank and Mallet Studios, a film studio that makes B-Grade horror, sci-fi and pornographic films.
When Jack turns into the Werewolf on the first night of the full moon, he's paralysed by a psychic blast from a woman called Topaz. Two men transport him to the dungeon of a man called Taboo. He already has Jack's step-father Phillip Russell in the dungeon. He claims to be making the Committee work for him, which is different from being the head of the Committee. It sounds like he's influencing them by psychic powers.
Taboo is a sorcerer who comes from the Punjab. (Note: he says he's from the Punjab, but judging from the description I think Marv Wolfman means Kashmir, which is to the North of Punjab). He was imprisoned as a sorcerer. In prison he met Topaz, still a child, and realised she had great powers. They seem to be mutant powers, although Marv Wolfman doesn't use the word mutant. Among other things, she can destroy objects with her mind, so Taboo uses her to escape, and he raises her as a daughter.
Taboo's sole goal in life is to cure his son Algon, who has a malformed body and has been lying in a comatose state since birth. Taboo believes that the Darkhold book contains a spell to cure him, and he wants Jack to give it to him. Jack tells him that Aelfric destroyed it. He's referring to his meeting with Aelfric in Werewolf By Night #3, but I'm not aware the book was destroyed in the story. (I just read the story again, and there's no mention of it being destroyed).
Taboo orders Topaz to kill the Werewolf, but she refuses to take a life. There's a skirmish when Phillip Russell attempts to attack Taboo. Topaz accidentally strikes Phillip with a psychic blast, which transfers his mind into Algon. Algon stands up, and Taboo thinks he's been cured. He orders Algon to kill the Werewolf.
The Frankenstein Monster #8
Title: My name is Dracula!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Dracula
Dracula arises from the grave and wants to kill the Monster.
Dracula doesn't know who freed him from his prison. Roy Thomas doesn't know either. He says it was Esmerelda, but there's no such person. It was the old vampiress Marguerita. Roy must have too much work as editor-in-chief to be able to read the last issue.
Marguerita tries to help Dracula defeat the Monster, but her granddaughter Carmen interrupts and the Monster stakes her. Dracula realises that they're too evenly matched and hides.
Carmen takes the Monster back to the gypsy camp, but it's been burnt to the ground and everybody killed. The superstitious villagers blamed the gypsies for the vampire attacks. Despite Carmen's protests, the Monster goes to the village to take revenge. In his absence Dracula attacks Carmen and drinks her blood. The Monster kills some of the villagers, but they overwhelm him and tie him to a stake to be burnt.
Captain Marvel #30
Title: To be free from control!
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Thanos, Death, Controller
Regulars: Rick Jones, Lou-Ann Savannah, Drax
Guests: Iron Man, Jarvis
Wow! What a comic! The story! The artwork! Everything is perfect!
Captain America has requested Iron Man's help to find the Controller. This makes Rick Jones impatient, because he wants his girlfriend Lou-Ann Savannah back. Captain Marvel reminds Rick that his powers are halved at night, so he should wait until morning. Iron Man heads into the desert, where he'll meet the Blood Brothers in Marvel Feature #12.
After a night's rest, Captain Marvel soars into the battle. It's a hard battle against the Controller, but his new cosmic awareness gives him the edge.
Thanos is disappointed with the Controller and kills him. Seemingly. By now you should know how it is when Marvel characters die.
Drax visits Avengers Mansion, looking for Iron Man or Captain Marvel. Thanos prepares to use the Cosmic Cube, claiming that nobody before him knew its full power.
Sub-Mariner #68
Title: On the Brink of Madness!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Force (Clayton Wilson)
Regulars: Tamara, Namorita, Neptune
Guests: Doctor Strange, Spider-Man
Flashbacks: Triton, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Prince Namor is driven mad by the sight of the citizens of Atlantis lying dead on the ocean floor. Tamara tries in vain to console him. Then Namorita arrives with a group of scientists who were genetically turned into amphibians by Dr. Hydro and brought to Atlantis in Sub-Mariner #62. They tell Namor that the Atlanteans aren't dead, but they're very close to death, in a form of suspended animation. They can prepare a cure, but they need the assistance of Dr. Walthers from Empire State University.
At E.S.U. Namor is attacked by Dr. Walthers' former lab assistant Clayton Wilson, who now wears a fancy costume and calls himself Force. He's stolen an energy weapon invented by Dr. Walthers. Force flees after being defeated. Namor is told Dr. Walthers is in the university hospital.
Marvel Spotlight #13
Title: When Satan stalked the Earth!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Satan, Satana
This issue contains the origin of Daimon Hellstron, the Son of Satan.
Satan came to Earth, looking for a wife. He was irresistible to women, so the first woman he approached fell in love with him. They had a son called Daimon, and three years later a daughter called Satana. When Victoria Hellstrom found out her husband was Satan, she went insane and spent the rest of her life in an asylum.
Daimon and Satana were sent to different boarding schools. When he was 18 Daimon entered a monastery and studied to become a priest. On his 21st birthday he returned home to receive his inheritance. He found his mother's diary. He also found the gateway to Hell beneath his house. Satan asked Daimon to serve him, but Daimon resisted and stole Satan's trident. Coupled with his inherited powers, the trident can summon his chariot.
The origin story doesn't explain why Daimon's personality changes when the Sun sets. Maybe we'll find that out next issue.
This is a very good comic. Gary Friedrich was never my favourite writer, but his Son Of Satan stories are perfect.
Marvel Premiere #13
Title: Time Doom
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Frank Brunner
Villain: Baron Mordo, Cagliostro (Sise-Neg)
When I read a story like this, I feel that Steve Englehart's mind is as big as the universe. How did he dream up a story like this? It's not just this one issue, the whole series of adventures that Doctor Strange is embarking on is mind-bending. In interviews Steve Englehart admits that he used LSD at this period in his life. Is that what opened his mind to such ideas?
Doctor Strange follows Baron Mordo into the past. After a brief encounter in limbo they find themselves in 18th Century Paris. Doctor Strange meets Cagliostro, the author of the book used by Mordo, but he refuses to help and leaves.
Mordo arrives, and he fights with Doctor Strange until Cagliostro returns. Cagliostro reveals that his real name is Sise-Neg, and he comes from the 31st Century. The mystical energy in the universe is finite, and the further back in time he goes the less sorcerers there are, so he becomes ever more powerful. He departs, followed by Mordo.
Jungle Action #8
Title: Malice by Crimson Moonlight
Writer: Don McGregor
Artist: Rich Buckler
Villain: Killmonger (flashback), Venomm, Malice
Regulars: Monica Lynne
There's another triple splash page this month, but this time there's no tilting involved. It's beautiful, don't you think? Rich Buckler has outdone himself. The story itself is also outstanding. I can't do justice to it in my usual mini-review, sorry.
Killmonger sends a female warrior called Malice to free Venomm from prison. When T'Challa returns he recaptures Venomm, but Malice escapes.
In Jungle Action #6 there was a map of Wakanda. The map is printed again this month.
That's a strange excuse for repeating the map. No serious reader would have missed it. So let's have a look at the new details.
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| Map of Wakanda in Jungle Action #6 |
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| Map of Wakanda in Jungle Action #8 |
There's a detail map of Central Wakanda which is identical in both issues, apart from the colouring being improved.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Dracula Lives #4 (Marv Wolfman, Mike Ploog)
Tales of the Zombie #3 (Steve Gerber, Pablo Marcos)
Marvel Team-Up #17 (Len Wein, Gil Kane)
Marvel Two-In-One #1 (Steve Gerber, Gil Kane)
Doc Savage #8 (Tony Isabella, Rich Buckler)
Conan the Barbarian #34 (Roy Thomas, John Buscema)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #117 (Gerry Conway, Dick Ayers)
Creatures on the Loose #27 (Gardner Fox, Val Mayerik)
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