Now that Man-Thing has his own monthly comic, Adventure Into Fear features the ongoing adventures of Morbius, the man who was accidentally turned into a vampire in Amazing Spider-Man #101 while trying to cure himself. Over the last few months he's been appearing in the non-canon comics Vampire Tales and Marvel Team-Up. He will continue to appear in Vampire Tales for another year, but the stories will be distinct in both content and style.
Adventure Into Fear #20
Title: Morbius the Living Vampire!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Paul Gulacy
Villain: Daemond
Regulars: Tara
Flashbacks: Spider-Man, Human Torch, Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Iceman
Morbius can't control his bloodlust. He drinks the blood of a rich young woman in New York, though not enough to kill her, and then goes to sleep. He only sleeps a few hours, because he's interrupted by two men, Reverend Daemond and Rabbi Krause. The Rabbi is a renowned scientist, so he spends the day trying to cure Morbius. In vain.
The Reverend reveals that he's really a servant of Satan. He orders Morbius to kill the Rabbi. Morbius is unable to resist Daemond's will. Then Daemond orders him to kill someone who stands in his way. It's a sweet looking little girl travelling in a limousine.
This issue is drawn by 20-year-old Paul Gulacy, a new artist at Marvel. He will go on to draw beautiful art for Master of Kung Fu.
Man-Thing #2
Title: Nowhere to go but down!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Val Mayerik
Villain: Professor Slaughter
Regulars: Richard Rory, Ruth Hart
A young man called Richard Rory is sitting in the swamp moping about his ill fortune. He's attacked by an alligator. Man-Thing saves his life, but he's still badly wounded. The next day Richard his found by a woman called Ruth Hart, who nurses him back to health. She was the girlfriend of Snake, the leader of a biker gang. He stole money from the gang to buy drugs, but he blamed Ruth, and now the gang wants to kill her.
The gang threatens Ruth, but Man-Thing burns Snake and scares them away.
Mr. Schist offers $50,000 to anyone who can kill the Man-Thing. Professor Slaughter accepts the offer. He builds a trap, the Slaughter Room (TM), to attract and kill Man-Thing. Man-Thing is indeed attracted into the Slaughter Room, but he escapes, accidentally killing Snake who's standing nearby with his gang.
This month the comic formerly known as "Luke Cage, Hero For Hire" is renamed "Luke Cage, Power Man". I'll simply call it "Power Man". There's no change in the comic's premise; Luke Cage is still a hero for hire. The only difference is that he now has a cool super-hero name.
By the way... why does the cover call him the first black super-hero? He first appeared in Hero For Hire #1 (June 1972). What about the Black Panther (Fantastic Four #52, July 1966) and the Falcon (Captain America #117, September 1969)?
Power Man #17
Title: Rich Man: Iron Man, Power Man: Thief!
Writer: Len Wein
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Orville Smythe
Regulars: Dave Griffith, Noah Burstein
Guests: Iron Man
Luke Cage is frustrated that other super-heroes are mentioned in the newspapers, but no one writes about him. He decides that he needs a fancy super-hero name like all the other heroes. Ace of Spades? Nah. The Avenging Crusader? Not really. Blackman (as two words or one)? Maybe. In the end he picks Power Man. Doesn't DC have a Power Girl? Yes, but I just checked, and she didn't appear until 1976.
A man called Orville Smythe comes to Luke Cage's office and tells him he should steal a new exo-skeleton from Stark Industries to test the factory's security. He's paid in advance. Luke Cage gets past the first guards, but then he has to face Iron Man. It was a set up. Orville Smythe wanted the exo-skeleton for himself. He slips into the plant and grabs the exo-skeleton while Luke Cage is fighting Iron Man, but he doesn't have the skill to operate it.
Avengers #120
Title: Death-Stars of the Zodiac!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Bob Brown
Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman
Villain: Zodiac (Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra)
Regulars: Mantis, Jarvis
Zodiac returns with the intention of killing everyone born under the Gemini star sign in Manhattan. I wonder how their machine selects its victims. It sounds very infeasible.
We last saw Zodiac as a group in Avengers #72. Was it really that long ago? Aries and Scorpio have been replaced, because the previous members with those names were killed.
The Avengers stop Zodiac's plan, but Zodiac's new leader, Taurus, knocks Mantis unconscious and is about to kill her.
Captain America and the Falcon #170
Title: J'accuse!
Writer: Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Tumbler (corpse), Viper (flashback), Moonstone, Stoneface
Regulars: Leila Taylor
Guests: Black Panther
Captain America is suspected of murder, because he hit John Keane aka the Tumbler, and he fell dead. A new super-hero called Moonstone comes and knocks Captain America out. His powers come from bonding with a piece of moon rock from the Blue Area of the Moon. Unknown to everyone, it was really Moonstone who killed the Tumbler with an energy blast. Captain America is locked in a police cell. A gang of his supporters break into the police station to free him. He doesn't know whether or not to accompany them.
Meanwhile, the Falcon has gone to Wakanda, seeking new powers to make him more useful as Captain America's partner. The Black Panther gives him mechanical wings. The Falcon remains in Wakanda to receive further assistance, but Leila Taylor is bored and flies to Lagos, Nigeria on a shopping trip. Stoneface, who we last saw in Captain America #138, kidnaps her.
This comic takes place before Jungle Action #6.
The Incredible Hulk #172
Title: And canst thou slay the Juggernaut?
Writer: Tony Isabella
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Juggernaut
Regulars: General Ross, Betty Ross
Guests: Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel (flashback), Iceman (flashback), Doctor Strange (flashback)
General Ross disagrees with Colonel Armbruster capturing the Hulk, but Colonel Armbruster outranks him as the head of the Hulkbuster Base. I never realised that when I read the previous issues.
The Hulk is placed in an underground bunker. When the gas wears off he starts hitting the walls. It's estimated that he'll break out within two days. The army calls for help from Peter Corbeau, a brilliant scientist who used to be Bruce Banner's room mate at university. Corbeau suggests sending him to another dimension. When this is done with a massive machine, for which Tony Isabella couldn't think up a name, the Juggernaut breaks through the dimensional barrier and appears in the bunker. He starts to hit the walls. Corbeau uses the big machine again to get rid of the Juggernaut, but it malfunctions, and the Hulk comes back into the bunker. The Hulk and the Juggernaut team up to break out of the bunker, which takes only a few hours.
The Juggernaut, Professor X's half-brother, is no hero, and he sets out to conquer the Earth. He's been trapped in another dimension since Doctor Strange #182, although he briefly escaped in Amazing Adventures #16.
The Hulk fights with the Juggernaut and knocks off his protective helmet. The Hulk walks away. Before the Juggernaut can retrieve his helmet, he's captured by Professor X, who just happens to be driving through the desert to visit Havok and Lorna Dane. Coincidences, coincidences.....
The Crazy Credits say that General Ross is the military advisor.
Amazing Spider-Man #129
Title: The Punisher strikes twice!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: Jackal, Punisher
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn
Two new villains team team up to kill Spider-Man, the Punisher and the Jackal. That's them on the splash page. The Punisher considers himself a do-gooder; he kills those who deserve to die, and he believes the Daily Bugle's story about Spider-Man killing Norman Osborn. The Jackal's motives are unclear.
Is it just me, or does the Jackal look a bit like the Green Goblin?
Whenever possible, the Punisher avoids hand to hand combat. He tries to kill Spider-Man as a sniper. He misses, due to Spider-Man's spider sense, and they battle on a rooftop. The Jackal jumps on Spider-Man from behind, making him dizzy, and throws him off the roof to die.
But Spider-Man survives. He goes to the weapons shop where the Punisher buys his guns. The shop's owner is lying dead. The Punisher arrives and blames Spider-Man. There's a brief battle, in which Spider-Man knocks the Punisher unconscious. When he regains consciousness, Spider-Man shows the Punisher that the shop owner was killed by the Jackal's claws. The Punisher leaves, saying he'll kill the Jackal.
Fantastic Four #143
Title: The Terrible Triumph of Doctor Doom!
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 (flashback)
Doctor Doom overcomes Reed Richards and Medusa in battle. He takes them downstairs into a giant hidden lair, the size of a city block. The Thing has already been captured. Doctor Doom wants to become the world's ruler by exploding a vibro-bomb (TM) in the Earth's atmosphere. This will remove everyone's feelings of patriotism and leave them susceptible to serving Doctor Doom. Otherwise, this is a good story, but the concept of this bomb is stretching credibility too far.
Doctor Doom captures the Human Torch and Wyatt Wingfoot.
Meanwhile, Darkoth betrays Doctor Doom, freeing Reed Richards, Medusa and the Thing. He says he now realises that he's not really a demon, he's just a servant of Doctor Doom who was hypnotised into believing he was a demon by the vibro-bomb. And did it also give him his super strength? Really, Gerry Conway!
Thor #220
Title: Behold the Land of Doom!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Black Stars, Kragonn, Dracus
Regulars: Balder, Sif, Tana Nile, Silas Grant, Odin, Hildegarde
First of all, the cover has nothing to do with the comic. It suggests that Avalon turns against Thor and Sif. He doesn't.
The inhabitants of the Black Star planet Rhun are giants compared to Thor and his comrades. A scholar/scientist called Dracus is plotting to overthrow Kragonn. He observes the tiny creatures and suggests that they come from a different planet.
Thor and his comrades fight against the giants. When Kragonn discovers that the other four planets in the Black Stars are dead, he ceases eating other planets and departs.
What an idiotic story! It doesn't make sense at all. Why was Gerry Conway allowed to wreck the Thor comics? Okay, he writes good stories for Spider-Man, but everything else he touches turns to dust. I'd like to forget these comics were ever written.
Werewolf by Night #14
Title: Lo, the monster strikes!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Mike Ploog
Villain: Committee, Taboo, Algon
Regulars: Philip Russell, Lissa Russell, Topaz
Algon attempts to kill the Werewolf, but the battle is interrupted when he turns back into Jack Russell. Topaz says she no longer wants to help Taboo. Taboo says his plans are now complete, so he leaves with Algon.
Jack and Topaz carry Phillip Russell's body back to Lissa's house. Topaz senses that Phillip's mind is now possessed by Algon's mind, so she suspects that Phillip's mind is in Algon. She destroys Algon's mind, leaving Phillip Russell an empty shell.
In the evening Jack returns to Taboo's mosque, shortly before he becomes the Werewolf again. Topaz is still with Lissa, but Taboo conjures up her essence and her power, transferring them into Algon's body. Algon now turns whatever he touches into gold. This excites Taboo, and the dream of riches is more important that any plans he's made until now. Algon turns a giant Buddha into gold. (There's a Buddha in a mosque?) Taboo admires it, but the Buddha's table collapses under the weight, and Taboo is crushed by the Buddha. The Werewolf kills Algon, releasing Phillip's mind and Topaz's powers.
In the morning Jack returns to Lissa's house. Phillip, now lucid, denies that he had anything to do with his wife's death. He also says that he's the brother of Jack's birth father, making him not only Jack's step-father but also his uncle. The two hug and make up.
I strongly suspect that this turnaround wasn't planned when the early issues were written. It's Marv Wolfman's way of keeping Phillip Russell in the series as a friendly character, not an enemy.
Jack Russell decides to travel to Transylvania to visit his father's castle.
Tomb of Dracula #17
Title: Death rides the rails!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Blade, Rachel Van Helsing, Frank Drake
Guests: Jack Russell
Kills: None (total 23) (even though he seemingly kills Blade)
Embraces: None (total 8)
Dracula is in Paris, looking for a place to sleep on his journey to Transylvania. Blade is waiting in one of his hiding places. Dracula kills Blade. Seemingly. We'll see what happens to him in the next few issues.
Note the exact date given on the splash page: November 3rd, 1973. Exacts dates are always a problem for the so-called sliding timescale that Marvel invented in the post-canon years. I might discuss it in a future post. Or I might just ignore it, because it's not canon.
November 5th, 1973. The train is rolling. Is that the Trans Europe Express?
By coincidence, others are on the same train. Jack Russell, better known as the Werewolf, is also travelling to Transylvania. A man called Gruber, a servant of Dr. Sun, is delivering important documents to his master. Frank Drake and Rachel Van Helsing are also on the train, which isn't such a coincidence, because they suspect that Dracula is travelling with them.
In the last few issues Dr. Sun has been shown planning something to do with vampires, but so briefly that I didn't think it worth mentioning. He's slowly rising in importance.
After a brief battle with Rachel Van Helsing, Dracula leaves the train to fly the rest of the way.
And it's still November 5th, 1973. The time is 5:32 am. The sun rises at 6:58 am on this day, so Dracula has to fly fast.
Iron Man #66
Title: Battle Royal!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Dr. Spectrum
Regulars: Happy Hogan, Pepper Hogan, Roxanne Gilbert, Eddie March
Guests: Thor, Jarvis
Thor defeats Iron Man, who's been possessed by Krimonn, the Skrull turned into a power prism. Dr. Spectrum retrieves the prism. If you don't understand that, I'm not going to explain it. Read the comic yourself. Sign up for Marvel Unlimited. It's such a good deal (especially the yearly subscription) that I can't think of any reason not to do so.
A second Iron Man arrives and continues the fight against Dr. Spectrum. In a flashback we see that the Iron Man we saw at the end of the last issue was really Eddie March, attempting to fight against Dr. Spectrum while the real Iron Man was collecting a replacement suit.
In the battle the prism is shattered. Dr. Spectrum is arrested by the police. Unseen by everyone, the prism grows back together on the ground.
Ghost Rider #4
Title: Death stalks Demolition Derby
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Jim Mooney
Regulars: Roxanne Simpson, Linda Littletree
Johnny Blaze is captured by the police when he turns back to his human form at dawn. He's taken straight to hospital because of the severe injuries that only affect him during the daytime. He has to remain in hospital in Las Vegas for two months. For reasons that aren't explained, the attorney general gives him a pardon.
Johnny is invited to partake in the annual Demolition Derby as the only motorcyclist surrounded by cars. The organiser, Dude Jensen, only wants him as a publicity stunt and expects him to crash. When Johnny does better than expected he hires a sniper to shoot him.
The sniper misses and Ghost Rider is unharmed. Roxanne Gilbert overhears the plans, so she's tied up and brought to Dude Jensen. He says that he'll kill her to stop her talking.
Special Marvel Edition #16
Title: Midnight brings Dark Death!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Fu Manchu, Midnight (M'Nai)
Shang Chi has to sleep in Central Park after leaving his father's New York mansion. It's a dangerous place, full of muggers, but not for a master of kung fu.
Fu Manchu rescued a baby from an African village, because he saw potential in him. The boy's birth name was M'Nai, but Fu Manchu named him Midnight. He was the same age as Shang Chi, and they grew up as brothers. Their skill is equal. Fu Manchu sends him to kill Shang Chi. It's a hard fight, but Shang Chi prevails.
Non-Canon comics published this month:
Savage Tales #3 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Vampire Tales #3 (Gerry Conway, Esteban Maroto)
Monsters Unleashed #4 (Tony Isabella, Pablo Marcos)
Defenders #12 (Len Wein, Sal Buscema)
Marvel Team-Up #18 (Len Wein, Gil Kane)
Astonishing Tales #22 (Tony Isabella, Dick Ayers)
Strange Tales #172 (Len Wein, Gene Colan)
Conan the Barbarian #35 (Roy Thomas, John Buscema)
Kull the Destroyer #12 (Steve Englehart, Mike Ploog)
Worlds Unknown #5 (Roy Thomas, Dan Adkins)
Note: I've begun to designate Strange Tales as non-canon starting this month, because the Brother Voodoo multi-part stories begin in Strange Tales and are continued in the non-canon b/w magazine Tales Of The Zombie.
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