This is the most controversial comic that Marvel ever published. It's so controversial that Stan Lee would have blocked it, if he'd been warned in advance. As it was, he ordered that Steve Englehart should write a retraction on the letters page. He changed his mind as the result of an ingenious deception by Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner. But let's start the story at the beginning. It's the third part of a story about Cagliostro, an eighteenth Century sorcerer, who is in actual fact a man called Sise-Neg from the 31st Century, who's travelling back in time to accumulate all of the universe's mystical energy for himself.
Marvel Premiere #14
Title: Sise-Neg Genesis
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Frank Brunner
Villain: Baron Mordo, Cagliostro (Sise-Neg)
It's not just about the writing. The artwork by Frank Brunner lifts this comic to the level of a masterpiece. Brunner co-plotted the story, or at least he was consulted on every detail from an early phase.
Cagliostro/Sise-Neg has discovered a way for a sorcerer to change the past without altering his present self, i.e. a means of avoiding temporal paradoxes like killing your own father before you're born. He wants to go into the past and recreate the universe in his own image, making himself the supreme being.
After leaving 18th Century Paris, Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo follow Cagliostro into the past. Neither of them are strong enough to stop him, but they both try to influence him. Doctor Strange tells Cagiostro to do good, Baron Mordo tells Cagliostro to do evil. This comic is divided into four chapters, four stages on the journey into the past.
Chapter One: Cagliostro stops in England at the time of King Arthur. He sees a knight, Lancelot, riding towards Arthur's castle. For his own enjoyment he creates a dragon to block his way. Cagliostro says this is because he's read about dragons and wants to see one.
Lancelot can only defeat the dragon with Doctor Strange's help. The question is, would dragons ever have existed if Cagliostro hadn't created it?
Cagliostro absorbs Merlin's mystical energy and goes further into the past.
Chapter Two: Cagliostro goes back to the twin city of Sodom and Gomorrah. The priests have immense mystical power, but the city's inhabitants live in sin. Doctor Strange pleads for mercy, but Mordo persuades Cagliostro to destroy the city.
Cagliostro speaks the words "You have angered God". Everyone dies, except for a few survivors, such as Lot and his wife. When the priests die, Cagliostro absorbs their power and goes further into the past.
Chapter Three: Cagliostro senses a great power source in the early days of the Earth. He finds Shuma-Gorath, who Doctor Strange defeated in Marvel Premiere #10. Shuma-Gorath rules the Earth, and he wants to destroy all of the rapidly evolving apes. Doctor Strange begs Cagliostro to save them.
Shuma-Gorath is too powerful to be defeated in a short battle, so Cagliostro sends him into another dimension to sleep for thousands of years. He takes the two remaining apes and places them in a beautiful garden.
By this point it's obvious in what direction the story is going. Cagliostro created the Garden of Eden.
He absorbs Shuma-Gorath's mystical energy and goes back in time.
Chapter Four: All is black. Nothing exists. Cagliostro is everything, observed by Doctor Strange and Baron Mordo. Cagliostro says that he now knows the universe was good as it already existed, so he recreates it exactly the same as it was before.
There's a big bang. Doctor Strange and Mordo are shot forwards through time to the present, December 31st, 1973. Doctor Strange philosophises about whether Cagliostro became God or was always God. Mordo goes mad.
When Stan Lee read the comic after its publication, he was furious. He said that Marvel's Christian readers would be insulted by the blasphemy and stop reading Marvel. He ordered Steve Englehart to write a retraction in the next letter page, saying that Cagliostro isn't the all-powerful God, he's just a minor God like Thor. Steve felt that he couldn't do this, because it would invalidate the whole point of the story, that Sise-Neg aka Cagliostro existed as the one above all at the beginning of time.
Steve Englehart had an ingenious idea. While he was in Texas he wrote a letter claiming to be a Christian leader, praising the comic as an affirmation of Christianity. Nobody except for Frank Brunner knew about the letter. When Stan Lee read the letter he was convinced, and he said no retraction was necessary if the letter was published.
This was a well-kept secret for 25 years. On July 22nd, 1999 Frank Brunner gave the following interview to a shocked reporter:
This is the story of Sise-neg/Genesis. We had just completed Marvel Premiere #14. When the book came out, Stan finally got a hold of it, and I don't know, somebody pointed it out, or he read it, and he wrote us a letter saying, "We can't do God. You're going to have to print in the letters column a retraction saying this is not 'the' God, this is just a god". Steve and I said, "Oh, come on! This is the whole point of the story! If we did that retraction of God, this is meaningless!" So, Steve happened to be on his way to Texas for something, this is when we were in California, and we cooked up this plot — we wrote a letter from a Reverend Billingsley in Texas, a fictional person, saying that one of the children in his parish brought him the comic book, and he was astounded and thrilled by it, and he said, "Wow, this is the best comic book I've ever read". And we signed it "Reverend so-and-so, Austin Texas" — and when Steve was in Texas, he mailed the letter so it had the proper postmark. Then we got a phone call from Roy, and he said, "Hey, about that retraction, I'm going to send you a letter, and instead of the retraction, I want you to print this letter". And it was our letter! We printed our letter!
Hey, it worked! We thought, "Wow, this went perfect!" We later found out that Jim Starlin was in New York at that time, up in the Marvel offices, and he was reading the Dr. Strange fan mail, and he was the one who actually saw the letter, believed it was the real thing, and gave it to Roy, who showed it to Stan!
The only thing I don't know is how Stan Lee reacted when he found out about the deception.
Incidentally, this is still a topic for discussion in comic forums today. In recent Marvel comics the concept of God and the one above all has been introduced, so readers have been arguing whether Cagliostro is stronger or weaker than the one above all. Some even say that Cagliostro is the same person as the post-canon one above all. I shan't go into all the arguments, I'll just say that they're pointless. Cagliostro/Sise-Neg was a one time occurrence in the history of Marvel, and no editor would dare to bring him back. Not even if Steve Englehart wrote the story.
Man-Thing #3
Title: Day of the Killer, Night of the Fool!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Val Mayerik
Villain: Professor Slaughter (Wilbur Wickham), Foolkiller
Regulars: Richard Rory, Ruth Hart
Man-Thing smashes the Slaughter Room that was used to trap him last issue. He throws Mr. Schist and Professor Wickham (aka Professor Slaughter) into the swamp.
A man called the Foolkiller is on a mission from God to kill everyone who is foolish or evil. He's looking for Richard Rory, and he kills the bikers who refuse to tell him where he is. Then he offers his services to Schist, saying he can kill the Man-Thing.
This is his business card. Neat. I need a card like that. Schist doesn't take him seriously, so the Foolkiller decides to kill him later. Man-Thing first.
The Foolkiller has a lot of knowledge. He knows that the Man-Thing used to be Ted Sallis. He knows the names of the bikers. But he isn't omniscient. He shoots down a helicopter, thinking Schist is trying to escape, but it's carrying flood victims. They fall into the swamp, but Man-Thing saves them. Foolkiller thinks that Man-Thing deserves to live, but Man-Thing attacks him and he shoots back. Man-Thing falls dead. Seemingly.
Avengers #121
Title: Houses divided cannot stand!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: John Buscema
Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Captain America, Black Panther
Villain: Zodiac (Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra)
Regulars: Mantis
The Scarlet Witch destroys Taurus' death machine with a hex. During the following battle, Mantis is pushed off the roof. Vision saves her, but damages the building in the process. The Avengers break off the fight so they can secure the building.
Aries resents Taurus' leadership and plans a mutiny, together with Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Aquarius. He rings Cornelius Van Lunt, the man who funds Zodiac. Van Lunt seemingly died in Avengers #81, but it takes more than that to get rid of a bad guy. What Aries doesn't know is that Van Lunt himself is Taurus. The conspirators are attacked by the Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Vision and Scarlet Witch). The building where they're fighting is sealed. It's a rocket ship, and it rises into the air.
Captain America and the Falcon #171
Title: Bust-Out!
Writer: Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Moonstone, Stoneface
Regulars: Leila Taylor
Guests: Black Panther, Iron Man
Captain America refuses to let himself be freed from the police cell. He fights on the side of the police. Then the people freeing him use gas, knocking both the police and Captain America out. When he wakes up he overhears them saying that they only bust him out to get him into even more trouble.
Black Panther and the Falcon free Leila Taylor from Stoneface. It's a goos opportunity for the Falcon to practice using his new wings.
Back in America, the Falcon joins Captain America in a fight against Moonstone. They're knocked unconscious.
This comic is cleverly intertwined with this month's Avengers comic. The first nine pages of Avengers #121 take place after page 6 and before page 15 of Captain America #171. The Black Panther's appearance on page 11 of Avengers #121 is after page 14 of Captain America #171. It all makes sense. If you don't believe me, sign up for Marvel Unlimited and read the comics yourself.
This comic takes place before Jungle Action #6.
It might interest you to know that Captain America was selling poorly for years. It would have been cancelled if it weren't a prestige object for Stan Lee. Now everything has changed. Steve Englehart revived the comic's popularity, and by the beginning of 1974 it was Marvel's best selling comic.
The Incredible Hulk #173
Title: Anybody out there remember the Cobalt Man?
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Cobalt Man
Regulars: General Ross, Betty Ross
Guests: Cyclops (flashback), Marvel Girl (flashback), Angel (flashback), Iceman (flashback), Beast (flashback)
Roy Thomas returns to the Hulk! That makes me very happy. As much as I enjoy Steve Englehart as a writer, I think Roy Thomas has a feeling for the Hulk like no other writer.
Of course I remember the Cobalt Man! He was in X-Men #31, the brother of one of Jean Grey's fellow students.
The Hulk stows away in a ship to get away from soldiers in San Diego. Ralph Roberts is sailing to a small island to witness a French nuclear test. Ralph's brother Ted is also stowing away after failing to persuade his brother not to go. When the Hulk turns back into Bruce Banner, the two men become friends.
Ralph stands on board, exposing himself to the nuclear blast. His skin turns blue, and he puts on new Cobalt Man armour. He fights with the Hulk, but the Hulk has been weakened by the radiation.
Roy Thomas is a good writer. I trust him to fill us in on Ralph Roberts' motivation next issue.
Amazing Spider-Man #130
Title: Betrayed!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Villain: Jackal, Hammerhead, Doctor Octopus
Regulars: Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Betty Brant, Ned Leeds, Mary Jane Watson
Guests: Johnny Storm
This is a shocking issue, in more ways than one.
The one and only Spider-Mobile is ready to drive. Fiasco is an understatement. It's the most ridiculous little car I've ever seen. It can shine a Spider-Signal on the wall, and it can fire webbing from tubes at the front. It's weighted to fall back upright on its giant wheels.
There's just one thing they forgot: Peter Parker has never taken driving lessons. He doesn't even know what side of the road he has to drive. Johnny Storm gives him a few tips, and off he goes. I'm just waiting to see what happens when the police find out he's driving without a license.
This is the Spider-Mobile in action. I don't know what to say.
That's the story's first big shock. After that it settles down into a normal adventure; as normal as Spider-Man's life can ever be. The Jackal offers to become Hammerhead's partner, but Hammerhead prefers to go it alone. The Jackal has plans to set Spider-Man, Hammerhead and Doctor Octopus against one another.
Rascally Roy Thomas says that Hammerhead wanted to take over the criminal underworld from the Kingpin back in Amazing Spider-Man #213. Does he mean back to the future? That issue won't be published until February 1981. I have a feeling he's referring to Amazing Spider-Man #113.
Now for the issue's biggest shock. Spider-Man finds a letter, planted by the Jackal, about Doctor Octopus. He hurries to Doc Ock's mansion, and he sees the most horrific scene in the history of Marvel: Aunt May is marrying Doctor Octopus!
Please, Gerry. Please, Ross. I don't want to see any pictures of the wedding night!
Fantastic Four #144
Title: Attack!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Rich Buckler
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Medusa
Villain: Doctor Doom, Darkoth
Regulars: Wyatt Wingfoot, Alicia Masters
Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Medusa escape from Doctor Doom's underground lair, aided by Darkoth.
It's good of Roy Thomas to admit a mistake. (You'll have to enlarge the image to read his apology).
The Vibro-Bomb (TM) is launched. The first citizens of Earth come under its power.
Darkoth returns and frees the Human Torch. Rather than fight, Doctor Doom goes into a rocket and launches himself into space to join the Vibro-Bomb. He can still conquer the world. However, Darkoth sneaks into the rocket and attacks Doctor Doom. The rocket collides with the Vibro-Bomb, and both explode. Doctor Doom is finally dead. Or is he? Only the future will tell. He's always been a slippery character.
I'll bet you any money that Gerry Conway won't tell us what happens to the vibro-bombed people next issue. He's a clumsy writer who doesn't like cleaning up loose ends.
Thor #221
Title: Hercules Enraged!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Ares, Pluto
Regulars: Balder, Sif, Tana Nile, Silas Grant, Odin, Hildegarde, Krista
Guests: Zeus, Hercules
The comic jumps straight into the action, then goes back to tell us how it came to pass that Thor invaded Mount Olympus.
After defeating the Dark Stars, Thor and his comrades returned to Asgard, with the exception of Tana Nile and Silas Grant, who remained with the Colonisers.
Back in Asgard, Odin reveals in his crystal that Hildegarde's sister Krista has been trapped in Hades with Pluto and Hercules.
So Thor roars into battle, fighting his way through the Olympian guards...
until he faces Hercules himself.
Gerry and Roy invite the readers to create a better sound effect for this picture. I like competitions like this, even though it's too late for me to win a No Prize.
How about "FUKKK"? Oh wait! That sounds like a rude word.
"CLUGGG"? No, that still doesn't sound right.
"KAPOW"? Oh yes, I like that one. Let's give it a hyphen. "KA-POW". It might not be very original, but it seems appropriate. I don't expect to win a No Prize, 46 years after the comic was written, but if by the slightest chance Roy Thomas is reading this blog post, please reply and tell me what you think. One word of praise from your lips would be worth a dozen No Prizes. Or am I only saying that because I already have three No Prizes side by side on my shelf?
White-maned Zeus is standing and watching the fight. Wait! White-maned? Someone must be colour blind, and I don't think it's me.
Ares (on the right) slips away to speak with a servant, revealing that he has a plan to overthrow Zeus and kill Hercules. Meanwhile, Zeus stops the fight, because he can see that Thor has been deceived. Hercules cannot have been in Hades, because he spent the last two weeks at a festival with wine and women. It's a good life being a God. Thor and Hercules shake hands and prepare to enter Hades together.
Tomb of Dracula #18
Title: Enter: Werewolf by Night!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Gene Colan
Regulars: Blade, Quincy Harker, Rachel Van Helsing, Frank Drake
Guests: Jack Russell, Topaz
Kills: One woman (total 24)
Embraces: None (total 8)
Jack Russell (birth name Jakob Russoff) is in Transylvania, accompanied by Topaz, visiting Russoff Manor, the ancestral home of his father. It looks very different to the castle shown in Marvel Spotlight #2. The castle stood on a hill, but the manor is in the middle of a thick forest. At first I thought this was a mistake, but it's explained in this month's Werewolf By Night, partially at least.
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| Russoff Castle in Marvel Spotlight #2. |
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| Russoff Manor in Tomb Of Dracula #18. |
The manor actually looks more like a castle.
There's a brief meeting between Dracula, the Werewolf and Topaz. Dracula is calmed by Topaz's gaze, which scares him, so he flies away.
The next evening Jack finds a passageway in the manor. It leads to a clearing at the foot of Dracula's castle. I don't understand the geography. Is it a long tunnel that burrows underground and then comes up on the surface? Why is there a telescope at the tunnel's exit? Wouldn't Dracula spot someone spying on him?
I'm confused. Wasn't Dracula's castle burnt down in Tomb Of Dracula #1?
Jack and Topaz walk to Dracula's castle. Dracula approaches Topaz, fascinated by her mystical powers. Then Jack turns into the Werewolf (second night) and a fight ensues. Topaz tries to calm Dracula again, but in his bloodlust he knocks her away, then prepares to kill the Werewolf.
Werewolf by Night #15
Title: Death of a Monster!
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Mike Ploog
Villain: Dracula
Regulars: Philip Russell, Lissa Russell, Topaz
Guest Kills: One woman (total 25)
This story continues directly from Tomb Of Dracula #18. Crossover stories are good for business. They encourage readers to buy comics that they wouldn't have bought otherwise. Usually they result in exciting stories. In the future crossovers will be overdone, especially in the post-canon years.
Dracula begins to feed on the Werewolf, but Topaz's power draws him away. Obviously she was still conscious after he knocked her away. Dracula kills a random villager to satisfy his thirst.
Stan Lee was always reluctant to name characters in his stories. Even important super-villains weren't named until other writers took over the stories. Marv Wolfman has no qualms about naming incidental characters. Beautiful Elizabeth Gornig only appeared in two panels before meeting her death, but she'll always be remembered. Rest in peace.
Jack Russell finds his father's diary, which is more of a family biography, beginning in 1795 with his great-great-great-grandfather. It began in Russoff Castle, not the small family manor. Small? Check out the picture I included in this month's Tomb of Dracula.
Baron Russoff's wife was killed by Dracula, so he entered Dracula's castle and staked him. Was Castle Russoff also as close to Castle Dracula as the Russoff manor? Obviously. The baron threw Dracula and his coffin into the water. He found a beautiful woman called Lydia hidden in Dracula's castle. At night she bit him, making him a werewolf and giving him a hereditary curse.
Meanwhile, Frank Drake and Rachel Van Helsing arrive by helicopter, flying over Dracula's castle. Dracula attacks them, but then leaves because he senses that the diary has been found. It contains instructions on how to kill Dracula, although Jack hasn't read that far yet. I thought everyone already knew how to kill Dracula? Just stake him, then cut off his head, then burn his body. That should do it.
At night (third night) Jack becomes the Werewolf again. Dracula fights with him, then ceases when he sees that Topaz is holding the diary. He asks for the diary, and she gives it to him, not knowing that it's important. Rachel Van Helsing arrives and grabs the diary. Dracula wants to retrieve it, but the Werewolf attacks him again. Rachel and Frank leave in their helicopter.
This is a very good story. Marv Wolfman knows what he's doing!
The Frankenstein Monster #9
Title: The Vampire Killers!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Dracula
While the Monster is burning at the stake, Dracula attacks a woman nearby. The villagers hear her scream and rush to aid her. The Monster uses the opportunity to break free.
The Monster goes into the woods and finds Carmen, the girl who befriended him last issue. She's now a vampire. She bites him, too briefly to draw much blood, but it's enough to damage his vocal chords, and he can't speak. The Monster stakes Carmen. At this moment Dracula arrives, and he's angry that someone has killed one of his brides.
The Monster defeats Dracula in battle and stakes him, turning his body into a skeleton. So Dracula is dead, yet again. Has anyone been keeping count of how many times he dies in Marvel comics?
P. S. In case anyone has forgotten, this story takes place at the end of the 19th Century, 75 years before Dracula's adventures in Tomb Of Dracula.
This month's comic returns to its original title, Daredevil. It was called Daredevil and the Black Widow from issue #92 to issue #107. This change is a spoiler that the break up announced in this issue will last.
Title: Cry Beetle!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Bob Brown
Villain: Beetle, Black Spectre
Regulars: Black Widow, Ivan, Foggy Nelson, Candace Nelson
Guests: Moon Dragon
As Daredevil and the Black Widow swing through San Francisco, they're arguing about Moon Dragon. Natasha is jealous of the tall woman (supposedly 6'3" in her bare feet, but she wears boots) who wears a skimpy costume. If it were anyone else, I'd say that Natasha is jealous of the way he looks at her, but in this case it's different. Daredevil could be standing the opposite side of the room, seemingly staring out of the window, while his radar sense is probing every inch of Moon Dragon's body, from the valleys to the peaks.
Below them, two muggers are robbing an old woman. Daredevil quickly knocks out one of them, but Natasha is beating the other one within an inch of his life. When she refuses to stop, Daredevil hits her and pulls her off.
"He's scum, human filth. He deserves to be hurt, to feel pain for what he did".
I'm on Natasha's side, even though Daredevil claims she's just in a bad mood because of her jealousy. She goes home while Daredevil waits for the police. When Daredevil returns, Natasha is brooding. He talks about what she did, but she defends her actions.
"You call that scum a man? He deserved to die. He would have let his friend knife that old woman. And now you stand here defending him? Well, I'm sorry, old friend, but when I see that kind of rampant brutality, something inside me snaps".
Downstairs, Moon Dragon is decorating the Christmas tree. Cute. There's a news report that New York's district attorney, Foggy Nelson, has been shot. Matt Murdock wants to rush to New York to see him, but Natasha refuses to accompany him. She's still angry with Foggy for putting her on trial for murder in Daredevil #83. Moon Dragon offers Matt a lift to New York in her space ship, which makes things even worse. After they've left, Natasha tells Ivan that it's over between her and Matt.
Maybe it is. In the spaceship Matt tries to express his feelings towards Moon Dragon, but she turns him down in an extraordinary speech:
"You want to say that you find yourself strongly attracted to me. I know. I've known since the moment months ago when I probed your psyche, learned who and what you are. Since then I have been similarly drawn to you, as you must be aware. It is time now to forget that infatuation. It's our respective orientations toward life and the cosmos. We're galaxies apart that way, Daredevil. I've seen things, learned things, which would be beyond any Earth-bred intellect, however brilliant. I believe I have come to love you, DD, but the heavens stand between us forever".
I think Matt should crawl back to Natasha and ask for forgiveness. She also has plenty of peaks and valleys for him to explore.
At the hospital, Matt Murdock is greeted by Foggy's family. Also present is Debbie Harris. I'd almost forgotten about her. Is she still Foggy's girlfriend? We haven't seen her since Daredevil #60. Foggy tells Matt that he was shot as the result of a gang war and someone called Black Spectre.
Matt hurries away to investigate as Daredevil. He's attacked by the Beetle, who claims to have nothing to do with Foggy being shot. Just as he defeats the Beetle, he's attacked by a gang of masked warriors who call themselves Black Spectre; an organisation, not a person.
Captain Marvel #31
Title: The Beginning of the End!
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Jim Starlin
Villain: Thanos, Death
Regulars: Rick Jones, Lou-Ann Savannah, Drax
Guests: Moon Dragon, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, Thor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Mantis
In a normal month Marvel Premiere #14 would have been Comic Of The Month, but this is a far from normal month. In January I said that Captain Marvel #30 was perfect, but Captain Marvel #31 is even perfecter (sic). Never has there been such a mix of brilliance in story and art.
Some time after Daredevil #108 Captain Marvel found Moon Dragon and persuaded her to come with him to Avengers Mansion. He says it's because he thinks she is uniquely capable as a former resident of Titan, but I suspect that he was attracted by her valleys and peaks. Her peaks are emphasised by Jim Starlin's shading, which is as much as the Comics Code Authority would allow in 1974.
After breaking up a skirmish with Drax, Captain Marvel holds the last supper with the Avengers. This picture is so brilliant that I'd like to have it as a poster.
Compare Starlin's drawing with the original by Leonardo da Vinci. Even though there are two disciples less, the resemblance is brilliant. There have been countless parodies of Da Vinci's painting over the years, but this isn't a parody, it's a glorious, tasteful homage.
Even the recap of the previous issues is stunning. Jim Starlin knew something that popular younger artists have never comprehended: pictures don't have to be large to be good.
But there's no chance to discuss battle plans. Thanos yanks the four adversaries he considers the most dangerous to Titan: Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Drax and Moon Dragon. At least, that's his excuse. I suspect he just picked Moon Dragon because he wanted to take a closer look at her valleys and peaks. He traps his four new prisoners next to Mentor and Eros.
Kronos, who was one of the most powerful beings conceived by Marvel at this time, has already been trapped by Thanos. What about Cagliostro? I'm sure Jim Starlin new about him, because he was close friends with Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner. The three of them used to take LSD together. Cagliostro is the absolute deity, but he doesn't want to sully himself by getting involved with petty villains like Thanos.
Captain Marvel short circuits the force field with his Nega-Bands, releasing the prisoners. Mentor commands Isaac (Titan's planet-sized computer) to knock Titan out of its orbit. The heroes make a last stand against Thanos, despite being outmatched.
The last two heroes standing are Captain Marvel and Moon Dragon. Look at the fight between Thanos and Captain Marvel. It's incredible.
Captain Marvel falls, and only Moon Dragon remains. She fights a mind war with Thanos. There's more to her than just valleys and peaks.
The Cosmic Cube can grant wishes, but Thanos only has one wish, the grand transformation. He wants to become a God. If the heroes couldn't defeat him as a man, what chance do they have now?
Sub-Mariner #69
Title: Two Worlds and Dark Destiny!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Force (Clayton Wilson), Orka (flashback), Virago (flashback)
Regulars: Tamara, Namorita
Guests: Doctor Strange, Spider-Man
This issue's cover is misleading. There's no fight with Spider-Man. They just have a friendly chat, after which Spider-Man allows Sub-Mariner to visit Dr. Walthers in hospital. Walthers can't help, because his force field device has been stolen by his assistant Clayton Wilson, who became the villain Force last issue.
It's easy for Sub-Mariner to find Force, because he's declared himself the King of Broadway. This month we had Cagliostro wanting to possess the universe and Doctor Doom wanting to rule the world, but Force is content to rule Broadway. Every villain has his own goals, some bigger than others. I'd be happy with a few valleys and peaks.
This unnamed young person, doubtlessly speaking on behalf of Steve Gerber, compares Broadway with the sewer system. Come on, Steve, it's not that bad. Broadway has fairies on strings, big helicopters and dancing girls.
Sub-Mariner defeats Force and brings freedom to Broadway. A few weeks later the force field device can be used to seal Atlantis and search for a cure for its comatose people.
Meanwhile, the people of Zephyland ask Doctor Strange for help in defeating the murderous oppressors in their kingdom. He replies that all they need to do is to sing and play music. That is just... mind-bending. It's the sort of crazy thing that we can expect from Steve Gerber.
Ka-Zar #2
Title: The Fall of the Red Wizard!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Malgato, Maa-Gor
Regulars: Shanna the She-Devil
Zabu frees Ka-Zar, who then defeats Maa-Gor in battle. Malgato the Red Wizard doesn't fight. He tries to persuade Ka-Zar and Shanna to offer themselves as willing sacrifices. He says that this is the only way to protect the Savage Land from destruction.
When Ka-Zar returns to his people with Shanna, they criticise him for refusing the honour of being a sacrifice.
Shanna suggests that they return to the Red Wizard. They say that they want to be sacrificed, but at the last minute they tip over the bowl containing the sacrificial flames. They discover electronics and wires hidden beneath the floor. The wizard is a fake, preying on the superstition of the people of the Savage Land.
Malgato flees, and Ka-Zar finds a mask. He was another enemy in disguise, someone Ka-Zar would probably have recognised. As far as I know, this mystery was never solved.
Marvel Spotlight #14
Title: Ice and Hellfire!
Writer: Steve Gerber
Artist: Jim Mooney
Villain: Ikthalon
Regulars: Katherine Reynolds
Steve Gerber takes over as the regular writer for Daimon Hellstrom's stories in Marvel Spotlight. That's a good match, in my opinion. He has a sort of insanity that can bring a necessary touch of lightness to this dark series.
We already knew that the Son of Satan reverts to normal human form at dawn, but in this issue we read that the change has to take place indoors. If he's transformed in the sunlight, he suffers great pain.
Daimon receives a letter from Gateway University in St. Louis, Missouri, asking him for help with a haunted university building. It might sound like a hoax, but the person who wrote is Dr. Katherine Reynolds, a lecturer for Parapsychological Studies.
I'm glad I read the comic twice today. Here's a detail I missed first time. Daimon Hellstrom lives in the town of Fire Lake, Massachusetts. It's a fictional town, but there is a Silver Lake.
People in the building have been seeing demons made of ice. Daimon suspects the demon Ikthalon.
Dr. Reynolds may be a highly intelligent woman, but she can't resist Daimon's charm. She claims to be fascinated by his coldness. That's unsettling.
Daimon enters the building after dark as the Son of Satan. Demons drag him down into an underground ice world. He drops his trident, leaving it in the university. The ice demons who serve Ikthalon overcome him, because cold weakens him. Katherine Reynolds defies Daimon's wish and enters the building at night. She picks up the trident, and he's able to escape through it. He battles and defeats Ikthalon on the surface.
Daimon slaps Katherine for breaking her promise. Has he forgotten that he'd still be trapped underground without her help? This makes her even more attracted to him. Ugh! Is that what Steve Gerber thinks women are like? Is that what he wants women to be like? Attitudes like this belong in the Stone Age, when cavemen bonked women over the head with their clubs.
Non-canon comics published this month:
Dracula Lives #5 (Roy Thomas, Dick Giordano)
Tales of the Zombie #4 (Steve Gerber, Pablo Marcos)
Marvel Team-Up #19 (Len Wein, Gil Kane)
Marvel Two-In-One #2 (Steve Gerber, Gil Kane)
Conan the Barbarian #36 (Roy Thomas, John Buscema)
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #118 (Gerry Conway, Dick Ayers)
Creatures on the Loose #28 (Steve Gerber, Vicente Alcazar)
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