Amazing Spider-Man #100
Title: The Spider or the Man?
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Gil Kane
Villain: Vulture (vision), Lizard (vision), Geern Goblin (vision), Doctor Octopus (vision), Kingpin (vision)
Regulars: Captain Stacy (vision), Aunt May (dream), J. Jonah Jameson (dream), Betty Brant (dream), Ned Leeds (dream), Gwen Stacy (dream)
Peter Parker has decided that he wants to marry Gwen Stacy, but he can't do this because she hates Spider-Man. In Amazing Spider-Man #50 he attempted to give up his secret identity by throwing his costume away, but now he goes one step further: he drinks a potion that he hopes will remove his Spider-Man powers completely.
First he dreams about his past experiences, giving the reader a brief recap of his history. Then he has realistic visions of being attacked by his greatest foes. Finally he has a vision of Captain Stacy telling him that he has the responsibility to carry on doing good as Spider-Man.
Captain Stacy doesn't actually repeat the words of Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility", but they wouldn't have been out of place.
When Peter Parker finally wakes up, he realises that the potion has had the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of taking away his Spider-Man powers, it's made him more of a spider.
When I look at this picture, I miss Steve Ditko. He's the one who could have drawn this panel best.
Fantastic Four #114
Title: But who shall stop the Over-Mind?
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Buscema
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Villain: Over-Mind
Regulars: Agatha Harkness, Franklin Richards, Willie Lumpkin
Guests: Watcher
The Fantastic Four are ordered to pay for the damages caused by the Thing in his battle with the Hulk.
Back in the Baxter Building, Willie Lumpkin brings the Thing a registered letter. It's a stink bomb from the Yancy Street Gang. We haven't heard from them for a long time. Unless I'm mistaken, the last time they sent him mail was four years ago in Fantastic Four #36.
The Over-Mind walks through the streets of Manhattan. He fights with the Fantastic Four to test their powers. After defeating them he removes their memory of the battle.
Having forgotten the battle, Reed Richards wants to find out more about the Over-Mind. He asks Agatha Harkness to contact the Watcher, which she does with her witchcraft. That doesn't make sense to me. The Watcher watches, that's what he does, and he already contacted the Fantastic Four last issue. All Reed Richards needs to do is pour himself a glass of wine, make himself comfortable on the sofa and say, "Watcher, I know you're there. Tell me about the Over-Mind".
Thor #192
Title: Conflagration!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Karnilla, Loki, Durok
Regulars: Sif, Balder, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg
Guests: Silver Surfer
Thor faces Durok at a Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. Loki interrupts the battle, transporting Durok to a South American country. Thor flies there to face him, but after a short fight Durok is sent somewhere else.
Balder comes to Earth and sends a signal into space to attract the attention of the Silver Surfer.
The Crazy Credits tell us that the costumes were supplied by Forbush's Funky Fashion Factory.
Captain America and the Falcon #141
Title: The Unholy Alliance!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Grey Gargoyle
Regulars: Sharon Carter
Guests: Nick Fury
Captain America finds that the Falcon has turned to stone. At first the Falcon fights him, then he calms down, so Captain America takes him to the SHIELD helicarrier.
On board the helicarrier the Falcon reveals that he's been serving the Grey Gargoyle all along. He beams the Gargoyle onto the helicarrier.
Nick Fury activates the helicarrier's self-destruct sequence. Most of the SHIELD agents escape, but Nick Fury and Sharon Carter are turned to stone. Captain America tricks the Grey Gargoyle into turning the self-destruct mechanism into stone, but the helicarrier approaches a SHIELD base on auto-pilot and will be destroyed because Nick Fury doesn't give the correct code word. Captain America carries Nick Fury and Sharon Carter onto a lifecraft. The Falcon jumps onto it to stop them, but he turns back into human form and no longer obeys the Grey Gargoyle.
The Grey Gargoyle himself flies into the SHIELD base, where the deadly Element X is being stored-
The Crazy Credits praise the writer, artist and inker, but all they have to say about Artie Simek is that he's done lots of little lettering. Poor Artie!
The Avengers #92
Title: All things must end!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Sal Buscema
Avengers: Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Goliath, Captain Ameica, Thor, Iron Man
Regulars: Jarvis
Guests: Captain Marvel, Rick Jones, Carol Danvers, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan
The technicians that the Avengers rescued last issue have talked to the press about the Kree, sparking panic about an alien invasion. An Alien Activities Commission has been created in America to round up all aliens as potential threats. The first name on their list is Captain Marvel, because he's known to be a Kree.
Carol Danvers invites Captain Marvel to hide out at a farm in Upstate New York. The Avengers (Goliath, Vision, Quicksilver and Scarlet Wirch) are summoned to a hearing, where they're accused of harbouring aliens in their midst.
After the hearing the remaining Avengers (Captain America, Thor and Iron Man) come to the Avengers Mansion to tell their colleagues that they have behaved disgracefully, so they're disbanding the Avengers.
How does this fit in with the chronology of the last three Avengers, all of whom have their own comics? Wait till next issue to find out... if this isn't the last Avengers comic
The Incredible Hulk #143
Title: Sanctuary!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Dick Ayers
Villain: Doctor Doom
Regulars: General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross, Doctor Samson
Bruce Banner is on the run from the police in New York City. He's offered a lift in a car, the limousine of Doctor Doom. He's driver to the Latverian Embassy, where he's safe because of the embassy's diplomatic immunity.
Doctor Doom sends a Hulk robot out of the embassy. It's easily destroyed by an army rocket, making everyone think the Hulk is dead. Then Doctor Doom takes Bruce Banner to Latveria. He talks about needing two allies, both the Hulk and Bruce Banner.
We find out that Doctor Samson's strength is dependent on the length of his hair.
This story takes place after last month's Astonishing Tales #7.
Sub-Mariner #41
Title: Whom the sky would destroy!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Rock (Karl Serr), Lucille Serr, Aunt Serr
Regulars: Diane Arliss
Prince Namor is shot down from the sky by a psychic blast. He's rescued by a woman called Lucille. She lives with her aunt and her cousin Karl. Karl has gained great powers through an atomic blast in Arizona. His body is as strong as a rock, and he can fire psychic blasts.
Aunt Serr asks Namor to join her to form a team of super-powered beings. Namor refuses. Lucille wamts to help him, but Aunt Serr causes Lucille to unleash her power against Namor, even stronger psychic blasts than Karl's.
Meanwhile, Diane Arliss has persuaded Senator Winters to aid Namor, although it doesn't go as far as a full pardon.
The Serr family are dull, throwaway characters. After next issue we'll never see them again.
Daredevil #80
Title: In the Eyes of the Owl
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Owl
Regulars: Karen Page
Matt Murdock tries to distract himself from his heartbreak by swinging around the city and fighting petty crooks. He's attacked by the Owl, last seen in Daredevil #22, who's working for the mysterious Mr. Kline that we met last month.
Meanwhile. Karen Page is offered a part in a film that will possibly win her an Oscar. She can't concentrate because of the news reports about Daredevil battling the Owl.
Iron Man #41
Title: The Claws of the Slasher!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Slasher, Demitrius, Mr. Kline
Regulars: Marianne Rodgers
Two criminals are planning to destroy a building. One is called the Slasher, and he doesn't seem to have any powers apart from wearing metal claws. The other is Demitrius, who has psychic powers. They work for Mr. Kline, who's been acting behind the scenes in the recent Daredevil comics, but Mr. Kline is also working for someone else. Iron Man is too busy saving people from the falling building to stop them getting away.
Tony Stark's girlfriend, Marianne Rodgers, has strong psychic powers. When she approaches Demitrius he grows into a giant and starts to fire psychic blasts from his fingers. Strange. After a battle with Iron Man, both Demitrius and Marianne collapse unconscious.
This is another poor story with throwaway villains.
Amazing Adventures #8
Title: An Hour For Thunder!
Writer: Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas
Artist: Neal Adams
Inhumans: Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak
Guests: Thor, Captain America, Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Goliath
The Avengers watch Black Bolt about to destroy a ghetto in San Francisco. They want to intervene, but Thor tells hem he'll deal with it by himself.
The Inhumans (Medusa, Gorgon and Karnak) attack Black Bolt and the man giving him orders, but Thor protects them. He recognises Lionel Dibbs as a man who visited Donald Blake and was diagnosed with cancer. That doesn't make sense to me. Why would someone who lives in San Francisco visit a doctor in New York?
After Thor calms Lionel down, the Inhumans prepare to battle Black Bolt, but they realise it's not him, it's just a man in his costume. It's the gang member Roscoe. He attempts to speak, but the costume overloads and kills him. This makes even less sense. I thought Black Bolt's powers come from his own being, not from his costume.
The Avengers line up is incorrect, and it can't be synced with their current comics.
This is a shamefully poor story.
Title: How shall I kill thee? Let me count the ways!
Writer: Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas
Artist: Don Heck
Villain: Watchlord
Regulars: Ivan
The Black Widow fights against a generic villain called the Watchlord who is on a mission to kill all Russians in America.
The Watchlord dies in battle. Good riddance.
This is the last solo Black Widow story. It's the worst in a series of lacklustre stories.
Other comics published this month:
Conan the Barbarian #9 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Kull the Conqueror #2 (Roy Thomas, Marie Severin)
My Love #13 (Stan Lee, Gene Colan)
Rawhide Kid #91 (Roy Thomas, Dick Ayers)
Western Gunfighters #6 (Len Wein, Dick Ayers)
Creatures on the Loose #13 (Len Wein, Reed Crandall)
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