Marvel's expansion is unstoppable. This month there are FOUR new comics, making a total of 13 new comics since March. With the gift of hindsight, I can tell you that Marvel was doing too much. Most of the new comics only lasted a year or two.
The first new comic this month is Adventure Into Fear. The first issue is numbered #10, because it's adopted the numbering of the reprint comic Fear, which ran for nine issues.
Adventure Into Fear #10
Title: Man-Thing
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gray Morrow
This is a first class horror story from Gerry Conway. It's what he does best. The Hulk was invented as a crossover between super-heroes and horror monsters, but over the years he's drifted more and more into the super-hero genre, especially with his recent membership of the Defenders. Man-Thing is Marvel's second attempt to present a monster who does good.
At first I thought that the re-use of the same title was a mistake, but after being repeated four times I'm starting to think it's deliberate, maybe even an in-joke in the Marvel Bullpen.
Savage Tales #1: "Man-Thing" written by Gerry Conway.
Astonishing Tales #12: "Man-Thing" written by Len Wein.
Astonishing Tales #13: "Man-Thing" written by Roy Thomas.
Adventure Into Fear #10: "Man-Thing" written by Gerry Conway.
That's the same story title for the Man-Thing's first four appearances.
This story has a beautiful irony. Bobby Drummond is an abusive husband. He tells his wife Billy-Jo that she should give up their newborn baby for adoption, because she has less time for him. When she refuses, he throws the baby off a bridge. Man-Thing catches the baby and brings it to safety. Then Man-Thing goes to take revenge. He touches Bobby's face, and it burns. Billy-Jo begs him to stop. Bobby survives, but he's badly mutilated. This rekindles Billy-Jo's affection for her husband.
This is a story that Stan Lee would never have written. There's no morality in it. Maybe an ethics professor could write more about the story than me. There are existential undertones, if that's what Gerry Conway was aiming for.
The second new comic this month is Doc Savage. Like Conan, he's a character that wasn't created by Marvel. He first appeared in pulp novels published by Henry Ralston in the 1930's and 1940's. Since the first story was written in 1933, Stan Lee referred to him as the first super-hero.
Doc Savage's stories were set in 1934, which places him outside of the normal Marvel continuity, and as a result outside of Marvel canon. Marvel made a big deal of the comic in its advertising at the time, but it wasn't well accepted by fans, and it was cancelled after eight issues. A cross-over with Spider-Man in a time travel story was used to launch a second Doc Savage series in 1975, but that was also a failure. Marvel gave up the rights to the Doc Savage character, which were snapped up by DC Comics. Marvel's Doc Savage stories have been reprinted by DC. It's a strange world.
The third new comic this month is Gunhawks. Marvel wanted to expand its western stories, adding to Rawhide Kid, Outlaw Kid and various western reprint titles. This too was a failure, cancelled after seven issues.
The fourth new comic this month is Journey Into Mystery. This is something special. A comic called Journey Into Mystery was launched in June 1952 as an anthology comic containing short horror and supernatural stories every month. In August 1962 Thor was added as the lead feature in Journey Into Mystery #83. Tales Of Asgard was added as an additional backup feature Journey Into Mystery #97 (October 1963), but the anthology stories continued until Journey Into Mystery #103 (April 1964). The comic series was eventually cancelled or renamed, depending on your definition, after Journey Into Mystery #125 (February 1966). The first issue of Thor was Thor #126 in March 1966. Interestingly, when editors make notes linking back to issues of Journey Into Mystery between #83 and #125, they call the comic Thor. At first I considered this to be a mistake, but it's done so consistently that it must be a deliberate editorial decision.
But now there's a new comic called Journey Into Mystery, starting again from number #1. It's in the style of the old anthology comic, before it was invaded by super-heroes, so it can be said to be continuing from Journey Into Mystery #82.
The first story is by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, based on a story by Robert E. Howard. The second story is by Steve Englehart and Ralph Reese, an artist that I hardly know, but the drawings are impressive, The third story is written by Steve Skeates with brilliant artwork by Jim Starlin.
I regret to say that the relaunch of Journey Into Mystery was also a flop. New stories were only written for five issues, after which it became a reprint comic. The interest in anthology comics was gone.
Avengers #104
Title: With a bang and a whimper!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: Rich Buckler
Avengers: Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch (flashback), Vision
Villain: Sentinels
Quicksilver arrives in Australia after his fellow Avengers, but he doesn't join them. Together with Larry Trask he looks for a different way to defeat the Sentinels.
The Scarlet Witch is to be used to power the Sentinels' solar flare device. It will create a solar flare that will make all of mankind sterile. After the human race has died out the Sentinels will create new humans without mutants.
Yes, that's quite a diagram!
Quicksilver is badly injured, including broken bones.
Larry Trask finds that the mutant detection system has been disabled. He turns it on, and Sentile Number Two itself is recognised as a mutant. The other Sentinels turn against him. After Sentinel Number Two is destroyed, the other Sentinels collapse. Larry Trask is crushed by a falling Sentinel and dies. Seemingly?
The Avengers leave, not knowing that Quicksilver has been left lying in the rubble.
Fantastic Four #127
Title: Where the Sun dares not shine!
Writer: Roy Thomas
Artist: John Buscema
Fantastic Four: Reed Richards, Susan Richards, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm
Villain: Mole Man, Kala, Tyrannus
Regulars: Alicia Masters (vision)
Welcome to another issue of the world's greatest comix magazine (sic).
The Thing goes down the shaft into which the Mole Man jumped in Fantastic Four #90. Instead of the Mole Man he finds a beautiful woman called Kala who says she's the Mole Man's fiancee. If you have a good memory you'll remember her from Tales Of Suspense #43. She says that she was lost, so the Mole Man will give him a reward for saving her.
It was a trick. Kala knew the Thing was an enemy of the Mole Man, so she's taking him to be a prisoner. I admit, I would also have fallen into a trap set by a beautiful woman like Kala, especially if she sat in a position letting me look up her skirt.
There's a fight with the Mole Man, and the Thing gets to yell his battle cry: It's clobbering time!
Tyrannus, who we last saw in Incredible Hulk #127, is a hypnotised slave of the Mole Man.
The Thing escapes from the Mole Man, but the Mole Man uses a weapon (electrified webbing?) to make all who see him think he's a hairy monster. When he greets the Fantastic Four, they prepare to attack him.
Captain America and the Falcon #154
Title: The Falcon fights alone!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Villain: Captain America, Bucky, Morgan
Regulars: Leila Taylor, Sgt. Muldoon
Guests: Avengers (Iron Man, Vision, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch), Jarvis
I can't remember the last time I was so excited about a Captain America story. I was sitting on the edge of my chair, barely able to take the excitement. Will it continue like this for the next 30 issues? I hope so.
Captain America and Bucky seem to be genuine. They look the same, and they have the same fighting skills. The only difference is that they're racists. The Falcon isn't strong enough. They knock him unconscious and carry him away.
Meanwhile, the real Captain America is enjoying a stroll on the beach with Sharon Carter.
A muscle-bound hunk on the beach tries to tempt Sharon away from her boyfriend, but she's more than strong enough to handle him herself. His name's Arnold. Arnold? Is that supposed to be Arnold Schwarzenegger? I checked old photos of him, and despite the hair being parted on the wrong side, it has to be him. It's his facial features, and definitely his physique.
This scene is making fun of the Charles Atlas advertisements that appeared in almost every Marvel comic in the 1960's. You're only a real man if you're strong enough to beat up other men on the beach.
The black residents of Harlem hear about the Falcon being defeated, so they go to rescue him. They're a large crowd, too many for Captain America and Bucky to handle, so they let the Falcon go.
The Falcon visits the Avengers to warn them. They tell him that Captain America was in Avengers Mansion only a few minutes previously, and by listening in to their conversations he must have heard where the real Captain America has gone.
There's going to be a lot of sand kicked on the beach next issue!
Amazing Spider-Man #113
Title: They call the doctor Octopus!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Romita
Villain: Doctor Octopus, Hammerhead
Regulars: J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Betty Brant, Ned Leeds, Aunt May (vision), Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Randy Robertson
Spider-Man is weak after not sleeping for two days. He has to flee from Doctor Octopus, and at home he collapses. Gwen Stacy calls a doctor, the medical kind. It's Doctor Bromwell, who we've seen in the past treating Aunt May. He says that Peter Parker has an ulcer.
Nevertheless, after a short rest he goes out again. He barely defeats Doctor Octopus, and when he stands up he sees Hammerhead.
Iron Man #51
Title: Now stalks the Cyborg-Sinister!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Cyborg
Regulars: Marianne Rodgers
Iron Man is observing the launch of a rocket from Stark Industries. It's not said exactly what it's for, except that it falls under the very general label of "weather-probing, pollution control and space research". The important thing is that it marks a new start for Stark Industries, branching out from being purely a weapons manufacturer.
The rocket launch is a failure. It explodes while still in the atmosphere.
The Cyborg created in the microworld Bast breaks into Stark Industries to steal weapons and chemicals. Iron Man defeats it, but more relevant is what happens on the sidelines. Marianne Rodgers' ESP vision doesn't turn out as she saw it. She thinks she might be becoming paranoid about the future. And Tony Stark says he doesn't want to see her again after she refused to help save his life in Iron Man #49.
As is stated on the cover, this comic contains three stories about Sub-Mariner. The third is a reprint. The cover gives the impression that the reader is getting something extra for his 20 cents. That's not true. The first story is 10 pages long, the second story is six pages long, and the reprinted story is four pages long. That's a total of 20 pages, which is the usual length of a single story.
Sub-Mariner #54
Title: Comes now the decision!
Writer: Bill Everett
Artist: Bill Everett
Villain: Sunfire, Dragon Lord
Regulars: Betty Prentiss, Namorita
Together Sub-Mariner and Sunfire defeat Dragon Lord. After the battle Sunfire resumes his fight against Sub-Mariner, because he felt humiliated by him. Sub-Mariner flies away, not because he's afraid, but because he thinks Sunfire is a foolish young man who should realise there are more important things in life than winning a fight.
Namorita, who can't be a day over 14, is a rebellious teenager. She becomes enamoured with a young sailor in a ridiculously immature love scene. Then she comes to her senses and says that Namor is her true love. She doesn't know what she wants. That's the way I was at her age.
Title: The Mer-Mutants!
Writer: Mike Friedrich
Artist: Alan Weiss
Villain: Mutants
This story takes place in the recent past, before Prince Namor gave up the crown of Atlantis in Sub-Mariner #38. While swimming at the bottom of the ocean he sees a beautiful mermaid.
Namor might be a prince, but he's still a man. His brain tells him he should be faithful to Lady Dorma, but the little trident between his legs tells him to follow the mermaid.
Poor Namor. It's a trap. Five sea monsters ambush him. He defeats them, and then the mermaid attempts to kill him. She says that they're mutants, outcasts from both Atlantis and Lemuria. He says that they'll be welcome in Atlantis, but when the palace guard arrives they insult the mutants because they're ugly and have green skin.
Racism exists everywhere, even on the sea floor, so the mermaid and her friends leave. That's just as well. If the mermaid had lived in Atlantis Namor would have been carrying out a royal investigation every day.
The Incredible Hulk #156
Title: Holocaust at the Heart of the Atom!
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Artist: Herb Trimpe
Villain: Visis, Krylar
Regulars: Major Talbot, Betty Ross, Jarella
The Hulk continues to fall through countless microscopic worlds, until he finally falls into Jarella's world, which he visited in Incredible Hulk #140. Interestingly, he now has Bruce Banner's brain, because the spell cast by Jarella's sorcerers is effective whenever he's in her world.
Jarella's city is in ruins. Her people have been conquered by the warlord Visis. She visited the Earth in Incredible Hulk #148 to ask for help against Visis, but help wasn't possible, and this is the result.
The Hulk frees Jarella from captivity and takes up battle against Visis. A mercenary called Krylar offers a weapon that makes a person's greatest fear reality. When the Hulk approaches the machine, he meets the bestial Hulk without Bruce Banner's intelligence. Even though the two Hulks have equal strength, the bestial Hulk has more fighting instinct.
Jarella knows the Hulk (the Banner-Hulk) well enough to understand why he's losing. She asks her sorcerers to take away his intelligence again. This has an unexpected effect. In his normal state the Hulk has no fear, so his opponent vanishes.
Henry Pym's unstable shrinking potion begins to wear off. He starts to grow. As a giant he crushes Visis' castle. He keeps growing, and he accidentally kicks Jarella's planet out of orbit. So she's dead?
The Hulk returns to Earth, and he weeps.
Thor #204
Title: Exiled on Earth!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Karnilla, Mephisto
Regulars: Odin, Balder, Sif, Hildegarde, Heimdall, Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg, Tana Nile, Silas Grant
Guests: Iron Man
Thor is angry that Odin put the Earth at risk for the sake of a game, and his companions stand with him. Odin punishes their insolence by exiling them all from Asgard. Wow! Thor has been exiled before, more than once, but this is the first time there's been a mass expulsion from Asgard. The only ones allowed to return to Asgard are Heimdall and the dwarf Kamorr.
Nobody knows where Volstagg is, but Thor invites all the others to stay at the Avengers Mansion: Sif, Hildegarde, Fandral, Hogun, the Rigellian Coloniser Tana Nile and the Blackworld sea captain Silas Grant. I hope the Mansion has a lot of spare rooms.
The exiles go out separately to explore the city. One by one they're kidnapped. Finally Thor and Sif find themselves in a foreign dimension, the realm of Mephisto.
This is a wonderful double-page final panel from John Buscema, and Gerry Conway has magnificently built up the suspense leading up to it.
This month the comic's title changes to Daredevil And The Black Widow. That's a pleasant surprise, especially after Natasha said the partnership was over last issue.
Daredevil and the Black Widow #92
Title: On the Eve of the Talon!
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Gene Colan
Villain: Damon Dran
Regulars: Ivan, Danny French
Guests: Black Panther
Matt Murdock throws a temper tantrum, thinking he's lost Natasha Romanoff forever. Ivan suggests that they should go to Danny French, because she said she was looking for him.
In a television report a smart reporter voices her opinion that Matt Murdock is Daredevil.
A man called Damon Dran is searching for the globe that Danny French stole from Project Four. He's kidnapped Danny and Natasha, but Danny refuses to tell him where he's hidden the globe. He hears the news report and sends a Chinese fighter called the Blue Talon to capture Matt Murdock. Daredevil defeats him in a fight, while Matt Murdock arrives in a taxi, proving they're not the same person.
It was really the Black Panther in Daredevil's costume, helping his old friend.
But Damon Dran is still holding Danny and Natasha.
Defenders #2
Title: The Secret of the Silver Surfer!
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Sal Buscema
Defenders: Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, Silver Surfer
Villain: Calizuma, wizards
After Doctor Strange and Sub-Mariner have spent weeks searching for the Silver Surfer, the Silver Surfer reveals himself to them. He denies responsibility for casting Sub-Mariner down from the sky. He lives with peaceful apes in the Himalayas. The Silver Surfer leaves, but Doctor Strange follows him, taking with him Sub-Mariner and the Hulk.
The apes are really wizards in disguise, led by Calizuma. They took control of the Silver Surfer and made him do things without his knowledge. The Defenders defeat the wizards. Then Doctor Strange offers to help the Silver Surfer return to his planet.
Warlock #2
Title: Countdown for Counter-Earth!
Writer: Roy Thomas, Mike Friedrich
Artist: John Buscema
Villain: Man-Beast
Regulars: High Evolutionary
Warlock battles with the Man-Beast's minions. Interestingly, the (as yet unnamed) gem on Warlock's forehead can reverse evolution and transform his enemies back to the simple beasts they originally were.
Roy Thomas is getting so Biblical that it's dizzying. The Man-Beast takes Warlock to a high place, shows him all the kingdoms of the world and offers them to him, if he will only acknowledge the Man-Beast's ownership of Counter-Earth.
This is the Temptation of Adam Warlock.
Warlock refuses, but when he sees his four young friends deny him he flies into a rage.
But he finally composes himself.
This is a good story, though maybe too Biblical for some.
Hero For Hire #3
Title: Mark of the Mace!
Writer: Archie Goodwin
Artist: George Tuska
Villain: Gideon Mace
Regulars: Noah Burstein, Claire Temple, David Griffith
Dr. Burstein suggests that Luke Cage should go back to prison and make an appeal against his sentence. Luke refuses, because he says that the only person who knew he was innocent, Willis Stryker, is dead. Dr. Burstein accepts this and says that he'll watch over Luke as his conscience.
Luke Cage gets his first job. Owen Ridgely, a Vietnam veteran, joined a group of ex-soldiers led by Colonel Gideon Mace, who wants to wake America up from its complacency by capturing Manhattan Island and cutting it off from the rest of America. That's a bad idea. Doesn't he know how many super-heroes live in Manhattan, including the Fantastic Four and the Avengers? These super groups are briefly mentioned by Dr. Burstein as examples of non-mercenary super-heroes, but I still think Archie Goodwin hasn't thought everything through logically.
Members of Mace's gang break in and kill Owen Ridgely. Luke Cage beats them up, then goes to visit Colonel Mace. Luke Cage knocks Mace's getaway helicopter out of the sky, and he dies. Seemingly.
Luke made good money on his first job, but he mails it to Owen Ridgely's widow. His heart is bigger than his need for money.
Marvel Spotlight #6
Title: Angels from Hell!
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Artist: Michael Ploog
Regulars: Roxanne Simpson
The Ghost Rider is out riding at night. He's attacked by a motorbike gang, Satan's Servants. He defeats them, but their leader, Curly Samuels, offers him a place in the gang. Ghost Rider goes with him and tells his whole story. about how he became what he is. Then Ghost Rider falls unconscious, entranced by Curly's eyes.
Curly's appearance is a disguise. He's really Johnny Blaze's stepfather, Crash Simpson. Satan has offered to let him live again if he captures Johnny. Satan tells him this isn't enough. He doesn't want Johnny's body, he wants his soul.
The next evening Curly warns Ghost Rider that his gang are planning to raid a motorbike show where Roxanne Simpson is performing. Ghost Rider defeats the gang and saves Roxanne, but it was just a distraction. After the show Curly takes Roxanne and offers to sacrifice her to Satan.
Astonishing Tales #14
Title: The Night of the Looter!
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: John Buscema
Don't get too excited about seeing Stan Lee's name in the credits. This is a coloured reprint of the b/w Ka-Zar story from Savage Tales #1. It's almost identical, apart from subtle censorship in a few panels. For instance:
In Savage Tales #1 we can see the silhouette of Carla's nipple.
In Astonishing Tales #14 the nipple has been removed.
When Carla is found dead in Savage Tales #1 she's naked.
But in Astonishing Tales #14 she's still dressed, even though her clothes have been ripped.
Non-Canon comics published this month:
Doc Savage #1 (Roy Thomas, Ross Andru)
Conan the Barbarian #19 (Roy Thomas, Barry Smith)
Our Love Story #19 (Robert Kanigher, Kurt Schaffenberger)
Combat Kelly and the Deadly Dozen #3 (Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Outlaw Kid #12 (Mike Friedrich, Dick Ayers)
Gunhawks #1 (Gary Friedrich, Syd Shores)
Journey Into Mystery #1 (Roy Thomas, Gil Kane)
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