Monday 7 November 2011

Forty years ago today. November 1971.

Thanks to the Steve Does Comics' time machine, we've already seen what our favourite Marvel heroes were up to fifty years ago this month, but just what were they up to ten years later?

Obviously they were all ten years older and had therefore, no doubt, learned to be calmer, less ready to use their fists, and to sort things out by reason and logic.

Nope. They were still hitting anything that couldn't run away fast enough.

Amazing Spider-Man #102, the Lizard and Morbius, six-armed Spidey

Spider-Man finds himself having to deal with both the Lizard and Morbius.

Still, at least he turned up well-armed.

Avengers #93, Neal Adams, the Skrulls disguised as the Fantastic Four

It's the Avengers vs a herd of cows, and Ant-Man vs the Vision's tonsils, as Neal Adams arrives and the Kree/Skrull War steps up a gear.

Captain America and the Falcon #143, Power to the People

For the first time in living memory, a Captain America cover doesn't feature the Grey Gargoyle. Instead it features a mystery villain.

Could it be the Red Skull?

Could it be Baron Zemo?

Could it be Irving Forbush?

Conan the Barbarian #11, Barry Smith, Rogues in the House

I'm assuming from the cover that this is where Barry Smith and Roy Thomas give us their adaptation of Robert E Howard's  Rogues in the House.

I seem to recall that the sorcerer in this has a living-room lined entirely with mirrors. If only I had a living-room lined entirely with mirrors, so I could look at myself all day long and appreciate my beauty as others can.
Daredevil and the Black Widow #81

I read this a couple of years ago, after acquiring a pile of old Daredevil comics. I should therefore be able to tell you exactly what happens in it.

I don't have a clue what happens in it.

Fantastic Four #116, Dr Doom leads the FF, Over-Mind

Hooray! First he wins our poll to find the greatest ever Fantastic Four villain and now Dr Doom takes over leadership of the FF as they look to take on the latest threat to mankind.

I also read this a couple of years ago and believe the villain to be the Over-Mind. Or was it the Stranger? Or was it both?

Incredible Hulk #145, Ancient Egyptian gods and the Sphinx

The Hulk takes on a giant statue and a bunch of Ancient Egyptian gods.

Bah! Puny gods have no chance against Hulk!

Iron Man #43, Mikas

Iron Man tangles with someone called Mikas.

I know nothing about Mikas but assume, from his implied MO, that he has something to do with the villainess of last month's story.

Thor #193, the Silver Surfer and Durok

It's Thor and the Silver Surfer vs Durok the Demolisher.

I love this story. Not being a great fan of the Surfer and his endless whingeing, I love that his surfboard gets smashed.

Was Durok ever seen again? I hope so.

9 comments:

Super-Duper ToyBox said...

Mystery villain in Cap/Falcon looks like Wrecker...??

Anonymous said...

I just picked up that very issue of Captain America (143) a few months ago - amazing John Romita Snr art and it is indeed the Red Skull - wonderful series. McScotty

MikeS said...

Only problem with this feature is that the cover date was three months ahead of the actual date, these books actually came out in August 1971. Forty years ago today Spidey was fighting Spider Slayers.

B Smith said...

And it was indeed the Overmind that the FF were squaring off against, without much luck until the Stranger showed up and revealed that he had actually been created long long ago in order to defeat the Overmind when the big O finally turned up.

It'd be nice to have a life....

R. W. Watkins said...

Thanks largely to Gil Kane's artwork, Amazing Spider-Man No 102 is definitely in my Top Ten list of Most Memorable Comics. (But most of you regulars probably knew this already from my previous comments, didn't you....) For starters, those film-like panels of Gwen Stacy in her flat tend to stick with people, I've noticed.

Joe S. Walker said...

I remember this month's Marvels because those issues of Avengers and FF* were the last I ever bought as a regular reader - not by choice but because after that they totally disappeared from the shops, in Liverpool at least.

*And Where Monsters Dwell 16, which was also out that month, and which I missed more, probably. The pre-hero fantasy Marvels are my favourite comics ever.

Steve W. said...

Joe, I've just Googled the cover of Where Monsters Dwell #16. I don't know who that Googam person is but I hope the charm school gave him a refund.

dbutler16 said...

Durok would next appear 23 years later...then promptly get killed.

Steve W. said...

It gives me pleasure that Durok returned. It gives me displeasure that he died.