Tuesday 3 September 2013

Fifty years ago today - September 1963,

As all sports lovers know, yesterday the football transfer window closed with a bang. Many were the comings and many were the goings. But I think there's one thing we can say for certain; that, in the world of fifty years ago today, Marvel's own superstars were staying put. Not for them the abandoning of their familiar stomping grounds to pursue money or trophies. No, they were happy to stay where they were, going in 50/50 on every wrong-doer they encountered.

But, hark, what's this? A little birdie tells me that, even here, there may be new arrivals...

Avengers #1, Loki

Like Tottenham Hotspur, Marvel puts together a brand new team, as The Avengers make their debut.
Fantastic Four #18, the Super Skrull

One of my favourite villains also makes his debut, as the Super-Skrull shows up.
Journey Into Mystery #96, Thor vs Merlin

Presumably feeling a bit bored before he thinks of filling his time by creating Captain Britain, Merlin shows up to cause all sorts of trouble for Thor.

I love that happy, smiley Thor pic in the cornerbox.
Amazing Spider-Man #4, the Sandman

Sandman makes his first appearance before suffering the least dignified defeat ever inflicted on a super-villain.
Strange Tales #112, the Human Torch

I don't like to tell a man how to do his job but is the Eel really sure it's a good idea to stand so close to an impending nuclear explosion?
Tales of Suspense #45, Jack Frost

Pepper and Happy make their debut.

So does Jack Frost.

Sadly, only two of those three are destined to make a long-term impact on the strip.
Tales to Astonish #47, Ant-Man and the Wasp

I really don't have a clue what's going on now. A super-villain is defeating Ant-Man by playing the piano at him?
X-Men #1, Magneto

Yet another pulse-pounding team makes its entrance, as the X-Men show up to fight Magneto.

Right from the start, we can tell how powerful Magneto is because it's made clear that even snowballs can't stop him.

That really is one tough hombre.

I wonder who'd win a fight between Iceman and Jack Frost?

3 comments:

Aggy said...

"I wonder who'd win a fight between Iceman and Jack Frost?"

If Claremont was writing it the fight would be interupted by the distant future version of the human torch who would reveal they are both brothers and they have a mysterious 3rd brother who is very important to the future. Iceman who fly off into space with a random alien race (let's say the Dire Wrathes). A reformed Jack Frost would join the X-Men, the Avengers and any other random team that would have him. Iceman would die, be replaced by an alternate version, die again, suffer amnesia, become Evil, free an entire planet and die again.

Jack Frost would start a new team of young mutants some of whom would die, become gods, turn evil, eventually becoming a dark version of the original idea.

Iceman gets found by the Fantastic Four alive. Jack Frost celebrates before being turned evil by random bad guy (let's say Toad).

Someone remembers the 3rd brother. Everyone forgets the 3rd brother. Finally the editors get so confused the kick Claremont off the books. 10 years later a creator remembers the 3rd brother and decides its a lame existing character (lets say Maggot) and kills him off quickly...


Tl;dr

"I wonder who'd win a fight between Iceman and Jack Frost?"

No one. No one wins

Anonymous said...

As we see here, the original Avengers were Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, the Wasp, and Ant Man/Giant Man. The Hulk ran away and they looked for him but found Captain America instead (long story). Then the founding members quit and Cap led the new Avengers: Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch. Then Giant Man and Wasp came back and Giant Man got stuck at his ten-foot size and became Goliath but later found a cure and regained normal size and became Yellow Jacket. Hercules joined, Cap quit, Black Panther joined, Hercules quit, the Black Knight joined (a new version, not the original), Hawkeye became Goliath but later went back to normal size and became Hawkeye again, Black Panther left, Tigra joined and later quit, She-Hulk joined and later quit, Cap, Iron Man, and Thor all came back, Captain Marvel joined (a new version, not the original), and I'm still not sure about Steed or Mrs. Peel.

Anonymous said...

Yay! The Super Skrull ! For me the most memorable Skrulls story was the one when they kidnapped the Thing and took him to that 'gangster' planet - Skrulls! Al Capone wannabes! Roman Empire-style gladiator games! Best of all it was printed uncut in the glorious Titans weekly.