First I was going to revolutionise blogging by trying to do a running commentary on the adventures of Gullivar Jones as seen in Marvel UK's Planet of the Apes and Marvel USA's Creatures on the Loose.
Not many words into that, I quickly realised that wasn't going to work.
Then I was going to review Dr Strange's descent into Lovecraftian nightmare, from the early days of Marvel Premiere.
But decided I couldn't be bothered.
So, in a shock development, here are the Fantastic Four comics I owned as a child.
It's the return of one of my favourite neglected villains, as Diablo hypnotises Crystal into thinking she's an Aztec goddess and sets her on our heroes.
I have to say Crystal looks decidedly lovely in this issue.
Diablo, sadly does not.
It's one of those extra-length comics Marvel briefly flirted with in the early 1970s, and so, in the back-up tale, Benjamin J Grimm finds himself in an alternate world and discovers things are different there.
The FF make their stand against apartheid.
I've not read this since I was nine. Does Klaw put in an appearance?
It's the return of another of my favourite neglected villains, as the Miracle Man gets slightly carried away with himself and decides to take over the world.
You can read my thoughts on this issue, right here.
The Hulk and the Thing team up to take on mankind.
Is this the one where the Hulk and Thing swap brains? Or was that another story?
I have a feeling this is the tale where the Thing reverts permanently to human form.
Galactus decides Counter-Earth would make a nice snack, and the High Evolutionary brings in the FF to try and stop him.
You can read my review of this issue, right here.
The FF are still trying to stop Galactus, and the space-robot Torgo makes his senses-shattering return.
Sue Richards, meanwhile, fulfills her usual role of being completely useless.
At last, it's the battle we all demanded - the High Evolutionary vs Galactus!
Meanwhile, in a feat of sanity-defying continuity, we see the return of a character possibly not many people were demanding to see the return of.
It's one of my favourites from this era, as the three remaining members of the Frightful Four hold auditions for a new member - in the Baxter Building itself.
Reed Richards is adrift in the Negative Zone.
Again!
You do feel that, by now, the Fantastic Four's other members should have thought of permanently tying a rope round Richards to stop him doing that.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Thing has a bank job to foil.
It's the return of Klaw and the Molecule Man.
This has to be the best Fantastic Four comic I ever owned, as the forty page Lee/Kirby reprint sees the FF's first encounter with the Inhumans and the Great Refuge.
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12 comments:
Colin, the new member of the Frightful Four was the Reed Richards of Counter-Earth, which was why he was the one superfoe the FF could "never defeat". Although they did. He had a habit of transforming into The Brute - a bald, purple monstrosity in swimming trunks. Well, it was the '70s...
Heeeeyyyy! Are you knockin' the Impossible Man? C'mon, guy.
On another note, that issue featuring Klaw and the Molecule Man was outstanding. Beautiful Perez art.
Impy was the only guy who could stand up to ol' M.M. because he had complete control of his own molecules! I wish I had that power!
Cerebus660,thanks for that info - I guessed they'd probably defeat him :) Amusingly, two of the above covers have characters saying "oh no, it can't be HIM !!"
Anonymous, I must admit I actually quite liked the Impossible Man but I do get the feeling no one else ever did.
Keep up the great work here, Steve! I absolutely love your reviews of the Fantastic Four! I have your blog bookmarked and it is one of my truly favorite comic blogs!
Thanks, John. It's always nice to get praise. :)
You are most welcome, Steve. By the way, you are right. Crystal looks especially lovely in FF #118! I keep hoping that she will return someday soon and marry Johnny Storm like she should have done decades ago.
I guessed correctly about the Rudyarda apartheid story. I also bought 174, 177 and 179. I think distribution in Sheffield was pretty similar to Lanarkshire.
It seems Marvel really tried to promote Tigra circa 1976-77 but she never caught on.
I owned these comics as well. And guess what? I've still got most of them, plus reprints of the others. The back-up tale in FF #118 was a little beauty.
Meant to say, Steve - FF #118 was an ordinary-sized comic, not an extra-length one. I believe it was intended to be, but the main story was cut into two parts.
That makes sense of it for me, Kid. It did strike me when I was writing the post that both FF stories seemed short for an extra-length comic but I assumed my memory was playing tricks on me.
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