Thursday 25 January 2018

January 25th, 1978 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

"Good God above, Steve!" I hear you ask. "What are you doing right now?"

Well, hold on to your boarding passes because I'm currently watching a film that involves Dean Cain piloting a plane that's being attacked by volcanoes. I don't mind admitting I don't have a clue what's going on in it.

There's only one thing for it. To quell my whirling senses, I'm going to have to abandon the flight and partake in an activity that involves me not knowing what was going on forty years ago, instead.

Rampage #15, Defenders vs Alpha

As mentioned in last week's comments section, this is the tale in which Magneto gets reverted back to childhood and has to be raised all over again.

If I recall correctly, this leads to him becoming a more reasonable character, upon re-reaching adulthood.

And, if I recall correctly, this change of heart was later revealed as being entirely due to Moira MacTaggert having exerted some undue influence over him in his infant years, in order to turn him into a better human being.

As I also mentioned last week; despite not recognising the cover, I think I must have had this comic, as I've definitely read this tale and am totally sure it was in black and white.

I have no memory of the Nova story, unless it started with a splash page that involved the Sphinx sat in his chair, in a bit of a sulk.

But what's this? Iron Man? In the pages of Rampage? I have no recollection whatsoever of Iron Man's strip ever having appeared in this book. I wonder which particular adventure it is?

Complete Fantastic Four #18, Ultron

I think I may also have had this issue as well, despite having no recall of its cover either.

I base this entirely on me being sure that my youthful self read both parts of this Avengers/Fantastic Four cross-over.

The back-up tale is what would confirm or deny it. I know I had at least two issues of The Complete Fantastic Four because I had one that reprinted the first appearance of the Miracle Man - which was issue #6 - and I had another that featured Doctor Doom getting inflatable dummies to follow the FF around.

No, I don't have a clue why Doomie did that but it was, no doubt, a nefarious scheme beyond human imagining.

Mighty World of Marvel #278, the Hulk

I do believe this is the start of the tale that features Greenskin's first encounter with the almost-ubiquitous-on-this-blog Jack of Hearts.

It may, therefore, also feature Bruce Banner's new landlady - who I think was called April - and that stage magician who seemed to be in the strip for no noticeable reason.

I think Captain Marvel is still in Mexico and still battling the Sentry.

Super Spider-Man #259, the Rocket Racer

But forget Jack of Hearts! This is the tale we've all been waiting for! The Rocket-Racer finally arrives in the pages of Marvel UK!

OK, I admit it, he was a terrible villain with a terrible gimmick and a terrible costume. From what I can remember, he wasn't even that interested in being a villain. He was like a more conceited version of the Prowler.

Still, if he's underwhelming and silly, at least we get the return of the Molten Man. Despite the cover trying to act like his identity's a big mystery, I don't think one has to be Sherlock Holmes to work out just who he is.

22 comments:

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Sounds like you didn’t have that issue of Complete FF Steve. The inflatable dummy things are in the first half of FF #17, which I reckon will pop up in Complete FF # 33. This week's oldie in Complete FF is the second half of the one where Namor invites the FF over to Hollywood to make an FF film.

My best guess at the Iron Man story in Rampage is IM #35 "Revenge" vs Madam Masque, Zodiac and Spymaster. It's in about the right place in terms of issue numbers.

And as for Magneto, it took a bit longer for him to get rounded out as a character. He's brought back to middle age by Eric The Red somewhere in X-Men 100-110 for a short fight with the X-Men. And then he's back again in X-Men 112-113 where he's definitely still a nasty piece of work.

Anonymous said...

The Valkyrie isn't tied up or in the grip of giant hand on that Rampage/Defenders cover - how did that ever get past the original editor?

Steve, why are you watching rubbish films on tv instead of listening to the Fall? A nation mourns!

-sean

Steve W. said...

But look on the bright side, Sean. At least Crystal is in the grip of a giant hand on the FF cover.

As for the Fall, I must admit that, despite their fame, their music has somehow managed to avoid ever having been heard by me.

Dangermash, thanks for all the info. The issue #33 thing is odd though. I've just looked at the cover and I have no recollection of ever having owned it, which is strange, as it features the story that had already been reprinted in the 1977 Marvel annual, and I don't recall ever having read that one in black and white.

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

I could always be wrong about Complete FF #33. If each monthly issue continues to be split over two weeklies, FF #17 will appear in Complete FF #33-34. But if (say) they start getting split over three issues, or if FF Annual #1 gets reprinted before FF #17, then, just like The Mad Thinker, my calculations will have been messed up by the human factor.

And I just checked in a Marvel Masterwork. It’s X-Men #104 when Magneto returns.

Let's hope I get a prove you're not a robot spot the road sign tests when I click to post this comment. I'm starting to enjoy them.

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

And another thing. Never trust an Osborn!

Steve W. said...

I hate those road sign tests. I never know if I'm supposed to click on just the signs or if I'm also supposed to click on the posts that are supporting them. The amount of stress that not knowing causes me...

Osborn, that is truly the funniest bit of spamming I have ever seen. Perhaps Ultron should take advantage of your services. I hear he's still not got over Jocasta dumping him.

Anonymous said...

dangermash, the original Kirby/Lee stories started to take longer to reprint when the Invaders were added to the Complete FF as a second back-up. Not sure when that was exactly, but it was definitely before #33.

-sean

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

I've just had a word with Quicksilver. He doesn't approve off Osborn's robots.

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

Back to Complete FF. In that case, Steve, first half of FF#17 with the inflatables will be in a later issue than Complete FF#33.

Aggy said...

Hey we don't diss Airplane vs Volcano. That is peak Dean Cain right there. I mean it's no Futuresport but what is.

Boy that Superman role ruins careers doesn't it

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Wow... you don't suppose the other blogs like BitBA will be targeted by Osborn? Anyhow, maybe comic book readers are an appropriate audience?

I mean, when I saw Wanda's hubby the Vision laying in 100,000 pieces in West Coast Avengers 42ish and the only thing human about him was the brain waves from Wonder Man... well he's just a robot, no? And, she somehow self-impregnated since he was not human. So...

Hey - you don't suppose Osborne's grand daddy is Norman Osborne and grand mammy is Gwen Stacey? Could he be the child of one their love-children twins that she bore while cheating on Peter Parker? I mean Norman was a scientific genius.

Anonymous said...

Come on Charlie, everyone knows the only real scientific genius in the Marvel universe is Victor von Doom.
My Latverian Sex Doombot does some interesting stuff I can tell you.

-sean

Charlie Horse 47 said...

SO, I punched out of comics around 1975. Thanks to "Redartz" at BitBA, I read 5 issues of Avengers West Coast this month (40 - 45) with the Vision being did-assembled which is from 1989. I never ventured this far into the Bronze Age before.

I actually thought "what kind of goofball (i.e., Wanda) would marry a robot?"

But then again, Doom created the android Darkoth to fight the FF around issue 143.

Anyhow here we are, 30 - 40 years later after this stuff was written, and Steve DC's blog is a platform for those advertising sex-bots. W.t.f. is going on in the world??? I may be inclined to open a can of whoop ass on the first person who tells me they did it with a robot.

Anonymous said...

If only Trump, May, BoJo, Gove, Rees-Mogg et al could be reverted back to un-fertilized eggs which stay un-fertilized.

I had every single issue of The Complete FF and I remember reading this week's issue by candlelight due to a power-cut :)

As Sean said, the Invaders joined The Complete FF (but why? WHY??) around No.32 or thereabouts so the original Lee/Kirby tales were split over 3 weeks. And the comic was no longer the "Complete" FF as it now featured the ¥₩@#$%& Invaders who I loathed.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Colin, once I generally stopped reading comics around 1974, the only comic I followed was the Invaders,lol.

Anonymous said...

Charlie, you have my sympathy :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, how did Ultron get his own head stuck on the Omega android's body?
That's a neat trick.

M.P.

Dougie said...

I love the Invaders! I'm pushing vol. 1 to an ex-army colleague of mine. Robbins is an acquired taste, yes, but I acquired it in 1976.

That Rocket Race Super Spider-Man featured the Kang War, I think. I loved that very brief Cockrum phase of Avengers.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Colin J - I have my sympathy too, LOL! I mean, Robbin's are is truly an acquired taste and I don't begrudge anyone who says "Not me." In a weird way, his art is what made the Invaders and Shadow feel like something from the 40s.

Hey - Is Steve DC out there? Steve - I been reading this book called "Mad World" about the New Wave wave. Sheffield, the UK, etc. obviously end up front and center. You mind if I ask you guys a few questions here? Or you prefer not?

Steve W. said...

Charlie, you're perfectly free to ask such questions.

Dougie, I'm pretty sure you're right. I remember it featuring in the comic around this time.

MP, I believe it was all a cunning ruse to get the Alpha Primitives on his side. The sneaky robot.

Charlie Horse 47 said...

Well, my first of many questions to follow: Did any of you ever meet any of the Human League or Heave 17, since you are from Sheffield? I know, I know... it's a stretch of a question!

Steve W. said...

I believe I've mentioned elsewhere that, at school, I knew the brother of Mark White, ABC's guitarist/keyboardist, and his dad was my maths teacher. I also knew a girl who used to flick peanuts at Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley when they were out dancing in the local clubs, before they joined the Human League. I'm afraid that's as near as I've ever got to meeting any famous Sheffield pop stars.