Tuesday 11 June 2019

The Marvel Lucky Bag - June 1979.

Rain is pouring down, down, ever down, as June feels more like March.

There's only one thing for it, I shall have to look at some of the less celebrated titles Marvel was putting out forty years ago and see if, unlike this month, they turn out to not be a total wash-out.

Dr Strange #35

A bad guy in another dimension is out to do something or other that's bound to be naughty.

Having failed to get any evil entities who matter to team up with him, he, instead, recruits a no-mark demon and sets it on Strange and Clea.

Whatever's going on, the Black Knight's magic sword is mixed up in it all.

Godzilla #23, the Avengers

It's the big one! SHIELD, the Fantastic Four and Avengers all team up to tackle Japan's worst tourist as he stomps around New York, crushing things.

You could almost think the comic's not doing well and that Marvel's throwing everything it has at the book to try and save it.

Hulk magazine #15

That is a cover genuinely unlike any I've ever seen on a Marvel book.

As for the insides, in a dodgy research centre in the middle of nowhere, the Hulk has to fight a robot controlled by a remote operator - unaware that killing the robot will kill the operator.

Marvel Team-Up #82, Spider-Man and the Black Widow

Here's a discovery. I had this one and had totally forgotten all about it, until now.

But, then, I'm not the only one being absent-minded, because the Black Widow's lost her memory and thinks she's a school teacher. That doesn't stop SHIELD setting out to bump her off.

Star Wars #24

I don't have a clue what happens in this one but Roger Whitaker's clearly out to thwart some ruffians.

Power Man and Iron Fist #57, the Living Monolith

Can Luke Cage and Iron Fist possibly hope to defeat the Living Colossus?

Of course they can't. In fact, it's hard to think of many Marvel heroes who'd stand less chance against him.

Fortunately, the X-Men are on hand to help out.

Then again, based on previous experience, the X-Men aren't overly qualified to do it either.

At least we now know why Luke Cage showed up in this month's X-Men comic.

Defenders #72

The Defenders are still trying to halt the endlessly annoying menace of Lunatik.

And now they're up against a whole planet full of him, in a story that I remember as making no sense at all.

Marvel Premier #48, Ant-Man

Scott Lang concludes his first adventure as Ant-Man by tackling a man who literally wants to steal his heart.

That man might think he's hard as nails but he's no match for a rank amateur with a bunch of ants.

7 comments:

Aggy said...

I never appreciated just how far apart the actual publication date and the date on the cover were at this point. The Star Wars story was reprinted in the UK weekly about 4 months ago.

If it helps any, you didn't know what was happening then either!

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure the story in that issue of Power Man had nothing to do with X-Men #122 Steve; not that I've read it, but I do remember the return of the Living Monolith - and what he was called (; - from the first part in #56.
The appearance of a few X-Men was because of the general crossover continuity between both comics at the time. I think this was around the end of all that, probably because Claremont and Byrne had stopped working on Power Man.

A shame really, because they did a good job and it went downhill fast without them (how anyone could mess up a comic featuring Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the Daughters of the Dragon is beyond me).

-sean

Anonymous said...

Regarding that issue of Dr. Strange, let me just say that if Lovecraft has taught us anything, it's that the Multiverse is rife with alternate dimensions, chock full of menacing entities.
Not unlike the reality we currently inhabit.

M.P.

Steve W. said...

Aggy, I do have a sneaking suspicion that stories were turning up in Star Wars Weekly before they were published in the American mag. I know that sometimes happened with Marvel UK's Planet of the Apes comic.

Sean, I can only award you a Steve Does Comics No-Prize for spotting my monolithic error.

MP, the only thing Lovecraft ever taught me is that all moons are gibbous.

Killdumpster said...

I only had 2 books out of the lucky bag, Steve.

I got every issue of Godzilla, and was usually disappointed. Guess I was a glutton for punishment. I'm sorry, but I believe the FF should of been able to handle Godzilla by themselves. They and the Avengers together should've vaporized him. I seem to recall the Champions were involved in that storyline, minus Ghost Rider, but I could be wrong. I do remember the ridiculous reverse tug-of-war involving the Empire State Building between Thor & Godzilla.

Supposedly Ghost Rider is now insanely powerful, according to current mythos that I've read about. He could probably take Godzilla by himself now.

I seem to remember he gave the Avengers a big run for their money once.

As I've said before, I LOVED LUNATIK! Was so bummed when he reverted into his run-of-the-mill villain "real self". I found his pop culture-soaked snappy patter highly entertaining.

While I enjoy Scott Lang in the MCU, I never cared for him in the regular Marvel comics universe. Only one Ant-Man for me. Our insecure, identity crisis ridden, evil robot inventing, wife beater Henry Pym. Lol!

I'm not sure, Steve, since you were a former fan, but you might think one Ant-Man is MORE than enough.

Steve W. said...

I do agree that the world only needs one Ant-Man.

I wonder if the Scott Lang thing happened in order to prevent Marvel's rights to the name, "Ant-Man," lapsing from non-use.

Anonymous said...

The cover of THE HULK! is more familiar to me as the cover of Marvel UK's RAMPAGE monthly, dated March 1980.