Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one because this week in 1981 saw John Lennon hit the top of the UK singles chart, thanks to his venerable track Imagine.
But what was that at Number Two?
Why, it was Adam and his cheeky Ants with Ant Music. Could a new musical phenom be about to assert itself upon this brave new decade?
Not on the UK album chart, it couldn't, as, yet again, ABBA were still sitting pretty, thanks to their seemingly invulnerable LP Super Trouper.
Moon-Boy and Devil Dinosaur find themselves up against hostile aliens - and it's not going well.
Dr Strange is still trying to rescue Wong and Clea from another dimension's sorcerer supreme.
King Arthur's battling to rescue Guinevere from the Prince of Darkness - and chops the blighter's head off, which you would have thought should mean mission accomplished but I have a feeling it won't be.
Conan's in the Vale of Lost Women and having to rescue one of them. Whether he gives the other lost women a map and directions to the bus stop, I have no idea.
And, finally, in this week's tale of Asgard, a youthful Thor's getting bashed about by a youthful giant, thanks to his reckless over-reliance on his youthful hammer.
That is why I never place too much faith in my hammer.
I rely on my Black & Decker Workmate.
Thor would get into so much less trouble if he took a Black & Decker Workmate with him into battle.
Mere days ago, I was talking about the Smuggler appearing in Spidey's American book. And here is in his British one.
Not only that but it looks like the Hulk's scrap with Thor, that I talked about in Sunday's post, is also reprinted here.
Rather less topically, Daredevil's still trying to prevent the Beetle and Gladiator from gaining control of a train.
ROM would appear to be fighting the American airforce on a rather appealing cover that, nonetheless, probably needs to give us a closer view of the battling 'bot.
That is all I know of this issue and its contents.
Mr Spock discovers V'ger's looking for the answer to life, the universe and everything.
Biotron's up against the Molecule Man, who's a noticeable step up from the quality of foe the Micronauts have been confronting lately.
On Counter-Earth, Warlock argues with the High Evolutionary about whether the planet should be destroyed, before going on to fight an evil pigeon.
The Man-Wolf is clearly sending his best agents on these missions.
The Fantastic Four must contend with those dreaded space Vikings at the North Pole. You know, there are times when writing these posts starts to feel like Groundhog Day.
Elsewhere, we find out what would have happened had Aunt May gained spider powers.
And the real Spider-Man teams up with the Black Widow in a story that may or may not be the one in which she's lost her memory and thinks she's a schoolteacher.
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46 comments:
'Team-up' # 18.
The Black Widow story isn't the mild-mannered school teacher one. No - Spidey's helping Natasha find Simon Stroud - a Danny French-type character, from her past. Colan Daredevil fans know Danny French (Project 4?) Anyway, there's an explosion, in which Spidey saves Nastasha, and Stroud gets clipped by a bullet, and taken away. Spidey dangles some goon off the Brooklyn bridge, so he sings like a canary. Next week - the Owl's behind it all! Isn't he?
Radioactive spider-powered Aunt May vs the Leapfrog is probably the stupidest story I've ever read. That's all I'm saying on the matter!
In Ant-man, Dr.Sondheim's operating theatre doesn't contain Scott Lang's daughter, but a giant, pink man, named Cross. Ant-man is defeated because, as well as great strength, Cross's condition enhances his eye sight, so shrinking in size confers little advantage. Cross returns Ant-man to normal size, and snaps both his cybernetic antennae. Killjoy!
'Team-up' advertised the Fantastic Four, on the last issue I summarized, but the FF wasn't inside. Well, it's back now, with a vengeance! In fact, the Fantastic Four gets 10 whole pages! This story's slightly better than I remembered - but, then again, black & white always enhances Pablo Marcos's inks.
It's that 'Island On Top Of The World' type story. When the Fantastic Four investigate a crimson mist, which makes their powers go haywire, Johnny gets captured by a "beserko bunch o' space age Vikings", as the Thing would say. These Vikings have names like Anglo-saxons ("Wiglif", for example) and ride MadMax style tribikes (?)
The Vikings live in a crystal city, which looks like Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and blame the Fantastic Four for their god, Korgon, being close to death. This situation also means the Vikings are jockeying for position, as to who'll be top dog if Korgon snuffs it.
After a brief clash rescuing Johnny, the FF must agree to be chained up, if they want to listen to the Vikings' "god" Korgon narrate his origin story (it's like all 4 of them want to try out for a Spider-woman story!)
Korgon is a giant, 15ft tall (same as the Awesome Android), and red radiation seeps from his eyes. There's a protracted origin story, with Beowulf-type names, about how a meteor struck near Korgon & his love, as they eloped. She died, and Korgon was blinded, but wept tears of fire. As a result, Korgon was blamed and cast out of his village. He grew to 15ft tall (something that isn't explained) and gained followers who believe he's a god. Korgon tells the FF they must heal him, so he can restore the dome (Fortress of Solitude?). If the FF succeed he'll restore their powers - if not, they will die!
After 'The Island At The Top of The World', I also thought about the SPACE 1999 episode, 'Ultima Thule' - but that doesn't quite fit. But then, it hit me, a wounded king/god, who must be healed, for the land to live - what about the Fisher King legend?
In Morbius, Blade discovers forcing Morbius to look at a cross on a church tower is a complete waste of time (after all, Morbius is a vampire created by science, not sorcery), whilst, to Morbius, Blade is a head case for believing Dracula & other vampires are 'real'. Oh - by the way - Lord I died last week, because Morbius was feeling peckish. Blade & Morbius scrap for a bit, whilst the Caretakers decide to get Morbius to lead the children of the comet by offering to heal him, next week. This sounds like a Kull plot.
What happened to Ms.Marvel? She's not in 'Team-up', this week! Grotesk was drowning her, and she was about to pop his eardrums - you'll just have to take my word for it!
'Forces in Combat' # 36
This week, ROM's synopsis is nonsense - the person who's written it hasn't read last week's ROM story - or any ROM story at all, probably - and lots of other errors abound, too - slap dash (as one of my old teachers used to say!)
The F-16s ROM's smashing on the cover look quite realistic. The ones inside, however, are the weirdest F-16s ever - like something out of Buck Rogers (with Larry Buster Crabbe!) On ROM's way to Washington D.C. (in search of the neutralizer), a civil radar operator decides ROM's either an ICBM or a cruise missile, so calls the air force. Now cruise missiles fly below the radar, whilst ICBMs re-enter from the upper atmosphere - so it sounds a bit suspect!
ROM smashes all the F-16s (whose pilots safely parachute out), but is captured by a Dire Wraith ship's tractor beam, invented by the villainous Wraith, Dr.Rachel Sweet.
Why, to ROM, is the neutralizer's loss such a catastrophe? Well,the neutralizer banishes Dire Wraiths to the shadow realm of limbo. If the Dire Wraiths figure out how to reverse this process, after ROM's 200 years of Dire Wraith pursuits, this would be like Arkham asylum's inmates being released, a Ryker's island mass breakout, and the Negative Zone door being unlocked (I know it always is, anyway), all rolled into one!
In Machine Man, after MM fighs Jack O'Lantern's goons, Jack Zaps him with a wrist blaster, which melts Machine Man's face (undoing all Gears Garvin's work, last time.) Machine Man has to attend a fancy dress party, and conceals his disfigurement by wearing a Clarke Kent mask & costume. To that bitchy girl at Machine man's office, Aaron Stack's costume is rubbish, so she pulls off his Clarke Kent mask, only to find Machine Man's robot face underneath! She thinks it's a joke - a man of steel, under a man of steel! Moments later,
Jack O'Lantern breaches the super embassy, ready for another clash with Machine Man!
Last time, Chamber of Horrors had Sal Buscema as Master of Ceremonies. The week before, it
was Gene Colan. This week, your compere is a mere grave digger! There's some guy who wants to attain immortality, and who has a lackey, who is mute & has a prison record, so accepts lots of bullying, but is waiting for revenge. The first guy's final plan for achieving immortality is to inject himself with the sap of a Red Wood tree, as Red Woods live a long time. The lackey steals the sap & injects himself, but becomes rooted to the spot. You could see this a mile off - rubbish!
Kull's getting all soppy, making pet names - "my sea nymph" - for his girlfriend (Conan would die laughing!) Ridondo, the minstrel, interrupts them, by making noises behind the arras. Last time Kull's private time was interrupted by the hunchback! But, I digress...The three explore a secret passage way, and finally start to realize that their 3 new pals, at the weird city, are actually the 'Hooded Ones'! The penny's finally dropped! Nebres is still on the art chores.
'Spider-man & Hulk Weekly' # 410
This issue's letters page (inside the front cover) is interesting, and suggests the editors do actually put some thought into the comic, rather than just bung together any old rubbish.
Anyway - the stories. Daredevil's the best, this week - it's the finale of DD's battle with the Beetle & the Gladiator, and it's non-stop action - almost like a Ms.Marvel story. My only question is how can DD, who has no super strength or invulnerability, punch the Gladiator's metal helmet without hurting his fist?
In Spider-woman, the American Revolutionary War spy saves the chained up Jessica from a bear, so she agrees to die with him, to lift his curse of immortality. They are chained together & jump off a cliff, with spikes below, whereupon Jessica breaks free, and flies off. This is enough to break the curse, and the spy dies on the spikes.
The Hulk, hounded by police, takes refuge, with a hobo, in a "Little Red Lighthouse" - which is the basis of a famous American children's story - but means as much to a Brit as 'flat caps & whippets' do to a yank - in other words, nothing!
Don Blake is treating hobos at a railway hospital, whereupon Bruce Banner, fleeing the railway guard, runs in front of a train and transforms into the Hulk. Blake taps his stick, and it'll all kick off next week!
In Spider-man, Spidey gets one of the White Dragon's goons, Tommy Li, to sing like a canary, and carries him on top of a train to Brooklyn, as there aren't any skyscrapers to swing between. Spidey fights the Smuggler's goons, then the Smuggler himself, who gets very angry when Spidey mentions the name, "Luke Cage." Back in the day, Smuggler fought Cage for the name, "Power man", & lost - if I remember correctly. Spidey gets the upper hand, but his web shooters run out, leaving with him a mere 4ft piece of webbing to tie the Smuggler up with!
As you might have gathered, none of the issues were brilliant this week.
Phillip
I am shocked to hear the comics weren't brilliant this week Phillip. Who could have seen that coming?
Steve, judging from recent posts the sorcerer supreme from another dimension in that Dr Strange story is the Shadowqueen, and if that name isn't enough to clue you in that it was written by Chris Claremont, her being in league with the N'Garai should do it.
As I recall - from the US monthly Doc, so it might not be in that specific issue of Valour - Claremont thoughtfully provided us with an origin for Wong (not that anyone demanded it) revealing his ancestor was from that dimension.
Er, Wong's ancestor that is, not Claremont's.
That is indeed an appealing Forces In Combat cover. Michael Golden, surely? Same goes for that Future Tense.
If only Marvel UK were able to master the art of cover lettering though...
-sean
PS Unaccustomed as I am to being pedantic Steve, surely that was the Man-Beast in Warlock, not Man-Wolf?
-sean
Sean, you're 100% right. Even as I was typing, "Man-Wolf," I felt there was something wrong with it but couldn't work out what. I blame the evil pigeon for distracting me.
I have been wondering if the Shadowqueen is related to the Shadow King but haven't been bothered to Google it to find out.
Phillip, that's another magnificent summary. Personally, I'd pay good money to see Aunt May vs the Leapfrog.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can...
...so said John Lennon who owned 300 fur coats apparently.
Only a few days ago I mentioned that "The Vale of Lost Women" was one of four Conan stories rejected by Weird Tales magazine and now it pops up in this week's 'Valour' but Phillip didn't review the contents of Valour!
Phil, when you mentioned Simon Stroud it rang a bell, so I googled him (I have free time). I was right; he was the guy who was chasing Morbius for some reason. Then they formed an uneasy alliance to fight against a green giant (ho ho ho) with eyeballs all his body.
Even for Marvel in the '70's, it was a weird comic.
For you guy in the U.K "Ho ho ho" is from this old commercial for canned vegetables where a "Jolly Green Giant"...oh, never mind.
M.P.
MP, we had the Jolly Green Giant ads too so we know what you mean by ho, ho, ho.
Well, if Adam and his Ants hit this 40 years ago January 1981, that means that Malcolm McClaren stole his band from him 41 years ago this month to start Bow Wow Wow and that 39 years ago Bow Wow Wow hit with I Want Candy.
I feel this is very Sheffield-ish as this chronology is between the past and the future if it is 1981.
This is way more important that the Dinosaur Boy being chased by a stupid alien.
Glad to see my homey- MP the Cat -is out tonight!
Grud on a greenie, don't you Marvel zuvembies know anything about other comics?
Judge Dredd of course encountered the Jolly Green Giant - rather stylishly rendered by Brian Bolland - in legendary classic the Cursed Earth.
And Ronald McDonald, drawn by the inimitable Mike McMahon.
www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/02/judge-dredds-the-cursed-earth-published
-sean
Good as it is to see our man in Havana here, don't diss the awesome Devil Dinosaur Charlie.
-sean
The Devil Dinosaur had potential, no doubt, Sean.
I just had trouble with the notion of a red dinosaur. Over the top.
I liked Devil Dinosaur too!
I think was what happened was, Jack Kirby was relaxing in front of the T.V. and a rerun of Lassie came on, and Jack, being Jack, thought "what if that Collie was a Tyrannosaur."
M.P.
M.P. — that sounds 100% possible.
I once saw a really weird piece of development art that Kirby drew while working at Ruby-Spears Animation. Joe Ruby calls Jack in the middle of the night: “Jack! I was sound asleep and this wild idea just came to me: a cartoon parody of soap operas, and all the characters are ANIMALS! We’ll call it “Animal Hospital!” And Jack says, “Why, that’s fantastic, Joe! I’ll have something for you tomorrow morning!” The next day he shows up at the office with this bewilderingly odd drawing of Joan Collins as a dachshund lounging “sexily” on a sofa.
b.t.
b.t., you gotta be kidding.
...maybe not. Joan Collins was hot back then.
M.P.
I AM ROBOT! I HATE HUMANS!
Humans! Gaze upon the cover of Valour and see and smell (pathetic human sense) the TRUTH!
Robot is superior to the dinosaur and the stupid looking human with big feet!
I LAUGH NOW! Humans will not evolve into robots like dinosaur became human.
NO! WE will just replace you!
M.P. — absolutely not kidding. But note the quotes on “sexily”. The thing looked like a rubbery over-stuffed bratwurst with a big belly, itty-bitty legs and Joan’s enormous “Dynasty” hair-do atop its doggy head. I tried googling it to see if someone had ever posted it but no such luck. There are several other pieces pieces from Kirby’s “Animal Hospital” pitch online, but no sign of the unholy Joan / canine abomination.
b.t.
You thought a red dinosaur was too over the top, Charlie? Really?
It doesn't seem that farfetched by Kirby standards, compared to, say, a shiny alien who whizzes around space on a cosmic surfboard, or a fella who's face is on a tv screen on his chest while his head is a camera.
I'm thinking this could be a subject for one of SteveDoesComics' legendary polls - what was Jack Kirby's most over the top character, or bizarre concept?
-sean
Sean - despite being a dinosaur, Devil thinks up plans to defeat his enemies - like leading them into a swamp. Devil dinosaur's planning process is signaled by his eyes narrowing: "Your eyes grow small & crafty" opponents tell the dinosaur. The idea that Jack Kirby has the reader visualizing the face of a dinosaur, as facial expressions reveal its thought processes - and that this works - isn't just 'over the top' - it's outrageously 'over the top' !
Phillip
Perhaps I wasn't clear Phillip - it was the specific "I just had trouble with the notion of a red dinosaur" that I was questioning.
As if Devil Dinosaur was a great idea for a comic... but making him red was going a bit too far!
-sean
Sean - a complex subtext about reds under the bed/McCarthyism, by Jack Kirby? Even I don't believe this!
Phillip
The latest research about dinosaurs reveals they had feathers and some dinosaurs might have had red feathers so there could have been a red dinosaur!
I suspect dinosaurs were smarter than is often thought.
Tyrannosaurs especially, since they were predators. Ever watch Komodo dragons or crocodiles on T.V. or You-Tube? They know what they're doin'.
Some years ago at the Washington Pavilion here in Sioux falls they had a replica the skeleton of "Sue", this dinosaur who's fossils an archeologist named Sue found out in the western part of the state. Most complete fossil record of any T-Rex ever found; around 80%. It wasn't upright like Godzilla, it was more horizontal like a cat. A cat that's over 40 feet long from snout to tail and 13 feet high at the hips. Teeth like...I dunno, like real real big.
I'm a good 200lbs and that thing could have eaten me like a donut. Running would have been futile.
Although I sure would've given it a good try.
What we have we learned from this? To wit, if you decide to go back in time to the Jurassic Era like them guys in that Ray Bradbury story, make sure you go with somebody who can't run fast.
Like me. and that's why I ain't goin'.
M.P.
Oh man, they're talking about dinosaurs now at Steve's! And I missed it until just now?!?
Oddly enough for a dinosaur fanatic, I never have read an appearance of "Devil Dinosaur ". Red or otherwise. But as Colin noted, there could well have been red ones. Or blue, or multicolored. Not long ago someone actually found a preserved dinosaur feather in amber, and the color could be determined. Such amazing finds recently; you have to wonder what will be 'dug up' next.
Oh, and M.P.- as hazardous as a trip to the Mesozoic would be, it could be worse. You could travel back to the Carboniferous, and have to deal with Giant Size cockroaches...
And remember not to step on any butterflies either, M.P.
I suspect something like that caused Trump's win in 2016.
-sean
Sean, FINALLY I understand how Trump got elected.
Somebody went back in time and squashed a bug, thus altering present reality.
M.P.
"Our Man in Havana" informs me that Kirby's use of red was no accident. But he won't explain.
Sean - I have to agree that a poll of Kirby's most over-the-top idea sounds fascinating. I incline towards Ego the Living Planet though I don't know if it was a Kirby idea, actually.
MP - I have seen "Sue" many times. It is (was?) in the Field's Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I even have a photo or two on my smart phone as it is truly impressive. B.t.w. Sue is 90% complete and 65,000,000 years old (unless you are of that 40% of Americans who believes the earth is 10,000 years old, of course.)
FWIW Sue is on display next to the killer lions (stuffed) from Tsavo Kenya which chowed down on railroad builders in 1898 in Kenya. They were popularized in the movie "Ghost in the Darkness" with Van Kilmer. I suspect if Kirby were to have drawn this story, the lions would have been red.
Charlie, that old girl (it's my understanding Sue's a female T-Rex) is still beautiful and charming after all these years. She ruled all she surveyed back when the now-barren Badlands were a luxuriant swampy coast off the Great Inland Sea.
However, I'm rather grateful there's 65 million years between us.
Because, as I mentioned earlier, I can't run very fast anymore.
M.P.
Charlie, I also meant to say from one ex-soldier to another, our country is going through hell right now.
The only thing keeping it together is stand-up guys like you, who remember the oath they took,
and what it means.
We're gonna get through this.
M.P.
Charlie, forget being red - the first Kirby lions that spring to my mind talked and rode quad-bikes!
We could probably have a lengthy thread on what was the strangest idea just in Kamandi.
Btw, according to the wiki Kirby did create Ego. Which surprised me as even though its obvious, I was expecting a Stan Lee co-credit (presumably theres some independent evidence, like with the Surfer).
Not sure Ego is even Kirby's strangest planet though.
www.cbr.com/i-love-ya-but-youre-strange-the-bizarre-tale-of-transilvane/
-sean
MP & Charlie - Sue the T-Rex's fame is international. I watched a BBC documentary about her discovery a few years ago.
MP - Charlie is almost 60. If I had to strap on an M-60 and a Chinook on my back I would. But I am a Hugh Thompson kind of soldier now.
Sean - that info is fascinating. I am always fascinated at your (and phillip and colin and et aol.) ability to get at this info! If you want to do ole Charlie a favor, recommend me some french comic to read. It's another battleship grey, snowy Chicago day. I am reduced to watching German Soccer Live as I wait to see if Chelsea can take on Nottingham FOrest at 11:30 my time, lol.
I HATE HUMANs - Guess what. I do too, though I love humanity. I'm sure if you remain patient you can have the place all to yourself in a few generations, lol.
MP - there are a few things in this world that have overwhelmed my senses: Michelangelo's Pieta in the Vatican, his 4 Prisoners in Florence, and Sue. Knowing one is looking at god's greatest killing machine from 65,000,000 years ago is awe inspiring and humbling. It's one reason it's nice to live next to Chicago. Great museums on all subjects. IF the forking covid lifts I want to get into the art museum which has one of the worlds best collections of armor from knights of old.
Charlie - do you know Asterix the Gaul? I think that's taken from a French comic.
Phillip
By the way, if any of you want to come to Chicago to chill, let me know. All are welcome as long as you don't steal my stuff and promise not to read the comics in the crapper.
I do think Stan deserves a lot of credit for the co-creation of much of the Marvel Universe — obviously! — but when it comes to the more outre’ sci-fi-oriented characters, I always default to Kirby as the most likely originator.
It’s pretty simple. Compare concepts and characters that we KNOW were 100% Kirby Kreations with characters that Stan co-created with other Bullpenners like John Romita and Gene Colan. Ego, The High Evolutionary, “Him”, Galactus, Psycho Man, et al have more in common with Mother Box, Inspector Zeel, Ben Boxer, Boom Tubes, Armin Zola and Machine Man than with The Melter, The Prowler, The Masked Marauder, The Baboon, Man-Mountain Marko, The Freak, etc.
b.t.
b.t. - do you mean the Gibbon?
Phillip
Phillip - I do indeed have a bunch of Asterix the Gaul in the French (my former wife of 30 years was from France). They are wonderful!
I dig the French comics. Used to enjoy going into their grocery stores, department stores and just seeing a whole freakin wall full of those hard-cover comics like Asterix, Tin Tin, and then the various others. But like comics here, that stuff is fading away. It's a pity, really.
Actually it never occurred to me but did the French have comic books as we know them? Was there a Captain France like Captain Britain and Captain America? Now that I mull it over, I haven't a bloody clue. I used to go their used-book stores and buy French translations of Marvel comics but that's all I can recall.
Charlie - there's a French series about 2 gallant Mirage III pilots, called 'Les Chevaliers du Ciel', which was based on a French comic:
https://bearalley.blogspot.com/2007/05/tanguy-et-laverdure-aeronauts.html
Jane Fonda's famous sci-fi outing also springs to mind!
In the 70s, the UK got a couple French kids tv shows, adapted for a UK audience (Babar the Elephant & The Magic Roundabout.)
Phillip
I know its not quite what you're asking Charlie, but Marvel came up with a Captain France in their Ultimates universe.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Hugo_Etherlinck_(Earth-1610)
He was in the EDI - European Defence Initiative - along with Captain Spain and Captain Italy as well as Captain Britain.
Marvel definitely missed a trick there, not doing an Ultimate Brexit comic.
Btw, on that subject, you may be interested - or possibly disappointed? - to learn that a fishing war with the French has been avoided.
Turns out, now the UK can't easily export live food to their main market in Europe its fishing industry is collapsing anyway. You'd think someone would have looked into that beforehand, right?
Still, at least the fish are happy to be British.
www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2021/jan/14/jacob-rees-mogg-fish-british-happier-because-brexit-video
-sean
But we don't need the EU, Sean - we can export our fish to countries around the world thanks to those great trade deals Boris promised us. And Boris wouldn't lie, would he?
You're quite right Colin. Forward with Mongolia!
www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-uk-prime-ministers-trade-envoy-to-mongolia-uk-export-finance-increases-support
-sean
Sean - Isn't Rees Mogg the MP being sued by DC Thomson for copyright infringement for resembling the softie Walter from Dennis the Menace???
Phillip - Quite a coincidence but my father in law gave me the "Les Chevaliers du Ciels." It was enjoyable!
Fish... Do you chaps still go for a "fish n chips" or is it a thing of the past? Charlie still enjoys it on occasion. Hope all this brexit stuff doesn't stop the flow of cods to the US of A!
Philip: Yes! The Gibbon, of course!
the baboon ... (face palm )... for corn’s sake....
b.t.
Charlie, I'm sure we're about to see a boom in fish and chip sales, as the price of British-caught fish has now collapsed, due the inability to sell it in Europe.
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