Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
Don't like certainty?
Love a bit of indecision?
If so, this week in 1981 was a great one for you, as Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 in the 100th FA Cup final.
Far less indecisive was Ken Livingstone who, that week, became leader of the Greater London Council, thanks to the Labour Party gaining control of it.
Also in that city, audiences got to see the first-ever performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, at the New London Theatre.
Cats might seem dramatic to some but, in the real world, things were rather more dramatic, where the Vatican City was shocked by an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II as he entered St Peter's Square. He survived, as did his assassin.
If I remember right, DD gets exposed to radiation while dealing with some scientific crisis or other and it turns him so evil that he decides to take on Cap in a charity boxing match.
Sadly, before the inevitable draw either man can win, the radiation wears off and DD decides to depart the scene, leaving Cap, DD and the crowd clueless as to what's been going on.
Elsewhere, possibly Latveria, Dazzler's a captive of Dr Doom.
I don't know what Iron Man or the Defenders are up to, though, judging by last issue's contents, I suspect the latter heroes are having renewed trouble with Lunatik.
But what's this? Could it be the Grey Gargoyle's now on his side?
In other news, the current activities of the Fantastic Four and Dr Strange are a mystery to me.
Anyway, the X-Men mistake ROM for an evil mutant and try to beat him up. They then realise their mistake and help him beat up someone else.
They then accidentally fling ROM into Limbo.
What a bunch of morons.
I suspect some readers will be relieved to hear this is the final issue that features Weirdworld. At least, that's what the cover claims.
Meanwhile, the crew of the starship Enterprise are up to something but I don't know what.
And we get a map of the Microverse which, I'm sure, is a thing we've always wanted.
Meanwhile, in a totally unrelated tale, Spidey's on a ship and fighting the Sub-Mariner who's in one of his war-on-the-surface-dweller moods.
And, the recent unpleasantness with The Presence and Dr Phobos out of the way, the Hulk's battling Glenn Talbot's flying tank thing.
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44 comments:
Unfortunately, I don't have 'Spider-man & Hulk Weekly'. So, it's just Captain America, this week.
'Captain America Weekly' # 12
The cover. Marvel UK's obsession with yellow is unabated. Compare this cover's yellow sky/ background, with the original cover:
https://www.comics.org/issue/34911/cover/4/
The Marvel Uk version, however, "zooms in" - which is a nice touch.
Unfortunately, Batroc is misspelled with a 'k', as 'Batrok'!
Also, Captain America isn't battling Batroc & Hyde, this issue. In fact, Cap & Batroc team up against the big guy.
Turning the page, the inside cover's no longer displaying next week's cover. Maybe Marvel UK is now confident the comics readers can recognize it on the newsstand. Besides, the editor was often printing the wrong cover, anyway!
The letters page has a spiffy new title, "Letters To America". Is this a play on words, based on Alistair Cooke's "Letter From America" ? It's too early to be a play on words based on The Proclaimers!
The letters page has two letters from London - one being from Tottenham!
Captain America
Last week Captain America was unconscious, falling into the ocean, off the supertanker's prow/bow(?) This week Cap reappears, to knock out 2 of Batroc's goons, who are oohing and ah-ing over Cap's shield, which they've pulled out of the barge, after Hyde threw it there, being unable to crumple it.
No explanation is given as to how Cap survived his fall. That panel must be on Jadwin House's cutting room floor, somewhere in Kentish town. This is why editing stories might lie somewhere on Dangermash's list of interdiction!
Superheroes being 'below par' was a theme, last week. Well what about villains? They get 'below par', too. Mr.Hyde explains: "When I first fought Captain America, my strength was just a fraction of my true might. He easily bested me...At the time, I had been too long without renewing the chemicals which gave me my power." That's why Cap remembered Hyde having a 'glass jaw'.
Hyde supertanker's slowly hurtling (an oxymoron) into New York, whether he gets the ransom or not, all to kill the Cobra, whom Hyde wants revenge on. Besides, the Cobra's the only one who knows Hyde's identity. To me, this doesn't make sense. In flashbacks, Hyde's in Ryker's, both as a civilian and as Mr.Hyde - so the prison staff must know who he is!
Batroc grows a conscience (although he tells Cap he planned it, all along) and hits Hyde with a killing blow (or, rather, kick!) Maybe Batroc's an assassin, as well as a mercenary,
after all! Hyde swats him away.
Soon Hyde's killing Batroc, so Cap saves him, and the two team up against Hyde.
Here, Captain America represents the human potential - as he so often does - telling Hyde not to underestimate the ordinary man.
Iron Man
This story, back in New York (after Monaco, the last few weeks), is about the emotional/psychological aftermath, for Iron man, of Justin Hammer's little games.
A little girl, seeing Iron Man, runs to her mother, in terror of him, having seen Iron Man kill the ambassador, on live tv.
Tony Stark's now experiencing some post traumatic stress, seeing the ambassador's face, every time he tries to sleep. Tony hits the bottle hard, "Jack Powers" being Marvel's name for "Jack Daniels". No product placement.
Bethany Cabe, rings to arrange a date, but Tony, being drunk, writes the address down wrong. As a result, both parties think they've been stood up!
Tony Stark, out of peevishness towards Bethany, brings a much less intelligent girl (Amber) back to Avengers mansion. Worse still Tony, being drunk as a lord, tells Jarvis he's nothing but a butler, and should remember his place! The next day, Tony receives Jarvis's letter of resignation!
Next week: 'Demon in a Bottle!"
Next, there's an ad for a Palitoy Star Wars action figure, named Dengar the Bounty Hunter. Boba Fett eat your heart out!
Dazzler
Dazzler's very short, this week. It's just a splash, followed by 3 measly pages. In a change of tack, Marvel UK actually provides some credits. The script's by Tom Defalco & art chores by Frank Springer (sometimes unfairly linked with another artist who's on Dangermash's list of interdiction.)
Some of Tom Defalco's script is unintentionally hilarious. For example: "Like two violent angry lovers, science and sorcery couple, and thrash about for seven incredible seconds."
Seven seconds - wow!
This Dr.Doom story's the first time Dazzler's been allowed out, without other superheroes, to keep the reader interested. A dangerous gamble.
It turns out, only one of Dr.Doom's jewels is the Merlin stone. This concept morphs slightly every week. Spider-woman plot, anyone?
Anyway, Doom's got Allison in a transportation tube, and is sending her to another dimension, to collect the other Merlin stones.
The Defenders
Val, Hell-cat & Nighthawk, all encounter Lunatik separately, and each defeat him. Then, hoping to surprise their fellow non-team members, they each drag Lunatik back, only to find there's 3 of him! Can you think of any Marvel characters apart from Lunatik, Captain Britain, Firelord & the Moleman, whose weapon is a staff?
Quiz time:
It's Lunatik - the villain who quotes lines from songs. Can you identify the singers whose songs Lunatik references in this story?
1.) "I'm a pepper; he's a pepper; she's a pepper. Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?"
2.) "You're once, twice, three times a lady..."
3.) "We can see paradise by the dashboard light..."
4.) "The sun'll come out tomorrow...bet your bottom dollar...on tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow!"
5.) "Macho, macho man - I wanna be a macho man!"
6.) "You, you're the one - you keep coming back! And you're good to the last drop!"
Most of these are dead easy!
Any common themes this week? I'd say damaged self-concept, again - just like Blade, last week, after the death of Jodie Harper. Iron Man feels terrible because he's not a knight in shining armour, but a "bad man", to mothers & children. Plus, he's wracked with guilt over the ambassador's death, despite any bravado. Back in Spidey & Hulk Weekly, I imagine that old film director, of samurai heritage, also still feels he's dishonoured himself - whilst Kraven was whining to his manipulative girlfriend Calypso, a few weeks ago, that he'd disgraced himself by using Tigra to get Spidey (which is what we finally get here). Also add to Dangermash's list of interdiction messing with chronology (?)
Phillip
I meant Josie Harper!
Phillip
I remember that 1-1 FA Cup Final draw, Steve, If you check out the goalscorers, you'll see the same guy scored for bot( teams.
Lunatik’s Hit Parade:
#1 isn’t a popular song sung by a chart-topping singer — it’s the commercial jingle for the yummy carbonated beverage Dr. Pepper (not sure if that particular soft drink ever made it across the pond or not)
Numbers 2,3,4,5 — as you said Philip, WAY too easy, but for the record: Alice Cooper, Lotte Lenya, The Sex Pistols, Helen Reddy.
#6 ‘Good to the last drop’ isn’t even a jingle, it was the slogan for Maxwell House coffee.
Apparently the SPIDER-MAN AND HULK TEAM-Up cover colorist didn’t realize Tigra’s halter top is supposed to be Navy Blue. Or they were just being naughty and deliberately wanted her to look nekkid.
b.t.
Of course it was a boring final in '81, Spurs were playing.
Red Ken and the GLC - now you're talking, Steve... cheap bus fares, nuclear free zones, coal not dole, smash the H-Blocks, jumpers for goal posts isn't it, hmmm?
As Kate Bush sang (before she became a tory) -
Who's the man we all need? Ken!
Who's a funky sex machine? Ken!
-sean
Phillip, thanks for yet another majestic summary.
I'm starting to doubt Doom's smarts. If I wanted a super-doer to go to another dimension and retrieve something for me, I think the Dazzler would be the last one I'd choose.
That DeFalco stuff about the "lovers" thrashing about is genuinely awesome.
Of those song quotes, I recognise 2, 3, 4 and 5. I suspect I'll recognise 6 when its origin is revealed to me. 1 rings no bells at all.
Dangermash, I've just checked. You're right. It was Tommy Hutchison.
Bt and Sean, classic songs, all.
b.t. & Steve - 1 & 6 stumped me. b.t. - Thanks for clearing it up - so they're ad songs!
Phillip
You're doubting Doom's smarts, Steve? Galactus once sent Dazzler into a black hole to fetch Terrax. So while you wouldn't send her to retrieve anything, dare I suggest Doom and the Big G might know something you don't?
-sean
The tomorrow song is by Boris Johnson - he's always promising jam tomorrow to his gullible supporters.
Alistair Cooke's final "Letter From America" was broadcast in February 2004 - he'd planned to surprise the listeners by announcing his retirement on air but some idiot at the BBC leaked it and Cooke was so annoyed he refused to record a farewell edition. He died a month later aged 95.
Phil, how far back do your comics go? I ask because Steve started the "Marvel UK 40 Years Ago" post in October 2014 beginning with the week in October 1974 when Dracula Lives #1 and Planet Of The Apes #1 were launched. Your weekly reviews would have been very helpful if you'd been with us since 2014!
...lemme get this straight. "Galactus once sent Dazzler into a black hole to fetch Terrax."
...
Why.
Was Terrax a fan of "Roller Boogie"? Is that why he would go back with Dazzler?
Granted, after The Exorcist, Linda Blair was America's sweetheart. A Judy Garland for the '70's. But not even she could save Roller Boogie. The plot holes, poor character development, and I just couldn't understand Terry's motivations, apart from saving the local skating rink from a Mafia takeover.
On the other hand, maybe Terrax would like that movie, steeped in cosmic evil as he was.
M.P.
I don't understand why Galactus wouldn't just leave Terrax in the black hole either M.P.
You know which other film has plot holes, poor character development, and motivation thats hard to understand? Exorcist 2: The Heretic. What a coincidence.
-sean
Sean, I thought Richard Burton was impressive in that movie, considering he was blackout drunk during every scene he was in.
M.P.
Marvel characters whose weapon is a staff, Phillip? There's Cardiac. And Hercules? Or at least the dire wraith calling himself Hercules in Avengers #10. Or Ronan The Accuser - is that a staff he carries around? I'm guessing Daredevil's club doesn't count.
Colin - I started getting Marvel UK weeklies in 1977. However, in 1994/95 (?) I acquired half a collection of earlier Marvel UK weeklies. However, none of them go back to 1974. That being said, there's some after Planet of the Apes & Dracula Lives merged, with Hulk & Spidey. There's also a few horizontal format weeklies. If I'd bought the other half of the collection...Unfortunately, there was too much too carry!
In 1974, I was obsessed with things like toy knights (Britains?), Dinky toys & matchbox, & dinosaurs. (3 years younger than yourself!)
As a little kid, I found the opening to the Planet of the Apes tv series a bit scary, what with the silhouettes of the gorillas on horseback!
Dangermash - I hadn't consider Hercules, at all ! I agree, Daredevil's billy club's disallowed, being too short to be a staff, as is Moon Knight's baton. Ronan's universal weapon is also disallowed, having a head on it, like a mallet - the same goes for any tridents, etc - or Deathbird's javelins. The Cosmic Control Rod's disallowed for being too silly! Does Mockingbird have some stick(s?) of some kind? - After my time, I'm afraid! In Iron Fist, Triple Iron had a staff chopped into 3, linked by chains - a technical ruling is perhaps required?
Phillip
considered - typo!
Phillip
Colin - apologies for the typos/gibberish in my response. Must be lack of sleep! As long as you can follow the gist of it!
Dangermash - I don't know Cardiac! "Blame it on my youth!" as Vic Fontaine might sing.
Phillip
Phil, thanks for that information - Planet Of The Apes No.5 was my first ever Marvel comic. I loved the POTA TV series and when I saw POTA No.5 on sale I had to have it! By a funny coincidence I was watching the opening credits of the TV series on YouTube just a couple of weeks ago.
Just by chance, I came across this great little interview:
https://forbiddenplanet.com/posts/fptv-michael-moorcock-p-craig-russell-part-one/?utm_source=footer
Phillip
You know what’s even better (and actually more nightmarish) than the main title sequence of the POTA tv series? The title sequence for the POTA cartoon, RETURN TO THE PLANET OF THE APES. I’m not even kidding. The actual series itself is crap, but the title sequence is creepy AF. Check it out at YouTube if you doubt me.
b.t.
I think we can add Gambit to the list of Marvel characters who use a staff.
Colin, that reminds me; as I only started doing Marvel UK retrospectives with 1974, I really should start doing Marvel UK from the beginning, in 2022.
I'm feeling that'd be a good moment to abandon the 40 year ago posts, as I think Marvel UK becomes so dissipated as a brand, by then, that it's going to be pointless continuing. I've no great desire to be looking at what Muppet Babies Weekly, Wurzel Gummidge Weekly or My Little Pony Weekly were up to 40 years ago and I suspect others wouldn't either.
Phillip - Cardiac is one of those borderline heroes that would pop up in Spider-Man comics in the 80s. Marvel seemed determined to come up with a new Punusher. There was someone called Solo too. And someone who only went out fighting villains when he was asleep in bed - wake up in the night and he'd banish in the middle of the fight. None of these characters found any traction as far as I know.
Reading about Michael Moorcock - thanks for the link Phillip - reminded me that fairly minor Thor (and Champions) villain Kamo Tharnn had a Runestaff.
What about the Son of Satan's trident?
Somewhat surprised you didn't think of that one Steve.
-sean
If tridents count as staffs, then Namor belongs in the Staff-Wielders category too, yes?
Solomon Kane is a bit of a stretch (technically not a Marvel Universe character) but he does carry that Juju stave.
Also, the Black Seers of Yimsha in ‘People of the Black Circle’ use wooden staffs that act like really long, lethal cattle prods. And Conan is like one of the Avengers now, right? So that surely counts.
b.t.
Sean - That Moorcock interview's interesting, too, as it seems Dan Adkins, Paul Gulacy & Val Mayerik are all Ohio guys - the connections between Marvel creators are interesting (imo.)
Maybe Kamo Tharnn stole it from Dorian Hawkmoon!
I ruled out tridents & mallets!
Dangermash - as regards the guy who only wakes up at night, to fight crime, Dominic Cummings famously quoted something called P.J.Masks, saying: "The night time (pause), is the right time (pause), to fight crime!"
b.t. - I'll check out the cartoon - I can take it! (I think!)
Steve - I agree. Marvel UK rapidly goes off the edge of a cliff, in the near future (40 years ago.)
Phillip
b.t. - hilarious! Are they trying to give little kids nightmares? Apes being crucified upside down! What's that mommy? And that giant gorilla's face, before the lightning - hee, hee!
Phillip
Sorry Phillip, I went back to your comment about the Defenders and forgot you ruled out tridents further down.
Ok, instead I'll add Daredevil's mentor Stick, who had a er... stick.
Why are we doing this btw?
-sean
Sean - I was just padding out the post, seeing as I didn't have Spider-man & Hulk Weekly, too!
; )
Phillip
Steve, I'm typing this comment on a Chromebook laptop which I bought last October but suddenly when I click on Steve Does Comics (which I've got bookmarked) I get a full-screen warning from Google telling me your site is dangerous - I now have to click on another link in which I agree to accept the danger and only then does Google allow me to visit your site. It's not only Steve Does Comics as all the blogs I visit are suddenly dangerous according to Google! Apparently there have been phishing attempts on yours and other blogs - are you aware of any of this? Before I bought this laptop I'd read that Chromebooks didn't need any downloaded security software because Google already provided all the necessary security so I suppose I should be glad that it's working but it's a nuisance that I now have to go through this extra layer of security and clicking on links just to visit Steve Does Comics!
Phil, you had Matchbox cars in the U.K., huh? Yeah, I had them. I'm probably around the same age as you. The other big brand was Hotwheels.
Hotwheels were a lot flashier and more cool, but they had a tendency to rust, just like my real car does now.
It's weird that I remember that.
It's gonna be even weirder when I'm driving around on four wheels, a motor and a steering wheel at some point, 'cause everything else flaked off.
They salt the roads here you see. Goddam Dakota winters.
Neil Young was absolutely right.
M.P.
Colin, I've not been aware of that at all. It's very strange.
If all Blogspot blogs are showing up as dangerous, I assume it'll get sorted out fairly quickly, as Blogspot is owned by Google, as is Google Chrome. I can't see Google allowing its own sites to show up as being dangerous for any great length of time.
As far as I'm aware, that warning usually appears on sites that have an http address, rather than an https one because things like passwords and credit card details aren't guaranteed to be encrypted on http sites. This site is an https one so it should be safe in that regard, not that it ever asks you for your passwords or credit card details anyway.
MP, Matchbox was a British company. I think they introduced their own equivalent of Hot Wheels cars, at one point, but I never saw any in the shops.
Steve, Colin; That warning was on every blog last night, I tried to log on (to check) about 20 blogs ( football, news and comic related) on my phone and tablet and all of had that full page warning until this am so assume it's ok now
I was obsessed with Matchbox cars as a kid as well. Just loved those wee boxes the cars came in which were so much classier that the blister packs of today. A Matchbox car was a regular pocket money purchase when I was younger .There is a large antique store near myself and they have a few 1960s Matchbox cars and they are asking (and getting) high prices regardless of the condition on some of them. I wish I had kept mine for mementos . I think Matchbox were taken over by Mattel who own and Hot Wheels. I seem to remember Corgi trying to get into Hot Wheel / Matchbox style and produced cars called Rockets that had a key to tune it up, I bought one but had no idea what the key was for
Colin - I had exactly the same warning as yourself & Paul. At the time, I was going to respond to your post but, due to my poor tech skills & typing, I couldn't get my Kindle fire to stop underlining everything I typed, so gave up. Anyway, after listening to BBC World Service for 20 minutes, everything was back to normal!
M.P. - Back in the day, the UK didn't have Hotwheels, but they are sold now. I got one for my niece's son, fairly recently. As regards Matchbox cars, a particular favourite of mine was a little car subset named 'Rollermatics'. I think the last Matchbox I ever got - not Rollermatics, but a larger vehicle - was the Matchbox Flighthunter (a car with pop out wings). After that, I left Matchbox & Dinky, and went on to comics! No - I correct myself - the 1977 Batmobile may be the last. But was that Corgi, not Matchbox?
Paul, I've got lots of old Matchbox, stashed away somewhere (probably 10 years more recent than yours), but without the pristine boxes, etc, I don't think they'd be worth zip.
Phillip
McScotty and Philip- I too had a bunch of Matchbox cars (as well as Hot Wheels) as a kid. Started with Matchbox; seeingcthings like Double Decker buses and BP trucks was fascinating; at the time we didn't have these in the States. One Christmas my folks got me a "Matchbox Models of Yesteryear ", a larger, detailed vintage car. Some kind of two seater; bright yellow.
When Mattel came out with Hot Wheels, I went for them full bore. Sadly all the Matchbox are long gone, but I do still have a handful of old "red line" Hot Wheels.
Well, the full-screen warning from Google is gone now and everything's back to normal which is a relief. I thought it was some kind of new beefed-up security which applied only to these Chromebook laptops but obviously not if Paul and Phillip experienced the same thing (I've got two tablets which also use Chrome but I couldn't be bothered to check if they were affected).
I had loads of Matchbox, Dinky and Corgi cars too - when I was an adult my mother told me that she'd bought me a new car every week which I didn't remember but I suppose it must have been true if she said so.
Redartz - the London Routemaster bus, I'll wager ! Matchbox did great aircraft model kits, too. With Airfix models, you often had to file down the parts, to get the model to fit together. With Matchbox, in contrast, the parts would fit like a glove! Plus, with some Matchbox models, the parts were coloured, so you didn't have to paint them, unless you wanted to. Add to this, you got excellent box art, and the models were cheaper than airfix, too! (Much)Later Matchbox merged with Revell.
Colin - Possibly our mothers would buy us toy cars, as it would keep us occupied for long intervals, and give them a moment's peace. Likewise comics!
Phillip
I had plenty of Matchbox cars. I even had a carrying case for them, with trays inside it, divided up into separate compartments.
Were the trays, with individual compartments, light blue?
Phillip
Phil, it's weird that you just got a Hot Wheel's car for your niece's son. I've sent comic books to my niece's boy via the mail a couple times. Great minds, eh?
Age appropriate comics, mind you. An eight-year-old doesn't need to see the Joker cutting off somebody's face and sewing it on his own head.
Now I'm thinking I shoulda tossed a Hot Wheels car in there too! Why the heck didn't I think of that? Dang it!
Well, next time. He'll get a Hot Wheels car in the mail from his "old uncle" 'cause you gave me the idea.
He's a smart little pup. Hopefully one day he'll give my old broke-ass a job driving his car when he goes to important meetings.
I remember Corgi too! I think I had some kinda moon buggy, or something. I just looked Corgi up on line and I wouldn't mind having their Batmobile. Pretty cool, but probably kinda spendy.
M.P.
M.P.- Mattel released a Hot Wheels version of the '66 Batmobile a few years back. I got one from the kids one Christmas, looks pretty good. Probably much more affordable than the Corgi, albeit smaller...
I'll check that out, Red!
It would hold a place of honor on top of my T.V./entertainment cabinet.
I still have most of that stimulus money in my account.
I've been toying with the idea of ordering the Captain Marvel/Shazam Mego figure on line.
I've already got Green Arrow, so he would be in good company.
M.P.
Yes Phillip - light blue trays. Fitting 12 cars in 4x3 grid. Four trays in a case.
Dangermash - Ah yes - I remember them well!
M.P. - You've reminded me of something I'd forgotten! About 25/26 years ago, I got my niece copies of Captain America # 215 & Iron Man # 106 (my lst & 2nd US Marvels, respectively, & particular favourites, for that reason), to get her into Marvel comics, at the same age that I found them most magical. Predictably, it didn't work. I'm just an embarrassing uncle, I imagine!
Phillip
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