Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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January 1974 didn't see the release of many movies of distinction but it did, at least, see the unleashing of the film that can only be known as Xtro.
Granted, I say it's a movie of distinction but I must confess to never having seen it, nor ever having noticed it showing up in any TV listings.
However, I remember its soundtrack album frequently being advertised on the back of Starburst magazine. Therefore, I shall do the obvious and assume my ignorance of the film is not shared by the rest of humanity.
In this thrilling issue of this thrilling mini-series, Jack becomes despondent about his inability to control his destructive power. Then, former girlfriend Marcy Kane shows up, hinting at secrets.
What secrets?
Who can know? Before he gets the chance to find out, alien spaceships appear and distract him from the matter.
And that means this mag kicks off with a two-page story in which Ann Nocenti takes over the Marvel offices.
Regular readers will know she also turns up in this month's Incredible Hulk. There's clearly no stopping the woman.
That's followed by a full-length Defenders tale in which something happens but I'm not sure what.
judging by that cover, I assume that whatever it is isn't good news for the Angel.
If my memory serves me well, that threat is the evil alter-ego of Professor X - who's taken to wearing a Roman gladiator's outfit, for reasons I can't recall.
I'm pretty sure Baron Karza's involved in it all, as well.
Franklin Richards is also involved but I'm sure we don't care so much about him.
In a twist so shocking it could send a man insane, it would seem Aunt May becomes Galactus' new herald and she and Franklin go off in search of the universe's biggest Twinkie.
Seriously.
That's an actual story.
In an actual book.
Written by someone.
Judging by the cover copy, though, I'm going to assume we're about to see a clash between our heroes and the mighty Inhumans.
Whether it is or it isn't, the infuriating alien steals the X-Mansion. In response, the chromosomal crimefighters chase him to SHIELD's Helicarrier, the Savage Land, the Avengers Mansion and then to the Marvel Comics building where he attempts to steal Stan Lee.
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29 comments:
Did Xtro really only come out in early 1984? I always associate it with being earlier. No, actually, that’s feasible. I remember the actual Starburst review of the soundtrack album, they said it sounded like someone farting in the bathtub IIRC.
I actually did watch Xtro - on VHS at the very end of 1989. It is not a good film, but I admire its dedication to being as f***ing weird as possible. It is very strange indeed. I got the big book about The Scalia cinema last year, so I’ll have a look in there and see if it was ever part of their repertoire, because it seems like it’d have been right up their alley.
I didn’t have ANY of those comics. I think I have that X-men annual in an omnibus though. And possibly that X-men / Micronauts was reprinted soon after in MWOM/DDs in the UK?
The team-up description made me laugh out loud. Cheers.
The best thing about 1984, as Steve will eventually write about this year, is taco. No, I don’t mean that Mexican-American ubiquitous fast food. Rather, I mean taco with a capital T. As in “Putting on the Ritz. “
Starburst was right about the Xtro soundtrack not being good, Matthew. Its kind of like John Carpenter music but on an even lower budget, and without any of the invention or style.
Pretty sure the film was shown occasionally at the Scala, but it couldn't have been that often or I'd probably have seen it. Back in the 80s the Scala was quite cheap, and they had a bar, so if there wasn't much else to do in the afternoon or evening have a smoke and catch a film you hadn't seen before was a pretty good option (I once made the mistake of seeing Salo stoned).
Steve, its all very well for the Marvel assistant editors to be zany, but instead of creating cosmic pensioners shouldn't Galactus have been busy with his trial elsewhere that month?
Btw, Anne Nocenti also turned up in Marvel Fanfare #12, where she replaced Al Milgrom in the corner box on the cover, and that comic strip editorial page he used to do. Which in itself was not intolerable, or at least no more intolerable than usual... but there was also an eight page back up feature in the same style, in which she has an office meeting with Roger Stern to sort out a Captain America story, and hilarity ensues.
Yeah, someone actually wrote and drew that.
-sean
*having a smoke and catching a film...
Apologies for poor editing there.
-sean
Wow, Matthew - looks like you got that Scala book just in time.
Not being aware of it, I just checked online for a copy. Sold out everywhere... and some joker on Amazon is asking for £400 for a copy!
-sean
Yeah, I lucked out. I got it as soon as it came out, from Books Etc for £46. Books etc and Blackwells often undercut Amazon significantly on prices - sometimes to a crazy extent.
I’m pretty sure there’ll either be a reprint or a paperback soon though with the documentary coming out.
*Scala
I've read the Aunt May as herald of Galactus story (just a few years ago but I can't remember where) and it's quite amusing. There was also a WHAT IF back-up story called "What If Aunt May Had Been Bitten By The Radioactive Spider?" which was equally amusing. In both stories Aunt May is portrayed as cool and funny - so unlike the whining old bat she normally was!
Alas, the only one of today's books I had was the X-men Annual. Which, actually, was a favorite of mine; a pretty amusing tale featuring (as Steve noted) the Impossible Man. One may wonder if the humorous theme was intended as part of "Assistant Editors Month", or was just coincidental timing. At any rate, the story had several great scenes; among the best:
Impy turning into a Wooden Indian after interrupting Nick Fury in some, well, sensitive activity.
Impy sending Empress Lilandra into near panic as he appeared as Galactus.
Impy giving Ilyana and Kitty a treat by transforming into Tom Selleck.
Perhaps this should have been an Impossible Man Annual...
I had the X-men Annual because Mike Golden, but it’s not one of his better efforts.
I like George Freeman’s art a lot but I still wouldn’t want to buy (or even borrow) that Jack of Hearts mini/series. Don’t know why exactly but I sure disliked that character. Must be (as Steve alluded to) that it really did seem like Marvel was pushing him down our throats. Plus I didn’t understand his powers,or what they had to do with playing cards, didn’t know what his alter ego was, or his origin story, and My God that costume was fugly.
b.t.
Matthew & Sean - Explanation needed for Northerners... Is the Scala a famous cinema for Londoners?
Colin - Aunt May's Spider-powers appeared in Marvel UK, too. Didn't she battle the Leap-Frog?
b.t. - I liked Jack of Hearts. He only appeared about 6 times - An epic Hulk battle (Sal, Len Wein, etc); Iron Man's Midas saga appearances; a White Tiger battle, in Deadly Hands; Showcase appearances, fighting Hemlock, the gardener/assassin; ROM vs Jack of Hearts; & maybe that Defenders try-out, for 2nd stringers. His powers were flight, energy projection, & invulnerability, as long as his costume/armour isn't ruptured. The name 'Jack of Hearts' & the playing card costume are a punning reference to his name, Jack Hart. He was a spoilt rich brat, with a butler, like Nighthawk & Batman, until he was exposed to the deadly zero fluid, which gave Jack his powers, but was also terminal (making him something of a desperado.) A revenge origin, with his father murdered by a dastardly villain may have been involved, too - I forget.
Phillip
In today's featured comic, Jack of Hearts became some kind of cosmic being - which spoiled the character. To my mind, it was too much like Ms.Marvel becoming Binary.
Phillip
Philip -
Yeah, it ran from 1978-1993. It was a big old scary cinema in Kings Cross, back when Kings Cross was really run-down and sketchy.
It was kind of a punk / alternative / underground kind of thing, but it showed ra eally really eclectic range of films. Underground, world cinema, horror, cult movies. If you go to eBay and do a search for 'scala cinema poster' there's a few listings of their monthly schedules up for sale - you can see what their programming was like.
It gave birth to Palace Video if that gives you any idea - was key in kicking off Eraserhead, The Evil Dead, John Waters movies etc in this country.
I only moved to London in 1991 so I missed out on the fever-pitch years, but I did go a fair few times before it was closed down in 1993.
There's a documentary about it out right now - it'll turn up on the BFI iPlayer soon I'm sure. If it's anything like as good as the book from last year, it'll be great.
Phillip, the Scala is well known to, shall we say, a specific demographic in London (of a certain age now). It was a cinema that had its heyday in the 80s - technically a film club, which is why they were able to screen Salo back then, and serve alcohol late - that had a different bill each day. Generally of films that were hard to see anywhere else.
This explains it reasonably briefly -
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/31/scala-cinema-london
Although it is a bit Guardian. I mean, "part of the thrill was that you walked [out of the station] into the badlands of Kings Cross". Seriously? If you lived in east London it was more like going up in the world!
-sean
Morning people.
I took a look in Marvel Masterworks this morning and can report back with more information about Swordsman's sword.
In Avengers #20, Mandarin kits it out with extra weapons. He doesn't say that they use the same technology as his rings but Swordsman observes out loud that they work like the rings.
How many buttons though? Not two or three but either four, eight or twelve! There's one panel where there are clearly four buttons on one side of the handle. Could there be four on the other side too? Or would that make it too difficult to use the sword without zapping cats? And it looks like there might be another four buttons along the hand guard, on the blade side rather than the hand side. These might be difficult to press and the Marvel colourist ignores them, so they may just be there for decoration.
And what do the buttons do? Well, Swordsman tries out one of them while Mandarin's there and it turns out to be a flame thrower. He doesn't bother trying out any others or even asking what they do. Makes him look dumb although we know the real reason is that it allows writers of future stories to make up new functions and that we won’t be counting.
Does he use the buttons in fights? Well, in Avengers #20, #29 and #30 he presses a button three times. All three times the sword sends out electro blasts. On one of those three occasions he calls it "man made lightning" which is weird. Sounds like me when I forget the German word for cow and have to call it a milk animal.
And I couldn't believe how dumb Swordsman was. In either #29 or #30 he's up against Hawkeye, who has the advantage of being some distance away so he can use his arrows, whereas Swordsman can’t slash him with the sword. Oh, but his sword has weapons that will work at that sort of distance, I hear you say! Maybe he'll do that. But with so many buttons to choose from, how will he decide? Oh, wait, he's decided. He's thrown his sword at Hawkeye. I think I've found the dumbest ever act by a Marvel villain.
I'll stick this comment on the original post too, just to be tidy.
So good we can read it twice, dangermash.
Although I feel like I'd understand the sword better with a diagram. Have you considered drawing one, posting it on your website and leaving a link?
-sean
Matthew & Sean - thanks for explaining things. In the North, cinemas like that weren't a thing - as far as I know. Although there's a little Leeds Hyde Park cinema that shows unusual films, sometimes. I saw 'The Dresser', there, during Sixth Form.
Dangermash - for the Swordsman, a myriad of haft buttons would inhibit fancy fencing. The Black Knight would 'edge it', at close quarters!
I joined Facebook (for the first time ever), this morning, to plug my book on various UK comics websites.
Facebook's suspended me, with an aggressive message, claiming I've broken its rules (aw diddums!) - whatever the Hell they are - and I've got 180 days to appeal. I replied, saying that if that's their attitude, they can shove it (slightly more diplomatically, of course!)
That's what comes of discarding your principles, & joining the evil empire!
Phillip
Comicsfan FFF can help us out there Sean. The panel with the buttons on the sword is in this post https://peerlesspower.blogspot.com/2015/07/vengeance-is-ours.html
dangermash - I suppose, a villain increasing a superhero's (regarding the Swordsman, I use that term loosely) powers, is similar to Captain America gaining super-strength, from the Viper.
Don Heck's art - although spare - does the job, in that story.
Phillip
The Scala sounds a bit like the Nuart in Santa Monica — ran old movies, different title every day, often as double bills. All kinds of genres, everything from Italian Mad Max ripoffs to classic Bette Davis melodramas to Ed Wood movies to widescreen spectaculars like BEN HUR. Their big claim to fame was being one of the first theaters to run David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD as a “Midnight Movie” which they did for years. I saw KING KONG on the big screen there, which was pretty amazing. They had a sister theatre in the Valley called the Sherman which ran the same kinds of films, and also had an annual Sci-fi / Horror program, a different double-bill every night for an entire month.I saw all kinds of great old movies there, including CREATURE OF THE BLACK LAGOON in 3D. Once, they played an animated promo for Jeff Wayne’s WAR OF THE WORLDS during intermission, which was very cool.
b.t.
dangermash - 'man made lightning', & 'milk animal' sound like kennings - those Norse & Anglo Saxon figures of speech, like 'Whale Road' for the sea!
Phillip
UK Gents - I was youtubing THE SCALA LONDON and started watching. Like 20 minutes long. I have not finished but it says the Scala was converted to offices and such in the 1960s and the theatre shut down. Is this the same Scala?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JClpXFAa14w
Sounds like a place that was loaded with history: Hard Day's Night performances were filmed there!
Charlie - I think the original 60s Scala was in Charlotte St in Soho, but the one we're talking about was in Kings Cross.
No Charlie, but you aren't completely off as its where the name came from.
After the Scala Theatre on Charlotte St burnt down at the end of the 60s and was redeveloped into offices - as Scala House - there was briely a small avant garde cinema in the basement of the new building, which lasted for a few months in late '76.
The Scala Cinema we're talking about opened in the same premises a bit over a year later in '78, and then moved to the building in Kings Cross its most associated with in '81.
Bonus fact: Iggy & the Stooges played their only* UK gig in the Kings Cross building in '72, which was where the photos on the cover of 'Raw Power' were taken.
*before reforming in the 21st century
-sean
dangermash, Thanks for the Swordsman link.
-sean
Welp, this month's offerings were a buncha crapola.
Yeah, about Jack of Hearts, I think they retconned him as an alien.
...Which, if done to any of us would be more plausible!
Me, I feel like I could get retconned as an alien at any moment.
M.P.
For an artist was there a worse character to draw than Jack of Hearts? All those fiddly playing card bits on his tunic.
It is indeed a ridiculously over-designed costume for a comic book character. I wonder just who came up with it and if they did it as a joke.
Could the Knave of hearts, in Alice in Wonderland, have partly inspired Jack's costume? In some versions, the Knave has a card-patterned costume. A likely (lad) candidate?
https://www.google.com/search?q=Rodney+Bewes+%2B+Knave+of+Hearts+%2B+costume&rlz=1C1TEUA_enGB467GB467&oq=Rodney+Bewes+%2B+Knave+of+Hearts+%2B+costume&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l2.18342j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#ip=1&vhid=Xz5lPZOFj1Yn0M&vssid=l
Phillip
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