Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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Martial arts mayhem was still ruling unsurpassed in Britain, this week in 1974, with Carl Douglas' Kung Fu Fighting retaining the singles chart pinnacle it had claimed seven days earlier.
However, there was change - of a sort - atop the corresponding LP listings, thanks to Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells having now snatched pole position from his own Hergest Ridge. Clearly, there was no stopping the lad.
Inside, I do believe Hulkie's crashed back to Earth, following his outer space adventure and is about to have another run-in with the Sandman who, in his urge to find a cure for being made of glass, decides to invade a hospital and force Betty Ross to give him a quick and total blood swap.
I can't see the jade one taking this lying down.
Meanwhile, the man without fear has been sentenced to death by the Owl - as has a judge - and this leads to the feathery fiend unveiling his greatest weapon yet - a giant robot owl that looks like it weighs more than a planet and would struggle to get off the ground even if gravity had never been invented.
The Fantastic Four are still having their first ever meeting with Galactus. And I do suspect Alicia is having her first ever meeting with the Silver Surfer.
But can she convince him of the innate goodness of humanity?
Judging by his whingeing about the awfulness of humanity in his later solo series, seemingly not.
Still, at least he does pose a threat to the Shocker's girlfriend.
And that's bad news for us all because she's the latest custodian of that pesky ancient tablet the whole world seems to want. Latest to want it is Marko's employer Silvermane, ageing head of the Maggia.
Next, it's a tale never to be forgotten, as the Chameleon decides to trick Iron Man into fighting Captain America, for reasons I can't recall.
To do this, he, of course, shows up at Tony Stark's factory, claiming he's Cap and has been given a good beating by the Chameleon who's now posing as the star-spangled superstar.
Possibly the most disappointing aspect of this tale is the sight of Iron Man knocking Kraven the Hunter out with one punch, making Spider-Man's numerous epic labours to defeat the villain look a bit pathetic.
Thor, meanwhile, pays a visit to the trolls' homeland in a bid to retrieve his stolen hammer.
And, there, he encounters the mysterious captive alien Orikal and releases him from his flame-lined prison.
In total contrast to what we've been getting from Shang-Chi's strip, he's an assassin, sent to kill our hero.
Elsewhere, the stars of the comic are still behind the Iron Curtain and still trying to liberate the Black Widow from her former communist overlords.
But for that to happen, Captain America must overcome her husband the Red Guardian, a man designed to be equal to him in every way.
Needless to say, he doesn't turn out to be equal to him in every way.
Not that it does Cap much good, as he's soon captured by others.
And what of the doctor of strangeness?
He's still trying to recoup Victoria Bentley from the clutches of Scientist Supreme Yandroth who's now resorted to inflicting monsters from his id on his opponent.
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39 comments:
I’ve always liked that Starlin Banner-into-Hulk cover image. Though the way Starlin drew Ol’ Greenskin’s eyes and brows in this one, he doesn’t just look angry or mean, he looks straight-up EVIL. I seem to remember that in the interim between his stints on Captain Marvel and Warlock, there was a flurry of Starlin covers, and that they were a welcome change-of-pace from the glut of Gil Kane covers (nice though those generally were).
Steve, you know I love Jazzy Johnny, but Man-Mountain Marko is a perfect example of what was lost when Stan Lee couldn’t find a way to keep Steve Ditko on the Spider-man series. And I say that as someone who actually prefers Romita’s run overall — but thinking up fascinatingly weird and iconic villains wasn’t really his forte.
b.t.
Regarding that Hulk cover, I prefer the version on The Incredible Hulk Annual 1978. No flat head; no prominent collar bones; less knobbly knuckles; eyes far less evil. And - besides all that - you get an extra transformation stage!
Iron Man embarrassing Spidey, by knocking Kraven out with one punch, reminds me of Captain Marvel easily trashing the Ramrod, making Daredevil and the Black Widow look like rank amateurs. To me, Gerber was throwing some cold common sense on proceedings.
But, comparing the stories, it demonstrates, once again, that there's nothing new under the Sun.
Phillip
BT, et al. So is Man Mountain Marko a Romita creation? Stan was just dialogue and perhaps overall concept / context for a story?
I wonder about who was responsible for what at Marvel especially Romita vs. Conway decision to kill Gwen. This is because I was gobsmacked a year ago where I read a quote from Romita saying he had the idea / was the proponent to kill Gwen.
Joe P
Good shout by b.t. there. It¡s not just that Romita didn't great such great villains - I reckon it's also the case that Ditko would have made someone like Marko seem more of a threat. If he can make the Enforcers look good, he can do anything.
I feel I should speak up on Spider-Man's behalf though. Forget the U.K. chronology. That Iron Man story came out two months after Kraven's first appearance in ASM #15 and 0-2 months after ASM Annual #1 and:
(i) ASM 15, Kraven's biggest weapon is his nerve punch, which almost puts Spider-Man out of action. But there's no way that punch would work on Iron Man through his armour, and
(ii) Spider-Man doesn't have any trouble with Kraven in the annual (which is either just before or just after this Iron Man story). Kraven has a card disclosing the location of the next villain (Mysterio in a warehouse? ) and Spider-Man snatches it easily and heads off to his next appointment with Kraven unable to stop him.
Hmm - Gary Brodsky & Joe Sinnott - but it's Starlin's pic, as near as dammit!
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Hulk_Annual_(UK)_Vol_1_1978?file=Hulk_Annual_%28UK%29_Vol_1_1978.png
Phillip
In fairness, Jazzy John did give the world the Rhino, the Shocker and the Kingpin and designed the Punisher and Hammerhead, as well as redesigning the Black Widow, when it came to Spidey's strip.
Joe - If that's true, Gerry Conway deserves an apology from you, him being your bete noire, all these years! ; )
Phillip
Steve, that’s a fair point. Romita also designed Wolverine (his initial look, anyway) and Luke Cage and lots of others. And to Joe P.’s question up yonder, unless the creators have gone on record as to who came up with the initial concept for certain characters, there’s really no way to know for sure (and sometimes not even then).
b.t.
b.t.
Me too. I always liked the way Starlin drew the Hulk!
But he was always good at drawing big bruisers.
As far as Spider-Man goes, I don't think the writers back then had a very clear idea about how strong he was supposed to be.
I mean, even the Kingpin gave him a hard time back then. When I first discovered Spider-Man as a kid, I wasn't aware he had super-strength.
The ability to climb up walls was by itself pretty impressive. What little kid wouldn't want to be able to do that?
I sorta prefer it that way. The more powerful they get, the less interesting the characters are.
That's why i think being the writer on the Incredible Hulk would be a tough job.
M.P.
M.P. - Spidey was my first Marvel superhero (not saying much, but the anthology comic started with him!) Being accustomed to Batman (Adam West version), Spidey 'uprooting' a streetlight, within the first panels, impressed me mightily, regarding his strength. Were it Superman or the Hulk, so what? But Spidey didn't look strong, but was - that was key! You relate to the world visually, aged 8 - not any other way. Appearance-wise, Captain America looked stronger than Spidey, when I first read Cap in # 215. Finding out Captain America wasn't strong, later, was thus disappointing. To me, Cap gaining strength, via the Viper, was a great idea, it levelling him up with Spidey! Nevertheless, as you say regarding the Hulk, the stronger they are, the more problems for the writer - e.g. Spidey exchanging blows with the Punisher, when - in reality - any blow from Spidey would be almost fatal for Frank Castle!
Phillip
I've always liked Mike Oldfield's instrumental version of the medieval Christmas carol IN DULCI JUBILO.
Colin - Another good Mike Oldfield instrumental's 'Portsmouth', featured on the 'Echoes of Gold' album. And let's not forget 'To France' - that's a great one, too!
Phillip
To France - not an instrumental - pedants' corner.
Phillip
Pedantry, Phillip? Here...? Surely not.
Anyway - "Stan was just dialogue and perhaps overall concept...?"
Who actually created what in the early Marvel comics? And what exactly was Stan Lee's contribution? Well that's a discussion thats been going on for a while, Joe!
Interesting you should ask under a post which covers Lee/Kirby classics, including on introducing a character - the Silver Surfer - we know for sure was created by Jack on his own.
-sean
I'm not normally one to go off topic here, but anyway - did anyone else read about the guy in Montana who got sent down for cloning a hybrid sheep?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/01/sheep-cloning-montana-hunting-prison
Does that kind of thing happen much in the US? Because it seems pretty strange to me, like something out of a 70s issue of OMAC.
Weirder than than some people supposedly eating pets, thats for sure.
-sean
SEAN -Charlie is never one to deviate; he scrupulously stays focused on SDC! However, just once, he’ll bite.
Any nut-fuckery you can imagine takes place in the USA. Indeed, it is something of a thing to google “on [date of your choice] in Florida” and see what comes up because that state is NF central.
Anyhow, regarding cloning, Charlie can report that americuns are buying CRISPR machines (Charlie hears they are not actually all that expensive, like $15k?) splicing genes, and then injecting the shit into their blood.
One nut job tried to turn himself black. I think the same nut job also tried to get big muscles. And he literally was using the CRISPR in his garage and streaming to YouTube.
Apparently there are no laws against random people splicing their (?) genes in their garage as a fun pastime and injecting them.
Look out Steve Rogers!!! Charlie is coming!!!
Talking of Florida, whatever happened to Ron DeSantis? He was supposed to be the rising star of the Republican party but nobody talks about him anymore.
Didn't Ron DeSanctimonious basically blow his Presidential chances by running against Trump for the Republican nomination, Colin?
Charlie, I think it's one thing to have a CRISPR machine in your basement, but for working with complex organisms you'd probably need centrifuges, freezers and whatnot too.
So genesplicing your own master race will be outside of most peoples' budget for a while yet. But making biological weapons of mass destruction in your basement is probably getting fairly affordable...
-sean
That's true, Sean, but apparently Republican voters outside Florida found DeSantis to be boring and uninspiring. Poor Ron had tried so hard to appeal to the MAGA crowd with his anti-woke agenda - "Florida is where woke comes to die" etc.
One might think there is potential for a “black mirror” type of super hero comic using CRISPRs?
Dont know why but Charlie is vibing LEGION OF SUPERHEROES back in the 1960s (70s too?) when the Legion would have try outs! Help my memory, wasn’t there a story where the rejects banded together to attack the Legion in order to prove they should be members of the Legion? If anyone has an issue number for that, Charlie would be much obliged!
Colin-
Florida is also where affordable home insurance policies go to die.
M.P.
Charlie - Marvel had try-outs, too. The Frightful Four gave the Texas Twister, Captain Ultra (?), and other wannabe villains, an opportunity to prove they had 'The Right Stuff'. And what about that Defenders story, in which masses of superhero second stringers (a little unfair, perhaps) tried to join? It wasn't very good. Of course, there was also Spidey's famous test, to determine his worthiness to join the Avengers - to capture the Hulk. Did the Black Panther, Hawkeye, the Swordsman or Cap ever pass that test? If so, cheating was involved!
Phillip
MP, I've heard that Florida has the oldest demographic in the US because of all the people who move there to retire so it seems it's not only woke that goes to Florida to die - so do Americans.
Colin - Last week, following Dick Turpin, Rewind TV broadcast Whicker's World. One episode featured Florida, with Disney World just being built (1971?) Another episode (1969) featured purpose-built American retirement communities. I naturally thought of Florida, but retirement villages in Arizona & California were featured instead. So, maybe in the late 60s, Florida's modern reputation as a retirement destination wasn't yet firmly established.
Phillip
The historical issue of retiring to Florida ( or Arizona), pre-1970s, was affordable air conditioning. Once there was sufficient cheap electricity and air conditioning the great Migration south started.
Until then, one could really only tolerate living on the coast where the temperatures are moderated by the ocean.
Joe P
Joe - That reminds me (although it's not the same thing) of an Alastair Cooke episode, entitled 'The Summer Bachelor', involving New Yorkers (probably more affluent ones) going upstate, in the summer, the city being like a furnace. Maybe cheaper aircons may have made that less of a thing.
Phillip
Phillip, wasn't there something about that in The Great Gatsby?
Steve - I've read 'The Great Gatsby', but a long time ago - so I had to cheat! According to the internet, Daisy invites Nick & Gatsby round on the hottest day of the year. But that hottest day motif happens in certain Bellow novels, and Tennessee Williams plays, too! Even Miami Vice used it! Radio 4 did a good TGG a few years ago - so maybe Colin has some thoughts!
Phillip
Based on my experiences working with the well-heeled set who were born in the 1920s, 30s they tended to take summer vacations to places like Minnesota and Wisconsin, with their many lakes to escape Chicago’s heat and humidity. (Disney World didn’t open until like 1973?) I’ve met many folks my age (early 60s) who’ve inherited these lake cottages and they too vacation there in the summers (of course now they have A/C installed).
Coincidence i saw a map a few days ago (maybe in your Guardian) that showed maps of “% of population” having A/C. The USA, Korea, Japan are 90% + and Europe in the aggregate was around 10%?
As an aside, red states in America generally lead the way in low taxes which is the big draw. Florida, Texas, Alaska have no state income tax so it attracts folks who want to save money, notably retirees. But these states also lead the way in soooo many social ills because the low taxes = low education and social services. I wont belabor this here, though. Cheers, Joe P
Phillip, if Radio 4 adapted The Great Gatsby I'm afraid I never heard it because I haven't got a clue what TGG is actually about!
Charlie/Joe, I'm guessing the percentage of British homes with a/c is very low as it rarely gets hot enough in this country to need it so most people wouldn't waste their money on a/c.
Phillip, the 1987 film The Whales Of August also involved people escaping the heat for cooler climes as I recall. The film starred Bette Davis and Vincent Price in their final roles and it was about two sisters escaping the heat of Pennsylvania to stay in Maine for the summer.
There's an amusing cartoon at The Guardian online which depicts the remaining Tory leadership candidates as "The Feeble Four" with Tom Tugendhat as the Human Torch and one of the comments underneath the cartoon enquired why Tugendhat's head is on fire so other commenters had to explain the reference to the Fantastic Four!
If UK readers are curious, the remaining members of The Feeble Four are...
James Stupidly - The Thing
Kokonut Kemi - The Invisible Girl
Robert Jenreich - Mr Fantastic
Together they will fight the evil EU empire and Make Britain Great Again, woo hoo!!!
I'll get me coat.
So anyway, back to the comics...
I've just been reading that Dr Strange story about Yandroth and Victoria Bentley, in the original Strange Tales #167.
That comic of course had a classic Steranko cover -
https://www.comics.org/issue/21803/cover/4/
- and the first story inside was Nick Fury's final showdown with the Yellow Claw in the nucleo-phoretic drive powered infinity sphere as it entered the space/time continuum between life and eternity, and which ultimately ended with the famous trippy double page spread non-sequitur of the Prime Mover and Dr Doom playing chess in Latveria.
When a Nick Fury story is more far out than Dr Strange you know something's gone wrong. Now, I accept that following Jaunty Jim in 1968 was always going to be tricky, and that thats not as much of a problem with the Avengers reprint - just as the weekly schedule meant the whole thing probably didn't seem as dragged out - but all the same... Doc is fairly boring at this point.
I guess thats the era between Ditko's departure from the strip and Gene Colan's arrival for you.
-sean
Now that we've given the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius will the Falklands and Gibraltar be next?? I hope so as watching the right-wing boneheads jumping up and down with fury is great fun :D
Sean - That's THE classic Nicky Fury cover, of all time, without a doubt. Nevertheless, for Nick to balance on his right leg, like that, looks anatomically impossible. Then again, the rest aren't much better. Still, each manages to balance on alternate legs/feet. Now, were it Five Star, they'd all be doing exactly the same pose!
Phillip
Jim Steranko did an anatomically impossible drawing, Phillip? I'm shocked!
Seriously though, its a good one but... its hard to pick THE classic Nick Fury cover. Personally I would rate SHIELD #4 and #6 more.
Although at least Strange Tales #167 actually has Steranko's work inside too, so I guess thats a point in its favour.
-sean
I love the artwork of that era, it shows artists working on signature styles. This is the type of artwork that should be preserved in protective comic book supplies on displayed in protective display cases. Bronze Age was the best time for comics.
I think we can certainly be grateful we live in an era when all this artwork is readily available at the press of a keyboard.
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