Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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What new adventures await us as we prepare to dip our toes into the pool of hindsight?
Although, this time, he does so with the help of a magic flute and a bunch of alligators.
He then sets off to Asgard, in search of a showdown with the man to blame for it all - Loki.
Now safely ensconced in the Latverian Embassy, Dr Doom's captured our heroes and is trying to recreate his original body, with the use of his occult powers.
When that fails, he has an even better plan. He'll summon the Beyonder and order him to do it!
The only problem is the Beyonder doesn't like him. Or anyone much.
I do believe that, now having some of the Beyonder's power added to that of the Phoenix, Rachel Summers decides to take another crack at destroying him.
Needless to say, everyone she knows tries to convince her that's a stupid idea.
Things get experimental on the story-telling front when an odd tale sees a whole bunch of different things occur in a whole bunch of different places with a whole bunch of different people and it culminates in a department store Santa trying to rob Peter Parker’s neighbours!
While the mindless Hulk blunders around in the desert, looking for things to smash, Bruce Banner brings together an outcast group of scientists to form a team capable of stopping the brute.
Speaking of which, that's precisely what Doc Samson is also determined to do.
Except he's determined to do it by using the persuasive power of his fists!
We encounter a sad little tale in which the Porcupine, fed up of always losing, decides to quit his life of crime and sell his armour to whoever'll have it.
Well, it turns out Cap'll have it - just so long as Porcy agrees to help him bring the Serpent Society to justice for their murder of MODOK.
Unfortunately, the prickly plunderer may not live long enough to collect his reward.
I'm struggling to recall anything that happens in this one, other than that the Avengers fight the Beyonder.
And, of course, they get nowhere, in their bid to defeat him.
His life as Matt Murdock now wrecked by the Kingpin's machinations, our hero confronts the villain and ends up being dumped in a river while locked inside a sinking car.
Is this the end for him?
Kingie thinks so.
But perhaps the rotund rascal shouldn't count his chickens before the fat lady sings.
After all, in his time, the man without fear's survived far worse crises than being chucked in a river...
As far as I can make out - from hushed whispers on the internet - Imhotep attacks General Soto's men while the Witch Queen and her daughters hide in a swamp.
I bet Conan and his sword'll have something to say about it all.
In a bid to prevent the Beyonder from destroying his wretched kingdom of misery, Mephisto places a wager with the all-powerful entity. One that will see everyone's favourite web-slinger psychologically tormented by the demon Zarathos, as he tries to foil an assassination attempt on the Kingpin.
Iron Man's got problems too. Madam Masque's mind is in the body of Beth Cabe, and vice versa.
Can the man of ferrous decide just who's who?
And, if he can, can he work out how to get their minds back into the right skulls, without killing the pair of them?
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17 comments:
Daredevil's exited a submerged car before - around DD # 95 (maybe?) The Man-bull's lackey, Itch, sent an automobile (with its gas pedal wedged to the floor) careering out of control - which DD wrestled control of, just before it plunged into the bay, submerging with Matt in it! Needless to say, Horn-head made his way to dry land! Nothing wrong with Miller recycling scenes from an old Colan and Palmer classic! It shows proper respect (Kingpin-style) for DD lineage!
Phillip
Was Modok really killed (re: Cap America)? Like has he been foreverdead?
CH
Charlie, as far as I can remember, there've been multiple MODOKs. Whenever one gets totalled, AIM can knock up another one by mutating one of their more expendable members. I don't think the one who got killed here was the original one. The original one was long dead by this point.
Just the Thor and the DD.
I was being especially thorough in scouring the newsagents for the latest issues now that Miller was back on DD. This one was grim - Matt genuinely losing it for a while. He beats up a cop!
I really like that Kyle Baker cover. This was the early days for him when he was the officer gofer and then only being allowed to ink stuff.
Charlie read ASM 274 for the first time this past week. Four thoughts:
1) Dig the Romita floating-heads cover!
2) 6 persons (!!!) get credit for interior art that ain't all that! Frenz, Rubenstein, Morgan, Fry, Romita Sr, and Fury. Is that over the top?
3) Though intially intriguing (Mephisto) story became boring quickly.
4) The Beyonder - the dude can do what he wants, when he wants. There really is not point to an enemy like that!
Just the DD for me.
I never realized there have been multiple Modoks, or remember any of them dying, certainly not the first — it must have happened during one of my periods of Distinct Disinterest. Guess I could look it up on Wikipedia but I really really REALLY don’t want to do that.
I kinda hate that Iron Man design. Not only do the flared “shoulder pads” look “Too 80s” to me , but the “silver” areas just look “white”, and the whole combo doesn’t look anywhere near as dynamic as the classic red-and-gold.
b.t.
Charlie:
I basically like the SPIDEY cover too , but think it could have been colored more dramatically . White puffy clouds aren’t doing it for me.
b.t.
Charlie also notes that his issue of ASM has the cherished 4-page "Mark Jewelers" stapled insert. IIRC these command premium prices on ebay. They jewelry is various gold rings with diamonds and it seems to be targeted to military personnel; it has more of a "swank" than sophisticated look. Perhaps CH bought this while stationed in Germany keeping the western democracies safe from the Ruskies. O/wise makes no sense why I have this.
BT - yep - the white clouds do not enhance the cover. But the interior's backgrounds are mostly bland too. What with having 6 artists on it, it makes one wonder. And geeze... so many panels! One page has 15 panels!
Btw... Mephisto makes a wager with Beyonder to spare his down-under kingdom exactly one more day before Beyonder destroys it, IF Spidey protects the Kingpin from being assassinated. If Spidey doesn't fails and Kingpin get whacked, good bye Mephisto and Kingdom. Senses-shattering hallucinations, as indicated by the cover, are a tool of the Beyonder's ally to have Spidey fail to protect Kingpin.
STEVE- thanks for the Modok update. CH
Just the brilliant DD#228 for me. I managed to miss the whole Secret Wars 2 event (having dropped the original Secret Wars after a single issue). I get why corporate Marvel loved these massive multi-part cross overs but did anyone follow this? I only knew one person who collected the original Secret Wars, and I think even he passed on the sequel. Wiki suggests it was the highest selling comic of 1985 and so who was buying this?
DW
Daredevil punched a cop in DD # 90 (?) But, perhaps it doesn't count, being Paul Carson! ( Paul had just fixed Matt a coffee, too! ) Decades later, I got a cheap Secret Wars combined addition. I've forgotten literally all of it, except one scene, in which Spidey trashes a much stronger female opponent (Titania? - I forget), whilst explaining - immodestly - exactly why he's so good/formidable, as a superhero/why opponents have such a hard time with him. That exposition was very good - a return to Jim Shooter's strong suit - pin-pointing what makes a character successful, and highlighting it - a brief jewel amidst the rest of Secret Wars, which wasn't much good.
Phillip
Seems I didn't have any of these books. Perhaps the "Secret Wars 2" tie-ins were the nail in the coffin for my Marvel reading.
b.t.- your take on Iron Man's silver armor matches mine. Just looks flat and unremarkable. Additionally, that logo didn't appeal either. Rather clunky and undramatic...
Charlie- you referred to those "Mark Jewelers" inserts; they appeared here and there through the 70's and 80's. But have you ever encountered any lingeree ads? I've several Archie comics from the early 70's which contain inserts like the Mark Jewelers ads. However they don't feature jewelry, they have models with slinky nighties offering to suggest gifts for the military wives out there. The inserts are labelled "California Gift Center". I've never seen them mentioned anywhere; anyone else come across any of these?
Redartz:
I seem to remember having a comic with a lingerie ad insert, but don’t remember when, where or which comic it was in. It’s mere presence in a cheap four-color comic book was remarkable though, in its seeming inappropriate-ness :)
I do remember getting one of the jewelry inserts in a CONAN comic, during that odd 6-issue adaptation of one of Gardner Fox’s Kothar novels. My memory is bringing up the excellent Kane / Palmer cover of #47 (“The Goblins Strike At Midnight!”) but it could be mistaken. Per Charlie’s note about those jewelry inserts being common near military bases : I got mine from one of my usual spinner racks in suburban Granada Hills. As far as I know, there wasn’t a military base anywhere near the place.
b.t.
b.t. I wasn't sure if I had imagined seeing a lingerie insert in a US comic or if I did actually see this. But your message sent me on an internet search to see if my memory was correct and your spot on there was a lingerie and from the California Gift Centre. Hope the link below works the insert shown was in Marvel Spotlight #5 ( and other Marvels and seemingly a few Archie comics!!!))
https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/409436-has-anyone-ever-seen-a-national-diamond-sales-insert-in-a-dc-comic-book/
McScotty- yes, your link worked! That pictured ad is the very one in my Archie book...
RED! Charlie definitely bought a few comics with the lingerie ads in them!!!
If I had to swear to it, I would say ine was Captain America number 144. I distinctly remember It!!!
And every few years or so I do some googling to see any discussions on it. There have been a few, and I think the lingerie ad Comics command apremium.
But I definitely recall my reaction thinking why in the world is this four page color ad for lingerie stapled into a comic book, lol.
Also, I think the internet states the lingerie ad comics were specifically intended for release around military bases. But given how we know how screwed up comics distribution was at that time…. “Near” could mean bets the Atlantic and the Pacific?
CH
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