Jack Kirby: Foxhole #1 - October 1954

Oct. 1954: Foxhole #1

Kirby's cover image is believed to have been based on Joseph Hirsch's "High Visibility Wrap" painting that appeared in the 1945 book Men Without Guns. 

1945: Joseph Hirsch's High Visibility Wrap 

And in The Secret History of Marvel Comics it's noted that the Hirsch image appeared on the cover of Martin Goodman's June 1951 Stag magazine.

1951: Stag v. 2 #1 

Sources: 
http://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/dynamics/2010/06/17/foxhole-1-cover/

Bell, Blake and Dr. Michael J. Vasallo. The Secret History of Marvel Comics: Jack Kirby and the Moonlighting Artists of Martin Goodman's Empire, 2013 (84).

Celestial Madonna: Avengers 132

Avengers #132 (1974)

Doug: It was interesting that the splash page for this issue wasn’t a story page – one might have thought that to be a more modern innovation…

Karen: I liked this symbolic page. Sal B’s artwork looked great, with a properly menacing Kang hanging over our Assemblers.

Sharon: Occasionally Silver Age Marvel splash pages were symbolic, such as Avengers Annual #1 (1967). But you’re right that Marvel didn’t do this frequently. Silver Age DC was the king of symbolic splashes (especially in the Superman family of books), though this probably started to decrease around 1968 or so.

Doug: So how do you feel about that? Do you feel like a splash page of that nature is a bonus feature, like a pin-up, or do you feel like you’ve been cheated out of a story page? In today’s comics, I feel like I’ve been cheated (but that goes beyond splash pages…).

I thought it was significant that these two issues were plotted by Steve Englehart, but scripted by Roy Thomas. Some of the little annoyances of Englehart’s that have raised our ire both in the previous four issues of this epic, as well as in the Captain America yarn “Secret Empire” seem to be lacking here. It makes me wonder if some of the in-house references (Crom! and the appearance of Nomad for no apparent reason) were Englehart’s or editorial. Curious…

Karen: It’s really easy to tell that this is Roy’s dialogue. It has all the typical ‘Royisms’ that we’ve seen for years!

Sharon: Roy gives Mantis some uncharacteristic “dialogue” when she thinks: “Again this talk of me of the Celestial Madonna…a phrase I can scarcely comprehend.” Ummm, Roy, those lines scarcely sound like her! What happened to her penchant for referring to herself as “this one?”

Doug: Did anyone else find it odd that Thor chose to transform himself to Dr. Don Blake, rather than creating the time/space vortex with Mjolnir and attempting to teleport out of the labyrinth? In addition, given that Blake is a medical doctor, he probably would not also possess a “PhD”.

Karen: Well, I guess he felt he had exhausted all his godly weapons! But the Ph.D part was odd.

Sharon: The Ph.D reference stuck out like a sore thumb.

Doug: I have found Thor to be somewhat depowered throughout this story, or at the worst just not thinking. For example, although he has always been written as brash, in issue #130 he ran headlong into a ray assault from the Titanium Man. It would seem to me that given Mjolnir’s ability to absorb and/or repel energy, a different strategy might have been employed. He also remarks at the strength of the Frankenstein monster, and of Wonder Man. It’s always been my understanding that if the Hulk is not the strongest hero in the Marvel Universe, then it’s Thor. But, as has often been said about writing Superman – you have to do something to bring him down in order to make him interesting. Perhaps this is what Moondragon meant when she tried to talk Thor into leaving the team in the #140s.

Karen: It’s funny, but I have the opposite reaction. This is an era of Avengers where I feel like Thor’s power is duly respected. His encounter with the Frankenstein Monster shows him easily tossing the creature away. He acknowledges the creature’s strength, but I took it that he meant in comparison to a mortal man, not himself. Later on, the team fights Orka, and they are all defeated, until Thor shows up and beats him single-handedly. Moondragon’s urging him to leave the team because he was ‘slumming’ was not appreciated by this young reader however!

Doug: Points well taken. Issue #149’s battle which you reference is a memorable one, as is the previous story’s Kang battle. I just thought at times through this story that Thor was perhaps portrayed more along the lines of Hercules – physical first, brains last.

The scene where the Vision in engaged by Kang, Wonder Man, the Torch, the Ghost, and Zemo was well done. I always like when Vizh shows the breadth of his prowess, as he certainly does here. Characterization is also on display, as the Vision shows his calculating logic in choosing to put off the battle until odds are more in his favor. Although he talked a little trash to Kang, he realized that he and his teammates, being separated, were fodder for Kang’s minions singularly.

Karen: This was still back in the day when the Vision was considered one of the most powerful Avengers, and maybe the most dynamic and interesting member of the team. I love seeing him at the height of his power.

Doug: RE: Mantis’ antennae. No explanation, other than to liken them to the funny curls on the front of Pietro’s coif.

Karen: That must have taken a ton of hairspray!

Sharon: Yeah, I’d asked about her antennae earlier. Maybe Hank Pym had visited Vietnam at some point? ;)

Doug: RE: Wonder Man. Given that he would make a return only about 18 months later, that persists with some minor interruptions to the present, do you suppose he was used here as sort of a try-out? I couldn’t find anything in the letters pages in subsequent issues that suggested a very positive fan response. Englehart did address his use of the Human Torch, as it raised a potential conflict with Roy Thomas’ Invaders series. But no mention anywhere of Wonder Man.

Karen: I’ve always wondered about how and why Wonder Man was brought back. I know that a few people have said it was primarily to mess with the Vision’s head, but as you said, WM has stuck around and become a mainstay. His depiction here is definitely not favorable!

Sharon: Wonder Man became a recurring factor in the Vision’s story starting with #102. After #102 Simon was trotted out again and again as a complication. It was a smart move to finally resurrect him for good circa #152. (And actually the notion of the Grim Reaper as the Vision's "brother" was introduced even earlier, in #79.)

Doug: Of course, you’re right, Sharon. I had forgotten the #102 story. Memorable cover, no less!!

Midnight’s costume is too similar to the Black Panther’s and might be considered the opposite to the original Ghost Rider’s.

Karen: You know Doug, as a kid, this confused me – was this character the Black Panther? I didn’t collect Master of Kung Fu so I had no idea who this was.
As an aside, the reference to Shang Chi as a ‘half-breed’ reminds me that these were very different times!

Doug: Not unlike my uncomfortable feelings toward the Asian caricature-drawings in #130.

Sharon: When I flipped through this story the other day (prior to reading it) I thought “Hmmm, why is T’Challa fighting Mantis?” He even has that little cape T’Challa sported in FF #52!

Doug: I would like to know just how large the labyrinth was, as it sure seemed like it was easy to bump into people. And the gang of Kang sure found Iron Man and Hawkeye easily!

Zemo must have been armed to the teeth. In #132, Hawkeye explodes one of Zemo’s paste guns with an arrow. In GS #3, Hawk wrecks a palm device and then Zemo pulls another pistol!

I felt the last two battles, between Iron Man and the Torch and the Vision and the Ghost were extremely well done! Iron Man’s helplessness was so obvious, and the reader could really empathize with the growing heat as the metal turned red. In the second and final tussle of the book we saw the Vision helpless as rarely before. The words and pictures really heightened the tension. While I didn’t truly believe that either hero was dead, their situations definitely didn’t look too positive!

Karen: The scene where the Torch is holding Iron Man and getting hotter and hotter is so vivid – when I re-read this issue I remembered how shocked I was as a kid and I honestly feared that IM might die! He also seemed so brave to me, to take on that whole group of baddies, telling Hawkeye to save himself and find the other Avengers. To be honest, I’m kind of surprised that Roy would have Clint agree to do it – it doesn’t seem in character to me.

Celestial Madonna: Avengers 130-131

Avengers #130 (1974)

Doug: These two issues seem to be grouped together, due in large part to the setting, the introduction of Immortus to the tale, as well as the burgeoning origin of Mantis.

Karen: Yes, the two issues really felt like one long story.
Doug: These were issues I had as a child. My memories of #130 center on the Slasher and his amazing costume, and the short battle between Thor and Iron Man. As I was very young and early into my comics reading, I found it very odd that two heroes would fight each other! Obviously, my Marvel knowledge was only just beginning!

Sharon: #130’s main battle is not particularly memorable to me—in fact, the whole issue seems like a fill-in issue…but there are some interesting little touches, such as the Thor-Iron Man fight.

Doug: My impression of #130, as I read it for perhaps the fourth or fifth time, is really dominated by the racist caricatures of the Vietnamese men in the tale. I’ve used two versions of the book for this research – the DVD-ROM and the Celestial Madonna trade paperback. In the scans used for the digital version, the coloring of the Vietnamese hearkens back to the propaganda that comics publishers put out during WWII – yellow skin tones, and of course the exaggerated eyes and mouths. I would assume that the trade paperback had been “re-mastered”; however, in the scene where the Slasher robs the jeweler, the Vietnamese are colored a putrid green color; in the scene where the man runs from the Titanic Three, his skin is the peach tone used normally for coloring Caucasians. Oh well – on to the tale itself…

Steve Englehart makes an assumption of the assembled Avengers in regard to the passing of the Swordsman – that “they miss him more than they can say.” I’m not sure that would be entirely true, and even if it were, would they miss him because they missed him, or because a comrade had fallen in battle? Unless I am mistaken, the Swordsman was the first active member of the roster to fall in battle, so this was certainly uncharted territory for the team (I am not counting Wonder Man due in large part to his brief tenure with the team – anyone feel differently?). I would guess, too, that given Hawkeye’s presence at the funeral, his mind might have been swimming with all sorts of emotions. So I didn’t care for Englehart’s attempt to force me to feel the emotions that he thought those assembled should be feeling.

Karen: I thought about that too. As you say, Hawkeye might have reason to feel badly, and Mantis of course, but the other three (Thor, Iron Man, and the Vision) barely knew the guy. Rather than a deep feeling of loss, I expect they would be feeling a sense of unease or heightened awareness of the dangerous nature of their lives.

Sharon: I agree. I’m not so sure why the Avengers would feel so badly about the Swordsman, other than out of compassion. And why does Englehart have Hawkeye think that he (Hawkeye) always gave the Swordsman a hard time? It was the other way around; the Swordsman was the one who’d always belittled Clint previously. And there’s that annoying use of “Sword” again!

Doug: I was also struck by Iron Man’s in-your-face demeanor at the meeting shown in the flashback scene. He just seemed so impulsive, which I guess is how he’s portrayed today – maybe it wasn’t so out-of-his-ordinary. But, picturing Tony Stark behind the faceplate just made me think that at times in the boardroom he had to be more diplomatic. I was feeling this again later in the aforementioned scene where he goes toe-to-toe with Thor. And in regard to that short skirmish, I guess there’s no doubt where Thor ranks in the Avengers power department. He dispensed Iron Man as not much more than an after thought. I guess I’d always thought of Iron Man as 1A in the category of “Strongest Avengers”… but when you factor in the Vision, Hercules, Namor, and Wonder Man, IM might be in the middle of that list, hmmm?

Karen: I know I mentioned this before, but I really liked the fact that Englehart made it obvious that Thor was way beyond the rest in power. This was one of the few periods where I felt like the thunder god was given his due. And Iron Man was much more of a hot-head back then, wasn’t he? Of course, he had every right to feel that way about the North Vietnamese, since they were responsible for his heart injury. Of course nowadays that’s all been retconned away, as it would date things too far back in Marvel time. I understand why they feel the need to do this, but still, I miss some of those now-anachronistic touches.

Doug: The Slasher, while visually stunning to my 8-year old mind, seems quite silly to me now. I guess his “power” is not unlike DD’s old foe the Gladiator, but the Gladiator a) looked cooler, and b) had a personality. The Slasher is just a punk, and that suit is just so impractical were it “real”.

Karen: Did you notice that when he first appears, in one caption he seems to be referred to as “Buzzsaw”? I thought this was an odd gaffe.

Doug: Big question – how in the world did the Avengers land a quinjet in North Vietnamese airspace?? When they faced the Titanic Three, it was clearly stated that the Americans had no authority in the North. I’m thinking there would have been Red jet fighters in the air to attempt an intercept.

Thor’s homily at Mantis’ request was somewhat touching and served to show a spiritual side to the Thunder God that, even though he’s often invoking the name of Odin, is not usually dealt with.

Karen: It was a touching scene. I like when the writers deal with the fact that to Thor, his human comrades will live but a short time, so in a sense all of his friendships are quite transient. Busiek really dealt with this nicely later on.

Sharon: Well, I guess having an immortal deliver a eulogy on life being temporary is a comment on what happens to Mantis later on. Overall, a touching scene.

Doug: Interesting that the Radioactive Man says he and his allies are not criminals in North Vietnam, and that no other political entity could touch them. Englehart politicizes what America felt at the time, with Saigon to fall in the very near future. The Slasher’s use of the term “Commies” near the end of the story is certainly temporal, too. The Vision’s soliloquy at the conclusion of the issue is good: “But isn’t that always the way, Thor? Whenever a war is fought, it is never the people who must fight it – who have any reason to bring it about.” This issue, only a few months after Englehart’s very political Secret Empire saga that ran in Captain America, paints the author as somewhat of a spokesperson for the Left of the day.

Karen: After reading Secret Empire, and now this, one might be left with the (false) impression that the Marvel of the 70s was highly politicized. But I think this is more about Steve Englehart expressing his opinions than any actual trend.

Sharon: Yes, Englehart didn’t hesitate to insert his beliefs into his stories. What the Vision says echoes what many Americans felt about the US taking part in the Vietnam War. Englehart used these sentiments (with the wording slightly changed) again in a few of his Cap stories.

Doug: Mantis’ musing as to her true origins, and her true self, was interesting. That she felt she falls short of being a Madonna due to her chasing after the Vision was a strange confession (particularly in light of what comes later!).

Sharon: I had a hard time believing that she felt unworthy because she –what, made a pass at someone? Was that so heinous?

Doug: Overall, issue #130 was a bridge between the initial volley launched by Kang and what is to come. It’s really rather a quiet story (the altercation with the Titanic Three aside), and continues to reveal some of the layers of Mantis’ origin. While Kang is only in the story in a flashback and as an explanation used to bring Hawkeye up to speed, his menacing presence hangs over the Avengers.

Sharon: As mentioned, despite its action, #130 seems like a fill-in issue to me; its chief purpose was to lay some groundwork for the Vision and Mantis to “discover” themselves.

Doug: Issue #131 had a faster pace, right from the splash page. To continue a point I’d made earlier, the artwork in this issue was certainly toned-down racially – maybe not noticeable to all, but it just struck me. Anyway, I really enjoyed the Kang/Rama-tut/Immortus interactions. And, at this point we haven’t learned that Immortus is actually part of this whole Kang mix. The thing I love/hate about the way most writers handle Immortus is that you never really know where he stands – what he’s up to. That’s good – he’s a character who keeps me on my toes!

Karen: That was particularly evident in Avengers Forever.

Doug: The art by the Sal Buscema/Joe Staton (Staton give us more of Sal as the series goes on) team was again very strong. I especially liked Sal’s introduction of each member of the Legion of the Unliving. Englehart excelled in his choices – as Kang himself stated, what a varied lot of characters! He alluded to Immortus’ former use of fictional characters – here we have an awesome tour of Marvel history.

Karen: Immortus’ choices back in Avengers 10 were interesting in some sense, because we would see versions of the same ‘fictional’ characters later on – mainly Hercules and Merlin. But I would agree, those opponents were not nearly so full of emotional force as the ones Kang chose.

Doug: The inclusion of Nomad, while nostalgic I suppose, seemed merely a selling point for the Captain America series. As I’d complained earlier about the inclusion of Robert E. Howard references in Englehart’s scripts, this seemed in a similar vein. Now, whether it was actually the author’s doing, or mandated from editorial, I don’t know. But, looking at it with a marketing eye, it seems painfully obvious why the scene(s) is included. Did it really add anything near-approaching a plot device? I think not. I’m not sure that knowing that Cap was about to trounce the Serpent Squad would make me run out and buy his book – I’d have probably already been buying it. I guess I sound cynical – but by this time (late 1974) the Marvel Universe was firmly established – we know that characters meet and intermingle. But given that only a few months earlier (in the Secret Empire arc in Cap’s own book) Cap had sworn off the U.S. government, was on the outs with SHIELD, and was hitchhiking, I just found it silly that he all of a sudden pops up because he “was in the Pacific”. No way…

Karen: I have to admit, as a kid I really liked seeing Nomad show up, because that sense of a shared universe still seemed somewhat novel at the time. However, I can see where you’re coming from now, Doug, so many years alter. Still, it is kinda cool to see him there, although I always thought that Nomad outfit was just atrocious. For an artist, Steve Rogers wasn’t much of a costume designer!

Sharon: The Nomad interlude seemed intrusive and out of place. All of a sudden this smiling blond in a silly costume shows up, and he and the Avengers have a chat, and then he departs? Steve seems so simple here; he’s all aglow because his first case (as the Nomad) is a success- -does Steve really see things in such black and white terms? Apparently so; and when things turn out to be gray, that’s when Steve bails- -as we saw at the conclusion of Secret Empire.

Doug: Regarding the scene between Mantis and the Vision – am I supposed to now think that Mantis is completely remorseful for any prior obnoxious behavior? I don’t know – it just seems like Englehart wanted to do this big redemption story; while the Swordsman got his right at the beginning, Mantis’ would be drawn out. I would also add that he obviously had big plans for her – many have commented that Mantis was his “pet” character much the same way Bendis has used Spider-Woman recently. From the time she showed up (#114), it was apparent that she would have some serious face time in the book. A culmination of events (of sorts) was inevitable. Interesting, too, that as we get to this scene where Mantis apologizes to the Vision for her attempt at seduction that I am reminded of how “chummy” she and Wanda were right after Mantis’ introduction.

Karen: Mantis being Englehart’s pet was quite apparent; it bothered me back then and it bothers me still now. Rather than growing organically to be an important character in Avengers, it just felt like she was forced on the readership.

Sharon: While I felt Mantis’ apology to the Vision was excessive (again: is flirting a crime??), even stranger was the Vision’s reply that if he could feel flattered, then what heights would she reach? Huh? A clumsy connection at best. The only line I found realistic here was when Mantis says she was happy…as she was. The rest of the dialogue in this scene seemed contrived.

Doug: Hawkeye’s “cellphone” is certainly large, isn’t it??

Karen: Yeah, but it had a cool viewscreen!
I thought the very brief conversation between the Vision and Iron Man regarding Vizh’s confusion over his love life was awkward. It went nowhere, and I really don’t see IM being so uncomfortable talking about this subject. Was it simply a way for Englehart to have the Vision express his concerns?

Sharon: Iron Man’s discomfort was certainly out of character. Not sure why he would be so embarrassed.

Doug: I really like the separation of the team as the adventure shifts to Limbo. Not the old-formula of two heroes together, but each Avenger separate. This was a nice way to build suspense for the next issue.

I don’t have anything to really say about the reappearance of the Swordsman, other than to ask if there was any precedent that you can think of for this. It predates Obi-wan Kenobi’s merger with the Force – the first and only example of a ghost-like presence that pops into my head.

Karen: At the time, I assumed he was non-corporeal, I guess because of the green glow. But he was actually the Swordsman’s body re-animated by the Cotati, right? So he is a real, physical presence and not an immaterial spirit, like Obi-Wan? Or was Obi-Wan solid? It all confuses me…

Sharon: Effective scene and good visualization of Mantis’ guilt.

Celestial Madonna -Avengers 129, GS Avengers 2

Avengers #129 (1974) 

Books discussed: Avengers 129, Giant-Size Avengers 2

Doug: The Celestial Madonna has always been one of my favorite Avengers tales, which is sort of funny since I didn’t come to the story completely until several years ago. Buying the issues off the newsstand as a kid, I owned #’s 130, 131, and Giant-Size #’s 3 and 4. That’s a pretty sketchy coverage to a 10-issue epic. But, the books I did have made a great impression on my young imagination.

Karen: I was pretty much in the same boat. I had a few issues here and there. I finally got all of them about ten years ago.

Sharon: I bought a few issues a couple of years ago; these were my introduction to Mantis. Then I came upon the tpb and read the whole thing.

Doug: First of all, the Avengers’ line-up was without peer – Thor, Iron Man, the Vision, the Scarlet Witch, Mantis, the Swordsman, and Hawkeye. Power, stealth, angst, and personalities galore. Even without Captain America (how in the world did he get on the cover of GS #2 when he was embroiled in the Nomad storyline in his own book??), the team had a dynamism that left the reader truly believing that this was the “varsity”. The JLA with Superman, J’onn, Red Tornado, Zatanna, Black Canary, and Green Arrow might not have been as impressive a bunch as this Avengers team.

Secondly, Kang is a super-baddie that matches up well with any incarnation of the Avenger. He has at his disposal the gadgets, strategies, and knowledge of all of time. In addition, he can disappear and be virtually unfound, only to strike again without warning. Next to Ultron, he’s my favorite villain.

Karen: Englehart writes Kang well. This seems to be the version that most likely influenced Kurt Busiek when he did his Kang saga in volume three of Avengers later on. Kang is an efficient, ruthless, relentless foe.
The whole Kang/Rama-Tut (and later, Immortus) connection was always quite intriguing. I know there has also been some talk that Dr. Doom was also Kang but it seems that that was dropped.

Sharon: The Scarlet Centurion is supposed to be part of this too, right…not this particular storyline, but part of the whole identity thing? Or was that dropped? I always found these multiple identities fascinating—confusing as hell, but fascinating and very imaginative.

Doug: Yes, I’d forgotten about the Scarlet Centurion identity. Do either of you know when or where it was discussed that Dr. Doom was an alternate version of Kang – I recall that, too.

Karen: I was trying to remember that too, Doug. It seems like it’s been changed now so that Doom was Kang’s ancestor, but I would’ve sworn at one time, he was considered to be Kang himself. And the original cover for GS Avengers #2 actually had Doom standing there, Rama Tut and Kang! If anyone has a copy of FOOM #8, you can see it for yourself.

Doug: Third, how can you knock these two teams of do-badders: Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, Radioactive Man, and the ever-lovin’ Slasher… plus the Legion of the Unliving?? ‘Nuff Said!!

My re-read of these issues was only the second of my “career”. So, I came to them somewhat with a lens of freshness. First off, let me say that the art in these two books was just fantastic. I really like Sal Buscema in this era – I thought he was even more solid here than in the CA/F books we recently discussed.

Sharon: Sal does his usual, effective storytelling job.

Doug: Joe Staton is credited as the inker for #129; I’d previously known Staton from his DC work on the revived JSA in All-Star Comics in the late 1970’s. While possessing a somewhat unique style (these tales have recently been collected in two tpb’s if you’re interested), I didn’t get the impression that he was exerting any of his own influence on Sal B’s pencils. Enhancing, yes, but certainly not overpowering – his style is really only evident in some of the faces. Dave Cockrum pencils the GS issue with no inker credited. This pre-dates his All-New, All-Different X-Men and is just as solid as Buscema’s work. I think there has always been something distinctive about Cockrum’s faces – I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is. Sometimes I think it’s the eyes, sometimes the mouths. He has an inventory of facial expressions that are recognizable whether I’m reading Legion, Avengers, or X-Men. I will add that I thought his characters had a depth to them spatially – definitely filled out, well-rounded… I really enjoyed the close-up headshot of Jarvis when he was talking to Hawkeye early in the story. And how about that Hawkeye splash page?? One beef – I didn’t care for the bubble-headed Kang. I’ve seen him drawn with a much less-round helmet.

Karen: I just want to say that I love this Dave Cockrum art! Seeing this, I wish he had been able to be a regular Avengers artist. His style is smooth and dynamic.

Sharon: Er, don’t stone me, but I am not a Dave Cockrum fan. I don’t really know why but I have never loved his art. It’s good, but just not distinctive to me. I can never recognize his work. I don’t like his faces, I don’t like his take on Hawkeye’s mask, and so on. His art always seems rushed to me.

Doug: Dave Cockrum is as distinctive to me as John Byrne. As I said, his faces are very unique. I suppose if I only saw a headless figure, his art wouldn’t stand out as much.

Karen: I’m so glad Englehart brought Hawkeye back into the fold. Nearly as much as Cap, he’s the quintessential Avenger. I’ve always felt that of all the Avengers, Hawkeye may have been the character that experienced the most growth. From his beginnings as a hot-headed loudmouth, to eventually becoming a team leader, the readers got to see Clint Barton mature. This issue shows some of that, as Hawkeye realizes what a mess he’s stumbled into, sees the Swordsman on the brink of a breakdown, and tries to keep things on a steady path. I enjoy him as our point of view character.

Doug: Yes, Hawkeye even shows up with his usual chip-on-the-shoulder, but his sense of duty overrides any mischievousness he might have been waiting to unleash.

As good as the cover to #129 was, I thought the cover to GS #2 was that bad – not the art, just the design. What were they trying to do with the giant images of Kang and Rama-tut? It didn’t work two issues in a row. And as I said above, why is Cap with the team?

As far as dialogue, I thought Englehart was OK with the pop-culture references. The Kissinger line was OK, but I did find it odd that he mentioned Nixon in China in GS #2 (but maybe that’s only because we’ve just read “Secret Empire”). I didn’t care, in the GS issue for Hawkeye’s incessant address to the Swordsman as “Sword”. Just seemed weird, and the over-and-over was overbearing!

Sharon: It was awful! Made no sense; Hawkeye had never called him that before. Plus, Hawkeye always resented the Swordsman. I found the easy acceptance a little hard to swallow.

Doug: Another sore spot was the twice-over shameless plug for Marvel’s sword-and-sorcery mags, with references to Robert E. Howard, Crom!, and King Kull. Blatant self-promotion.

Karen: You have to wonder if Rascally Roy put those plugs in there!

The inclusion of Amen-Hotep, the vampire, was odd as well. Of course, this was at a time when Marvel was publishing all sorts of horror books. But this vampire looks a lot more like a demon than a traditional vampire.

Doug: I liked that both issues started with a bang – it was a great hook. As I have read many of the issues in the era where the Swordsman went straight, I really came to like him as a “loveable loser”. That the spotlight fell on him in this first issue was OK with me. I understand why a lot of folks don’t like Mantis – I’ve always liked her. Yeah, her speech patterns are annoying, but she could really kick some butt. When they fought the Macrobots, I was waiting for her to take one down like Karnak would have. Didn’t happen, but she was fearless nonetheless. Keep in mind that this was the kung fu era in comics, so she wasn’t out of place in that regard.

Karen: I thought this issue was well-paced, moving quickly from scene to scene while still giving us a great story. Re-reading it now, I could feel the excitement it generated in me as a kid, the first time I read it! These were really some of the golden years of the Avengers, as far as I’m concerned.


Doug: Agreed – younger readers coming to the Avengers in their current incarnation really have no idea about solid storytelling and well-paced artwork that involves the reader, peeling layer after layer away to expose character development.

Karen: It’s quite painful to see the poor Swordsman in his pity-party. He did get screwed over left and right, though. Jarvis summed it up well when he said, “Everything he tries to do goes wrong, somehow!”

This is appropriate of nothing, and sort of embarrassing, but as a kid, I always thought Mantis looked a bit like a hula dancer. I guess her skirt looked like a grass skirt somehow…even today I’m not sure what her costume is made of or supposed to look like.

Sharon: I was surprised at Mantis’ costume; her hips were often totally exposed. In some issues you can see the colorist colors her hips green (to give the appearance that she’s wearing something under the skirt, I suppose) but it’s a pretty daring costume. Well, by 1974 the Code was passé and essentially ineffective—it was still around but comics publishers just ignored it.

Doug: It’s funny you bring this up, as it had never really occurred to me as a kid. However, upon reading these comments, I immediately thought of Alex Ross’ portrayal of Wonder Woman in Kingdom Come – she is shown wearing a VERY split skirt, with her hips fully visible. In effect, the Amazon Princess is wearing a thong!

Karen: The split skirt is actually still a lot more modest than the “butt floss” some of the female characters wear today –and I’m looking at you, Ed Benes’ Wonder Woman!!

Doug: I have often been confused about the different personages of Kang. Englehart did a pretty good job of explaining the Kang/Rama-tut relationship, although I did read it three times just to be sure I had it. I’ll be honest – when I read Avengers Forever, I didn’t really get it. I have only read it as it was available on a monthly basis – I have the tpb and need to read it all in one sitting or at least over a couple of days.

Overall the story got off to a nice start. The Celestial Madonna mystery was not carried out too long, and reached a predictable conclusion (hey, did you really think Kang was going to get it on with Agatha???).

Karen: This still makes no sense to me: why would Kang take Agatha Harkness? Surely the elderly sorceress was far past her childbearing years.

Doug: Ah, but so were Sara and Abraham – this wouldn’t have been the only Bible allusion in comics had Englehart chosen that path to explore…

Karen: OK, possible…but icky!

Doug: I absolutely loved the cat-fighting between Mantis and Wanda when they were in the test tubes, and knowing how the story progresses it was nice foreshadowing. The Swordsman’s death was done with dignity, and left a nice sort of “new direction” for the coming issues. But don’t get me going on the Cotati…

Karen: The squabbling over the Vision by Wanda and Mantis seemed particularly adult for the time (although pretty commonplace now). It’s even more interesting when you realize that this was Englehart’s original purpose in bringing Mantis into the team: she was going to be the tramp who came on to all the guys and got the team discombobulated! But I think he grew to love the character so much he really couldn’t go the whole way with that idea.

Sharon: Wanda and Mantis’ bickering had me scratching my head. Was Wanda, a veteran Avenger, really so insecure that she would engage in this at such a time? Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; Englehart on previous occasions had shown her to be emotional, needy and insecure about her relationship with the Vision (one of the points of this arc). I remember being stunned in an earlier issue (vs. Klaw) when she argued with Vision at an equally inopportune time…plus at that time she basically prevented Vision from helping T’Challa. Talk about selfish! And based on the letters of the time (the published ones, anyway), the hostility between Mantis and Wanda was a hit with fans. But I cringed at Englehart’s constant use of “my man”, just as I cringed at the use of “Sword” (as we mentioned earlier). It just sounded strange.

Doug: Do you suppose this was a natural evolution in Wanda’s personality due in large part to the absence of Pietro since he’d left to be rehabbed (seduced) by Crystal? She was somewhat like a browbeat wife whenever her brother was around. Maybe this was her way of asserting herself. While I agree the timing seemed off, this could have been a potential plotline Englehart never finished.

Karen: I do think that Englehart was trying to present a more ‘liberated’, stronger Wanda. But in reading her, she does come off as very needy and insecure.

Sharon: I also noticed that Englehart tends to rely on a lot of expository, authorial captions to tell his story, much more than Roy or Stan ever did. Just one example is when he explains to the readers that Hawkeye and Swordsman have had reason in the past to dislike the Vision, but that is “now forgotten” or some such thing. I guess this is simply how Englehart liked to tell his story, but I have always found it annoying and unnecessary. I’m not familiar enough with other Bronze Age scripters to know if this was the norm back then, or just something Englehart liked to do.

Karen: The Swordsman’s somewhat addled enthusiasm for being an Avenger – I loved his little “Avengers Assemble!” thought balloon on page 17 – shows how desperate the man was to feel important and most of all, not a failure. Being a member of the most powerful superhero team on the planet should help boost one’s ego, but it always seemed he never felt he deserved to be there – and maybe he didn’t! There have been a lot of Avengers over the years, and not all were as successful as others. In retrospect, do you consider him to be a legitimate Avenger?

Sharon: Yes. He tried to fit in, and was eager to redeem himself. Once he was part of the team (for real) he contributed as best he could.

Doug: I consider him an Avenger, and was very excited during the Gatherers storyline (which as I’ve said before I did not overall care for) when it looked like he would be back. I only regret that it wasn’t him, although his character was somewhat similar.

Karen: I also consider him a legitimate member of the team – I’ll always give him an A for effort! The poor guy tried so hard. Ultimately, he did succeed at being a hero.
The fight between the Thor-powered Macrobot and the rest of the Avengers was another example of how, during Englehart’s tenure, we got to see just how incredibly powerful Thor really was. Thor finally felt like the Superman of the Avengers. Of course, this ultimately led to him leaving the group, after Moondragon kept bugging him about it.
OK, I have to say I am absolutely stunned by Wanda’s summoning of that meteorite. I didn’t remember that at all! Isn’t that a Phoenix-level stunt? That alone puts her way into the top ranks of power. Of course, the problem is, they always made Wanda’s powers so inconsistent that the next thing you know, she’d have trouble getting away from somebody like the Toad…

Sharon: When I first started reading Marvel, I considered Wanda’s powers to be similar to Chemical King’s: she could speed up, slow down, or cause chemical reactions or processes, which would then lead to a myriad of effects. (A reader in the early days of the Kooky Quartet suggested this, in a letter column, and it made sense to me.) I disliked it when Wanda’s powers later on became more “mystical” and when she sometimes referred to her powers as “spells” (they weren’t!) Making a “chair walk like a man” (in an earlier issue, under Agatha’s tutelage) was ridiculous and a perversion of her power. But it was apparent by this time Marvel wanted to increase her powers. Changing the course of a meteor I could just about buy (reluctantly), because it fits into the Marvel thesis that her power “alters probability” (though not reality, as Bendis would have us believe).

Doug: I’m still wondering why, in Avengers #153 Wanda is shown flying – both ascending and descending. In addition, she is shown transmuting concrete to water to “cushion her fall”. Your Chemical King analogy is most appropriate here, and it is a mystery as to why there was the sudden interest in changing her powers. Do you suppose her powers as they were originally conceived were an amped-up version of the Black Cat’s bad luck powers?

Karen: Cockrum’s work on the two-page spread, showing time itself unraveling, was just breath-taking. The man knew how to tell a story! And of course, the little skull in Swordy’s eye pretty much let you know what was coming.

Sharon: I did like Cockrum’s work here, very much. The death skull in the Swordsman’s eye was very chilling and effective. The two-page spread was a great example of things comics can do that no other medium can.

Karen: Despite the fact that the Swordsman was indeed something of a loser, his death was very affecting. He tried so hard to live up to heroic standards, yet life seemed to be against him. His sacrifice for Mantis, despite her rejection of him, was moving. He may not have been a great Avenger, but in the end he was someone I think the average person could relate to. Englehart really did an outstanding job with this character, in taking a nobody and making the reader empathize with him so.

Sharon: I have no problem with the ending, and the Swordsman’s death; it was touching, tragic. But again, I had to force myself to believe this played out this way because in his appearances prior to hooking up with Mantis, he’d been portrayed as a self-confident, swaggering sort of fellow (and not as down to earth as, say, Hawkeye; the Swordsman always had an haughty arrogance about him). I mean, look at him in #19 and #20…he comes across as resourceful and confident and he looks like Tony Stark! He’s snobby and disdainful of Hawkeye in #65. Look, I know people can change, especially when they’ve hit rock bottom; but I felt the premise of him being such a loser was hard to swallow. I guess as a reader I could have done a better job ignoring his previous incarnations. Still, despite my misgivings about his characterization, the story and his death were effective.

Doug: The points you each raise only solidify why the Avengers have been the greatest team in comics – here we see the Swordsman redeem himself not only as a member of the team, but as a man as well. In his sacrificial act, he dies a hero and a devoted lover to Mantis. His circle becomes complete.

The Secret Empire, part 4: Captain America 176

Captain America #176 (1974)

Book examined:
Captain America and the Falcon #176 (August 1974)

Doug: A nice recap of Steve Rogers beginnings as Captain America. However, didn't Dr. Reinstein (lame!) used to be called Dr. Erskine? When was it changed?

Karen: I had the same thought. Also, was Cap's comment about being Manhattan-born new also?
Sharon: Probably just a mistake...as you're suggesting. ADDENDUM: Apparently this is explained away in Cap #255 (and has become canon)...it's revealed that at some point Erskine(who was believed to have died in an accident) adopted Reinstein as his "code name."

Doug: On page three, after Rogers is approached about participating in the experiment, what's the deal with going to the top-secret facility with the army officer in full uniform??? No wonder the Nazi agent was present! Duh! Do you have a hard time reconciling that Cap was between the ages of 18-22 during the war? While I certainly know that would have been the ages of our GI's, I just picture Cap as being older...

Karen: I feel the same way about Superman, probably since I grew up with George Reeves in reruns.

Sharon: Yes, I always thought of him as 30ish (but if he took the serum when he was in the Army, a younger age makes sense). But it was a shock in one of these issues when he comments he looks like a 20 year old college student. Would Wanda (in the early Kooky Quartet days) really have been attracted to someone who looked like a 20 year old? How old was she supposed to be?

Doug: The 2-page spread is nice, but don't you think there's a lot of wasted space there? I understand the drama of the waterfall-motif, but it could have been done just as nicely (better) on one page. We don't see sideways pages until Byrne's FF #252, but that page lay-out would have worked here.

Sharon: I thought of Steranko when I saw this. Steranko did stuff like that (cascading figures against a white background, with protagonist in the foreground). Sal's work is probably better served when he uses a more conventional approach.

Doug: Thor is definitely in character with his rationale for Cap to stay Cap -- for the glory!
Iron Man's advice, strangely enough given his modern position, is all about the obligations of heroes. Cap's defeatism plays right into Sharon's complaints about solo-Cap -- woe is me! I wonder what IM would have said next, had Falc and Sharon and Peggy Carter not burst in.

Karen: Iron Man seems to be playing the "with great power comes great responsibility" card. I thought it fit the character then, and yes, oddly, it still does! After all, despite all the things Stark has done, he thinks he did them for the greater good! I was also taken by Cap's whiny comments, about being taken for granted and how quickly people turned on him. Why is he a hero? To bask in the glow of public admiration, or to help people?

Sharon: I like the various characters' viewpoints expressed about heroism, America, duty, etc.

Doug: The Falcon recap is good. Really a nice air about the stories related -- happy times.

Karen: Falc comes off as a much more responsible guy than Cap!

Sharon: A nice interlude. Reading this arc has really made me appreciate Sam more; he's a loyal friend to Steve and interacts well with other characters like T'Challa and Peggy.

Doug: Peggy Carter would be around 53-54 in this story. Do you think she's drawn to look a little older than that? Is this for the contrast with Sharon?

Karen: Every scene with Peggy makes me cringe. I think in 177 or 178 Cap finally tells her they can't be together - but he still doesn't reveal he's Steve Rogers! Just terrible.

Sharon: She does look older...I don't have these issues in color, was her hair color changed, to be darker, in the issues after her reappearance? This sub-plot is poorly handled...Peggy is deluded and is treated as a joke; and Steve and Sharon seem cruel. I always thought Cap had more depth to him...this "predicament" just makes him seem superficial. And I love how he basically abandons both Sharon and Peggy in the preceding issues.

Doug: Englehart hits the homerun of the series with the panel at the bottom of page 15: "So when people the world over look at me -- which America am I supposed to symbolize?" Good stuff -- definitely food for thought! I also think the conclusion, while certainly giving the creators a new direction for the book and its characters, serves to show just how bad America had become -- when its enduring symbol (next to the flag and the eagle) wants no further part of it, it's bad. Bravo to Englehart for testing these waters. While not a new concept, he did stretch it out over the next several months.

Karen: While Cap's disillusionment with the government is understandable, his reactions still come off a bit whiny to me. I'm not sure if he's more upset about the smear campaign, or his government selling out. But in general, his feelings of not knowing what America stands for, and by extension, what he stands for, are certainly to be expected.

Sharon: Agreed. How exciting it must have been for SE, to have such a forum- -and apparently a lot of creative freedom- -for his ideas/opinions about life, heroism, our country, etc. I will always remember what Denny O'Neil said (about his GL/GA series); he considered his work worthwhile if his stories could reach that "bright 12 year old" out there (and inspire that 12 year old to think about things).

Doug: Englehart really pats himself on the back in the Back Issue #20 interview -- specifically for #176 and its lack of action. He claims that had not been done before -- I find that hard to believe. And, if you consider the flashback sequences, there is certainly superhero action in the tale.

Sharon: Hmmm....I find it hard to believe, too. The first thing that came to mind was the famous FF #51, "This Man, This Monster." There's no battle in that issue...in fact, the FF don't use their powers at all, except for Johnny; he's in a coffee shop showing someone he can make his thumb "flame on" (like a cigarette lighter, I guess). This is the issue in which a mad scientist takes over Ben's body and he and Reed become trapped in the Negative Zone, and the mad scientist saves Reed. The mad scientist is certainly not physically fighting the FF. This story came out in, what, 1966? How could Englehart not have known of this celebrated story, which was heralded as being so different for a superhero action book?
Then there are issues (among others I'm sure) such as FF #68 and X-Men #60; neither contained traditional, action-filled "battles"...these issues were made up of a lot of small, non-fighting scenes.
And surely Englehart was familiar with Cap #112 (1969)? The story opens with Cap presumed dead; so Iron Man reminisces about Cap. (And as Doug said about #176, in #112 the flashbacks contain the action sequences.). There must be other such "action-less" stories, too; but this is what came to mind. So to me, Englehart's assertion comes off as somewhat egotistical.
(Slightly related: a great Legion story from the Silver Age centers on several Legionnaires preparing to die--they've been poisoned--only one of them, Karate Kid, is shown in action, he wants to go down fighting...the rest of them want to spend their final moments in a different fashion and are not battling villains. A wonderful, contemplative story, and one that did not depend on a typical hero-villain slugfest to capture the reader's attention).

Karen: I looked at some of the later letter columns and found a few interesting letters. Some folks questioned the events of ish 173, particularly the whole trip to Nashville. Apparently there were problems with that after the plot was developed. Originally it was supposed to be Dallas, and then was changed to Nashville, but it was after the art was done. Marvel at least acknowledged the confusion.One writer, Peter Cucich, questions Cap's reaction to being questioned by the public. "Why shouldn't the public question the motives of "heroes"? If the American people had their present crisis of confidence earlier, we might not have a fugitive in the White House!"Another comment reminded me that thirty years later, things haven't changed much. Another writer said, "The American people are content to sit back and listen to Pete Hamill OR William F. Buckley rather than think for themselves.”

Sharon: Boy, I wish I had been reading this back then. What a shock it would have been for a young reader, to see how Watergate infected even a stalwart like Captain America! I have a copy one issue (#175), but I think I'll buy some more of these back issues...I'd really like to see what the reader reaction was. (Or maybe I'll get the dvd-rom.)

The Secret Empire, part 3:Capt. America 172-175

Captain America and Falcon #172 (1974)

Books examined:

Captain America and the Falcon #172-175 (April-July 1974 issues)

Doug: Nice splash page to #172 – straight-forward camera angle, but nice figure work nonetheless.

Karen: What really struck me while reading this part is that the arrival of the X-Men seems forced. There was really no need to incorporate them into the story, as far as I can tell. Not that I mind, as I enjoy their appearances. I think Doug already mentioned that this may have been an attempt to stir up some interest in the team before bringing the X-Men back in their own book.

Sharon: Yes, I agree…it was forced…and probably done to drum up interest.

Doug: Well-choreographed fight scene on pp. 4-5; not sure the baddie would know the name of Falc’s bird-friend.

Karen: It’s interesting that Moonstone is drawn as sort of large and hulking, and with his mask off, looks almost cavemanish, yet when he talks, he’s really quite intelligent. I thought it was funny that the members of the Sanitation Squad were bemoaning how Moonstone treats them as menials –“They’re all like that now, nothing but ego and power hunger!” It must be hard being a professional henchman!

Doug: Excellent! I thought the trek to Nashville was somewhat contrived – to me, a good mystery should be a challenge, and unless I’m just dense I didn’t see Nashville coming.

Karen: OK, how the heck does Cap figure out to go to Nashville?! Because Moonstone mentions country music and there are moonrocks in Nashville? What? O-Kay…

Doug: Cap’s deduction scene was totally ridiculous.

Sharon: So I was not alone in sensing that this was purely out-of-the-blue.

Doug: Hitchhiker scene was kind of weird.

Sharon: Yes, from what I see there is no pay off to the hitchhiker scene, right? The driver does not reappear later? The length of this scene is silly!

Doug: Sharon, you’ve commented on Steve Rogers’ angst – one of the things that sticks in my mind about this era is his lack of funds. He seems like he truly belongs in a flophouse at times. They couldn’t find bus fare??

Sharon: Right...I mean, I know Marvel prided itself on “realistic” heroes but this was silly. Cap is supposed to be a responsible person, not an ill-prepared fool.

Doug: Sharon, I saw your comment about Cap’s Avengers stipend and Sam’s salary as a social worker – too true, and certainly an overlook by the creators. It just created an unnecessary scene. They could have had the same scene/emotions on a bus or train. Too, Cap couldn’t borrow a quinjet? I know Iron Man had met with Falc earlier, but still…

The footnote in CA/F #172 (April 1974) said that Banshee (who, as Karen noted was really ugly in this book -- I likened him to the Grinch here!!) last appeared in X-Men #60. That book cover dates to Sept. 1969. The license on a copyright or trademark generally expires in 7 years, so it would have been around five years when he appeared in CA/F. However, X-Men #76 (June 1972) actually reprints Banshee's first appearance from X-Men #28. In addition, GS X-Men #1 cover dates to May 1975. Perhaps my posit about the CA/F issue being a try-out is not too far off the mark, either.

I mentioned that the X-Men were perhaps on the newsstands in their blue/yellow at the time of CA/F #172. The last X-Men reprint issue in which they wore those togs was X-Men #84 in February 1974. So I was close.

Sharon: Yep…

Karen: I love how Cap, Falc, and Banshee are all running around Nashville in overcoats, with their uniform boots sticking out! Gee, that’s inconspicuous!

Sharon: Idiotic! I really find this sort of writing sloppy/rushed.

Doug: Agreed – I thought this but forgot to mention it earlier. Likewise, I always wondered how Spidey’s shirt never showed through any of the street clothes he wore. Or why Superman’s cape never bunched up under his clothes.

Sharon: About Spidey : when Romita Sr. took over as Spidey penciler, he tried to draw Peter in turtlenecks and long sleeves as much as possible, even if other characters were wearing more seasonal attire. Stan questioned this. Romita said it was more realistic considering Peter wore his Spidey suit underneath and so he'd naturally want to cover it up a much as possible. And you know, someone like Batgirl was puzzling to me --she wore miniskirts in the late 60s and early 70s as Barbara Gordon--she couldn't have possibly worn her Batgirl costume underneath her regular clothes.

Interesting that we all saw the Nashville deduction/hitchiking scenes as a flaw. It just seemed like a pointless scene...one that would have been much more at home in today's decompressed books!

Doug: Evolution of the Falcon – in the first 2-3 issues after he gets his wings, he comments several times how he has to get a start before he can “glide” – jump out of a window, off a lamppost (wasn’t that VERY strange??). However, by the end of this set of issues, Sam’s taking off from the ground, changing directions in the air – essentially flying!

Karen: I didn’t realize that originally the Falcon’s wings could only allow him to glide, not really fly.

Sharon: Neither did I.

Karen: What the hell good is that? Are you telling me that the Panther couldn’t come up with anything better than that?

Sharon: I know, that was my feeling too…after that big trip to Wakanda, that’s all Sam got??

Karen: Thankfully, it seems he transitioned into full-fledged flight eventually.

Doug: Englehart did a good job portraying Banshee’s sonic scream, specifically that while in flight he couldn’t talk.
The splash to #173 again has some nice figure work and show’s Sal’s dynamic pencils. Throughout this story I do not care for Marvel Girl’s pointed mask with the “undergrad” costume (and when did hers show all the cleavage?) – the form-fitting cowl is what I associate with this look.

Sharon: In the early days of the X-Men, with the old uniforms, it seemed her face gear was constantly changing…cowl to mask and back and forth…I guess it depended on what the artist (Kirby, Toth, Roth/Heck) felt like drawing…

Doug: In #173, would it be too stereotypical of me to assume that the black agent with SHIELD is Gabe Jones? Because if he is, that doesn’t really jibe with Gabe’s explanation of his infiltration of the Secret Empire as related in #175.

Karen: What about Englehart and his jive talk – it really is painful. And Falcon’s calling Marvel Girl “Marvel Mama” is really one of the worst! It’s kind of funny and kind of disturbing all at the same time.

Doug: Yeah, Karen – Falc really said “Marvel Mama”. Honkeys shouldn’t write ebonics…

Sharon: Ridiculous. I know Englehart was considered a “new” kind of writer, and I give him credit for his themes, but his dialogue has always seemed to me to be self-conscious.

Doug: This is definitely one aspect of the story that does not hold up.

Karen: We see a common mistake involving Cyclops and his eye beams here, as he uses his beams to ignite the ground cover. Why people at Marvel could not keep it straight that his beams were force beams, not fire beams, is beyond me.

Sharon: Again, sloppy. Englehart didn’t do his research.
Doug: Editors??

Doug: The infiltration of Brand was kind of fun – reminded me of Avengers #141-144.

Karen: yeah, I noticed the Brand Corporation – introduced (I believe) in the Beast stories by Englehart in Amazing Adventures, and later seen in the Serpent Crown story as Doug said.
Karen: Cap’s situation with Peggy Carter always seemed very cruel to me. Why did he let it drag on with her? That’s another example of how Cap differs in his own book from the rock-steady, responsible Cap of Avengers.

Sharon: Yes, I’m glad you mentioned Peggy. I was appalled at her role during this time. What are we to conclude, that Cap is that superficial? I thought the way this situation was handled in Subby #8 (with the normally aging Betty Dean) really conveyed the poignancy of such a situation, with much more class. I mean, Peggy is treated like a joke throughout. Why wouldn’t Cap address it, except to whisper to Sharon? And Sharon C had the balls to fall for someone she knows her sister knew? At the conclusion of this arc I’ll probably have more to say about this.

Doug: Peggy is so fawning over Cap, like she is just some sort of drone. Sharon is portrayed as the obvious choice for Cap. Very superficial, as the only thing Sharon would have over Peggy is looks – Cap and Peggy have a shared life, so much more in common.

Thanks again to Shiryu for the bootlegs he sent me: I had no idea that the Secret Empire had appeared before in Tales to Astonish. I looked up the issues, just to take a look-see. I didn’t read the stories. Like in the flashback that Gabe Jones relates to Cap in #175, the SE appeared first in the Hulk side of the magazine, then in the Sub-Mariner side. Their hoods were read with what looked like heavy black eyeglasses drawn onto the hoods. The design in these Cap issues was much better looking.

How about the ugly rocket that the X-Men were flying at the end of #173? Thank goodness the Blackbird came along later (although they seemed to total it every other issue there for awhile in the All-New, All-Different X-Men!).

Since this was a re-read for me, I had a really hard time picturing Richard Nixon as Number 1. I know Nixon was somewhat of a megalomaniac, certainly corrupt, etc. But the language, expressions, physique, etc. just never screamed “Tricky Dick” to me. Even in the last scene when Cap rips his hood off, I couldn’t find it believable that it would be Nixon upon whom Cap gazed.

Karen: Cap’s speech early in the issue really stuck with me. It seems so applicable to current times – maybe all times: “I’ve seen the big lie technique – say something loud enough, often enough, and it’ll sound like the truth. But I considered it a tool of totalitarian governments and not possible here in America.”
While some of this story seems hokey today, I do appreciate how Englehart works to show how Cap is struggling with his changing perceptions of America and especially his government. It may not seem like anything earth-shattering today, but I think for its time it really was special.

Captain America and Falcon #175 (1974)

Doug: Agreed – this would be done much better today by authors who would take more care with the details, making it a little more believable, etc. But thematically, Englehart was really cutting edge with this story. It doesn’t get the attention that the Superman story with JFK gets, but perhaps it should. I suppose because it was never directly stated that Number 1 was Nixon leaves it off any great “true political story” type of list.

Karen: Another thing: Why would the Secret Empire use the word ‘salaam’? It’s Arabic for peace! That makes no sense to me.

Sharon: Yes…I guess they had no fact checkers back then and no one questioned any foreign terms/phrases used by the writers.

Doug: Editors????

Karen: I’m a bit confused regarding who Number One really was supposed to be. I had always thought, and read, that he was supposed to be Nixon, but he calls Watergate “fortuitous”.

Sharon: Maybe the writer was using fortuitous in its real, original sense, meaning “by chance”–and not (as most people use it today) to mean “fortunate." Though I doubt Englehart knows the word’s shades of meaning.

Karen: Was he really supposed to be the disgraced President, or was that a later thought?

Sharon: Like you and Doug say, the reader has to “assume” it’s Nixon…honestly, if I’d read this back in ’74, I might not have made the connection immediately (except for the White House bit).

Doug: It was interesting that Xavier could communicate telepathically with Falc but not Cap.

Sharon: This is absurd. In the 60s, Xavier was shown to have communicated with anyone telepathically.

Doug: Falc’s question about whether or not he might be a mutant caught me off-guard; I’m sure, unlike Xavier suggested, that it was not further discussed.

Karen: I’m unsure as to whether it was ever resolved if Falc was really a mutant or not. I guess I could dig out my OHOTMU books, but I’m too lazy!

Doug: Do you suppose they intended to come back to the Falcon’s question about whether or not he was a mutant?
I thought the 2-page splash of the captured mutants was less-than-inspired art by Sal – very disappointing given his strength throughout this series. George Perez did wonders for the Beast, did he not??

Sharon: Sal drew the last issue of X-Men #66, the last issue before the cancellation…he did a wonderful job in #66, IMO (inked by Grainger). In #66, Sal displayed a real facility with the characters…I was soooo disappointed when I read in #66’s letter column that this was the last issue!

Karen: I noticed that Prof. X explains the possible costume gaffe of Cyclops and Marvel Girl wearing their older costumes. It seems like this was just written in to cover a mistake.

Sharon: That was my feeling, too; that Cyke and MG were drawn in their old costumes by mistake. So pains were taken to “explain” it away.

Doug: I guess I missed the explanation – Angel was in his old costume, too. In one panel he was shown in a cowl, but in another his blond hair was exposed.

Karen: On a side note, the comics had ads for those bronze Spidey, Hulk, and Conan medallions that I always wanted but never got. Maybe I should check E-Bay!

Doug: Can you even imagine trying to land a flying saucer in the middle of DC? Have you been there lately, with the snipers visible atop the White House and the Capitol? Anti-aircraft fire would take any unidentified vehicle right out of the sky.

Karen: I love the homage to the classic film “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, with the SE flying saucer landing on the White House lawn. Funny, you just don’t hear the term “flying saucer” much any more, but I recall as a kid in the 70s, flying saucers and UFOs were still pretty popular.
There’s an ad in here for a comic that I don’t think ever appeared. It’s Giant-Size Superteams #1, featuring the Defenders. I’ll have to look this one up!

Doug: I am pretty sure that magazine never existed. Sounds like a DC title! Sal redeemed himself for the lame X-Men group shot with the killer splash of Cap taking out Moonstone, right through a tree!

I wonder, if I’d been high school or college-aged when this story first appeared, how I’d have reacted to it? There’s really no doubt that it was Richard Nixon who was Number 1. Given that this was near the height of the Watergate scandal, I wonder how the story was received? Karen, since you have the Cap DVD-ROM, could you look up some of the letters pages from issues 177-79 and let us know what the readership’s comments were?

Sharon: Yes…Nixon resigned some months later in the summer 1974…

Karen: So the implication at the end is that Number One was indeed the President. His lust for power leads to his destruction, much as it was Nixon’s downfall in the real world, although thankfully he didn’t kill himself. I was too young when I first read these stories to really appreciate them. But today I can see how what Englehart was doing was really controversial and challenged a lot of people’s beliefs.
Sharon: Yes, I commend him-SE- for ambition and ideas. But the execution is something else…

Doug: Agreed.

Karen: He brought real-world politics into comics. While that seems common place now, what with Civil War practically lifting all its concepts from current events, it certainly was ground-breaking in 1974. I was planning to look at those letters pages Doug! I’ll let you both know what I find.

Doug: As a superhero story there are obviously some cheesy parts to this, but overall it’s pretty good. Lots of action, some intrigue, and pretty good guest-stars. And to think they pulled it off without a truly major villain. I thought they did a good job of leaving each issue with a cliffhanger, and the action generally segued well month-to-month.

The change in the Falcon was welcome, although in terms of character development there wasn’t really time to address how Sam now felt in relation to Cap – were they now equals in his eyes?

Secret Empire, Part 2: Captain America #170-171

Captain America and Falcon #170 (1974)

Books examined:
Captain America 170-171


Written by Mike Friedrich over Steve Englehart’s plot. Pencils by Sal Buscema with inks by Vinnie Colletta. Covers by John Romita, Sr.


Doug: Note: As Falcon earns his wings in #171, the cover corner icon changes to reflect such. His costume also changes on the icon, though it is the same in the interiors as it had been in #170. The covers for issues #172-174 (by Gil Kane doing his best 1970’s “up your nose with a rubber hose” faces – “dynamic” was never his shortcoming; noses were!) of the series will pale in comparison to Buscema’s #169 and Romita’s work on #’s 170-171 and 175-176.

Coloring observation: for the tpb, the color reconstructionist should have chosen a different shade of blue for Cap’s eyes to differentiate them from his cowl. It’s kind of annoying. Not sure what the original colors looked like…

Karen: As I write this the day after reading it, I believe the eye color was a lighter blue.

Doug: See, the brightness of the tpb paper isn’t always for the betterment of the story, in my opinion. I just found it distracting – minor, but not a good look.

Moonstone shows up and beats the tar out of Cap, displaying powers ranging from super strength to finger-lasers to flight to invisibility. His origin later is just plain silly (the powers of the Watcher??) – a take on the formulaic “I was holding something and then BAM! it exploded and gave me powers!” situation we’ve seen everywhere from Barry Allen to Don Blake to whoever. I did, however, enjoy the dichotomous perspectives of the origin’s telling. His costume is reminiscent of Lucifer from the Silver Age X-Men, specifically as depicted in “The Origin of Professor X”.

Sharon: Good observation.

Doug: The assembled crowd wildly cheers Moonstone’s defeat of Cap – I’m just not believing that would happen. As a free agent, even with American distrust in the gov’t, I don’t see middle-class men-on-the-street turning on this icon so easily. Do you think that Cap was wrapped in the flag made him easier to drop than other heroes of the day like Elvis Presley, Reggie Jackson, Warren Beatty, or Joe Namath? Do you think this aspect of the story is realistic?

Karen: I do think the public turns on Cap pretty quickly. But then again, during that time, there was so much distrust of authority, and Cap certainly represents authority. The public can be very fickle, and there’s no denying that people love to see a hero fall.

Sharon: I thought it was kind of sudden…but then again, I much prefer this kind of storytelling to today’s (ugh!) decompression. And actually, in previous issues, Peggy Carter did mention the radio commercials, so the situation had been building up for a while.

Doug: The Black Panther/Falcon sequences strike me as odd. Not the giving of Wakandan technology to Sam Wilson – that doesn’t bother me and is believable. I was just overcome by how obnoxious Leila is. Pardon me, but here you are in this marvelous playground, you’ve never probably even been out of Harlem, and all you can do is complain about being bored?? I loved how Leila’s escort, Tanzika, ripped on her slang as well as her uneducated manner. Oh, yes – and the use of the term “fox” was priceless!! I couldn’t even begin to tell you the last time I heard that term or its derivative “foxy”! The year 1974 was near the height of “blaxploitation” films. The Stoneface scenes fit nicely into this homage and the dialogue was just as ridiculous. Richard Roundtree should have rescued Leila!! The scene where T’Challa and Falc first attempt their rescue reminds me of a cop buddy film, like Lethal Weapon. Again formulaic, but necessary to show Sam’s growing mastery of the new equipment and also his growing confidence.

Karen: I disliked Leila as a kid, and she doesn’t come across any better now! She’s just a petulant, selfish child. It also made me wonder why Falcon would be interested in this woman. You know, like that friend of yours that you think is great, but you can’t stand their significant other?

Sharon: From what I’ve seen of her so far (Cap Essentials), Leila really has little in terms of redeeming qualities. She is usually so unpleasant! I too wonder why the Falcon likes her here, other than for physical reasons; but it’s not even like they were having sex (that would have meant revealing his Sam identity to her, and she didn’t know he was Sam, right? This was back in the days when people couldn’t recognize people they knew who just happened to be dressed in skintight costumes, so she didn’t know Sam and Falc were the same guy, correct?)

Doug: As far as I know, Leila didn’t know. But, I haven’t read too many of these books outside of this storyline.

Karen: Reading it now, some of the ‘jive talk’ is just downright painful! I guess it worked at the time (or did it?). As a white kid growing up in southern California, I had only one black friend, and I don’t recall him ever talking like that. Then again, we weren’t living in Harlem!

Doug: Buscema’s splash of the Falcon and his new wings was powerful and exciting – not unlike a pose brother John might have penciled!

Sharon: I love the sheer beauty of John’s work, but Sal’s is just so much more accessible to me.

Captain America and Falcon #171 (1974) 

Doug: Moving into #171, the plot thickened with the jailbreak. The fight scene after Cap awakened from being gassed was well choreographed. I think Sal has sometimes taken a backseat to John in form, storytelling, etc. We’ve discussed the issues of Avengers Sal penciled under Sam Grainger’s inks and how nice they looked. Even though I’m not a Colletta fan overall, there’s just enough of the backgrounds left (you know Vinnie was notorious for erasing details!) to really put some punch (ugh!) in the fight. Cap’s power, speed, and agility shine through. It is funny, however, to see the last three panels in the battle with Cap holding Number 4 by the shirt – Cap just doesn’t look menacing to me here, at least not like Batman would!

Karen: Cap even remarks along the lines that “he doesn’t realize I would never carry out those threats” or something like that. I’m just thinking, who is gonna be afraid of Cap hurting them? You know damn well he’s not going to break your arm or anything like that. Now Batman on the other hand…

Doug: I’m thinking Tony Stark is just too busy of a man to go sit in Sam Wilson’s office and wait for him to return. I’ll give Englehart/Friedrich the benefit of the doubt – since Iron Man and T’Challa had been together in Vermont in Avengers #119, I can assume that T’Challa told him where he was going and what he was doing. Perhaps their communication continued to the end of the Panther’s time with Falc.

The battle with Moonstone to conclude this part of the story was again done simply to show that the Falcon wasn’t ready for the big time yet. Cap really had no chance to show that he’d learned anything from the first Moonstone encounter, as he spent this battle trying to save Sam from splatting all over the alley. That Moonstone dropped him so easily was no surprise, and provided a cliffhanger toward issue #172.

Karen: After I read these three issues, back-to-back-to-back, the first thing that struck me was, it took me about an hour to read three comics!

Sharon: Yes, it took me a while too. And I felt it was a far more satisfying read than anything I get with today’s books, unless I read in tpb form.

Karen: With today’s books, I could read about 7 comics in that time.

Sharon: I can’t even call this reading. I call this “flipping through some pages in a store.”

Karen: We really got so much more exposition, and I think the biggest difference is, we got to read the characters’ thoughts back then. I really wish they would bring back thought balloons, not as Bendis does them, but as a way of revealing inner feelings. I miss that.

Sharon: Me too. I always felt it was an advantage comics had over, say, movies…you could show thoughts in a scene alongside spoken dialogue.

Doug: Thought balloons worked especially well in books with one main character, like Spider-Man. I always think it’s just dumb when a character says something that no one should/would want to hear.

Karen: Quentin Harderman is an interesting villain, certainly an unusual one.

Sharon: Supposed to be a play on Haldeman, right?

Karen: I assume so. The emphasis on business and government corruption is a very different storyline than we normally get in comics. I like how Harderman thinks of the public as “consumers” (when they gather around Moonstone). It’s a different kind of villainy, a far more insidious kind.

Doug: Agreed – not unlike what the Kingpin did to Daredevil when he exposed his identity and ruined his life.

Karen: Cap comes across as much more emotional here, if not downright impetuous at times, than I recall him being in the Avengers. I know we’ve talked about this a little before, how his Avengers persona is different than his solo persona, but I really could feel it in this story.

Sharon: This is what I mean! I simply cannot reconcile the solid, stolid Cap in the Avengers with this wimp as portrayed in his own feature (not just in Secret Empire, but in the preceding Cap issues I’ve read via the Essentials)… he is so emotional, needy and insecure. And his attitude toward Sharon Carter—forcing her to quit SHIELD (in an earlier issue)—and Sam—constantly questioning their partnership…well, it’s so contrary to the Cap I was used to for years in the Avengers. Granted, back then the Avengers book was not the place to show character development or the innermost personal thoughts for the Big Three (because they had their own mags), but even in the Avengers, IM flashed his sense of humor and Thor his air of divinity…Cap just seems like a different person. (I know in the early days of the original Avengers and with the Kooky Quartet, he questioned his place in today’s world, but this was not an issue after, say, 1968 or so, in the Avengers at least…he seemed very together and secure).

Doug: Do you think Cap played not necessarily himself, but a role on the Avengers? Do you think his various scribes (Stan, Friedrich, Englehart, etc.) chose to use the solo book to explore the man and not the mythos?

Karen: But he’d also just come off some big stuff in his book, like defeating the insane 50s Cap, so I suppose he had a lot to deal with. I think maybe Englehart just tends to write his heroes a bit more emotional than a lot of other writers (like his take on the Vision for example).

Sharon: IMO, it wasn’t just Englehart writing him like this…as I’ve mentioned in some prior emails, Cap in his own book seemed to be pretty much an emotional wreck for a while, stretching back to when Stan was writing him.

Doug: I don’t like the feeling when I wake up and can’t remember what day it is – I can’t even comprehend what it would be like to be “Rip van Winkle”!

Sharon: It’s like in every other issue, Cap wanted to renounce his identity (so “Steve Rogers could live!”), or was bemoaning that he had no friends (hello? What about Hawkeye, for one? ), and supposedly, he had no real life...so it's like, he didn’t want to live in Avengers Mansion and preferred a seedy hotel room instead? Why?

Doug: Do you suppose in some way he didn’t feel worthy? Even after his WWII experiences, he perhaps still thought of himself as the guy with the humble background – wanted to do well but wasn’t qualified. Also, given that Rogers chosen vocation was artist, do you suppose that attraction to the arts made him a more passionate/emotional person?)

Sharon: He wanted Sharon Carter to give up her career (and he succeeded, at least during this timeframe), plus he was constantly questioning his partnership with Sam. This was not the Avengers stalwart I’d grown up with. This portrayal of Cap was so at odds with how he appeared in (one example) the Kree-Skrull War, where he was calm and in charge and allaying everyone else’s fears.

Doug: As you say, it was a war. Cap is at home in that environment – it’s who the mask and shield are.

Karen: I enjoyed the Sal Buscema art; I thought (and still think) it suited the book. Just good solid storytelling.

Sharon: I agree, he’s such a solid artist…generally does pretty good characters (a great Black Panther IMO) and as you’ve noted, his storytelling skills are great. He is a good example of someone who doesn’t just draw pretty pictures for effect; he moves a story along at a pace that really engages the reader (well, me anyway! )

Doug: I really enjoyed his Marvel Team-Ups!

Sharon: The only thing that bothered me was his overuse of the “character’s hand on someone else’s shoulder” pose…but maybe if I’d read these issues singly (instead of in a couple of sittings), I wouldn’t have noticed the frequent use of this pose.
I think these three issues contain a good blend of a provocative story and solid artwork, even if the plot contained some contrivances and the message was somewhat heavy-handed.

Doug: As I said, a little decompression might have been a good thing.

Sharon: To me this storyline so far seems like a culmination of several years’ worth of Cap stories…he’s always questioned his pertinence in a modern, changing society (see the famous Gene Colan illustrated sequence that opens Cap #122), and like America, he’s gone through several changes himself (as mentioned, an Easy Rider stage; he’s “died” on previous occasions, etc.). The questioning of his existence, what he stands for, the deaths and resurrections, the rises and falls--yes, even his relationships with his allies--have always been a part of the Cap character (and continue to this day)…I guess these ebbs and flows mirror America’s. Englehart daringly tied Cap’s situation to real events, but I think the basic elements were always present.

Doug: Here are the notes from Englehart’s website, concerning not only these issues but the entire arc. Here is the link to the actual site:

http://www.steveenglehart.com/Comics/CaptainAmerica169-176.html


NOTES:
169-171: Mike Friedrich scripted the second half of the first issue and all of the next two from my plots; I was moving to California.
173: The X-Men - still guest stars without a book of their own.
175: People often ask if Marvel hassled me for the political vibe in this series and others, and the honest answer is that they almost never did. It was a wonderful place to be creative. Here, I intended to say the President was Nixon, but wasn't sure if Marvel would allow it and so censored myself - probably unnecessarily.
176: An equally daring issue in a different way: there was no action at all. Steve Rogers broods on the roof of Avengers Mansion and various heroes come talk to him about his decision. But the emotional content was intense.