Marvel Team-Up Prototypes: Girl Trouble, Part 2

Spider-Man #86 (1970) 

Amazing Spider-Man #86 (July 1970)

Stan Lee/John Romita/Jim Mooney

“Beware… the Black Widow!”

Doug: So, after two years’ time, how would Spidey handle a battle with another femme fatale? About the same, as far as my assessment goes. Like ASM #62 was a test-market for a Medusa or Inhumans series, this issue really serves as a vehicle to launch Madame Natasha in a solo series (inaccurately billed as “Amazing Tales” at the end of the story) of her own.

Karen: Yup, there’s an unabashed plug for her new series right in the story. Who says it wasn’t the Mighty Marvel Age of Marketing?

Doug: I really don’t care for the cover of this book. Spidey doesn’t look his usual self; he’s somewhat awkward. Additionally, while the figure work on the silhouette is fine, doesn’t it look like Marvel Girl? The mini-skirt, the belt… I’m not opposed to throwing the reader off; it’s just what it looks like to me.

Sharon: It sure doesn’t look like Natasha…perhaps when he did the cover, Romita hadn’t yet settled on a costume design for the Widow?

Karen: That shadow actually reminds me of the non-powered Wonder Woman outfit.

Doug: Stan and John give us a nice recap of Natasha’s career, but not possessing all of Marvel’s Silver Age books, I’m left to wonder when exactly she dropped off the radar. I know her appearances in the pages of the Avengers had become sporadic as the 1960’s wore on, but judging by Stan’s words she’d pretty much dropped out of sight superhero-wise. Her original costume looks so dated in the first pages of this story – it needed an update whether she was going to be a full-timer or part-timer anyway.

Sharon: I always liked her original costume, but I wonder if the costume was changed in part because Marvel felt it was too similar to DC's Black Canary, who was then enjoying a renaissance—she’d came over to the Justice League in 1969 (and she was just about to become a prominent player in the ground breaking GL/GA book). Marvel may have felt they couldn’t compete with DC’s blonde bombshell, so they went the Emma Peel bodysuit route with Natasha.

Karen: Doug, when I read this story I was also puzzled about how much time had passed since Natasha had been seen in the Marvel Universe. I could clearly remember when she broke up with Clint – which was Avengers 76, surprisingly from May 1970, only two months prior to the Spidey story. Before that I think her last previous appearance might have been in Avengers 63-65, in the storyline where Clint became Goliath. But she might have appeared elsewhere in that time period.

Sharon: In real time (release dates of the comics), the events occurred like this: March 1970: Avengers #76 (cover date May 1970) and ASM #85 (cover date June 1970) were released (the Avengers book was then dated two months ahead of the actual release date, though most of Marvel’s monthly books- - including ASM- - were commonly dated three months ahead.). April 1970: Avengers 77 (cover date June 1970) and ASM #86 (cover date July 1970) were released, and in late April Amazing Adventures #1 (cover date August 1970, it’s a bi-monthly mag) was released.

Sharon: So, in little over than two months’ “real time” (March-April 1970): Natasha breaks up with Clint (Avengers #76); fights Spidey (ASM #86); and stars in her own feature (in Amazing Adventures #1). Now obviously, we don’t know how much “Marvel time” elapsed between Avengers #76 and ASM #86, but wow—she must have taken some pretty potent hair growing vitamins in the interim!

Sharon: Karen is correct; the Widow had last appeared in Avengers #63-64 (she did not appear in #65, the last part of that arc), and had also appeared in a Captain Marvel issue that was connected to events in Avengers #63. In these issues, she had long hair for the first time since Avengers #31, but it was still black. All of a sudden, she shows up in ASM #86 with red hair! What's more, in her flashbacks (to her earlier days) she has red hair!
Sharon: About her new look: I have always felt Romita took a visual cue from DC's Batgirl here--the red hair, the sleek black/blue bodysuit--and in future appearances, the yellow costume accoutrements (here in ASM #86, the Widow's belt, bracelets, etc. are white but in future appearances they're colored yellow). In interviews Romita has said he based the Widow's costume on a Golden Age heroine, Miss Fury; but if you take a look at Miss Fury, you'll also see a striking resemblance to the Silver Age Batgirl costume (mask, cape, etc....and plot-wise, also the fact that the Fury and Batgirl costumes were not originally intended to be superhero costumes, but rather created to be worn at masquerade parties by their alter egos).

Sharon: About Natasha’s flashbacks (recounting her history): she (or Stan) gets a lot of her career chronology wrong. She originally started out as a non-costumed, non-powered villainess when she attacked Iron Man in Tales of Suspense in a couple of issues. Several issues later (still in TOS), she met Hawkeye (his debut) and induced him to join her in her crusade against Iron Man. Still later (in TOS #64), she finally starts wearing a costume (supplied by her Communist cohorts), though she adds the finishing touch by designing a mask to look like Hawkeye's (as she puts it).

Sharon: So when she's relating her story, what does she mean by "fate had turned two enemies (she and Hawkeye) into star-crossed lovers?" They were on the same side when they met!

Sharon: Well…I guess I have to ascribe her faulty memory to the literary technique known as "unreliable narration"--she's relating the facts as she believes them or remembers them. After all, no one one's memory is 100% accurate- - right, Stan? ;)

Doug: In my opinion, Stan did a pretty lousy job of writing dialogue for the Widow. As a lifelong Russian, albeit recently living in the States, I thought her speech patterns didn’t fit with how I thought I should “hear” her speak. She seemed too comfortable with American slang and culture. Yes, I know she was a high-caliber spy and would probably be well-versed in such things, but I still thought it didn’t work.

Karen: Unfortunately I have a tendency to hear Natasha’s “voice” too much like that other Natasha, from Bullwinkle!

Sharon: Marvel tries to explain her new speech pattern in an issue of Amazing Adventures; Natasha claims her ease with American English is the result of many hours of Berlitz lessons. But her dialogue in AA, and here in ASM #86, is at odds with her more formal, sophisticated dialogue in her preceding appearances, which were mostly in Tales of Suspense and the Avengers.

Sharon: Back to ASM #86: all of a sudden she’s revealed to be living a life of luxury and wealth? This lifestyle was never hinted at in her prior appearances.
Sharon: The new way of speaking, the new haircolor and costume, and the new angst - -all of a sudden she was preoccupied with her dead husband and worried about a “curse”- - meant she was for all intents and purposes a brand new character…sort of like what DC did a couple of years earlier when they depowered Wonder Woman and her look and manner and personality changed. As mentioned, Diana Rigg’s Emma Peel was hot then, so in the late 1960s a bunch of female characters emerged, who had no real inborn “super” powers and who--like Peel-- relied on superb athletic skills, karate, jiu-jitsu, judo, intelligence, etc. –Batgirl, Diana Prince, Black Canary (sure, she had a silly canary cry but her real forte were her fighting skills), Thorn (of Rose and the Thorn), and- -the Black Widow. A year or two later Marvel would finally create some more female leading characters who were not part of team --the Cat, Shanna, etc., but Natasha could be said to be Marvel’s first in that direction.

Doug: Jazzy Johnny’s art is again stellar, and as I commented in the previous blog, his females are beautiful. If I have one complaint, he really under-exaggerates the Widow’s waist. Wow – is she thin!! It’s been well documented that Romita designed her new costume and it works just great for her. It’s certainly functional for the type of fighter she is and the simplicity of it is a real update from the more elaborate original costume. The scenes involving the supporting cast are rendered with care – they’re not just throwaways. But then, Spider-Man is perhaps the comic magazine with the most well-developed supporting cast, and I think Stan took a lot of pride in keeping them at the fore month to month.

Karen: I have to say that I didn’t enjoy the art in this issue as much as some others, mainly because of the heavy Mooney style. I do think the Widow’s sleek costume is fantastic – simple yet sexy and cool. Here’s a question: is this the first time she was shown with red hair? I think it works for the new costume, although I have to admit I liked her dark hair with her old costume.

Sharon: Yes, ASM #86 is the first time she had the red hair. I too prefer her black hair, but I guess the powers that be felt her black hair wouldn't contrast enough with her new black-blue bodysuit.
Sharon: The credits call Romita and Mooney the "illustrators", but it's a similar set up as we saw in the earlier Medusa issue--Romita did the layouts/breakdowns (and final touch ups where necessary) and Mooney did the finished pencils--and he also the inks. You can really see Mooney's influence in the faces, especially in the innocent, childlike, rounded “Moon” eyes (his trademark)...though to me Natasha's sharper features look to have been fully handled by Romita. In Write Now! #18, regarding his Spider-Man tenure, Mooney states he "mostly did finishes. I penciled some of them, too" and that Romita sometimes did the "tight penciling, sometimes it was the loose penciling, sometimes it was just the breakdowns." And according to an interview he gave in Comic Book Artist #7, Spidey was Mooney’s first Marvel’s assignment (he’d asked Stan for work, fearing his days at DC were numbered with the emergence of Neal Adams’ realistic style—very different from Mooney’s more simplistic style). Mooney stayed on ASM for a couple of years or so. Interesting that Mooney, who was known for his work on teenagers (such as DC’s Supergirl), would come over to Marvel and work on a strip with a largely young cast--a good fit for him!Karen: Did anyone else notice that in the flashback, the Crimson Dynamo looks more like the Titanium Man?

Sharon: The Crimson Dynamo predated Titanium Man, so I would say TM was based on CD! Both were created (visually) by Don Heck, he must have liked that bulky design.

Doug: The battle is again predictable. It’s a pretty typical plot device. What’s interesting to me is that the Widow sought out Spider-Man to prove herself (and come on – as big as Manhattan is and he swings by her just like that??), and although we get to see her in action, we never really know the extent of her abilities (how does she cling to walls?). Perhaps this was editorial’s way of getting the reader to pick up her solo mag. You know, in both the Medusa tale and this one, Spider-Man never really exerts himself against his female antagonizers – no harm done, not even a punch thrown. In fact, the Widow leaves disappointed because Spidey does virtually nothing but flex a little muscle.

Karen: There’s more than a little sexism on display. Even after she attacks him, Spidey offers to “help her down” from the building, since it’s a dangerous place for a girl to be! I know, it was a different time…

Doug: Again, this book could be a precursor to Marvel Team-Up. As the Medusa issue served to launch her solo adventure and test the waters for an Inhumans feature, this issue did the same for a Widow solo series. Perhaps one could argue that forthcoming books like Marvel Spotlight would serve as the launching pad for such series, but one cannot deny the fact that Spider-Man was Marvel’s biggest marketing tool as the Bronze Age dawned, and his selling power could only help burgeoning characters/books.

Karen: Spidey was definitely used to sell books in the 70s; Hulk too. It seems like they were showing up in other character’s books all the time. I would almost bet that every new series started had an appearance by one or the other of them within the first 5 issues published!

Doug: By the way, this story is also reprinted in the 1977 trade paperback The Superhero Women by Stan Lee.

Karen: On a nostalgic note, I recall getting this comic from a neighborhood kid (I traded him some Hot Wheels I think!) a few years after it was published. Since I also got a bunch of Avengers and Fantastic Fours, this issue kind of dropped to the bottom of the reading pile!

Sharon: I was not a regular reader of Spider-Man back then, but I was a fan of the Widow’s from her Avengers appearances (I was a regular reader of the Avengers), so I bought this issue solely because of her. I recall being disappointed—as mentioned, she came across like an entirely new character and not the cool, cerebral Natasha who’d appeared in the Avengers. After a while I grew to like this new Natasha, but I will always have a fondness for the old version, fishnets and all.

Marvel Team-Up Prototypes: Girl Trouble, part 1

Amazing Spider-Man #62 (July 1968)
Stan Lee/John Romita/Don Heck/Mike Esposito
“Make Way For… Medusa!”

Doug: We thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some Amazing Spider-Man issues, and what better way than to explore some stories that led to later Bronze Age-goodness in the pages of Marvel Team-Up. Before the Marvel Age, the company was known for test-marketing concepts in the pages of their less-famous magazines, for trying out characters under other names, or even in slightly different circumstances than what we’d later become used to, etc. In this next series of blogs, we’re going to check out Spidey’s encounters with Medusa, the Black Widow, Quicksilver, and Iceman. This first issue that we’re going to critique is reprinted in Essential Spider-Man Volume 3, the mid-70’s classic from Fireside Books The Super-Hero Women, and The Amazing Spider-Man DVD-ROM (which I used for this reading).

Doug: Before we really get into the meat and potatoes of the story itself, I wanted to highlight a couple of the oddities and/or points of interest included in this issue. My main focus here is the Mighty Marvel Checklist, typically in this period found near the back of the book. ASM #62 spotlights an encounter between our hero and a solo Madame Medusa, and upon closer inspection a youngster in 1968 who liked this story might have felt compelled to run down to the local drug store and snatch Marvel Super-Heroes #15 – also featuring the beautiful Inhuman (and rendered by Gene Colan) – off the spinner rack. Another Inhuman, Triton, guest-starred in Sub-Mariner #3 – could this month have been an overall try-out for the Inhuman series that would later launch in the pages of Amazing Adventures? Also of note is a teaser on this same page for Marvel’s larger-sized The Spectacular Spider-Man B&W magazine. Stan mentions it in his Bullpen Bulletins, and there is also a full-page ad for it a few pages later. This is extra-significant in regard to ASM #62, as one of the foreshadowing plot devices in this issue shows a very disturbed Norman Osborn, who can’t seem to shake images of the Green Goblin and a mysteriously unmasked Spider-Man. This leads directly into Spectacular Spider-Man #2, which was in color and, sadly, was the last issue of the series. By the way, Spectacular Spider-Man #2 predated the famous “drug issues” of Amazing Spider-Man #’s 96-98 and contains a very psychedelic drug scene. One more thing, and I found this to be very funny: in between story pages 18 and 19 is an ad for an 8x10 autographed glossy of The Man himself, “suitable for framing, or pinning on your dart board!” Classic tongue-in-cheek Marvel humor – the ad, though small, has many more laughs. All for a buck plus 25 cents postage and handling…

Karen: Doug, I agree with you regarding this issue (and Sub-Mariner also published that month) as being try-out issues for an Inhumans series. Unfortunately, I just don’t think they have ever worked in their own title. They add some spice to other books they have appeared in, and are a nice addition to the Marvel Universe. But so far I don’t think anyone has made them work. Although they are still trying! We had Inhumans mini-series in 2007, and a Secret Invasion Inhumans book is on the stands as I write this.

Sharon: I agree…the Inhumans seem better suited as guest stars—at least, back in the Silver Age. Apart their visual appeal, they really weren’t very developed as individuals. There were interesting, tragic aspects to Black Bolt (his power, voice, relationship with his brother), but the others were basically ciphers. Triton would be trotted out to appear with Namor. There was the Crystal-Johnny romance that had started off as a Romeo-Juliet sort of thing…but once the physical barrier to Attilan was destroyed, she became assimilated into human society so there was absolutely no tension or interesting angle to their relationship. And there was Lockjaw, an inspired visual creation. But the others were, for the most part, one-dimensional. Medusa’s strong personality did a one-eighty degree turn when she returned to the Inhumans in #45; she became bland and prone to inconsistent handling (as in ASM #62). And Gorgon and Karnak were one-trick ponies. Maximus had the most exciting personality out of the bunch!

Doug: Amazing Spider-Man #62 has a gorgeous cover illustration featuring Spidey in the clutches of Medusa’s tresses. Set on a white background, the image is striking and supports my strong opinion that John Romita can flat-out draw women. His faces are always beautiful, and his proportioning of the female form, unlike today’s fanboys-turned-aritsts, is always practical and tasteful. Don Heck is credited as the “delineator” in this issue, so I guess that makes him the penciller? Nowhere did I really feel like Heck was exerting any of his own influence on Romita, who we should perhaps suppose did the lay-outs? Unlike Heck’s own pencils, which by 1968 had become stiff, his faces very gaunt, Heck seems to give us only a darkening of Romita’s actual roughs (again, I’m only assuming what’s gone on, based on a suggestion by Sharon in a conversation from another time). The only other time that I can recall when Heck seems undetectable on the page is X-Men #64, in which his pencils are buried under Tom Palmer’s inks to the point that the graphics look more like Neal Adams than anything Heck ever produced on his own. In regard to the design of Medusa’s costume, I can’t recall a time before, nor after, where she was drawn in this green/light green outfit.

Sharon: Note how vague the credits are—“Another Titanic Triumph by Smilin’ Stan Lee and Jazzy Johnny Romita.” Here, that means Romita did the rough pencils/layouts--which is tantamount to “plotting”- -hence the co-starring role with editor Stan. Heck, who is credited as the “delineator”, had to fill in (finish) the pencils already laid down by Romita. It became apparent that Romita was no speed demon like Kirby or John Buscema; so Stan had Romita do only the roughs thinking it would help Romita out time-wise (since JR didn’t have to turn in a finished product). But in terms of saving time, it may have been a wash because then Stan would have Romita go over Heck’s work and make corrections- - such as Mary Jane’s face, which had to look a certain way. Mike Esposito supplied the inks, using one of his pen names, “Mickey Demeo”—he also used the name “Joe Gaudioso” on occasion.

Sharon: By the way, by not doing the full pencils, Romita was freed up to do corrections/touch ups on other artists’ work (when directed to do by Stan). Unlike most of the other artists, Romita was on salary--it was the only incentive Stan could give him to come to Marvel- -so Romita functioned as a de facto art editor (in addition to getting paid on a freelance basis for his penciling). Some time later, Romita was officially given the art director position.

Sharon: And yes, it was a striking cover: Medusa's tendrils are in keeping with the tentacle motif that appeared on many ASM covers from that time.

Karen: No doubt about it, Romita Sr. probably drew the prettiest women of the Marvel Silver Age. They are all curves – just beautiful, flowing figures. It reminds me of a comment Romita makes in the documentary, “Searching for Steve Ditko”. He said that when he followed Ditko as the artist on Spider-Man, he tried to emulate his style as much as he could, but he couldn’t help drawing good-looking characters! This is why all the girls are gorgeous, and Peter Parker went from being a scrawny nobody to a well-built, handsome lad.

Sharon: Yes, Romita has frequently mentioned in interviews that he really tried, but he was incapable of drawing Peter as anything less than muscular and handsome! His version of Peter really changed the whole concept and tone of the Spider-Man comic. Evidently the new look was very popular, as within months of Romita taking over Spider-Man became Marvel’s top seller.

Karen: To me, Medusa’s green costume looked like a precursor to Jean Grey’s X-Factor uniform, with the X across the chest. Wonder if this issue influenced that look?

Sharon: The 1980s Jean Grey X-Factor costume…yep, it’s virtually identical to what Romita designed here. Scott wore a version, too (in blue and yellow)…but damn, Jean really started to look like Medusa’s lost twin in the 1980s (the coloring, the masks, etc.)! Take a look at Jean in, say, the X-Men Inferno or X-Tinction Agenda arcs; not only the costume but her hair has become distractingly massive. Granted, this was 1989/1990 when big hair was the norm, but with Jean it just seemed to be more exaggerated than with most other female characters.

Sharon: Back to ASM #62 and Medusa: I wonder why Romita felt the need to redesign Medusa’s costume for this one shot—though he kept the Kirby designed gloves and boots. The only other time I’ve seen this Romita Medusa design used was in Alan Davis’ wonderful 2007 mini-series: “Fantastic Four: The End.”

Doug: The story itself is a good example of Stan and John’s Silver Age collaboration. Stan’s dialogue proves to be predictable; there’s the usual teen angst between Peter, Gwen, Harry, and Mary Jane, J. Jonah Jameson is at his bombastic best, and the plot device Montgomery G. Bliss is a send-up of a Harvey Korman-type character from the old Carol Burnett Show. John’s storytelling is well-paced, and his figure work is as expected in this era. The plot, however, is somewhat formulaic – heroes meet, misunderstanding takes place, heroes fight, everything’s OK by the end of story page #20. But then, that was the beauty/bane of the later Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-In-One books – the chance to see two characters who might not normally be between the same pages, even if the guest-star was often a B- or even C-lister.

Karen: Really, this is a forgettable story, only notable for the appearance of Medusa. It’s your typical “Super-heroes have a misunderstanding and fight, then figure out they are not enemies” shtick. It really doesn’t make a lot of sense – Medusa is in New York to see how people react to her, so she can tell Black Bolt whether they can join humanity? I didn’t think they had much interest in leaving their own little world. The art however, is quite nice.

Doug: I thought Medusa was written a little out-of-character. She really seemed to be the victim of hormones gone awry – very edgy, distrusting, prone to violent reactions. Her early years, most notably in the pages of Fantastic Four showed her with a varied personality. The Inhumans’ mistrust of other peoples was well-documented. I just felt this story was an ambling exploration of Medusa’s moods (although happiness was never on display). Hardly the depiction of noble royalty she might have been shown as.

Karen: Medusa comes off as a complete jerk. Very imperious, always referring to herself in the third person, throwing a tantrum at the modeling shoot – this is not her proudest moment. I think we can probably attribute this to being a “rush job” on Stan’s part – it just seems like little thought was put into the story.

Sharon: “Imperious” is the perfect word for how she’s written here and it’s out of character given the time period and character development up until that time. Her character is much truer to form in the Marvel Super-Heroes #15 Medusa story (on sale the same month as Spider-Man, though who knows when in continuity the MSH story is supposed to have occurred--from what I have read, it was an inventory story). The MSH artwork by Colan and Vince Colletta is utterly sublime artwork—their depiction of a flashback scene of Black Bolt freeing his people from the dome is, if anything, superior to Kirby’s original rendering in terms of power and drama. Archie Goodwin scripted the MSH story and did a great job capturing Medusa’s essence. Medusa rejoins the Frightful Four hoping to find a cure for Black Bolt’s muteness. It’s in fact a love story of the sort you’d find in 1940s Hollywood movie: she’s the reformed bad girl who is sacrificing her virtue to help her lover. And the deus ex machina ending is an absolutely fitting coda; it’s rhapsodic.

Doug: Overall, the book was a nice table-setter or try-out for Spidey teaming with other characters from the Marvel Universe. It was a done-in-one, although there were references to previous issues and, as stated above, foreshadowing as a way of promoting future books. I found it a mostly fun and completely predictable, if not memorable, read. No damage done and a fair contribution to the historical record as the Silver Age began to segue into the Bronze Age.

Sharon: As my esteemed colleagues Karen and Doug have noted, not one of Marvel’s better efforts. This Spidey issue seemed like filler, featuring a strained premise resulting in a predictable “misunderstanding.”

Sharon: Some closing thoughts on this “team up” issue: The Inhumans had just wrapped up as a back up series in Thor (a month earlier) so yes, as Karen and Doug have said, it's probable that this story, the MSH story and the Triton appearance in Subby’s book were meant as a lead in to an Inhumans series or book in 1968 (they also appeared in Fantastic Four #82-83 later in 1968, but alas, still no Inhumans book…) For some reason, the project was shelved, possibly due to Marvel’s realization they had “over-expanded” in 1968 (when Cap, Subby, Iron Man, et al., received their own mags). At any rate, in 1969 Stan felt compelled to explain the delay in his Soapbox; astonishingly, the continued absence of an Inhumans book was attributed to Marvel switching to new printers (don't ask...). Finally, after much ado, in 1970 the Inhumans appeared in Fantastic Four #99, and it was this issue that served as Marvel’s “lead in” to them receiving their own feature a couple of months later in Amazing Adventures.

Sharon: Prior to ASM #62, Spidey and Medusa had never had any interaction, though if you take a look at Fantastic Four #36 you’ll see he just missed bumping into her (and the rest of the Frightful Four)! Also, check out the cover of Fantastic Four Annual #3 (Reed and Sue's wedding): Spidey and Medusa are adjacent to each other (Medusa does not actually appear in the story).

Doug: Those examples aside, it does just crack me up how these characters bump into each other at the most opportune (or inopportune as the case may be) moment.

Karen: As a kid growing up in California, it really bothered me that ALL the superheroes were in New York! Sure, it allowed them to interact more often, but what was the rest of the country? Chopped liver?

Sharon: By the way, was Medusa--who made her debut in Fantastic Four #36, cover-dated March 1966--inspired by DC's Spider Girl, who'd appeared in the Legion story in Adventure #323, cover- dated July 1964? Spider Girl's power: her long hair, which she could (as she described it) "expand into a web" to ensnare foes. Alas, the poor girl couldn't control her hair all that well, so she was denied LSH membership…and in later years was shown to have joined the Legion of Super-Villains.

Doug: Regardless of what’s been said off and on through the years, someone at Marvel was reading DC (probably a copy boy – that was his main job) and vice versa. Even today, there are ideas coming out from both companies that can be directly attributed to what’s come before from the competition.

Sharon: Something else to think about: when Medusa says she merely wishes to walk among humans as an equal, an African-American cop replies: “There’s no law against that, lady.” This was 1968, folks, and we weren’t too far removed when there were laws against that. Along those same lines, a tragic coincidence was that ASM #62 was released in April 1968, mere days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Doug: Early morning, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky…

What the ????

Check out this map of Asgard, which I believe is from Journey Into Mystery Annual 1 (I got it from Marvel Masterworks vol.30). Jack Kirby has produced a breath-taking two-page panoramic spread of majestic Asgard.(Sorry for the gap between pages)

Looks like you'd imagine the home of the gods, right? Magnificent buildings, fantastic statues, the funky giant tree. But what's that in the bottom right hand corner? Here, I'll blow it up for you...

That's right, it's the Mall of the Gods! Because the All-Father might want a new pillow when he takes another Odin-Sleep!

1st Appearance: The Legion of Super-Heroes (Adventure Comics # 247, April 1958)

Adventure #247 (1958) Three strikes and you're out, Superboy!

Doug: As the Legion of Super-Heroes celebrates 50 years in print (albeit in many different versions), I’d like to reflect briefly on my relationship to the team over the past four decades. The first issue I can recall owning was Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #210, circa 1973. That means the team was only 15 years old when I stumbled upon them. As a youngster I was very much drawn to the “kid” characters; sure I liked the “adult” comics like the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Batman, etc. But I had a fascination with the Teen Titans, the Legion, Marvel’s Nova, and Kid Flash flying “solo” in the Secret Society of Super-Villains. These were just school aged kids like me. Despite the tremendous feats that they could perform, I somehow found it easier to relate to them and looked forward to each and every adventure I could grab at the local newsstand.

But for some reason I just could never get into Superman comics. I guess he was too powerful for my tastes. Having begun to experience Marvel and all of their heroes’ Achilles heels and personality flaws, Superman was to me too perfect, and the different colors of Kryptonite were too silly. But Superboy… Superboy was different. He was a kid like me, and boy – were his friends cool! And, how about those costumes?? Even as an 8-year old there was a sexiness to the Legion. I didn’t know of Dave Cockrum at the time, as Mike Grell was “my” Legion artist. But I think those of us who grew up in the 1970’s are forever in Cockrum’s debt for those far-out and groovy costumes he designed! Who can forget Phantom Girl’s pigtails and bellbottoms? How about Saturn Girl’s swimsuit, or Cosmic Boy’s gravity-defying “cover-up”? Great (although certainly dated!!) stuff…

I recall the first time I saw the Legion in their classic outfits. At a flea market I had come across the reprint series “Legion of Super-Heroes”, which re-presented several classic tales in four issues. I thought – “Ugh… how primitive. These costumes are nothing like what we have today!” But I was intrigued, now fully aware that there was quite a backstory to the team. I began to search for older issues of Superboy and Adventure Comics. The large Limited Collector’s Edition #C-49 (reprinting Adventure Comics #’s 369-370) was and still is a treasure to me. Incidentally, the cover to that LCE doubles as the cover art to the recently-released Legion of Super-Heroes: 1,050 Years of the Future trade paperback. The Legion was taking on a new life due to my discovery of its rich history.

Karen: I started reading Legion around the same time as Doug; the first issue I can recall was Superboy 195, with Wildfire (or ERG-1, as he was originally called). To me the Legion was appealing for a few reasons. One was the teenager angle; another was the outer space adventure; and finally, it was ‘forbidden fruit’, as my family was staunch Marvel fans. So I actually kept my Legion books a secret for a little while!

But Legion was the title that introduced me to the DC Universe, and made me realize that DC wasn’t so bad; in fact, they had a lot of good books! It opened up yet another comic universe for me. Despite all the iterations (mostly needless, in my opinion) the Legion has gone through, I still have a special fondness for the team.

Sharon: I have always loved the Legion. After I discovered Marvel and its far superior comics, I basically stopped reading DC comics—except for the Legion in Adventure (and later, Action). And if you’ll permit me to boast a bit, I even had a couple of letters published in Adventure.

Karen: Wow, Sharon, that’s very cool! Do you recall the issue numbers? My Adventure collection is limited, but I’d love to see those letters.

Doug: Let’s discuss the very beginning of the Legion, in Adventure Comics #247. I really don’t recall when I first read this story; I’m sure it was in the pages of one of DC’s reprint giants during the latter 1970’s. For this discussion, I’ve used both the aforementioned Legion of Super-Heroes: 1,050 Years of the Future tpb and the Legion Archives, Volume I. I did the cross-reference primarily for coloring comparisons – I’ll make reference to this later.

To begin, I much prefer the cover depiction of the Legionnaires to the interior. I am speaking specifically of the names on the front of the youths’ costumes. That seems really silly to me, for someone to run around with their name stitched on the front of their clothing. In addition, while Al Plastino’s interiors are fine and certainly indicative of the pencils of the day, for my money you just can’t beat Curt Swan!! I just felt there was a truly youthful air about the faces on the cover. The Legion kids really did look like they were in that 12-13 year-old age range. Maybe that’s too young, but the cover gives that impression. Also of note at the beginning of this tale is DC’s Silver Age policy of a splash page that isn’t really a story page, but serves almost as a “second cover” – another grab for the potential buyer. However, while it might be true that not every cover actually contained elements of the story within, these splash pages always did.

Karen: Ugh, yes the names on the costumes are just so dorky. I think it’s another sign that the books definitely were aimed at a much younger audience. I agree about Curt Swan’s art: it looks very simple and unadorned now, but it has a classic feel to it (and I love how his Superman looks big!)

Sharon: Surprisingly, the original costumes do have the classic “chevrons”- -but having the names displayed on their chests is too much, as both of you have stated. Not to mention the placards describing their powers (“super thought-casting”). Well, as you mentioned, since the target audience was kids, I guess everything had to be spelled out—literally.

The costumes’ coloring is jarring. Okay, Cos has his familiar pale pink (at least for his shirt), but Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad—excuse me, Lightning Boy—just look so strange. With the red and yellow costume, Garth looks like Sun Boy!

As for the art, Curt was the man. He gave a very classic look to the Legion, especially when inked by George Klein. When I think of the Legion, I think of them as depicted by the Swan-Klein team. Klein was also the definitive John Buscema inker, IMO.

Doug: As to the story itself: it’s so dated now, so stuck in the 1950’s… but I just love it! It’s cute, quaint, and dare I say – wholesome? So unlike what is on the stands today. But, while I would not presume to say that this story would sell were it issued now, I would say that its elements of feel-good, happy ending, and a little mystery easily solved would be a welcome respite from today’s anti-heroes and blurred morality. But I digress…

Specifically in regard to the 1950’s elements: the Legion’s time bubble is interesting in comparison to other means of time travel in the comics, notably Marvel’s Dr. Doom time platform. Both are means to an end, but an interesting visual contrast nonetheless. I also liked the scene at the soda fountain, the lecture hall (didn’t they have any sense that one day students would learn from podcasts?? Ha!), and the tongue-in-cheek reference to Jules Verne’s “Around the World in 80 Minutes” – things that original buyers of this comic could certainly relate to.

Sharon: Without a doubt the story (like much of DC at the time) is geared toward a very young audience (and one that would “recycle” after five years as kids outgrew comics). The notion of belonging to a “club” is very appealing to kids. And the dialogue is ultra-expository, to ensure the story is clear enough for young readers (“when I clap my hands, I produce lightning!”)

Karen: I really have to remind myself of the year (1958) and the audience that this book was aimed at, because it’s a pretty simplistic, even nonsensical story. For the benefit of folks who have never read it, let me recap: Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Lightning Boy (not Lad yet) come to Smallville and invite Superboy to try out for their super-hero club. They compete in tests against him and all three beat the boy of steel. The poor kid is nearly in tears (!) when they reveal it was all a test to see how he’d handle defeat – I guess, they really just say it was an initiation test! I’m not sure what message they were trying to get across to kids – treat your friends like crap and then later tell them it was all a test? It’s not the most likeable presentation of these new characters.

Sharon: Superboy sure is super-sensitive. His whining, his shame (“How will I ever tell them in Smallville I flunked the Super-Hero club?”), his tears—give me a break!

Karen: well, that’s no surprise; it seems like over the last few years I see Superman crying on almost every cover!

Doug: The main body of the first Legion story is somewhat typical DC formulaic storytelling. If anyone has had the opportunity to read the Legion’s second appearance from Adventure Comics #267, it has a similar plot device. Superboy (and other DC characters of this era) is just used and abused. I guess it was the only way the authors could figure to have their heroes seem as less than gods – to just be mean to them!

I mentioned above that I referred to a second version of this story, in order to compare the coloring. On page 11 of the story, after Superboy has been accepted to the ranks of the “Super-Hero Club” – nowhere within the story are they referred to as the Legion, something I found very odd – there are other kids present in the room. The young green fellow (and yes, he’s green in any version I can get hold of) can be no one other than Brainiac-5, and it certainly looks as though Mon-el is standing behind him. While it would be some time before these characters would be introduced as we know them, this was a nice bit of historical continuity for me to discover. I only wonder if later creators were aware of this.

Sharon: The kid certainly looks like Brainy: blond hair, pale green skin, and even the purple utilitarian costume! (I am basing this on the version that appears in the Legion of Super-Heroes: 1,050 Years of the Future trade paperback Doug mentioned.)

Karen: Since Mon-El didn’t appear until 1961, I think that may just be a case of coincidence, or maybe the colorists on the reprints were having fun. I’d assume the same with the Brainiac 5 (it’s taxing my memory, but wasn’t he the tenth recruit or so?).

Sharon: As far as I know, Brainy joined the Legion in a Supergirl story that is just as simplistic as this one. Check out Action Comics #276, cover date May 1961, “Supergirl’s Three Super Girl-Friends.” For the record, the gal pals are Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl, and Triplicate Girl. Supergirl is bemoaning her lack of friends (male and female) until the Legion trio shows up. They invite her to reapply for membership (she’d been rejected before—don’t ask why—but if you’re really curious, see Action #267, August 1960). Anyway, she meets Brainiac 5 and thinks he looks an awful lot like—gasp!—Brainiac (why, just because of the green skin??). Brainiac 5 proves he’s nothing like the evil 20th century villain and he wins her heart. Brainy and Supergirl are both inducted into the Legion and he asks her to stay in the 30th century and “be my girl.”

But there’s more! She returns to the 20th century and runs into Jerro the mer-boy. So at the story’s end, Supergirl is now super-happy because not only does she have three new girlfriends, she also has not one but two boyfriends—though of course as Linda Lee, the poor girl can’t tell anyone! (Incidentally, this “classic” was written by Jerry Siegel.)

Boy, in these stories there seems to be awful lot of emphasis placed on being popular…

Doug: I read a discussion on a message board not too long ago concerning whether or not first appearances should be required to be origin stories. While the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide lists this book as both the first appearance and origin, it certainly isn’t the origin we know. Where’s RJ Brande? Nowhere in these pages. Really, all Cosmic Boy says is that they are a club with members who each have a different power. So, for the purposes of introducing these characters (which I understand were considered throwaways), I guess that mission was accomplished. How they got together would be a story for many days… in the future!

Karen: Yes, it’s interesting just how much of a non-origin story this first appearance is. Since it revolves around Superboy, they probably didn’t feel the need to explain the hows or whys of the kids getting together. It doesn’t seem like they planned to ever bring them back; I believe it was all due to positive reader response. Sharon, do you have any info on that?

Sharon: You’re right, Karen, the Legion proved to be popular with readers (kids) so the team made repeat appearances (Superboy, the Superboy feature in Adventure, the Supergirl feature in Action) until it was given its own series. Editor Mort Weisinger did try to create a “Superman Universe” and mythos…he liked having a stable of core characters and concepts throughout his books (Superman, Superboy, Adventure, Action, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, etc.). So when a character or concept sparked some interest (spikes in sales, or letter feedback), he would run with it.

The Legion didn’t get a proper origin story until ten years after their 1958 debut, in Superboy #147 (which was an 80-page Giant, devoted to the Legion, cover date June 1968). In addition to reprint material, this issue contained new material, a story about how the founders—Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl—met R.J. Brande and how the Legion was formed. The talented (and IMO, underrated) E. Nelson Bridwell wrote the story.

The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)

Lee and Kirby's The Incredible Hulk #1

Incredible Hulk #1

1962

Doug: Let me get this out of the way up front: I really don’t care for the Hulk. That’s not to say that I haven’t read some good Hulk stories through the years. But overall, I can count on one hand the number of issues of “The Incredible Hulk” I’ve purchased. He makes a great guest-star; a tragic hero/villain, if you will. But a solo Hulk has never really put a hold on me. If you want an honest opinion, I think that’s why various creators through the years have made him gray again, smart, dumb again, normal-acting, put him in space, and even made him red. And don’t get me going on the whole psychology of it all…

Karen: I’ve always felt that the Hulk works best either as a guest-star, or when he has a very strong supporting cast.

Sharon: As a kid I was never a Hulk fan, either; he just seemed like a standard monster to me, and I wasn’t into monsters. But as I’ve matured and (hopefully) grown wiser, I have a greater appreciation of the Hulk character and its implications. What a rich character! Among other things, the Hulk saga represents the fear of losing control and being at the mercy of uncontrollable forces, both internal and external…a pretty powerful story. Also, though a comparison with the Thing seems obvious, there’s really a world of difference between the two and it’s all based on character, a Marvel specialty that was evident even back then. Ben Grimm was permanently stuck as the Thing, but he retained his personality; Banner regularly reverted to his human form but when he changed to the Hulk, his personality was altered. I have no doubt that the intellectual Bruce would have been able to cope with Ben’s situation; after all, Banner’s mind was his strong point.

Doug: I used 1974’s Origins of Marvel Comics as my source material. I also consulted Marvel Masterworks, Volume 8, which features The Incredible Hulk 1-6; both contain Stan Lee’s commentary prior to the reprints.

Not having opened Origins in literally decades, I was shocked to see, and read, that The Incredible Hulk #1 had been reprinted with the Hulk colored green! The cover art depicting him as gray was preserved, but Stan commented that when the book originally sold the color separations were all wrong. At times the Hulk was a dark gray, at other times he was much lighter. There were panels where he had a reddish tint to him, at other times he took on more of a deeper purple hue. So, since one of Marvel Masterworks’ claims to fame is color recreation, I got out that version of the story to see how it was colored. What I suspected proved to be true – the colors weren’t necessarily recreated but were instead corrected. The gray is very even throughout the tale and the only “strangeness” that occurred to me was the purple “highlighting” of the Hulk’s hair.

Karen: I also used “Origins” as my source. The first thing I noticed was how striking the cover was. It really felt a lot like an old Grade B sci fi movie poster – “Is he man or monster or…is he both?” You just don’t get stuff like that anymore.

Sharon: The cover is in keeping with the sci fi/horror comics Marvel was publishing at the time. Take a look a FF #1’s cover (published 6 months prior to Hulk #1), which also features a monster…and for that matter, FF #2’s cover showcases the alien Skrulls, with the Thing front and center. Remember, Marvel was just beginning to get back into the superhero genre; the Hulk was only the second such attempt since the FF...that is, unless you count Henry Pym’s appearance in Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962), though he didn’t adopt the superhero name and garb (Ant-Man) until TTA #35 (September 1962).

Doug: As to the story itself… Having the luxury of reprints of the first six issues, I was struck right away that Kirby’s Hulk in #1 looked very different than what was penciled in #’s 2-5 (the final issue, #6, was penciled by Steve Ditko and is QUITE a departure from anything Jack had done – Ditko’s Hulk was almost ape-like). The initial Kirby Hulk had many similarities to Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein monster. This is important, as Stan states in both of my sources that his love of that film and of Karloff’s portrayal of the Monster as a tragic figure was a primary influence. He also, by the way, mentions Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. Kirby’s Hulk evolves through the rest of his brief run, however, into a much more savage, angry, even bestial creature. It’s the latter Hulk, full of anger, that today’s fans would identify with. The Hulk I grew up with (guest-starring throughout the Marvel Universe as well as in the pages of The Defenders) was certainly more sympathetic, and even funny at times (in a butt-of-the-joke type of way).

Karen: My ‘childhood Hulk’ was also the dumb, childlike Hulk, and I have a soft spot for that characterization, even though I do think it was tiresome at times. Again, it was Hulk’s interaction with his cast, or with his fellow Defenders, that I really enjoyed. It’s interesting to see how the character’s personality has changed over time. In the early issues, as well as the current Hulk persona, he’s depicted as dangerous and not at all nice. In fact, I would consider the current Hulk an anti-hero or outright villain. I think I prefer the idea that while the Hulk is dangerous, it’s Banner’s innate goodness that prevents him from being a real monster.

Sharon: The ambiguity surrounding the Hulk is genius…hero, villain, or--as I like to categorize him--anti-hero? The Hulk debuted at the same time as Namor was re-introduced (in FF #4): two premiere anti-heroes. Interestingly, they both went on to headline Tales to Astonish later on.

Doug: The story is divided into five chapters. The first chapter introduces a pantheon of characters that would become staples of the Hulk mythos for years to come: Bruce Banner, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, Betty Ross, and Rick Jones. This same chapter also serves as the origin of the Hulk. It’s somewhat formulaic, and contains perhaps the major theme that ran through Marvel origin stories during this period of the Cold War – radiation. Think of the early Marvel Universe… the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Daredevil, the X-Men, and the Incredible Hulk all owed their abilities to some type of accident involving rays of some sort, radiation poisoning, etc. I think right off the bat a great comparison involving the plots of this story and Fantastic Four Annual #2 (the origin of Dr. Doom) is evident. When Igor begs Banner to let him check the calculations for the gamma bomb launch, Banner scoffs at him. The scene is repeated two years later in the pages of FF Annual #2 with Reed Richards imploring Victor von Doom to accept assistance on some similar calculations. Of course, in the Hulk’s origin the bomb goes off and Banner is forever changed (although Banner’s math had no effect on the detonation, unlike the events that befell Doom).

Karen: Probably the single most notable element of the story to me was the fact that Banner seemed so arrogant, at least when dealing with Igor. It immediately made me feel somewhat negatively towards him, although he still appeared heroic when he went out to save Rick from the explosion.

Sharon: It’s a nice touch that Igor seems to be a sympathetic character initially; at the time, all “Reds” were evil (at least, that’s how Stan wrote them in the early 1960s) so this was a pleasant surprise. But Stan reverted to cliché and I was disappointed when Igor showed his true colors. Also, the tale is notable because it introduces Rick Jones, who would prove to be one of the most enduring characters in the Marvel Universe (his crowning Silver Age moment occurring years later in Avengers #97, in the twilight of the Silver Age). Here, he has no special abilities powers or costume so he’s sort of the antithesis of the teenage sidekick (prevalent in the Golden Age) that Stan famously hated.

Doug: Chapter 2 sets up what would become the modus operandi of subsequent Hulk tales – in essence the book becomes a superhero version of “The Fugitive”. The Hulk is being hounded by the military, he unwittingly exacts revenge on Igor for betraying Banner and creating the Hulk, and learns that he is indeed Bruce Banner. Chapter 3 is more of the same, and introduces the romance angle to the story with a little sexual tension between Bruce and Betty.

Sharon: “The Fugitive”—what a great comparison, Doug! While there are elements that are unintentionally hilarious--the Hulk reverts back to Banner, and miraculously his tattered clothes shrink too; the “Top Secret Report on Gamma Ray Bomb” plans taped to the bottom of beaker—there are lots of great touches throughout the story. Look at Banner’s body language when facing General Ross the first time in the story; Banner seems to cower a bit in the face of an overtly aggressive “hawk” like Ross. Bruce’s breakdown, in the presence of Betty and Rick, was handled very well. Rick’s disgusted reaction to Betty and Bruce was priceless.

Doug: Another theme that ran through many early Marvels involved the Red Scare that was so prominent in Americans’ minds in the 1960’s. In Chapter 4 Igor is revealed (like with that name we couldn’t have figured it out ourselves – sheesh!) to be a Red spy and even radios behind the Iron Curtain with a “sub-miniature transistor short wave sending set” glued to his thumbnail!! He sends a message that “the Gargoyle” must be alerted to the existence of the Hulk. What comes next is pretty silly – the Gargoyle states the he must either slay the Hulk or take him prisoner to show the world his might (say, how many folks even know that these two guys are around??). In Chapter 5 he ends up shooting the Hulk with some kind of mind-slave pellet and takes him back to the USSR. There the Hulk transforms back to Banner, the Gargoyle deduces Banner’s secret and then breaks down because he (the Gargoyle) apparently can never look normal. Banner offers to assist him and the story ends happily from there, if in a tragically heroic way for the Gargoyle. A nice touch near the end of the story is a portrait of Nikita Khruschchev on the wall.

Karen: I have to say, I feel that the Gargoyle angle really derailed this story. Everything up to that point is fine – we have the explosion, the transformation, the hunt for the Hulk – that all works. But then out of nowhere comes this needless focus on the Gargoyle, and his nasty communist bosses. Banner cures him and suddenly he becomes a red-blooded American, decrying his Soviet ways – it feels like the book was suddenly highjacked by another story.

Sharon: The story was very compressed (as was the style back then) and the Gargoyle bit did seem tacked on, but I actually didn’t mind its inclusion. It provided an interesting contrast: the Gargoyle would rather be “normal” and die, whereas Banner is “abnormal” and alive. While it may have been obvious, I think the Gargoyle character was a good way of underscoring one of the main themes.

Doug: Overall, this book was OK – not a bad origin story for the time it was written, and typically steady art and dialogue from Kirby and Lee. If I can get back to Stan’s commentary for a second: In both sources I used for this critique, Stan is consistent in his claim that he came up with the idea for the character and Jack came up with the visuals based on Stan’s descriptions. Hence, Stan created the Incredible Hulk with Jack merely giving him a 2-D life. I would urge all readers to pick up an issue here or there of The Jack Kirby Collector, which is of course somewhat skewed toward Jack’s defense in the creative process. My opinion on any “he said/she said” situation is that the truth is somewhere in the middle – this is surely one of those cases.

Karen: I think this is the weakest of origin stories for the early Marvel characters. The structure is awkward, and the ending is unsatisfying. That being said, I do think the idea, of a monstrous anti-hero, was inspired – particularly when you consider what the Distinguished Competition was putting out at the time. I found Stan Lee’s commentary in “Origins” to be very telling of the Lee-Kirby relationship, or lack of, at that point in time (1974). He really does imply that the entire concept for the Hulk (as well as most of the other characters) was his doing. While I have tremendous respect for Stan, it’s become more apparent over the years that these really were collaborative efforts; the ‘Marvel Method’ required it.

Sharon: Jack did some great work here; I could really feel Banner’s anguish and confusion, Rick’s initial flippancy and then concern for Bruce, Betty’s compassion and fear, etc. The expressions throughout were telling and of course the action scenes could not be better—the story moved a great pace. I also loved the three panels at the bottom of page 14, when darkness is literally and figuratively falling on Banner’s face. Kudos to the King.

Karen: The new “Incredible Hulk” film came out this summer, and I thought it was very well done. The film is something of an amalgam of the comics and the old TV series, but they seem to have picked up on the best elements of both. I enjoyed seeing more of the Marvel Universe on the big screen; between this film and the excellent “Iron Man” movie which also opened this summer, we are starting to get a cohesive Marvel universe – although it seems to be edging a bit more towards the Ultimates Universe than the “regular” MU. But regardless, the “Hulk” movie was thoughtful, action-packed, and had very nice performances. I would rank “Iron Man” as the better overall movie, but “Hulk” is definitely a fun flick and another step in the right direction for Marvel movies.

Doug says: Hey, dude... nice chapeau!!

You see hats all the time – sometimes for practical reasons, other times they are fashion accessories. Some hats are designed with functionality in mind, others just scream, “Hey, look at me!!” I’ve even seen lately in a media piece that men past the age of around 24 shouldn’t wear baseball caps! Jack Kirby, the King of Comics, was known for many things over the course of his career, but was designer of haute couture one of them?

Let’s start with the God of Thunder, Thor himself. Thor’s helmet has a simplicity to it – a plainness, if you will. Until you get to the wings on the sides. Of what purpose are they? And what are they made of? Are they really feathers? Or are they some type of silver ornamentation? Is the helmet functional? Does it protect him should a blow of some sort get past the mighty Mjolnir? And isn’t it a fashion faux pas that it doesn’t match the color of anything else he’s wearing? Oh, and one more thing: you ever notice how strange a baseball player looks the first time you see him with his cap off? Thor’s like that for me. Just doesn’t look right. He might as well be nekked…



Staying in the family tree, let’s have a look at Thor’s wicked half-brother Loki. Loki’s dome is usually covered with one of two headpieces – the standard long-horned lid and the more ornamental deal with the short horns or the “flying F’s” on the sides.




You know, when I’m watching those Africa shows on Animal Planet or whatever, I just once want to see some water buffalo stick it to an attacking lion. I mean, what are those horns for if not to give somebody the business? Same thing with Loki’s main helmet. That thing has got to hinder him getting through doors, turning to speak to someone… So there must be some reason to run around with that deal perched atop his cranium. And how about the weight pulling you forward? A chiropractor’s dream, if you ask me. The smaller version seems to be more ceremonial, but not nearly as imposing. I’ll admit – goofy as the long-horned version looks, I much prefer it. And with really long horns, like John Buscema would draw it (see above).

Next up on Mr. Blackwell’s list is the All-Father himself, Odin. Wow. A peak inside this guy’s closet would be simply overwhelming. Furs and feathers, but fashion probably wouldn’t complete the triad I’m afraid. Kirby seemed to pull out all of the stops when giving the Omnipotent One his headgear. Many have discussed Kirby’s imagination often being confined or limited – he never seemed to let that happen when drawing Odin. I recall many a Thor (by Kirby as well as his successors) where Odin’s entrance was almost always after a page-turn, no doubt for the shock-value his clothes would bring (speaking of shock value, you have to seek out Journey Into Mystery #116 for Odin in a bathrobe, furry cap, and slippers!) as well as the “presence” he always brought to a page.



http://www.immortalthor.net/



While still under the title Journey Into Mystery, Kirby provides a look at a really interesting hat worn by Odin. It has a couple of Texas Longhorns framing a large bird (see below, right). It looks sort of like some hunter took his two best trophies and decided to turn them into a wardrobe accentuation. The most curious aspect, though, is that a few issues later the All-Father is wearing the same hat, but the bird is obviously moving! Wow! Finally, a chapeau that’s good-looking and functional!










Other good-looking hats show up on the heads of Seidring the Merciless, the Queen of the Flying Trolls of Thryheim, Karnilla the Norn Queen, and of course Hela, Goddess of the Underworld.





Karnilla (thanks to immortalthor.net) -- cool-looking dragon-lid, babe!!:








Hela:












And, although not an Asgardian, how could we leave out one of our favorite Kirby big-domers – Tana Nile of the Rigelians! I am totally digging the wild hairs she’s sportin’ on the outside of her helmet!!

Anyone need an interstellar tuning fork? The Big G is your man…

Kirby made a major distinction amongst his immortals; the one major difference between the pantheons living in Asgard and living on Olympus is that the Greeks seem to eschew headwear. Apparently, as Don Henley once sang, “The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks!”

Tales of Suspense 39: Iron Man!

Tales of Suspense #39 (1963) Who? Who? Who? You know who!

Karen: Since Iron Man has recently made a splash as a blockbuster movie, we thought it might be fun to go back and read his origin story, from Tales of Suspense #39. As Stan Lee says in his introduction to the tale in Son of Origins of Marvel Comics, the character of Tony Stark was quite different from previous Marvel creations. First, he was a millionaire businessman and jet-setter, as well as a scientific genius. Stan used Howard Hughes as his inspiration, and it shows. Second, Iron Man would have an origin steeped in real world politics, which was also quite unusual for that time. It was 1963, and America was already active in Vietnam. Stark would provide the military with his ‘transistorized’ weapons, to defeat the communists. The Americans were the good guys and the Viet Cong were the bad guys. It was all very cut and dried.

Sharon: Tony looks like a swarthier Errol Flynn: classically handsome…Marvel’s most conventionally handsome, glamorous male at the time. He wasn’t wan or timid like Peter Parker, Don Blake, or Bruce Banner; or bordering on dull like Reed Richards or Hank Pym.

Karen: Yes, Stark was portrayed as a handsome, desirable man. He had that whole “women want him, men want to be him” aura. I think really he was the only Marvel character who was shown as living a glamorous life.

Doug: DC at the time was more likely to publish comics with presidents or celebrities; additionally, their science fiction comics dealt mostly with obscure outer planets rather than the Red Menace.

I, too, read this story from Son of Origins of Marvel Comics. I recall getting it for Christmas the year it came out (1975). A friend of mine had obtained the book some days before, and was telling me about the contents. I vividly recall him saying over the phone, in regard to the cover illustration of ToS #39, “Who? Who?? WHO?”

Sharon: The “Who? Who? WHO?” on the cover—classic. I imagine it was similar to cover copy Marvel (in its Timely/Atlas incarnation) used for its 1950s monster books, but it was probably never used as effectively as it is here!

Doug: I thought it was odd in the preface that Stan commented on how there’d never been a rich businessman as a super-hero before. Ummm – Bruce Wayne? Oliver Queen (Silver Age version)? Maybe Stan meant that Marvel had never done such a character before; that was just strange to read those words.

Sharon: Iron Man allowed Marvel to create the Avengers (six months later). In 1961 Martin Goodman had urged Stan to create a JLA book years; and the result was--famously! --the Fantastic Four (since the fledgling Marvel didn’t have a stable of heroes with which to populate such a team book, Stan’s solution was to create a team from scratch). A couple of years later, Marvel finally had enough heroes to produce a JLA-type team, with Iron Man being the final piece in the puzzle. Of the original Avengers, only the Wasp came after Iron Man (she was introduced in the June 1963 issue of Tales to Astonish), but clearly she was seen just as an adjunct to Ant-Man back then. Once Iron Man was created, six months later Avengers #1 debuted, with a September 1963 cover date.

Karen: The whole premise of Stark building the armor is based upon the shrapnel that is “inching its way” towards his heart. He builds the armor both to keep himself alive and to use as a weapon against his captors. This is Stark’s tragic quality, which all Marvel heroes had to have. One thing that struck me as I read this was how Iron Man was portrayed almost like a movie monster – he certainly comes across more like Frankenstein than Superman!

Doug: The recently-released movie really played this element of the story well. I did think the way they portrayed the hole in Stark’s heart was pretty gross, though! Your analogy of the “Mach-1” suit as Frankenstein is spot-on – I felt the same way, that there was a terrifying quality to the suit. And it makes sense that it’s just a drab, well – iron color! The creators didn’t try to make as believe that out in the jungle there was any shiny red or gold metal laying around!

Sharon: I haven’t seen the movie yet but in regards to the comic book, I love how bulky and crude the armor is—and that’s exactly how it should be, given the circumstances under which it was created.

Karen: I think that is another appealing and somewhat unique aspect to the Iron Man character: the continual evolution of his suit. In the early issues, we go from the bulky dull grey to bulky gold suit, then a huge jump to the streamlined suit. There were minor variations on that suit (ex. the 70’s nose!) for some time. Then when Bob Layton came on board, we got to see a huge variety of suits, many of which were special-purpose: the deep space suit, Hulk-buster suit, stealth suit. It all makes sense, when you’re dealing with a man who is the number one innovator in technology.

Doug: A big kudo to Dashing Donnie Heck (as per Stan) for the artwork in this story. While I have maligned Heck elsewhere for the decline in his skills toward the end of his career, he is really quite good in this story. To be honest, I wish he’d done the art on the Avengers from the get-go; while I certainly appreciate Jack Kirby, for me it was Heck who epitomized the look of the early years of the Avengers.

Sharon: I’m a huge Heck fan; his line is sharp and angular, and he could move a story along. While he had misgivings about doing the Iron Man feature (he was used to working from full scripts and wasn’t sure he could handle the Marvel Method), I feel he was more than adequate for the job (and he would just get better as he illustrated more of Shellhead’s adventures). He does a good job conveying that Tony’s a thinking man. By the way, Kirby created the original Iron Man armor (for the cover) and Heck felt relieved that he—Heck—didn’t have to come up with the character design. Of course, later Ditko redesigned the armor and made it sleeker—again sparing Heck the odious task of creating a look for Tony’s armor!

Doug: I also like that the Iron Man suit doesn’t appear to display super-strength at this early point. Yes, Stark’s able to lift the file cabinet “stuffed with rocks” off of him, but he doesn’t propel it through a stone wall or anything magnificent like that. If I’m not mistaken, when he uses the suction cups to stick himself to the ceiling (pretty strong cups!! 200-pound man + the weight of the suit???), he leaps up but doesn’t fly. If you look at the soles of the boots, they are rugged – there are no propulsion jets as we’ve come to know and love.

Karen: In comparison with the Iron Man film, I would say they do an excellent job of incorporating the important elements of the story into the film. Obviously, we couldn’t have the Vietnamese as villains, so we have vaguely defined Middle-Eastern terrorists instead. But the set up and pay off is the same. Stark is injured, builds the suit with the help of an ally, and then trashes his captors. I think the film gives us a much more layered Tony Stark, as we see an arrogant, selfish man become aware of what harm his creations have done. We see him develop a conscience, all while he perfects his armor. I thought the film perfectly captured that Marvel spirit of the flawed hero.

Doug: Agreed. I also agree with your assessment of Stark’s character in the film, but I think it’s a composite of the many eras of Stark through the years. With the ever-present alcohol throughout the film, I would guess that “Demon in a Bottle” will be a plot device in the sequel. As Rhodey said (as he eyeballed the Mach-2 suit), “Maybe next time.”

Sharon: Looking forward to seeing the film!

Karen's report from the San Diego Comic Con

Let me start by saying I hate crowds. I get anxious and a bit aggressive when stuck in a jostling pack of human bodies. It's that old 'fight or flight' instinct which kicks in to high gear when I feel surrounded. So going to the San Diego Comic Con is always a trying experience for me.

However, the rewards typically outweigh the frustration and irritation I feel when swept along by the (literally in many cases) unwashed masses, so I find myself going back, year after year.

This year's con was not graced with the same number of high profile movie previews as was the last two years, but it still had much to offer. A big part of it for me is being able to purchase a lot of back issues from the 60s and 70s, and I had a great time doing just that. The dealers are really feeling squeezed though. I spoke with many of them, and I get the feeling that the con is pricing them out (I was told by one that booth prices are going up $150 next year). There's alot of animosity towards "Hollywood" from the dealers, as they feel they have been shuffled off to the corner of the hall while the big names, like Lucasfilm, Mattel, NBC, Fox, etc, get the best spots in the show. They may be right; I often wonder if the day will come when comics dealers disappear from the con.

I certainly hope not. The convention should be able to keep all of the disparate groups that give it an appeal to so many different people. It's definitely a big enough venue. The view from our hotel balcony shows just half of the center! It must be a couple of football fields long, with the dealers/exhibit area on the first floor, and meeting rooms on the top one. Here's a tip if you ever go to Comic-Con: wear the sturdiest, most comfortable shoes you've got, because you will be doing a lot of walking. And standing. A whole lot of standing.

We got in on preview night and this was the busiest preview night I have ever seen. Typically, it is a lighter crowd, but this crowd was huge; it felt like a Friday or Saturday crowd. The exhibition hall runs the length of the convention center and reminds me of a casino with all the bright lights, displays, and cacophany of sounds. While it was packed, we still were able to get around to a lot of booths.

The term booth is misleading. Some of these areas are really huge. Take the Sideshow Collectibles area for example. They had some really wonderful displays of stuff too expensive for me to buy. A huge banner over their section had pictures of Hellboy and Darth Vader, among others. Similar set-ups were present for both Marvel and DC, as well as Lego, Mattel, all the movie studios, and video game companies. Monitors were everywhere, with ads, previews, demos, and schedules. You are constantly bombarded with information. Preview night is just preparing you for the next four days.

Thursday was the first day of panels. I went to both the DC Nation and Mondo Marvel panels. Although I have always been more of a Marvel fan, every year the DC group makes their panel more fun and more interesting than Marvel. I know Dan Didio is much maligned, and I must admit I feel like DC has dropped the ball the last year or so, but the man comes across in person as genuinely caring about what the fans think. When people expressed dislike of Countdown, he asked them all to tell him what was wrong with it. Then he, and Mike Carlin, explained that they knew some of the problems, and regretted that they hadn't been able to do a better job on some things. You certainly would never hear that on the Marvel panels, which are much more smart-ass about things.

On Friday I attended a couple of interesting panels. One was a spotlight on Jim Starlin, and the other was called "That 70's panel" and had a number of comics creators from the 1970s present. I was excited about the Starlin panel, because I was meeting him later that day to say hi. A couple of months ago I interviewed Jim over the phone for an article on Adam Warlock, which will be published in Back Issue #34. He had been very gracious, insightful, and funny in our interview and I really looked forward to thanking him personally. His panel was moderated by Ron Marz, and covered every aspect of his career. Jim had told me to come see him after his autographing session later that day. I didn't want to take up too much of his time, so we chatted briefly. He was every bit as nice in person as he had been over the phone. Just a great guy.

The 70s panel also included Starlin, as well as Mike Grell, Joe Staton, Mike Barr, Bernie Wrightson, and about halfway through, Len Wein. Mark Evanier moderated. When asked which comics pros who came before them they had respected the most, Jack Kirby's name came up again and again. Asked if there were any problems with any of the "old timers", Starlin mentioned that artist Gil Kane said too many of the younger artists practiced something he called "masturbatory rendering"! But for the most part, the pros who came before them embraced them and mentored them.

Saturday was the huge Heroes TV show panel in the cavernous Hall H. Hall H is the largest room in the convention center. It can seat 6500 people. You'd think there should be no problem getting a seat inside. You'd be wrong. With 100,000 people in attendance, getting into Hall H became a holy quest. The Heroes panel was scheduled for 10:30 am that day. We thought by getting in line at 8 am, we'd be OK. Little did we know how insane some of our fellow convention goers were. When we got over to the con Saturday at 8, at least 2000-3000 people were in line. Some had been there since the previous night! The line snaked back and forth on the side of the hall, then wrapped all the way around the outside, behind the convention center! After a 15 minute walk around the building, we ended up right behind the con loading dock. I was confident we would still get in, but I felt badly for the people who came after us, many of whom were lined up past the convention center, all the way down to the Marriott hotel next door. However, the convention staff did a very good job of managing the line. We did get in, and it was worth it: the whole cast was there, and they brought the next season's first episode! This episode was fantastic; after the second season last year, I wasn't sure if I would be interested in Heroes this year, but they have wiped that thought out of my head. Funniest moment of the panel: when a little kid addressed actor Zachary Quinto, who plays the psychopath Sylar, and enthusiastically yelled, "Sylo! you're the best hero of them all!!"

After that was the Lost panel, which was amusing but (as usual) provided no information on the upcoming season. But Lost was so good last season, I can forgive them for a lack of detail.

My final panel of the con was Saturday night's Legion of Super-Heroes 50th anniversary tribute. We were surprised to see a long line for the panel, but the fans of the Legion are, well, legion. The panel included Paul Levitz, Colleen Doran, Keith Giffen, Mike Grell, Geoff Johns, and Tom and Mary Birnbaum. Although there were no major announcements (Johns saved his Legion on Smallville announcement for Sunday), the Legion love was on full display (although a snarky comment by Giffen about a flustered fan seemed just cruel). Most of the panel was spent on fan questions and adulation. Johns did mention that Duo Damsel would now be Duplicate Damsel, able to make many copies of herself. Hey, it beats just two.

So there you have it. This year's show was a little more low key (at least for me). Admittedly, I was not able to attend a couple of the bigger events, like the Watchmen panel or the surprise Hugh Jackman/Wolverine appearance (thank god for YouTube). But that's one of the truisms of Comic-Con: invariably, events you wish to attend will be held at the same time. But still, the show was fun, exhausting, exciting, and aggravating, all at the same time. Typical Comic Con.

Doug tells: Why We Like John Buscema

I have a confession to make: as a wee lad of 10 (back in 1976), I didn’t appreciate John Buscema. I really didn’t even care for him! Ouch. That hurts to admit.

But really – the first Buscema-drawn issue I recall was Fantastic Four #173, and it followed a very nice run by a young fellow named George Perez. Perez’s art was not only dynamic, but as inked by the ever-influential Joe Sinnott showcased beautiful faces on all of the characters. A fan of Perez’s from his then-recent tenure on my favorite book, The Avengers, Sinnott made him look all the better in the pages of the FF. Credits aside, I was immediately aware that Perez was not the penciller on #173. The differences were subtle, however – perhaps Buscema’s figures were more lithe, his facial expressions more intense. But the art was consistent (due again to Sinnott). Issue #175 ensured in me the accuracy of my belief that this Buscema fellow was no George Perez – inking himself, that “FF” look was gone. The faces became more angular, maybe even drawn. The nice figure-work was there – still lithe, fluid, etc. But the faces preoccupied me. Issue #176 brought Perez back, along with Sinnott – and I became a John Buscema-wary reader…

Boy, was I a dope!

After a hiatus from reading comics whilst in high school, I got back into the hobby circa 1985 while a sophomore in college. Wow – were my eyes opened! Having matured in my comics knowledge as well as tastes, and in possession of a little cash left over from student loans, I began to seek out back issues to further my runs of various titles. My first task was to attempt to amass a complete run of The Avengers, my favorite book. In doing so, I was introduced for the first time to the classic 1960’s Buscema run featuring inks by George Klein, George Bell/Roussos, and Tom Palmer. What rich, wonderful pictures – awe-inspiring in some cases. Fantastic story telling, figure work, and a dynamism not unlike Kirby’s but oh so much more realistic. His treatment of Hercules, Dragon Man, Goliath, the Vision, and Ultron fascinated me. Never had I seen such raw emotion – from anger to angst, in a comic. These pages were reminiscent of art I’d only previously seen from Renaissance masters… high praise indeed.

Incredible Hulk: pencils by Big John, paints by Joe Jusko!

As I moved toward buying up other titles, I came across his first run on the FF. Again, my appreciation for John Buscema grew by leaps and bounds. The Galactus 4-parter that included the Silver Surfer (natch!) and the robot herald Gabriel was a high point – I first owned this arc in the form of Marvel Treasury Edition #21! Thor, some Conan… I found myself now not dismissing Buscema’s art, but embracing it; yea, even seeking it out!

My opinion of him and of his work quickly moved toward a desire to see more and more of it. I sought out reprints, collections, anything that could bring me more examples of not only his superhero career but also of his sword-and-sorcery books. The Man Called Nova, Tarzan – I gobbled up all of this as quickly as I could. Animals, monsters, fantasy city-scapes – was there anything he couldn’t draw?

After working full-time for several years, I began to pursue original pencils done by Buscema and have been fortunate enough to purchase several examples of both his finished art as well as draft work. He was, and should be considered, a leader in his craft. I am now of the opinion that there truly have been few in the history of the comics business who are/were qualified to be called storyteller, artist, and master. Neal Adams, Jack Kirby, and John Buscema. Others may disagree, or add to the list. But for me, Buscema was a creator whose work I could spend just hours looking at, and admiring. And it never stops being that way.