Partners In Crime(fighting)

From the double-sized Captain America #350, where Steve Rogers put aside his identity as "The Captain" and reclaimed his Captain America uniform and title from John Walker, here's an interesting look at a few bonus pin-ups that bring us up to speed on the characters we've seen in play up to that point.

First, a collection of men who, like Walker, stood in for the good Captain:

It seems clear that artist Tom Morgan wants to avoid a lineup of six men all dressed as Captain America--but depicting the 1950s Cap in his brainwashed Nazi zealot guise as the Grand Director perhaps kept this pin-up from a few walls.

Next, we learn that Steve really needs to get out more, if we're going by this pin-up that scrapes together the women he's been involved with--a collection which includes a woman who simply had Cap over as a dinner guest, as well as, of all people, the Viper:

(Jeez, Cap, talk about sleeping with the enemy!)

Finally, artist John Buscema brings together all of Cap's former partners:

Despite the implication of the word "partner" as someone who comes aboard long-term and battles with you regularly, it's funny how Cap has gone through a number of partners and nevertheless spent the bulk of his appearances in comics flying solo. Perhaps only the Avengers can be considered Cap's partners, at least in a semi-regular sense, with the special ops assignments of WWII that had Bucky attached to him no longer a factor in Steve Rogers' life. (Though perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. would beg to differ!)

Cry Hulk! Cry Havok!

Judging by the ruins of this splash page, the first real test of the new Hulkbuster Base as a research/containment facility for the incredible Hulk is a washout:

The Hulk has just been in a pitched battle with a being called the Inheritor, a failed experiment of the High Evolutionary--and now, in the sub-levels of the base where radiation-draining equipment ended the Inheritor's rampage, the Hulk attempts to evade the armed forces which seek to recapture him. And more than that--he seeks his freedom!

News, however, travels fast, whether good or bad--and when it concerns Congressional funding for an armed base which botches the job it was created for, the news is looking worse by the minute:

Yet the Hulk cares about the allocation of taxpayer funds about as much as he does about the unfortunate ant that happens to find itself beneath his foot as he comes crashing back to Earth after one of his mile-devouring leaps. Especially this day, when he believes he's spotted his lost love, Jarella, in the distance and leaps to intercept her--and the ants, in this case, being a motorcycle gang whose members picked the wrong place and the wrong time to harass Lorna Dane of the X-Men:

With the Hulk frantically searching for the woman whose green hair reminds him of Jarella, Lorna continues on foot to meet with the man she travelled here to find--Alex Summers, otherwise known as Havok, who has isolated himself in this patch of desert in order to keep his destructive power in check. Power which only needs the woman he loves placed in harm's way to be unleashed:

The reunion is short, with Alex refusing to accompany Lorna back to the X-Men in order to begin training to control his power. And when Lorna races from the hovel in tears, a certain man-monster finally arrives and misinterprets the scene. With Lorna now in potential danger, Alex has all the incentive he needs to re-don his special suit which the man known as Havok needs so that he can hopefully avoid living up to his name:

It doesn't make matters any easier when the Hulk realizes that Lorna is not Jarella--nor when he spots an Army jeep in the vicinity and believes that Lorna may be in collusion with the soldiers who always hound him. It's a challenge of restraint for the Hulk--as well as a baptism of fire for Havok.

At this point, it's easy for any of us to advise Alex on what he did wrong in trying to put a lid on this situation before it got out of hand. It's clear he earnestly wanted to avoid a fight; however, when mixing your earnest words with insulting name-calling and challenges which might as well have ended with "...or else!", the Hulk is only going to react one way. So does anyone want to take a guess at how he's going to react by hearing Alex suggest that he should just quit?

However Alex might have answered that, he probably wasn't prepared for a reaction like this:

With Lorna's life on the line, and with Havok the only thing between her and certain death, Alex straightens up and sets to the task of controlling his runaway power enough to both tame the Hulk and save Lorna. It's the textbook definition of an "impossible situation"--but with Charles Xavier likely waiting back at his school with a truckload of demerits for Alex should he fail, the impossible yields to resolve and, this time, the right choice of words.

With his accomplishment here today, Alex decides to accompany Lorna back to Xavier's and give further training a shot. As for Banner--well, given how precariously that mesa is balanced, let's hope his sleep isn't a fitful one, eh?

Incredible Hulk #150 Script: Archie Goodwin Pencils: Herb Trimpe Inks: John Severin Letterer: Sam Rosen

Your Referee For This Issue's Bout: Stephen Strange

Before there was Marvel's Greatest Comics, there was Marvel Collectors' Item Classics, a reprint mag begun in 1965 which eventually became MGC after a 4-year run. MCIC, like MGC, reprinted earlier Fantastic Four stories; but it also supplied reprinted material from three other titles, a format which MGC would mimic only for its first five issues before shifting exclusively to the FF.

The mag's title was somewhat ostentatious, if not downright misleading, since the stories were for the most part reprinted in sequence, and of course a majority of them didn't merit being tagged as collectors' items. Whether it was for that reason or another, the masthead was changed to something a little less misleading but equally presumptuous; yet for sheer eye-catching ability, the MGIC masthead was arguably the more impressive of the two:

As with the MGC title, MCIC mostly stayed with the Jack Kirby cover art of the original FF issue--yet on occasion, readers of MGC would be treated to a different cover by another artist. The treat to be found in both titles was to come across the rare occasion where Kirby would be assigned to redesign his own cover--not an uncommon occurrence before an issue's final cover had been decided upon, but quite a head-turner when taking place five years after the fact, which was the treatment given the reprint of Fantastic Four #27:

The story itself is also a head-turner, where Sue finally makes her romantic intentions known to the Sub-Mariner, ending the three-way question mark on the matter involving Sue, Namor, and Reed that had been a hook for readers for some time.

At first glance, there's little of Kirby's original design that needs improving upon, as thick as it is with dramatic confrontation and the promise of this situation between the three being escalated, as well as hopefully settled once and for all. On the MCIC cover, Kirby's main layout stays intact for the most part, with obvious differences that bring the look of the characters up to date with their appearances in 1969 (where they're currently involved with Maximus and the other Inhumans). A difference in inking style is also likely at work, between Chic Stone on the original cover and John Verpoorten on the reprint.

Since the characters are just as prominent on the newer cover as they are on the original, if not more so, and with the corner box now twice the length it originally was, there's not as much room available for the blazing "Search for the Sub-Mariner!" caption--and so it gets downsized, with a blurb that makes mention of the Fantastic Four added to help draw attention to it, while Dr. Strange will have to be satisfied with the billing he receives with Iron Man. Despite being in the background, Strange still stands out as one of the characters who receives a more contemporary look, as well as his coloring adjusted to indicate a more vital role to the story than that of his astral self in the original.  (Though he still comes across looking like a referee!)

In terms of vitality, Namor, Reed, and the Thing all receive attention in that respect--particularly Ben, who looks positively puny standing behind Reed in the original, but who conforms to a truer interpretation of his size on the newer cover while avoiding the need to fit him into the picture in his entirety. Namor also stands out, his features more defined and the threat and intent he conveys coming across more clearly.

As for the cover's Atlantean background as well as the gradient coloring, they appear to have been deemed nonessential on the MCIC cover, which, given the character drama playing out in front of us, may very well be the case.

BONUS!

From FF #47, have a look at another depiction of Kirby's famous standoff layout.

The Hammer Strikes! And Strikes Again!

Some interesting Thor "homage" covers by artist Ron Frenz:

(Though this guy is sure paying a heck of a lot of homage!)

Battleground: The Baxter Building!

Things looked pretty bad at the end of Fantastic Four #129--or rather, the Thing looked that way, following a battle where the Frightful Four emerged triumphant against Ben Grimm and his unexpected ally, Medusa, with the lion's share of the victory going to the evil foursome's mysterious new member, the super-strong Thundra. In Part One, it seemed the FF had practically made themselves ripe for the assault which the Frightful Four would soon bring to their very doorstep. Sue Richards had angrily left FF headquarters following an argument with her husband, Reed; Johnny Storm had also left--as in, left the team, permanently, to join his girlfriend Crystal in the land of the Inhumans. And Ben would depart to pay a visit to his girlfriend, Alicia, only to walk into an ambush set by the Wizard and his cohorts.

Soon, this team would move to attack the Baxter Building itself, bolstered by the knowledge that the Torch will not be there to help oppose them. But for now, they bask in a triumph well earned, standing over the unconscious forms of both the FF's strongest member and a woman who used to be one of their own:

One of the interesting things that writer Roy Thomas picks up on in his story is the dichotomy of the evil FF in terms of their membership in this group--sharing no bond with each other to speak of, but all on the same page when it's time to take on a mission. The interaction between them when these two aspects of their makeup are in flux almost reminds you of the Masters of Evil; but while Zemo and the Wizard both kept a tight rein on their respective groups, the dissension amongst the members of the Frightful Four had a way of exploding without warning, each of its members being on a short fuse withoug the distraction of a foe to fight. And so, even on a night where everything has gone their way thus far, the addition of a headstrong new member proves to be a distraction in its own right:

Once again, back on the same page, thanks to the Wizard. And let's remember that the final caption at the end of Part One proclaimed we would see "The End of the Fantastic Four!" in this next issue. Has the time come for the Frightful Four to finally and permanently eclipse their unsuspecting counterparts?

Your Days Are Numbered, When Hunts--Scourge!

Given the amount of titles he would ultimately appear in, as well as the number of murders he would go on to commit, the Scourge of the Underworld received a rather understated introduction on the cover of Iron Man #194, his first appearance:

In writer Denny O'Neil's story, Scourge's business is over and done with very briefly, as it was in nearly all of his appearances--making an unexpected, under-the-radar kill that seems to have no apparent reason, followed by his signature declaration, "Justice Is Served!", after which we're returned to the main story. Over the span of ten months (our time), these inexplicable killings amassed a considerable body count, and two patterns became clear: One, that Scourge was targeting only super-villains; and Two, the targets were arguably low-interest villains that readers weren't really going to miss. (Ironically, Scourge was likely raising their profiles with these hits.)

O'Neil works Scourge into the Iron Man story using a meeting with Tony Stark's ruthless business competitor, Obadiah Stane, to start the ball rolling by having Stane (via a mysterious female colleague) hire the Enforcer to assassinate one of his operatives:

(If you're curious about this Termite character--well, I have to say I'm with Stane on this one.)

Yet the Enforcer's easy paycheck would never be drafted, because this assassin is himself being targeted, and by someone willing to do their deadly job pro bono:

So begins the rampage of Scourge--and it would reach its climax nearly a year later when a sentinel of liberty resolves to see that justice is indeed served.

Once More, The Frightful Four!

Before he would turn over the scripting reins to Gerry Conway, writer Roy Thomas turned in a few issues of Fantastic Four that featured some of the team's most memorable characters. (Though perhaps the Mole Man falls into that category because he was the FF's first villain, rather than any sense of interest among readers.) It stands to reason, then, that he would want to throw that spotlight on the Frightful Four, a classic villainous group we hadn't seen in the book since their ill-considered assault on Whisper Hill. Since Madam Medusa left them, the evil FF had been operating with just the Wizard, the Trapster, and the Sandman--and the lack of a fourth member continued to stick out like a sore thumb. Yet as we see on this issue's cover, that may be about to change.

We know in hindsight that the adoption of Thundra into their midst was mostly an alliance of convenience rather than a shared evil agenda. The Wizard no doubt realized the contribution Medusa had made to the group--and combined with the fact that he likely considered Thundra easy on the eyes, he probably made every effort to conscript her as his fourth member, easily accomplished by giving her the impression that the Thing was the ultimate male opponent she was seeking to prove herself against. To the Wizard, Thundra represented a gift horse in the mouth--a short-term opportunity that would allow him to crush his enemies, more than likely followed by an effort to convince her to remain with them. How that would work out, we'll never know. The Sandman obviously already provided the muscle of the group--and while there's no denying Thundra's advantage to them in that regard, she couldn't provide the balance of abilities that Medusa did.

And so the "Frightful Four" lives again--for the sake of this particular story, at least. Yet this team lineup would also end up having the Fantastic Four on the ropes--a testament to the formidable reputation of this ruthless group that Thomas remembers to bring forward from their earlier appearances.

As for the Fantastic Four--thanks to recent events, they won't be in much of a position to stand up to the challenge of their evil foes. They return exhausted by a recent encounter with the Mole Man and Tyrannus, to be followed by a shocking announcement from the Torch:

(Would somebody tell Mr. Thomas that "The Frightful Four--Plus One!" makes it the Frightful Five?)

THIS POST RATED "G" (For "Grisly"!)

THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS VIOLENT SCENES THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTURBING. VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Man, what a warning to slap on a comic book post--but I had no choice! Because we're about to see how obsessed Marvel has been with creating villains who go by the name of:

It's The New Me! ... Scratch That, It's The Old Me!

OR: "My New Style's A Bust!"


If you were a reader of Amazing Spider-Man during 1968-70 and you happened to blink (and who wouldn't?), you might have missed a startling change in the appearance of one Mary Jane Watson:

Or, to put it another way:  When did Mary Jane's hot mom make the scene??

The experiment with Mary Jane's new hairstyle only lasted for another issue, where we see the vivacious Ms. Watson catch Harry Osborn coming out of his father's club:

Let's hope Harry (and the readers) gave more than a passing glance to "Mother" Watson here, because after making an appearance in the Spectacular Spider-Man magazine, the character goes on hiatus from the book for a year and a half (our time) before reappearing. And when she returns, it's as good 'ol MJ once again:

Though speaking of Harry, he went through his own experiment in hair during this period, though taking it just a little lower:

Harry is still sporting his 'stache a couple of issues later, since it seems his S.O. has become a fan of it:

But six issues later, we're led to believe otherwise, as the "Fu Manchu" look is history:

(And so might be the rest of Harry's face pretty soon, if he's in the habit of gripping his razor with a closed fist while shaving.)