Among Us Hide... The Inhumans!

One of the aspects of Fantastic Four that helped to advance its early development was the fact that writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby knew the value of laying a little groundwork in order to build anticipation for a significant story waiting in the wings. And though at times you would find in such a "transition" issue a mixture of the trivial and even the mundane, there were still enough diverse elements present to hold the reader's interest as well as move the four title characters forward in ways that pleased those who plunked down 12¢ a month to catch up on their lives. A perfect example was the landmark story from late 1965 which saw the Human Torch's social life in the dumps--and the emergence of a new super-powered race that would continue to draw interest nearly sixty years later.

The Fall of Hogun The Grim!

In order to retrieve the mighty Thor from Earth so that his power could be used to augment the forces of Asgard in battling the invasion of Seth, the Egyptian god of death, Hogun the Grim has volunteered to be sent across the dimensions to Midgard in an effort to locate the Thunder God and inform him of the crisis. But with the destruction of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, the journey to Earth was perilous and fraught with risk--and so it is that Hogun is injured on arrival and beset by hallucinations, seeing enemies all around him. And wielding the power of Asgard, Hogun is a clear and present danger to the mortals who cross his path.

Unknown to Hogun, Thor is currently indisposed battling the villain known as Quicksand--and so, in a spotlight that's rarely turned on him for any extended length, Hogun all but receives second billing as he shares two issues with his fellow Asgardian, with both of them battling mortals. In Hogun's case, his opponent turns out to be none other than:

Sure DD is outmatched--beyond outmatched. But that's where the "Without Fear" part comes in!

Hell ls A Very Small Hulk!

You'd think the insidious organization known as Hydra would have learned from their previous debacle to never again tangle with the incredible Hulk, but you'll understand in a moment why they were confident they would be in the driver's seat when the green behemoth is literally handed to them. Having developed the deadly biological weapon known as Virus Nine^*, Hydra is almost ready to make their move to deploy it. But there are certain individuals who are both necessary to their plans and who would each also prove to be obstacles--charter Avengers who reunite as allies for the first time, though the mightier of the pair would find himself doing his smashing from a little lower in stature.

^*Isn't it comforting to know that Hydra's scientists had eight failures in cultivating this virus before succeeding. They're not exactly A.I.M., are they.

The X-Ceptional Artistry of Dave Cockrum

Taking a look at X-Men #97 couldn't help but remind me of artist Dave Cockrum's initial stay on the title--an assignment which, in tandem with writers Len Wein and Chris Claremont, helped to reignite the team and define the "new X-Men" not only for those readers who rediscovered the book after its overlong hiatus, but also for new readers who responded to a diverse, secluded group of heroes and their struggle to exemplify and defend one man's dream of coexistence.

As I reacquainted myself with Cockrum's work on that issue, I found myself sifting through my memories of his contribution as a whole during those formative two years--and it seemed appropriate as a follow-up post to gather a few samples that, for me, highlighted his outstanding work on X-Men during that time that contributed so definitively to the imprint he left on Marvel Comics.

Mr. Cockrum passed away eleven years ago to the month, at the young age of 63. His legacy includes not only the respect and admiration of his peers, but a body of work that more than speaks for itself.

Mr. Cockrum's portrait by Michael Netzer

My Brother, My Enemy!

OR: "Airport '76!"


By February of 1976, it was becoming clear that X-Men was the book to read, with new Marvel artist Dave Cockrum quickly gaining favorable word-of-mouth at achieving the impossible: helping to revive the dormant X-Men series and breathing new life into the team line-up (or, boiled down: making the X-Men sellable). There are a number of Cockrum-pencilled issues that I could wow you with to back up that statement, but this one always comes to mind for me:

A well-written story by Chris Claremont, to be sure--but to my mind it demonstrates so well Cockrum's feel for these relatively new characters as well as his ability to take a plot and make it explode into life visually, while dealing in a diverse group of characters like the X-Men in a way that helps to build our growing interest in them issue by issue. And as if Cockrum didn't have enough to do handling the X-Men, he also begins in this issue to deal in the Shi'ar, with a telepathic "dream" represented in a stunning two-page spread that's as much of an eye-opener to the reader as it is to Charles Xavier.

After a nightmare that awakens you screaming, I'm not sure the way to calm yourself afterward is to pour yourself a beverage that's loaded with caffeine, but what do I know. Yet the events to come aren't likely to bring Xavier any solace; in fact, even now, two former X-Men currently residing in the Diablo range in California will find themselves drawn into the conflict that has shaken him to his core.

The revisions of the X-Men continue, as Lorna Dane is now introduced as Polaris and upgraded with a dazzling new effect as well as a new costume. (Her magnetic powers had already been restored and enhanced during a link-up with Storm, designed to sever the Earth's magnetic force and nullify gravity in order to send the mutant island Krakoa hurtling into space.)  As for the identity of the attacker who obviously has plans for both Lorna and Alex Summers, the man known as Havok, that will remain a mystery for awhile, though his facade will be impossibly familiar to the X-Men. Regardless, it's clear that he's targeting Xavier, for reasons unknown--and it seems likely that both Polaris and Havok might well turn out to be his assassins.

Interview With A Vampire

Let's say that you're driving through town one night, and you come across the scene of an accident--only in this case, the accident has just happened, and the police haven't arrived yet. There are three people at the scene; two appear to be dead, but the third, a male, is still alive.

You approach the scene to assist, and begin to help the man to his feet; but upon closer inspection, you realize that the barely conscious man isn't human at all, but... a vampire. And given the amount of blood on the bodies, you realize that this isn't the scene of an accident, but is instead a double murder scene--and that the dead bodies are the end result of this vampire's attack. The same vampire that's on the verge of collapse, and who subsequently does.

Now, a show of hands: How many of you would take this *ahem* gravely ill vampire back to your apartment, call an acquaintance whom you work with, tell them exactly who and what you believe is lying down in the other room, and agree to raid a hospital for bottles of blood so that you could administer it to this vampire in order to help him to recover?

*gasp*  What!?

All right, those of you sick, deranged souls who raised your hands without one moment's consideration--let me rephrase. What if you discovered that the vampire you're trying to revive is none other than Dracula, the Lord of Vampires, whose reputation for ingratitude and senseless, brutal murder precedes him?

I'm glad to see the hands going down. (If haltingly.)

This hypothetical situation has hopefully put you in the shoes of writer and plagiarist Harold H. Harold, who barely makes living as a "hack" writing "shlock" (in his own words) for an editor whose publications trend toward the occult. Harold currently contributes articles for a monthly periodical called True Vampire Stories, which is probably about as sophisticated as it sounds. Harold's editor, Mr. Greadely, has about had it with Harold's poor excuses for articles--but just as the guillotine is about to fall, Harold, grasping for straws, promises an interview with a real vampire for the next issue. Greadely, while delighted, warns of the consequences should Harold fail to deliver; and so Harold drives through Boston that night, hoping to scrape up leads to anyone deluded enough to claim that they're a vampire.

Contrary to Harold's opinion of himself, his luck doesn't always run bad. For instance, after seven fruitless hours of driving, his luck takes a sharp turn for the better. (Depending on how you look at it.)

Aurora, who works in Greadely's office, is really the only person Harold knows in Boston, if only in passing--and with news like this that one can't simply sit on, she was the only one he had to confide in. Given that she's something of an airhead, Aurora isn't the ideal choice to consult with as far as what Harold should do about this situation. But if that furtive rustling behind him is any indication, in a moment Harold may not have much of a choice in anything that involves his future.

Avengers vs. Avengers!

It's Avengers Day in October of 1967, as the city of New York honors the super-team for its victory over the Mandarin (which readers also had cause to celebrate, since the battle took place in the brand new Avengers Annual, published in the same year). Writer Roy Thomas and artist Don Heck were riding high, having raised the Avengers' profile substantially in the past as well as turning in stellar work on the team's very first king-sized special. But the Avengers won't be allowed to rest on their laurels--because even on this day of honor, danger waits in the wings. While the ceremony was to include Thor and Iron Man in the festivities, the two were forced to depart (due to the late arrival of Captain America) in order to tend to other matters. But, unknown to anyone present, there is one among the crowd who also waits impatiently for Cap--a deadly foe who failed to end the life of the star-spangled Avenger once before, but who returns even more formidable, thanks to Iron Man and Thor being in attendance just long enough for their powers and abilities to be imprinted on the one who waits to strike.

But before that moment comes, the Avengers have time to bestow a singular honor on an ally--the second immortal ever to accept Avengers membership, just in time to join ranks against an enemy who has now become virtually invincible.

Yes, the Super-Adaptoid once more moves against Captain America, who survived the construct's first assault but faces more deadly odds with the strength and powers of Thor, Hercules, and Iron Man now pitted against him, as well as those of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Yet today, Cap will meet this threat with his own assembly of Avengers.

Yikes!  It's Avengers vs. ... Avengers!?

For Better Or Worse--Your Nurse Is On The Job!

While Earth's super-beings enjoy a measure of autonomy and often find themselves in the driver's seat in terms of making decisions for and issuing orders to civilians, there's one profession which even someone who can take to the air or who has the strength of twenty must defer to--the time-honored profession of nursing, where men and women are tasked with caring for the injured and the dying and can brook no interference from even well-meaning family and friends whose abilities allow them to save lives by the score on a routine basis. There are a number of Marvel stories where nurses have taken center stage, for better or worse--and we'll take a look at both their finer moments and their occasional failures, as they butt heads with those with whom they don't happen to see eye-to-eye.

WITH SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MARVEL'S MOST FAMOUS CAREGIVER:

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JANE FOSTER

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NURSE   -   GODDESS   -   DOCTOR

The Double-Death Threat!

While it's true that you can't thumb through your stack of old Iron Man comics without coming across at least a half dozen Iron Man vs. the Mandarin issues, do you still recoil with a start when you come across the issue where the Mandarin once battled his armored nemesis TOPLESS?

Yikes! That probably triggered the evacuation alarm at Stark Industries automatically!

The Clothes Make The Sorcerer Supreme

There have been noteworthy reinterpretations of Marvel characters handled by writer Warren Ellis (e.g., Moon Knight, Thor)--efforts which often meet with mixed reactions from readers, but are undeniably thought-provoking nonetheless. Likewise, there has been no dearth of reboots for the character of Doctor Strange, whose powers have been adjusted nearly as often as those of the Scarlet Witch and whose physical appearance has been subject to the whims of both time and sales. It seemed inevitable, then, that both Ellis and Strange would cross paths--as they do in 1995, when Strange was badly in need of a new direction in both his fictional life and his title, Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme, which had reached its eightieth issue. Along with his skills as a writer, Ellis often brings a healthy dose of the unexpected to his projects--and in his work with artists Mark Buckingham and Kev Sutherland, the '95 reintroduction of Strange surely excels in that.

Ellis's stop on Doctor Strange would be all too brief, almost immediately turning over scripting of his plot to a guest writer, followed by J.M. DeMatteis being assigned as the book's regular writer. But he leaves an imprint on Strange that's both amusing and intriguing--a welcome breath of fresh air following the floundering of the character in previous issues. Strange returns to Earth after 1,000 years fighting in a war at the request of the Vishanti--though only aging a year, with the Vishanti arranging for him to arrive on Earth just four months after he'd left.

Unfortunately, the Vishanti haven't shaved off the ravages of 1,000 years in the trenches--and Strange's homecoming is something of a wake-up call for him, as well as a trying experience for those whose services he requires.

Soon enough, Strange is putting himself in order--and Ellis uses the time to both ease current readers into the changes that the character is undergoing, and to bring new readers up to speed on what this unkempt man has been through and why they're seeing a different person emerge as a result.

This Is A Job For... The USAgent!

A Marvel crossover event launched in late 2000 unfortunately took over sixteen years to catch my eye--even though its story carried considerable implications for galactic peace and was written by Kurt Busiek, who at the time was injecting The Avengers with new life and vigor. The three-issue series, stuffed as it is with a truckload of diverse characters, groups, and aliens, as well as a number of subplots, would showcase Busiek's ability to manage so many variables while dealing in such a host of characters and striving to give each their due rather than simply including them as "window dressing."

But it's one character in particular who stands out in this series, someone whom Busiek gives preferential treatment to and raises his profile substantially--and it's probably the last character you were expecting to take center stage.

Yes, John Walker, the USAgent, a character originally thrust into the spotlight when he was selected as a replacement for Captain America when Cap resigned the role due to new government demands on his activities. Cap would eventually expose the duplicity of the government commission that handed him his walking papers, followed by Walker convincing him to reclaim his shield and uniform--and from there, Walker would eventually join the west coast franchise of the Avengers as well as segueing to its spinoff, Force Works. But aside from his fervent patriotism and his tendency to rub people the wrong way, the Agent didn't enjoy much visibility or attention as a character in his own right--a situation not helped by his adoption of the uniform of "the Captain," the costumed identity Cap operated under while Walker was acting as Captain America.

With the generous exposure in the series' introduction showing him in action, we're of course given ample opportunity to sample the "new" USAgent--but it remains to be seen if Busiek can make this man into a new character that will hold our attention, to say nothing of grooming him to anchor the entire series. In terms of the latter, his journey starts with a summons to Washington by Val Cooper, who chairs the Commission on Superhuman Activities and informs Walker of the Commission's plans for the facility formerly known as the Vault--the high-tech prison designed to incarcerate super-beings, recently destroyed (in a massive breakout facilitated by the U-Foes). Instead of rebuilding, installations of enhanced security wings in existing penitentiaries across the country are set up--followed by the establishment of an oversight team to oversee all aspects of super-powered crime and imprisonment. To lead that team, Cooper already knows a man who's well qualified for the job--but he has reservations.

Cooper has clearly sweetened this deal considerably, giving Walker enormous discretion and latitude in exercising his new authority. It's a position that will play a large part in the Agent's interactions with other high-profile characters in this series.

Which brings us back to the Agent's confrontation of Piledriver^*, who isn't at all happy with his brush with the law, but who's headed to a prison cell nonetheless.

^*Piledriver, along with the rest of the Wrecking Crew, had his power reclaimed by Loki, who doesn't seem like the type to relent. What gives?

But as we'll see, the Commission's new initiative on prison arrangements makes for a fitting introduction to this series--because the alien Kree have their own ideas about incarceration, plans which will put our entire world under lock and key.

Heads Will Roll At Gamma Base!

In early 1979, the military/research installation known as Gamma Base began experiencing some internal problems that brought it under the scrutiny of the federal government--problems set in motion by the actions of Dr. Karla Sofen, former associate of the infamous Dr. Faustus who went on to become an operative of the criminal organization known as the Corporation. In order to steal key components of a gamma-powered device for her employer, Sofen joined Leonard Samson at the base as a fellow psychiatrist in order to move about the base covertly and gain greater access to the restricted area where the components were stored. What no one suspects is that Sofen has also become the new Moonstone.

Other guests at Gamma Base at that time were the incredible Hulk, under the care and treatment of Samson, and Jim Wilson, the Hulk's friend. It was the Hulk who accidentally encountered Sofen (as Moonstone) once she'd made her heist--but, in order to escape without incident, Sofen managed through subterfuge to enrage the Hulk to the point of paranoia, upsetting Samson's therapy using both her powers and her skill as a psychiatrist. But she has pushed the Hulk too far--and she now battles for her life while waiting to take advantage of any opportunity to escape.

Meanwhile, the base's C.O., Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross, who has begun showing symptoms of stress due mostly to his inability to deal with the Hulk, prepares to move against the monster on his own (while hopefully taking the heat off of Moonstone). But Moonstone, startled by Ross's arrival, momentarily lets her concentration lapse and inadvertently reveals her true identity--yet in doing so, discovers the perfect opportunity to turn the situation to her advantage.

It almost seems appropriate for only the Hulk to be the one to see right through Sofen's act and realize that she's to blame for the chaos that has been attributed to his own rage. Regardless, the damage to Ross is done--and the icing on the cake will be Samson himself, who has seen the Hulk threaten Sofen earlier and, noting Ross's condition, concludes that the Hulk is likely beyond redemption.

As a result, the Hulk leaves Gamma Base in shambles, only this time that description applies more to the emotional and administrative upheaval left in the wake of the Hulk's stormy departure. All things considered, the actual physical damage to the facility is minor; yet of concern to Washington is the fact that Gamma Base's operative status has gone south, thanks to one debacle after another. And now, with the escape of the Hulk, accountability has become the order of the day--and arriving to demand it are Senators Hawk and Stivak from Washington, with the former being the more unhappy of the pair.

Welcome to administrative hell, Dr. Samson. By the way, you might have thought to dress to greet the Senator as if you're not part of a circus.

When Companies Clash!

Between the late '90s and the early 2000s, there were two collaborations between Marvel Comics and DC Comics which featured mash-ups of their respective stables of comics stars: the 2003 JLA★Avengers, which isolated the confrontation between the two super-teams, and the 1996 Marvel Comics versus DC that cast a wider net and included a more broad representation of each company's characters. And like the contests themselves, there are probably two schools of thought as to which one proved to be superior.

Each series has a catalyst that brings the two "worlds" together in conflict; each has a decent amount of interaction between the characters of each version of Earth; each comprises four issues, split evenly between each company in terms of publication and the order of the title wording; and, needless to say, each has its share of battles between characters whose meetings were presumably chosen to appeal to readers. There's also a nice sense of continuity in that the creative teams of each series are stable throughout. The Marvel-DC series is written by Peter David and Ron Marz, with pencils by Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini and inks handled by Josef Rubinstein and Paul Neary--while the Avengers★JLA books are scripted by Kurt Busiek with art by George Perez.

There are also some notable differences between the two. The earlier series isn't limited to the members of two specific teams (though with the number of members both teams have swelling their ranks, readers of the later series weren't likely to feel short-changed); in addition, the '96 series features meetings between villains as well as heroes, which is certainly an extra draw. There is also a noticeable dissimilarity in the size of the interior panels between each, with neither really finding a happy medium. The Jurgens/Castellini work is oversized to the extreme, which not only gives the impression of less story for your $3.95 $4.00 but also necessitates shortening each battle's duration, given the number of characters the series must deal in. Perez's much smaller panels, on the other hand, appear to pack so much action into each issue that it almost becomes a chore to sift through it all and make sense of everything going on.

One last observation has to do with the timing of the '96 event, which unfortunately catches Marvel Comics at the lowest point in its thirty-year history--its creative talent a fraction of what it once was, its financial position precarious, its staff undergoing sweeping layoffs, the production of its books about to be farmed out to other studios, and the Onslaught event decimating its lineup of major titles. In a way, the DC versus Marvel Comics series offers a snapshot of the point where Marvel effectively jumps off a cliff, leaving its "old guard" in the dust for once and for all. The circumstances cast something of a pall over the issues, though I'd be curious to hear if the DC reader was experiencing a similar reaction.

But let's take a brief look at some of the key scenes from each, starting with the '96 series. Thanks to Jurgens and the young mutant, Jubilee, we have an idea of who meets who in battle, as well as the stakes involved--all scribbled from Jubilee's own unique perspective.

This World Is Mine!

Can YOU

Name This Marvel Villain??

God Loves... Man Kills!

The 1982 graphic novel X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, an often violent story featuring a plot to wipe out the mutant population, spends a great deal of its time building momentum towards that goal while efficiently and methodically enabling its antagonists to overcome any obstacles that might stand in their way--among them, the X-Men. It's a tried and true Chris Claremont approach that has served the writer well in a number of tense X-Men stories where the team struggles against a determined and resourceful foe or organization--only this time it would be the X-Men themselves who unwittingly arm their opponents with the means to achieve their ends.

The foe that seeks out and attempts to destroy mutantkind is a religious zealot named Rev. William Stryker, a dogmatic adversary who has an unswerving belief in the abomination that mutants represent to God and who often quotes scripture to justify his actions, brooking no dissent. Carrying out his killings are the Purifiers, an armored contingent of men and women who also stalk the victim(s) and gather intel that will facilitate the hit--under the supervision of a woman named Anne, a merciless and detached killer whose loyalty to Stryker is absolute and who carries out her assignments with ruthless precision and dedication. The Purifiers and Anne are on the same page, in terms of their devotion to and firm belief in the cause--making them a deadly force to be reckoned with, and certainly feared, with the Purifiers following Anne's instructions to the letter. At her signal, death is dispensed, with no hesitation and no remorse.

Anne will remind you of a number of strong, no-nonsense female killers that Claremont has created over the years who had no qualms about ending their target's life and moving on--a character trait demonstrated vividly in the opening pages of this story, where two innocent children are running for their lives. It's a race they're unfortunately destined to lose.

"A Terrible Thing To Waste..."

One of the more unusual Hulk stories to see print took place in 1986, during the period of time when Bruce Banner's mind was so deeply suppressed within the green goliath that the Hulk truly became a creature of pure rage--a monster in every sense of the word, who lashed out unpredictably and tore through lives and communities without forethought or hesitation. Originally scheduled for the Hulk's own book but rejected by Editor Denny O'Neil, the story found its way a few months later to Marvel Fanfare, Al Milgrom's showcase for stories that were shelved or otherwise produced with a more unusual format or plot in mind. In this particular tale, it was the story's format which appeared to be the sticking point, with writer/artist John Byrne submitting to O'Neil twenty-two full-sized pages that made up the entirety of the issue.

It's admirable work from Byrne, with both story and art measuring up to his usual fare produced during the early- to mid-'80s. Flipping through the issue, there appears to be no discernible reason for O'Neil's objection(s), which could have been based on any number of things. If I were to take a guess, he might have primarily been reluctant to put on the shelves an issue of Incredible Hulk that sold the buyer short on story, as sparse as it is on dialog, action, or narrative. That's a fair point; the issue isn't being sold on "Free Comic Book Day," after all--and "flipping through" this story is probably an accurate description of how it will be read by the buyer, just as they would with any issue they pick up on FCBD. Only here, the reader would be plunking down the usual 75¢ in change and likely expecting a little more Hulk story than 22 splash pages.

On the other hand, it depends on how you'd define "story," and whether that story both satisfies and holds your attention from beginning to end, however long it takes for the clock to run out. O'Neil arguably didn't really have the luxury of thinking in those terms--and of course your own mileage may vary. But while seemingly brief, Byrne appears to satisfy those conditions, while including a twist to the story you don't see coming. At any rate, with its subsequent appearance in Marvel Fanfare, it's fair to assume that whatever objections were raised concerning the format of this story apparently didn't extend beyond O'Neil's office. It also bears noting that, by picking up the story in MF, readers were paying twice the cover price that they would have shelled out had the story been published in Incredible Hulk.

The story begins in the southwest, where we'd normally find the Hulk and/or his usual cast of characters. But who we find on page one (the only page cropped here, lacking only the story's title (which heads this post)) is neither--rather, an individual who, in a way, bids patience of the reader. It isn't difficult to hazard a guess as to what Byrne's narrative implies is on the way.

My Orders Are: Destroy!

OR: "Your Orders Are What I Say They Are, Clown!"


With his introduction in mid-1967 that featured him squaring off against the world's greatest super-team, the sinister Sentry heralded into comics the alien race known as the Kree, whose aggression and goals of conquest led to conflicts with Captain Marvel, the Avengers, and the uncanny Inhumans, as well as the Shi'ar and certainly the Skrulls. Interestingly, the Fantastic Four were left by the wayside as the Kree began to widen their exposure in Marvel stories--perhaps mostly due to the fact that, six months after the FF's defeat of both the Sentry and Ronan the Accuser, the Kree would be diverted to facilitate the appearance of a brand new Marvel character.

Premiering in the pages of Marvel Super-Heroes, Captain Mar-vell of the Kree had been sent to Earth as part of a task force to investigate the destruction of their Sentry as well as Ronan's defeat and invoke appropriate countermeasures to make it clear to Earth that the Kree were not to be defied. As we can see by the cover of the succeeding story, reports of the Sentry's demise were obviously premature, with Marvel apparently using the "bump" from the android's FF appearance to promote interest in the budding "Captain Marvel" character.

As for Mar-vell, at this point in time he's still very much the dutiful Kree soldier, following his orders to the letter and prepared to carry out whatever retaliation his superiors deem fit for the planet.

The underlying conflict of Mar-vell's mission, however, is not so much his interaction with humans and his experiences in infiltrating their installations, but rather his prickly relationship with his c.o., Colonel Yon-Rogg, who is intensely jealous of Mar-vell's romantic relationship with their crew's medic, Una, and undermines Mar-vell at every opportunity in order to ensure that he'll meet his death on Earth. It's a questionable approach to the book, with the Kree threat being limited to Yon-Rogg's petty behavior towards Mar-vell while the Kree race itself is kept at arm's length across the galaxy, with only brief communiques touching base with them and vice versa.

Whether it was wise to remove the Kree from Fantastic Four just as they were building steam and instead using them exclusively in the developing story of Mar-vell is debatable, given how the Kree practically became bit players as Mar-vell was given one makeover after another in an effort to sustain readership. Through it all, however, and in stories to come, the Sentry would come to represent the Kree ambition and arrogance--as well as their intractable will.