It's hard to imagine the relentless killing organism known as M.O.D.O.K. on the run for his life--but from who? Well, gee, let's see: Who would want to end MODOK's existence? Answer: the same organization that's wanted to since day one, when their Mental Organism Designed Only for Computing wrested away control of Advanced Idea Mechanics from his creators and subverted the organization to his will, while unleashing himself on the world as MODOK. (You can no doubt make a good guess as to what the new letter in his acronym stood for.)
By 1986 (our time), MODOK had gone M.I.A.--while around the same time, the newly formed guild of superhuman mercenaries collectively known as the Serpent Society was open for business and putting the word out to prospective clients who might be interested in their services. One of their stops was A.I.M., whose agents jumped at the opportunity to accomplish their vendetta against MODOK at no risk to themselves.
(Nice touch, that AIM agent with his weapon on the table in clear sight. "Safety First.")
The Serpent Society gets right to work on their assignment--and before you know it, two of their operatives hit paydirt, thanks to a solid lead from AIM. It looks like even the mental prowess of MODOK hasn't forewarned him that, after all this time, his number may finally be up!
But in this hunt, what's Captain America's stake??
Fortunately for Diamondback and Bushmaster, they've caught MODOK not only "napping," but in a weakened state while recharging his energies. Even so, MODOK's longevity is evidence that he's never been easy to kill--and while these assassins know their business, they're nevertheless in for a fight, particularly if MODOK should become mobile.
In the aftermath of the struggle, we learn that Diamondback has escaped the ship and hauled the injured Bushmaster to shore. As for MODOK, in his current condition he doesn't get far; yet while his energies may be low, we find that this evil mind still has resourcefulness in his arsenal, and clearly an abundance of curses.
And so with Diamondback advising the Society's H.Q. of MODOK's status as well as her coordinates, MODOK becomes the target of an impressive manhunt, with the Society's leader, Sidewinder, recalling the rest of the serpent-themed members from their own searches and skillfully marshalling and deploying them in an ever-widening perimeter from Diamondback's location.
As for MODOK, he and his truck's cargo arrive at their destination--though for MODOK, an unceremonious and undignified arrival, to be sure.
Meanwhile, Captain America's newly-established computer hotline tips him off on strange sightings in New Jersey of snake-saucers and a flying armchair. Arriving on site, his investigation leads him to Princess Python, who admits to being part of the Serpent Society but wants no part of going up against MODOK. Her information leads Cap to a shopping mall where the rest of the Society has converged--and eventually he winds up in an erupting battle to the death.
With three members of the Society diverted to occupy Cap, the more vicious Death Adder and Cottonmouth pair up to deal with MODOK. The strategy works--and by the time Cap is able to focus his attention on MODOK, he arrives too late to prevent a most gruesome murder.
Whatever Cap's intentions, one of the selling points of the Serpent Society to its members was the assurance that, with Sidewinder's talent for teleportation, they would never need to worry about imprisonment, so it may take awhile for Cap to make good on his vow.
In the meantime, the Serpent Society has an agreement with AIM to fulfill, and payment to collect--neither of which can be accomplished without a corpus delicti. And so to add insult to injury for MODOK, the Monmouth County morgue becomes the target of a most unusual break-in... or in this case, a break-out.
Soon enough, AIM is delighted to find that one of the greatest blights on its organization has been eradicated, while the Serpent Society discovers that at the conclusion of this surprisingly professional business deal, crime indeed pays--and it looks like the Serpent Society is well on its way to a ranking in the Fortune 500.
(It probably goes without saying that they'll insist on a tax exempt status.)
BONUS!
By popular demand (not really!), another look at the Serpent Society's business card!
(Gotta love that phone number!)
7 comments:
That was good, thanks CF! I'd be interested to know how MODOK, ah, 'got better'.
Interestingly enough, Warren, it was AIM not being able to leave well enough alone--as well as their use of the Cosmic Cube--that enabled MODOK's return, in the hopes that he could use the Cube to repair the damage they'd caused with it. Ironically, MODOK took advantage of the circumstances to once more bring the leadership of the organization under his control. In AIM's case, it seems that what goes around indeed comes around.
Not a fan. MODOK is classic Marvel and quintessential Kirby. It was ridiculous to have him go out like this. And this was pretty much a true Marvel death as he stayed dead for probably close to a decade after this story. I dislike the Marvel tradition of showing how bad the current villain of the month is by having them kill an established baddie.
Don't like to speak ill of the dead, but what did Mark Gruenwald ever do on Cap that justified leaving him on the title for a decade? At a time that Marvel was putting out some of their best work ever, we were left with some very campy Cap stories with weak villains and very uninspired art. Just feels like a very wasted time period, though the non X-titles in general were getting less and less love by the year as the 80s went on. Still, Marvel could have done better.
Kissing? Knowing? Keeping? I don't know, I'm just riffing. What if the "K" was silent?
Jared: I would think, and this is just me, that it was part of a long term plan to "low key" Cap, Thor, Iron Man, the Avengers and other properties to keep them Marvel controlled so that decades later they could launch THE GREATEST MOVIE FRANCHISE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN!!!! BWAAHAAHAAHAA HA!!!
Make Mine Marvel!!! 'Nuff said...
(I'm goin' home
And when I wanna go home
I'm goin' mobile
Well, I'm gonna find a home
And we'll see how it feels
Goin' mobile
Keep me movin'
I can pull up by the curb
I can make it on the road
Goin' mobile
I can stop in any street
And talk with people that we meet
Goin' mobile
Keep me movin'
Out in the woods
Or in the city
It's all the same to me
When I'm drivin' free, the world's my home
When I'm mobile
Hee, hoo!
beep beep!
Play the tape machine
Make the toast and tea
When I'm mobile
Well I can lay in bed
With only highway ahead
When I'm mobile
Keep me movin'
Keep me movin'
Over 50
Keep me groovin'
Just a hippie gypsy
Come on move now
Movin'
Keep me movin', yeah
Keep me movin', groovin', groovin', yeah
Movin', Yeah
Mobile, mobile, mobile, mobile, ...
I don't care about pollution
I'm an air-conditioned gypsy
That's my solution
Watch the police and the tax man miss me
I'm mobile
Oooooh, yeah, hee!
Mobile, mobile, mobile yeah).
I kind of enjoyed Captain America back in those days. Between the Acts of Vengeance, the Serpent Society, A.I.M., Crossbones, and a horde of other characters popping in and out it was a compelling web of weirdness, and you didn't know who was gonna show up next.
M.P.
(I myself tried to join the Serpent Society but got turned down flat. Apparently those stuck-up snobs had "no use" for a Turtle Man.)
Jared, I've admittedly had my problems with Gruenwald's shepherding Captain America, mostly because under his style the character became watered down and ho-hum, even in battle--every move requiring meticulous thought, every decision virtually play-by-played as he worked it out. Add to that the fact that the mag became home to every D-list character that Gruenwald's research archives had to offer, perhaps to finally find an audience under Cap's marquee, and you have a floundering comic that, as Prowler sarcastically implies, felt like it was in an interminable holding pattern.
That said, there were a lot of nice touches that he brought to the book. His computer hotline network, based on the old Teen Brigade, was a find idea that allowed him to follow leads and didn't necessitate him getting in touch with the nearest police precinct. And the thought of turning the Serpent Society into a union with benefits and, needless to say, profit sharing, while gathering some of Marvel's snake characters that were languishing was clever and unexpected. Maybe he delved too deeply into the hows and whys of the day-to-day details of villains and organizations, to the point of weighing down a story, while at times I thought Cap wore his Avengers chairmanship hat a little too tightly--but some of those points were well thought out and provided some insight.
Count your blessings, M.P.--those snakes might have eventually developed the urge to make turtle soup out of you!
My main issue with Gruenwald comes from the pointless stories later in his tenure. He did write the absolute best chapters of Acts of Vengeance. The Serpent Society showed creativity, though I am not fans of other characters he brought in or created. Slug and Flag Smasher come to mind. Also, D-Man. What else can you say? I did like the Cap no More story, though I feel it went on too long and established a trend of too many subplots that pretty much made the book less and less about Steve Rodgers as time went on.
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