In His Hand... The Universe!

 

At the tail end of 1971, I was still a reader of Amazing Adventures, which had started out in a format that split the mag between the Black Widow and the Inhumans in separate stories but which featured the Inhumans exclusively with its ninth issue--their penultimate appearance in the book, as it turned out, as part of a two-part story which had them going up against none other than the Master of Magnetism himself.

Magneto was still unquestionably a fiend in those days--ambitious, ruthless, cruel, still nearly a decade away from a change in direction which would take the first steps toward reform and offer a more nuanced look at his character and history. Before this story, he'd made a failed attempt to co-opt the Sub-Mariner in a scheme to invade and subjugate New York; and later, another scheme would have him attacking both the X-Men and the Avengers.

Here, we find more of the same power-hungry behavior, as the members of the Inhuman royal family continue their search for their king, Black Bolt, who has fallen victim to a mental attack by his mad brother, Maximus, which has deprived him of his memory. Yet unknown to Medusa, Karnak, and Gorgon, Magneto had launched a two-pronged attack by mutant subordinates to capture them all--and while the attack against their group fails, the amnesia-stricken Black Bolt is ambushed and brought before the man who has further plans for him.

Having entered Magneto's lair and witnessed Black Bolt's treatment firsthand, his fellow Inhumans attack his captors in reprisal in order to secure his freedom. But while the sight of Medusa and the others has the unexpected result of restoring Black Bolt's memory, Magneto's forces are still able to overwhelm them thanks to their master's timely entrance.

But what is Magneto after with this elaborate plan that requires the involvement of the Inhumans--or, more specifically, Black Bolt? Well, from past stories, we know that he has developed technology that allows him to create mutants from human subjects and thereafter subvert them to his will--only now, he not only has begun to experiment with mutating mutants, but also seeks to supplement that process with a power source that will allow him to do so on a greater scale. And the demonstration he provides proves to the captured Inhumans his capacity to do so to chilling effect.

With Black Bolt now under Magneto's influence, plans are made to attack a military research installation in order to obtain the power source for the equipment that he's named the Universe Machine, an indication of his mad goal to extend his reach to the stars. (I'd wager the Stranger is near the top of his list of those he'd like to bring under his control.) It's still not entirely clear why Magento wanted to capture Medusa and her comrades; it would have been pointless to use them as leverage to ensure Black Bolt's cooperation, given his will was enslaved by Magneto, nor would the Black Bolt still in the throes of amnesia have necessarily cooperated upon seeing their safety threatened. But those aspects of this story by writer Gerry Conway become moot when, with Black Bolt's powerful assistance, Magneto launches his attack to obtain the cylinder he's after.

In the interim, the other three Inhumans have escaped from and dealt with their captors, and now wait to confront Magneto and hopefully free their king from the power that keeps his will in check. Yet they don't take into account Magneto's open-air flier, which gives him an unobstructed view of his lair on approach and allows him to spot the Inhumans (even huddled in darkness--we'll have to assume the thing has landing lights in use)--nor does Magneto, it seem, take into account the possibility that his royal captive has been playing along with him from the beginning.

While Black Bolt wrestles with the monstrous mutant that attempted to sap his will, Magneto makes his break to reach the Universe Machine. But his other former captives bar his way, in a confrontation which leads to the villain's defeat, if not worse.

With his narrative, Conway seems to imply that Black Bolt had at some point sabotaged the cylinder and thus knew what to expect with its activation; but with only one page of the story left for the dust to settle and provide a decent send-off to the Inhumans, we can only assume that Conway might have deemed further dialog on the matter superfluous. In any event, that page turns our attention to the Avengers book, where the team would agree to assist Black Bolt in wrapping up the conflict with Maximus.

Amazing Adventures #s 9-10 Script: Gerry Conway Pencils: Mike Sekowsky Inks: Bill Everett, Frank Giacoia Letterer: John Costanza, Sam Rosen