The issue also has the dubious distinction of being published shortly before artist Jack Kirby would depart Marvel Comics for reportedly a more conducive work environment--and while you may get a sense that the frayed relationship between Kirby and writer Stan Lee may have played into the story's shaky foundation, it nevertheless reads as business as usual if... if... you can overlook some of its failings. Thanks to the "Marvel method" still being in play, we can take a fair guess as to how the story took shape: Lee provides the bare bones plot (in a nutshell, Johnny Storm is upset at his girlfriend Crystal being ordered back to the Inhumans' Great Refuge and sets out in anger to confront the royal family and retrieve her), and Kirby flushes out and draws the complete story based on his own interpretation, a formula which had worked splendidly for the most part for their nearly 9-year collaboration on the title.
Diving in, then, let's look at the tense meeting that separated Crystal from Johnny which took place four issues earlier, and see how easy it's been made for Johnny to assume the worst.
So much is said... but very little if anything has been disclosed as to why Crystal is agreeing to accompany Medusa back to the Great Refuge, or why she's needed there, though she's obviously aware of what her decision will do to Johnny. Unfortunately, the two of them keeping mum leaves Johnny both upset and anguished because he's under the impression that Crystal is leaving for good. Now wouldn't this be the time for either Crystal or Medusa to elaborate on what's going on, and assuage any worries on Johnny's part as to just why Crystal must leave?
But Crystal fudges when giving her reasons, full of regret but supplying nothing in the way of information--and Medusa, equally unforthcoming, flatly states that "There is no more that may be said," which from Johnny's point of view must sound preposterous. To add insult to injury, the true reason for Crystal's departure isn't shrouded in secrecy, not in the least; and if we skip ahead and disclose that reason now, this scene could see everything cleared up with just a simple conversation between the three of them, leaving everyone at ease and no consternation whatsoever:
J: "Crystal, why are you leaving? This... this isn't for good, is it??"
C: "Oh Johnny, of course not! You see, Black Bolt was stricken during a radiation experiment, and my family needs me to attend to him by transmitting micro-shock waves to keep his heart beating, until Gorgon can return with a vial of serum that will restore his strength."
M: "That is precisely the situation, Johnny Storm. Crystal's powers are specifically suited to this task."
J: "I understand. I'll let Reed and the others know. Please give our best to Black Bolt--we're all pulling for him." (gives Crystal a kiss on the cheek, a smile, and a "Hurry back, and let me know if you need me" to send her on her way)
(No idea where Gorgon could possibly be returning from--an intra-Refuge apothecary deep in the caverns of the Alpha Primitives? A pharmacy franchise doing business in the middle of the Himalayas?)
So why keep the situation with Black Bolt under wraps? Why give Johnny the impression that the Inhumans have decided that Crystal should return to the Great Refuge permanently, and "no more may be said"? You know why--so we could all fork over 15¢ for this "epic issue" to see the Torch go after Crystal and lash out at the rest of the Inhumans in his "wild" rage. Flame on!
Leaving the rest of the FF out of the situation, the Torch heads for the Great Refuge under his own power to, well, attack the Inhumans if we're being blunt about it. (Funny how any worries of overextending his flame are suspended on transcontinental flights.) Near his destination, he stops to take shelter from a storm--but it seems he's closer to the Refuge than he thought when he's confronted by an Inhuman who races to warn his race, unknowingly giving Johnny a clear path into the Refuge that bypasses any formal opposition and allowing him to catch them all by surprise.
Since it's the royal family Johnny wants to reach, however, he plays it smart when confronted in the city--and soon enough, he's escorted to the palace, with everyone but Gorgon present to face him. Knowing what we know, Crystal and Black Bolt are hanging back while the others head off the Torch's approach (you'd think Black Bolt would be out of costume and receiving his ministrations by Crystal in a medical chamber, but what do I know)--but as for the others, there must be any number of ways to approach the Torch calmly and offer explanations, instead of assuming an attack posture to fend him off. Let's just say that this is your 15¢ at work, as the situation begins to escalate.
Despite her bluster and stern words, there's little Medusa can do about the Torch aside from getting out of his way (a strange choice on Kirby's part)--but nearing his goal, and lacking any explanations from anyone, he's left to make his own rash assumptions as to why Crystal still refuses to come with him, the matter made even worse when she resorts to using her power against him. It's only when Johnny is crazed with feelings of rejection and anger that the others, with impeccable timing, now rush forward and offer to share the truth with him--but by that point, he's no longer listening to reason.
Good grief, Triton--check in with the tight-lipped Medusa (and Crystal, for that matter) before casting aspersions on Johnny in regard to being receptive to explanations.
Dejected and humiliated, the Johnny Storm that we might recognize from 1970 would probably (a) cut his losses here and head home, or, now that I think about it, (b) bury his pride and plead to hear Crystal's side of all of this; but with all the unanswered questions and apparent misjudgments regarding his relationship hanging around his neck like a noose, he's in enough of an angry and irrational state to do something foolish, which brings us to (c), Lee's choice: taking an I'll show YOU approach that sees him take out that anger on all of the Inhumans, as well as their city. But before this tantrum child can strike, the rest of the FF arrive in the nick of time--and his sister, Sue, is aghast at what she sees in her brother's behavior.
Finally, once the Torch literally cools down, everyone gathers to hear the reason for Crystal's departure, with Johnny taking the heat (so to speak) for reacting the way he did. Yet Johnny also could well have asked point-blank, Why didn't anyone tell me all of this back in New York??
(Triton's not having a very good day, is he? Unless his vernacular in referring to the relationship between Crystal and Black Bolt is akin to "friend" or "comrade," someone may want to take him aside and bring this faux pas to his attention.)
Regardless, the moment passes before that kind of finger-pointing can begin. And fortunately, a certain bashful, blue-eyed Cupid comes up with just the right words to set things right with these two...
"This scene could see everything cleared up with a simple conversation between the three of them..."
ReplyDeleteAh, but Comicsfan, you're looking at it as a modern north American, ignoring any cultural differences at work.
Consider that Crystal and Medusa come from a closed off, alien society with a rigid class structure where slavery (eg the Alpha primitives) is acceptable; not only that, but they're from the ruling royal family, for whom its apparently normal for a king to marry his sister (theres nothing in the story to suggest Triton isn't being literal, with Medusa right next to him and no-one batting an eyelid).
So there'd be all kinds of social manners and formal codes of behaviour that they observe which would seem strange - possibly inexplicable - to you, me, and Johnny Storm.
Hows that? Does it help you with rationalizing the direction of the story at all?
Or at least get me a PPoC no-prize?
-sean
The fine line between "an ongoing and continuing tale" and "a schlocky soap opera" is this exact miscommunication. The "Arrowverse" on the CW Network is infamous for these soap opera plots that exist only because of inane and contrived excuses for the heroes not to offer a few words of explanation. But then they'd have 40 minutes of dead air. (And in a few episodes, especially in later seasons, dead air would have be preferable)
ReplyDeletesean, much as I'd like to send a no-prize winging your way (even arranging for an Alpha Primitive to deliver it--don't ask me how I managed that), we can't really boil things down to cultural differences here and sweep everything else under the rug. Take Crystal's comment to Johnny when he bursts into the throne room, for instance, declaring that she "cannot explain"--and then try to keep from ripping your comic apart when Triton later chastises Johnny for not letting her explain. Black Bolt's marriage to his sist... er, Medusa is the least of this issue's question marks.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Sean in this one. It's too easy to think of Inhumans as just some other superhero team based in New York but actually a separate society. Separate not just to the rest of the country but separate to the rest of humanity. I'm not at all surprised that, when they called Crystal back, they saw no need to let the rest of us know why.
ReplyDeleteSean's comment is borderline genius. I feel like I finally understand the inhumans now.
I would be fine with a cultural explanation of why the Inhumans are withholding information from Johnny that would placate him. But if that is the case, it needs to be explained somewhere in the issue (even if it is at the end so the reason isn't spoiled for the readers).
ReplyDeleteAnd it should be a learning opportunity for both Johnny and the Inhumans. With possibly the Inhumans questioning if THEY could have done something differently that would have prevented Johnny's rampage, as well as Johnny feeling ashamed.
As written, I agree it's stupid. If the Inhumans were so fine with explaining things at the end of the comic, there is no reason why it wasn't explained in the beginning. This is just fake drama.
Knowing Kirby's skill as a plotter, this is a big hole. Either Kirby cared so little about his Marvel work at this late date (knowing he will jump ship to DC), or Stan Lee failed to include it during his script. While I want to give both creators a fair shake, it's more likely the matter IMO. I've seen enough examples of Lee changing Kirby's plot points to know that when he did, it was generally not for the better of the story. But who knows at this point.
BTW, I don't think Medusa and Crystal are actually the sister of Black Bolt. Isn't it more of a case that Stan Lee meant to write "brother-in-law's life"? I know the Inhuman royal family are extended by being cousins and such, but I doubt Lee and Kirby actually meant that level of relationship. I think it's just an error. Lee made a lot of scripting errors. If I am wrong, happy to be corrected.
Chris
If the Inhumans were so fine with explaining things at the end of the comic, there is no reason why it wasn't explained in the beginning. You've hit the bullseye more precisely than even Karnak could have, Chris. :)
ReplyDeleteI suppose we'll never know what Mr. Lee might have meant to write for Triton in that group scene, though we can probably at least cross "brother-in-law" off the list given that Black Bolt and Medusa were not yet married. Likely just an oversight on Stan's part, as you say.
Stan Lee was a genius. I will always treasure Stan for his Fantastic Four creation. However, the one big mistake that Stan made, in my view, was forcing Crystal to leave the team and leave Johnny. Stan should have found a way to keep her, as her powers added so much to the FF.
ReplyDelete