Most of that likely has to do with Mantlo playing to one of Iron Man's strengths which is separate from his armor--specifically, his status as a member of the old guard who at times throws his weight around with those he considers less seasoned than himself, who then tend to fall in line and defer to his better judgment. We get a look at such character dynamics up front in this issue when Iron Man realizes he could use backup in this affair--particularly when he investigates a deserted AIM base in Nevada and discovers evidence of MODOK being close to achieving a threat level that could endanger the world.
Admittedly, Iron Man doesn't help matters in regard to his sometimes brusque manner in asserting himself when he breaks into Champions HQ after his radio alert goes unheeded and he doesn't feel he can waste time with formalities. But the Black Widow quickly smooths any ruffled feathers from her teammates, and soon enough everyone is on the same page in the hunt for MODOK.
Before cutting to the chase in the issue's denouement, Mantlo provides the Champions with a generous amount of scenes in their two segments where they must overcome heavy resistance from AIM, though the scenes only serve to illustrate the fact that two former X-Men, an Olympian god, two former Russian agents, and the Ghost Rider are too disparate in terms of their characterization and marketability to excel as a team concept. (The Ghost Rider, in particular, gives the impression of wanting to ditch the Champions at the first opportunity in scene after scene.)
It's only when Iron Man "strykes" out in his own segment that the story regains momentum, heralding the anticipation of everyone converging and bringing the fight to MODOK.
Back to Nevada we return, then, where we discover that MODOK has gained the time he needed to bring his weapon's power to fruition--a "Doomsday Chair" (words fail me, Mr. Mantlo), constructed to store power drained from the entire Pacific coast and magnify MODOK's mental powers "to the Nth degree." Even with the Champions joining Iron Man (minus Darkstar, who was seriously injured at the AIM base she was sent to with the Ghost Rider and Iceman), they face stiff resistance from other AIM creations, before MODOK takes a hand in possibly sealing their fate forever.
(Yikes, Mr. Tuska! Madam Natasha doesn't pack that kind of firepower, sir. It's the Widow's bite, not the Widow's bolt.)
Predating an issue of Secret Wars which essentially takes the same approach, Iron Man makes use of the cradle which supplied power to MODOK. Assuming his palm emitters can channel the power needed to vaporize an entire mountain and still remain functional (or intact), he's able to set the stage for saving their lives. MODOK, however, isn't so lucky.
I'd be curious if there are any non-Champions readers who picked up this issue and were tempted by either their appearance here or the promotional banner on the final page to check out the series:
As for Iron Man, around this time Mr. Mantlo has him tussling with the Frankenstein monster if you're curious.
I should think, for the Black Widow, death chair stories are de rigeur. After all, when Natasha and Spidey went after Simon Stroud, the Owl had a weaponized flying chair, too. Incidentally, Tuska's Iron Man has previous for teaming up with Herc & Natasha, in Jim Shooter's Avengers, when he faced off against Typhon (& Hercules, too!), in Avengers # 163. At the end, I think Ice-Man also popped up - even if a full Champions quorum wasn't achieved. Was that before or after this Iron Man Annual? Either way, for me, that Iron Man story looks good. I'm partial to Tuska & Mantlo's Iron Man, despite its flaws, with # 106 being my all time favourite. This issue has a bit of that style too, with Mantlo deftly sprinkling other heroes into the mix.
ReplyDeletePhillip
Hmmm, Phillip, you may have inadvertently provided inspiration for a separate post: characters who are remembered for using deadly (or imposing) chairs! Let's see, who would be included... MODOK, the Owl, Midas, Brain-Child, Tom Thumb, Quincy Harker, the Schemer (more of a desk guy), Madame Web... heavens, what a road we're going down. :D
ReplyDelete"A team that never quite resonated" is an apt description of the Champions - it's like someone in Marvel Editorial thought, "The FF and Avengers are teams, the Defenders are a non-team, let's assemble a new team midway between the two". Nevertheless I have purchased, read and kept all 17 issues of the run (gotta love their nemesis Swarm, the beehive that walks like a man).
ReplyDeleteI also remember reading this Iron Man Annual in 1977 and young teenage me thought it a fun adventure. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
Charliedogg, I, too, stuck with The Champions series until the end (and at a bi-monthly schedule, that may have been a mixture of persistence and tenacity keeping me going). With the creative talent shuffling, I wouldn't have minded seeing Rich Buckler take a crack at the art for a few issues, if only to provide a sense of stability to the book for old and new readers alike. (And, as long as I'm dreaming, how about a Buckler/Joe Sinnott pairing with Gerry Conway to really shake things up?)
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, Tony Isabella once wrote a blogpost where he explained the origin of the Champions. Originally he just wanted to use Angel and Iceman as a buddy title. They were the original X-Men left hanging with Cyclops and Phoenix still in X-Men and Beast in Avengers.
ReplyDeleteBut Marvel's top brass said they would need to be an actual "team". And a "team" required 1) someone who already headlined their own title, 2) a strong guy, and 3) a girl. And that is why Ghost Rider, Hercules, and Black Widow were added.
Now I don't think Iceman and Angel are all that interesting, but it at least makes sense why they are together. They are old friends and teammates as well as both being mutants. But the Champions, as such, make little sense. And they certainly don't make sense with the theme chosen for them: "Heroes for the common people". If you are going to go with that theme, these are probably the least likely heroes one would want for it. So it's no surprise the team (and book) never worked.
Chris
To me, the Champions was fun, and always a good read. However, its UK arrival came much later than in the U.S. At the time, I enjoyed Ghost Rider's US monthly title, him being powerful, with a great potential to cut loose. So, seeing the earlier, weaker Ghost Rider, with Johnny Blaze 'pretending to be a spook', in the Champions, disappointed slightly - but still, Ghost Rider was in it! Also, the Black Widow was another favourite - and I suppose the comic was quite progressive, making her the leader - sort of - constantly bossing much stronger Hercules around! I thought Rampage was a good Champions villain, being almost an Iron Man level threat.
ReplyDeletePhillip
By the way, that Iron Man Annual cover screams "Al Milgrom!"
ReplyDeletePhillip
You make good points concerning the Champions, Chris (and thanks for including Isabella's thoughts on the subject). If I remember correctly, the Champions, like the original X-Factor, relied on the media to keep a high profile for themselves, even hiring a press agent, whereas the Avengers would restrict their dealings with the press to announcing meet-and-greet lineup changes and post-crisis briefings. Only the FF seemed to get away with using the press to their benefit (e.g., marriage plans), with the aim on Reed's part (we learn later) of becoming celebrities (mostly for the sake of Ben Grimm). I give points to the Champions for raising the bar a bit and making an effort to have their team name resonate and connect with those in need (though I think "dedicated to fighting for every individual's right to be free" was laying it on a bit thick), but perhaps going about it in a less self-promoting way would have made their case for them more effectively.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, an interview with a major L.A. outlet would be far more revealing than a flashy televised dedication ceremony, allowing the team members to elaborate on their mission statement more earnestly with the public (as well as we readers), while being much tougher on the team members and less likely to allow them to simply huddle behind their spokesperson, the Angel. How would Hercules, a self-proclaimed god, answer probing questions as to how they plan to work for the benefit of the common man? How would the members react at seeing the host single out the Ghost Rider for questions? If the comic itself wasn't willing to approach the Champions' raison d'être more frankly and avoid having their publicist steer their ship, it's difficult to see readers finding the team's exploits appealing and flocking to the series in droves.