Symbolic Splash Pages: The Early Years, Part Two

 

A few stragglers to the PPC's previous segment on symbolic splash pages of Marvel's early years now come to light, again focusing on those "double/triple feature" books published from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s but this time taking a look at the work of artists Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Don Heck, Chic Stone, and Joe Sinnott, in pages from Journey Into Mystery, Tales To Astonish, and those issues of Strange Tales before Nick Fury and Doctor Strange elbowed out the book's previous headliner, the Human Torch.

Such splash pages in the Mighty Thor series, which picked up where Journey Into Mystery left off, were practically nonexistent, with Kirby veering away from symbolic association and instead using the title page to lead directly into the main story--which makes these pages something of a rarity where the God of Thunder is concerned. One thing that wasn't rare in either title, however, was the presence of Loki, Thor's evil half-brother, who shared Page One with the Thunder God so often that it's no wonder he practically received billing of his own.

You Always Battle The One You Love

(with a nostalgic nod to Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher)


As a companion piece to an earlier post which took a look at pairings of Marvel characters that didn't quite work out romantically, it seems appropriate to flip the coin and look in on couples whose romantic ties were more stable (or in flux) but who, from time to time, were perfectly willing to take off the gloves and resort to duking it out to resolve their differences, just like any other couple. Except that when we're talking about super-powered characters, there's every chance that a fight will turn into a full-fledged battle, possibly to the death! Ain't love grand?

Yikes! You real-life husbands out there had better watch your backs!

From Scientific Pariah to Scientist Supreme

OR: "I'll Show You!"


Over the years, while being witness to his colorful and at times unstable career, there's probably one thing we can all reach consensus on when it comes to Henry Pym, a/k/a [INSERT FAVORITE COSTUMED IDENTITY HERE]: his time in the laboratory hasn't exactly been without incident. Put another way: to say that Pym has had his share of mishaps in the lab is like saying that Michael Phelps only picked up a couple of medals in his Olympics sweep. Even before Pym developed the two serums that would alter his life forever, his peers in the scientific community had reached their limit with him, as they tried once more to dissuade him from pursuing his unorthodox experiments and instead apply himself toward more mainstream research.

Given his disturbing response, it seemed clear that Pym's motivations were more self-serving than altruistic.

Nor do you have to look much further than this man's crazed expression following the testing of his shrinking serum to realize that he really shouldn't even be allowed near a bunsen burner, much less a fully stocked lab. Is Henry Pym a scientist more driven than dedicated? A man who strives to break new ground--or one whose methodology in the lab veered toward seeing how bad bad can get?

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.

When Strikes The Scarlet Beetle!

Every once in awhile in comics, it's always fun to encounter a new antagonist for our hero(es) who's played for laughs--a list of troublemakers that's included, to name a few who have been profiled in the PPC, the Impossible Man, Captain Ultra, the Black Fox, and of course Fabian Stankowicz, as well as the hapless Rasputin. And who could forget the utter chaos of the Defenders' membership drive from hell that saw trouble from both hero and villain? We also have writer Peter David to thank for making even more serious villains capable of evoking a chuckle or two from readers--foes who at times exchanged rant for wit, but were no less deadly.

And then... *sigh*... then there's the Scarlet Beetle, one of the most minuscule would-be conquerors ever, who dates all the way back to 1963 and was--is--obsessed with making insects the masters of Earth. Mock the Scarlet Beetle as you will, but his tenacity, arrogance, and sheer presumption have been long-standing trademarks of also-ran villains of the more human variety whose reach, like the Beetle's, exceeded their grasp. The Beetle might remind you a little of Salamar, the Sustainer, the sinister albeit mechanized oversized crab that lurked in the sunken ruins of Atlantis and turned out to be the construct of Namor's fiendish cousin, Byrrah. In the Beetle's case, it's no surprise that he was not only sentient, but intelligent, since such monsters were plentiful in not only Tales To Astonish but other "Tales" mags which were slowly transitioning to featuring super-heroes; and of course the scope of the Beetle's plans was on a far greater scale than Salamar's.

The Beetle was mainly a foe of the Ant-Man--and though he would also encounter Scott Lang in that identity, he began his reign of terror by battling Henry Pym, who was just getting his feet wet as Ant-Man and was still using gas vials on his belt to change his size. In essence, the Beetle's plan to conquer the world isn't a bad one, since the number of insects on the planet could overwhelm the human population if guided by a sinister mind like the Beetle's. And Pym learns as much when, encountering the Beetle in his lair, he inadvertently hands his foe the means to make him even more of a threat.

With Pym out of the way, the Beetle proceeds to begin his invasion, and indeed the city's population seems to have no defense against the Beetle's well-thought-out plan of attack. But Pym eventually escapes captivity and confronts the Beetle, luring him into a toy store and using the "weapons" at hand to pull victory from defeat and end the Beetle's threat, seemingly for good.

But in a 1972 story by Roy Thomas, the Scarlet Beetle returns, as malevolent as ever--and though Pym would face the creature once again, a dejected shop owner turned arsonist named Wilbur would also play a crucial part in how things play out.

It doesn't look as if the Beetle's changed his approach to conquest--nor does he really need to, providing he doesn't allow Pym the chance to upset his plans. And when Pym appears to have foiled him in one aspect of his scheme, the Beetle handily adapts and perhaps becomes even more dangerous.

Pym deserves a little credit for at least making sure that no one can take advantage of his size-changing gas anymore, though it's clear he hasn't covered all the bases as far as having his abilities co-opted. His cybernetic helmet would represent a significant advantage for the Beetle, since it was Pym's control over the ants that helped him prevail against the Beetle in their prior battle.

Fortunately for Pym, Wilbur has plans of his own--which not only manage to save Pym's life, but also bring an undignified end to the Scarlet Beetle.

Wilbur's end, as it turned out, was also on the undignified side, though less, er, crushing. As for the Beetle, he went on to make several more appearances in one form or another, always seeming to come close to realizing his dreams of conquest but never quite escaping his fate as comic relief. Or, to put it another way:

When Sneers Egghead!

Since we've spent a fair amount of time on Henry Pym lately, we should give due attention to the man who would become one of his most dogged foes--the man known as Egghead, who's introduced in December of 1962 just a few issues into Ant-Man's run in Tales To Astonish. Granted, Ant-Man's foes in that title were generally nothing to write home about; but when your archenemy turns out to be a man who takes pride in the name "Egghead," it's fair to say you're at the bottom rung of the hero ladder.

As far as super-villains go, we'd probably have to award the label of archenemy to the Human Top, Pym's most deadly foe in his early days, with Ultron of course rising later to menace not only Pym but all of the Avengers. Yet waiting in the wings was always Egghead, a normal human whose resourcefulness and ruthlessness, combined with his brilliance, made him a perpetual threat to Pym. (And he would have been a natural as one of the Headmen.) We've come to realize over time that Egghead is the type to hold a grudge, to be sure--but how did his anger and resentment toward Pym take root?

Like many villains, Egghead began his life of crime because of his desire for and need of money--and he didn't appear to have any scruples whatsoever as to how to go about obtaining it. In fact, when we first encounter him, he's already in hot water--a scientist working for the government, who had decided that there aren't nearly enough zeros in his paycheck and concludes that slipping government secrets to foreign powers will put him on Easy Street.

"To a genius like me your insipid patriotic ramblings are laughable! I sneer at you all!" Scripter Larry Lieber may have been an unsung talent at Marvel, but he had his moments.  It seems evident that Egghead already has his own thoughts on what status he feels he's due. It's also interesting to note a total lack of remorse in his character, a character trait we've already seen he would come to use as a ploy when necessary.

In a way, it's actually Ant-Man's effectiveness as a crime-fighter (as odd as that comes out sounding) that we have to thank for opening the door for Egghead with the criminal underworld that he would often seek out to help him further his plans. The news of Egghead being drummed out of his position with the government eventually reaches a few notables of that underworld, who have been driven underground by Ant-Man and who are desperately looking for someone to deal with a threat no larger than a thumbnail. And for Egghead, these men already have gotten wind that the best way to gain his cooperation is to flash a wad of green bills in front of him.

"Brute force ain't the answer!" Well, we're pretty sure that it is, since Ant-Man mostly chooses to remain at ant size during his early exploits and relies on his ants as back-up, limited to the more slow-acting growth abilities that his gas-based power affords him and not yet able to more extensively take advantage of his size-changing advantage. Ant-Man may have the strength of a full-grown man at ant size, but it's a fair bet he'll still go *SPLAT* when Lefty or Edward G. Robinson here brings their foot down on him. And speaking of the actor from Hollywood's Golden Age, Egghead's debut is one of several rare instances where the actor's likeness makes a delightful surprise appearance in a Marvel story.

As for Egghead, the mob's dough is money well spent, since he almost immediately produces results by deducing and duplicating one of Pym's earliest discoveries: how to communicate with the insect world. From there, it's a simple matter for him to lay a trap for his foe.

Egghead might have been better served by using his technology to direct the ants, rather than offering them a choice between himself and Pym, but we'll get to that in a moment.

When the time comes for Egghead to spring his trap, it looks like the ants are on board, with Pym walking right into it. (Or in this case, being bellowed into it.)

With Ant-Man free, it isn't long before Egghead is forced to flee and the gunmen are routed--including our poor Mr. Robinson stand-in, "see"?

Pym is being a little misleading as to the psychology of his little "friends," since they're only his willing allies as long as he wears his cybernetic helmet that allows him a measure of control over them. Egghead was on the right track when he offered to "free [the ants] from the Ant-Man's rule," since that's precisely what Ant-Man's power over them involves. Take, for instance, the incident where Whirlwind (our former Human Top) drops both Pym and the Wasp into an ant colony without the benefit of their cybernetic control technology. Fortunately, there was a stash of circuitry within the tank that Pym was able to salvage into a makeshift device, just in time to save their lives.

Had Egghead devised technology that could make the ants follow his own directives, this story might have turned out differently for him. Instead, he heads to a refuge he would come to know well in the years ahead--the Bowery in Manhattan's lower east side (also known at the time as "Skid Row"), where he would simmer and make future plans to gain his revenge on Henry Pym.

COMING UP:

Egghead bounces back! (He didn't stay holed up for long, did he?)

BUT NEXT:

Just how often did Mr. Robinson moonlight in Marvel Comics?

Tales To Astonish #38 Script: Larry Lieber Pencils: Jack Kirby Inks: Dick Ayers Letterer: Jon D'Agostino (as Johnny Dee)

The Guilt Of The Innocent

We're wrapping up what's turned into "Pile Onto Pym" Week here at the PPC, as we continue our look at Henry Pym's downward spiral following his expulsion from the Avengers. Things are hardly looking up for Pym since that disgrace; destitute, he returned to his wife to ask for her forgiveness, only to find that she'd kicked him out and was pursuing divorce proceedings.

Since then, the Avengers have put themselves in order and moved on, with Pym's estranged wife, Jan, having expedited her divorce in the Dominican Republic and then returning to nominate herself for and be accepted as the new Avengers chairwoman--while Tigra, following the team's conflict with the Molecule Man, has decided that she's not yet cut out to be an Avenger and has resigned. But from the looks of this issue's cover, the first order of business for the refurbished Avengers appears to be to add to the woes of their former comrade, Henry Pym.

Either Yellowjacket is gunning for the Avengers, or the other way around--

but which one is it?

Believe it or not, it's going to turn out to be a little of both!

This Hero No More!

Following Henry Pym's court-martial and subsequent expulsion from the Avengers, the disgraced and humiliated former hero left the premises almost immediately without waiting for the formal and inevitable vote that effectively ended his Avengers career; but the aftershocks of his disrepute continue to ripple through Avengers Mansion and beyond, as each of the Avengers comes to terms with the loss and the breakdown of a man who goes back to the beginning, one of the team's founding members.

As part-epilogue to that story, writer Jim Shooter once more takes a look at the Avengers one by one--and there is also the fate of Pym to consider, now directionless and likely having lost his wife and his home, as well. Most of the Avengers would tackle a new threat in the issue's main plot--but it's clear that the situation with their former teammate still haunts them, which certainly holds true for the man himself.

First, we look in on two of Pym's... erstwhile comrades, Iron Man and Thor, as they meet in their respective civilian identities as Tony Stark and Donald Blake to discuss how to help Pym hopefully get back on his feet as well as, it goes without saying, getting him the necessary medical therapy to deal with his issues. It was almost tempting to use the word "friends" for a moment there--but were they ever that to Pym, really? It might be much easier to say that of Steve Rogers--but it's high time for these two people, who operate in their own separate circles, to admit that they never knew Pym on that level. That said, Pym's contribution and dedication to the Avengers has been unequivocal, and it's gratifying to see that these two men want to reach out to him, rather than just going about their business after having taken him off the Avengers roster (if reluctantly).

Strange--I would have at least thought that the first reflex of either of these men would be to call Pym by his real name rather than that of his costumed identity--yet Stark correcting himself perhaps underscores the distant relationship they've had with him over the years. We forget sometimes how private all of the original Avengers were with each other when they first worked together (even making a point to put that condition in writing in their charter). Pym and the Wasp, in particular, didn't reveal their identities until they returned to the group when Cap was leading the team, while Stark and Thor shared their identities only with each other at a later point. Add to that the fact that Avengers Mansion was mainly a meeting site, with Iron Man, Thor, and the Pyms never in residence, and it's easy to understand why this sort of conversation between Stark and Blake regarding Pym was bound to be awkward.

One Avenger who is currently in residence--Tigra--also has an opinion on the situation, especially after seeing Captain America take out his frustration in the gym. As we saw prior to the court-martial, Tigra's opinion of Pym wasn't favorable, and Pym's transparent ruse to absolve himself only sent it plummeting further. Yet Jarvis, the mansion's butler, has a wealth of perspective on the Avengers gained during his long tenure with them, and he's present to offer Tigra a different opinion on her harsh assessment of Pym--tactfully, of course.

One wonders if Jarvis would speak the same glowing words of Pym to the Wasp, if it were she he was speaking to instead of Tigra, eh?

And speaking of Jan, she is no doubt an important stop for Shooter to make as he continues to take the temperature of the Avengers after Pym's expulsion. As we can see, Jan's is decidedly... chilly.

With artist Bob Hall's rendering of Pym's assault on Jan now canon, Shooter appears willing to advance this story as if Pym struck Jan intentionally, rather than the way he had originally wanted the scene to come across; otherwise, divorce would seem an extreme step to take for being unintentionally knocked to the ground out of a mixture of anger and frustration. But now that Jan has faced facts and asserted herself, it would seem the only step left for her to take--and Shooter now has a much stronger scene to script, featuring a woman who has finally stepped out from behind her own shadow.

Which naturally brings us to Pym, and his feelings. So much has already been said by and about him on this subject; yet now that he's cleared his head to a degree and things have calmed down, what are his thoughts on how he's conducted himself? How things have turned out? In response we're only given narrative that amounts to "to be continued"; for now, we can only assume that what he feels is mostly regret. There was a time when Pym mostly called the shots for the Avengers--and as he sits in solitude, he paints a sobering picture of how much his prospects have changed.

Finally, there's Captain America, who had the unpleasant duty of bringing the charges against Pym and prosecuting him during the court-martial. Since Pym's expulsion, he's also insisted on taking the lion's share of responsibility for the pressure that Pym was under, perhaps out of guilt for an Avenger on his watch washing out--and someone of Pym's reputation and dedication, at that. The gym equipment he's faced today, as a result, hasn't stood a chance against his bottled rage--but Jarvis, again, has an opinion to offer that will hopefully save at least the pommel horse from the scrap heap.

In both instances, Jarvis's words boil down to giving Henry Pym every chance to pull himself out of his nosedive and redeem himself--knowing that journey will need to start with Pym himself. The question is:  Is Pym ready to do so?

NEXT:

Things go from bad to worse, as Yellowjacket is accused of a federal crime!

PLUS: The return of Egghead!

When Falls An Avenger!

Unquestionably a landmark issue, Avengers #213 holds a historic place in the team's annals, beyond and apart from the lineup changes that in the decades prior to the 21st century defined significant moments in Avengers history--marking and celebrating the passing of the torch to new Avengers who would establish their own legend. In this story, however, there is no media frenzy, no heady sense of anticipation, no excited crowds--instead, there is a pall to the current proceedings that are held behind closed doors in their Fifth Avenue mansion. The Avengers hold their first court-martial hearing of one of their own, accused of improper conduct on a mission and subject to expulsion if found guilty. Even more eye-opening is the fact that the accused is not some rookie whose inexperience and lack of discipline led to disaster, but one of the team's founding members--Henry Pym, now known as Yellowjacket, whose long service to the team has been distinguished up until this point.

Pym has only recently returned to the Avengers following a new shake-up in membership; and while his wish to rejoin the team was met with a general "welcome back" response that lacked fanfare but acknowledged a returning member who has more than proven his worth, we would soon see that Pym seemed overly eager to make a contribution to the Avengers this time around, his laboratory work having failed to meet his expectations during his inactive status combining with feelings of inadequacy stemming from living off his wife's fortune. In Pym's mind, the Avengers offered a return to prominent status, as well as opportunities to excel in a group setting that would allow his talents to stand out and to once more be at the forefront of solving a crisis.

Nor could Pym be in better company to receive affirmation of whatever skills he would bring to the table. Except for the Hulk, whose (you'll excuse the word) signature on the Avengers charter barely had time for the ink to dry before he angrily departed, and Tigra, who joined the team at the same time Pym returned, this Avengers lineup consists of all the original members (with Captain America retroactively designated as such), men and women (er, woman) who already know and respect Pym and who won't fail to regard him as an equal. Unfortunately, Pym doesn't take this for granted, and feels he must push things along in that respect.

What happened in the prior issue to bring us to this point is something we'll let the preliminary proceedings establish. For now, suffice to say that the mood within Avengers Mansion is tense--not only setting a precedent for convening a court-martial, but throwing the book at a founding member. Only Iron Man has been the subject of formal disciplinary proceedings, a failure to answer an Avengers summons which resulted in a one-week suspension from active duty; in contrast, Yellowjacket stands accused of misconduct in the field, a far more serious matter since his actions escalated a battle that was on the verge of being halted. And so a momentous hearing is held to review the charges and Yellowjacket's response to same.

It's evident that Yellowjacket understands his personal failings in this matter; what's interesting is that he declines to explain himself, even though it's clear that his response (or lack thereof) will determine whether the Avengers convene a court-martial. Given his status as a founding member, and the fact that those facing him are his comrades and friends who no doubt want to make every effort to help him, offering an explanation of his actions would go a considerable way toward avoiding having this process proceed further--yet Pym's thoughts indicate that he's perhaps too embarrassed, even ashamed, of his behavior to lay his cards on the table. Which unfortunately leaves the Avengers no choice in the matter.

To the Avengers, it must seem as if their friend has no excuse for his behavior in the field, which, lacking an explanation, amounts to a lapse in judgment and, by extension, an avoidable mistake. When the Avengers reconvene, will Yellowjacket see it that way?

The Familiar Debut Of... Whirlwind!

Once characters such as the Sub-Mariner, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Giant-Man, and Dr. Strange graduated their mid-1960s feature mags and made the move to titles of their own, some of their old foes made the move with them, becoming more serious threats in stories that invested more time and thought into the characters and the plots they were swept up in. In the case of Giant-Man--the one character who didn't receive his own title but instead returned to the Avengers as Goliath--he found himself once again dogged by his old nemesis from Tales To Astonish, the Human Top; and while the Top didn't exactly set the world of comics fandom on fire in the push to make him an arch-enemy of a headlining hero, what better way to take another shot at prominence than to guest-star in a "rising star" mag like The Avengers?

And this time the Whirlwind, a/k/a Dave Cannon--whose face, it's important to note, was already known to both Giant-Man and the Wasp--arrives in sheep's... er, chauffeur's clothing as "Charles Matthews," a man that Janet Van Dyne has hired as her limo driver, proving again the old comic book practice of being able to effectively conceal your identity with a simple pair of glasses or, in this case, a chauffeur's uniform.

The Wasp and Goliath may have left the Top behind in those old Tales To Astonish issues, but Cannon is as focused as ever on revenge, as well as intent on rebuilding the rep he was making for himself before his encounters with Giant-Man diluted it. To that end, he shifts his identity to one that puts a new (forgive the word) spin on his power.

It doesn't seem like much of a move up in the costume department, does it? And that helmet looks like it could double as the agitator in somebody's washing machine.

The Deadly Nemesis of... Giant-Man!?

Iron Man had the Mandarin; the incredible Hulk had the Leader; the Fantastic Four battled Dr. Doom; for Spider-Man there was the Green Goblin; the mighty Thor clashed with Loki; Captain America faced off against the Red Skull; the X-Men battled Magneto; Dr. Strange was beset by Baron Mordo. For decades, archenemies had been a time-tested guarantee of sales spikes in comic books ever since super-heroes had been on the scene--and with few exceptions, Marvel had given many of its heroes a nemesis that challenged them unlike any other. Believe it or not, there was a time when Marvel made an apparent move to do the same for Giant-Man--yes, that Giant-Man, a hero you can't quite picture meriting an archenemy who would consider his defeat a necessity prior to carrying out their plans, and whose career and comics exposure didn't really continue past the disbanding of the original Avengers.

You might of course be tempted to name a certain metal fiend as his archfoe:

Except that Ultron was more a nemesis of Goliath--and while technically you could boil both Goliath and Giant-Man down to Henry Pym, who went on to create Ultron, it was Giant-Man who Marvel seemed to feel needed a foe to distinguish himself while he was still building his rep with double exposure in The Avengers and Tales To Astonish.

And that brings us to a giant-sized

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Marvel Trivia Question

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What super-villain was chosen to be Giant-Man's most dangerous enemy?