Matrix Eight--Supplier of the Sinister

Or: "How To Harness The Hulk"


Shortly after the brief Roger Stern/John Byrne period on Captain America had run its course, what appears to be an inventory story was published--one which no doubt benefited from its eye-catching cover.

It's easy enough to connect the dots on the presumed scheduling difficulties associated with getting this issue prepped for publication--one sure tip-off being that it consists of just seventeen pages of story, followed by five pages of filler material from Marvel's old parody mag, Not Brand Echh (three of which were shamelessly tied to issue #255). There are also the story's credits, which are somewhat conspicuous in their diversity. This would be the only issue of Captain America penciled by Golden Age British-American artist Lee Elias, who worked on a handful of Marvel titles (most notably The Human Fly) before retiring from comics about a year after this story's publication. There were similar circumstances for scripter Mike Barr, having written only one other tale for the title (aside from a What If tale featuring the character); like Elias, he mainly contributed sparse work on second-string titles such as Solo Avengers, Marvel Preview, Marvel Spotlight, et al. And as for inking chores, the nomenclature of "M. Hands," shorthand for a number of inkers pitching in on pages or even individual panels in order to finish the issue, speaks for itself.

None of which is an indication that this story is necessarily a bad one; I came away from it, instead, feeling it was sub-par, and your own mileage may vary. The one thing we may likely all agree on is that it leaves one with the impression that it was shelved for a rainy day, which in 1981 cost us 50¢ to find out--a sum that admittedly elicits little more than a shrug in 2020, but one can only shudder at the thought that inventory stories might be appearing in store racks even today, at around $5 a pop.

For Cap, the story starts off quite nicely, actually, as a makes a yearly pilgrimage to northern England, to overlook the site where his friend and former partner, Bucky Barnes, was caught in an explosion over the ocean that took his life. But from the look of things, on this year he may not be afforded the solitude that such reflection calls for.

Birth Of An X-Man!

Once the decision was made to admit Rogue to the X-Men on a probationary basis--over the strong objections of none other than the X-Men themselves--there was nowhere to go but up for the young mutant, who had come to Charles Xavier seeking help not only in controlling her power to absorb the abilities and memories of those she came into physical contact with, but also in dealing with the anguish she suffers from wrestling with the memories of one woman in particular. Prior to this point, Rogue was persona non grata with those unfortunate enough to cross her path--with the Avengers, for instance, who barely survived her ambush when she fought with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants... and certainly with the X-Men, whose friend Carol Danvers was also ambushed and suffered the loss of her abilities as Ms. Marvel as a result, as well as any feelings of familiarity with what memories were left to her.

And so when the X-Men arrive in Japan to attend the wedding of Wolverine and Mariko Yashida, Wolverine--who had history with Carol and knew her the best of all the group--has already made his decision of how welcome he plans to make her.

And yet, judging by the cover of the following issue, writer Chris Claremont has made an interesting decision regarding the development of these two characters--the results of which may surprise you, and them.

The Battle of Heaven's Hand!

At the tail end of 1981, Tony Stark's personal life was in a tailspin! We'd better get started patching it up, eh?

Here's the gist:

• Stark's girlfriend, bodyguard/P.I. Bethany Cabe, suddenly takes off on a mysterious quest to Europe. Soon after, Stark comes across a newspaper article which reports she's been arrested behind the Iron Curtain on charges of espionage.
• Unknown to Stark, Bethany has a husband--Alexander van Tilburg, formerly West Germany's ambassador to the U.S. and presumed dead until recently. In actuality, the Russian KBG had captured him and faked his death in order to interrogate him to gain data on N.A.T.O.'s long-term espionage sleeper agents stationed in Europe. When the use of drugs failed, the Russians decided to use Bethany as a lever; to that end, they leaked word that her husband was still alive as a way to lure her to his side.
• Stark finds out through social and political contacts that Bethany is being held in Der Hand von Himmel ("Heaven's Hand"), a top secret security/research complex in East Germany.
• When diplomatic outreach to the international community fails, Stark decides to use his new stealth armor to infiltrate and gain intelligence on the installation, barely making it out in one piece.
• Stark and his pilot and friend, James Rhodes, mount a rescue mission using the data gathered by Iron Man's previous stealth mission.
• Once inside the installation, Stark locates Beth and discovers to his surprise that she had set up her own capture in order to stage an attack with a band of mercenaries to create a diversion so that she could break her husband out. You can guess which news comes as the greater surprise to Stark.
• With Stark inadvertently interrupting her plan, Beth is forced to reveal her knowledge that Stark and Iron Man are one and the same in order to implore Stark to suit up and assist, knowing that Iron Man is now the only chance for everyone to escape alive.

It's admittedly a lot for Stark to take in all at once--but what do you think he's going to do?

Under the circumstances, the only thing he can!

All things considered, this rescue's going off without any significant hitch so far, thanks to the presence of Iron Man. But the East Germans have another guest at Heaven's Hand--one whose thirst for revenge appears to outweigh the need for secrecy in regard to his benefactors, and whose power brings down Iron Man with a single strike.

Well, Mr. Stark, it was either facing the Living Laser or a love triangle, sir.

Count your blessings.

A Bargain At A Buck

With rare exception, comics issues which pepper their covers with tidbits of scenes from inside, along with captions that exclaim that this issue is the one you can't miss (or words to that effect), often do prove to be enjoyable since the promotional material is taking the stance that the issue has a little something for everyone--or, more loosely translated, there's bound to be something here that you'll like. While that may indeed be the case at times, one could regard such a cover as attempting to put the best face on a story which was unfortunately mostly devoid of (to put it bluntly) a story, depending on your definition of the word. You and I could probably name three or four such issues off the top of our respective heads which fit that description; yet many of them work on some level, if only as a harmless change-of-pace story that allows the book and its characters to catch their figurative breath.

The Mighty Thor issue we're about to take a look at wasn't specifically chosen to explore this theme; rather, in a way it flagged itself because of the way it backpeddles its marketing with a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer:

Which in a way gives the impression that the issue is patting itself on the back for not even trying to give you the content you're getting for your buck--but that's a Marvel hallmark if ever there was one.

In this instance, you might find yourself more than willing to give the story a pass for its heavier focus on the Wrecking Crew and Code: Blue, since the book has up until now amply fulfilled its quota of engaging Thor/Asgardian adventure (e.g., the realm has just prevailed in a clash with Ymir and Surtur, neither of which can be considered lightweights). That said, you might as well know going in that, thanks to a two-page comic/ad promoting the TurboGrafx Splatterhouse game, and a five-page backup story featuring Earth-Lord of Earth Force, that leaves just eleven pages of Thor for readers who picked up this issue expecting to see a Thor issue that "has it all." (And you shouldn't expect the Sif vs. Leir battle to make up the difference.)

The Men Who Would Be Headmen

With the introduction of the criminal outcasts known as the Headmen, some of you might remember a letters page notice which mentioned that three of them had appeared previously--and it was left up to readers to uncover the source. (And needless to say, without the aid of Google--ye gods!)

    Okay. So now you've met the Headmen--Dr. Nagan, Jerry Morgan, and Chondu. But you probably didn't realize all three of these characters have appeared before! No, not in THE DEFENDERS... not even together as a team... but recently, in a Marvel mag published during 1974.
    So guess what? It's contest time! We'll award a special prize--and a no-prize as well!--to the first reader who's able to tell us where and when Nagan, Morgan, and Chondu last appeared. (And when you figure it out... hoo boy, are you gonna be surprised!)

To the best of my knowledge, it was never divulged by Marvel whether someone chimed in with a correct guess, or even if anyone participated in this contest at all. No replies were seen in subsequent letters pages--and I'd be willing to wager a free comic book that the Bullpen Bulletins page wouldn't have bothered with allotting an ITEM! segment to it. But thanks to a moderate amount of curiosity on my part, you're going to see a post on it, ladies and gentlemen.

Which naturally takes the form of yet another

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Marvel Trivia Question

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Just which comic or comics offered our first look at the Headmen?

Havoc Is The Headmen!

OR: "I Think We're All Bozos In This Plot"
(with apologies to the Firesign Theatre)


When you form a villain group named the Headmen, there are probably a number of ways you could read into just why its members have settled on such a name for themselves. In the case of Arthur Nagan, Jerry Morgan, Ruby (Thursday), and Harvey Schlemerman (a.k.a. Chondu the Mystic), who made their first appearance in 1975* in an extended arc of The Defenders, the reason is rather apparent for each, though you'd have to dig beneath the surface to get a sense of what they've joined together to accomplish (with the exception of Chondu, who's clearly in it for the money).

*Not quite, but we'll get to that in due time.

Both Morgan and Ruby are following Nagan's lead in achieving their ends--as does Chondu, when he's brought aboard in part to facilitate a city-wide blackout, the effects of which drive many of its residents into a mad frenzy as a distraction which allows Nagan to plunder for funds. In this early stage of their formation, Nagan's focus is still limited to conducting his ghoulish experiments (which backfired on himself), though he's already thinking down the road in terms of long-term goals.

Eventually, we'll see how Chondu would become more of a "fit" for the Headmen beyond merely having a preference for wearing a stylish turban (in a development which, hoo boy, won't exactly thrill him).

Writer Steve Gerber's handling of the Headmen would take place over a span of eighteen months--inserting them here and there as, behind the scenes, they work toward world "conquest" in a way that would employ political and economic machinations rather than the use of outright force. Naturally, the Defenders will have a few other irons in the fire in the meantime; in fact, Gerber, in his own unique style that seems to thrive on the offbeat and outrageous, will have a number of plates spinning at once during this time, consisting of a jumble of different concepts that would look almost insane on paper--while artist Sal Buscema will benefit from a sundry mix of inkers assigned to the book for the duration, which will result in some of his finest work on the series.

Appropriately, the saga begins ominously when one Defender, Nighthawk, has a run-in with the startling form of Nagan during the blackout--and when the Hulk, as well, falls victim to the city-wide madness, the other Defenders sense a threat that is only now making itself known.

History, Hilarity, and Hembeck

If you've ever hoped to see a meshing of a Marvel story with wall-to-wall puns, you could dig through your old copies of Not Brand Echh--or you might instead treat yourself to Fred "Knees" Hembeck's 1982 effort, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of Fantastic Four by taking the form of a gathering usually reserved for slightly tipsy celebrities who honor one of their own with drinks and mock insults.

In other words, your six bits have just bought you a V.I.P. ticket to the

Its 36 pages are not only packed with characters, but also the work of roughly thirty-five artists. Hembeck explains his story thus:

And if you still find the whole concept slightly unbelievable even with Hembeck's explanation, the fact that the FF don't realize what they're walking into smooths things over and allows you to settle back with the rest of the guests. And, hoo boy, are there ever going to be guests at this shindig.

While I enjoy a good pun along with the next guy, I was mainly having fun trying to identify whose work was on which page. There are a number of under-the-radar artists who made contributions to this issue, and so I honestly had my share of misses; but frankly I was delighted to see what some of the heavy hitters would do with this sort of tongue-in-cheek material, though you'll find Hembeck adapts to all of it beautifully while providing a good deal of the FF's history in the process.

When Titans Marathon

(All right, I know it's not a verb--artistic license, guys!)

Having unknowingly defeated none other than the Hulk in a battle of strength vs. strength, the member of the Fantastic Four known as the Thing turns to hear challenging words directed at him--words he recognizes as familiar in both tone and limited thought, spoken by one he had thought dead.  It's a development which signals that his true fight, even if a welcome one, may have just begun.

What we're witnessing are events orchestrated by Dr. Doom, who had approached the gray Hulk (in his guise as "Joe Fixit," a Las Vegas enforcer working in the service of crime boss Michael Berengetti) to aid him in regaining the throne of Latveria from his young charge, Kristoff Vernard--taken as a child and programmed in the event of Doom's death to be a simulacrum of Doom's mind and will, so that he would continue to act as Doom from that point on. Unable to convince Kristoff of his bona fides and driven from Latveria, Doom failed to succeed in petitioning Fixit for assistance--and so he manipulated him into attacking the Thing in order to have his revenge for the FF's interference with his plan to steal the power of the Beyonder. Sir Walter Scott's verse regarding tangled webs and deception clearly had nothing on the methods of Victor Von Doom.

As we've seen, the Hulk was soundly thrashed by the Thing; and now, Doom arrives to find Fixit in a dejected state, to say nothing of confused as to the identity of the green behemoth newly arrived on the scene. Just who or what is it that the Thing is fighting?

Say what you will about Joe Fixit, he has his pride--and in combination with a shrewd mind that has excelled in outwitting and dealing with the opposition to be found in the criminal underworld, it's clear he plans to rally and deal with the Thing in short order.

Speaking of whom, Ben Grimm has been doing a little thinking himself, and realizes that the creature he's been facing may not be the Hulk at all--or, for that matter, even alive. But the one who has observed the final moments of this fight plans to make sure that the Thing will soon be facing both, in a rematch he won't soon forget.

Thing vs. ... Hulk!?

Happy New Year, everyone! What do you say we all kick some derrière in 2020?

And to start things off, let's look in on two of the biggest butt-kickers around:

The Incredible Hulk, in his role as Vegas enforcer Joe Fixit--and Dr. Doom, who is looking to regain his throne in Latveria from his young protégé, Kristoff Vernard, who has been programmed by Doom himself as part of a contingency plan to believe he is Doom. Unfortunately, that programming was a little too thorough, since Kristoff now rules Latveria and has no intention of relinquishing his position to someone he believes to be an impostor--circumstances which force the real Doom to seek out help in deposing him.

Naturally, the Hulk Fixit responds to the request with his customary decorum:

While Doom is in no mood for any displays of force other than his own:

And so with Fixit's grudging acquiescence, Doom explains the situation with Kristoff; but despite Doom's assurance of his eventual triumph, Fixit really doesn't have any use for what Doom is offering--particularly when he can write his own ticket in Las Vegas and answers to no one but his mob boss, Mike Berengetti, who provides him with plenty of outlets for indulging his hair-trigger temper, as well as, needless to say, plenty of perks.

Which leaves Doom turning to Plan B: psychology.

Now if Fixit gave even a minute's thought to what Doom was proposing, he'd realize that the Thing, a member of the Fantastic Four, has even less reason to cooperate with Doom; and if he'd thought about it even more, he may have come to realize that Doom is playing him like a violin. But writer Steve Englehart and artists Keith Pollard and Joe Sinnott have a power-packed story to get rolling, and so Fixit snaps at the bait like a trout and heads for New York City.

But what is Doom's real game here? To find out, you're going to need to buckle those seat belts, ladies and gentlemen, as the PPC brings you the thirty-year anniversary of this no-holds-barred, knock-down drag-out featuring the Thing vs. the Hulk, in a cover-to-cover battle issue where the odds this time aren't favoring the latter. But from the looks of this fight's brutal first hit, do you think a bruiser like Joe Fixit gives a rat's behind about the odds?

Fantastic New Year!

Good grief, who invited these gloomy Guses?

That's the spirit, kiddo!

From the Peerless Power of Comics (and hopefully the FF!)--