This Life Reclaimed!

After the successful joining of forces between the Hulk and the mighty Avengers which led to their second defeat of the Leader, the Hulk nevertheless found himself taken aback by the Avengers' offer to him to rejoin their ranks--an offer which seemed to make sense for all concerned, given how well the Hulk was able to work with the group now that the mind of Bruce Banner was in control. Indeed, all signs pointed to the possibility of the Avengers' offer being accepted, as smoothly as Banner (as the Hulk) was able to integrate within the team, with Banner himself pondering the thought of membership; in addition, the Hulk had finally been phased out of his long run in The Defenders, which increased the likelihood of his leaping over to Fifth Avenue and having his chair added to the Avengers' meeting room table.

But--did Bruce Banner feel he had the makings of a hero? And did he want to live as one?

As we follow up with Banner in the next issue, it would seem that he's already moved past such a life-altering decision, in favor of another one--reflected on within sight of a new edifice, where scientific study and not the ringing cry of "Avengers Assemble!" will preoccupy both his thoughts and his future.

But the ripples of Banner deciding on a new life for himself have also trickled down to Rick Jones, the other side to Banner's coin who was with him at the very beginning of the living nightmare known as the Hulk--yet the circumstances between the two men are very different.  Like Banner, Rick also faces something of a turning point in his life--but his options are few to none, as he realizes that his list of those to attach himself to is becoming a short one all too quickly.

Well, Rick, word has it that there's a spot open in the Avengers roster, and... good lord, what am I saying??

BONUS:

Artist Sal Buscema looks back at the Hulk's beginnings, and the events that preceded Bruce Banner's new lease on life.

Heroes, Rejoined!

Due to the circumstances of the incredible Hulk's tragic nature, the instances where the Avengers have had occasion to join forces with their former charter member have been rare. The Hulk was with his new partners only briefly before applying a "with friends like these..." judgment to them and storming off, after which he slowly began losing whatever cognitive abilities he shared with Bruce Banner and eventually reverted to a state where reasoning often took a back seat to rage--until finally there was really no going back for him. From that point on, it was clear that the ill feelings he left with remained with him almost on an instinctive level--and future encounters he had with the Avengers were heated at best, but often unbridled and violent. (Though how interesting to contrast that with his relationship with the Defenders, whose loose association appeared to agree with him, for the most part.)

And so the Hulk as an active Avenger has long since been relegated to the "what might have been" category, while readers have at times been treated to instances that have touched on the possibility. There was the cover to Avengers Annual #4, which made it seem as if the Hulk was alongside the Avengers during their conflict with the Masters of Evil; Avengers #5, where the Hulk is tricked into some Avengers teamwork when the Wasp maneuvers him into defeating the invasion of the Lava Men; as well as a flashback story from 1999 where the original team tackles Dr. Doom while the Hulk was still in their ranks. (And we can add to the list the 1982 Hulk Annual, which sets up this very story.) How feasible it would truly be for the Hulk to clock in as an Avenger on a regular basis is up for speculation--yet the consensus is probably that it would never work, since the Avengers are far less likely than the Defenders to tolerate simply letting the Hulk have his way and operating as a team of one in a crisis situation.

Yet when Bruce Banner is successful in gaining control of the Hulk's mind in the early 1980s, in addition to receiving a Presidential pardon for his past actions as the Hulk, the way seems paved for the Hulk to take his place once more in the Avengers' ranks--and just in time, too, since the Leader is once more gearing up to conquer the world, and Banner has proven unable to stop him alone.

The Fall Of N'Jadaka!

In Part 5 of "Panther's Rage," the 1973-75 story which saw the Black Panther return to Wakanda only to find an insurrection launched against him by the violent rebel known as Killmonger, the Panther made the startling discovery that confirmed his enemy has been raiding Wakanda's own arms depot for the weapons used to attack and slaughter villagers throughout T'Challa's kingdom. And so, thanks to information gained from Killmonger's captive operative, Venomm, the Panther moves to make a raid of his own--against Killmonger's home village of N'Jadaka, named after Killmonger himself.

Killmonger's presence in this story has been inexplicably absent for three issues, which at the time worked out to an astonishing eight months due to the bi-monthly publication schedule of Jungle Action as well as a paper shortage which delayed Part 4 for an additional two months. And now, ten months and counting, Part 6 will unfortunately be the fourth successive issue which doesn't feature this story's primary antagonist. As a result, "Panther's Rage" likely reached a point where it depended on its regular readership for sales--though some no doubt had moved on, given the gap in installments and considering that not even the story seemed interested in its own adversary.

Regardless, writer Don McGregor continues to move things along reasonably well, all things considered, despite the fact that T'Challa himself hasn't yet taken this bull by the horns and deployed his forces to any great degree in response to the attacks. And if your title character phones it in, it's difficult to work up any sort of interest in the confict that McGregor is painstakingly laying out. So the fact that T'Challa is at long last putting on his ruler hat and meeting this threat aggressively is probably not only welcome news to his inner circle of warriors who have openly doubted his ability to handle this crisis, but also to his dedicated readers who have stuck it out this long but haven't seen much "jungle action" on T'Challa's part in eight months' time (though, to add insult to injury, they have seen the mag's price tag go up).

And while Killmonger is M.I.A. doing who knows what (if he were an actor, he'd probably be off doing guest spots on other shows, for the good of his career), T'Challa and his forces will find they have their hands full with the resistance they encounter on his behalf--including N'Jadaka's apparent commandant, Lord Karnaj, who backs up his bluster with powerful hand weapons that will at the very least blunt the Panther's offensive.

Look Into My Eyes And See... Death!

As we reach Part 5 of "Panther's Rage," where the Black Panther returns to Wakanda only to find it under siege, there is again the sense that writer Don McGregor is filling time with this series. The continued and conspicuous absence of this story's primary antagonist, Erik Killmonger, is felt even more deeply than previously, when his most recent "lieutenant," Baron Macabre, was confronted by T'Challa at a burial site but managed to drive off the Panther just the same. And as if sensing that they may have dropped the ball with Killmonger, the book now presents him in absentia in the form of an early rendering of the character by artists Rich Buckler and Klaus Janson, inserted at the end of the issue--though it's the spin on his disappearing act, as well as the peculiar assurances of Killmonger's eventual return, that tend to catch the eye more.

Yet McGregor remains adept at providing a sense of continuation in this saga, most notably in the palace intrigues that have suddenly risen to the fore in Killmonger's place--a murder mystery that has T'Challa's lover, Monica Lynne, as the prime suspect, as well as the dissension still occurring between T'Challa and members of his staff (his head of security, W'Kabi, communications specialist Taku, and, until recently, Zatama, a palace aide whose murder Monica stands accused of). But there are also T'Challa's curious encounters with attacking beasts (requiring no small amount of story space)--a charging rhinoceros in Part 4, bookended here in Part 5 by an attacking crocodile. Suddenly it's open season on the Black Panther, for some reason; but then, it's not like he has to spend his time dealing with an aggressive foe out to conquer his country, is it.

Hydra Is For Swingers!

Spectre, or Hydra? The choice seems clear for a prospective evildoer with an eye out for advancement. You could be restricted to formal wear and look forward to stuffy meetings where you and your fellow operatives report to a humorless superior stroking a pussycat on his lap--or you can throw on a green robe, cowl, and goggles, pick up a torch, and wear your "H" emblem proudly while your superior trots out a snarling leopard and issues his orders to the troops.

And then there are also those cool infraction ceremonies, where everybody gets to raise a little hell--that is, everybody but the guest of dishonor. When it came to dispensing punishment for failure, I used to think that no one could equal the cold efficiency of Spectre, the evil organization which often targeted its nemesis, James Bond, but at times had to make an example of underlings who didn't meet expectations. With the push of a button, a Spectre operative suspected of betrayal (or worse, incompetence) would suddenly find themself a victim of summary execution, with their corpse disposed of as tidily as you or I might use a dustpan.

But no one ever accused Hydra of handling its own internal problems any less lethally. You have to think that any organization that has as part of its motto "cut off a limb, and two more shall take its place" isn't going to hesitate when the tree needs pruning. Yet why resort to a mere button, when you can have a little spectacle with your death sentences?

And an "H"-shaped death pendulum, too! What are you waiting for??

My Ally... My Killer!

I'm both pleased and reluctant to admit that I own the entire run of Marvel Team-Up. The series isn't exactly a feather in one's collection cap, with many issues amounting to little more than a casual diversion that more often than not ended up near the bottom of your reading stack for the week; but Spider-Man was to Marvel Team-Up what the Hulk was to The Defenders, and the character's constant presence on the cover at the very least assured Marvel of reliable sales. Yet, being a little turned off at the proliferation of Spider-Man titles on the racks at the time, it was the other part of the equation which kept me reading MTU: the addition of a guest-star that sweetened the deal and let you see a little more of a character that wasn't getting enough exposure or otherwise caught your eye. Sometimes the appearance worked... sometimes it didn't... but I shelled out 35¢ for an issue, hoping it would.

This particular issue may or may not have worked for you, depending on how much you cared for Tigra, the revamped character who began as the Cat but found new life as hopefully a more compelling sales lure (the Cat already having had her own turn at an MTU appearance five years earlier). Like Nightcrawler, or the Beast, or the Black Panther, or other such characters who have appeared with Spider-Man, Tigra's physical abilities are similar to how Spider-Man performs in the field, so she has the same difficulty as the others as far as what she brings to the table that would set her apart and make her an asset in her own right. Basically, what you'll see here is that she's fast and feral... and she has the claws of her namesake (if less protruding)... and like Wolverine, she enjoys using them in a fight. If you find yourself asking, "And...?", you're also probably wondering why Tigra is considered to be an improvement over the Cat.

The more interesting aspect to this team-up story is supplied with the presence of Kraven the Hunter, who, despite his own limitations as a character, usually manages to be a credible threat to Spider-Man (his mediocre contribution to the first Spider-Man Annual notwithstanding). A clash between Tigra and Kraven would seem to be a match made in the veldt--yet despite her "power" and her fierce disposition when going up against a foe, she proves to be mostly ineffective against Kraven, several times over. Nor does it help that she meets Spider-Man completely in their mutual foe's thrall.

Soooo... where does that leave us here?

We seem to at least be looking at a decent Kraven story, which is fine with me.

It's Not Easy Being Captain America

There's little argument that Captain America holds the respect and admiration of not only his country's citizens, servicemen/women, and law enforcement officers, but also those in the super-powered community who have been privileged to work with him and follow him into battle. That said, on rare occasion, some would also find themselves admitting that:

Captain America can sometimes be a real pain in the neck! (gulp!)

A product of the 1940s, Cap is of course old school when it comes to weighing the options and making the right call in battle scenarios. And as an Avenger, he also brings forth his experience on the battlefield in both directing strategy and leading the troops. And so during the "Secret Wars," when a leader needed to be chosen for the group of heroes transported from Earth to battle a separate group of villains, it was no surprise to see a consensus develop in favor of Cap taking charge.

Yet we'd see that Cap's instincts in that respect kick in even before such a vote is taken, as the heroes are deposited on the planet that would be called "Battleworld" and find themselves having to snap to almost immediately in response to Cap's initial assessment of their situation.

It was the Wasp who at this point in time held the position of Avengers Chairwoman--so how odd to see Cap, of all people, ignore the chain of command and begin barking out orders to his teammates. During the vote meeting, the Wasp would defer to Cap and support his nomination, so for what it's worth it seems reasonably clear that there was no offense taken at Cap's apparent slight.

But while the Hulk also thinks highly of Cap, he begins to chafe at Cap's presumption when Dr. Doom and his villainous followers catch the heroes by surprise in a dawn raid on their base.

Nor does his disposition improve while Cap assumes a waiting posture while the threat of Galactus looms and the Wasp is missing in action.

That inaction proves fatal for the Wasp, when the Wrecking Crew deliver her corpse to the heroes' camp and make good their escape, while Cap finds himself in the position of preventing the Avengers from... avenging.

It's apparent that, in the Hulk's case, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree when the She-Hulk decides to ignore Cap's orders and invade the villains' stronghold on her own in order to deliver payback to the Wrecking Crew. But in taking her on, the Crew is joined by several others, and they assault the She-Hulk as a group, beating her to near-death.

Meanwhile, Cap again holds his group in check, to the astonishment of those who feel compelled to help their friend.

Gosh, Cap--you take "calm, cool and collected" to a whole new disturbing level. And if it had been Bucky who was fighting for his life? What would your decision have been then, sport?

Cap finally gives the go-ahead when the X-Men offer to stand vigil against Galactus, leaving the other heroes free to race to She-Hulk's aid. Unfortunately, they arrive too late--and only then does Cap begin to question his actions, though more in regard to the Wasp's fate than that of the She-Hulk.

Soon enough, the heroes are recalled by Charles Xavier, who alerts them to Galactus making his move to consume the planet. Their ship crash lands on arrival, but is saved at the last moment by Colossus, who was recovering from deadly wounds sustained from battling the Wrecking Crew. (They certainly live up to their name here.) But even as others race to Colossus' aid, Cap makes it clear that injuries don't cut much slack with him when there's a crisis looming.

While it's true that, when lives are on the line, many of us tend to feel more assured knowing that Captain America is on the job, the scale that he uses to weigh his priorities could use some calibration, an assessment that might also apply to his judgment calls. In addition, while he consistently gets high marks from law enforcement and military personnel, there have been times when his patience has worn thin at attempts to hold him accountable. All of that said, hand me that shield because I'd probably be the first to offer to polish it. The man has a tough job, giving no less than his best.

Mission: Stop The Hulk!

During March of 1963, the first Incredible Hulk series was ending its run of just six issues--though judging by the Fantastic Four issue of the same month, where the character was making a guest appearance, you'd find it hard to believe that the Hulk's days on the comics rack were numbered.

As it turned out, not even this "hail Mary" pass for the Hulk could save his title from folding--but his inclusion here helps to make this issue of Fantastic Four a true classic. Not to mention helping it fetch a pretty penny on ebay.

So why is the FF going after the Hulk? And why is the Hulk out to destroy them? For now, we'll just have to be tempted by one of the story's chapter titles which heralds the drama to come, as we begin to flip through pages that were created 55 years ago to the month.

The End Of... SHIELD!?

If you were around in 1966, you had a lot more to be worried about than the Vietnam War, Batman's latest death trap, New York's striking public transportation workers, the flooding of Florence, China's "cultural revolution," Reagan entering politics, or the new mini-skirt causing males to walk into doors.  We unsuspecting civilians also had to contend with the rise of Hydra, the sinister organization bent on world domination or, failing that, its destruction.

But if we're to believe this startling cover of Strange Tales, our problems with Hydra may finally be over! Seriously?

Yet if Hydra bites it, what happens then to S.H.I.E.L.D.? And Nick Fury?

From The Grave Comes... Death!

With the capture of Venomm and after driving off the deadly Malice, the Black Panther perhaps has reason to believe he's making headway in defeating the plans of Erik Killmonger, the man who has come to Wakanda to overthrow T'Challa and spearheads the series of stories from 1973-75 known as "Panther's Rage." But as we come to Part 4 of this story, the momentum that's been slowly building vis-à-vis the Panther and his primary antagonist lapses, and "Panther's Rage" begins to feel like one of those daytime dramas which must juggle a number of actors throughout the week--eventually, the characters you really want to see become occupied with learning their lines and rehearsing for their next appearances, leaving the bit players filling air time in scenes which have little to do with the main plot.  Killmonger himself, unfortunately, continues to be "offstage," while the story's focus falls on his lieutenants.  For such a merciless, aggressive man with his eye squarely on T'Challa's throne, you'd think that Killmonger would insist on more stage time.

With the entrance of Baron Macabre, another of Killmonger's lieutenants, even the narrative of writer Don McGregor can't help but offer the impression that we seem to be becoming mired in a story that's trotting out one bizarre threat after another to face the Panther--or as the Panther himself puts it, "more of the fright-show theatrics of Killmonger's league," which admittedly about sums it up. As for our "bit players" who all but try to wrest the spotlight from Macabre, they become part of a murder mystery which will culminate toward the end of the story following the Panther's inconclusive battle with the Baron--though if you pay careful attention, you'll notice vital clues to identifying the true suspect, thanks to guest artist Gil Kane who expertly picks up on McGregor's tipoffs.

McGregor begins with one of those players, Monica Lynne, T'Challa's lover and guest, who might as well have "out-worlder" stenciled on her forehead for all of those within the palace and without who continue to give her the cold shoulder and more than a few resentful stares. We learn later that T'Challa has completed (off-panel) the ritual which would renew his Panther abilities, its delay caused by Monica putting a halt to what she misjudged as abuse on the part of T'Challa's warriors--an affront which did her no favors in the eyes of those who viewed the ritual as sacred. This day, she again experiences distrust while accompanying the Panther during his appearance at a local village--and back in the palace, she once again endures the frigid words of a court handmaiden, Tanzika, who has already shared tense words with Monica and who continues to make her feelings about this woman known, in one way or another.

The after-dinner conversation isn't likely to improve, either, since T'Challa receives some disturbing reports from Zatama: First, evidence that Killmonger's guns are of the same stock as those used by T'Challa's guards stationed in his underground "jungle"... and second, word of a visitor (the same villager who treated Monica with such disdain) who pleads with the Panther to locate her missing husband, M'Jumbak, assumed to be headed toward a burial site said to be haunted by Baron Macabre.

Regrettably, upon reaching the site, the Panther finds M'Jumbak dead, and his presumed killer closing in on him.

Macabre's "ground support" (heh) are our old friends, the Death Regiments, whose collective bark in "Panther's Rage" has so far proven worse than their bite, given how superfluous they turned out to be in Venomm's mining operation; though in fact, they seem to have no voice at all, which no doubt adds to their menacing aspect. Here, once more, they take a noncommittal stance, preferring to hang back while Macabre takes the offensive against the Panther--nor does it look like they're needed, beyond assuming the task of transporting the Panther to Macabre's master, King Cadaver.

While back at the palace, our prospective murderer is about to make their play--and though their identity remains shrouded in mystery, we at least know who is fated to die, thanks to McGregor spilling the beans through narrative.

Since being introduced, Zatama has resonated W'Kabi's own anger and accusations, echoing their substance through his own emotions on the subject of T'Challa even though he and W'Kabi are at odds with each other--so his death really doesn't deprive us of a unique character who adds to the interplay in any meaningful way, since it's slack which W'Kabi will pick up easily enough. But McGregor makes quite an effort to keep this mystery's wheels spinning, perhaps to the detriment of where our focus should be in this story.

Meanwhile, Macabre (remember Baron Macabre?) has discovered that, to an extent, the Panther has feigned weakness in order to surprise his foe when the time is right.  Yet to the Baron, the ploy seems to be an inconvenience, nothing more.

Macabre thus becomes the second of Killmonger's operatives who doesn't fall captive to the Panther--though from a reader's perspective, it's difficult to swallow why the Panther, who has faced heavy odds from armed men before, is suddenly bolting.  (And when did the Death Regiments become armed?) The Panther doesn't seem too worried about either Macabre or the Regiments, and he appears physically capable of staying in this fight--and all the while, McGregor, in his written portrayal of him, is describing the prowess of the Panther as if the men he's fighting should be standing agape at the level of fighter they face. It's a battle that ends inconclusively for no good reason, and arguably too quickly.

But while the Baron would consider himself to be shocking development enough, look what elbows him aside to assume this story's nail-biting climax meant to hook the reader for the next issue:

It doesn't take a speck of insight to realize that Monica has been framed, at least if you're not T'Challa's outraged security chief who has resented Monica's presence from day one. The mystery will continue to unfold in the next issue--where, who knows, the story's next "fright-show theatric" might make more of an impression than his servant had a chance to here.

COMING UP:

BONUS!

Whatever is in that heart-shaped herb that gives the Black Panther his power, I wouldn't mind a little of it in a daily protein shake--because a man who can bring down a charging rhinoceros is pretty much all the advertisement such a supplement needs.

(We may also have to re-evaluate the Panther's standing as a "mediumweight" in the Gruenwald/Layton strength-ranking chart--or can Daredevil pull this off, too?)

Jungle Action #9 Script: Don McGregor Pencils: Gil Kane Inks: Klaus Janson Letterer: Tom Orzechowski