NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD 8
cover by FRANK SPRINGER
Synopsis:
Riots break out around the world immediately following an assassination attempt on Fury. Tony Stark explains how only an "image projected onto a force field" was "killed", and the 4 assassins left alone so they could report back to whoever hired them. Other agents are being killed around the world, and the leaders of the riots exhibit no emotions, as if they were zombies. Aboard the Heli-Carrier, a meeting of the board of directors is interrupted by a transmission from "Supremus", who orders SHIELD to be disbanded in the wake of Fury's death. Fury, still alive, comments "he's not so ultimate". Supremus plans to turn the world into a "laboratory" where he'll use "genetic manipulation" to turn the entire human race into slaves to do his bidding. But Nick recognizes the caves Supremus is transmitting from as "The Caves Of Hercules" on Cape Spartel, from a Howlers mission during WW2. Dugan flies Fury there, and single-handedly Fury takes on Half-Man, an android, and a group of genetic mutates. With the help of Fatima, a woman seen at the riot in London, Nick manages to stop Supremus from setting off hidden caches of "zombie gas" in the US by remote control. Back at SHIELD HQ, she fills in the rest of the details, including that "Supremus" was really her half-brother.
Indexer notes:
Tony Stark last seen in a SHIELD episode in STRANGE TALES #152 (January 1967). Fury gets a new Ferrari (between episodes) to replace the one destroyed by Scorpio in NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD #5 (October 1968). Plot structure more confusing & awkward than usual.
(9-15-2007)
"THUS SPEAKS SUPREMUS"
Another would-be world-conqueror is assassinating spy agency leaders worldwide, causing riots, and planning to use a dangerous drug to bend people's minds to his will. Even further, he plans to use genetic experimentation on the people of the world, to turn them into slaves to do his bidding. Business as usual for SHIELD, but this guy's pretty demented about it. After botching a murder attempt on Fury (and not realizing it), Fury follows clues to the Rock Of Gibraltar where he confronts the villain in "The Caves Of Hercules", where he's surrounded by tons of machinery and a small army of mutated zombies. With a little help, Fury wins out. Another "quickie" epic in only 20 pages.
This feels more like a "fill-in" than NICK FURY #4 was. "Ye editor"s "old friend" from Florida, Ernie Hart, supplied the script (it almost sounds like he may have done it full-script style), and although Frank Springer's on the art, 4 pages in the middle were pencilled by Herb Trimpe (who would return later) and all of it's inked by John Tartaglione. Funny enough, JT murders Springer's work, but Trimpe's art he makes look better than usual at this point of the game. Go figure. The cover, solo by Springer, is GREAT, the best part of the book by far, and features a one-time-only altered logo. I wonder what was going on that they were playing around with their logo designs so much during these few months here? Overall, one of my least-favorite issues of the run.
(6-10-2008)
DR. STRANGE 176
cover by Gene Colan & Tom Palmer
Doc tries to find Clea, who's been abducted by Azmodeus, leader of The Sons Of Satannish. (Sure are a lot of "Devil"-themed baddies running around right here!) He eventually finds her, and becomes their prisoner as well. Along the way, he finds a gravestone in a cemetary with HIS name on it. Gee, you think somebody's trying to tell him something?
Although one reader complained that Gene Colan had no place on this book, the majority opinion seems to be that he's the best thing to happen since... well, Dan Adkins, and Tom Palmer's inks are positively MIND-BLOWING!! Gene's gotten some really decent inks around this time, but the Colan-Palmer teaming just puts everything else to shame!! The letters pages has a promo for the next issue, featuring 2 different character designs, and the question, "Will the REAL Dr. Strange please stand up?" (It seems to me Roy Thomas is on a kick to try and change the books he's working on to more make them "his own".)
(6-10-2008)
FANTASTIC FOUR 82
cover by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott
Crystal wants to ask her family's permission to officially join the team, but when Lockjaw arrives, he's brought some Alpha-Primitives with him, who make off with her! Johnny's PISSED, and next thing, he, Reed & Ben are racing by ICBM to The Inhumans' "Great Refuge". It's return bout time again, as Maximus The Mad has somehow used mind-bending gas to overthrow his brother and once more take over as ruler. Maybe this guy should get another hobby...? The FF arrive, but before long, wind up prisoners, as Maximus prepares to use another of his patented giant gun thingies against all of mankind (haven't we seen this BEFORE??), this one designed to affect will-power and turn everyone on the planet into his willing slaves. (Hey, wait a minute, that's the 2nd time this month someone pulled that stunt!)
Kirby & Sinnott are MAGNIFICENT as always (it almost gets boring to say it, but it's true!). "Ye editor" may well have suggested this plot, as there's virtually nothing new or original about it at all. His infamous poor memory also slips up BIG-TIME, when the FF arrive at the hidden land, and comment on the remains of "The Great Barrier", which they destroyed, and "ye editor"s narration mentions this was when the FF helped to "free" the Inhumans. WRONG!!! Black Bolt destroyed the barrier-- the FF weren't even around when it happened! Geez, for a guy who claims to have "written" these books, you'd THINK at least "ye editor" could keep a MAJOR PLOT POINT like that straight!! The funny thing is, the first time I read this story, I never noticed this error, and there's a good reason for that. See, I have this in both the original printing, and the 70's MGC reprint. The MGC version is missing 2 pages, for some reason they had to get Joe Sinnott to re-pencil and ink the cover FROM SCRATCH (you can tell, Ben looks totally different), and all the art, INCLUDING the brand-new cover, the lineweork was fuzzy! (How the HELL do you wind up with fuzzy linework on an original printing of art?? MAN, is their stat machine lousy!!) Well, in the reprint, that one panel had one of the word balloons and "ye editor"s narration changed, to "correct" "ye editor"s blatent mistake. I wonder how many instances there are where things could make a LOT more sense if somebody just changed or deleted a few of "ye editor"s words? I bet they left it with the mistake intact in all subsequent reprints, though... too bad.
(6-10-2008 / modified 10-10-2013)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 68
cover by JOHN ROMITA
This begins a new long-running storyline. For no reason that makes sense to me this time out, The Kingpin wants to get his hands on a mysterious stone tablet which scientists worldwide have been trying to decipher. Does he see it as a way to power? Or does he just plan on ransoming it for a huge sum? We never find out, and it seems kind of outside the jurisdiction of a gang boss. Oh well. Despite the recent Green Goblin story not possibly fitting anywhere except between this story and the previous issue, twice in the episode mention is made of Mysterio (well, to be fair, NOBODY outside Spidey even knew The Goblin had returned-- how ignominious for him!). At school, there's a demonstration going on concerning the Dean's plans to turn an exhibition hall into lodging for alumni, while low-rent housing for students is much more needed. Joe's son Randy gets involved, as does a friend of his named Josh, who at one point is throwing so much "ATTITUDE!!" around, he even winds up calling Pete "Whitey". (OH yeah. This guy's been reading "How to Win Friends And Influence People", no doubt about it.) Just as things turn heated, Kingpin turns up, so of course Spidey turns up, big fight, which ends with the demonstrators hauled away by the cops as if THEY had something to do with the theft, while Kingpin gets away, driving off as Spidey follows. (Gee, kinda like a scene from one of those 2 Kingpin cartoons appearances.)
There's a funny thing, in one scene, Kingpin pushes Pete aside, saying "Stand aside, I've no time to waste on juveniles." This is almost identical to a scene 2 issues earlier, when Mysterio shoved Pete aside saying "Stand aside, I've no time to waste on nobodies." Except this time, Kingpin senses something-- "power"-- but doesn't know what to make of it. It makes Pete nervous for a moment, that's for sure. The layout of the panel appears closer to that used in the Mysterio cartoon when they did that scene than the one in the Mysterio comic-book episode. (Does it seem "ye editor" is repeating himself more and more lately?)
I really dig Jim Mooney's art here. He's listed as "illustrator"-- John Romita is credited with "storyboards". They really make a good team.
(6-10-2008)
IRON MAN 9
cover by George Tuska & Johnny Craig
(alterations by John Romita & Marie Severin)
CAPTAIN AMERICA 109
cover by Jack Kirby & Syd Shores
Nick Fury visits Steve Rogers, who's reminiscing about his days in WW2. Before you know it, we're witness to ANOTHER origin story being retold, this one from way back in 1941-- or 1965, take yer pick. Jack Kirby wound up drawing 3 different versions of the same story, in any event! A few minor details are changed-- it's "Professor Reinstein" again as it was in '41 (it was "Erskine" in '65), and we have injections and "vita-rays", where the '41 version had Steve drink the chemical. A later retelling would include all 3, which I guess makes sense.
Syd Shores does another bang-up job, giving the book what many fans describe as a real "retro" look. Although Jack Kirby had been wanting to do other things for quite some time, again and again he kept coming back to this series. Well, this would prove, at last, to be the FINAL issue of his 2nd run (not counting a "fill-in" a few months down the line). It's interesting that, many years later, John Byrne's final issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA would also be a retelling of his origin (although, in his case, it wasn't PLANNED that way-- I think.) The letters page promo reads, "In The Shadow of Bucky", which hints at yet more dwelling on this whole "Bucky's dead!" thing which by now was really getting old.
(6-10-2008)
SUB-MARINER 9
cover by Herb Trimpe & Dan Adkins
(alterations by JOHN ROMITA)
THE INCREDIBLE HULK 111
cover by Herb Trimpe & Dan Adkins
CAPTAIN MARVEL 9
cover by Gene Colan & Vince Colletta
The craziness continues from last time with the Aakon attacking CM, Carol Danvers personally investigating Walt Lawson's motel room, the self-repairing giant killer robot kidnapping her, "King Kong" style, the cops asking Lawson if he knows what's going on, and Yon-Rogg continuing to needle Una about Mar-Vell's "attachment" to the Earth woman. Carol can't understand why the robot wants to kill Lawson if he built it, but then "Cyberex" (as it's now suddenly calling itself) doesn't know who its creator is. CM scribbles a Kree code onto Lawson's address book, and when the Aakon get their hands on it (thinking its a secret Kree code book) for the 2nd episode in a row a free-for-all erupts between them and the giant robot, who senses Lawson's DNA on the book. The Aakon are chased off, and this time, CM makes sure he destroys the robot. Carol wants to thank him, and Una is now in tears at the apparent attraction going on between the two.
This period of the series is often put down by some fans, but I find Arnold Drake's plotting much more involved and creative, his dialogue isn't annoying like the previous 2 writers, and the Heck-Colletta art has been consistently good, making me wish these 3 guys had been in on the series' creation. (Of course, Heck-Shores was EVEN BETTER, but that hadn't happened yet...)
(6-13-2008)
MARVEL SUPER-HEROES 18
cover by Gene Colan & Mike Esposito
This a new series by Arnold Drake & Gene Colan. A thousand years in the future, the Solar System has been colonized by Earthmen genetically evolved to suit each planet. A Jovian, "Charlie-27", is returning from a lone outpost, when he discovers his entire planet has been overrun by The Brotherhood Of The Badoon (introduced in SILVER SURFER #2). Using a matter-transmitter to get to another planet, he meets up with Martinex, a crytalline Plutonian, and together they travel to Earth, where they meet Captain Vance Astro-- a spaceman from the 20th Century who survived a thousand-year journey in suspended animation, and Yondo, a "primitive" alien who uses "yaka" arrows that obey his command whistles. Driven by rumors of a "free colony", they escape and band together, determined to create an uprising to free the entire system from Badoon tyranny.
When I first read Arnold's CAPTAIN MARVEL issues, I found myself wishing he'd been in on the creation of that series, as it might not have been so wrong-headed from the start if he had. I forgot he actually created his own sci-fi series for Marvel. Clearly, GotG is Marvel's "answer" to DC's LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES-- science-fiction crossed with a team of super-heroes. And with a typical "Marvel" slant, it's a "negative"-based, or "problem"-based series. There were a LOT of those in the 60's, from THE FUGITIVE to THE INVADERS and so on. Set up a premise, an overall "problem", and you have a big ongoing "epic". The problem with too many of these kind of series is, they often don't ever reach a conclusion to their big "epic". The problem with THIS one was, after this initial episode, it took another 5 YEARS before anyone touched it again! This probably had more to do with Drake's abrupt departure from Marvel a few months down the line. At any rate, Steve Gerber was the writer who finally picked up the ball, and eventually wrote some 13 comics with the GUARDIANS, from MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE to THE DEFENDERS to their own series in MARVEL PRESENTS. The "Earth under control of aliens" plot would get reused in Marvel's KILLRAVEN / WAR OF THE WORLDS in AMAZING ADVENTURES-- and that series is still left hanging, unfinished!
Mike Esposito does a fairly nice job on the inks... but compared to some of the inking Gene Colan had been getting around this time (Jack Abel, Frank Giacoia, Joe Giella, Vince Colletta, George Klein, Bill Everett, TOM PALMER) it seems 2nd-rate.
(6-13-2008)
THOR 160
cover by Jack Kirby & Vince Colletta
Here begins a new storyline of truly "epic proportions" (as Mr. Han said in ENTER THE DRAGON). Tana Nile returns to Earth, seeking Thor's help, and while he's a mite suspicious, he goes along. Meanwhile, The Recorder gives Odin the rundown on himself, then leaves as he senses he's needed. Sif, sensing great trouble, wishes to be with her love, but Odin says NO! (Tsk.) Out in space, we find a "debris area", all that's left of a destroyed planetary system, and a fleet of refugees fleeing the area, searching for a new home. Man. It's like BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, 9 years early! These pages are spectacular. I mean, I think Jack Kirby should have been doing SPACE GHOST for Hanna-Barbera, if Alex Toth "hated" it as much as he claimed. Anyway, before you know it, a battle breaks out between the cause of the destruction-- GALACTUS-- and Ego, The Living Planet. A collossal explosion erupts, and Tana Nile's spaceship is caught in the brunt of it, sending Thor adrift in space.
Kirby may have been cruising on auto-pilot on FANTASTIC FOUR, with "ye editor" supplying plots that consisted of rematches with old villains, but here on THOR, he seems to still be hitting on all cylinders. It's true, most of the characters involved here are making returning appearances, but there's such an epic scope to this, I don't mind a bit. Some characters and concepts are WORTH bringing back, WORTH exploring and expanding on, and that's what looks like is going on here. Anyone who's ever put down Vince Colletta's inks (and usually for very good cause) should take a look at this issue. WOW. Assuming that's him and not an assistant, the man could do DAMN GOOD WORK when he felt like it.
(6-13-2008)
THE AVENGERS 60
cover by John Buscema & George Klein
(alterations by JOHN ROMITA)
Almost every hero in the Marvel Universe (including Spidey, though he's wanted by the cops right now) turn up for the wedding of Yellowjacket & The Wasp. There's resentment and suspicion all-round, until another problem rears its ugly head, when the catering service turns out to be... oh no... it can't be... don't say it... OH MY GOD! The Ringmaster and his Circus Of Crime! These idiots have the nerve to show up, intent on rebuilding their rep by knocking off every hero in the city, and they figure they'd start with THOR, who ruined their last plan. These guys couldn't take out Thor on his own-- and they expect to tackle The Avengers-- AND The Fantastic Four-- AND Spider-Man, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, etc... I'm sorry, that's not ambitious, that's just stupid. AND suicidal. And yet, they seem to be making headway... UNTIL Princess Python's snake wraps itself around The Wasp, at which point her brand-new hubby seems to go into a convulsive fit. SURPRISE! Under that costume and bad attitude, it was Goliath all along, suffering from a case of temporary schizophrenia. (Oh, yeah, like amnesia before this wasn't bad enough. Great going, Roy!) Those circus clowns (and the rest of the circus types, heh) don't stand a chance. After it's all over, Jan tells Hank that despite the circumstances, they are STILL definitely legally married-- she looked it up. From the moment he kissed her last issue, she knew all along. After wanting to get hitched to Hank for so very long, she saw her chance an d wasn't gonna turn it down, no matter what!
Oh, I almost forgot-- the guy they wanted to get back at, Thor, didn't even make it to the wedding. I guess he was on his way to the other side of the galaxy at the time... (tsk!)
George Klein must have been getting over-worked, because he missed this issue, and Mike Esposito filled in. That's 2 Esposito-inked books I've seen this month. I guess after being replaced on ASM by Jim Mooney, he needed the work. Nice. Not as good as Klein, but not bad.
(6-13-2008)
The idea that The Circus of Crime wanting to "rebuild their reputation" makes less than no sense. The whole thing about them is setting up shop in various towns and fleecing their customers. It already makes no sense that they could get away with this more than once, let alone once they've been stopped and arrested-- multiple times. This is the kind of mind-boggling lunacy that makes me wonder, sarcastically, "WHO WRITE THIS STUFF?"
(10-2-2018)
DAREDEVIL 48
cover by Gene Colan & George Klein
X-MEN 52
cover by Marie Severin & Joe Sinnott
This concludes the 4-parter with "Erik The Red" fighting Mesmero and his goons, only to inform Lorna Dane he wishes to join forces with Magneto-- provided, the guy makes HIM his 2nd-in-command! This pisses Mesmero, to say the least. But before long, we discover that it's all a con-- as "Erik" is really Cyclops in disguise. As his fellow team-mates sneak into the city and prepare a trap for the evil mutants, unexpectedly Iceman arrives and stumbles into it. It turns out when Bobby stormed out, he went to Lorna's home town and did some checking, and he reveals to Lorna that she's been lied to-- Magneto is NOT her real father, he only wanted to use her! (I guess after the Whitney Frost story in IRON MAN, having 2 nice girls get corrupted by evil fathers they never knew would be redundant.) Marvel Girl faces down Mesmero one-on-one (she's really come into her own lately), and Magneto beats a hasty retreat, blowing up the entire "City" as he leaves. The X-Men escape, but we don't know if Mesmero-- or anyone else-- did, or not. Back home, everyone's amused at how Bobby's "recovery" may take a long, long time, now that he's got Lorna looking after his health.
It all ends a bit too fast, too pat, but that's what they get with only 15 pages for the lead story. Don Heck & Werner Roth return to do nice, solid work, each one's strengths used to best advantage (Heck's storytelling & layouts, Roth's pretty drawings). Even John Tartaglione does 10 times better over Roth than he did on Steranko-- who I bet a LOT of people wished had done this. I dunno. When I think of X-MEN in the 60's, to me, Werner Roth is "the" X-MEN artist. I kinda wish all 4 parts of this 4-parter had been done by the same guys-- either would have been more consistent than having Heck & Roth on parts 1 & 4 and Steranko on parts 2 & 3.
"Deception" seems to be the key operating word on this story. Mesmero cons Lorna Dane into thinking she's Magneto's daughter, and when Magneto arrives halfway in, he goes along with it. Cyclops cons both into thinking he's an evil mutant out for power. I suppose, in retrospect, what happened later makes some sort of sense. Apparently, some people were bothered that Arnold Drake never showed how Magneto escaped death back in AVENGERS #53 (4 months before he returned). There may have also been a feeling that he wasn't acting quite like himself in these 3 issues. And so, 5 months after he escaped this time, when we saw him again, in hiding with Mesmero (I guess he DID make it out, never mind that his lord and master tried to kill him with everyone else), we found out Magneto had somehow been replaced by a ROBOT. 5 months later, we learned the reason the Sentinels couldn't find him was because the guy who teamed with Mesmero was a robot in the first place! WHAT th'...?? You think that's bad? 10 YEARS later, we found out who built the robot-- but never found out WHY! This is why writers should not work at contradicting other writers' stories... it just makes everything too complicated & confusing!! In this case, it's as if several people worked in unison to give Arnold Drake the finger.
"THE CRIMES OF THE CONQUISTADOR!"
This reprises the last couple scenes from Hank's story, in which he finds his parents prisoners of a villain out to use him to help steal vital atomic components. After he does so, the guy informs him he plans to PERMANENTLY hold his parents hostage, to ensure his continued obediance. (The BASTARD!) But the story, by Drake, Roth & Verpoorten (NICE inks!!) isn't over yet.
(6-13-2008)
(Continued in February 1969)
All Text (C) Henry R. Kujawa
Artwork (C) Marvel Comics
Restorations by Henry R. Kujawa
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