An Annual Post

Thumbing through a pile of back issues, I decided to give these three Fantastic Four Annuals a re-read for possibly the first time in 35+ years, and it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

First up, FF Annual #13, on sale in July 1978 (so spoilers for FF #200 that came out a month later in August 1978; yeah the Fantastic Four get back together as a team), written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Sal Buscema (inked by Joe Sinnott).

The Mole Man is up to no good, stealing statues, and kidnapping all the ugly and blind folk from the streets of New York. So it’s a no-brainer that Alicia Masters is on his hit-list (being both a sculptress and blind  - duh!), which means the newly reunited Fantastic Four get involved in his dastardly plot to give all those ugly and blind people a place to call home beneath the Earth’s surface. No matter that they’ll all be dimly lit; they’ll no longer be ostracised from an uncaring society and will have all these beautiful statues to look at. Can anyone else see (no pun intended) a problem with that?

Anyway, the Fantastic Four bust up on the Mole Man and his Moloids until Alica breaks up the fighting by pointing out that the Mole Man’s intentions were good (though probably misguided), and that many of those he kidnapped are more than happy to shuffle around in the near dark, bumping into statues and being reminded of their lack of good looks. So as a parting gift she sculpts a statue of the Mole Man in all his glory, he’s happy, and the Fantastic Four depart - along with a few of the kidnapped citizens that required some medical attention from falling over all those stolen statues just lying around. I made that last part up.

Despite being dumb, this was an enjoyable read. I especially liked how Mantlo portrayed the Fantastic Four’s interactions with other New Yorker’s while wandering around the city, and Sal Buscema, as far as I’m concerned, was THE Marvel Bronze Age artist. Reading this issue was like sliding my feet into an old pair of slippers - so comfortable.

Annual #14, on sale in October 1979, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Perez (inked by Pablo Marcos) was a perfect example of why you should never judge a book by its’ cover. Behind a rather dull Franklin Richards cover was an unexpected delight; not so much a Fantastic Four story, but a spotlight issue for Agatha Harkness. Who totally kicks ass.

The Fantastic Four (with Franklin) accompany Agatha on her yearly sojourn back to New Salem, so she can lead the New Salemnites (?) in their annual ritual to cleanse their magics. Obviously, Salem’s Seven and Nicholas Scratch get involved and it all goes to hell; but the Fantastic Four are almost incidental in their own book, as it is Agatha who takes the lead in sorting the whole mess out (with a little help from Franklin and his not so dormant cosmic powers).

This issue was thoroughly entertaining, helped not-just-a-little by  Perez’ dynamic pencils. Though I’ve never been a fan of Pablo Marcos’ inks, they were tolerable here.

Well worth reading.

Which is not something I can say for Annual #15, on sale in July 1980, written by Doug Moench and drawn by George Perez (inked by Chic Stone),  which was was quite frankly a bit of a mess.

I’m not even sure I can summarise the plot for this one; it involves Reed inventing some kind of teleporting machine by accident, some invading Skulls, and Captain Mar-Vell. And some time travel hilarity. Or not.

I never really enjoyed Moench’s time on Fantastic Four, and this issue pretty much cemented my feelings on that. However, there was a really nice back-up story (written by Moench and drawn by Tom Sutton) that shows Zorba failing to maintain his newly liberated Latveria, and the ultimate resurrection of Dr Doom. A lot of nice ideas here about newly democratised people not really feeling the love for their new status quo.

Unemployment, higher taxes, and lots of picketing; yeah, that’ll get you down. What you really need is a megalomaniacal terrorist in charge. Sorted.

A girl named Frankie Raye

Face it tiger...oops, wrong redhead.

When John Byrne took the Fantastic Four Back to the Basics with Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #232 (cover date July 1981) it was a rather apt title considering his stance, in interviews at the time (if recall correctly), that nothing that came after Jack Kirby left the Fantastic Four with Vol. 1 #102 (cover date September 1970) ‘counted’, essentially ignoring the previous decade; or, to put it another way, the entirety of what we now fondly refer to as the Bronze Age of Marvel Comics. Byrne had sole responsibility for shaping the future of the Fantastic Four as both artist and writer, so he had to trust in his creative instincts; but it still seemed a tad disrespectful of all the other creators that came before him.

 It was a little odd, then, that in his first issue he used a character created by Roy Thomas and George Perez in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #164 (cover date November 1975); Johnny Storm’s red-haired flame (pun intended), Frankie Raye. Frankie was Johnny’s only Bronze Age romantic entanglement after Crystal left the team (and later married Quicksilver), but only appeared a handful of times (the last being Vol. 1 #204 March 1979 – more than two years prior to the start of John Byrne’s run). Could it be that Byrne had been told something about the creation of Frankie Raye - that she was originally intended to be the daughter of Toro, the original Human Torch’s sidekick* - that he felt he could repurpose her for something else he had planned?** Do all red-haired girls have to ‘go bad’ in the end?

Johnny’s first date with Frankie (a’ lonely U.N. translator’ he met in a ‘ 2^nd Avenue singles bar’) starts well as they wander from Art Fairs to Rock-Joints in New York’s Greenwich Village, but all good things must come to an end as The Crusader attacks. Johnny resists flaming-on - not wanting to reveal who he is to Frankie - but his hand is eventually forced; Frankie’s reaction shot by George Perez is a portent of what is to come.

The next time Johnny and Frankie meet up is in Fantastic Four #171 (cover date June 1976) at Central Park Zoo. They discuss why Frankie ran off the last time, and she explains that seeing Johnny become the Human Torch freaked her out. Unfortunately, just as Johnny tries to convince her that he is considering giving up the superhero life, and that she might just be the one, a spaceship lands and out comes Gorr – a giant golden gorilla. Johnny immediately flames-on, but then reconsiders and returns to Frankie, as the ‘police can handle that overgrown ape, soon as they get some heavier guns.’

A short time later, at Frankie’s apartment, Johnny overhears on the radio that his fellow teammates are helpless before Gorr, so with Frankie’s protestations ringing in his ear he flames-on and leaves. Frankie ‘suddenly knows the truth at last…that all this has happened to her…before!’

I wonder what that could mean?

It is another ten issues, in Fantastic Four #181 (cover date April 1977), before Frankie makes another appearance. Johnny is hanging around Greenwich Village in the hope of seeing Frankie again, and when he does she’s with another man. Johnny and Frankie argue, with Johnny making light of her fear of fire, so Frankie leaves. Johnny flies off, promising to ‘find out why you’re so traumatised by fire…if it takes forever!’

Considering this was Roy Thomas’ last issue, Johnny might be waiting some time.

Len Wein picks-up the Frankie and Johnny (non) relationship another ten issues later, in Fantastic Four #191 (cover date February 1978), when Johnny calls on Frankie - hoping to rekindle their romance - but is called away by the Fantasti-Flare before she can answer the door.

It is only another 13 issues until Frankie makes her last appearance during the Bronze Age, under the pen of Marv Wolfman, in Fantastic Four #204. Johnny bumps into her while enrolling at Empire State University, and while they discuss why they never quite got together in the past, Frankie gives her reasons as ‘never liked dating a superhero…or got used to you standing me up…or rushing off halfway through a date…or’ before being cut-off by an emergency call from Reed.

Presumably her next line was going to be ‘… or you turning into a human matchstick, and I hate fire’ but I suspect that plot point was being quietly buried.

Anyone that has read John Byrne’s 5 year + run on Fantastic Four knows that he eventually revealed Frankie to be the step-daughter of the original Human Torch’s creator, Phineas Horton. At the age of 14, she’d been accidentally doused in chemicals that gave her the power to burst into flame, but Horton hypnotised her into forgetting these events, while giving her a costume that mysteriously only appears when she is naked. Yeah, that never made complete sense to me, but it did give Byrne the chance to show the slightly salacious scene of Johnny gawping at a slowly disrobing Frankie.

Byrne teased his readers with the idea that Frankie might join the Fantastic Four, but over a few adventures he had Frankie show a disturbing propensity for violence and callousness, that ultimately culminated in her accepting a new job as Galactus’ herald, receiving the power cosmic, and becoming Nova.

While Frankie/Nova is apparently dead in current continuity, Byrne did originally intend to have Nova become the next Galactus, after another Big Bang at the culmination of his ‘ The Last Galactus Story’, the ending of which remains unpublished today.

I ask again, do all red-haired girls go bad eventually? Frankie’s sad fate has an echo of that other red-haired girl gone bad, Jean Grey/Phoenix, and I sort of wish that Roy Thomas had seen his plot for Frankie Raye through. Who knows, she might even be in the X-Men now, as the mutant daughter of Toro.

*I have only seen this referenced once online, as told to John Byrne by Len Wein, but can’t find anything else to corroborate it. It may be false, but given Roy Thomas’ predilection for using Golden Age characters and stitching them into then current continuity (see Giant-Size Avengers #1)…it has a ring of the truth to it.

**At a later date, Byrne also made reference to Frankie being Ann Raymond and Toro’s step-daughter in Avengers West Coast #50, so while it probably negates Roy Thomas’ earlier intent, it does at least acknowledge the connection.

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The Summer of '76

The Summer of ’76 was notable for many things. The UK was roasting in a heat-wave;  ABBA  was camping up the charts with Dancing Queen and Rod Stewart was singing about The Killing of Georgie. I was 11 years old; I’d moved up to big school, AND started my first job as a Paperboy. Things were good; school holidays seemed endless and I had my own money to spend on comics.

So what was I spending that hard-earned (dragging the Sunday papers around Highbury Hill at 7AM was hard labour!) cash on? What Bronze Age Marvel comics caught my eye in July 1976?

The Avengers #149

Steve Englehart was only two issues away from ending his era-defining run on The Avengers (and his time at Marvel during the Bronze Age) but before then he had to finish up a memorable multipart storyline in which The Avengers came into conflict with The Squadron Supreme, The Brand Corporation, Roxxon Oil, and The Serpent Crown. Oh, and he introduced Patsy Walker as The Hellcat.

The Defenders #37

Steve Gerber was spinning a lot of plates during the final stretch of his run on The Defenders. While Dr. Strange and Red Guardian were fighting off Plantman’s giant dandelion puffs, Kyle (Nighthawk) Richmond was still suffering an existential crisis from having his brain removed earlier, and Valkyrie was incarcerated in a women’s prison. Meanwhile, Nebulon was recruiting more costumed crazies to his Bozo cult…

The Fantastic Four #172

Bill Mantlo had the Fantastic Four battling a giant golden gorilla called Gorr, from Counter-Earth; a world created by the High Evolutionary, which was now under threat from Galactus and his new Herald, the Asgardian Destroyer armour.

Howard the Duck #4

Steve Gerber again, on his most personal series; the tale of Paul (Winky Man) Same, a man with a sleeping disorder and the inability to confront those who push him around.

The Invaders #7

Roy Thomas introduces us to the Falsworth’s; an upper-class family that includes World War I hero Union Jack, his daughter Jacqueline (who would later become the plucky heroine Spitfire after a blood transfusion from the android Human Torch) and nephew John, the Nazi vampire Baron Blood.

Obviously team books were what caught my eye during that blazing hot month; more heroes for my pennies, but also some exemplary comics. Steve Englehart’s Avengers (drawn by George Perez) never failed to entertain, and Steve Gerber’s comics left an indelible impact on my early teen self. I personally consider Englehart and Gerber to be the two pillars of Marvel’s Bronze Age, defining the era with their creativity and individual insight.

The Fantastic Four cover had floating heads which was always a must buy, and how could I resist that funky looking vampire on the cover of The Invaders? I don’t recall much of that period of the Fantastic Four - was this when the evil Reed (Brute) Richards from Counter Earth trapped the good one and replaced him on the team? - but I absolutely loved these early issues of The Invaders with art by Frank Robbins.

July ’76 filled my head with alternative Earths, Counter-Earths, giant golden gorillas and dandelion puffs, Bozos and Nazi Vampires, and taught me to stand up for myself for fear of running around at night wearing a night-shirt and cap! It was truly a Bronze Age smorgasbord.

Thirty-nine years ago this weekend, a comic fan was born!

On the 30^th September 1972, the last Saturday of the month, the first issue of The Mighty World of Marvel was released upon an unsuspecting public. It was a momentous occasion, birthing a generation of Marvel readers and making at least one comic fan for life.

My original copy of this life-changing comic was lost many moons ago, but fortune smiled upon me when I won a reasonably priced copy on eBay earlier this month. I’d been tempted a number of times, but it was the realisation that the date of original publication meant that I would be able to perform some kind of voodoo magic by reading this particular comic exactly 39 years since I first held it my eager hands, and in my childhood home too, that I placed a decisive bid. Perhaps a rift in the space/time continuum would open up and transport me back to 1972 to meet my seven year old self.

So yesterday, on the hottest day on record for October, I settled down with Mighty World of Marvel no. 1 and a Fab lolly.........

.........and though no rift in the space/time continuum opened up, it was a rewarding experience.

I have likely read the three stories featuring The Hulk, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man many times since in other formats, but nothing compares to the experience of where and how I first encountered these iconic characters. On pulpy newsprint paper in black & white (and green!), at a larger size than the original printed pages, the crude - but exciting - storytelling of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko is completely enthralling. There is a primacy to these initial appearances - designed to capture the imagination of children - that reinforced why I still read comics despite the accumulation of years of cynical exploitation. Yes, the plot holes are apparent to my 46 year old self, but they would not have mattered to me at 7. That kid in 1972 just wanted more.

For the princely sum of 5p, I got the first 10 pages of The Hulk #1, a Fantastic Four pin-up, the first 13 pages of Fantastic Four #1, a Special Message from Stan Lee and the chance to win a mystery free gift, and the whole of Spider-Man’s origin from Amazing Fantasy #15.

I would also have got a free iron-on Hulk T-shirt transfer, but I sadly no longer recall what I did with that. I imagine it was dutifully ironed on and subsequently washed off by mum.

Buy The Mighty World of Marvel #1 at My Comic Shop

Fantastic Four #121

Cover date: April 1972

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Joe Sinnott

After last issues arrival of Gabriel, the Air-Walker, heralding the end of the world, it is left to the Fantastic Four to confront him - as all across the Earth, civilization falls into despair. Riots, looting, industry shutting down because no one wants to work; all within a few hours it seems.

Gabriel convinces the denizens of New York City to destroy the Fantastic Four, so the team makes a quick exit. They appear particularly ineffectual against Gabriel, for as Johnny Storm rightly points out,

“How? How can he stand on air like that?”

That would be Johnny Storm, the teenager who turns into a Human Torch and flies.

After getting no joy at the nearest TV network, Reed orders the team back to the Baxter Building so he can grab a weapon – for they cannot face Gabriel again empty handed – and race after him in the Fantasti-Car. Reed fires his Beta Ray and Gabriel starts to fade away, but that’s not what Reed expected because,

“No! It’s wrong...it’s mad! It’s not what should have happened!”

So what should have happened Reed? Ah well, we’ll never know now, as suddenly a ship rises out of the water straight at them. The Fantasti-Car crashes into the sea and the ship lands on top. The Fantastic Four escape unscathed however, just in time for Gabriel to show up again, asking,

“Surely you didn’t expect your puny ray to defeat Gabriel!”

To which Reed answers,

“No, I didn’t!”

Wha? So what was the point of going back to the Baxter Building to grab your Beta Ray, eh Reed?

Never mind, because Gabriel creates a massive tidal wave that sweeps the Fantastic Four into the city, where they become separated. The Thing ends up on the same roof-top as Gabriel for some “CLOBBERIN’ TIME” while Reed and Sue race to help him. The Human Torch gets there first, however, and goes after Gabriel with his NEAR-NOVA HEAT to no avail. How are the Fantastic Four going to win this one? Cut away to...

The Silver Surfer moping around on an asteroid in the distant sub-stratosphere. Despite his persecution complex, he decides once again to aid us mere mortals. Surfing to Earth he confronts Gabriel with his POWER COSMIC, and Gabriel admits that all that went on before was a meaningless sham as it is the Surfer that he sought to destroy.

Not sure why he didn’t just go and find him then.

After a brief battle, the Silver Surfer uses his POWER COSMIC to tear Gabriel’s cape, which is, as Gabriel announces...

“It is my power! It is the source of...my life!”

...before crashing to the ground and revealed to be a robot. The Silver Surfer asks the question on everyone’s lips,

“What of him who made the robot?”

The final page cliff-hanger reveals all.....

GALACTUS!

As with the previous issue, the plotting is shambolic and the dialogue makes little sense. The best bit is the last splash-page reveal of Galactus.

Which is AWESOME!

Buy Fantastic Four #121 at My Comic Shop

Fantastic Four #120

Cover date: March 1972

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Joe Sinnott

A very well executed cover by John Buscema.

A random group of terrorists attack the Baxter building, get defeated, the landlord shows up and shouts a lot, and then Agatha Harkness’s mystical projection shows up to warn the FF that a major threat to Earth has arrived. Gabriel, the Air-Walker appears, provoking a fight with the FF.

Wow! Stan Lee returns to ‘writing’ the Fantastic Four and proves he never really had much input beyond offering a brief plot synopsis for the artist to work from. As good as Buscema’s art is, he doesn’t have the imagination of Jack Kirby, and Lee just seems to be writing random captions and dialogue to fill the panels. I have no idea what the opening scene with the terrorists was about – they’re not even named or given a reason for being; and Sue is given some truly bizarre dialogue while showcasing her particular talents (that would be being totally ineffectual in combat, then).

Worst of all was this particular piece of dialogue after Reed gets bashed;

“Be careful, BEN! Anyone who could fell Reed so easily...”

That would be Mr Fantastic, the human rubber band.

Anyway, whatever happend to Reed's cure for Crystal he was working on last issue?

Buy Fantastic Four #120 at My Comic Shop

Fantastic Four #119

Cover date: February 1972

Writer: Roy Thomas

Artist: John Buscema

Inker: Joe Sinnott

Curiously, the Black Panther appears on the cover, but is referred to by his civilian name T’Challa. I wonder if there’s a reason behind that. Let’s see, shall we....

The story opens with a typical bickering scenario between the Human Torch and the Thing. Johnny Storm is still on a downer about Crystal, his one true love, having to remain in the Great Refuge (home to The Inhumans) because of her allergy to air-pollutants, and it doesn’t take much to rile up blue-eyed Ben Grimm. Their irresponsible fighting is broken up by Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Girl, and then we’re introduced to the issue’s plot.

It appears T’Challa, the Fantastic Four’s old friend and ally the Black Panther, has gone after some crooks and entered into the only remaining white supremacist nation left on the African continent – Rudyarda.

Yes, it’s the Seventies, and comics are relevant.

Reed Richards asks the Thing and the Human Torch to go on a rescue mission while he and Sue stay behind (Reed’s working on a doohickey to help Crystal), and after preventing a plane hijacking Ben and Johnny arrive in Rudyarda where the people are separated into Europeans and Coloreds. They track down one of the crooks, and discover that T’Challa has been imprisoned.

We now learn why the Black Panther was referred to as T’Challa on the cover; he’s taken on a new name - The Black Leopard – to dispel any connection to the Black Panther Party in the USA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_Party

Eventually Klaw shows up for a fight, our heroes win, and everyone goes home after making a symbolic gesture towards bringing down the walls of apartheid.

This was an enjoyable example of an early Seventies Marvel comic, with all the elements you might expect from a Fantastic Four story from this period. Guest writer Roy Thomas captures the voices of the Fantastic Four well, and John Buscema and Joe Sinnott’s art is solid craftsmanship.

Buy Fantastic Four #119 at My Comic Shop

Growing up the Marvel way!

This month marked my last purchase of a new Marvel comic. After the cancellation of Ms Marvel - the last Marvel title I was buying regularly - I no longer have any reason to buy comics from what was once affectionately known as the House of Ideas; the rot set in with Avengers: Disassembled, and I don't feel like continuing anymore.

And yet.....

Marvel was my introduction to comics. Growing up in the UK, my voracious appetite for reading was met by the launch of Marvel’s UK line in September 1972. The Mighty World of Marvel, Spider-Man Comics Weekly and, most importantly, The Avengers in September 1973.

The Avengers was my first love super-hero team.

It wasn’t long before I was searching out those mysterious American versions, and my first purchase was The Avengers #114 (cover date August 1973), the introduction of Mantis, Steve Englehart writing, and a cover that has remained a firm favourite.



I was hooked, but with the introduction of Marvel UK The Avengers, the American version soon became non-distributed (to save confusion!), and it wasn’t until I was introduced to the joys of comic shops that I was able to glimpse the covers of my much missed The Avengers (my pocket money at that time didn’t stretch to buying new comics at import prices). This sad state of affairs lasted until early 1976 when The Avengers started appearing in the local newsagents again – I never missed another issue until the mid-Eighties.

With all that in mind, I’ve gradually formulated a plan to revisit what is termed the Marvel Bronze Age.

The first decision to make was where to start, and that led to some serious thought about how I define Marvel’s Bronze Age. The only conclusion I came to was the cover design, and more specifically, the logos.

This logo defines The Avengers for me, and when I did a little research it turned out that The Avengers logo and the definitive 1970’s Fantastic Four logo both appeared in the same month – cover date February 1972.


It all ties back to the year 1972, when I was seven years old.


The second decision was when to end this particular experiment. When did Marvel’s Bronze Age end? I was tempted to go with the appointment of Jim Shooter to editor-in-chief in 1978, but that seemed just a little petty and would have stopped short of one of my favourite The Avengers runs. So I went with the only sensible decision – when The Avengers stopped being fun.


That, ladies and gentlemen, was The Avengers #200, cover date October 1980. The infamous Rape of Ms Marvel. I was fifteen by then, and I knew that was a bad thing.


I have no doubts this will be a huge undertaking, and there is no guarantee I will ever finish it; but it will be fun trying, and revisiting those eight formative years.


I will, of course, have to purchase a lot of these comics for the first time, so the reading experience will be like new. I realise I could just go and buy all the various Essentials that are now available, but I want the reading experience to be as authentic as possible – letter pages, house ads, and editorial pages included. It will also include a lot of drudgery – I never particularly warmed to certain characters (Spider-Man, Thor, Dr Strange to name a few), but I may also learn to, if not love them, at least appreciate them.


First up – Fantastic Four #119