Week Ending April 28, 1973

What were you up to this week in 1973? If you were anything like me, you were probably sticking crayons up your nose. In my defence I was only four and I haven't done it for years. Marvel UK on the other hand were having a week free of crayon/nasal interfacing and were instead putting out a brace of great comics.

Mighty World of Marvel #30

Dick Ayers and Mike Esposito give us a cover that promises thrills and dynamic action, plus what looks like a chap contemplating adding some fibre to his diet.

Hulk is still in the future, now facing the sudden (and unexplained) appearance of the Executioner. Meanwhile back in 1966/1973/the present Rick Jones has problems of his own, as he faces interrogation by General Ross and Major Talbot who seek to understand the mysterious connection between Bruce Banner and the Hulk (not exactly the brightest and best of the military these boys) with no evidence against Jones, Ross releases him, though not without tasking Talbot with following the planet's least favourite sidekick. Rick, believing Banner dead eventuality breaks down to Talbot, who does a pretty impressive good-cop routine, and blurts out the unfathomable secret of the Hulk's dual identity, just as the Hulk's trip to the future is cut short and he starts to return to the present day. Well done Rick.

This week Daredevil is challenged by The Fellowship of Fear, which frankly just makes them sound like an organisation that lacks the commitment of The Circus of Crime. DD encounters this week's villains as they pull off a bank robbery under the cover of a fake movie production. Initially our hero has little trouble dealing with former Enforcer the Ox and the underwhelming threat of the Eel, a character whose unique selling point seems to be being a bit greasy. However the tables are rapidly turned upon the arrival of their boss, the mysterious Mr Fear. A quick whiff of Mr Fear's fear-gas and Daredevil is suddenly The Man Without A Tagline. The bad guys escape and DD is left to do some very Peter Parker-esque whiney self pity, which frees up a couple of pages for the origin of our new antagonist. Zoltan Drago, waxwork emporium owner and rubbish chemist seeks a formula to bring his statues to life. When he accidentally creates a powerful fear inducing gas, a career in supervilliany beckons. While quite mad, he has sense enough to realise that if he teams up with any bad guy worth their salt, he is going to end up playing second fiddle. So, in an uncommon display of self-awareness, he deliberately sets out to recruit some third-rate teammates. Cue Ox and the Eel.
Seeking a rematch and decisive victory over Daredevil, Mr Fear has a plan to lure our hero out. That plan, I kid you not, is to unveil a waxwork of Daredevil himself, because the real DD would be unable to resist coming to see it. What? Though, who am I to question the quality of the plan, because it works very nicely. Round two against the Fellowship is an even greater disaster for DD as Foggy Nelson is also unable to resist the allure of a wax superhero and gets battered by Ox for his trouble.

Marvel UK were really pushing FOOM hard this week, I would be interested to know how the economics of membership worked out for them, or was it a loss-leader to foster brand loyalty?

Welcome to a little story I like to call How Many Pastiches of Rodin's Thinker Can Jack Kirby Squeeze Into A Comicbook? The answer in this week's chapter alone is six. It is good we got some culture, because the story itself is pants. The general thrust is that wannabe gangland boss the Mad Thinker is so smart he can anticipate a host of unlikely coincidences that will ensure the FF disband for long enough to allow him to take over running crime in New York city. I can't help thinking his time would be more economically spent turning his intellect to picking out lottery numbers and retiring to a private island.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #11

This week's SMCW cover is another Dick and Mike collaboration, which really looks like they put all their effort into this and bashed out MWOM during what was left of Friday afternoon.

Speaking of artists putting in a bit more effort... this Spider-Man story has managed to convert me into a Steve Ditko fan. For some reason I have never been able to connect with his work, but this issue blew me away. All the characters seem to have their own visual agency, even background crowd figures appear to be fleshed out in someway that gives the impression that they are going about their lives rather than just being human scenery. I am willing to conceded that drinking extra-strength cider while reading may have had some part in my Damascene moment but the effect seems to have been permanent, even with the ensuing hangover.
The story itself sees the return of the Green Goblin, who is now complete with his traditional glider. After attempting to foil a bank robbery that turns out to be a location shoot for a movie (Stan's obsession with cinema is never far away in these early stories) Spider-Man is suffering a crisis of confidence. Help is on hand though, in the surprising form of Flash Thompson, who announces the formation of the Spider-Man Fan Club, complete with newspaper adverts for the club's first meeting. Obviously such an event brings together most of Spidey's supporting cast, including the Goblin, who is out for a showdown. The big event sees the various elements of Peter Parker's love-life and employment plus his heroic rival the Human Torch assembled under one roof, just in time for the Green Goblin to arrive and cause carnage. Battle ensues, with the enthusiastic fan club unaware that the threat is real, Spider-Man juggles fighting the Goblin with not panicking the crowd. Hysterically, he even finds time for some high farce in the form of a quick change mid-scuffle to protect his secret identity. The action is cut short when Spider-Man  overhears a phone call relating news of the first of Aunt May's seemingly endless heart attacks, Peter is forced to flee, much to the disappointment of his nascent fan club. The Green Goblin escapes and Peter is left to bemoan the curse of having fantastic superpowers.

After weeks of hints and teasing, the stunning Spider-Man photo poster is revealed. At the time I can't imagine many people thought it was worth mutilating nine comics for this kitsch masterpiece, but I genuinely feel this belongs on my living room wall now.

These early Thor stories have been a bit hit and miss, so it was a nice surprise that this one started with some promise. Dr Donald Blake is on an American medical mission in India as the totalitarian regime of Khitan (looks like the Brits were as sensitive about China as they were Russia) launches an invasion. Ignoring his oath to "first do no harm", the good doctor transforms into the god of thunder and proceeds to knock seven bells out of the Khitanese. However, fuax-China is not taking defeat laying down and its chief scientist retires to his lab packed with cool Kirby tech to turn himself into the Radioactive Man.
Dr Blake has no sooner returned to work in New York than the Radioactive Man arrives issuing a challenge to Thor. It is at this point that the early promise of this story evaporates, as Stan and Jack's slender grasp on the properties of radiation comes to the fore, including the use of radiation to hypnotise Thor. Things deteriorate further as the entranced Thor throws his hammer into the ocean, but this does allow Dr Blake to escape to his office where he quickly knocks up an x-ray magic hammer locating device. This turn of events leaves four panels in which Thor hurls his enemy to Khitan, causing a nuclear explosion. None of which is likely to cause any kind of international crisis I am sure.