Week Ending June 9, 1973

I think we can all agree that the present is turning out to be a massive disappointment. So, let us return to 1973, a time that wasn't that great itself, but our optimism had not yet been squeezed from us like juice from a Ribena berry.

Mighty World of Marvel #36

There might be a good cover lurking under the excessive colouring and lackluster print here, but I don't feel the effort involved in finding out would be worth it.

Really pleased to see John Buscema on pencils again, although the pairing with Mike Esposito on inks is not quite as revelatory as last week. Hulk has transformed from his heavy-set bruiser appearance into the fantastically muscular goliath we are more familiar with. The only drawback being that we also get a very buff Bruce Banner, in fact everyone with the possibly exception of Betty Ross looks like they have been hitting the protein shakes. The story picks up from last week with Bruce Banner the unfortunate passenger of the Orion missile heading for New York after the Hulk jumped on board it and found the experience so tedious that he transformed into his weedy alter ego. Which turns out to be fortuitous as science nerd Banner manages to steer the missile into the ocean. This series of events leads the crack military mind of General Ross to assume that the Hulk was involved in the sabotage of the Orion missile. In a strange turn of events, the good General stumbles upon the secret laboratory of the recently deceased Leader and the green egghead's Super-Humanoid. Obviously like any great tactician, he immediately decides to activate the giant rubber monstrosity in order to defeat the Hulk. This plan goes pear-shaped straight away and is replaced with the entirely contradictory scheme to seek out the Hulk so he can stop the rampaging rubber Johnny.

We are spared the tension of waiting seven days to find out what happens, which is basically Hulk and the Super-Humanoid having a right old ruckus in the city. The plastic android proving to be a match for the Hulk, we switch scenes to find out that the mercenary Boomerang has taken the time to redesign his awful outfit and is out for revenge for his humiliation at the hands of the Hulk. Returning to the battle, the ever-useless Rick Jones intervenes just in time to get a Super-Humanoid backhander and cause the Hulk to randomly return to his human form. During all the excitement word has reached Ross that the Hulk was not responsible for the missile's flight to New York and that he was responsible for saving the city. In a bizarre volte-face, Ross accepts this without question and is happy to enlist Banner's help fighting the Humanoid. Banner quickly A-Team's up a weapon, willfully transforms again and electrocutes both the Humanoid and himself. We are left with the unexpected tableau of General Ross calling for medics to save the Hulk.

I assume that Namor found his lost kingdom within the pages of his solo adventures. I don't know if these were ever reprinted by Marvel UK, it feels like the kind of story that might turn up in The Titans in a few years time. But for now let us enjoy a more regal Sub-Mariner and Jack Kirby going bananas with an undersea civilization and technology. The set up for our tale is as usual, Ben and Johnny are fighting amongst themselves and in the process ruining the contents of Sue's designer wardrobe. Reed suggests that the team take a vacation, and he knows just the place. He explains that there have be multiple recent sightings of giant sea monsters in the Atlantic and therefore it would be the ideal location for a family break. The other members of Team Gullible in no way detect that this sounds more like a mission than a holiday and pack their Speedos without a moments hesitation. To their profound surprise, if not the reader's, their cruise ship is soon set upon by said giant sea monsters and the team is captured with the embarrassing ease for which they are rapidly becoming famous. They find themselves prisoners of Atlantis and its restored monarch Namor the first. The Sub-Mariner has brought them their so they might take his warning to the surface world, basically "Get orf moi land!" though obviously water in this case.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #17

Not a bad cover from Rich Buckler and Mike Esposito, but can't help feeling that it would be improved if they didn't have to squeeze in the Thor panel.

The Green Goblin returns for a tale of Machiavellian intrigue and damp laundry. It is always good to see the Goblin in these early stories as Stan tries to build the interest in his secret identity and simultaneously come up with ways for him to escape Spider-Man, unlike every other spider-foe who can reliably be captured within the confines of any one issue. Peter Parker is back on form as Betty Brant's deeply unpleasant gaslighting stalker, I think I preferred him when he would just stay home and whine. The plot revolves around the Goblin's efforts to take over organised crime in the city, which seems out of character for who the Goblin would become, but it is a good enough way the bring him back as a recurring villain. The story wraps up quickly leaving the status quo unchanged and Peter worrying over a feeling of foreboding.

Now, if you were to ask me "Whose stories did the villain Mr Hyde first appear in?" I would almost certainly have said Daredevil or possibly Spider-Man, certainly there is no way I would have him down as a Thunder God-level threat. It is a testimony to how patchy these early Thor stories are that I would be utterly wrong. Don Heck is behind the art on this tale, while his is no Kirby, it is improved on a lot of the previous offerings. Thor is still trying to convince Odin to let him marry Jane Foster, while back on Earth, Calvin Zabo plots vengeance on Donald Blake for not giving him a job so that he might rob the good Doctor. Like every jilted employee before him, he rushes home to create a serum to transform him into a character from classic literature. Surprisingly, it works. The second phase of his plan is slightly less successful, as he breaks into the office of Dr Blake and promptly defenestrates the physician, who then transforms into Thor rather than falling to his doom. Hyde leaves the scene thinking his enemy dead, only to be enraged to hear on the radio that Blake was 'saved' by Thor, further revenge is sworn.

The next day Thor is seen using his incredible strength to rob a bank, what can this mean? Has Thor turned bad? We will have to wait till next week to find out.