marvel comics

Back Issues [Wolvie Wednesday]: Uncanny X-Men #205

Dr. KLeave a comment

Since his first full debut in November 1974 and joining the X-Men in 1975, James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine has become one of Marvel Comics’ most recognisable and enduring superheroes.

Story Title: “Wounded Wolf”
Published: 11 February 1986 (cover-dated: May 1986)

Writers: Chris Claremont and Barry Windsor-Smith
Artist: Barry Windsor-Smith

Quick Facts:
After John Romita Sr and Herb Trimbe met Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Roy Thomas’s challenge to create the first Canadian superhero, Wolverine’s amassed a ferocious rogues’ gallery, which extended to cybernetic assassin Yuriko Oyama/Lady Deathstrike with this story. First appearing in Daredevil #197 and with ties to Logan’s chequered past, this cyborg killer has had many brutal battles with Wolverine and other superheroes but fared far better in cartoons and videogames than in live-action.

The Review:
Lady Deathstrike is introduced writhing in agony as cables, tubes, and metal transform her body in the Body Shop, a black market enhancement clinic run by Rita Wayword/Spiral. Having tangled with Wolverine before and found him a formidable foe thanks to his superhuman reflexes and healing factor and his unbreakable, Adamantium bones and claws, Yuriko Oyama paid Spiral a handsome price to transform herself and three former Hellfire Club guards (Angelo Macon, Murray Reese, and Wade Cole) into cyborg mercenaries. The process, though agonising, sees Yuriko stripped of her humanity and peppered with cybernetic implants, and most of her flesh and bone replaced with self-replicating machinery. The most prominent of which are her razor-sharp talons, which Spiral guarantees make her more than a match for Wolverine. Though she volunteered for the process and relishes possessing the power and means to kill her foe, the newly christened Lady Deathstrike ensures that Spiral remember her promise to restore her humanity, and that of her fellows, once the deed is done. While Spiral “guarantees satisfaction”, he quietly muses on the irony of a cold-blooded assassin looking to regain her humanity by killing another and there’s a very real visual and implied belief that the “biomed transmutation” is irreversible. Eager to accomplish her task and restore honour to her family name and avenge the wounds they suffered at Logan’s hands, Lady Deathstrike begins the hunt, which takes her to Manhattan’s lower east side. There, on a bitter winter’s night, little Katie Power/Energizer of the pre-teen family the Power Pack enjoys the festive sights with her babysitter, Miss Randolph. However, they’re buffeted by a sudden blizzard and separated when one of the cyborgs comes charging in and taking shots at Wolverine.

Driven to a feral state by Lady Deathstrike, Wolverine must protect Energizer from her cyborgs.

Half-naked, grievously wounded, and in a feral state, the confused Wolverine terrifies Katie with his claws and flees with her into the snowstorm when the cops show up. Scared and pained by Wolverine’s embrace, Energizer musters her courage and fires off the biggest power ball she can, temporarily stunning Wolverine and giving her the chance to escape. However, she still sees Wolverine as a friend and recognises that he’s hurt and not himself, so she tries to appeal to his humanity. When that fails, she urges Logan away from his pursuers and into a taxicab. Although he’s lost his reasoning, Wolverine’s senses are as sharp as ever and, smelling Wade has a bead on them, Logan tosses Energizer and the driver from the car just in time and they take a tumble down a snowy ditch. The fall rattles Wolverine’s scrambled brains and sees him babbling in Japanese but, when Energizer shows him kindness and wraps him against the cold, words and memories slowly return to the tormented Mutant as his healing factor finally kicks in. While Energizer wants to help with her powers, Wolverine forbids her from getting involved any further and orders her to trust him to face his old foes alone. Similarly, Lady Deathstrike orders her men to stand down despite having Wolverine dead to rights as she wants the pleasure of finishing him herself. Still, the three are eager to get the job done, leading to Cole being skewered by Wolverine’s claws and Macon taken down off panel. Though terrified for his life, Reese moves to act on Lady Deathstrike’s advice to take Katie hostage, only to also get stabbed after a point-blank rifle shot to the head fails to put Wolverine down.

A brutal fight with Lady Deathstrike sees Wolverine spare her out of spite.

When Wolverine confronts Lady Deathstrike in Japanese, she reveals she had hoped for a fight to the death between warriors, and that’s exactly what we get for three brutal, blood-splatted pages. Driven by an insatiable need to avenge her father, the cruel-hearted Kenji Oyama/Lord Dark Wind, and make him proud, Lady Deathstrike strikes swift and true, babbling of her need to destroy Wolverine and thus escape her father’s shadow. When Wolverine mocks her, she slices his abdomen and targets his neck before running her talons through his gut. Disgusted by the gaijin and claiming her technological powers make her superior, Lady Deathstrike twists the knife and prepares for the killing blow, only for Wolverine to free himself and repeatedly slash at Lady Deathstrike, carving chunks out of her (partially off panel) and leaving her a bloody, mangled, semi-cybernetic mess in the snow. Shocked at how badly Yuriko has mangled her body to make herself his equal, Logan comes to his senses and chastises her for voluntarily stripping away her humanity just to try and match him. Recognising what she’s done to herself, and that she has failed, Lady Deathstrike practically begs Wolverine to end her, only for him to refuse, disgusted by the request. Instead, Wolverine chooses the moral high ground, renouncing the animal she tried to bring out of him, and condemning her live with her choices…or earn her freedom. Wolverine then goes to Katie, who kept her eyes shut and ears covered the entire time, and promises that, although he has a violent side to him, he’ll always be her friend and, together, they head out to find Miss Randolph.

Final Thoughts: 
This was quite the brutal and emotionally charged story for Wolverine, though similar narrative beats have been explored with Logan and to far greater effect. This wasn’t the first time he’d lost control of himself, sheltered a youngster, or confronted an enemy from his past and chose to be a man rather than an animal, and it certainly wouldn’t be his last. While I liked the winter setting with the snow and the blizzard, and the depiction of the bloodied Wolverine and cybernetic Lady Deathstrike, I found the art occasionally confusing. There was maybe a bit too much happening at once, and I think things might’ve been simpler if Cole, Macon, and Reese had been dropped, especially considering how personal the fight between Logan and Yukio is. That way, we could’ve seen more of Lady Deathstrike’s capabilities, perhaps see her disguise slowly stripped away as Wolverine lashes out in a blind rage from her sneak attacks. I appreciate the body count and the chance to see Wolverine picking off his foes, and that the story tries to paint him as an underdog, but that depiction doesn’t always work with the functionally unkillable and invincible Wolverine. Of course, “Wounded Wolf” circumvents this by having Wolverine in a feral state after being attacked and apparently drugged off panel. It’s said that Lady Deathstrike did “something” to Wolverine, but we never see what, just that he’s in a near mindless state from it and therefore terrifies little Katie Power. I liked this as it created a sense of mystery around Lady Deathstrike. Not many villains can wound Wolverine so badly and leave him in such a bad state. However, again, it would’ve been nice to see it so we can see what Spiral’s modifications have done to Yuriko. Instead, much of the early action is hidden behind a blizzard, which is dramatic and tense, for sure, and gives a sense of danger but also takes away from some of Lady Deathstrike’s presence and agency.

A brutal and visually compelling story that sadly underutilises its horrifying cyborg villain.

I’m no expert on Lady Deathstrike, or her father or her past history with Wolverine, but this story definitely hints at this all being very complex. Lady Deathstrike is bound by honour, despite her father’s cruelty and her hatred of him, and targets Wolverine to honour her dead father. This need becomes so great that she purposely forsakes her humanity and most of her body to become Wolverine’s equal, transforming herself into a truly horrific and visually unsettling cybernetic killer. The wires, metal implants, and her mangled look are disturbing enough but her talons are genuinely unnerving, giving her a kind of animalistic or even insectile look and enhance her inhuman proportions. Lady Deathstrike’s claws are sharp enough to grievously wound Wolverine and implied to match his Adamantium claws, though there’s no evidence that they are as sharp as that fantastical metal. They’re enough to overwhelm Wolverine, however, and make her at least his equal, though Wolverine’s stubborn nature sees him ultimately best her. This is framed as a victory of man (or, perhaps, nature) over machine and inhumanity, and Yuriko is left a barely recognisable mess in the snow begging for the easy way out while Wolverine begrudgingly denies his animal nature and forces himself to show mercy, if only so Yuriko must suffer with what she’s become. Again, this isn’t necessarily new for Wolverine, but it was executed pretty well here, especially with Katie on hand as a naïve and innocent bystander. I do think the issue dropped the ball with Lady Deathstrike, though, and should’ve spotlighted her more to explicitly show her as conniving, spiteful, and violent threat to Wolverine. It would’ve been nice to see her get a bit of a body count and be shown dismantling Wolverine physically and psychologically rather than following Logan and Katie as they flee though the snow. The finale makes up for it, but I still think there could’ve been a bit more to this otherwise brutal showdown.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

What are your thoughts on Wolverine’s first battle with Lady Deathstrike? Are you a fan of her cybernetic implants and unsettling talons? Did you enjoy seeing Wolverine in a feral state? Do you agree that Lady Deathstrike should’ve been the sole villain here? What are some of your favourite Lady Deathstrike stories or moments? How are you celebrating Wolverine’s debut this month? Whatever you think about Wolverine, comment below and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest more of his stories for me to cover.

Back Issues [F4iday]: Fantastic Four #57-60

Dr. K1 Comment

In November 1961, four intrepid explorers were forever changed by mysterious cosmic rays. Marvel’s “First Family” of superheroes were the first of their many colourful superheroes and are more than deserving of some attention today.

Writer: Stan Lee – Artist: Jack Kirby

Story Title: “Enter… Dr. Doom!”
Published: 8 September 1966 (cover-dated: December 1966)

Story Title: “The Dismal Dregs of Defeat!”
Published: 11 October 1966 (cover dated: January 1967)

Story Title: “Doomsday!”
Published: 10 November 1966 (cover-dated: February 1967)

Story Title: “The Peril and the Power!”
Published: 8 December 1966 (cover dated: March 1967)

Quick Facts:
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s dysfunctional Fantastic Four popularised the “Marvel Method” of writer/artist collaboration and brought readers two of the most compelling and iconic villainous characters in Marvel history: Doctor Victor Von Doom and Galactus. Both have menaced the wider Marvel universe in various cosmic events, though Galactus came alongside numerous “heralds” like Norrin Radd/The Silver Surfer. The Silver Surfer crossed paths with Dr. Doom for the first time in this seminal classic tale, which directly inspired a similar plot in the notorious Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Story, 2007).

The Review:
One of the Fantastic Four’s most memorable adventures begins with three of them walking into a trap so obvious that Benjamin “Ben” Grimm/The Thing claims even his “Aunt Petunia” would’ve seen it a mile off. Called to the state prison on an urgent matter, Doctor Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Susan Storm/The Invisible Girl, and the Thing are ambushed by Flint Marko/The Sandman from their would-be evil counterparts, the Frightful Four. The Sandman disperses Sue’s force field and easily withstands a blow from the enraged Thing by softening his molecules, then wallops Ben by making his fist rock hard. Rather than using his amazing powers of elasticity, Mr. Fantastic uses his genius intellect to dispose of the Sandman, activating an air duct control panel to vacuum Marko up, only to find Sue unable to contain the Sandman as he planned since she’s suddenly grabbed by Bentley Wittman/The Wizard, another founder of the Frightful Four. While Sue’s immediately rescued and the Wizard is quickly jumped by guards, Wittman’s plot to facilitate the Sandman’s escape works, leading Sue to lament that their woes are quickly mounting up despite intergalactic threats like Galactus being long gone. Later, while the Thing scours New York City for signs of the Sandman, Marko ensnares the Invisible Girl after getting the drop on her and her husband at the Baxter Building. Surprisingly fearless, Sue demands Reed disregard her safety and attack and her outraged husband willingly obliges, severing the Sandman’s arm and easily dodging his counterattack. Protected by Sue’s force field, Reed snags his “electro-gun” and holds Marko off with blasts of “high-powered electro-charges”. However, Reed underestimates the Sandman’s desperation and intelligence as Marko electrically charges the gun’s rays with a burst of sand particles and slips away, stealing equipment from the Fantastic Four’s storage unit as he goes.

Wile the Fantastic Four tangle with the Sandman, Dr. Doom steals the Silver Surfer’s incredible powers!

Meanwhile, the enigmatic and Earth-bound Silver Surfer is cordially invited to met with Dr. Doom, supreme monarch and overlord of Latveria. Unaware of Dr. Doom’s threat, the Silver Surfer obliges, intrigued to meet Earthly royalty, and is quickly disarmed by Dr. Doom’s claims to be an emissary for his people and his interest in the Silver Surfer’s world-renowned cosmic powers. Specifically, Dr. Doom asks about the Silver Surfer’s surfboard-like contraption, which he reveals is comprised of cosmic energy, a power so great that it has “no equal in the galaxy”. Though impressed, Dr. Doom challenges the Silver Surfer to craft a weapon of equal power and is presented with a near-weightless, gear-like hammer. Though sceptical, Dr. Doom is astounded when the lightest tap destroys his tower and giddy at the thought of conquering the world with the weapon, only for the Silver Surfer to evaporate the weapon as easily as he created it to keep its destructive power out of the hands of humankind, whom he has observed to be “truly mad”. Rather than be enraged, Dr. Doom shows the Silver Surfer some of his colourful and complex scientific projects, which the Silver Surfer suspects are geared towards world conquest. Dr. Doom claims otherwise and insists that he plans to use obvious weapons like his “mobile, all-powerful Pacifier” to instigate world peace. Though placated by Dr. Doom’s loquacious claims, the Silver Surfer cannot shake his suspicions, which he almost witnesses when Dr. Doom briefly drops his façade to threaten an underling. Still, Dr. Doom’s deception works and, enraptured by sights of the cosmos, the Silver Surfer is too distracted and naïve to defend himself when Dr. Doom straps a clunky, Kirby-esque apparatus to himself and uses it to steal the power cosmic, leaving the Silver Surfer in a crumpled heap and making Dr. Doom functionally invincible!

Dr. Doom’s cosmic powers easily overwhelm the unprepared Fantastic Four.

Dr. Doom immediately uses his awesome new cosmic powers to appear before his hated enemies as an intangible apparition and sparking a brief, but violet thunderstorm. Though Mr. Fantastic and (eventually) the Thing try to calm Sue’s fears about this, Dr. Doom revels in his newfound power and, after being mocked by the weakened Silver Surfer, bursts from Castle Doom on the stolen surfboard to confront his adversaries in person. Already jumpy from reading ghost stories, the Thing is blindsided by Dr. Doom, who blasts Ben through the wall and attacks with a strength that rivals Ben’s own. Though confused, the nevertheless undeterred Thing rips apart a billboard and briefly stuns Dr. Doom with a projectile, allowing Ben to leap aboard the surfboard and pummel his empowered foe. Disgusted by the indignity, Dr. Doom blasts the Thing with his “vibration rays” and transforms the Thing into a living statue! Dr. Doom then neutralises Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl with some adhesive cables and a miniature tornado, respectively. Thinking fast, Reed uses a nearby heat induction unit to melt his bindings and attack, briefly throwing Dr. Doom off-guard before the fledgling demigod conjures a mace and brings it down on Reed’s arm. Luckily, Reed and Sue are spared from death by Dr. Doom getting distracted with his gloating and the timely arrival of Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, freshly returned from his search to free the Inhumans. Though battered by Dr. Doom’s surfboard, Johnny bravely fights on, willing to sacrifice himself as he’s “more expendable”, only for Dr. Doom to laugh when the Human Torch engulfs him in flames and destroys the cottage they’re fighting in. Dr. Doom then turns the Human Torch into an iceman and prepares to finish him, only for the youngster to unleash a desperate flare-up that gives him a chance to recuperate (though even he hesitates to employ his “super-nova blast” for fear of killing “half the population of [the] hemisphere”).

While Dr. Doom spreads chaos, the Fantastic Four work tirelessly to counter his cosmic powers.

Thanks to Johnny’s university roommate, star athlete Wyatt Wingfoot, the Thing is restored and rejoins the fray. Wyatt even brings Reed’s experimental “anti-grav disruptor”, though it proves ineffectual against Dr. Doom, reducing Mr. Fantastic to despair. Dr. Doom’s so pleased by this that he decides to let his foes live with the hopelessness of their defeat, leading him to fly away gloating and unaware that Reed has preyed upon his vanity to spare their lives. To try and counter Dr. Doom’s peerless power, Mr. Fantastic convinces the world’s militaries to go on high alert, leading the Soviet Union to suffer a spectacular failure when they try to challenge Dr. Doom. While Dr. Doom gloats of his superiority to the captive Silver Surfer, dismissing his captive’s vain attempts to defy him and preparing to subjugate the world, Reed laments their defeat, leading to the Thing purposely instigating a fight to snap him out of it. Mr. Fantastic works tirelessly, driving himself to exhaustion trying to figure out a solution, and is horrified to learn from Wyatt that Johnny is practising with his powers, convinced that only he can stand against Dr. Doom. Despite Reed’s warnings, Johnny trains himself to be faster then ever, fuelling his obsession, all while Blackagar Boltagon/Black Bolt finally frees his fellow Inhumans from their prison by unleashing his devastating voice. Simultaneously, Dr. Doom proves his miraculous powers by enveloping a remote European city in total darkness, freezing the Aegean Islands, and transforming a gorilla into a mindless monster. Unwilling to sanction a nuclear counterattack, Mr. Fantastic constructs a prototype weapon that he tests against the Thing. The bat-like drone knocks the Thing on his ass and temporarily weakens him on contact, eventually convincing the hot-headed Ben to lend his awesome strength in constructing the “Anti-Cosmic Flying Wing” to do the same to Dr. Doom, who continues to cause havoc around the globe in a showcase of strength.

Despite the odds, the Fantastic Four come together to outwit Dr. Doom in anti-climactic fashion.

Dr. Doom then decides to head to the capital of each nation and seize power over each, only to be blindsided by the vengeful Human Torch. Despite the youngster’s passion, Dr. Doom easily conjures water, steam, and even turns himself to diamond to weather Johnny’s flames. Undeterred, the Human Torch follows Dr. Doom into a storm cloud and flies straight into a trap and is caught in a cyclone, as helpless against Dr. Doom’s power as the weakened Silver Surfer. Thanks to a loan from T’Challa/The Black Panther, the Fantastic Four speed to Latveria, where Dr. Doom destroys their craft by animating the nearby trees, leading to a furious fist fight between the Thing and Dr. Doom. Despite Ben’s rage, he’s no match for Dr. Doom, who easily employs the power cosmic to overpower the Thing. Though in agony and driven to his knees, the Thing refuses to give in and sends Dr. Doom flying with a punch, their battle so furious that even Uatu the Watcher cannot bear to watch. After Reed and Sue regroup with Johnny, the trio find Ben helplessly suspended in Dr. Doom’s anti-gravity field and protected by an “impenetrable cosmic current”. Under Mr. Fantastic’s direction, Sue protects Johnny from Dr. Doom’s extinguishant and bombards the despot with force field spheres, driving Dr, Doom back to his surfboard. Surprisingly (again), Sue throws herself in Dr. Doom’s path, deceiving him into flying head-first into a cliffside. The victory is short-lived, however, as Dr. Doom quickly recovers, winds Johnny with his surfboard, and prepares to employ his full power to obliterate his enemies only to be caught off-guard by the completed Anti-Cosmic Flying Wing. Though momentarily weakened, Dr. Doom sets out to prove himself Reed’s superior once more by destroying the craft, pursuing it into the upper atmosphere and undoing himself. As a stunned Ben, Johnny, and Sue look on, the surfboard returns from orbit to reunite with its rightful owner, Dr. Doom’s fate unknown, since the power cosmic cannot leave the planet due to Galactus’s order, ending Cosmic Doom’s threat in surprisingly anti-climactic fashion.

Final Thoughts: 
It’s kind of funny to me that the Fantastic Four struggled more against the cosmically empowered Dr. Doom than they did against Galactus, especially considering Dr. Doom really didn’t do as much as he could’ve with the Silver Surfer’s incredible power cosmic. Still, Dr. Doom did hand the Fantastic Four a decisive defeat, said to be the first time they’ve ever tasted defeat (which I think is debatable…) and this has quite an impact on the team. Mr. Fantastic especially struggles with the loss, falling into despair and questioning his intellect and his powers, to the point where the Thing has to antagonise him to get his head in the game. I quite enjoyed seeing Reed and Ben bickering and coming to blows throughout this story. Tensions were high and the team are always just as likely to fight amongst themselves as they are their enemies, but the Thing is just as humiliated by their loss as Reed, mortified to find his fantastic strength is nothing compared to Dr. Doom’s cosmic powers. Johnny also takes the loss to heart and uses it as motivation to get better, becoming obsessed with the idea that he’s the only one who stands a chance against Dr. Doom. This is admirable, but incredibly foolish as Dr. Doom barely breaks a sweat negating the Human Torch’s flames and outsmarting him, but it as nice to see Johnny take the situation seriously and work to improve himself to better his chances. The Thing doesn’t really do that, but he does prove his tenacity when he refuses to bow down to Dr. Doom’s superior power, while Reed is at his most aggressive through this story, throwing his body and his mind at every obstacle and driving himself to exhaustion to outwit his foe. Although Sue gets shafted a bit considering how little her powers are employed, I was surprised by how brave she was. She basically laughs off the Sandman’s threat and orders Reed to attack despite the risk to her, she constantly throws up force fields against Dr. Doom’s attacks, and she even outfoxes Dr. Doom by rendering an entire cliffside invisible to briefly dethrone him. I also really liked that the team came together against Dr. Doom in the finale, following Reed’s directions and throwing Dr. Doom off balance to set him up for his defeat.

A fantastic showcase for Dr. Doom, who’s too prideful to fully utilise the power cosmic.

While this isn’t a great story for the Silver Surfer, who’s easily deceived and left powerless for most of it, it’s a fantastic showcase for Dr. Doom. Dr. Doom easily manipulates the Silver Surfer and steals his power cosmic with his ridiculous apparatus, commandeering his surfboard and causing havoc with his incredible powers. Cosmic Doom can manipulate the weather and elements, conjure weapons out of nothing, transform himself, and create or obliterate with a mere thought. However, Dr. Doom’s biggest enemy remains his ego. He could destroy his enemies at any time and conquer the Earth in mere moments if he so wished, but chooses not to, instead preferring to bask in his superiority over his hated foe and terrorise the world’s nations. Indeed, at times I had to wonder if Dr. Doom knew the full extent of the power cosmic as he never employed it to its full potential. He could’ve reshaped the world, or even reality, to his whim, ruled over everyone as a God-like tyrant, and kept his enemies as depowered, broken prisoners. That might’ve made for a fun two-issue change of status quo and perhaps could’ve even tied into the liberation of the Inhumans (who I also would’ve liked to see play a role in the finale). Instead, Dr. Doom toys with his prey, constantly monologues, and easily falls for Reed’s deception. As much as I enjoyed this story, I was pretty disappointed by the ending. I liked that Dr. Doom’s fate was left ambiguous, but it was weird to see him simply fly off and then be left with Reed explaining how and why the despot was defeated. Perhaps if the story had spent less time including Wyatt (seriously, everything he does could’ve been done by Johnny…) and cutting away to the Inhumans, there would’ve been some panels left over to deliver a better finale. Still, I really enjoyed the visual of Dr. Doom flying around on the Silver Surfer’s surfboard and crackling with power cosmic, the epic clash between him and the Thing, and the grandiose presentation of Cosmic Doom.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy seeing Dr. Doom steal the Silver Surfer’s powers? Do you agree that Cosmic Doom could’ve done a little more with his newfound powers? Were you surprised to see the Fantastic Four defeated and struggling with that defeat? Do you agree that the ending was a bit anti-climactic? Can you name some of your favourite Dr. Doom stories and moments? Whatever you think about Dr. Doom or the Fantastic Four, go ahead and leave a comment below and donate to my Ko-Fi to support my website,

Back Issues [A-Day]: Civil War #1-7

Dr. K2 Comments

In September 1963 the legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby assembled Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers, who formed the backbone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and become an unbelievably popular franchise.

Story Title: “Civil War” (Part 1 to 7)
Published: 3 May 2006 (cover-dated: July 2006) to 21 February 2007 (cover dated: January 2007)

Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Steve McNiven

Quick Facts:
Although formed as an answer to the Justice League of America and depicted as Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers faced their greatest test in 2004/2005 when the team infamously disassembled following some devastating losses. This laid the foundation for the “Civil War” event, a sprawling, widely criticised story that pit heroes against each other over disagreements about governmental registration. The event had long-lasting consequences and directly inspired cartoons, films, and videogames despite being a contentious story.

The Review:
One of Marvel’s most controversial events begins in Stamford, Connecticut where celebrity superheroes the New Warriors (Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher, Namorita Prentiss, Robbie Baldwin/Speedball, and Zachary Smith, Jr./ Microbe) prepare to storm a house where supervillains Joss Shappe/Speedfreek, Kateri Deseronto/Coldheart, Ralph Roberts/Cobalt Man, and Robert Hunter/Nitro have taken shelter after escaping from Ryker’s Island Penitentiary. Although Microbo is unsure of their chances, Speedball confidently rallies the team to boost their ratings and reputation. Any plans go awry when the New Warriors are spotted, forcing them to charge in blindly, surprisingly holding their own against most of the villains despite the youngsters being seen as second-rate. However, when Namorita tackles Nitro, he maliciously detonates, apparently killing the New Warriors, a bus load of children, and an estimated 800 or 900 others in the immediate area (which is also decimated) live on camera. Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America, Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man, and the X-Men (begrudgingly supervised by the gigantic Sentinels) arrive to help with the rescue effort, with Iron Man chastising the New Warriors for being so reckless and Doctor William “Bill” Foster/Goliath morbidly predicting that the event will be the final straw that turns the public against superhumans. While the subject is debated on television, Stark is personally blamed by a grieving mother as he bankrolls the Avengers and thus puts kids in danger by encouraging them to act outside the law. Very quickly, the media debates whether superhumans should be registered to hold them accountable for their actions, and resentment grows for even celebrated superheroes like Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, who’s brutally attacked outside a nightclub.

Following a tragedy, Marvel’s heroes disagree about the issue of superhuman registration.

The Avengers, New Avengers, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four gather at the Baxter Building to discuss the issue, which basically amounts to forcing super-powered individuals to register their identity and powers with the government or be arrested. While Luke Cage/Power Man sees it as an attempt to shut them down and Eli Bradley/Patriot suggests they go on strike, Iron Man is all for them being better trained and equipped and held accountable for their actions. Sam Wilson/The Falcon is aghast at the idea of giving up their costumes to become “super-cops”, while Doctor Hank Pym/Yellowjacket agrees with the proposal, reasoning that their masks have caused the public to lose faith in them. While James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine detests the idea and Peter Parker/Spider-Man suggests some would rather quit than give up their anonymity, Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman counters that being public superheroes isn’t that bad, and Danny Rand/Daredevil believes that, either way, things are changing for them. Aboard a Helicarrier, acting head of the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.) Maria Hill asks Cap for his opinion and he begrudgingly states he thinks it’ll divide the superhero community, especially the street-level heroes, and lead to civil war. When Maria demands that Cap set an example and arrest his fellow heroes if they step out of line, he vehemently refuses, believing superheroes should be above regular politics. Tired of masked vigilantes running amok, Maria orders her specially trained anti-superhuman response unit to subdue Cap, who easily fights them off and escapes, becoming a fugitive in the process. Doctor Stephen Strange’s concerns are only aggravated when Uatu the Watcher silently appears and Iron Man, Doctor Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, and Yellowjacket side with the government and push for the Superhuman Registration Act (SRA). Despite being on the run, Cap continues to round up supervillains and recruits others to his cause, while Iron Man and his cohorts officially defend against supervillain attacks, rebuilding public confidence and vowing to bring Cap in (ostensibly to talk him around), and Mr. Fantastic shuns his wife’s concerns to eagerly construct an elaborate prison for any who refuse the SRA, regardless of who they are.

Both sides build teams for their causes, leading to some dramatic moments and fights between them.

When the SRA becomes law, unregistered heroes like Patriot and the other Young Avengers are aggressively hounded by S.H.I.E.L.D., who ironically cause a great deal of property damage non-lethally apprehending them. Undercover as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Cap rescues the Young Avengers and brings them to Resistance headquarters, where they plan to hide while Nick Fury sets up new secret identities for them. They’re as stunned as thousands of others when Stark has Spider-Man publicly reveal his identity in support of the SRA, though this isn’t enough to convince T’Challa/The Black Panther to buy into Reed’s pitch for a fifty state super police force. Dr. Strange similarly refuses to be a part of it by proxy and Emma Frost/The White Queen firmly declines to have the X-Men get involved as Mutants have faced persecution their whole lives and been shunned when they face similar issues. Hidden behind their bizarre new identities, Cap and his “Secret Avengers” lament all the good they’re now denied from doing (like answering “Make a Wish” requests) because of the SRA yet assist with a petrochemical fire, only for it to be an elaborate trap. Iron Man and his supporters subdue Billy Kaplan/Wiccan and Tyrone Johnson/Cloak to keep Cap from escaping and offer Cap amnesty again. Although Spidey insists that registration is the best way to fight the real bad guys, Cap dismisses him for endangering his loved ones and tricks Iron Man into thinking he’s willing to hear him out, short-circuiting his armour and starting a scuffle. Spidey’s fancy Iron Spider suit buys Stark enough time to reboot and out-fight Cap by analysing his attack patterns. When Hercules Panhellenios rushes in to help, the fight’s interrupted by what appears to be Thor Odinson, returned from the dead, who physically decimates the Secret Avengers just as Iron Man blasts them with a debilitating audio burst.

Goliath’s death sees Spidey rebel against Stark, who’s actively hunting his allies.

Hercules disables the device, allowing the Falcon to fly the beaten, bloody Cap to safety, though everyone’s aghast when Thor suddenly kills Goliath with a lightning blast! Protected by the Invisible Woman, the survivors flee via Cloak’s teleporting cape and Iron Man’s supporters are left horrified that his Thor clone would be so reckless, with Spider-Man and Yellowjacket questioning their decisions while the injured Cap refuses to abandon his principles even as some of his supporters leave in the fallout. Though remorseful, Stark and Reed also stick to their guns, even after Sue leaves her husband to join the Secret Avengers with Johnny. As more of their people are defecting or disappearing by the day, Stark and Reed coerce supervillain team the Thunderbolts (including Lester/Bullseye, MacDonald “Mac” Gargan/Venom, and Tony Masters/Taskmaster) into temporarily bolstering their forces. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s increased street presence curtails crime rates, but they struggle to apprehend the wayward heroes, even with guys like Kyle Richmond/Nighthawk joining the cause (and receiving full pardons and a wage). However, when he learns of Stark’s high-tech prison in the Negative Zone, Spidey finally snaps and turns on Iron Man, disagreeing with his morals, lashing out when Stark chastises him, and forcing Maria (against Stark’s orders) to send the Thunderbolts after him. Attacked by Jody Putt/Jester and Steven Levins/Jack O’Lantern in the sewers, the battered Spidey is saved by Frank Castle/The Punisher, who executes his attackers and brings the grievously wounded Peter to the Secret Avengers. Despite all the good the SRA is doing, even Reed questions the process, especially after Daredevil is arrested, though Stark remains adamant that they’re doing the right thing and even offers Daredevil a team of his own if he registers, which does little to improve the vigilante’s opinion of him. While Pym and Maria train pro-SRA agents in Arizona, vetoing potential team members for each state and assigning codenames to others, Reed reprograms “Thor” and Iron Man celebrates the positive impact the SRA has had on crime, all unaware that the Punisher is covertly infiltrating the Baxter Building.

Cap reluctantly surrenders, outlawing many heroes and changing Marvel for many years.

Inside, the Punisher relays details of the Negative Zone prison to Cap. With Spider-Man recovered and back on side, Cap uses the Punisher’s intel to discuss plans to storm the Negative Zone prison. However, Cap brutally beats the Punisher when he guns down David Kivlin/The Plunderer and Matthew Gilden/Goldbug, villains who sought refuge with the Secret Avengers, expelling him from the team in disgust. After Stark pacifies the public by memorialising the Stanford victims, the Secret Avengers (aided by the Black Panther) break into the Negative Zone prison, where they’re immediately confronted by Iron Man and his supporters thanks to a tipoff from Grer Nelson/Tigra. However, Cap anticipated this and had shapeshifter Teddy Altman/Hulkling impersonate Yellowjacket, allowing them to free the prisoners and igniting a brawl. Despite the Black Panther’s best efforts, Maria has S.H.I.E.L.D. shut down the Negative Zone portals, forcing Cloak to teleport everyone to the skies above New York City. Iron Man immediately orders an evacuation but continues the fight, which sees Spidey take it to Mr. Fantastic, the Thunderbolts gang up on Cap, and Namor bring the Atlanteans to tip the balance for the Secret Avengers. Iron Man calls in “Thor” and their new recruits to even the odds, but Hercules avenges his friend by destroying the Thor cyborg and Taskmaster gets crushed when he guns down Reed in front of Sue. His armour compromised by the Vision, Iron Man is easily overpowered by Cap, who’s jumped by civilians and emergency workers. Realising the damage they’ve caused with their petty squabble, a repentant Cap dramatically stands down, orders his troops to stop fighting, and surrenders to the authorities. In the aftermath, the 50 State Initiative places government-controlled superhero teams in every state (to unanimous public approval). Stark is promoted to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director and Sue reluctantly returns to a remorseful Reed, while Cap is locked up and the Secret Avengers go deeper underground, with the Punisher retrieving his mask and Spider-Man returning to his black costume…

Final Thoughts: 
This was my first time reading Civil War, an event I followed through websites and such at the time but had little interest in even after the blockbuster quasi-adaptation came out as I disliked the entire concept. Not the idea of superheroes fighting against each other; I don’t mind that. I disliked seeing the Marvel heroes so easily and aggressively divided by the core issue and how out of character everyone acted throughout it. It doesn’t help that the art isn’t that great either, with Spider-Man looking especially odd, or that these seven issues were accompanied by numerous tie-ins that filled in some gaps. For example, Spidey’s change of heart is largely glossed over here and is presumably fleshed out in a tie-in comic. Similarly, the Thunderbolts don’t get much to do and the New Warriors are all presumed dead here, and you’d never know that blind Matt Murdock wasn’t Daredevil or exactly what happens in the Negative Zone or with the X-Men if you just stick to the main story. Yet, paradoxically, that’s exactly what I’d suggest you do as Civil War isn’t exactly Marvel’s finest hour and I can’t imagine any of the supplementary materials helps with that. The whole event is based on shock value, from the New Warriors’ recklessness killing nearly 1000 people to Peter dramatically unmasking to seeing superheroes hunted and arrested, to seeing the Avengers turn on each other. It’s all framed as being a shocking event but so much of it just falls flat because of the aforementioned poor characterisations of many of the key players.

The poor characterisations really ruin this already questionable event for me.

Spider-Man is a great example. Initially, as expected, he’s against the SRA because exposing his identity would compromise his loved ones. The very idea of outing himself flies in the face of his “power/responsibility” manta, and yet Stark convinces Peter to do it! I believe it’s explained in a tie-in issue that Peter was convinced by assurances that his family would be protected, he would be looked after, and by the conviction of his mentor, but none of that makes it any better. Spidey should’ve been a non-factor in the story, taking neither side like the X-Men and doing his own thing, but that doesn’t shock as much as seeing him unmask on live television, does it? This is the story that introduced me to Maria Hill and I’ve hated her ever since. She’s a condescending, arrogant bitch who clearly hates superheroes and vigilantes and resents playing second fiddle to them. While she and S.H.I.E.L.D. justify their actions as being the best, most sensible option, they completely disregard all the good these heroes have done and dispassionately lock them up, only to happily work with murderers and psychopaths like the Thunderbolts! Iron Man is the absolute worst example of character assassination here, being a despicable, unlikable, selfish asshole that soured his character for years. I do understand his motivations and, in his own way, he is right: superheroes should be held accountable for their actions. But the way he goes about it is all wrong. He turns against his friends and peers, happily hunting them down and locking them up, talking down to them with his pleas for amnesty and holier-than-thou attitude. Him and Reed are at their most self-absorbed and egotistical here, shunning family and friends just to appease the public and completely destroying their legacies.

Civil War ends up being a messy, unappealing drama full of stubborn fools and bad decisions.

To be fair, while I’m Team Cap all the way, it’s not like Cap is much better. Like Stark, he’s a stubborn, prideful man who quickly loses sight of the big issue and focuses more on building his numbers and besting Team Stark over anything else. It’s funny because I always imagined Steve would be pro-registration and Stark would be against it, but it’s more impactful seeing Cap reject boneheaded governmental mandates. Cap is right that superpowered individuals shouldn’t be forced to reveal their identities and he immediately looks better because he’s not locking people up, working with supervillains, or acting like a complete dickhead like Stark, but he lets his principles blind him. If Cap had parlayed with Iron Man, attempted a compromise, things might’ve deescalated faster. Instead, his first reaction is to lash out and form an army to fight against the SRA rather than attempting to appeal to reason, escalating the conflict into a massive brawl that causes further damage. Civil War seems to be another attempt by Marvel to deconstruct their heroes and the status quo, which is always divisive as it goes against everything you expect from these characters. The fallout, especially, had huge ramifications for the likes of Cap and Spidey, so say nothing of the 50 State Initiative and the eventually evolution of the Thunderbolts. I appreciate the effort to try something different, but everything feels very rushed and poorly executed. I kept wondering if certain characters (Stark, especially) had been replaced by Skrulls or something but, while this was true for some, it wasn’t for others, meaning Marvel had to scramble to find ways to walk back all the stupid decisions made here. I’d say Civil War is a pivotal story in Marvel’s long history, but I’m glad that it’s long been resolved and much of its events were undone as I’ve ever enjoyed it.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy Civil War? Were you on Team Cap or Team Stark? Were you shocked when Peter unmasked and Goliath was killed? Did you ever read all the tie-in comics? Who do you think acted the most out of character here? What are some of your favourite Avengers stories or moments and how are you celebrating their debut? Let me know your thoughts on Civil War and the Avengers below, and support me on Ko-Fi for more Avengers content.

Back Issues: The Amazing Spider-Man #13

Dr. KLeave a comment

Story Title: “The Menace of… Mysterio!”
Published: 10 March 1964 (cover-dated: June 1964)

Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

Quick Facts:
Though he technically first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #2, disgruntled special effects wizard Quentin Beck/Mysterio made his first traditional appearance in this story before cementing himself as one of Spidey’s most dangerous foes when he joined the Sinister Six. Surprisingly formidable and ruthless despite his outrageous design, Mysterio often appears as a boss or enemy in Spidey’s cartoons and videogames and Jake Gyllenhaal received much praise for this portrayal of the character in Spider-Man: Far From Home (Watts, 2019).

The Review:
Our story begins with a shocking sight: Spider-Man robbing a bank and fleeing the scene before a gaggle of stunned onlookers, easily clambering up a neighbouring wall, tangling up some guards, swinging from the skyscrapers, and then drifting to safety on a makeshift web parachute with his haul. Naturally, the tabloids have a field day with this and the notoriously fickle and easily misled New Yorkers immediately condemn the wall-crawler. Bad-tempered publisher J. Jonah Jameson orders all his anti-Spider-Man editorials to be reprinted and Peter’s friends and colleagues are left stunned, though noted Spidey fan Eugene “Flash” Thompson remains hopeful that the whole thing is a misunderstanding. Even Peter is shellshocked by the report, believing so completely that nobody could copy his powers and costume that he briefly worries that he’s developed a malicious split personality. Peter’s so rattled by anxiety that he breaks some crockery in his absent-mindedness and worries his doting Aunt May, who inadvertently adds to Peter’s woes by reminding him of their dire financial situation. Afraid to sleep lest he commit another crime in his sleep, Peter eventually drifts off, only to awaken to find his worst fears have come true. Terrified of what he might do next, Spider-Man swings over to a psychiatrist, only to chicken out at the last second over fears that he may give away his secret identity. Peter’s troubles weigh so heavily on him that he snaps at Betty Brant when she shows concern and even gives Jameson some lip with the editor refuses to supplement his income with a small loan, forcing Peter to don his costume to get some extra cash for his pictures of Spider-Man, only to be immediately set upon by the public and chased away.

Peter’s fears about an imposter are doubled when Mysterio matches and rivals his powers!

While Peter wrestles with his issues, a mysterious, cloaked figure appears in Jameson’s office and offers to end Spider-Man’s threat. Though mocked for his corny get-up and bizarre fishbowl helmet, “Mysterio” states that he hides his identity to protect his family and promises to make good on his threat. Before disappearing in a puff of smoke, Mysterio instructs Jameson to print a message luring the web-slinger to the Brooklyn Bridge, which Spidey immediately answers since he’s at his wit’s end. Realising it’s a trap, Spidey dives, swings, and pounces at his peculiar new foe, only for Mysterio to deftly somersault behind him, eerily dodge his blows by sticking to the bridge, and nimbly hop to safety. Spidey’s doubly shocked when Mysterio stops his webs with a gesture and dissolves them in mid-air before engulfing himself in a smokescreen. Though confident that his uncanny spider-sense gives him the edge, Spidey’s shocked when his senses are somehow dulled by the smoke, leaving him helpless as the unseen Mysterio repeatedly pummels him. Spider-Man’s thus forced to take a literal dive off the bridge before he’s beaten to death, leaving Mysterio victorious and forcing the bruised teen to swim to safety. Mysterio’s victory is celebrated across the grateful city, and he agrees to offer Jameson the exclusive on his true identity once Spider-Man is finished (alongside a payoff, of course). While meeting Mysterio and promising to capture his final victory on film, Peter slips a spider-themed tracking device onto the strange magician’s cape and quickly rushes out to track down his new foe, surprising Mysterio outside a television studio building. Once again, Mysterio surrounds himself with his choking smoke and puts a beating on Spider-Man but halts his attack to brag about how he managed to fool everyone into thinking Spider-Man had gone crooked.

Spidey uses his head to defeat Mysterio and clear his name.

Mysterio reveals that he was once a movie stunt man with a talent for special and practical effects. One day, he decided to imitate Spider-Man and artificially recreated his powers, using special suction cups to cling to walls and a nylon cord fired from a gun to recreate Spidey’s webs, all to frame Spidey for crimes. He then invented Mysterio to take down the “evil” Spider-Man and be hailed as a hero, using a two-way helmet, acidic spray, smoke ejectors, and magnetic spring plates in his boots to appear superhuman. Mysterio also reveals that he uses a sonar device to see through his fog and jam Spider-Man’s senses but gets so caught up in his boasting that he misses that Spidey was recording him. Angered, Mysterio resorts to his smoke once again, but this time Spidey stays outside the fog and swings into it, eventually sending Mysterio flying onto a sci-fi movie set. Spider-Man presses his attack, distracting Mysterio with a web net so he can leap in for another punch and force Mysterio to spring to the overhead props. Panicked and raving, Mysterio relies on his training as a stunt man to take Spidey’s punches and fling the wall-crawler off-balance, only for Spidey-Man to easily recover and use his fantastic agility to tackle Mysterio. When Mysterio uses his smoke again, the aggravated web-slinger smashes the sonar device on his chest and finally knocks out the devious stunt man. Retrieving his automatic camera, and his unconscious foe, Spider-Man drops Mysterio off at the police station alongside his taped confession. Jameson is livid when he finds out the truth but quickly tries to recoup his losses with Peter’s photos of the fight between Spider-Man and Mysterio. Jameson’s mood immediately sours again, though, when Spidey drops by to berate him for jumping to conclusions and humiliate him, before heading back into the city, where the public have forgiven him…for now.

Final Thoughts: 
This one was pretty fun, despite the fact that I typically don’t like stories where the hero is impersonated by another. I give this one a pass because, as goofy as Mysterio is, I quite like his aesthetic and his backstory. This story really highlights just how fickle and easily led the Marvel public are as they immediately peg Spider-Man as a thief and condemn his actions, despite all the good he’s done. To be fair, the evidence is pretty damning and it’s important to remember that this story was published when Spider-Man was truly unique and few could emulate his powers. Plus, newspapers and circumstantial evidence had worked against Spider-Man for a time, so I don’t begrudge the public for turning on the web-spinner after witnesses saw him fleeing with the loot. However, I do question Peter immediately thinking he’s gone crackers and is out committing crimes in his sleep, all because he doesn’t remember doing what he’s accused of. Again, it kinda makes sense as he can’t imagine anyone having his powers, but he descends into anxiety-ridden paranoia pretty quickly rather than trying to investigate what really happened. Paradoxically, however, I quite like this story beat. Peter’s a kid who has the weight of the world on his shoulders and is constantly worrying about his aunt, his studies, money, his relationships, and whatever villains are causing trouble. He takes everything to heart and puts himself under a lot of pressure, so it makes senses that he’d be worried he’d snapped or gone bananas from stress. Once Mysterio shows up, though, this plot thread is dropped and Peter gets his shit together to track Mysterio down, only to constantly underestimate his foe and be forced to think with his head rather than his fists.

The drama and Mysterio’s origin are a bit undercooked but the visuals and fights are a lot of fun.

Although we never learn Mysterio’s true name, he’s instantly memorable in his bizarre green armour, flowing purple cape, and ridiculous fishbowl helmet. His whole getup and the way he presents himself screams “supervillain” but he sells himself as a powerful hero, easily duping the bigoted Jameson with promises of Spider-Man’s defeat and being heralded a hero after besting the wall-crawler. I really liked that Mysterio was depicted as such a threat, from disappearing into smoke, nimbly avoiding Spider-Man’s famous agility, and even dulling his spider-sense to beat him half to death with relative ease. Though he boasts no true superpowers, Mysterio’s stunt training means he can take a punch and knows how to fall to lessen the damage he takes, and his gadgets make him more than a match for Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Mysterio’s motivation is quite weak. It seems he just decided to frame Spider-Man and pose as a hero to take him down on a whim and for the personal glory and the cash, which is quite bland when you think about it. Mysterio isn’t looking to get revenge against the movie industry, hasn’t been slighted by Spider-Man in the past, and doesn’t appear to have been shunned or ridiculed by his peers. He’s just doing it for a lark, it seems, and to prove his superiority over others. Indeed, when Spider-Man starts fighting smarter rather than harder, disabling Mysterio’s tech and strategically working around his near-literal smoke and mirrors, Mysterio’s enraged at being outsmarted. This only aids the furious web-spinner as Mysterio makes mistakes in his panic and rage, leaving him a beaten and humiliated wreck when he’s delivered to the cops. There were a lot of fun visuals and unique aspects to this story, especially in Mysterio’s abilities and his fights with Spider-Man. The drama didn’t land with me much and Mysterio’s motivations were quite weak but, overall, this was a strong debut for perhaps Spider-Man’s most bizarre enemy that painted him as a scheming and capable threat right from the start.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy Mysterio’s debut story? Are you a fan of the villain and, if so, what are some of your favourite Mysterio moments and stories? Would you have also liked to see Peter’s anxiety about his “crimes” explored in more detail? What did you think to Mysterio’s motivations and the way he copied Spidey’s powers? Where does Mysterio rank in your tier list of Spidey villains? Share your opinions on Mysterio in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Thor’s Day]: Journey into Mystery #99/104

Dr. KLeave a comment

In August 1962, Marvel Comics debuted the God of Thunder, Thor Odinson, one of their most successful and versatile characters. As it’s the first Thursday (or “Thor’s Day”) of August, this is the perfect time to celebrate the God of Thunder!

Writer: Stan Lee – Artist: Jack Kirby

Story Title: “Tales of Asgard: Surtur the Fire Demon!”
Published: 1 October 1963 (cover-dated: December 1963)

Story Title: “Giants Walk the Earth!”
Published: 3 March 1964 (cover-dated: May 1964)

Quick Facts:
Inspired by Norse legends, Thor Odinson headlined Journey into Mystery after his debut and eventually adopted more aspects of his inspiration, such as Surtr, the great fire giant destined to be at the forefront of Ragnarök, the twilight of the Gods. As imagined by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Surtur fulfilled much the same role and was a prominent villain of Thor in the 1966s. Surtur also appeared in Marvel cartoons and videogames and was a significant destructive force in Thor: Ragnarok (Waititi, 2017).

The Review:
Surtur the Fire Demon first appeared in a backup story in Journey into Mystery #99, one of many “Tales of Asgard” that delved into the rich, colourful lore of Marvel’s iteration of the Norse Gods (which was somewhat comparable to actual mythology). This tale revolves around Odin Allfather, the prideful, all-powerful king of Asgard and Thor’s father, and his solo campaign into the land of the trolls, who’ve joined the mysterious Surtur in rebelling against Asgard. Despite the Troll King threatening that the venture will cost Odin his life, the Allfather unleashes his incredible “Odinforce” power to repel the ravenous troll army, destroying their will to fight and forcing them to meekly point him in Surtur’s direction. Thus, Odin ventures to the “sea of flame” where the mighty, demonic King of the Fire Demons emerges from the flaming pool. Despite Surtur’s gigantic size and demonic visage, Odin fearlessly stands his ground. When Surtur uses black magic to transform his fingers into monstrous serpents, Odin simply lifts his mighty sword and calls down the frozen remnants of a long-dead world to bombard Surtur with a meteor shower! Injured and humiliated, Surtur’s rage turns to spite when Odin demands his fealty, turning the Demon King’s ire towards Odin’s beloved “Midgard” (Earth), which is still awaiting the age of man. Surtur surprises Odin with his speed and reaches Earth before the Allfather can intercept him (despite Odin standing right there…), boring deep into the Earth’s crust and flinging a chunk of matter into the atmosphere that would become our Moon. Rushing to Earth via the Bifrost (a magical “rainbow bridge” connecting the realms), Odin channels “electro-magnetic particles” into his sword, causing the Earth to rotate and thus creating our day/night cycle. This rotating traps Surtur in the centre of our world, where he acts as the planet’s molten core, powerless to do more than try and appease Odin by spewing a beautiful, winged horse from a volcano and hope that he’ll one day be freed…

Loki manipulates Odin’s concerns about Thor to usurp the throne and release Odin’s hated adversaries!

Surtur next appeared, and first battled Thor, almost six months later in a story precipitated by Thor’s mischievous half-brother, the trickster God Loki Laufeyson. Hidden somewhere in Asgard, Loki berates his allies, Amora the Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner, for failing to defeat Thor in Journey into Mystery #103, enraged at the suggestion that anyone, especially the boorish Thor, could be “wiser [or] craftier” than him. As Odin is apparently unaware of Loki’s schemes, the Allfather summons his adopted son to a mountaintop to discuss his concerns about Thor, who has continually defied his will and chosen to follow his heart and be with nurse Jane Foster rather than heed his father’s commands. As Odin doesn’t want to cause his son heartache by interjecting in his love life but cannot allow Thor to defy him, he asks “clever Loki” for advice and, seizing the opportunity, Loki suggests that Odin travel to Earth to “assert [his] authority in person!” Excited by the proposition, a grateful Odin agrees and plays right into Loki’s hands as Odin decrees that the God of Mischief shall rule Asgard in the king’s absence. Gleeful to finally have the throne he’s long coveted, Loki immediately works to possess it for all eternity, employing the additional powers granted to him by Odin to release Skagg the Storm Giant and Surtur the Fire Demon from their imprisonments! On Earth, Odin assumes the guise of an unassuming gentleman, easily thwarting would-be muggers when they accost him, while Thor (as insecure cripple Doctor Donald “Don” Blake”) watches over Jane as she recovers from her ordeal with the Enchantress and the Executioner. After sending the exhausted nurse home to rest, Dr. Blake ponders Loki’s next move and decides to strike his cane to the ground and transform into the mighty Thor to search New York City for signs of his cunning adversary, taking to the skies with a hefty swing of his enchanted hammer, Mjölnir.

Odin and his sons easily defeat the vengeful giants, though he despairs of Thor’s devotion to Jane.

Thor’s amazed when he’s approached by Balder Odinson the Brave, who was sent to Earth by all-seeing Heimdall to warn of Loki’s plot, and quickly returns to Dr. Blake’s practice, correctly assuming that Odin would visit him there. After learning of Skagg and Surtur’s release, Odin uses his awesome powers to transport the entire human race to another dimension where, trapped in a zen-like state, they’re safe from the conflict. Odin then joins Thor and Balder in confronting Skagg, who emerges from the sea and advances towards the city, his gigantic club ready to destroy. Despite Skagg’s boasts, his weapon is easily reduced to splinters by Balder’s sword, though the giant quickly adapts and whips up a whirlwind to knock Balder from his winged horse. Though Thor rushes to his brother’s aid, Surtur sends Thor crashing to the waters by blasting searing firebolts from his flaming sword. When Odin interjects, causing Skagg to sink into the seabed, the Titan begs Surtur to aid him and, begrudgingly, the Fire Demon agrees in the hopes that the monstrous giant can back up his boasts. Surtur again turns his wrath towards the Earth, becoming a raging fireball that threatens to cause global catastrophe by melting the ice caps. When Skagg has a torrential storm ransack the city, the God of Thunder takes this as a personal challenge and braves the storm to strike Skagg with a lightning bolt from Mjölnir, staggering the giant long enough for Odin to erect a protective shield over the city and draining Skagg’s energy with his enchanted sword (despite Loki’s best efforts to replenish the Titan from afar). The effort drains Odin, so Thor takes his sword and uses it to redirect Surtur’s attack at the last second, flinging him into space and chaining him to a tiny asteroid in another galaxy. Though proud of his son’s victory, Odin is disappointed that Thor still refuses to return to Asgard and concerned that Thor’s heart has been “weakened by love”. However, Odin begrudgingly returns to his throne and punishes Loki’s treachery by forcing him to serve the trolls for an indeterminate amount of time.

Final Thoughts: 
These stories were an inauspicious debut for the mighty Fire Demon, to say the least. “Tales of Asgard: Surtur the Fire Demon!” is simply a five-page introduction to the devilish entity; it tells us nothing of his motivation, his abilities, or his personality. All we know is that Surtur has randomly decided to rebel against Asgard and whips up the trolls to join him, a poor choice considering Odin’s power is the “only force in the universe that can shatter [their] unbreakable grip”. Thus, Surtur’s campaign was seemingly doomed before it even began, but certainly moot once Odin personally came to root his rebellion. As large and intimidating as Surtur is, Odin shows no fear and immediately humbles him with a meteor strike. Even Surtur’s incredible speed and the power he shows by birthing the Moon are nothing compared to Odin, who easily traps the Fire Demon within the Earth. On the plus side, “Tales of Asgard: Surtur the Fire Demon!” does reveal that the Norse deities birthed our Moon and the planet’s rotation. I’m not sure if this is reflected in Norse mythology, but it was an interesting wrinkle to show how intertwined Earth’s history is with Asgard, especially as Odin cares for the still-developing Earth as deeply as Thor would come to. Indeed, Odin is apparently thrilled by Loki’s suggestion that he visit Earth and even teleports the human race to safety before battling Skagg and Surtur. Ironically, Odin’s largely dismissive of humans on a personal level. He despairs of Thor’s love for Jane Foster, easily dispatched his would-be muggers, and thinks nothing of hypnotising Dr. Blake’s secretary into allowing him access to his son’s office. Although Odin throws himself into the fight against Skagg and Surtur, seemingly delighted to be on the battlefield once more and fighting alongside his sons, he’s left aggrieved and despondent by Thor’s choice to remain on Earth with Jane, worrying that Thor’s feelings for the mortal will spell doom for him in the long term.

Not the greatest first showing for Surtur, who’s a generic demon easily defeated by Odin’s magic.

Like many Thor stories around this time, Loki is behind the plot of “Giants Walk the Earth!” The scheming, mischievous God perfectly manipulates Odin’s feelings to acquire Asgard’s throne and immediately frees two of the Allfather’s most hated enemies, even feeding Skagg additional power from Asgard. Interestingly, despite having fought Thor and caused trouble before, Loki freely lives within Asgard and Odin even seeks his advice, which shows just how deep Loki’s machinations go as Thor is well aware of his half-brother’s untrustworthy nature. Skagg and Surtur make for an incredibly formidable duo…on paper, at least. As a storm giant, Skagg causes whirlwinds and destructive typhoons by focusing his power through his massive club, even when it’s shattered, his powers somewhat akin to Thor’s ability to conjure thunderstorms with Mjölnir. This immediately gives Thor the advantage against Skagg and he easily powers through the storm to stun the vengeful giant, who’s quickly and easily drained of his energy by Odin (who, I might add, also would’ve quickly subdued Skagg had Surtur not rescued him from sinking). Surtur is a prideful and spiteful demon in this second story, hesitating to rescue or work alongside Skagg as he wants the glory of destroying the Asgardians all for himself and immediately endangering the Earth with worldwide destruction as recompense for Odin’s actions. Surtur briefly proves his power by blasting Mjölnir with a firebolt and knocking Thor from the sky, but we don’t see him fight with his full power as he’s more concerned with melting the ice caps. Once again, Surtur’s greatest weakness is Odin’s all-powerful sword, which Thor can conveniently also wield and easily uses to send Surtur hurtling into another galaxy and magnetically bind him to an asteroid. Thus, “Giants Walk the Earth!” is more a tale of Loki’s scheming and Odin’s adventures with his sons than a showcase of how dangerous and terrifying Surtur can be. I still have no idea what his motivations are beyond revenge, what the extent of his power is, and didn’t get to see him in battle, making for a disappointingly throwaway first appearance for Thor’s demonic adversary.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What did you think to Surtur’s first appearances in Journey into Mystery? Were you also disappointed that we didn’t learn or see much of him? Did you enjoy seeing Odin team up with Thor and Balder? What are some of your favourite Surtur moments from the comics and beyond? Do you have a favourite character, story, or era in Thor’s publication history? How are you celebrating Thor’s debut this month? Share your thoughts on Surtur and Thor in the comments, check out my other Thor content across the site, and donate to my Ko-Fi to see more!

Back Issues [Spider-Man Day]: The Amazing Spider-Man #2

Dr. KLeave a comment

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenager Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider in August 1962. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating some time to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Story Titles: “Duel to the Death with the Vulture!”
“The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer!”

Published: 12 February 1963 (cover-dated: May 1963)
Writer: Stan Lee – Artist: Steve Ditko

Quick Facts:
Disregarding the 1963 villain of the same name, Adrian Toomes/The Vulture joined Spider-Man’s colourful rogues’ gallery in this issue. Redesigned by Steve Ditko, the Vulture’s been a persistent threat despite being one of Spidey’s less intimidating foes. Phineas Mason/The Tinkerer also debuted in this issue as an aged super genius who was later suspected to be an alien! Both characters appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming (Watts, 2017), with Michael Keaton making as lasting impression as a far more intimidating and sympathetic incarnation of the Vulture.

The Review:
When “Duel to the Death with the Vulture!” begins, the titular avian crook has been terrorising New York City for days, swooping on unsuspecting yuppies and swiping their valuables, amazing onlookers as he appears to be a gigantic bird rather than a man. Cantankerous editor J. Jonah Jameson hears about the Vulture and sees dollar signs, demanding the next issue of Now Magazine be devoted to the bizarre thief and be accompanied be a decent picture. Hearing of this, Peter first hits upon the idea of taking pictures of supervillains (and his wall-crawling alter ego) to earn some extra cash and is delighted when his doting Aunt May gifts him his Uncle Ben’s old miniature camera. Spider-Man doesn’t have to wait long to get his first chance at snapping pictures of the Vulture as Toomes hears of a consignment of diamonds being moved across town, meaning he soon flies past the young adventurer. Deciding to toy with the public and the police, the Vulture delivers cryptic messages to the media and the cops to have them puzzle out how his wings work and how he plans to pull off the heist and even reacts in a microsecond when Spidey positions himself for a shot. Taken by surprise, Spidey’s easily knocked out with a single kick and dumped into a water tower, where the panicked youth leaps to safety when his web shooters inconveniently run dry. Learning from this, Peter cobbles together an all-purpose belt to carry extra web cartridges and house his camera while his pictures develop, which impress Jonah and sees him promise to pay Peter for photos of Spider-Man (though Peter refuses credi for his shots).

Though initially bested by the Vulture, Spidey sciences his way past the devious old coot.

While everyone gathers to watch the diamonds be moved, and wonders how the Vulture plans to steal them, Peter quietly switches to Spider-Man while the Vulture acts on his threats by attacking not from above…but below! Toomes pops from a manhole, steals the diamonds, and escapes to the skies via the subway, with Spider-Man in hot pursuit. Despite his superhuman speed and uncanny spider-sense, the Vulture easily loops around Spidey and knocks him from a rooftop, only to have his ankle snapped by the wall-crawler’s web. Spidey then activates a miniature “anti-magnetic inverter” device he whipped up after noticing how quiet the Vulture’s flight was and surmising that he flies via magnetic power. This disrupts the Vulture’s wings and causing them to plummet from the sky, allowing Spidey to swing to safety and Toomes to slowly crash to a nearby rooftop for the cops to pick up. Spider-Man snaps some pictures and again amazes the cigar-chomping Jameson, making both characters happy as Jameson gets his exclusive and Peter gets a wad of cash to help pay the bills and treat his Aunt May. As for the Vulture? Well, he’s left to stew in a prison cell, swearing to develop a better means of flight to get revenge on Spider-Man. “The Uncanny Threat of the Terrible Tinkerer!” sees Peter in his element, the science laboratory at Midtown High, much to the amusement of his disinterested and mean-spirited classmates, Elizabeth “Liz” Allen and Eugene “Flash” Thompson. Flash mocks Peter when he’s offered the chance to work with the famed Professor Cobbwell over the weekend, gladly heading to the Tinkerer Repair Shop to pick up some extra equipment for the famous electronics expert. Although unnerved by the miserly old Tinkerer and the strange feeling that something’s not right there, Peter chalks it up to paranoia, completely unaware that the aged Tinkerer is working with a bizarre, bug-like alien in his basement! Unbeknownst to Dr. Cobbwell, the alien makes some “special” modifications to his radio for the low cost of a dime, amazing Peter so much that he’s still thinking about it while working in Dr. Cobbwell’s lab.

Spider-Man’s amazed to find the Tinkerer aiding with an alien invasion!

Realising that the professor’s radio is emitting the same odd electrical impulses he sensed at the Tinkerer’s, Peter investigates swings back to investigate. Inside, he follows his spider-sense to the basement and discovers that the seemingly innocent old man working alongside aliens, using similar radio transmitters to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the planet before launching a full-scale attack! When he’s discovered, Spider-Man amazes the aliens with his amazing wall-crawling, agility, and super strength, easily throwing off multiple attackers, though he’s downed by a shot from the Tinkerer’s laser blaster. Trapped inside an unbreakable “restisto-glass” enclosure, Spider-Man faces a quick (and possibly painful) death by poisonous gas. Thanks to his ridiculously diverse web-shooters, Spider-Man fires a super-thin strand of webbing through a tiny air hole in the enclosure, snagging the control panel and setting himself free. A single punch from Spider-Man sends the aliens crashing against said console, causing it to overload and burst into flames and making them scatter without the Tinkerer. Spider-Man tackles the traitorous old man and tries to haul him from the burning building, only for the aged conspirator to squirm free from the web-slinger’s grasp and forcing Spider-Man to flee before he’s choked or burned to death. When spotted fleeing the burning building, Spider-Man’s naturally blamed for the blaze, though the entire experience is enough for the aliens to remotely destroy their surveillance equipment and flee the Earth, vowing never to return. Peter returns to Dr. Cobbwell’s lab, satisfied that the radio is harmless, and listens attentively as the excited professor shares that he spotted a spaceship flying into the atmosphere, before convincing himself that he imagined the whole thing. While he struggles with what he saw, Peter ponders the lifelike mask he pulled from the Tinkerer’s face, equally baffled by the entire adventure (and rightfully so!)

Final Thoughts: 
I’ve never been a big fan of the Vulture, and his first appearance did little to change that opinion. Unlike some of Spider-Man’s other colourful villains, who at least get a little backstory in their debut stories if not a half-assed origin, we never even learn the Vulture’s identity, much less how he invented his bird-themed suit or magnetically powered wings. Ironically, the Vulture flies around with his face completely exposed yet nobody recognises him (though, to be fair, he’s said to be moving very swiftly and no one’s gotten a clear shot at him). Still, there’s very little going for the Vulture beyond his ability to fly as deftly as his namesake. The Vulture is just a colourful, outlandish crook who steals from the rich for his own benefit. We don’t know what he’s doing with the money except hording it and learn only that the Vulture feels so empowered by his flight suit that he decides to taunt the cops like he’s Edward Nygma/The Riddler! The Vulture does this simply for the thrill and to outsmart everyone around him, delighting in outmanoeuvring Spider-Man and even besting the web-slinger with ludicrous ease! Of course, the Vulture’s arrogance proves his undoing as science whiz Peter correctly guesses that Toomes is using magnetic power to fly and easily disrupts his wings, making the Vulture’s first appearance wholly unsatisfying as even his crazy gimmick isn’t all that impressive.

Despite some impressive or fantastical gimmicks, neither elderly villain makes a great first impression.

Still, the Vulture’s story is almost ground-breaking compared to the Tinkerer’s weird-ass debut! I can’t be sure but I’m almost certain this is the first time Spider-Man has ever encountered or dealt with aliens and it’s as jarring as you might think! I have no idea who or what these aliens are, where they come from, or what their capabilities are beyond being advanced enough to mess about with radios to gather intel ahead of their invasion. It’s heavily implied that the Tinkerer is one of their kind in disguise, though this is largely left ambiguous. Still, he’s certainly in league with them, providing them more radios to set up as surveillance devices. The alien plot is so out of left field it’s almost comical and the way the story just casually breezes past it is laughable, with both Peter and Dr. Cobbwell wondering if they imagined the whole thing. This is certainly a case where these pages would’ve been better served extending the Vulture’s tale. The Tinkerer could’ve easily been looped into the story, working alongside Toomes as an armourer and engineer who designed and maintained his flight suit. This would’ve been far more enjoyable than randomly sticking aliens in there and asking us to accept it and would’ve better positioned as a lackey rather than some alien mastermind. I did like seeing Peter first getting the idea to take pictures for J. Jonah Jameson to profit from his alter ego, and him fashioning his utility belt and using science to defeat the Vulture, but these stories were pretty dire, even for such low-tier Spider-Man villains.  

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy the debut of the Vulture and the Tinkerer? Are you a fan of either villain and, if so, what are some of your favourite moments and stories of theirs? Do you think the aliens were an odd choice for Spider-Man or did you like how crazy they were? Were you surprised to see the Vulture get the drop on Spidey so easily? How are you celebrating the web-slinger today? Drop your thoughts on the Vulture and the Tinkerer in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Independence Day]: Captain America Vol. 1 #332-334

Dr. KLeave a comment

Debuting in 1941, Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America, became one of Marvel Comics’ most recognisable and celebrated known for his super patriotism. As today is Independence Day, this is the perfect excuse to pay tribute to the star-spangled Avenger.

Writer: Mark Gruenwald – Artist: Tom Morgan

Story Title: “The Choice”
Published: 5 May 1987 (cover-dated: August 1987)

Story Title: “The Replacement”
Published: 2 June 1987 (cover-dated: September 1987)

Story Title: “Basic Training”
Published: 30 June 1987 (cover-dated: October 1987)

Quick Facts:
Despite being a patriotic symbol for the United States during the Second World War and an influential member of the Avengers, Steve Rogers has walked away from the role a few times, with John Walker/Super-Patriot first assuming the mantle in these three issues. Mark Gruenwald created Walker to be the opposite of Rogers, and Captain America: a young, reckless, patriotic anti-villain. While Walker ultimately failed in the role, he had a storied career as the U.S. Agent and became a breakout character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Review:
Things kick off with William Musico/Warhead parachuting to the Washington Monument to unfurl a pro-war message and threatening to detonate a miniature nuclear device if America doesn’t declare war on someone (“The Arabs, the Libyans–maybe even the Russkies!”) by midnight. Despite his rations blowing away, Warhead fires on the curious crowd and the cops and even tosses a grenade at a police helicopter, boasting his nuke is from Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) and disgusted by how spineless the United States has become. Meanwhile, Captain America visits the Pentagon, enduring their stringent security checks to meet with General Wexler to discuss a run-in he (as in Cap) had with Lieutenant Michael Lynch, G.I. Max, and the shady “Division N”. Cap voices a formal protest about the United States military sanctioning Lieutenant Lynch’s efforts to create his super soldiers with Curtiss Jackson/The Power Broker. Though General Wexler denies this, he promises to investigate and notes that Cap’s a bit sensitive about super soldiers before a couple of Federal agents escort Cap to a clandestine meeting with various governmental and military heads. Under the direct order of the President of the United States, this “Commission” investigates super-powered individuals and slapped together the dubious Freedom Force (a team of superhuman ex-cons) to act in the Avengers’ stead, raising Cap’s suspicions further. As Cap volunteered to be part of “Project: Rebirth” in 1941, which was funded by the government, and was its sole success, and as Cap was charged to act in the interests of the President and all his gear is proved by the United States government, the Commission believes that Cap works for them as per his contract.

Cap reluctantly gives up his mantle and duties when the government makes outrageous demands.

Although Cap maintains that he has been fulfilling his duties as an Avenger and through his work with the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage and Law-Enforcement Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), the Commission takes umbrage to this and states those are not the same as serving his country. Seeking to rectify this, the Commission demands that Cap only do as they direct, threatening to make him return the taxpayers’ $1 million he recently obtained (and spent establishing his “computer hotline”) and to replace him if he refuses. Stunned by all this, Cap asks for time to consider the proposal mandate, which the Commission grants despite finding the idea of him having to think at all preposterous. Returning home, Cap calls a few friends (most of whom are out) and is basically told that it’s a bit unfair, a bit suspect, and that he’ll make the right decision. While Cap doesn’t believe he’d be asked to do anything “Unamerican”, he believes he’d have to quit the Avengers and the hotline, worries he might be assigned to the Freedom Force and would have to turn to Anthony “Tony” Stark/Iron Man for a loan, and recalls the displeasure he felt when he previously abandoned his mantle and Roscoe Simons became Captain America. While Cap wrestles with his choices, John Walker/Super-Patriot is encouraged to tackle Warhead for some free publicity, shrugging off his bullets thanks to his Kevlar uniform and tossing the fanatic to an explosive end. Cap reads about this on his way back to the Commission where, after weighing the pros and cons and realising he’s letting people down either way, he regretfully handles over his shield and uniform. Refusing to compromise his ideals and feeling his must represent the American people and the “American Dream”, he gives Captain America back to the government, leaving the Commission outraged.

Outspoken Cap critic John Walker is picked to take up the star-spangled mantle.

Although General Lewis Haywerth is angered that they cannot court-martial Steve since he’s technically not part of the military, Henry Gyrich suggests imposing sanctions to prevent him from using the name or similar equipment and even advocates for restricting the Avengers’ actions if they don’t kick Steve out. Valerie Cooper steers the discussion towards Steve’s replacement, eager to get a new Captain America out there to avoid a public relations catastrophe. General Haywerth states that their two top candidates, Hank Simpson/Nuke and the unnamed G.I. Max, are off the table due to becoming a psychopathic super soldier and being killed, respectively. Jack Monroe/Nomad and Sam Wilson/The Falcon are ruled out for being Steve’s friends (and because “the country [isn’t] ready for a black Captain America”), and they doubt Nick Fury would give up his duties as head of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the gig. It’s Cooper who suggests Super-Patriot, largely based on his recent headline heroics, which have made him the talk of the town. A simple, self-made man at the peak of human physicality, Walker basks in the spotlight and sees himself as the future – a “strong, decisive national hero” – as opposed to a “fuddy-duddy” like Cap. Walker meets Cooper and, though he briefly hesitates, he unmasks and gives her some of his background. Born and raised in Custer’s Grove, Georgia, Walker was inspired to join the military after his brother died in Vietnam. After failing as a soldier, Walker signed on for the Power Broker’s treatment and gained incredible physical strength. Walker planned to become a pro wrestler to pay the Power Broker’s fee before Ethan Thurm encouraged him to don a star-spangled outfit as the Super-Patriot. Since he’s been outspoken about Cap’s outdated values, Walker’s amazed at the irony of Cooper offering him the shield and, while he’s reluctant to leave behind the Super-Patriot, he jumps at the chance to be the symbol America needs.

Though joined by Lemar, Walker struggles to match the skill of his predecessor.

Ethan’s equally gobsmacked but encourages Walker to make a list of demands to ensure they’re both well compensated, though Walker’s doubtful the government will acquiesce. Eager to learn why Cap quit, Walker leaves a message through the hotline to meet at Abraham Lincoln’s memorial, only for Cap to no-show and Walker’s buddies – Hector Lennox/Left-Winger, Jerome Johnson/Right-Winger, and Lemar Hoskins/Battlestar, the Bold Urban Commandos/BUCKies – playfully jump him and he promises to do right by them. Two days later, Walker hands Thurm’s demands to the Commission and dons the iconic outfit with a sense of unease. Cooper then has the Freedom Force – Dominikos Petrakis/Avalanche, Frederick Dukes/The Blob, and St. John Allerdyce/Pyro – test the new Cap. Showcasing incredible superhuman speed and dexterity, Walker dances around the Mutants’ powers, losing his shield taking out Pyro and flooring Avalanche with a dropkick before being manhandled by the bulbous Blob. Luckily, Cooper stops the exercise before Walker’s killed and orders John to review footage of his predecessor to better hone his abilities. Although the Commission order Walker to drop Thurm and only approve Lemar as his Bucky, Walker readily agrees to take the job, though struggles to understand how Steve had such skill with the shield and laments that the only person who could teach him is his predecessor. Still, Cooper’s convinced that Walker’s the right man and enlists hardened drill sergeant Don Simmons to organise additional training. Although Walker just about manages to throw the shield properly, he’s tagged by rubber bullets and Sergeant Simmons chastises his lack of finesse and bullish approach, much to Walker’s frustration. To make matters worse, Walker and Lemar face hazing from the Freedom Force, who antagonise them like high schoolers, though Walker brushes off their abuse and encourages Bucky to keep his cool. However, Walker’s annoyed to learn that Thurm surreptitiously got Cooper’s number from him and has been badgering her with calls, much to her frustration.

Walker’s rightfully ashamed of how poorly he handles things compared to the old Cap.

Cap and Bucky are next tested to a game of “capture the flag” against some trainee Guardsman (armour-clad soldiers working for the U.S. military), ending up outclassed due to their inexperience. Frustrated by their performance, Walker visits Thurm, only to be enraged when his slighted former manager threatens to expose his secret identity (and news of Steve’s walk out) unless Walker pays him $1 million. Refusing Lemar’s suggestion that they beat Thurm up so he can’t talk and unwilling to tell Cooper of the threat or ask for help, Walker resolves to emulate his predecessor and solve the problem himself. Sergeant Simmons then presents Cap with the perfect sparring partner: Anthony Masters/Taskmaster, a Grim Reaper-like mercenary with “photographic reflexes” that make him essentially a near-perfect replica of the original Cap. Grateful to the villain for improving his skills, despite his earlier reservations, Walker laments seeing Taskmaster in shackles but comes up with a plan to take care of Thurm. Walker and Lemar borrow Guardsman armours and snag Thurm from a nearby bar. Naturally, Lennox and Johnson leap to their friend’s defence and Lemar’s careful not to hurt his buddies too badly as Walker threatens Thurm outside the bar. Although the armour augments their already incredible strength, Walker and Lemar struggle to work them, leading Johnson to best Lemar. While trying to save his friend, Walker accidentally blasts Johnson, critically wounding him; Walker and Lemar are then forced to flee before the cops show up. Walker chastises his foolishness and for being a poor replacement for Steve. However, when Cooper questions him about the missing armour, Walker resists the urge to lie and comes clean, despite knowing it could cost him his new gig (spoilers: it doesn’t).

Final Thoughts: 
These issues represent a significant turning point in Cap’s career. Sure, Steve may have quit before, but I’d wager this is one of the most notable times when he was forced to. Steve’s right to question why the Commission are suddenly coming after him for not fulfilling his duties as Captain America in a way they approve of, with the only explanation being that previous administration hadn’t bothered to do so. For Steve, the matter is simple: he works to safeguard lives as a solo masked hero or by working with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. and figures this protects America’s values. However, due to a bunch of political nonsense and red tape, he turns out to be wrong and the Commission demand that he starts following their specific instructions or be stripped of his uniform. They also threaten to recoup the taxpayers’ money paid to him, threatening his efforts serve the community, and strongarm the Avengers into giving him the boot. However, despite all these threats and the iron-clad nature of his governmental contract, Steve is far too righteous and noble to compromise his integrity and gives up Captain America, refusing to be another governmental stooge and disappearing after walking out. Steve Rogers casts a long, dark shadow, however, one that haunts John Walker throughout the story. Walker pours over hours of footage of his predecessor every chance he gets, lamenting that he lacks the same physical skill and superhuman finesse of the old Cap and pushing himself to live up to (and surpass) his legacy. Walker’s immediately presented as a flawed individual, one more interested in the glory and the spotlight than heroics. Thurm must practically beg him to get involved with the Warhead situation and, even then, Walker almost walks away a couple of times and just tosses the bomber to his death.

Despite his dedication, Walker cannot hope to live up to Steve’s daunting legacy.

Having criticised Cap in the past, Walker jumps at the chance to prove he’s the symbol that 1987 America needs, only to immediately be shown to be lacking compared to his predecessor. Although Walker’s driven and determined (obsessed, even) to out-do his predecessor, his approach is very different and sees him constantly underperform in training scenarios, despite the praise often heaped his way. Lemar is Walker’s only confidante and even he can see that Walker’s pushing himself too far, reasoning that they’re doing their best and must be doing something right as they’re being kept around. Walker has the strength and speed for the role but lacks experience and compensates with a more bullish approach. Even when Walker slows down and considers what his predecessor would do, he misses the mark widely, deciding to steal Guardsman armours to rough up Thurm rather than come clean to Cooper. Walker then fails to get accustomed to the armour, nearly kills Johnson, and ends up being honest with Cooper anyway, despite being tempted to lie. This was a surprising decision considering how badly he screwed over Thurm and the BUCKies, leaving them in the lurch (except for Lemar) to be suited up as the “new and improved” Captain America. Thus, Walker’s bad decisions come back to haunt him and force him to take drastically, decidedly un-Captain America actions, which no doubt exacerbates his doubts and the pressure he’s placing on himself in the role. Ultimately, I quite liked the juxtaposition between Walker and Steve, even if Steve doesn’t feature in Walker’s story beyond leaving behind some big shoes to fill. Walker is very much depicted as an imperfect individual, one with a lot of rough edges, but who’s determined to do his best, even if he has a massive chip on his shoulder that’ll ultimately be his undoing.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy John Walker’s first outing as Captain America? Do you think Steve was right to walk away from the role or should he have obeyed the Commission’s demands? Are you a fan of Walker’s or do you find him a pompous and grating character? Who would you have preferred to see succeed Steve? Can you name some of your favourite John Walker moments? How are you celebrating Independence Day today? Whatever your thoughts, drop a comment below and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest other Captain America stories for me to cover.

Back Issues [HulkaMAYnia]: The Fantastic Four #12

Dr. KLeave a comment

Since his explosive debut in May 1962, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s gamma-irradiated Jade Giant has been one of their most recognisable and successful characters.

Story Titles: “The Incredible Hulk”
“Part 2. Mission: Stop the Hulk”
“Part 2. Who is The Wrecker?”
“Part 4. The Hulk at Last!”

Published: 10 December 1962 (cover-dated: March 1963) 
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Jack Kirby

Quick Facts:
Inspired by a story of a hysterical mother summoning superhuman strength to rescue her child and classic screen monsters, Doctor Robert Bruce Banner’s monstrous alter ego quickly crossed paths with one of his most notable rivals, Benjamin “Ben” Grimm/The Thing, about six months after his debut. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Thing echoed the Hulk’s position as a misunderstood, often feared creature and they have butted heads numerous times over the years.

The Review:
The story of the ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing’s first encounter with the Incredible Hulk begins outside the New York City symphony auditorium, of all places. Disguised by a long trenchcoat, fetching hat, and shades, the Thing exits the auditorium with his girlfriend, blind sculptor Alicia Masters, after sharing (begrudgingly, on Grimm’s part) a romantic evening at the orchestra. When a patron suddenly gets all excited and patriotic at spotting a passing company of infantrymen, the Thing is annoyed and insulted to have his disguise knocked off and be branded a monster. When the Thing accosts the blustering civilian, the soldiers spot him and assume he’s the super strong target they’ve been deployed to find and surround Ben, apparently not recognising him. Aggravated by the brazen attack, the Thing douses them with a nearby fire hydrant and easily snaps their “special flexible steel bands”. His patience at an all-time low, the Thing moves to up his attack and is pacified by gas shells, only for the commander to step halt the attack. Although he apologises, the commander riles Ben up further when he reveals the soldiers have been deployed to find the Hulk. Insulted to be mistaken for such a mindless beast, the Thing returns to the Fantastic Four’s headquarters at the Baxter Building and impatiently rips the elevator doors off and climbs thirty-five floors to the living quarters when he misplaces his key card. When the Thing shares the incident with the team, he’s angered to learn that General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross is popping over to discuss the Hulk’s threat with the Fantastic Four.

Although the Thing’s eager to fight the Hulk. Dr. Banner’s adamant that the real culprit is the “Wrecker”.

Sure enough, ol’ T-Bolt shows up, also apologises to the Thing, and reveals that the Hulk is suspected of sabotaging the military’s desert missile installations. During the presentation, Sue Storm/The Invisible Girl is so unnerved by the monstrous Hulk that she briefly loses control of her powers, much to the concern of the fascinated Doctor Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic. The Thing, however, is unimpressed by the brute and boasts that he could easily overpower the Hulk. Hot-headed Johnny Storm/The Human Torch mocks the Thing and gloats that he would stand a better chance against the Hulk, suggesting he could trap the beast in a maze of flames. Mr. Fantastic suggests a simpler approach: simply baiting the Hulk into a trap so Reed can envelop him with his malleable body. Oddly, Sue downplays her usefulness and, annoyingly, Ross reduces her to a simple cheerleader with a statement that even Reed backs up. Mr. Fantastic then shows off the team’s new Fantasi-Car and Ross joins them in flying over to meet Dr. Banner, his assistant (Doctor Karl Kort), and his “young helper” (perennial sidekick Rick Jones). While Dr. Kort is all for catching the Hulk, Dr. Banner insists that the damage doesn’t align with the Hulk’s most logical form of attack, earning him the ire of General Ross. After being insulted by Dr. Kort’s double take and annoyed by the Human Torch, the Thing decides to crash the meeting, angering both Reed and General Ross, who blows a gasket when the Thing proves his strength by tearing apart a stash of Ross’s bound telephone books. Cooler heads prevail and Dr. Banner offers to help Mr. Fantastic locate the true saboteur (dubbed “The Wrecker”), though he and Rick secretly lament that they can’t share the knowledge of Dr. Banner’s dual identity with the dysfunctional team. Dr. Banner and Rick’s wish to find the man behind the sabotage of an experimental nuclear deterrent instantly comes true when Rick glances at Dr. Kort’s wallet and finds he’s a card-carrying member of a “subversive communist-front organisation”, leading to the Commie bastard taking him hostage.

A brief scuffle between the Hulk and the Thing sees the Wrecker’s threat ended.

Rather than search for the Hulk, Mr. Fantastic fixes the base’s rocket sled for the Thing to take a jet-powered ride, only to be scuppered by bent tracks. Though rescued by Johnny and Reed, the incident convinces Ben that the Hulk is behind the sabotage. Thus, the team dismiss Dr. Banner’s protests to the contrary, so he slinks back to his laboratory to activate a special gamma-inducing machine and transform into the Hulk. Uncharacteristically retaining much of his intelligence and reason, the Hulk traverses the base using a network of underground tunnels, soon bumping into the Fantastic Four when they follow the Thing’s hunch that the Hulk is hiding underground. The Hulk eagerly clobbers the Thing, only to immediately regret it due to Ben’s stone hide and attempt to leave, dousing the Human Torch with sand and clawing his way to the surface in search of Rick. The team regroup in an abandoned town, so the Hulk upends a house and tries to crush them with it, only for the Thing to swat it aside. The Hulk easily overpowers Reed’s attempts to subdue him and again makes short work of Johnny, leading to a brief fist fight with the Thing. However, just as they’re getting into it, the Hulk is zapped by a “strange, atom-powered ray” from underground and knocked unconscious. Annoyed at being cheated out of his victory, the Thing burrows underground and destroys the Wrecker’s machine, realising that Dr. Banner was right all along. The Thing then busts down an iron door and discovers Dr. Kort armed with a ray gun, with Rick tied up as a hostage. Luckily, the Invisible Girl swats the device away and Dr. Kort is easily apprehended by the incensed Thing. In the confusion, the Hulk slips away to revert to Dr. Banner and thank Mr. Fantastic for all his help, watching from afar (as the Hulk) as the team are celebrated by the military and race off to their next adventure.

Final Thoughts: 
Obviously, this is very early in the Hulk’s Marvel career (the same year as his debut, no less!) so you have to cut it some slack and realise that a lot of his now-recognisable tropes were still being developed. For example, the Hulk isn’t a mindless, rampaging beast or even a child-like creature. In fact, he’s barely that angry at all and Dr. Banner can freely control his transformations using a special machine, retaining some control as the Hulk (though appearing noticeably more aggressive and confident when transformed). This story is also about a year after the Fantastic Four’s debut, so there are still some kinks being worked out there (the military doesn’t recognise the Thing, for example). This may also be one of the first, if not the first, crossovers between Marvel Comics characters as the Fantastic Four are specifically sought out by General Ross to combat the Hulk’s apparent sabotage. This issue is also set in the less-than-progressive sixties, meaning Sue is depicted as a fragile, useless woman only good for bolstering the men’s morale (though I did like that she played a pivotal role in apprehending the Wrecker). The story is a bit inconsistent at times, too. General Ross initially says that the “only way” to recognise the Hulk is by his superhuman strength, then immediately hands the Thing a photograph of the Hulk and treats the Fantastic Four to a slideshow of the Green Goliath, making me question why the hell those soldiers mistook the Thing for the Hulk! I can only assume they weren’t properly briefed, being mere infantrymen, and it seems the goal was to show that the Thing is as feared and judged by others as the Hulk. This also emphasises the Thing’s prideful nature and his incredible strength, both qualities continually highlighted throughout the issue to present him as being at least equal to the Hulk in these regards.

Sadly, the fight between the Hulk and the Thing is as disappointing as Sue’s characterisation.

This was actually one of the first Hulk and Fantastic Four stories I read as a kid (I think it was included in a generic Marvel annual I had), so I have some nostalgia for it. However, the much-anticipated clash between the Hulk and the Thing is disappointingly lacklustre. Despite the Thing’s boasting, the Hulk proves far more formidable than he thought and even the Hulk is surprised by how painful it is to strike Ben’s rocky hide. One punch is enough to have the Hulk rethink his strategy, though he easily bests the Human Torch and shrugs off Mr. Fantastic’s attempts to wrap him up. I enjoyed the irony of this, as Johnny and Reed were very confident of their chances against the Hulk, but it turns out the Thing stands the best chance of subduing the Green Goliath, only for the two to be depicted as equally matched and for the Wrecker’s atom ray bullshit to end the fight just as it’s about to get interesting. Considering the story is squarely on the Thing, it would’ve been far better to have him and the Hulk tear through that “ghost town” knocking the stuffing out of each other while Reed and the others deal with the Wrecker and his machine. There’s not much to Dr. Banner and Rick here; it’s just the same thing of them protesting the Hulk’s innocence and being judged for it. I did like that he and Reed seem to hit it off, but we don’t get to see them working together in any meaningful way. Hell, we get more of a rivalry between Rick and Johnny than a science bromance between Dr. Banner and Reed, which was a shame. The Wrecker was also a lame villain, but I liked that Dr. Kort was smart enough to frame the Hulk and how easy it was for him to do thanks to Thunderbolt’s prejudices. Ultimately, this is a decent and note-worthy story but probably best read in a collection of other, more dramatic and exciting confrontations between the Hulk and the Thing.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Did you enjoy the first encounter between the Hulk and the Thing? Were you also annoyed that the military mistook the Thing for the Hulk? Did you enjoy seeing the Thing’s pride and strength take the spotlight? Were you disappointed that their fights were barely worth mentioning? What are some of your favourite fights or moments between the Hulk and the Thing? How are you celebrating the Hulk today? Whatever you thoughts on the Hulk, share them below and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest other Hulk content for the site.

Back Issues [X-Men Day]: The Uncanny X-Men #141-142

Dr. K1 Comment

To commemorate the culmination of their long-running and successful X-Men movies, 20th Century Fox declared May 13th “X-Men Day”.

Story Title: “Days of Future Past”
Published: 21 October 1980 (cover-dated: January 1981)
Writers: Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Artist: John Byrne

Story Title: “Mind Out of Time”
Published: 18 November 1980 (cover-dated: February 1981)

Quick Facts:
Revitalised by a 1975 revival courtesy of acclaimed writer and artist duo Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s socially conscious X-Men dabbled with time travel in this purposely focused, much-lauded, seminal story that influenced both comics and X-Men media for years. Many videogames reference it, issue 141’s cover is repeatedly recreated, the story as notably adapted for the highly-praised animated series, and “Days of Future Past” inspired Bryan Singer’s critical and commercial hit 2014 movie of the same name.

The Review:
This classic two-part X-Men story, collectively known as “Days of Future Past”, is set in one of many possible Marvel futures (later designated Earth-811). In this dystopian future world, New York City has been devastated, leaving it a depressing shambles of debris and wreckage. Thanks to the internal monologue of the aged Katherine “Kitty” Pryde/Sprite, who’s scrambling through the ruins to rendezvous with James “Logan” Howlett/Wolverine, we learn that the cause of the destruction was the Sentinels, gigantic, mechanised weapons created to hunt and destroy Mutants. Already uneasy about being forced to venture into an unsafe part of the city, Kate is frustrated when she falls for a trap laid by the “Rogues”, punk-like human survivors with no love for “Muties” or Sentinels. Although she tries to talk her way out of it, Kate lashes out when the punks advance on her, unwilling to go down without a fight despite her Mutant power to become intangible being negated by an inhibitor collar. Luckily, the visibly aged Wolverine shows up to help, purposely avoiding popping his Adamantium claws to avoid alerting the Sentinels. Still, Logan easily handles such street trash and rescues Kate, revealing that the world is on the brink of nuclear destruction should the Sentinels advance out of North America. Logan hands Kate the last component to the “jammer”, a device she and her fellow enslaved and imprisoned Mutants secretly made to disrupt their inhibitor collars. Returning to her Mutant internment center, Kate quietly laments 2013 America, which is divided into three classes: “clean” humans, humans with the potential to sire Mutants and who are this forbidden to breed, and outcast Mutants who are either killed or kept in camps.

To prevent an apocalyptic future, Kate has her consciousness sent back into her younger body.

Kate is one of the latter, forced to work as slave labour for the Sentinels and carry the guilt of outliving her Mutant and super-powered friends. Kate’s interred alongside two surviving X-Men – her husband, Piotr “Peter” Rasputin/Colossus and Ororo Munroe/Storm – Franklin Richards, last survivor of the Fantastic Four, and his “lady”, telepath Rachel (later revealed to be the daughter of Scott “Slim” Summers/Cyclops and Jean Grey/Phoenix)), and unlikely ally Erik “Magnus” Lehnsherr/Magneto, ironically now confined to a wheelchair like his long dead friend and rival, Professor Charles Xavier/ Professor X. Alongside Wolverine, the six represent the Anti-Sentinel Resistance and plot to undo the death and destruction caused by the Sentinels, which resulted in the deaths of Kate and Peter’s children. Franklin completes the jammer and restores Rachel and Kate’s powers, allowing Rachel to mysteriously send Kate’s consciousness back through time. Logan then leads his fellow Mutants through the subways, where they’re quickly discovered by the Sentinels. When Franklin is vaporised, Rachel fights back with her telekinetic powers, holding off one of the machines to protect Kate’s unconscious form while Storm and Wolverine (with the aid of a “fastball special”) take out the second Sentinel. Colossus then brings down a nearby building to bury more Sentinels so the grieving survivors can reach the Baxter Building, the heart of the Sentinel’s operation. When the story shifts to the 1980s, Kitty walks in on X-Men testing their powers and combat prowess in the hazardous Danger Room and Professor X’s school, much to the shock of Colossus, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Storm, Warren Worthington III/Angel, and Wolverine. After the X-Men to save her and Kitty showcases her amazing phasing powers, Sprite suddenly writhes in agony and collapses as her future self possesses her, leading them to rush her to the medical bay and be amazed when she rants about being from the future.

Tensions run high as the X-Men battle the Brotherhood to safeguard the future.

Kate quickly convinces them by revealing that the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are due to assassinate Presidential candidate Robert Kelly, Professor X, and Mutant specialist Doctor Moira McTaggart. This escalates the fear and hatred or Mutants and sees the election of an anti-Mutant President, who orders the reactivation of the Sentinels and the summary execution and imprisonment of all Mutants and super-powered beings. Though sceptical, Storm agrees to fly them to Washington, D.C. so Professor X can mind scan Kate, unaware that Raven Darkholme/Mystique has already infiltrated the Pentagon using her shape-shifting powers. Mystique has also snuck in her Brotherhood comrades – Dominic Petros/Avalanche, Fred Dukes/The Blob, Irene Adler/Destiny, and St. John Allerdyce/Pyro – to assist in her plot, despite blind precog Destiny revealing the future is clouded and the Blob objecting to Mystique’s leadership. While Senator Kelly shares his concerns about Mutantkind with the United States senate, the Brotherhood strike, just as Kate predicted. Despite Kelly’s bigotry, the X-Men defend him and a fight ensues that sees Avalanche send the X-Men flying by erupting the ground and Storm forced to whisk Wolverine away with a whirlwind when the bloodthirsty X-Man goes to gut Pyro. In the fracas, Professor X and Moira are saved by a policewoman, who turns out to be Mystique in disguise, who subdues them with nerve gas. The fight between the X-Men and the Brotherhood spills into the streets, where the Army attack both teams and the X-Men struggle to protect innocents. After being roasted by Pyro, the enraged Wolverine argues with Storm when she asserts her authority, begrudgingly deferring to her wish that he sheaths his claws.

Although Senator Kelly is saved, the future remains uncertain for the X-Men…

Thanks to some physics-based teamwork, Colossus and Wolverine defeat Avalanche and the Blob. Although Storm douses Pyro’s flaming monster avatar and takes him off the board with a bout of rain, Nightcrawler hesitates to finish Mystique when she hints at knowledge of his past, allowing her to escape. Still, the X-Men are victorious, unlike their future counterparts. After infiltrating the Baxter Building and pondering what affect their time meddling will have, the future survivors encounter an “Omega series” Sentinel. Naturally, Logan insists on tackling the threat alone and is horrifically reduced to a smouldering metal skeleton by a single blast! When she fights back, Storm is fatally impaled by another Sentinel, driving Colossus into a berserker fury that also ends with his death. This leaves a distraught Rachel to cradle Kate’s body and hope that her friend can change the future, or at least create an alternative, less painful timeline. As the time switch has conveniently made Kitty invisible to Destiny’s prescient abilities, she easily prevents the precog from assassinating the defiant Senator Kelly, expelling Kate from her younger body and leaving the X-Men to wonder if they prevented the apocalypse and Mystique to swear revenge. Rather than give a definitive answer to this, the story ends with the President of the United States meeting with Senator Kelly and industrialist Sebastian Shaw. Despite Kelly owing his life to the X-Men, his concerns about Mutants have not softened and are only fostered by the scheming Shaw, who’s secretly part of the malicious Hellfire Club. The President appears to agree with their concerns but insists that any actions they take must remain top secret. He then introduces them to Henry Peter Gyrich, whom he tasks with head up “Project Wideawake” and begin construction of a new series of Sentinels…

Final Thoughts: 
While I appreciate “Days of Future Past” telling its story over two issues rather than dragging the plot out across a sprawling, multi-issue saga, I do think it would’ve benefitted from being at least four issues long just to further explore the past and future events. We’re dropped into this dystopian world that sees Mutants executed or imprisoned on sight and the few survivors making a desperate gamble to alter their fate, but don’t spend much time getting to know them in this environment. Like, how did Magneto end up in a wheelchair? How did the surviving X-Men set aside their past with him to form a resistance movement? How did Logan escape the Sentinels? What’s with Rachel and Franklin? These questions, and others, are left purposely vague as the story intentionally presents the worst, most intriguing future for the X-Men and then wastes no time in focusing on preventing that future. Ironically, I’ve read most of the follow-ups to “Days of Future Past” and found them lacklustre, so clearly keeping things vague was the best idea, it just would’ve been nice to explore just how dire things have become in America with a racist, warmongering, crazed bigot running the country. I like the idea that the Sentinels have usurped governmental and societal control, taking their anti-Mutant programming to the extreme to exterminate all super-powered individuals and ensure the extinction of the X-gene by limiting breeding. It ironically means that the machines built to ensure the survival of humanity have largely destroyed it, at least in America. The world now fears the Sentinels more than Mutants and is prepared to launch nuclear weapons against them, resulting in one of Marvel’s bleakest future worlds since basically all the superheroes (and supervillains) have already fallen and the Sentinels’ power is absolute.

Kitty takes centre stage in this harrowing time travel adventure.

I’ve never been a big fan of Kitty Pryde, but this is a great showcase of her. In the future, Kate is desperate to change her fate and the fate of her friends and children. Distraught at having seen all her loved ones murdered or enslaved, Kate gambles everything on a drastic plan to cobble together a jammer and have Rachel project her mind into her younger body. While this leaves Kate defenceless in the future, it sees her quickly convince her old friends of the looming threat and ultimately intervene to save Senator Kelly. Kate doesn’t get to do much between those points as much of the story focuses on the battle between the X-Men and the Brotherhood, but it’s fitting that she’s the one to stop Destiny (literally and figuratively). Kate’s overwhelmed to see her friends alive, and they are noticeably shocked by her adult demeanour when she’s in her younger body, especially as the X-Men largely regard Kitty as a child and someone they must nurture. Still, they’re quickly convinced and throw themselves against the Brotherhood to protect Kelly, Professor X, and Moira. This leads to some conflict between Wolverine and Storm as Storm seeks to assert her authority, overcoming her insecurities and demanding that Wolverine use non-lethal methods to avoid tarnishing their reputation. Ironically, the future Wolverine willingly sheathes his claws so as not to attract attention and Storm worries she’s becoming as ruthless as Logan since she’s ready to kill to protect her few remaining friends and to try and change the timeline. Indeed, the future X-Men are ready to die one way or another to change their fate since they will potentially be erased from existence if Kate succeeds. The story is vague about this, with Rachel suggesting their timeline may continue unaltered but will result in an alternative future for their past selves, and gives no resolution on what happened to the dystopian 2013 beyond Kate being expelled from Kitty’s body.

The ruthless Sentinels are portrayed as a significant threat here.

This is doubly interesting considering the story ends with the President ordering Kelly, Shaw, and Gyrich to work on “Project Wideawake”, meaning Sentinels will stalk Mutants regardless of Kate’s actions, but it can be assumed that the future will be at least partially different as the President isn’t a gibbering racist with a bad tan. Predating Cyberdyne System’s finest by a good four years, the Sentinels are ruthless mechanical terminators, towering robot giants who detect heartbeats, anticipate enemy movements, and vaporise with a single blast. The fact they do this to Franklin, one of Marvel’s most powerful cosmic beings, is one thing but seeing them reduce Wolverine to his Adamantium skeleton is quite another. Rachel telepathically feels the pain whenever her friends die, leaving her an enraged, distraught mess when her lover is killed and seeing her left cradling Kate when she feels Colossus die. Though this happens off-panel, it’s said to be horrifically fast and also showcases just how powerful the Sentinels are. The Sentinels are used sparingly, appearing as looming, authoritative slave drivers at the Mutant camp to begin with. Instead, we see the fallout from their rule, expertly presented by John Byrne. The Sentinels more than live up to their threat once they start blasting Mutants, but the story does a phenomenal job of showcasing their devastating power by focusing more on an air of ominous dread. We see New York reduced to rubble, society divided and living in fear, and the gravestones of Marvel’s famous heroes and villains, which emphasises that the Sentinels are a serious threat. The Brotherhood are no slouches either as their fight against the X-Men takes up most of “Mind Out of Time” and paints them as a significant threat, one willing to kill in the name of Mutant supremacy. All-in-all, “Days of Future Past” remains a quintessential X-Men story, one that’s both shocking and intriguing, that might’ve benefitted from being a few issues longer but still makes quite an impact even to this day.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Do you consider “Days of Future Past” a classic X-Men story? Do you think the story should’ve been a few issues long or do you think it’s the perfect length? Were you horrified to see so many of our heroes killed in the future? Can you imagine a world where the President of the United States is a racist fanatic? Did you enjoy any of the sequels to this story? Which stories involving the Sentinels are your favourites and how are to celebrating X-Men Day today? Whatever your thoughts on the X-Men and the Sentinels, drop them in the comments and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest more X-Men related content for the site.

Back Issues [Dare-DAY-vil]: Daredevil #227-231

Dr. KLeave a comment

Co-created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett (alongside the legendary Jack Kirby), blind lawyer Matt Murdock debuted in April 1964.

Writer: Frank Miller – Artist: David Mazzucchelli

Story Title: “Apocalypse”
Published: 22 October 1985 (cover-dated: February 1986)

Story Title: “Purgatory”
Published: 26 November 1985 (cover-dated: March 1986)

Story Title: “Pariah”
Published: 24 December 1985 (cover-dated: April 1986)

Story Title: “Born Again”
Published: 28 January 1986 (cover-dated: May 1986)

Story Title: “Saved”
Published: 25 February 1986 (cover-dated: June 1986)

Quick Facts:
Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett’s most challenging hero yet, Daredevil became a popular and enduring character thanks to writer/artist Frank Miller, who spearheaded many of Daredevil’s most memorable stories. Miller was behind perhaps the greatest Daredevil story of its time (or ever), colloquially referred to as “Born Again”, a story so definitive that it inspired Daredevil’s celebrated return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2025.

The Review:
This seminal storyline was kicked off by Karen Page, former secretary for Murdock and Franklin “Foggy” Nelson’s law firm and Murdock’s ex-girlfriend, who left to pursue an acting career and ended up a heroin addict. She becomes so desperate for cash and a shot of heroin that she trades the only thing of value she has left, Daredevil’s true identity, to the unscrupulous Raldo. He sells it higher up the chain to Tonio, who eventually brings it to Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin, who immediately orders the death of everyone who’s touched the document and heads to New York City to verify its contents. Unaware of this, Murdock awakes from a troubled sleep, nursing the bruises of his recent battles, to find only bills and a breakup cassette from his girlfriend, Glorianna “Glori” O’Breen, rather than job offers. To make matters worse, Murdock gets a disturbing phone call from his accountant and is then accused of perjury by decorated cop Lieutenant Nick Manolis. As snow blankets the city, Foggy comforts Glori after a break-in and reporter Ben Urich tries to offer Matt some council, only to get a cynical brushoff. Murdock uses Daredevil as an escape from all this drama, sprinting and leaping into the bitter winter night and gives Manolis a scare, learning that the cop lied to protect his son and then returns home to find his utilities have been cut off. The Kingpin watches with relish as Murdock’s life falls apart over the next few weeks. He exhausts himself trying to build a defense with Foggy, physically deteriorating from the stress and becoming increasingly violent as Daredevil, and becoming a shell of his former self as he loses his licence to practice law and is faced with poverty and public shame.

The Kingpin makes Murdock’s life a living hell and targets those closest to him.

Grateful to Foggy for his help, the destitute and despondent Murdock wanders home just as his apartment building is destroyed, leaving even his costume a smouldering ruin. Forced into a dingy, cramped hotel room, the distressed Murdock considers killing the Kingpin for all the pain he’s caused him but resolves simply to beat Fisk to within an inch of his life instead. The Kingpin, meanwhile, continues to savour the pain he’s caused his foe, who hounded him relentlessly, and in the knowledge that Murdock is at his lowest point. Disorientated and exhausted, Murdock fantasises about leaving the Kingpin a bloody mess, babbles nonsense to Glori, and threatens Foggy and rambles to a dial tone thinking it’s his friend. The Kingpin is amused to learn that Murdock throttled the hotel manager, paranoid that he’s one of the Kingpin’s men, and attacked punks and even a cop while in his civilian identity on his way to Fisk’s opulent tower. The Kingpin welcomes Murdock’s challenge, easily shrugging off a few hits with a baton and flooring Murdock with devastating haymakers. Restraining himself from tearing Murdock apart, the Kingpin settles for staging an accident, leaving the battered Murdock to drown in a cab off the East River. However, the Kingpin is enraged when the cab is discovered some weeks later and there’s no sign of Murdock’s corpse as he dragged himself out and ended up sleeping on the streets, haunted by memories of his origin and his losses. While Foggy and Glori grow closer over Christmas, Manolis reluctantly confesses to Urich after his son dies, leaving them brutally maimed by the Kingpin’s burly henchwoman. Over in Mexico, a Karen steals and sells herself to Paulo Scorcese for a fix and get back to New York after barely escaping the Kingpin’s assassins, desperate to be reunite with Murdock and wracked by guilt, eventually taken in by Foggy despite the danger.

Murdock overcomes great physical and mental trauma to rescue Karen and return to action.

After stumbling into traffic in a stupor, Murdock takes a knife to the gut when trying to stop lowlife Turk Barrett from stealing a Santa Claus suit, only to find his childhood home torn down. While taking shelter in his father’s old gym, Murdock blacks out from blood loss, though miraculously survives after he’s rescued by nuns (one of whom is implied to be his mother). While Murdock recovers and struggles through pneumonia, Urich is left traumatised and meekly drops all interest in the Kingpin. However, Urich finds his resolve after overhearing Manolis being strangled to death, goes to the cops, and prints an exposé on the Kingpin. Luckily for Urich, a recovering Murdock saves him, his wife, and a cop from the Kingpin’s henchwoman. Murdock also learns that Melvin Potter has been contracted coerced into fashioning a replica Daredevil costume for a psychopath Fisk wants to send after Karen and Foggy, and Murdock encourages him to take the job to discover this plot. With Scorcese outside gunning down cops, Karen cold-clocks Foggy and flees, intending to take the heat off him, while Murdock confronts his crazed imposter. Though the imposter is violent and determined, Murdock subdues him by targeting his pressure points, allowing Matt to save Karen from a gunshot…and from taking one last hit of heroin. The two emotionally embrace, finally reunited and, in the aftermath, Urich pens another story wrapping everything up. The doctor who the Kingpin ordered to release the crazed imposter was dismissed, the cops Scorcese killed are mourned and their killer arrested, and Urich is left determined to track down Murdock and find out what happened to him as he’s been missing, presumed dead, for some time.

Final Thoughts: 
“Born Again” is undoubtably one of Daredevil’s most iconic stories, and some of Frank Miller’s best work with the character. It’s a very different story; very mature and gritty and full of brooding and interpersonal drama. Drugs and addiction are at the forefront as a desperate Karen sells her ex-lover’s identity for a fix and is then so consumed by guilt that she prostitutes herself to Scorcese to reunite with Murdock, convinced he’s the only man who can save her. Along the way, she continually shoots up and fantasises about kicking the habit to be with Matt again, though she only goes cold turkey when she’s taken in by Foggy, and this just leaves her a paranoid wreck. Karen’s story somewhat echoes Murdock’s as he’s driven to exhaustion, paranoia, and violence by the Kingpin’s machinations. With his life literally falling apart, Murdock tries to escape from reality through Daredevil, lashing out at lowlife scum and taking his anger out on anyone who gets in his way and only exacerbating his self-destruction. Murdock becomes disorientated and confused, randomly blacking out and babbling to his friends (or pretending to), all while hyper-fixated on avenging himself on the Kingpin. Naturally, this means Murdock is no match for Fisk, who’s more than just a bulbous criminal mastermind. He’s pure iron and muscle and easily takes Murdock’s best shots before beating him unconsciousness without a word, making for a short, brutal confrontation between the two that’s sadly not followed up on in this story.

Murdock gets put through hell thanks to the Kingpin’s malicious machinations.

Instead, the remainder of the time is spent following Murdock’s struggles. The Kingpin makes Murdock’s life hell almost to the point of parody, freezing his accounts, framing him, blowing up his home, and targeting his loved ones, all while Glori and Foggy fall for each other. Publicly shamed and disbarred, Murdock’s forced to live on the streets and only suffers further torment when his impulsive nature leaves him hit by a car and mortally stabbed. It’s only near-literal divine intervention that keeps him alive and, even then, Murdock must fight through his physical rehabilitation. When he does, he’s confronted by a Daredevil imposter, though the significance of this is sadly downplayed. I was hoping that the thematic allegory of Murdock facing his literal devil and obsession would have more relevance, but the fight’s over extremely quickly and is merely an inconvenience for Murdock, who’s more focused on saving Karen. This is disappointing as it might’ve been good to see Murdock become so lost in his Daredevil persona that it worsens his woes, meaning he’d have to mentally overcome his trauma and then physically best the monster he’d become to reclaim himself. Still, I liked the side stories, such as Urich fighting in Murdock’s corner behind the scenes and having to overcome his own issues to do what’s right. It’s a nice parallel to Murdock’s tumultuous journey and these little victories extremely aggravate the Kingpin, who turns to the violent and the insane to do his bidding. It’s a shame there isn’t a rematch between Daredevil and the Kingpin here, and that some of Miller’s wonky dialogue and let’s say “colourful” writing is peppered throughout the otherwise harrowing drama, but there’s no denying how important “Born Again” was and still is. It’s a fascinating showcase of Daredevil’s near-superhuman willpower and shows that he continues to fight, even when emotionally and physically wrecked, placing him as an inspirational underdog who does what’s right regardless of the personal cost.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Do you consider “Born Again” an all-time classic Daredevil story? Do you think the hardship Murdock suffered was a tad over the top? Were you disturbed by Karen’s struggles with heroin? Did you enjoy seeing Murdock having to overcome the odds staked against him by Fisk? What are some of your favourite Daredevil stories and how are you celebrating the Man Without Fear this month? Let me know what you think of “Born Again” in the comments below and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest more Daredevil content for the site.