Random Happenstance

Even though I had at least some of the material, the last time I was in Seattle I got the Essential Killraven, because I didn't think I could count on seeing it again. Looks like it does reprint the Joe Linsner one-shot from 2001, and the Marvel Graphic Novel with P.Craig Russell art, and I have both of those. But I know I don't have all the Amazing Adventures issues he was in...then just bought this one to fit in the scanner. From 1974, Amazing Adventures #27, "The Death Breeders" Written by Don McGregor, pencils by (P.) Craig Russell, inks by Dick Ayers. And a Jim Starlin cover!

This issue was set in the far-flung future of...2019? Eek, creeping up, not unlike how Deathlok caught up to his. Taking concepts and inspiration from H.G. Wells and gladiator movies, Killraven's stories were set years after the second Martian invasion conquered earth, enslaved humanity, and let loose any number of genetic monstrosities; like the one Killraven and his crew face at Lake Erie. (When this was published, Lake Erie was brutally polluted; it's implied it was doing better under Martian guidance even if you count the tentacle-things; but it has gotten a bit better in recent years.) Killraven was headed for Yellowstone in search of his brother; but not unlike other post-apocalypse tales like Kamandi or Thundarr, there were a lot of stops and side-quests on the way.

In what's left of Milwaukee, K-R and company meet Volcana Ash, who appears to have powers and may be a mutant: she would be his love interest in the Alan Davis version, but I don't know yet if she progressed that far here. Ash isn't cold at all in the middle of winter...actually, everyone in this book shows a lot of skin, cold or not. Killraven also has a vision of the terrible human breeding pens in Chicago, and the Death-Breeders, but that would keep until the next issue. The rest of this one was a three-page sci-fi reprint, "the Strangers."

I hadn't dove into that Essential since I know some of these stories can be a bit...verbose; but this issue is pretty lean in comparison. I would love a book that reset and revamped this and some of Marvel's other future-set characters, like Deathlok, the Maestro, Iron Man 2020, maybe the MC2 or Alan Davis's "Days of Futures Yet to Come." Actually, I'd throw in Excalibur from the Cross-Time Caper era; they would just think this was the worst alternate universe yet...

Oh, and this issue's Marvel Value Stamp: Man-Thing!