I don't recall if Brave and the Bold ever did this, but Marvel Team-Up and Marvel Two-in-One used to sometimes and it would drive me up the wall. Today, Superman's team-up book pulls that stunt: from 1979, DC Comics Presents #6, "The Fantastic Fall of Green Lantern!" Written by Paul Levitz, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Francisco Chiaramonte.
A press club awards dinner honoring Clark Kent and Lois Lane is marred by Clark falling over like a clod again; but if he hadn't, several people would probably have been killed by the crash-landing Green Lantern! Superman had heard him coming, and feigned clumsiness to keep everyone out of harm's way. Barely conscious, GL gives his ring to Clark, who gets his own outfit! Lois is pretty quick to ask why, the implication being Clark shouldn't be trusted with a stapler, but 'Superman' arrives to help Clark out and take the ring. That's a projection created by the power ring, which explains what happened: Green Lantern had gotten the stuffing kicked out of him, by none other than Star Sapphire!
Sapphire had faced Supes before--in Superman #261, which I'd love to read--and isn't intimidated. She's able to get the power ring away from him in short order; then teleports away to abduct Hal, in order to learn him some manners so he'll be a proper consort for her, and she can become queen of the Zamorans! Which was contingent on getting Hal, for some reason? Supes is able to intercept Sapphire's ship on the way to Zamora, but doesn't realize he's being watched, by the Weaponers of Qward! Fighting Sapphire, Superman is able to recover the power ring; but is then zapped simultaneously by her and an unseen Weaponer, knocking him out momentarily. Even unconscious, Supes is still trying to use the ring to get the Star Sapphire gem off of Carol Ferris, but doesn't have enough will...still, that's pretty impressive.
Hal recovers the ring, since he can control it when close enough; and explains a little about how Sapphire is giving him such a hard time: he loves Carol, who doesn't want him as GL; and she is tempting as Star Sapphire--crazy/evil is hot--but that would mean the end of his Green Lantern career. GL revives Superman, who is able to get the gem and turn her back into Carol, and she passes out. Hal confesses to Superman, part of him wanted to lose to her; and takes Carol back to Coast City. As he takes off, Superman wonders how she was able to affect him so strongly, and the Weaponer strikes again! He claims his "Q-Energy" bolts could kill even him...to be continued, next month, with a different hero: Red Tornado! Ugh, I know GL took off in a hurry, but the Weaponer hit him with a friggin' thunderbolt, he maybe should've heard that. I never like it when the team-up stories continue, with a different guest-star. If the first guest-star stays on for the second part as well, that's fine; but when they ditch out it just strikes me as rude.
That last part is pretty much what happened to Spider-Man for YEARS in Marvel Team-Up. Idk why it never bothered me as a kid usually seeing his partner for the issue duck out in the middle of a story or right after the 1st part was wrapped up, but I can see where it would cause confusion for others. I know Spidey definitely had to have developed anxiety and a complex over it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like they do that so they don't have to do an 'Epilogue: ' page to set up next issue. I'm willing to give Hal credit- Superman could have been walking around pondering for a while between panels. Plus, when you get hit on the head as often as GL, it's got to affect your hearing.
ReplyDeleteDon't think Brave and the Bold ever did that but then again, I don't think they did more than 2 or 3 two part Batman team-ups.
One of my favorite Two-in-One issues guests Cap and Giant-Man; but the previous issue features the Sub-Mariner. I didn't read that one for years, but the same deal: Subby flies off at the end of his chapter, leaving Ben behind, who turns out to be deathly ill! Still, you have to expect that kind of dickery from Namor, I guess.
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