Yeah, try your 'gender inspection' on Val, see what that gets you.

Huh, another book with Daimon Hellstrom, I wonder if that means anything? From 1983, Defenders #120, "Sanctuary!" Written by J. M. DeMatteis, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Jack Abel, Kim DeMulder, and Andy Mushynsky.

The bulk of this issue is Daimon, the Son of Satan, in a really maudlin struggle for his identity at a monastery: his "darksoul" maybe wasn't in control anymore, but then, what was left of him without it or fighting it all the time. He was in love with Patsy Walker, Hellcat; and seemed to want a "normal" life; which I think we would see happen for them briefly later: either just long enough to enjoy it before it was taken away, or long enough to realize that wasn't them. At the monastery, Daimon befriends a mysterious new monk, who seems to have a strange power, trying to help him keep it under control. Unfortunately, the 'monk' remembers who he really was: the Miracle Man--not that one, although honestly, at this point he's got a better chance of making a comeback...Anyhow, Miracle Man steals the darksoul from Daimon. And the trident, although it doesn't look as great in green. I wasn't surprised he turned on Daimon, but that this was a two-parter, since Miracle Man was the definition of second-rate: I was thinking he would get got by Scourge next issue, but no, that was later in Thing #24.

Patsy keeps having dreams about Daimon, so she rallies the current Defenders available to help; after a scene in a gym with Beast and Valkyrie, where a meathead accosts her as a man, for the crime of being far stronger than him. Yeah, I'm sure that never happens nowadays... Read more!

It wasn't the first annual I ever read--that was probably Star Wars Annual #1, co-incidentally also by Claremont--but X-Men Annual #6 was one of the first for me; which in hindsight is almost a shame, since it's better than just about any annual since? Great story, Sienkiewicz art, friggin' Dracula; the only misstep is it kills off a Tomb of Dracula character in such a way that I don't think she's ever come back. Just as a package, though, pound for pound, it's a great comic, in a way annuals would rarely be later. Like today's book! From 1993, X-Men Annual #2, "A Bluer Slice of Heaven" Written by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Aron Wiesenfeld, inks by Al Milgrom, Bob Wiacek, and Keith Williams.

I had to look this up, since to compare this to X-Men Annual #6 again, that one was only 39 pages; I definitely would have said it was longer, as way more happens in it. This one's 64 pages, but the lead story is 45, then a 10-page throwaway Scott Lobdell/Ian Churchill Beast story. Although there were annuals chock-full of back-up features and pin-ups before--Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15 comes to mind, although the lead story is so good it carries it--for several years, starting maybe around X-Factor Annual #3 and the Evolutionary War crossover, it became exceedingly rare for an annual to make full use of it's page count, instead featuring a slightly longer lead-story, then shorter stuff of often varying quality. And we're nattering on about this, rather than getting into this issue's plot, since...? Most of the story is incremental steps of the larger ongoing plotline, and brief character bits. Or caricature: here's Scott and Jean being melodramatic about their relationship and the hardships of X-life, here's Beast in the lab grinding away, here's Gambit borderline sexually harassing. Beast does have a line about having to act all "morally perturbed and angst-ridden as everyone else" just to be taken seriously; he was just getting started on work on the Legacy Virus, and in a brief shot is drawn more lean than his usual broad-shouldered cartoon version. It probably isn't intentional, but it feels like a last goodbye to the old, fun Beast; you wouldn't be seeing him anytime soon. (Ah, I say that, but also feel like Joe Madureira maybe made him look fun, briefly.)

This also tries to set up a new villain, or at least antagonist: what he actually wants is supposed to be morally grey but instead just feels vague? It's Jonathan Chambers--no, not Chamber, this was Empyrean, who had some empathic emotion absorbing/redirecting powers. He was also setting up what he as much as calls a "leper colony" for mutants with the Legacy Virus, so he had the stricken Pyro there, along with the rest of the Brotherhood; who are reunited with estranged members Avalanche and the formerly Crimson Commando, now just Commando, saying he felt like the Crimson had been bled out of him on their last failed mission. (Although created in the 80's, CC had been a WWII hero, now cyborg'd up, not unlike Erik Larsen's Superpatriot.) There's a bit of a fight, but it's supposed to be open as to whether Empyrean is helping stricken mutants, or exploiting them; I think that would come down pretty solidly on the exploiting side later. Recurring government-man d-bag Henry Peter Gyrich makes an appearance, which I don't think was entirely common for the X-books? I'm used to him making things worse for the Avengers, and can't recall if he had any particular racism or was just always on the government's side.

Also, this was an early appearance of Kwannon, as Revanche, a name I never got: so, Betsy Braddock had got put in her (Japanese) body, while she got Betsy's British, purple haired one. Which, this issue, is revealed to have contracted the Legacy Virus. There's almost the germ of an idea, with Kwannon and Betsy playing off of each other; but it's ground to pulp in the mill of the X-Men soap opera long before anything really comes of it. She'd be back, much much later. The Legacy Virus plotline would run, usually in the background, from 1992 to Uncanny #390 in 2001: it was maybe intended as a metaphor for HIV/AIDS, but is somewhat muddled, since mutants could get it randomly. Read more!

That first panel's pretty much the reason we read this, sure.

When we checked out Uncanny X-Men #29, I mentioned how the cover didn't seem to line up with the interior; and I just read #23 and #24, and they don't either, or at least not very well. This cover has got Goth Dazzler, for reasons probably not actually within the issue: from 2014, Uncanny X-Men #24, written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Kris Anka.

This was the, I don't know, rival schools era of X-Men? (Not to be confused with Rival Schools, which was like a million times more fun.) Some were at the Mansion, now renamed Jean Grey's School for Gifted Youngsters; while others were with Cyclops, in his red-X, "New Mutant Revolution" phase. Both factions seem to kind of hate each other, and also some people are on sides I wouldn't expect them to be on? Kitty was on Team Cyke; I'm not sure how, unless she was rebelling against her mentors Wolvie and Storm. Still, She-Hulk tells the Jean Grey crowd that Cyclops has to be there, for the reading of Charles Xavier's will. Beast says he knows where he is, although he didn't tell the others: not out of loyalty to Scott, but because he couldn't stand him and "(didn't) want my life to be his life." Rachel, Firestar, and Kurt show up; then Wolverine comes in late, to admit he didn't own the school anymore: he had signed it over to Charles, just in case. Storm fears, the will would give it to Scott; since there's no way Charles would have expected him to kill him...Beast reveals Cyclops had been hiding out, in the old Weapon X facility, as it would've been the last place Wolverine would've looked; which he seemingly accepts with a wry smile. Well played, dickhead.

There's then seven pages, with new super-mutant Matthew, who blew up a town: Maria Hill tries to talk with him via remote, but it doesn't go well; and that plot's gonna run several more issues. Yay. Storm, Iceman, and Beast go to get Cyclops: while all of the other X-Men appear to be up and in costume, Cyclops is in bed? That's weird. When told of the reading, he claims he doesn't want it, but maybe changes his mind about going when he sees Wolverine glowering at him from the plane. Illyana teleports him, Kitty, Emma, and (goth) Dazzler for the reading. The color palette this issue isn't doing She-Hulk any favors, but she reads the will; and the first bombshell was that Xavier attests he was married--not to Magneto, that would've made sense; but to Raven Darkholme. She-Hulk tries to recollect where she's heard that name, but everyone else--the X-Men and the readers!--knew her as Mystique. Before that can sink in, a Shi'ar hologram of Xavier is activated, and he tells them about compromise, and was about to reveal his darkest secret...which, I'm 90% sure ties back to Matthew. Pffft. (Just like yesterday's Deadpool, this was an Original Sin crossover; although it doesn't seem to involve Uatu's eye or anything, just a secret sin revealed.)

Hey, Magneto doesn't appear this issue? I'd be surprised if he wasn't in that will, or if there wasn't any stipulations for him to be there. Also, the reason Dazzler was going dark (figuratively speaking) was that she had been captured and tortured by Mystique: I know she's on a face-turn now, but still feels like there's a lot of things she would've had to answer for. We're a few years removed from this era, so unless you're willing to read a bunch of X-books at once, I think it might be tough to recall who did what to piss off who at any given point. A few more of Bendis's trademark wisecracks hit this month than usual, though. Read more!

"I don't like huntin' kids. That ain't why S.H.I.E.L.D. is in business." Coming up next, S.H.I.E.L.D. hunts another kid.

I hadn't read this Iron Man Annual before, but maybe I had seen it referenced, by or maybe with another book that came out a week later! From 1986, Iron Man Annual #8, "When Innocence Dies!" Written by Bob Harras, pencils by Paul Neary, inks by Ian Akin and Brian Garvey. Cover by Walt Simonson!

This was set during the earliest version of X-Factor, where the original five X-Men had a front as mutant hunters. They get involved in the search for Willie Evans, a young mutant with reality-altering powers, who had a little frog in a suit named Grunt encouraging him to act out. Willie had gotten abducted by the government, and taken to Project: Pegasus to be experimented on. Current Pegasus security head Michael "Guardsman" O'Brien isn't keen on that, and neither is Iron Man when he sees some of that on a visit to drop off a new project. When the inevitable superhero fight happens, there are of course hurt feelings on both sides: while Willie was dangerous and had accidentally-on-purpose hurt some people, that didn't mean he was now a lab rat, he still had rights...I'm sorry, I can't even finish that sentence. Even good soldier Michael is sick of this, and thinks they've stretched the definition of "national security" too far. I have bad news for him, about every year since then.

Nick Fury and Reed Richards get marginally involved in the search for Willie later; neither of them happy about it but not seeing how to de-escalate the situation, either. (Willie had appeared in an earlier issue of Fantastic Four.) Anyway, Grunt turns out to be a manifestation of Willie's own anger, a way for him to vent the guilt he felt over killing his mother. Willie turns on Grunt, killing it and himself; although a sad Grunt spends the end of the issue on Willie's grave, promising to make them pay...He hasn't yet, to the best of my knowledge, but I'm more worried about how this reminded me of another book: from a week later, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #118, "Ashes to Ashes" Written by Peter David, pencils by Mike Zeck, inks by Bob McLeod.

Because this was a Peter David book, there were more jokes here, starting with the Foreigner, disguised as a bum, stopping by to visit the Kingpin. They have a bit of lunch, and sniping with each other, as they discuss recent events in this title and Daredevil. ("Born Again" had just wrapped, I think.) They also hear an explosion downtown, which annoys the Kingpin, since he didn't have any scheduled: it was "orchids," to the Foreigner's ex-wife. I remain 100% convinced that was supposed to just be a throwaway joke, but later stories indicated his ex was Silver Sable!

But, the main point this issue, was young Alex Woolcot: his teacher catches up with Peter at the Daily Bugle. They had seen the boy was abused, and the boy's father had threatened them when confronted; and both had since disappeared. The teacher asks Peter to contact Spider-Man; snarkily, Peter asks, how? Signal-watch? This was 100% not his problem, he was trying to quit being Spider-Man, of course he's going to get involved. What they didn't know, though, was that Alex was right outside, and oh yeah, his dad was dead as hell. Monkeying around with his dad's weird science experiment ("What is your fascination with my forbidden closet of mystery?") Alex now had occasionally glowy-hands and disentegration powers. He gets spotted by the cops, who think he's a truant they can scare back to school, which of course leads to a blowed-up cop car. The cops call it in, with one suggesting X-Factor get involved, but someone else fields this one: some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who seem to be looking for glory while Fury was away.

Following the explosion, Spidey finds Alex, and quickly gets a sinking feeling what happened to his dad. There is another fun bit, as Spidey perches on a building he thinks was "abandoned" and scheduled for demolition; a common cliche then; only to find the building packed! S.H.I.E.L.D. shows up on the scene, with a helicopter full of Mandroids: Alex stands his ground, and fries one of those "dumb robots" before realizing there was a guy in there. (The bacon scent would be a clue! Ah, he'll live.) Lethal force is authorized, and Spidey has to help Alex escape, even though he doesn't think he can control him. Spidey's a bit of a scold, too; telling Alex he shouldn't have run; but Alex tells him he almost got sent to jail when he was six for stealing a superball, and last week he disentegrated his dad; what would they do to him for that? (Thank you, Scared Straight.) After getting the Mandroids to shoot each other, Spidey nearly has Alex calmed down, just in time for a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to empty his gun into Alex's back.

His Spidey-sense went off a little late there, but should it have gone off at all? He wasn't in danger! The agent driving is heard to say, Fury would have their heads; which feels like backpedaling: just a couple bad apples, right? And if you told me there was another comic that same month with another kid killed, I kinda wouldn't be surprised? Maybe at the scheduling, more than anything? I was thinking Fury might mention S.H.I.E.L.D.'s track record versus little kids, but that wasn't here, anyway. These were probably tapping into the times, the fear that kids were becoming killers; but Marvel maybe wasn't quite ready for that story with guns. Or, maybe kid death is a cheap and easy way to make your heroes feel bad, and not winning in the end was so adult, right? Ugh, I have to stop, before I find a Power Pack issue from that month with a double-digit body count... Read more!

This issue, the Massachusetts Academy loses their accreditation, from the looks of it.

It feels like three distinct circles: writers Marvel would like to write Howard the Duck, writers that would like to write Howard the Duck, and then writers that'll actually get to write Howard the Duck. It also feels like there should be maybe some overlap in those three circles, somewhere maybe? And yet, here we are: from 1996, Generation X #21, "To Live and Die and Molt in L.A." Written by Scott Lobdell, pencils by Chris Bachalo, inks by Joe Pimentel. 

Ugh, that title...I don't know if Lobdell was jumping up and down to use Howard, or if somebody in editorial decided he was no longer radioactive from his movie and should appear somewhere? Howard seems a little crankier than usual here, as he picks a fight in a dive bar that "don't serve ducks or muties," but he's being antagonistic on purpose, as he and Chamber are running a distraction for Skin. This was probably set up the previous issue, so it's not super clear here. 

Meanwhile, back at school, the rest of Generation X is taking a test, proctored by guest-star the Beast. M finishes her test early, but then spaces out, tears her test into pieces, and makes a remarkably detailed little origami house out of it. Beast suspects this isn't related to her mutant powers, as Sean and Emma had thought, but that M was autistic. Which, from the time this issue was published, is probably going to be played off as some Rain Man baloney.

An old man, which is pretty obviously Skin using his powers to disguise himself, visits his own grave to watch his mom and his gang boss mourn him. He doesn't elaborate to Chamber or Howard, though. Sure, whatever.

Also this issue: another U.S. Postal Service statement of ownership: Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months: 296,414. Single issue nearest to filing date: 304,658. And the credits note "In memory of Mark Gruenwald, dearly missed."

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"The Savage Sword of Solarr!" has a ring to it...ooh, maybe not.

I don't usually blog comics that are this recent, but this one does attempt to correct a most egregious error. That and I may be coming around on the whole Krakoa thing...from 2022, X-Men '92: House of XCII #3, written by Steve Foxe, art by Salva Espin.

This was the House/Powers of X stuff, except set in the animated X-Men continuity; so not a one-to-one comparison, but this was reading like an accelerated version. This issue was X of Swords, sort of, as longtime X-antagonist Arkon challenges Apocalypse and the mutants of Krakoa, with Arakko as the stakes. Apocalypse gathers Krakoa's mightiest; mostly X-Men from the series, plus Archangel, Psylocke, Shatterstar, the Silver Samurai, Nightcrawler, and--Solarr!? He's a deep cut, an old Captain America villain, killed off in Power Man & Iron Fist #113; but he had made an appearance in the X-Men cartoon! He's also there strictly to be jobbed; as Arkon has cheated and brought in ringers, including Apocalypse's old Horsemen, Sauron, Erik the Red, Juggernaut, Arcade, and Ms. Marvel! Apocalypse had known Solarr wasn't going to cut it, as it were; but it was a strategic move: sacrifice him, to show the rest not to hold back.

Nightcrawler doesn't get to do a whole bunch (except almost get friendly-fired by Storm!) but at least he's off the bench, since he wasn't tagged in for the regular X of Swords. Deadpool also makes a snarky cameo, piloting an animatronic Brood and wanting to get in before the Jubilee reveal. Beast is killed trying to warn the others: if killed on Polemachus, they resurrected weird; and Apocalypse faces the surprised Arkon, who is immeditately decapitated by Apocalypse's wife, Genesis. While some stay there, thousands of the Arakkii mutants return to Krakoa; and Silver Samurai, Solarr, and Beast are reborn, but off: Beast very strongly resembles the AoA Dark Beast, and seems to know of Jubilee. Professor X and Magneto suspect earth's governments aren't going to warmly embrace the mutant population doubling, but Magneto suggests maybe they should be done with earth...

There are aspects of the Krakoa era that I could care less about--again, why anyone would consider Apocalypse for the romantic lead is beyond me, and I don't know or much care about Arakko society. But it's an ongoing trainwreck: everything the mutants do has unforeseen--or completely predictable--consequences. The humans of the Marvel universe, who by and large spent literal decades spitting on mutants and laughing at their deaths, are now sore that mutants can come back from the dead and won't share. (I thought they couldn't share; but I doubt that distinction matters much.) Mankind also seems to warmly embrace the Eternals, for standing up to those muties; despite the fact the Eternals have not helped humanity noticeably in centuries? There's been a few points in the Krakoa era where mutantkind makes business or strategic moves, in their best interests, screw "humanity" and their hurt feelings; and I am 100% for it.

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It's the comic book equivalent of the Cloverfield Paradox, maybe.

In that, if you were reading comics 800 years ago in 1992, you almost certainly bought this, but does anyone remember it? X-Men Annual #1, "Shattershot, part 1: the Slaves of Destiny" Written by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Jim Lee (layouts), P. Craig Russell, Brian Stelfreeze, Adam Hughes, Stuart Immonen, Dan Panosian, Greg Capullo, and Mark Texeira; inks by P. Craig Russell, Brian Stelfreeze, Dan Panosian, Mark Texeira, Joe Rubinstein, and Harry Candelario. That was a way stronger creative lineup than I remembered for this; and one way too strong for such a creampuff of an annual. 

On Mojoworld, it's the last day of the rebellion, but not in a good way: Mojo has crushed the rebels, including capturing Quark (from the Longshot mini) but the "toymaker," Arize escapes, making a desparate extradimensional jump to earth. After some object lessons in the Danger Room, the Blue Team of X-Men is sent to scenic Afghanistan in search of a sudden alien appearance, and find Arize, who was not in great shape after the trip. A great deal is made of Spiral being the only one who could navigate the journey from Mojoworld to earth safely, but she doesn't appear here, even if she may have transported in the retrieval team Mojo has tasked with bringing back Arize. 

Despite including Gog and Magog (again from Longshot) and the brainwashed Quark, the retrievers do not fare well; with Wolverine rather callously stabbing one nobody to death. He and Psylocke seem to think the retrievers should resist Mojo, but they don't seem to have a lot of free will, and may also have hostages at home, as one cameraman tells Gambit. When the retrievers with names flee--which may involve Spiral, but isn't clear--Wolvie and Rogue nearly follow, but are stopped by Cyclops, who considers the mission complete. (Rogue and Wolvie are mildly steamed: Longshot had been missing for some time, and they angrily note he was their teammate, not Cyke's.) Back on Mojoworld, the ratings are great, but Mojo is a laughing-stock; and a shadowy figure watches and plots against him...  

I am virtually positive I had this back in '92, but had absolutely no recollection of it, and definitely hadn't read it in years. Also, I got the next chapter from the same quarter bin haul, and I'm not sure I had even seen it before, and Shattershot ran three more annuals? For some reason, I thought only two. I feel like I would've got the X-Factor Annual, but again it's like it's been wiped right out of my mind. Then again, '92 was a pretty fun year, so I may have some rough spots...

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"The End" Week: Dazzler #42!

Alison Blaire spends a good chunk of her last issue a prisoner; but I suppose there's every chance she spent long stretches of her book captured, a hostage, or unconscious. From 1986, Dazzler #42, "Curtain!" Written by Archie Goodwin, pencils by Paul Chadwick, inks by Romeo Tanghal, cover by Chadwick and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Ali's friends Beast, bounty hunter O.Z. Chase, and his cranky ex-smoker dog Cerberus have been following her trail back to Camp Silence; former home of a drug cult on the verge of gaining super-powers. They're attacked by a couple who remind me of the Dreadnoks, except maybe less entertaining or effective; while Dazzler is the unwilling guest of the cult leader Silence, who has Dazzler's mom to leverage into using her light--and her life--to finish giving the cultists powers. Silence's husband Dust had faced Dazzler before, taking over the body of her father; and Dazzler had left Dust to die as she raced to get to her mom.

Silence wasn't just her name, it was also an imperative: her own body only held together by will, she couldn't stand noise. Dazzler is forced to absorb noise and give her light to the cultists, one of whom recognizes her from seeing her open for a band. Oddly, the young man, Arthur Allan Smith, seemed to pick up a minor superpower after her show: he could make himself unnoticed and hide in plain sight. He was the child of a cult member, which gave him the potential for powers activated by Dazzler, but had a troubled life: he idolized her to a worrying degree, and worried even if Alison got out of this one, mutants were still feared and hated. What to do...

At what could be her final concert, Dazzler channels all her light into her mom in an attempt to save her. Beast, O.Z. and Cerberus fight the powered cultists; and Dazzler pulls out a trick she may not have used before or since: releasing sound contained within her as sound, not light. Silence, unable to hold herself together, dies; but Dust then reveals himself, having saved himself by taking over the body of one of his cultists. Now, he could take Alison's mom; or Dazzler herself. Or, he could if Dazzler's light didn't cleanse him. Dust makes a final grab at her, but Smith opens fire; later telling the police "I killed her to save her!"

The whole issue seemed to be building to deranged fan kills female star; but Smith had shot Dust, and took the rap for her 'death' to give her a chance at a clean start. (Prison didn't bother him, and he knows with his powers he could leave whenever.) Dazzler thanks them all, and Beast suggests maybe X-Factor...? Nah, I think she would next appear in Uncanny X-Men #214 and begin her stint there. Beast may or may not have been smitten with her, but it did not appear to work out.
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Is Atlantis done attacking? As done as it's gonna be...

So we started blogging Atlantis Attacks annuals June 2015, so it took me over four years to re-purchase or gather them all up; and yet this last one to go I actually had two of in my garage. At least two of...From 1989, Avengers West Coast Annual #4, "Gather Now Ye Seven Brides!" Story and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Terry Austin.

Because I've gone in absolutely no order, this is chapter twelve of fifteen: I think there was a New Mutants regular issue and a Marvel Comics Presents in there as well, but we're just focusing on the annuals and I don't think I ever had the other two. The Deviant Ghaur has gathered up and mesmerized seven unwilling brides for Set: She-Hulk, Andromeda, Dagger, the Scarlet Witch, Jean Grey, the Invisible Woman, and the believed-dead-at-the-time Storm. (This was during the Outback era for the X-Men, who appeared in the third chapter, but wouldn't appear again in this story. I don't think Storm was abducted that issue, but they didn't exactly help get her back, either! And I don't know if this was mandated by Claremont or X-Men editorial, but every time someone sees her, they're like "That looks like Storm--but she's dead!") Ghaur is annoyed to discover that Dagger was currently blind, which may be another setback: since the humans somehow refrained from slaughtering the Atlanteans, his blood sacrifice to bring back Set didn't go through. But there may be a workaround.

While the Avengers and the Thing meet and try to work out their next move, Ghaur sends the ladies on a fetch-quest for the mystic doo-dads he needs. They are all acting as themselves, except they have to obey Ghaur's orders, whether they like it or not. (And they don't!) A passing ship sees She-Hulk wrestling a giant squid thing, and calls in the Avengers. Iron Man is surprised when She-Hulk clocks him one, and has to stun her; later she rages trying to return to Ghaur. The Avengers opt to let her go, to lead them to Ghaur, which works: they fight their way through Ghaur's loyal Deviants and some of the brides, while Ghaur frantically tries to use the items and the other brides' powers to resurrect Set. Wonder Man destroys one of the doo-dads before it's fully charged, but thinking fast Ghaur has the Scarlet Witch use her probability-altering powers on it, so it would work. Beast makes a goal-line stand, trying to cram an iron gauntlet into the works, but too late! Set is reborn! Things look pretty bad for our heroes, and I'm not sure they would improve the next chapter, either. I know I threatened "you can sort them into order yourself," but here goes:

1. Silver Surfer Annual #2
2. Iron Man Annual #10
3. X-Men Annual #13
4. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #23
5. Punisher Annual #2
6. Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #9
7. Daredevil Annual #4 (It's really #5!)
8. Avengers Annual #18
9. New Mutants Annual #5
10. X-Factor Annual #4
11. Web of Spider-Man Annual #5
Twelve is this one, silly.
13. Thor Annual #14
14. Fantastic Four Annual #22

Also this issue: Wasp and She-Hulk rate the Avengers' hunks! A USAgent story, tying into last year's Evolutionary War annuals. A Firebird story, with some lunkhead Atlanteans trying to conquer the desert. And a Squadron Supreme-centric chapter of "The Saga of the Serpent Crown" that details the events just prior to their limited series.
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"Hiatus."

Some of today's strip is based on actual, factual, Marvel continuity--or at least hearsay about it--while the rest is nonsense I made up. Let's see if we can split them up.

Beast and Wonder Man are, of course, super bros; that I don't think ever get to hang out anymore. Everything has to be so serious all the time, and it's probably a problem for writers if Hank's invulnerable, super-strong, Nathan Fillion-level handsome pal is there when somebody is trying to start something. "Eek, Sentinels!...Simon?" "I got you, man!" Cue Wonder Man crushing giant robots into cubes and signing autographs for mutant kids while Hank sets up the barbeque.

It occurs to me Hank might be trying to protect Simon from having to be all 'woke' and alienating his audience; since Simon would definitely be on Twitter telling mutant-haters not to watch his movies or shows. I also forget how popular Simon is supposed to be as an actor right now: struggling B-lister, or America's sweetheart? Part of that is because I honestly can't remember the last Marvel comic I read with him. I know I was reading Uncanny Avengers for a while, but I think I lost track of it during a crossover, because I don't remember where Simon was disincorporated again and was trapped inside Rogue. At the last show I picked up (but haven't read yet) 2011's New Avengers Annual #1, where Wonder Man--rather out of left field--seems to decide the Avengers are a bad idea and maybe shouldn't be a team and he should settle the argument with his fists. (I remember blogs at the time calling that out of character, but at least one noted, not unlike his acting career, "It's work, man." Got to keep working it...)

I've never read Avengers Two, which I'd probably like. Stern and Bagley, although I think they're working too hard with plot: it should basically be the Hangover or Dude, Where's My Car? Well, maybe not; since I'm almost positive I've seen both of those but can't recall a bit of them.

Stunt-Master has had a TV show in the Marvel U. on multiple occasions--we saw Johnny Blaze doing a stunt for it last month. Legends of the Khonshu was part of Bendis's Moon Knight run; but there's no way that would be filmed in Hollywood, it would be filmed in Canada like Flash or Arrow. That's the 'hiatus' of the title too, the time between filming.

The younger, time-travelling Beast from that stretch of X-Men was learning magic at one point, possibly to try and reconcile the damage done to the timeline. I don't know how far he got. I also certainly don't see modern Hank having any aptitude for it, but it would possibly allow him to have a bit of fun, which he sure as heck doesn't get to in current books. For years he's had to fill the roles of 'adult' and 'science guy,' which hasn't left any room for hijinks or tomfoolery. I think he was allowed more fun when he was working on the Legacy Virus cure, and he wasn't allowed fun there. Last I saw he was one of the last X-Men, as most of the rest got sucked into the Age of X-Man crossover; but he wasn't playing with Cyclops and Wolverine's last gasp, clear-the-ledger team. (That still had a lot of members, and Dark Beast, for the science crap they needed...)

And lastly, I know Wonder Man has seen Dr. Strange perform legit magic more than once--the Infinity War for one--and I know he would've heard Wanda talk about him, but I'm not sure he'd be a believer. Didn't Dr. Strange hint 'Simon' might not even be real, in Avengers Disassembled? That 'chaos magic' wasn't a thing, and Wanda may have just brought to 'life' an imaginary version of Wonder Man. I don't know if I'd be a fan of someone who called me 'imaginary.' Well, maybe.


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