There's a splendid example of Dire Wraith-dom on the cover of this one, but mostly I'm struck about how this Avengers roster feels powerful, yet also designed to cause problems in-story: I can almost hear Cap trying to work through it. "We've got four members that can fly, but only one of them can carry anything while flying...and it's the space pervert." (OK, Cap probably never really took to Starfox, but he probably didn't call him that. Probably.) From 1984, the Avengers #244, "And the Rocket's Red Glare!" Written by Roger Stern, pencils by Al Milgrom and Carmine Infantino, inks by Joe Sinnott.

The current Avengers roster was on a little boat trip, but despite the encouragement of Jan and Starfox it wasn't a pleasure cruise: the Dire Wraiths had been sabotaging recent launches at Kennedy Space Center. These were the Wraith "Rocketeers," possibly the last of the science-oriented Wraiths, as the sorcery-types had taken over and wiped out most of the others. The Rocketeers wreck another rocket, then manage to escape as a third-party deploys a mysterious gas that even delays the Vision, who is later furious--furious by synthezoid standards, anyway--at the failure right out of the gate in his chairmanship of the team. (Jan had recently given up the chair, so she seems to be flighty again without that responsibility; although I also figure she does that to Steve on a regular basis: "Good lord, what are you wearing? Take that off, right now. And the pants.")

The Rocketeer-Wraiths realize the Wraith Sisterhood had assisted them, but only in hopes of drawing them out. Still, they were going to stick with their plan, and had wristwatch sensor-jammers to keep them from being detected. That almost works, but the Vision has better eyes than that, and can see them. (From the art, it's unclear if Vision can see the Wraiths' true form, or just a distortion giving them away.) While the Avengers give them the what-for, with Wanda revealing their Wraith-forms; the head scientist/lead Wraith makes a break for it, in a rocket with a cobbled-together FTL drive. Which, one of the Wraiths notices, looked like it was about to explode, and the Wasp was on that rocket...

There was a fun bit in the opening, where Captain Marvel (Monica, still my Captain!) is pretty enthusiastic about being on a boat: she had been harbor patrol before getting powers. Although, in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, she also appeared in a very distracting bikini, which she seemed unwilling to do here around Starfox...(Actually, her super-suit might've been the only clothes she had that would change when she did, so...) And, subplots galore, as Hawkeye and Mockingbird arrive on the west coast; and Quicksilver arrives at Bova's cabin, finding it leveled. Read more!

Backfill, in the mighty Marvel manner!

I've mentioned this before, and it's probably a pre-Crisis reader's problem; but every time there's a storyline where the timeline is altered, I think something like "...and in the new timeline, earth was destroyed in 1973, when Captain Man wasn't there to stop Hateface in Tales to Admonish #413." This probably dates back to the Challenge of the Super-Friends episode "Secret Origins of the Super-Friends," where the Legion of Doom travels back in time to throw various wrenches in the origins of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Superman: in the altered present, a "Superman Day" parade becomes a "Hawkman Day," and I swear there's no timeline where he's ever looked happier.

But, hadn't Superman saved earth from asteroids and meteors and such, like dozens of times? Hawkman wouldn't have been set up for that, and earth would've been pulverized at some point. Take out the wrong load-bearing piece, and the whole thing'll collapse before you even get to a new present time. Let's see if that happens here!

From 1995, X-Men Chronicles #1, "Origins" Written by Howard Mackie, pencils by Terry Dodson, inks by Klaus Janson.

This is maybe what X-Men #1 would have been, in the Age of Apocalypse. Instead of being Jean Grey's introduction to Xavier's school, this was Mystique dropping Rogue off at Magneto's training base at scenic Wundagore Mountain. Magneto worked his mutant students hard, with a "Killing Zone" simulator instead of a Danger Room; but also waded in there with them: he was a bit more 'lead from the front' than Xavier. Feeling the students were perhaps a bit sheltered, he introduces them to some new dangers, with new member Weapon X, Logan.

Meanwhile, instead of Magneto attacking an air force base, in this timeline the Heralds of Apocalyspe attack it: Gideon, Candra, War, Death, and Sabretooth. Magneto leads the X-Men into battle, leaving his daughter Wanda in charge; neither realizing that Nemesis was approaching. As they leap from their damaged aircraft, Magneto wonders if they're ready: his X-Men seem gung-ho, but unaware of the stakes.

Back at Wundagore, Rogue and Wanda defend the younger mutants from Nemesis: Rogue had absorbed, perhaps permanently, the powers of Polaris, so she was able to fly. And at the air force base, Sabretooth is horrified that Apocalypse actually intended to use nuclear weapons, and Apocalypse orders the others to attack him. (With little prompting: Sabretooth was not particularly likable.) He's contained in a telekinetic bubble by Candra when the X-Men arrive, and manages to talk his way back onto the team: maybe he still dies, maybe he proves himself to Apocalypse. Sabretooth gives some strategy to the others, then throws down with Weapon X. While the other Heralds are defeated, Sabretooth is disabled with a severed spine. Somewhat surprisingly, Apocalypse orders his Heralds, save Sabretooth, back to him; I thought he would leave them to sink-or-swim. Apocalypse's Ship was going to open fire, but Magneto stops it, yet can't keep Apocalypse from leaving.

And at Wundagore, while she managed to save the others (and I'm pretty sure Nemesis was messed up but would live) Wanda was mortally wounded. She tells Rogue, that her father would need a friend, and Rogue promises to be there for him. Wanda probably didn't intend that to mean "please hook up with my dad," but sure. Also, we only see Quicksilver briefly after Wanda dies, but already he seems to have a less-weird relationship with her than in our world. 

I had thought this was a late addition-slash-cash grab, after Age of Apocalypse turned out to be a huge success, but these two issues of X-Men Chronicles replaced the usual quarterly X-Men Unlimited, so maybe they were always part of the game plan. There was another title, X-Universe, that followed some of the usual Marvels through the AoA, where I think they were by-and-large chewed up and spit out; and I also wonder if that was always planned or a later add.

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The overall effect is like Wanda declined a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award.

It's weird that Marvel decided they should name a title after their in-universe Necronomicon, and it's weirder that for copyright reasons they're probably going to publish something under that title every so often from now on: there were a bunch in 2021-2022. It's maybe weirdest that thanks to the movies, it's not completely inconceivable that someone might have heard of it! This issue, probably not so much. From 1993, Darkhold: Pages From the Book of Sins #7, "Day of Infamy" Written by Chris Cooper, pencils by Rurik Tyler, inks by Bud LaRosa.

A fairly typical Marvel-misunderstanding brawl between the "Darkhold Redeemers" and Modred the Mystic versus the Scarlet Witch, Agatha Harkness, and Doctor Strange; gets out of hand when they are dive bombed by Japanese Zeros, as in the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Which they point out later, wasn't near Maui!) Wanda stops one of the Zeros, which explodes into a torrent of slime--excuse me, "mnemonic ectoplasm." As Harkness explains how the goo resonates with the human mind and could be potentially limitless, Modred tells them good luck with that, and moves to bail. Strange then tells him he can't, he's under contract; or rather geas. Strange had tricked him: while Modred was bleeding, he swore at Strange that he wouldn't "leave this soil 'till I'm driven hence in defeat!" This is what trash-talking gets you.

The series regulars, the "Darkhold Redeemers"--Montesi, Buchanan, and Professor Hastings--try to find the Darkhold page presumably at the heart of the problem; while Wanda hits the ectoplasm with a hex, that could have an unpredictable effect. Modred goes for a drastic solution, then: if the volcano on Maui were to blow, and everyone on the island were dead, the ectoplasm wouldn't have any memories to react off of, and problem solved!

The Redeemers find an old man, a soldier who was bitter that after all the death he had seen, now the Japanese "were taking over!" Confronted by the horror he was causing, he reins it back in, remembering the dwarf that gave him the Darkhold page, who I don't think the Redeemers had seen before. He dies, and the slime recedes. Presumably, Strange takes care of the volcano, and now the heroes realize the Redeemers were on the side of good...if untrained, largely powerless, and completely outgunned. Still held by the geas, Modred is left trapped on Maui--oh, my heart bleeds--while Strange acknowledges he would probably figure out how to free himself sooner or later. And on the flight home, Buchanan claims to have an idea, how to gather up all the loose pages of the Darkhold, in one fell swoop...I have my doubts. Buchanan was very much the Scully of the group, so I'm not sure where he's going there, and the next issue-box teases "Betrayal, part one!" Modred didn't count, so there were only three characters, and one betrays the others? Feels too early in the game for that, too. 

We've seen horror stuff from Rurik Tyler before; but I remember him mostly for What The--?! strips. Still, Darkhold fell into the same trap as Warheads: starting with an artist with a really distinctive look, then losing them almost immediately.

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I'm still surprised he hasn't turned up in the MCU--no, not Korvac.

After all, Korvac doesn't get the cover this issue, even as he draws "First Blood!" From 1978, Avengers #168, written by James Shooter, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Pablo Marcos.

The Avengers were returning from the S.H.I.E.L.D. space station, with most of the original Guardians of the Galaxy visiting from the future: Vance Astro had to stay on the Guardians' ship in space, since if he encountered his younger self it would have bizarre effects, between his psychokinetic powers and time distortion. The Quinjet returns to Avengers' Mansion, to find the alarms going off--all of the alarms. Even though the house was probably soundproofed, it feels like it'd be heard in a six-block radius. The team finds their rooms searched and tossed, as well as Jarvis tied up, by government-issue asshole Henry Peter Gyrich. Gyrich was from the National Security Council, and felt the team was maybe abusing, or not deserving, their "A-1 security clearance," possibly because he was able to get in through a big-ass hole in the wall. Even when Gyrich has a point, he's still a colossal dick: it's generally impossible to take his side, ever. He also harps on the team members that didn't have security clearance (Wonder Man!) as well as the four new weirdos. (For the Guardians, this is like when you were a kid, at a friend's house, and they get chewed out by their folks.)

Captain America and Iron Man had not been getting along at this point, and Cap calls Shellhead on "treating your chairmanship like a part-time job!" Cap didn't know Iron Man's secret identity at that time (I think Thor was the only team member that maybe did know?) and considered him "moonlighting," since being Tony Stark's bodyguard had to be a full-time job. When it comes to blows, the Scarlet Witch steps in, pointing out the team might not have had a great batting average lately, but Cap hadn't been hitting on all cylinders himself. (To mix some metaphors!)

Hawkeye and the time-displaced Two-Gun Kid make a brief appearance, where Two-Gun mysteriously disappears. Back at Avengers' Mansion, Starhawk has also disappeared: the other Guardians were kind of used to him taking off on his own, and don't seem especially concerned. They should be. As Aleta--half of Starhawk--she visits a nondescript home in Forest Hills, home of Carina and Michael...Korvac. Both Starhawk and Korvac had cosmic-level perceptions, and recognized each other immediately. Starhawk was gambling Korvac wasn't yet ready for him; while Korvac recognized Starhawk as one of the few that could perceive him, and had to head that off. The fight was more than merely physical, stretching into astral planes; although locally it did a number on the weather and triggered Peter Parker's Spider-sense. (This might've been the first time some big cosmic scuffle triggered that!)

Korvac manages to defeat Starhawk on multiple fronts, triggering further cosmic shocks felt by Doctor Strange, Captain Mar-Vell, and the Silver Surfer; before Korvac kills him. It's a clean victory for Korvac, since while those few heroes felt something off, none of them--or the higher powers of the universe--yet knew he was there. To keep his presence secret, he then resurrects Starhawk, exactly as he (and Aleta) was, except for one minor change: Starhawk would not remember this encounter, nor would he be able to perceive Korvac later. (Colossal plot point siren sounds!) Korvac's plan would continue, and this plotline wouldn't wrap until #177, although there was a fill-in or two in there. Read more!

"The End" Week: Marvel Super Action #37!

You might feel, the last issue of a reprint title? Who cares? But for a lot of years, these were the only way to read these stories without tracking down expensive back issues; and some of my first Avengers reads were from this series: from 1981, Marvel Super Action #37, reprinting 1970's Avengers #76, "The Blaze of Battle... the Flames of Love!" Written by Roy Thomas, pencils by John Buscema, inks by Tom Palmer.

This was the second part of the first appearance of Arkon the Imperion, who by this point had kidnapped a bunch of nuclear scientists and the Scarlet Witch, in an effort to destroy earth to recharge the energy rings that gave heat and light to his world, Polemachus. It would set the pattern for most of his later appearances: even with the best of intentions, Arkon always chooses the most violent way available to do something, and usually tries to kidnap a babe while he's there. The Avengers are trying to use a "d-machine" to travel to Polemachus after him, but haven't licked their power source problem yet; much to the irritation of Quicksilver, who wants his sister back. And because things weren't melodramatic enough, the Black Widow returns, but only to break up with Goliath, tearfully telling him she never loved him. 

Arkon intends on keeping the Scarlet Witch as his bride, and uses "the Ultimate Persuader!" to suck nuclear secrets out of one of the scientists, which cows the others. They make what looks like an atomic superball for him, that when thrown at the right spot on earth, will destroy it but keep the lights on in Polemachus for centuries. Arkon lies to Wanda, telling her the scientists figured out how to not blow up earth, but she still had to stay. Picking a flower, Wanda admits she could almost be attracted to Arkon, if he wasn't so cold and unfeeling. (And smelly. There has to be an almost-visible musk cloud following that guy around.) But no time for love, as the Avengers arrive! With Thor's help, they had been able to get there; either with or without the d-machine. Arkon's barbarian army is no match for an A-list Avengers team that was fighting mad, but his vizier advises, lose the battle but win the war: blow up earth, that'll learn 'em. Wanda realizes Arkon had lied to her, but gets dragged with him as he uses his golden thunderbolts to travel to the Empire State Building. 

Thor was able to get four Avengers back to earth quickly: Goliath, Black Panther, Vision, and Quicksilver. And they make a fairly poor showing, stopped one-by-one; with Arkon finally getting Goliath in a brutal judo-like hold. But, before Goliath is forced to tap out, the vizier sends a floating-head message: no need to blow up earth after all. Thor and Iron Man were able to recharge Polemachus's rings--at least for now! Arkon confesses to the Scarlet Witch, the trips back-and-forth from earth and Polemachus should have restored her mutant powers, so he couldn't force her to marry him, and he disappears as the other Avengers return. Still, with a flower as a keepsake, Wanda seems to ponder what could have been. 

Arkon is such a dick; I can't stand him. So of course I'd love a Marvel Legend of him!

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Maybe this interview is full of secrets for the last episode? Probably not, but you never know!

The conclusion of WandaVision is on today, so I'm turning off everything to avoid spoilers! (Unless I accidentally wake up at four in the morning; which I think I actually did for the last episode of  the Mandalorian...) So, why not enjoy this interview with Steve Englehart on his Vision and the Scarlet Witch limited from Marvel Age #29? Especially since I randomly found it over the weekend while looking for something else...

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For good measure, and because of course I'd post this, a clip from the same issue of Dave Cockrum's Nightcrawler #1!

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He's bulging with what could be muscles!

Do you really want to pick a fight with a construction worker in the Marvel universe's New York City? I mean, the whole city is probably being rebuilt from some super-hero fight or another all year, 24-7. Guy's probably built like a...and I can't think of a way to finish that sentence without swearing. Well, let's just get into my coverless copy here of Avengers #114, "Night of the Swordsman" Written by Steve Englehart, pencils by Bob Brown, inks by Mike Esposito.

The Scarlet Witch is not in a great mood here; as anti-mutant panic was up, and her brother Quicksilver had basically bagged out, having just married Crystal and gone to live with the Inhumans. Wanda also wasn't sure where her relationship with the Vision was going: although he had recently recovered from injuries (damage?) she takes offense Cap and Iron Man pointing out he was an android, different from them. Storming out of Avengers Mansion, she is accosted by a construction worker, and lets him have it; namely, a hex blast. That doesn't seem to do much, or at least enough; but she gets an assist from Mantis, who leaves his ass unconscious on the street.

Back at the mansion, Cap is a hard case, pointing out Mantis is a security risk. And he's less thrilled to see her bringing the Swordsman! After having betrayed the Avengers multiple times, Swordy had fallen on hard times and hard drinking; before Mantis took an interest in him and turned him around. Cap is unconvinced, but Wanda wants to give him a chance; which I think is less that she believed in him than was sick of Cap and the other guys making all the calls. The other Avengers seemingly agree, offering Swordsman probationary status. Mantis would hang out, but wasn't particularly interested in membership; at least yet.

The Swordsman fights alongside Thor for a few days--fighting no one of any real importance. It might've been nice if that had been seen in Thor's book, but no go. He seems on the verge of going bad while sparring with the Vision and Black Panther, but stays true. Later, when the team sees a news report of Hawkeye (fighting Zzzax with the Hulk!) Swordsman doesn't lavish praise on his former pupil, calling him a grandstander: true, but Cap wonders if maybe Swordy just didn't want Hawkeye around. Cap writes that off as paranoia, although he'd feel differently if he saw Mantis and Swordman summon...the Lion God! Which had attacked the team just two issues prior, although I don't think I'd ever seen him. He had something against the Panther, and promises Mantis and Swordsman "the warm glow of my gratitude!" Could've at least offered a gift card, particularly since Mantis takes down Thor with a surprise neck-strike!

The Avengers are felled quickly, and the Lion God plans on burning the Panther at the stake; before the Swordsman and Mantis hypnotize him with "psychedelic blade-work" and Mantis's dancing! Um...hmm. The Lion God is captured in an adamantium cylinder, for Thor to get rid of him later; as Swordy and Mantis explain she had sensed the Lion God's "malignant force" and knew they couldn't beat him, so set this trap; having no time to warn the suspicious Avengers beforehand. All's swell that ends swell; although Cap still wonders if this was a blind, setting them up for a later betrayal...

I think this was Mantis's second appearance? Like the Lion God, she first appeared in Avengers #112. Englehart really, really liked her. I'm kind of surprised she had an issue off. Oh, and today's title? From Futurama, of course!

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This weekend, do something that makes you as happy as this kid.

I don't know if I'll enjoy the Ultimate Batcave as much as that kid; but I'm not certain I'll ever enjoy anything as much as that kid. Said Batcave was marked down to $25 at Wal-Mart, so of course I grabbed it. Even if the Wife doesn't think I have room for it. (Looks around.) Maybe, but that's never stopped me before!

We also got Scarlet Witch from the Comic Book Shop, and completed the Build-a-Figure Abomination! She came with his head, and it has the grossest texture of bumps. We had picked up the rest of the Abomination's series from Amazon, and from there just yesterday also got the DC Multiverse Suicide Squad Captain Boomerang for under eight bucks. Which means I have two-thirds of Killer Croc. More parts in the drawer! Including a couple of Ghostbusters pieces, since Peter and Ray were on clearance with the Batcave; but I haven't got around to opening them yet. The Wife isn't big on toys, but was game for the Collect-and-Connect Ghostbusters logo figure, if I can find Egon and Winston. She may have to settle for the red anti-logo...

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I don't know why Simon is rocking the Cable/Longshot one glowy eye, though.

Even though I think the first two issues were stronger than the rest of the series, Infinity War remains one of my favorite Marvel crossovers. So much so, that I'm still picking up tie-in issues for it twenty-some years later; albeit out of the severely discounted bin. From 1992, Wonder Man #14, "Infinite Memory" Written by Gerard Jones, pencils by Jeff Johnson, inks by Dan Panosian.

One of the things I love about the Infinity War tie-ins, is seeing the events from the main series through the lens of the hero of the tie-in. Before this issue, I could barely have confirmed Wonder Man was in Infinity War--I actually had to go back through the tag, and sure enough, he's in the background or the group shots more than once. But I definitely didn't think he did much more than throw a punch or two, and yeah, in the main story he probably didn't. Here, though, we see what those punches, and the whole experience, meant for Simon Williams. More than you'd think!

Along with being a long-time Avenger with powers near the level of Thor or Hercules, Simon Williams also wanted to be an actor in Hollywood. Which makes it seem like he was acting the role of invulnerable flying brick--in the regular title, Wonder Man seemed fine--while up close in this issue the cracks are far more apparent. His ionic powers had been erratic, seemingly affected by his moods, which were also erratic. Simon also seemed to wonder (so to speak) if he was still human, or something less, since gaining his powers and returning from the dead; while at the same time feeling all-too-human remorse over his past. His encounter with an Infinity Doppelganger earlier has him questioning, is he really Simon Williams, or just energy in his shape pretending to be human?

Simon even drags Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, away to ask her about it. In a panicked, dickish fashion.

Somehow, the next panel isn't Wanda bitch-slapping Simon; but I kind of have the feeling she was less a character in this series than a crush-object, a goal. This was Simon's title, not hers.

With the bulk of the crossover moving along without him, all Simon can do is resolve to settle things with the Magus and his Doppelganger. Elsewhere, a group of people exposed to ionic energy are starting to come together; a subplot that I know would come back years later in Kurt Busiek's Avengers. This wasn't my favorite IW crossover--and how weird would that be, if it had been, so many years later? But there was more going on with Wonder Man than you would guess at first glance.

An unexpected bonus: Lorna Dane, Polaris, in her X-Factor uniform from my favorite run of that character: when she seemed settled and ready for full-time super-heroing, without being mind-controlled or obsessed with Havok or bulimic or any other nonsense. I wouldn't have considered that she and Simon would be on a first-name basis, unless they were introduced during this event. Simon has a moment of guilt when he worries how he would feel if Warlock killed Lorna, or Storm, or Wanda...they aren't exactly helpless little flowers, man. It would be fun to write Simon being interested in Lorna, then finding out her relation to Wanda: that would generate some drama, I think.
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"Campbell."

I don't know if the Magic: the Gathering "Black Lotus" card would have ever been an uncut sheet, but that particular card is absurdly valuable. And that's about the extent of my Magic knowledge. The figures might have got more of an appearance here, but they are that rare mixture of articulated yet somehow unposeable...In the same vein, I bought the Funko Legacy Rocketeer figure last week, and friggin' love it, except some of the joints appear to be clear plastic, which could be more brittle, which makes me worry that I'm going to move it wrong and shatter the hell outta it.

For some reason, I imagine the Scarlet Witch is weirdly defensive about her mystic skills, as opposed to her mutant powers--I don't think she was trained since birth in the mystic arts or anything. In fact, her magic powers may vary wildly depending on the writer; but I'd say several other Marvel witches--Amanda Sefton, Jennifer Kale, Satana--probably outclass Wanda in training, if not natural ability. Then again, I'm not sure I've willingly paid money for a comic with the Scarlet Witch since the end of Kurt Busiek's run on Avengers, so what do I know?

Black Cat was going to make more of a stink about the suicidal lunacy of cosplaying in Marvel's New York City, since that seems like a really good way to catch an accidental crossover. Which probably wouldn't end well for someone without superpowers...
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