It's not really a random MCP issue if it's the next MCP issue, is it.

I mentioned picking this one up the last time we flipped through an MCP, and figured we'd get to it in 2027. So, we're ahead of schedule, anyway! From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #157, cover by Colin MacNeil.

I also thought the front cover had the bar code? Maybe not, judging from the text on the letters column on the inside cover, since a letter is continued on the other side; so maybe the Fury side is the front? "Jury of Your Peers" is an eight-pager, with Fury infiltrating a HYDRA base, to rescue agents captured by the sadistic "Number 16." With the Helicarrier bombing the base, it looks like Fury is trapped in the bad guy's dungeon...all according to plan? (Written by Mariano Nicieza, pencils by Kris Renkewitz, inks by Brad Vancata.)

The Namorita Kymaera serial continues with "Mother May I." Dehydrated and weakened, Kymaera has at least figured out she's on a sub, so hasn't given up yet; despite being grabbed by a guy in a powered armor with really weird tentacles. Seriously, like two launching from the nipple area and one from the gut; it's weird placement. (Story and pencils by Ed Lazellari, inks by Joe Rosas.) The Vengeance serial "Altered Spirits" also continues, as Michael Badilino wakes up in a homeless shelter, which comes as a relief: maybe all that stuff about being Bizarro-Ghost Rider was just a dream? Yeah, no such luck; and he realizes he's going to have to take his power back from Phantome, who's on a rampage, and memorably melts a guy's face off his skull, for holding her up in traffic. I feel like they were trying to work the formula to maybe add a female Ghost Rider-type, but she wouldn't stick. Also, Badilino helps restrain a homeless guy screaming "I am Kirok!" Hey, who among us... (Written by Chris Cooper, breakdowns by Reggie Jones, finishes by Fred Harper.)

Finally, the Shang-Chi serial also continues; as Shang discovers the "Midnight Slasher" that kidnapped his girl Leiko, was an old foe, Lazarus. It must suck in the MCU to meet and/or fight somebody named "Lazarus" because it all but guarantees they're going to come back after their "death," doesn't it? (Written by Karl Bollers, pencils by Cary Nord, inks by Bambos Georgio.)

Man, I wish I could find my Vengeance Marvel Legend figure: he's one of the very few from the Toy Biz days to not have gotten a re-do since! Read more!

It's been months since I blogged a random issue of Marvel Comics Presents, and I feel like we've seen some of the other serials in this one; but at least one story got my attention--achtung, you might say! From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #156, cover by Colin MacNeil.

We checked out MCP #158 some time back; which had later chapters from this one: here, we've got the first part of a Vengeance serial (as he gets his powers stolen by Phantome) and a Shang-Chi one with so many caption boxes; as well as the second part of a Namorita/Kymaera New Warriors story. (It gets labelled a New Warriors story on the cover, since Kymaera probably didn't have the name recognition at that point.) (Vengeance page from "Altered Spirits, part 1" Written by Chris Cooper, breakdowns by Reggie Jones, inks by Fred Harper.)

But, the standalone fourth story is the good one, featuring the Destroyer! Or, in German, der Zerstörer; as most of this one is auf Deutsch. And, it's from Dan Slott and James Fry, who also did the Destroyer in Midnight Sons Unlimited #9, this time with Mark Badger inks. There's some English from a bomber crew with impeccable taste, with "Union Jacquie" Spitfire on the nose of their plane!

Not a character that shows up a ton, but it feels like he has some creators as fans. Good for him! Also, I'm pretty sure I've picked up the next issue; which means we'll probably look at the Nick Fury story from it in 2027... Read more!

While I often pick up random issues of Marvel Comics Presents to blog later; this one I picked up because it had an interesting cover. One of them, anyway: the Vengeance/War Machine cover is almost interchangeable with the next issue's cover! I wasn't expecting the stories within to be...kind of grotty? From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #167.

Strangely enough, once again we blogged the next issue some time back, but I didn't even scan a page of the conclusion to the Spider-Woman serial? This issue is the second of three parts, and I think it wraps up pretty quickly in the next one, but this chapter is deeply creepy, as Julia Carpenter drives to pick up her daughter, while her stalker makes the same drive to kill her, shooting her in front of her daughter. She doesn't seem to have a secret identity anymore, so this happens immediately? Julia also has a completely human reaction to a gun in her face; that a guy super-hero would never ever have in a comic; and I think the stalker's face isn't shown the whole serial, to make the point that it could be anyone, but seems like its making him more than he was...I don't like this one. "The Great American Mall Shoot-Out, part 2 of 3," written by Nel Yomtov, pencils by John Czop, inks by Tim Dzon.

I don't know if he did any other comic work, but Paul Johnson did the cover I liked, and art for a Man-Thing serial: "Behold, the Man, conclusion" Written by Simon Jowlett, art by Paul Johnson. The Man-Thing rampages through the characters of a blocked writer, a writer named...Ted Sallis? Ted seemingly breaks through the illusion, returning to the reality of being a mindless swamp monster. Pyrrhic victory there.

"Old-Time Religion" sets up a War Machine vs. Vengeance fight, as a televangelist stirs up bad feelings, and gangs based on War Machine and Vengeance tear up Los Angeles. The "Revengers" are described as "wanting vengeance for the riots that swept L.A." which makes me think they might be kinda racist? Vengeance tries to talk them down, which fails miserably; although I'm not sure a Ghost Rider-type like that ever even tried talking things through before, but of course War Machine isn't interested in listening, either. (Written by Chris Cooper, breakdowns by Reggie Jones, finishes by Fred Harper.)

Lastly, the conclusion of a Turbo two-parter, guest-starring the Pantheon: they wanted to see if whoever wearing the Turbo-suit could be trusted with it, and while they don't think the guy Mike could, they're more impressed with the girl, Mickey. She was so much better at it, and still improving; while I think Mike would later be revealed to be a Dire Wraith or something. ("Cutting Class," written by Evan Skolnick, pencils by Guy Dorian, inks by John Stokes.) Read more!

I think I always start with the back cover.

The front cover has the bar code, right? Ah, let's just do this: from 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #158, opening with the ClanDestine preview "Scare Tactics" Written and penciled by Alan Davis, inks by Mark Farmer. Fighting an array of robots, youngsters Rory and Pandora are gung-ho, until they're crushed! The Hulk-ish Walter is furious with Woody Allen-lookalike Newton; since this was supposed to be a Danger Room-style training session to scare the kids out of superheroing, but they survive and thrive...which makes the rest of the family concerned they would be discovered. This issue might've been discovered by scalpers, after the ClanDestine's somewhat baffling appearance on Disney's Ms. Marvel show, but I wrote the rest of this post before that!

Next, Kymaera...you know, Kymaera? OK, Namorita, from when she was blue! She wasn't thrilled about it either, and was trying to get to geneticist Matrix to maybe get changed back. I'm not sure how exactly that was going to happen, or how she was going to convince Matrix to do that, since the cape-wearing drama queen scuttles her sub and abandons her crew to get away. Kymaera saves the crew and turns them over to the Coast Guard, but laments she may never be what she was...Of course she'd get changed back at some point there. ("Reversal of Fortune, part 4 of 4" Story and art by Ed Lazellari, inks by Joe Rosas.)

Under the other cover, we find yet another middle chapter of a Vengeance serial--good grief, I'll see how one ends someday. Michael Badilino has fallen prey to the old "give up my powers, oh wait, now they're being misused and I have to take them back" plot. Phantome is now rampaging through the city as a knockoff of Vengeance, which makes her a knockoff of a knockoff of Ghost Rider; while her old thug Gargantua tries to get Michael to save his boss and change her back. After she melts a homeless guy's face (!) and tries the same on Michael, he realizes he still has her powers; Phantome just manifested her own somehow. With multiple deaths (including Gargantua, apparently) she realizes she'd lost it, but with her and Vengeance surrounded by fuel cannisters on a burning pier, it may be too little, too late! ("Altered Spirits, part 3 of 4, Fire and Blood" Written by Chris Cooper, pencils by Reggie Jones, inks by Fred Harper.)

Lastly, the conclusion of a Shang-Chi three-parter, "The Gauntlet" Written by Karl Bollers, pencils by Cary Nord, inks by Bambos Gorgio. Shang manages to rescue Leiko, but is then drugged by Lazarus, then has a flashback to his childhood and another ordeal at the hands of Fu Manchu nope, he's just referred to as "my father" here, multiple times! Shang's dad tries to force him to kill and fails, but that doesn't save the victim. Shang comes back to end the gauntlet with the "silent shout," which doesn't seem to be one he uses often? Ever?

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By a very quick count, we've blogged 16 of 175 issues for Marvel Comics Presents: I don't have all of them, I don't want all of them, yet here we are. From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #162. 

The Tigra cover probably sold this one for me, as she begins a four-parter: "Slave of Passion" Written by David DeVreis, pencils by John Czop, inks by Pablo Marcos. (Czop also did the Tigra cover, Mark Pacella and Rey Garcia the Vengeance one.) A very 80's looking Tigra has been getting her head together in Australia, which involves riding a boar, as you do. But a creepy fat sultan sends his Reaver-knockoff looking men in search of "exotic" types for his harem, and they gun down a number of the Aboriginal Australians Tigra had been staying with. A good enough start, although I'm not sure if this is even close to what Australia should look like.

Next, and apparently flipped on the contents pages, the New Warriors in...ugh..."Smells Like Teen Spirit, part 4 of 5: If you can run out of time, can you walk out on the check?" Written by Fabian Nicieza, pencils by Robert Walker, inks by Scott Koblish. I really hate the title structures for this book: Main name, part whatever, chapter name. The chapter names aren't necessary, are they? Dr. Yesterday has brought soldiers from across time to New York City; although the Warriors don't seem to know why yet. Just like the last Warriors book we saw, Turbo and Mike Jeffries are front and center, along with Slapstick and special guest-star the Impossible Man, who seems to be smitten with Turbo. Yesterday reveals himself as a somewhat schlubby looking "chronal research specialist" who was dying of cancer, and decided to take the universe with him. Does that happen in other fields? Literary agent gets terminal disease, they don't try to implode the universe, is all I'm saying.

On the flipside, it's Vengeance vs. a giant spider in the subways, in "Diabolique, part 3 of 4, the Sorceress's Apprentice" Written by Chris Cooper, pencils by Reggie Jones, inks by Fred Harper. The spider is Zoraster, the pet of Diabolique, who doesn't look the part; she looks like a little French girl. But she's got creepy powers and wanted to be the apprentice of the current Sorceress Supreme, Salome! (Which puts this...maybe around Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #61? Looks like they didn't change the title for that stretch.) Not being the trusting sort, Salome doesn't want an apprentice: either she's too weak to bother with, or strong enough to be a threat later. But, perhaps a test of worthiness: kill Vengeance, since he followed Diabolique there.

Next, the penultimate chapter of Mace, "Origins" Written by Carl Potts, pencils by Barry Crain, inks by Hilary Barta and Philip Moy. There's ninjas, clones, healing factors, the Shadowmasters from that Punisher War Journal spinoff. It's like part 3 of 4 and I have no goddamn idea what's happening.

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With no dialog, you would've thought that was the Punisher, wouldn't you?

For reasons I won't go into yet, I'm trying to knock a bunch of posts out in a hurry: I use my blog to get to other sites, and don't like to see it stuck on the same post for too long. So without further ado, from 1994, Ghost Rider #49, "Darkness Within" Written by Howard Mackie, pencils by Ron Garney, inks by Tom Palmer. 

This felt a lot like that Simpsons episode with the Critic, a bit of a sell-out to try and give another property a little more credibility than it probably deserved. With the Ghost Rider M.I.A, the new Vengeance is administering the street justice today, although his alter-ego Michael Badilino is starting to wonder what he's becoming. Frustrated, he decides to try and take some personal time off; which we all know isn't going to happen. Starting his vacation at the Cypress Hills cemetery probably wasn't a great choice either, but he realizes he's being watched--by the Hulk?

In classic Marvel-misunderstanding fashion, Vengeance assumes the Hulk was working for his bad guy, Hellgate--oh, come on, that's just being willfully obtuse--and starts a fight. Hulk was just kind of looking for his former FF teammate Ghost Rider, and anyway had a bachelor party to go to later, and too bad, we're doing this thing. Without looking, I'm going to say...four page fight, after the initial shot?

Oh, so close: including a surprising kick to the Hulk's crotch from Vengeance, it's four pages only if you count an interlude page with two armored goons, who actually did work for Hellgate, discussing how they have to capture Vengeance. Fearing the Hulk was going to kill their target, one of the goons takes a shot at him, while his companion yells the Hulk was "just posturing!" They nearly capture Vengeance, before the Hulk bats them over the horizon line with a lamp post; in a shot that looks like Team Rocket is blasting off again! Wait, the fight with the goons goes two more pages after that; and presumably ends with...it's not clear if the goons ran off, were beaten into compost, recanted their evil ways and joined a monastery, or what? Maybe the lamppost bit should've been later. 

Hulk and Vengeance have a pleasant chat afterwards, recapping what maybe happened to the Ghost Rider, who was currently having his skull reignited or something. Hulk asks if Vengeance wants to join him for the bachelor party, and Vengeance declines, which means he missed out on Incredible Hulk #417! His loss.

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Can I get more Ghost Rider guest-spots? No, we have Ghost Rider at home!

Ghost Rider at home:

Oh, you know I love Vengeance! And random-ass issues of serial anthologies. From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #153, opening with, "Dangerous Games, part 2 of 4: Urban Safari" Written by Chris Cooper, breakdowns by Reggie Jones, finishes by Fred Harper. The Big Game Posse nearly killed Vengeance's cop friend Rebecca, and later kidnap rookie hero Annex (from the pages of Spider-Man, for some reason) is captured by the Posse, who intend to use him as bait to hunt "Ghost Rider." (Vengeance was not widely known by name, in-story.) The Posse is interrupted by Sam Buchanan from Darkhold, who wants to use Annex's technology with the anti-supernatural "Linda" weapon from Nightstalkers! That's like three deep cuts in an eight-pager, making Vengeance look like a big star in comparison.

Next up, "Hung Jury, part 2 of 3," written by Chuck Dixon, art by J.J. Birch. Moon Knight and Marlene investigate the Pretorians, a gang trying to influence a trial by extorting the jury. Marlene does the detective work, which Marc acknowledges is most of the job, while busting heads. Not bad.

On the flip side of the comic, somebody finally got to use the title "Logan's Run." (Written by Nel Yomtov, pencils by Phil Hugh Felix, inks by Rey Garcia.) Wolvie is chasing after his kidnapped friends from early in his solo book, Tyger Tiger and Archie Corrigan. But this is post-Fatal Attractions, so is Logan up to it? A burly thug isn't giving him the leads, so Logan appears to be on the verge of popping his claws through that guy's face!

Finally, we get War Machine, in "The Dying Game, part 2 of 4, Taking Care of Business" Written by Len Kaminski and Scott Benson, pencils by John Czop, inks by Tim Dzon. This was leading up to his solo book, as he investigated high-tech guns hitting the street. With four eight-page chapters, I feel like this could've just been his first issue; but maybe needed the build-up. Read more!

Black Panther vs. Sabretooth sounds like a helluva fight. MAYBE THEY SHOULD'VE PUT IT IN THE COMIC.

This was a bi-weekly series, and still had over a year's worth of issues in it at this point. Somehow. From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #148. 

 

The lead story was the only continuing serial this issue, and this was the conclusion of only a two-parter. On top of the Statue of Liberty, Vengeance faces off with...ugh...Psiphon. He had some tubes sticking out of him, that allowed him to feed on "strong, negative emotion," and Vengeance was a friggin' smorgasbord for him, until he changed back into his human form, leaving Psiphon a shriveled wreck. For some reason, Badilino seemed to return in the buff; but he still kicks Psiphon off the Statue. Still, the story ends with a new player set on Vengeance: it looks like Johnny Blaze in his 90's gruff phase, but the narration says he's Sam Buchanan, from the short-lived Darkhold book! (I remember wanting to like that one, but it was inconsistent and mired in crossovers from day one.) ("Tower of Blood, part 2 of 2: Vengeance Forsaken!" Written by Chris Cooper (Buchanan's creator!), breakdowns by Reggie Jones, finishes by Fred Harper.

Next, a Captain Universe story: "Hearts and Minds" Written by Dan Slott, pencils by Bill Wiley, inks by Bud LaRosa. Former baseball great Elijah Jackson has been brought low by advanced age and senility, with his daughter forced to sell his cherished mementos to pay the bills. Still, when some thugs try to rob her, he manifests as Captain Universe briefly to save her, and try and tell her he was still in there somewhere. That's kind of a downer, but it's probably the high point of this issue! 

On the flipside, there's a Black Panther and Sabretooth cover. Only one problem: no Sabretooth in this story! "Triumph of the Hunter," plot and art by Don Hillsman, script by David DeVries. In a (somewhat generic) jungle, Black Panther, briefly accompanied by a black panther, tracks what he thinks could be poachers, but it's some kind of kidnapping/arms deal gone wrong, with a Sabretooth Life Model Decoy! Which doesn't appear until the seventh page and gets its head kicked off the very next panel on page eight! I didn't think the art was too bad, but there's a pacing problem there. 

Lastly, "500 Guns" features American Eagle, who I have a soft spot for from Marvel Two-in-One Annual #6. Which was also drawn by this story's artist, Ron Wilson, but this one...is not good. I had to look up if this was the same Ron Wilson, but per his wiki, this might've been the last MCP story he did: He had been contributing to the book for five years, here and there. This reminded me a bit of later Herb Trimpe work, where an old pro was getting pushed to deliver work more in the "hot" style of the time.

Not great, but not a total loss: I have a sudden urge to have that evil midget from Darkhold make an appearance. Where's my Dr. Psycho figure...

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We saw the previous issue two years back so the suspense has probably built up enough, right? From 1994, Marvel Comics Presents #169.

The Vengeance/War Machine serial concludes here, after only three parts? That doesn't seem like enough; and I had thought the artist had changed as well, since Vengeance's imitators the Revengers now look more formidable and Vengeance less so. With his armor not in tip-top shape, Rhodey worries he may accidentally kill someone if he fights it out hand-to-hand; but some supporting cast members I don't recognize were working on a countermeasure to shut down the drugs the Revengers used to gain super-strength. Vengeance himself talks them down, seemingly fed up with killing and well, vengeance. While War Machine doesn't think stopping the Revengers lets Vengeance off the hook for his crimes, Vengeance agrees, but isn't going to be stopped, either, as he decides to put things right. Meanwhile, a TV preacher and an obvious CIA spook-type lament the loss of Vengeance as a public relations weapon against superhumans, and plot to correct that...("Fallen Idols" Written by Chris Cooper, breakdowns by Reggie Jones, finishes by Fred Harper.)

Next...hey, what's that scraping noise? The bottom of the barrel? Ah, I don't know that anybody was clamoring for an It, the Living Colossus story; but it's hardly the worst story I've ever seen in MCP. Special effects guy Bob O'Bryan had built a new version of It himself; but found that a former assistant was stealing his work with his own robot. A giant robot throwdown ensues, although the main blow landed is that O'Bryan's early work was pretty derivative itself, and that's just Hollywood: everybody steals, and only the box office will judge them. I don't know if that's the best lesson for a strip obviously intended to keep that copyright, but okay. ("Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots" Written by Barry Dutter, art by Jose Fonteriz.)

The flipside of the issue is crossover territory, with what is ostensibly a Force Works serial but is really the first of a Mandarin two-parter, setting up the Hands of the Mandarin crossover. I had to go check my bookshelf, since I knew I had the trade (cheap, from my dearly departed Hastings) and didn't remember this. The Mandarin doesn't even get on the cover of the trade, either; but why should he? Here, an inner voice that may not be his own tries to guide him to a new destiny, but man, hasn't Iron Man crushed you, and a lot? ("In the Hands of the Mandarin, part 1 of 2" Written by Len Kaminiski and Scott Benson, pencils by Patrick Rolo, inks by Reggie Jones.)

The second chapter is more Force Works, a Century chapter: while fighting mysterious monsters in Hong Kong, the enigmatic alien regains a piece of his missing memory--then splits, seemingly leaving Spider-Woman to die! That was actually in that trade as well; I may have to re-read the whole thing, then. (Written by Dan Abnett, art by Lawrence Brown.)
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