"Advice."

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"Ditch."

Why is Jack Russell wearing a lab coat...? Because he landed the coveted role of Dr. Canus, in a Kamandi strip that I apparently never got around to doing. Werewolf by Night, like the rest of his brethren from the Marvel Legends Monsters box set, has not received a new figure, putting him on the increasingly short-list of Toy Biz figures that have not been updated. (I did see some Universal-style monsters figures from Jada Toys in my search, though!) Jack is probably the third-best figure in his set: better than the Dracula, but not holding up as well as Frankenstein and the Zombie. The hips and shoulders are outdated, the neck doesn't have any range, and he falls victim to scale creep, since he's now shorter than Wolfsbane! 

We're not going to see whatever turned Cap into Capwolf--if we go down one more level of flashback, we're in Priest territory--but since Morbius was involved, it might've been the werewolf coup d'etat Kang mentioned last year! It was probably like Captain America #344, except werewolves instead of snakes.

The magically "radioactive" corpse may or may not be a thing in real Marvel continuity; but old Dr. Strange stories seemed pretty steadfast in the belief that magic was not for everybody, and you could get jacked up messing with things you should tamper with. I want to say there's a throwaway line in Marvel Comics Presents (possibly MCP #19, "Nightmare in Suburbia.") where radon poisonings were revealed to be less prevalent than was known; many of those deaths were actually amateur magicians summoning a demon and then having a heart attack on the spot.  

I've never been, so I thought Lake Minnetonka was going to be a small, isolated secret; but it's like the most popular lake in Minnesota! I'm more familiar with Dave Chappelle referencing it as Prince, since I didn't see Purple Rain until maybe last year. Chappelle has been kind of a jerk lately: it's not easy to apologize or admit you're wrong, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should double or triple down.  

What does any of this have to do with Moon Knight and Quasar? Oh, he's getting to it...

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Conversely, it's probably a good idea to tell your girlfriend you're a werewolf, too.

Conveniently, this was pretty close at hand, from the latest big pile of random comics: from 1988, Werewolf by Night #2, "Life in the Fast Lane" Written by Paul Jenkins, art by Leonardo Manco. 

This was Jack Russell's short-lived second series, and he seems to have lost some of his supporting cast (and support system) and replaced them with booze. He also seems pretty tight-lipped about his condition, since he plays pool with a priest and later ducks out on his girlfriend when the full moon was coming; and neither had any idea. (His girlfriend's name is Roxanne, which made me wonder if he was seeing Johnny Blaze's girl...) Jack takes a little drive--with a bottle of bourbon as his co-pilot--to a creepy mansion in Texas, where he's turned away by an armed guard.

As Jack transforms in the woods, a cult in the mansion sacrifices a man, then the Werewolf smashes through a window, in a very nice two-page spread. The Werewolf tears through the cultists, as their wheelchair-bound leader attempts to flee, and takes a header down the stairs. Jack, seemingly in control, confronts him for information about the "wolfsblade," with which he could take complete control. But the wolfsblade is only one of three parts...

Later, at a carnival with Roxanne, while she goes to the bathroom Jack is greeted by someone claiming to represent parties that would like to work with Jack, and could show him where to find the other two pieces. They're in the "Ghost Train" attraction, which may actually be a gateway to hell. Jack is only given seventeen seconds to decide, but seems to just shrug and mosey on in.

I'm not sure I love the plot, but I always think Leonardo Manco should be a bigger name. He's a guy that always seems to understand the assignment!

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I say this, in the hopes they prove me wrong later, but I'm thinking Disney is not super-interested in doing much with Marvel's horror stable. Maybe our boy here will turn up on the Moon Knight show, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it, and I can't see them doing something in the garish nightmare style of today's book! From 1975, Werewolf by Night #35, "Evil in Every Stone, No Longer Hiding" Written by Doug Moench, art by Don Perlin; cover by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson!

The horrors of the mad Marcosa house continue, as the metaphorical struggle between Jack Russell and his werewolf alter-ego becomes physical this issue; which Jack doesn't seem to find as unusual as that it's not even a full moon, what's up with that? Jack is willing to sacrifice himself, if that's what it takes to save his friends Elaine and Topaz; but Topaz manages to use her failing powers to return the 'werewolf' to the spirit of the original man cursed with lycanthropy. He tries to warn Jack to flee Marcosa, and that the gargoyle was the key, before he is destroyed by the evil wizard.

Next, Jack has to save his sister Lissa, from being hung by her father--or a vision of him. She's understandably a bit hysterical after that, but Jack, Elaine, and Topaz have to press on to find the gargoyle. The stone grotesquery nearly falls on them, but shatters to reveal a skull, its forehead with a massive hole. They then recap the horrible tale of Belaric Marcosa, one-legged sadist and psychic vampire. Forty-seven people had died in that house, but Jack and his friends were trying to unlock its secrets to save their friend Buck Cowan, injured earlier by the Werewolf. Still, Elaine and Topaz disappear as Jack is again somehow transformed into the Werewolf, who is assaulted by gropey hands and herded into traps: in a bedroom, he arrives too late to stop the mad Elaine from killing Topaz. After a brief and inexplicable attack by the gargoyle, the Werewolf reverts to Jack, who is confronted by Topaz's body, than Buck's, the latter hung by Marcosa!

This reads a bit like a giallo horror film, striking if somewhat disjointed; but with a werewolf to boot. I just ordered the second Essential Werewolf by Night to read the conclusion, but I reckon I'll always pick up one of these on the cheap. Read more!

Another MCP I don't think I've read before. Or have any other chapters for these serials! From 1990, Marvel Comics Presents #57, with a cover by Dale Keown. The traditional Wolverine chapter guest-stars the (grey) Hulk, who feels kind of bad that Wolverine is dead as hell, and pending an autopsy! He stops the morticians from cutting him open, claiming it was a close call. Yeah, for the morticians: that saw would've skidded right off of his adamantium bones and probably embedded itself in one of them. While Wolvie splits the hospital and steals some pants, the Hulk hears news of a Wolverine-lookalike taking hostages at a pharmaceutical factory, and opts to go defend Wolvie's good name. But the Wolverine-alike recognizes the Hulk--and has claws of his own! ("On the Road, part 4: Death Don't Have No Mercy" Written by Michael Higgins, pencils by Dave Ross, inks by Dan Day.)

The Werewolf serial seemed familiar, because I think we've seen the sequel: Jack Russell had been saved from the magic-hating Silver Dagger (an old Doctor Strange baddie, but seems a natural here) by the Braineaters, a biker gang of werewolves! Jack had torn through a biker gang "two years ago" (more like seventeen if the caption box is right and it was in Werewolf by Night #6, that was 1973!) and infected them with lyncanthropy. He tries to resist the gang's sexy alpha leader, Layla; realizing the Braineaters retain their human intellect as werewolves by giving into it, and worse: "Braineaters" was not a clever name, it's literal! Changing in the full moon, the Werewolf turns on the Braineaters, with no one realizing the Silver Dagger had been watching...("Children of the Beast, part 4: Leader of the Pack" Written by Len Kaminski, pencils by Jim (James) Fry, inks by Brad Joyce.)

This issue was August 1990, so this Namor three-parter was running concurrently with the John Byrne series, but not related. Deep in the Atlantic Ocean is a hole in the bottom of the sea the strange vortex, Neptune's Eye. Even Namor doesn't know what that's about, and with Marrina dead and himself currently dethroned, he considers swimming into it to explore...or die. Still, he's interrupted by some James Cameron-style surface dwellers, including a thrill-seeking Sandra Rains, who are attacked by plants and strange creatures. Despite losing a cameraman, Sandra still manages to convince Namor to explore the Eye, and take her with him. ("Neptune's Eye, part 1: Strange Visitors" Written by Robert Denatale, pencils by Mike Collins, inks by Mark Farmer.)

Lastly, the only 8-pager this issue, the Black Cat in "The Crown Jewel Caper." Felicia is working with a one-handed fence, on finding the lost crown jewels of France; but she's being conned: the fence is taking orders from the Kingpin. Despite no longer having her powers (which is seemingly mentioned 20 times in an eight-page story) she's able to ditch the cops, and plant stolen goods on the fence at the airport. 

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Sometimes I post from a comic to remind myself it was really good. Or really bad. Other times, it's to remind myself I've bought the same goddamn comic like three times. From 1992, Marvel Comics Presents #111.

Technically, since the bar code is on his cover, the lead feature must be Ghost Rider and Werewolf (by Night) in "Return of the Braineaters, part 5 of 6" Written by Chris Cooper, pencils by John Stanisci, inks by Jimmy Palmiotti and Ken Branch. Werewolf biker gang girl Lupe has an attack of conscience, and double-crosses her gang to save a kidnapped child. Dan Ketch finds her before she dies, and an enraged Ghost Rider tears into the gang leader, Scuzz; but he may not have time to kill Scuzz and save the child.

Both covers have the "An Infinity War Crossover" corner tag, for a Thanos eight-pager: "Betrayal, part 4 of 4" Written by Jim Starlin, art by Shawn McManus. Mistress Death has promised her undying love to ol' chinface, if he'll just do one little thing: kill her "tormentor," Adam Warlock! They were on the same team here, Warlock completely unsuspecting--maybe--but Thanos is too much the schemer to take even his beloved at face value. Then, he even wonders if that meeting with Death happened at all, or was it just wishful thinking? Sadly, Thanos opts to not murder Warlock; but I don't know if Death called him out on that later or not.

The second lead feature is what I keep buying this for: Wolverine and Typhoid Mary, in "Typhoid's Kiss, part 3 of 8: Over Exposed" Written by Ann Nocenti, art by Steve Lightle. Logan and the innocent Mary Walker are investigating a secret lab full of animals, and after brutally beating a guard, Logan tells about the biggest lie I've ever seen: "I never kill." Whaaaaat? Later, watching some of the Project's videotapes, Mary shifts over to Typhoid, and comes onto him hard. Wolvie wants to protect poor defenseless Mary; which Typhoid finds laughable. Man, I really need to find the collection for this one; I'm still not sure I've read all of it.

Lastly, an Iron Fist single, "Menace of the Mad Abbot" Written by Joey Cavalieri, pencils by Alex Morrisey, inks by Brad Vancata. It's the recently revived Fist against creepy cultist Thanademos, who is able to revive the comatose to create an army of mummy-looking slaves. Pretty quick, but not as bad as some shorts. Still, I glanced at that panel there and thought it was going to have disco mummies; that would've been something.
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I have to wonder if she had any fans that hated this new direction.

We checked out an issue of the Cat last year, and mentioned how in it Greer Nelson was wearing the costume that would later go to Patsy Walker and be better known as Hellcat. Greer wouldn't need it anymore, after today's book: from 1974, Giant-Size Creatures #1, "Tigra the Were-Woman!" Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Don Perlin, inks by Vince Colletta.

The Werewolf (By Night!) gets top billing and appears first in this story; but it's almost all Greer's show: on a beach in Mexico, she almost literally runs into Jack Russell, before HYDRA catches up with them! In a bikini, Greer tries to play dumb tourist, but even Hydra's dumbest goons aren't buying it: like Jack, they notice her large cat ring; which I honestly don't think would be the first thing they'd notice there. Transforming into Tigra, she takes care of them easily enough, but is surprised to meet the Werewolf! They mix it up for a bit, until the Werewolf is knocked out by a sonic grenade and Tigra is captured.

Hydra also has Greer's mentor from her old series, Dr. Tumolo; who had given her powers. Twice, actually: first the ones she had as the Cat; then when Hydra first tried to kidnap her and the Cat was shot with an "alpha-radiation pistol" Tumulo and her fellow cat-people transformed her into Tigra, a warrior foretold in legend. Hydra wanted a secret weapon of the cat-people, and Tigra knew it had to be a bad one.

The Werewolf recovers and tracks down Tigra, not to continue their fight, but because he was drawn to her: not quite smitten, but at least interested. Together they battle the goons of Hydra, until Tumulo opts to give them what they wanted, releasing a deadly gas on them, the black plague. After they leave Hydra coughing up blood, Tigra changes back into Greer briefly, to cause the Werewolf to lose interest, but when she becomes Tigra again it may be permanent.

Man, I'm really looking forward to the Moon Knight TV show, but I wish they had done a year or two of Werewolf by Night first to build up to it! And if that got Tigra in there, so much the better. Also this issue: "Where Walks the Werewolf!" from 1971's Creatures on the Loose #13, written by Len Wein, art by Reed Crandall. A bitter artist was going blind, and pressures his scientist friend into an experiment that may restore his sight. The experiment involves the spinal fluid and probably corneas of a wolf; what could go wrong? Especially when the artist also feels like he lost his girl to the scientist. The artist blames his transformation on the wolf actually being a werewolf, but may have just been a jerk: he hurts his seeing eye dog! Yeah, he gets his inside of seven pages.

My copy is a nice reader, and still has the Marvel Value Stamp: Mr. Fantastic!
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Last year we blogged Spider-Woman #30; today we're up to 1980's Spider-Woman #32, "The Fangs of Werewolf by Night" Written by Michael Fleisher, pencils by Steve Leialoha, inks by Jim Mooney, cover by Frank Miller. The cover also features photos of Universal's Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and more; I wonder if they had permission for that?

Spider-Woman has had multiple encounters with new villain the Hornet, who was actually her tech guy/maybe love interest Scotty, shot up full of drugs from mad scientist Dr. Malus. Scotty was in a wheelchair when he wasn't buzzing about on wings: it seems like Malus could probably have made some money and helped a ton of people, if he had any interest in that. And the drugs were making Scotty more and more erratic, so Malus calls in another patient to take out Spider-Woman: Jack Russell! Malus had offered him therapy toward completely controlling his Werewolf persona, since he would still lose control during the three nights of the full moon, which he was currently controlling by locking himself in a cage. Malus slaps a hypno-collar on him, then tests the Werewolf out with some major vandalism, smashing a statue. The Hornet leaves a note for Spider-Woman, that he had Scotty, to lure her into a trap at a western movie set.

While the Werewolf was a surprise, Spider-Woman had faced him before; and the Hornet was mostly gone mentally. She's able to get the Hornet to zap the Werewolf, and after some more fighting is able to get the collar off him. With Jack back in control, the Werewolf catches up with Malus and gives him a very cathartic thrashing. Thinking Scotty was in danger, Spider-Woman punches Hornet up and finishes him with a venom blast, then is dismayed to realize what she's done when she unmasks him. Still, Scotty would be okay; if your definition of 'okay' includes losing his powers. I don't think he would be in the book much longer, nor do I think this version of Hornet would appear again.

I was thinking this was Werewolf by Night's last appearance for a while, until Marvel Comics Presents in 1990? But he did show up in a couple issues of Marvel Team-Up in 1980 as well.
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A black envelope is fine for a wedding invite, but for a comic cover?

I've been scratching my head trying to recall if I read this issue, let alone the rest of the crossover. I know I had been reading Darkhold at least a bit...From 1993, Morbius #12, "The Bait" Written by Gregory Wright, pencils by Ron Wagner, inks by Mike Witherby.

Hmm, I think I had fallen off Darkhold by this point, the "Midnight Massacre" crossover with Nightstalkers, Ghost Rider, and the Ghost Rider spin-off Spirits of Vengeance. The cover gimmick was a black parchment "envelope," like the Darkhold pages were doled out in; since Blade had taken a page from it to become Switchblade. (Ugh...) In a mad crusade against the supernatural, he had killed John Blaze, Hannibal King, and Victoria Montesi (from the Darkhold book) as well as Modred the Mystic and Demogoblin. (The heroes weren't in any particular hurry to avenge those last two.) Switchblade absorbed their respective powers, and became more powerful with each kill.

Morbius gets a phone call warning from the other heroes, but has his own problems. Infected with demonic "Lilin" blood, Morby was in even less control than usual, but still pulls himself together to go to work in the morning. He may have some help, though: guest-star Jack Russell, Werewolf by Night! He had achieved a modicum of control over his dark nature, and wanted to help Morbius with his. They're attacked by Switchblade, who seemingly kills Jack with a pumpkin bomb, then nails Morbius to the wall! Morby being a "living" vampire, he doesn't turn into dust or anything; moreover, with the "human" no more, the Lilin side takes over, oozing like liquid and killing a bum to regain its strength. It attacks Switchblade again, and it goes even worse: Morbius is reduced to a charred skeleton.

In what appears to be the afterlife, Morbius is greeted by his lost love Martine...who welcomes him to the "bowels of the netherworld!" That doesn't sound great...Switchblade's story would be wrapped up in Spirits of Vengeance #13, where I'd guess everyone he killed was brought back. Except maybe Morby, who might've had to fight it out himself, judging by the next cover.
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