For a buck, this was pretty good! Although I wish I had a big stack of black & white next to me now.
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Showing posts with label another one in the loss column for Giant-Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label another one in the loss column for Giant-Man. Show all posts
Thursday, February 20, 2025
I'm just saying, other companies can still produce black & white magazines; we haven't lost the technology.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
I was looking for a specific comic, didn't find it, came up with this instead. Approximately 70% of the posts on this blog could start this way, but this is a good one: from 1981, Marvel Two-In-One #82, "The Fatal Effects of Virus X!" Written by Tom Defalco, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Chic Stone.
I just read the issue prior, #81, recently; featuring the Sub-Mariner. While a depressed Ben walks the streets of New York, feeling dejected since Alicia was moving out of the Baxter Building; Namor is taking a break in the city to remember the peaceful, relaxing time he spent there as an amnesiac, homeless drunk. Ah, good times. (Seriously. The pressures of ruling have got him down, but he still acts here like his time in the Bowery was a lark.) Their plotlines intersect when they discover A.I.M. is sending giant synthoids to kidnap homeless people, for use in germ warfare experiments. While Namor rallies the homeless in an attempt to rescue an old friend; Ben is captured while saving a bum, and exposed to MODOK's Virus X. MODOK then flees with said virus, the homeless people turn on the "freak" Namor, who leaves in a depressed huff, while Ben staggers, the effects of the virus already taking hold...(Actually, Namor may have just split since it wasn't his name on the cover next issue; he had fulfilled his obligation there!)
Dazed, Ben trudges towards the Baxter Building--to be fair, Virus X did take his mind of his depression, it may have legit treatment uses. A multicultural street gang of three thugs see the Thing as an opportunity to make their reps, and attack; doing so ineffectually that Ben may not even realize they were there. Fortunately, he's "saved" (if he was in any danger) by the passing Captain America; and Cap goes easy on the thugs because they're young and frankly sad. At the Baxter Building, Reed begins work to diagnose Ben's condition, with the assistance of biochemist Bill Foster, better known as Giant-Man. Bill was dying of radiation poisoning, which may have been an open secret at that point: Reed and Ben probably knew, and Cap knows, although that may just be for purposes of exposition. A cranky Ben wakes up on the examination table, in a lot of pain, since he was mutating: as the cover puts it "It can't be! I'm ch-ch-changin'--becomin' UGLIER!" Ben rages for a moment, perhaps justifiably, before Cap and Reed calm him down. Cap actually plays the "Dead sidekick" card there: rough, but not really the time for that. (Not sure if it's intentional, but DeFalco seems to write Cap as really square.)
Needing some air, Ben takes off on his jet-cycle, joined by Giant-Man, who wanted to return the help Ben had given him. While Cap hits the streets, and numerous thugs, looking for a lead on A.I.M; Ben has returned to the launch site where he and the rest of the Fantastic Four stole a rocket and went into space, for a bit of flashback. (The launch site "spaceport" is abandoned, which is both depressing and probably accurate; but was the launch site in New York state? They couldn't have gone much further...) Bill gets a rare glimpse behind Ben's cheerful facade: he puts up a good front, but hates being the Thing. (Usually. That can vary somewhat.) When Cap finds an A.I.M. hideout, the three heroes take it down, then take a transporter to MODOK's secret iceberg base, where they are confronted by stacks of A.I.M. "beekeeper" thugs (in blue this issue, as opposed to their traditional yellow) and MODOK's new Thing-inspired synthoid. The latter gives Ben a hard time, since the Virus was taking its toll, but he rallies and punches it out of the base, causing the ocean to come flooding in.
Giant-Man fights to a research lab for the cure, which an A.I.M. tech explains works by making the body temporarily immune to radiation. Bill's ears perk up a bit at that, since something like that might be able to cure him as well. While he's able to get it back, while the heroes use the teleporter to escape, a falling chunk of debris damages the "hypo-gun," leaving only enough for one dose. Ben had lost consciousness, but it's to Bill's credit that he barely hesitates to give Ben the dose, saving him and returning him to his usual Thing look. Giant-Man knows the world needs the Thing, "not second-rate losers...like Giant-Man!" He does a very sad, very end of an Incredible Hulk episode walk away; and the issue ends without the traditional "Fin" or next issue blurb or anything. (Flipping through Essential Marvel Two-in-One #4; that cold-ending was done at least sometimes: it was for the Ghost Rider story in #80, where Johnny Blaze does something similar except on a motorcycle; but still affecting.)
We've had the tag "Another one in the loss column for Giant-Man" for years here, partly because of this plotline: he would be cured, but lose his powers, in MTIO #85. Bill would get his powers back years later, in 1988's West Coast Avengers Annual #3, but didn't stay in that title long at all. Then Mark Millar would try to make him, as Goliath, seem like a big name, as to make killing him off in Civil War #4 a big deal: it doesn't work, the other reason for the tag here. This issue makes you feel more for Giant-Man; he deserved, if not obscurity, at least better than a plot-point death.
Read more!
I just read the issue prior, #81, recently; featuring the Sub-Mariner. While a depressed Ben walks the streets of New York, feeling dejected since Alicia was moving out of the Baxter Building; Namor is taking a break in the city to remember the peaceful, relaxing time he spent there as an amnesiac, homeless drunk. Ah, good times. (Seriously. The pressures of ruling have got him down, but he still acts here like his time in the Bowery was a lark.) Their plotlines intersect when they discover A.I.M. is sending giant synthoids to kidnap homeless people, for use in germ warfare experiments. While Namor rallies the homeless in an attempt to rescue an old friend; Ben is captured while saving a bum, and exposed to MODOK's Virus X. MODOK then flees with said virus, the homeless people turn on the "freak" Namor, who leaves in a depressed huff, while Ben staggers, the effects of the virus already taking hold...(Actually, Namor may have just split since it wasn't his name on the cover next issue; he had fulfilled his obligation there!)
Dazed, Ben trudges towards the Baxter Building--to be fair, Virus X did take his mind of his depression, it may have legit treatment uses. A multicultural street gang of three thugs see the Thing as an opportunity to make their reps, and attack; doing so ineffectually that Ben may not even realize they were there. Fortunately, he's "saved" (if he was in any danger) by the passing Captain America; and Cap goes easy on the thugs because they're young and frankly sad. At the Baxter Building, Reed begins work to diagnose Ben's condition, with the assistance of biochemist Bill Foster, better known as Giant-Man. Bill was dying of radiation poisoning, which may have been an open secret at that point: Reed and Ben probably knew, and Cap knows, although that may just be for purposes of exposition. A cranky Ben wakes up on the examination table, in a lot of pain, since he was mutating: as the cover puts it "It can't be! I'm ch-ch-changin'--becomin' UGLIER!" Ben rages for a moment, perhaps justifiably, before Cap and Reed calm him down. Cap actually plays the "Dead sidekick" card there: rough, but not really the time for that. (Not sure if it's intentional, but DeFalco seems to write Cap as really square.)
Needing some air, Ben takes off on his jet-cycle, joined by Giant-Man, who wanted to return the help Ben had given him. While Cap hits the streets, and numerous thugs, looking for a lead on A.I.M; Ben has returned to the launch site where he and the rest of the Fantastic Four stole a rocket and went into space, for a bit of flashback. (The launch site "spaceport" is abandoned, which is both depressing and probably accurate; but was the launch site in New York state? They couldn't have gone much further...) Bill gets a rare glimpse behind Ben's cheerful facade: he puts up a good front, but hates being the Thing. (Usually. That can vary somewhat.) When Cap finds an A.I.M. hideout, the three heroes take it down, then take a transporter to MODOK's secret iceberg base, where they are confronted by stacks of A.I.M. "beekeeper" thugs (in blue this issue, as opposed to their traditional yellow) and MODOK's new Thing-inspired synthoid. The latter gives Ben a hard time, since the Virus was taking its toll, but he rallies and punches it out of the base, causing the ocean to come flooding in.
Giant-Man fights to a research lab for the cure, which an A.I.M. tech explains works by making the body temporarily immune to radiation. Bill's ears perk up a bit at that, since something like that might be able to cure him as well. While he's able to get it back, while the heroes use the teleporter to escape, a falling chunk of debris damages the "hypo-gun," leaving only enough for one dose. Ben had lost consciousness, but it's to Bill's credit that he barely hesitates to give Ben the dose, saving him and returning him to his usual Thing look. Giant-Man knows the world needs the Thing, "not second-rate losers...like Giant-Man!" He does a very sad, very end of an Incredible Hulk episode walk away; and the issue ends without the traditional "Fin" or next issue blurb or anything. (Flipping through Essential Marvel Two-in-One #4; that cold-ending was done at least sometimes: it was for the Ghost Rider story in #80, where Johnny Blaze does something similar except on a motorcycle; but still affecting.)
We've had the tag "Another one in the loss column for Giant-Man" for years here, partly because of this plotline: he would be cured, but lose his powers, in MTIO #85. Bill would get his powers back years later, in 1988's West Coast Avengers Annual #3, but didn't stay in that title long at all. Then Mark Millar would try to make him, as Goliath, seem like a big name, as to make killing him off in Civil War #4 a big deal: it doesn't work, the other reason for the tag here. This issue makes you feel more for Giant-Man; he deserved, if not obscurity, at least better than a plot-point death.
Read more!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
"Patent Pym'ing."
Question: In regular Marvel continuity, how many people have stolen Hank Pym's tech? Not used or borrowed; straight-up jacked? I'm pretty sure Hawkeye started that ball rolling when he helped himself to Hank's serum to become Goliath. Bill Foster got the Pym particle formula when he worked with Hank, but I don't know if he had permission to use it as Black Goliath. Eric Josten, the mercenary known as Power Man, Goliath, or Atlas; he definitely stole it; as did Ant-Men Scott Lang and Eric O'Grady. Rita DeMara stole the Yellowjacket uniform and used it as a member of the Masters of Evil and then as a Guardian of the Galaxy...before being horribly murdered. Stature got her powers from stealing Pym particles from her dad Scott, and Tom Foster stole it from Avengers Mansion.
It seems like Pym's work is swiped, a lot--I mean, how often is Iron Man armor stolen? (The tech on occasion, but full-on armor?) Anyway, still haven't seen Ant-Man, and don't know if I'll be able to get in this weekend. Still, found a Walgreen's exclusive Ant-Man/Black Ant, at like the sixth Walgreens I checked.
Read more!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
80-Page Thursday: Marvel Super-Heroes #11!
I've blogged a number of 80-page giants here, some good, some...less so. Today's features a cover with Ghost Rider burning a woman's clothes off, or burning a naked woman. Either or, yet it's still kind of boring. From 1992, Marvel Super-Heroes #11, featuring stories from Tina Chrioproces, Dwayne McDuffie, and Chris Claremont; with art by Greg Larocque, Bob Budiansky, and Mike Vosburg.
I have a few of these Marvel Super-Heroes 80-page specials, and they were uneven at best. Several of them feature short, eight-page stories that may have been deemed unfit for the biweekly Marvel Comics Presents. And man alive, that book ran a lot of stinkers. Nobody wants to read about Captain Ultra. Nobody.
Oh, this issue. Well, the good news is, instead of a bunch of shorts or pin-ups, it featured three full length stories. Suspiciously full-length; to the point I suspected them of being unused fill-in issues being burnt off. The first story, "Fireworks," featured the Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider, and is footnoted as set before 1983's Ghost Rider #80. Blaze and carnival buddy Red take a vacation on their bikes, but run afoul of a small town with a survivalist cult, anti-nuke protesters, a troubled-but-pretty pyromaniac, and a sheriff who seems fairly reasonable but isn't above locking you up indefinitely for mouthing off.
Zarathos, the demon called Ghost Rider, is the only smart one in the lot: he sees the cultists as suckers, and uses their worship to overpower Blaze's will. He also plans to trade the pyromaniac's soul to hell in exchange for his freedom, and she's so entranced with his flames she'd let him do it. The conclusion, and most of the rest of this one are pretty standard, but that's not a bad bit.
Next is a Giant-Man story. Seventeen pages of the former Black Goliath, as he battles a wannabe scientist driven mad by his levitation experiments. Eh. Still, this might be one in the win column for him.
Lastly, we have a Ms. Marvel story. Her 70's book was cancelled with #23, but long-time fans of Ms. Marvel, the X-Men's Rogue, and/or Chris Claremont know she had a couple more issues that were never published; even though Claremont would allude to them in Avengers Annual #10. I wondered if these issues hadn't been in the can for years, but now I think the art was new, the script old.
"Cry, Vengeance!" opens with Ms. Marvel and Iron Man at a crime scene: the office of Carol Danver's psychiatrist and love interest Michael Barnett. Using Reed Richard's heat image tracer, they watch a replay of Barnett's murder, brutally beaten by a woman that looks like Carol: the shape-changer Mystique. (Aside: Reed's tracer dates back to early FF issues, but isn't seen anymore since the science is sketchy even for comics, and would've put every CSI-type show in the world out of business.)
Iron Man offers Avengers assistance, but Ms. Marvel wants this for herself. After Barnett's funeral, graveside; she has one of her "7th-sense prescient trances," a waking nightmare of being buried alive. Cursing her unreliable power, she tracks a number Mystique dialed to an import company: she finds crates of weapons, but then has another trance of being attacked by flaming duplicates of herself. She pulls herself together in time to see an arms deal, with the dealer meeting Claremont go-to villains the Hellfire Club.
Spotted, the Club attacks, and while Ms. Marvel is able to beat Pierce; Leland uses her gravity power to make her too heavy to move. Smashing her way through the floor, Ms. Marvel escapes by falling into the sewer...hey, that sounds awfully familiar. It's almost exactly what happened to Wolverine in X-Men #132! I suspect Claremont had this one written for Ms. Marvel, but it wasn't published, so he expanded and folded it into X-Men. Turned out OK for him...
Carol goes plainclothes to continue the investigation, to get close to the arms dealer on a plane. She has a nightmare about herself in a Black Queen outfit, being forced to kill a girl named Rogue before she "strips from you everything you are, everyone you ever loved." She also doesn't realize she was spotted by Tessa of the Hellfire Club (whom, I believe, was retroactively made a hero by Claremont despite this) who sets the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants on her.
Attacked by Pyro and Avalanche, Ms. Marvel defeats them; but the arms dealer is killed, leaving her with no leads. Weeks pass, and Mystique is still concerned by Destiny's premonition that Ms. Marvel will somehow hurt Rogue. Overhearing her foster mother, Rogue goes after Carol herself, who was starting to pull herself together after the events of Avengers #200. In short order, Rogue uses her powers to absorb Ms. Marvel's powers and memories, but it's too much: Rogue would be stuck with both for years, while Carol lost them almost completely. Rogue throws the unconscious Carol off the Golden Gate Bridge, setting up their appearances in Avengers Annual #10.
A lot crammed in there, more than I would've suspected would have fit in a single issue of Ms. Marvel. The story also features a closing recap of what would happen to Carol, up to becoming Binary, which was a cool look but a worse name than Warbird. I prefer her keeping "Ms. Marvel," as a tribute to Captain Marvel...but Carol getting promoted doesn't sound bad either.
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Wednesday, October 12, 2011
"War of the Gargantuas."
Click to giant--I mean, Goliath-size!
I really need to just cough up and buy War of the Gargantuas on DVD—it’s been a good 25 to 30 years since I’ve seen it, and I’m not even positive I’ve ever seen it all the way through. That and Frankenstein Conquers the World. Man, SyFy can run a full day of Saw like three days a month, but can’t spare a couple hours for these? Stupid world…
Anyway, the Marvel Universe Gigantic Battles Goliath/Thor Two Pack was marked down to $13 at a local Wal-Mart, so I picked him up. It’s All True had a post on the two, and as usual, OAFE has a solid review up; although yo apparently enjoyed Civil War more than I did. Admittedly, that wouldn’t be hard; and it’s a bit of cheek to package a character with the comic he dies in.
Of course, that was Bill Foster, formerly Black Goliath, and Giant-Man; whom we’ve mentioned here before as having a dismal win/loss record…geez, I was going to say like the Detroit Lions, but they’re doing great this year. Maybe the new Goliath could be compared to the current Lions, since he’s off to a good start as well: Bill’s nephew Tom assumed the mantle of his uncle, but so far hasn’t had the crushing defeats or pyrrhic victories his uncle did. (So far: he has joined Wonder Man’s…ugh, Revengers, a team dedicated to dishing out some comeuppance to Iron Man and/or the Avengers, which so far they’ve done by attacking the Avengers team without Iron Man, Cap, or Thor.) Blog@Newsarama was worried Tom had been killed, but that appears to have been a flashback to poor Bill.
War Machine’s role in this strip was lucky timing: I had just bought him a couple days prior, and although this one doesn’t unmask like the Marvel Legends version, he’s a good update.
And the other reason for today's title? A classic Milk & Cheese from Evan Dorkin:
From Milk & Cheese #666. Love it.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Spider-Woman? Totally loose.
The hip on the Spider-Woman action figure I got the other day, that is. Kinda floppy. I picked up Wasp, Spider-Woman, and Beta Ray Bill, three of the MODOK wave, so I have MODOK face, stubby legs, and jet ass. They were out of Moon Knight already, and all the variants. I'll definitely get at least one Captain Marvel, either the original or Genis; but would prefer the Destroyer over Thorbuster Iron Man.
Spider-Woman came with the first issue of her series, which I don't think I had read before. I had forgotten the pheremone thing, or had thought that was a later addition, but she creeps other women out. Interesting idea, but I'm pretty sure it was dropped early on.
Although her cartoon didn't seem to give her a boost, Spider-Woman would eventually go on to greater fame and reknown as a New Avenger-slash-Bendis fetish. Things weren't always Wizard covers and breast-heavy statues for Jessica Drew, however. Witness her appearance in Marvel Two-in-one #85. She's on the cover there, if you look closely...no, not just in the corner box. She's unconscious, right above the UPC. Admittedly, the logos ate up a lot of cover space back in the day, and the dramatic blurb "Plus: The Final Fate of Giant-Man!" doesn't leave a lot of room either, especially with the dramatic image of Bill Foster taking a little nappy-nap. Dramatically! Of course, if this cover was done today, Spider-Woman's costume would be more suggestively ripped, and her chest and butt would be facing the reader somehow...ah, how far we've come.
Even though Spider-Woman gets the co-starring spot, this is more of a Giant-man story than anything. Hence the title, "The Final Fate of Giant-Man!" Written by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Chic Stone. Bill Foster is on his way out, dying of radiation poisoning he received in his own comic, Black Goliath. During a fight with a villain named Atom Smasher, BG received the radiation, then Smasher was "shot in the back by his own people!"
Now too weak to work or continue as Giant-Man, Foster is having a bit of a pity party, mostly lamenting the fact that he didn't accomplish more with his life. Dying of radiation sickness can't be a picnic, but Bill isn't even losing his hair or anything; so when Mr. Fantastic says he wants to run more tests and Bill goes nuts on him, it seems a little high-strung. Reed, perhaps quite rightly, thinks it's moronic to refuse further treatment, but respects his wishes; and Ben volunteers to give his friend a lift back to L.A. in the Pogo Plane.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Spider-Woman is doing her secret identity's job: P.I. Jessica Drew was hired to investigate industrial robberies, and as Spider-Woman she spots a stealthy group robbing the ever-popular electronics warehouse. Did I say stealthy? As stealthy as a bunch of guys in purple and green bodysuits and hoods can be, I suppose. I know full well in old comics, where there wasn't a huge color palette to choose from, a lot of times the villains had to wear purple and green to contrast with the reds and blues of the heroes: Joker/Batman, Lex Luthor/Superman, Green Goblin/Spider-man, just for a few. I also know those villains can pull it off because they have character. Faceless goons in those colors look horrible and unbelievable. Unless you're going to go all out and get Steve Epting or someone to draw them. Seriously, the guy made the A.I.M. evil yellow beekeeper outfit look good.
Sigh. Moving on: A shadowy figure sees Spider-Woman is about to thrash his men, so he zaps her. Spider-Woman goes down, and thinks she can feel the radiation poisoning her. Wow. If you know firsthand what fatal radiation poisoning feels like, you're either a really good or just terrible superhero. Leaving her for dead, the shadowy figure and his men load up their completely inconspicuous flying saucer--excuse me, 'gyrojet'--and split with the goods back to L.A. After they leave, Spider-Woman recovers: "Once I've been exposed to any toxin or radiation--I become immune to it!" This is one of those spider-powers like Spider-sense or Totem-power; that is pretty much based on nothing. Thank god. Otherwise, my house would be full of spiders immune to poison, squashing, and open flame. She makes her way back to her apartment, notes her slutty roommate isn't home yet, and determines to trail the thieves back to L.A. since she heard them mention it. It must totally suck to be Spider-Woman, and have a roommate that goes on dates and has a normal life, while you spent the evening sprawled out on the concrete burning from radiation.
The next day, Bill Foster revisits Stark-West (I thought most of Stark International was 'west.' Oh well.) and his horrible, horrible staff. The 'Whiz Kids,' median age 39, includes a guy that looks like Doc Ock minus the arms and physical magnetism, and a red-headed mathmatician that wears a metal harness like a Captain Power character. Maybe all mathmaticians do, I couldn't say. He did have a hot physicist on the team, so score one for Bill; and they were nice enough to call his girlfriend, whom he hadn't even told he was dying. I tell you, I'm married, and if I ever disappear for more than 20 minutes, I better be dying.
Ben gives Bill some time with his friends, and worries that now he may just be a reminder that Bill's not long for the world. Geez, guilt much, Ben? Luckily, he stumbles across an unconscious security guard, and a batch of purple and green goons. The goons aren't much of a fight, but their boss is: Atom Smasher. Ben knows the story, that Smasher poisoned Bill but is supposed to be dead. Smasher laughs that off, and zaps the Thing through a wall. As the Smasher crew gets away, Jessica Drew arrives, ditches her trenchcoat, and arrives as Spider-Woman. Wait, Jessica just threw on her costume and a trenchcoat, then caught a flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles? Well, there is something to be said for travelling light.
Well, time to get the story moving: Bill works up a scanner to track Atom Smasher's unique form of radiation. ("That's funny...there's a huge source of his radiation nearby...oh, it's me.") They also realize Atom Smasher is building a bomb:
Good luck getting that through security, guys.
In the proud, megalomaniacal tradition of Cobra Commander, Atom Smasher plans on killing millions, so his six or seven goons can loot the city "to their hearts' content!" Really, he says that! And eat all the wedding cakes, and steal Porsches and drive them into the ocean, and run the bases at Dodgers Stadium naked...that's a full afternoon. Oh, and then they can blackmail the world; although this story was set squarely in the Cold War, and somebody would've launched a missile or two at somebody after an incident like that. Well, Smasher's plan is still better thought out than Alexander Luthor's plan in Infinite Crisis.
Bill's tracker leads them to Smasher's hideout in seven panels total, which is pretty impressive. Spider-Woman and the Thing start smashing the hell out of the long-suffering goons, their monkey-looking 'Robotrons,' the infrastructure, everything. Smasher zaps Spider-Woman again, and this time Ben sees her walk off a lethal dose of radiation. As she explains her powers, Ben realizes that she may be able to help Bill. They probably maybe should've had that discussion while Atom Smasher wasn't about to irradiate L.A., though.
Bill fights off the pain to become Giant-Man again, and tries to stop Atom Smasher. He realizes this is the brother of the original, who was killed by a professional assassin Smasher II hired. Bill is on the ropes at first, and admits "Even in my prime, I was a second rate super hero! I never won a whole bout! But I refuse to die a loser!" He pounds Smasher until he runs out of strength, and Smasher tries to activate his Neutralode, which was damaged in the fight and explodes. An explosion that doesn't irradiate the city, blow up the building, or even kill Bill from about twenty feet away, but we'll let that go. I just don't like the cliche of the hero that won't kill, but he'll totally let the bad guy get blowed up in their defective doomsday whatsis. That one seems almost unique to comics, whereas in movies, it would run: hero has villain at his mercy, refuses to lower himself by killing villain, villain takes opportunity to try to kill hero, villain is shot/stabbed/falls to death. For example, watch the last five minutes of about every movie Ashley Judd has ever been in. Heroes: just shoot the villain while he's down. I won't think any less of you, in fact, I'll be impressed you're doing the smart thing.
With Smasher dead more or less by his own hand, this is another one in the loss column for Giant-Man, and he shrinks back down and collapses. Later at the hospital, a doctor comes running to Spider-Woman and the Thing. After "exhaustive tests" on her blood, done off panel in no time at all, they believe there are antibodies that would cure Bill, if he received a massive transfusion. But, because the radiation is still affecting her slightly, Spider-Woman could lose her "Immunity Factor" for good; which would of course leave her vulnerable to the many poisons, toxins, gases, and radioactivity she was exposed to on a pretty regular basis. She only hesitates a moment before agreeing to do it, probably because the doctor and Ben were right there staring at her, possibly kicking the floor: "Come on! He's a total player!"
For some reason, L.A. General has Kirbytech medical equipment, and Spider-Woman's feet appear to be restrained, but not the rest of her, nor is Bill restrained, IV'ed, monitored, or even covered. Drawing needles and doctor stuff is hard and gross! Bill recovers, although his internal organs were damaged to the point he could no longer be Giant-Man. Yes, because your spleen has to be in tip-top condition to facilitate growing 15 feet tall.
Musing this over, the Thing wanders over to Spider-Woman, who's already climbing the walls and kicking herself: not so much for losing that power, but that in saving Bill she may have given up the cure for cancer, an insight that never occurred to her before. She glides away before the Thing can tell her he doesn't feel sorry for her, because "ya saved the life of a good man--and gave him a second chance! That oughta be a touchdown on anybody's scorecard!"
Spider-Woman would go on losing powers, like her venom blasts; until she ended up a supporting character in Chris Claremont's Wolverine, reduced to a mere private investigator, shipped over to Madjripoor, and her long hair hacked off. Giant-Man actually came back first, since I seem to recall he returned in West Coast Avengers Annual #3. And then he would go on to be killed in Civil War#4, still severely lacking in the victories. So, you can go ahead and forget all about this 'final fate of Giant-Man,' I guess. As Ben thought on the last page of MTIO#85, "Some guys just ain't cut out for this kinda work! Not everybody can be the idol of millions!" Too true, Ben, too true; although I suppose that's the millions in France these days... Read more!
The hip on the Spider-Woman action figure I got the other day, that is. Kinda floppy. I picked up Wasp, Spider-Woman, and Beta Ray Bill, three of the MODOK wave, so I have MODOK face, stubby legs, and jet ass. They were out of Moon Knight already, and all the variants. I'll definitely get at least one Captain Marvel, either the original or Genis; but would prefer the Destroyer over Thorbuster Iron Man.
Spider-Woman came with the first issue of her series, which I don't think I had read before. I had forgotten the pheremone thing, or had thought that was a later addition, but she creeps other women out. Interesting idea, but I'm pretty sure it was dropped early on.
Although her cartoon didn't seem to give her a boost, Spider-Woman would eventually go on to greater fame and reknown as a New Avenger-slash-Bendis fetish. Things weren't always Wizard covers and breast-heavy statues for Jessica Drew, however. Witness her appearance in Marvel Two-in-one #85. She's on the cover there, if you look closely...no, not just in the corner box. She's unconscious, right above the UPC. Admittedly, the logos ate up a lot of cover space back in the day, and the dramatic blurb "Plus: The Final Fate of Giant-Man!" doesn't leave a lot of room either, especially with the dramatic image of Bill Foster taking a little nappy-nap. Dramatically! Of course, if this cover was done today, Spider-Woman's costume would be more suggestively ripped, and her chest and butt would be facing the reader somehow...ah, how far we've come.
Even though Spider-Woman gets the co-starring spot, this is more of a Giant-man story than anything. Hence the title, "The Final Fate of Giant-Man!" Written by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Chic Stone. Bill Foster is on his way out, dying of radiation poisoning he received in his own comic, Black Goliath. During a fight with a villain named Atom Smasher, BG received the radiation, then Smasher was "shot in the back by his own people!"
Now too weak to work or continue as Giant-Man, Foster is having a bit of a pity party, mostly lamenting the fact that he didn't accomplish more with his life. Dying of radiation sickness can't be a picnic, but Bill isn't even losing his hair or anything; so when Mr. Fantastic says he wants to run more tests and Bill goes nuts on him, it seems a little high-strung. Reed, perhaps quite rightly, thinks it's moronic to refuse further treatment, but respects his wishes; and Ben volunteers to give his friend a lift back to L.A. in the Pogo Plane.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Spider-Woman is doing her secret identity's job: P.I. Jessica Drew was hired to investigate industrial robberies, and as Spider-Woman she spots a stealthy group robbing the ever-popular electronics warehouse. Did I say stealthy? As stealthy as a bunch of guys in purple and green bodysuits and hoods can be, I suppose. I know full well in old comics, where there wasn't a huge color palette to choose from, a lot of times the villains had to wear purple and green to contrast with the reds and blues of the heroes: Joker/Batman, Lex Luthor/Superman, Green Goblin/Spider-man, just for a few. I also know those villains can pull it off because they have character. Faceless goons in those colors look horrible and unbelievable. Unless you're going to go all out and get Steve Epting or someone to draw them. Seriously, the guy made the A.I.M. evil yellow beekeeper outfit look good.
Sigh. Moving on: A shadowy figure sees Spider-Woman is about to thrash his men, so he zaps her. Spider-Woman goes down, and thinks she can feel the radiation poisoning her. Wow. If you know firsthand what fatal radiation poisoning feels like, you're either a really good or just terrible superhero. Leaving her for dead, the shadowy figure and his men load up their completely inconspicuous flying saucer--excuse me, 'gyrojet'--and split with the goods back to L.A. After they leave, Spider-Woman recovers: "Once I've been exposed to any toxin or radiation--I become immune to it!" This is one of those spider-powers like Spider-sense or Totem-power; that is pretty much based on nothing. Thank god. Otherwise, my house would be full of spiders immune to poison, squashing, and open flame. She makes her way back to her apartment, notes her slutty roommate isn't home yet, and determines to trail the thieves back to L.A. since she heard them mention it. It must totally suck to be Spider-Woman, and have a roommate that goes on dates and has a normal life, while you spent the evening sprawled out on the concrete burning from radiation.
The next day, Bill Foster revisits Stark-West (I thought most of Stark International was 'west.' Oh well.) and his horrible, horrible staff. The 'Whiz Kids,' median age 39, includes a guy that looks like Doc Ock minus the arms and physical magnetism, and a red-headed mathmatician that wears a metal harness like a Captain Power character. Maybe all mathmaticians do, I couldn't say. He did have a hot physicist on the team, so score one for Bill; and they were nice enough to call his girlfriend, whom he hadn't even told he was dying. I tell you, I'm married, and if I ever disappear for more than 20 minutes, I better be dying.
Ben gives Bill some time with his friends, and worries that now he may just be a reminder that Bill's not long for the world. Geez, guilt much, Ben? Luckily, he stumbles across an unconscious security guard, and a batch of purple and green goons. The goons aren't much of a fight, but their boss is: Atom Smasher. Ben knows the story, that Smasher poisoned Bill but is supposed to be dead. Smasher laughs that off, and zaps the Thing through a wall. As the Smasher crew gets away, Jessica Drew arrives, ditches her trenchcoat, and arrives as Spider-Woman. Wait, Jessica just threw on her costume and a trenchcoat, then caught a flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles? Well, there is something to be said for travelling light.
Well, time to get the story moving: Bill works up a scanner to track Atom Smasher's unique form of radiation. ("That's funny...there's a huge source of his radiation nearby...oh, it's me.") They also realize Atom Smasher is building a bomb:
Good luck getting that through security, guys.
In the proud, megalomaniacal tradition of Cobra Commander, Atom Smasher plans on killing millions, so his six or seven goons can loot the city "to their hearts' content!" Really, he says that! And eat all the wedding cakes, and steal Porsches and drive them into the ocean, and run the bases at Dodgers Stadium naked...that's a full afternoon. Oh, and then they can blackmail the world; although this story was set squarely in the Cold War, and somebody would've launched a missile or two at somebody after an incident like that. Well, Smasher's plan is still better thought out than Alexander Luthor's plan in Infinite Crisis.
Bill's tracker leads them to Smasher's hideout in seven panels total, which is pretty impressive. Spider-Woman and the Thing start smashing the hell out of the long-suffering goons, their monkey-looking 'Robotrons,' the infrastructure, everything. Smasher zaps Spider-Woman again, and this time Ben sees her walk off a lethal dose of radiation. As she explains her powers, Ben realizes that she may be able to help Bill. They probably maybe should've had that discussion while Atom Smasher wasn't about to irradiate L.A., though.
Bill fights off the pain to become Giant-Man again, and tries to stop Atom Smasher. He realizes this is the brother of the original, who was killed by a professional assassin Smasher II hired. Bill is on the ropes at first, and admits "Even in my prime, I was a second rate super hero! I never won a whole bout! But I refuse to die a loser!" He pounds Smasher until he runs out of strength, and Smasher tries to activate his Neutralode, which was damaged in the fight and explodes. An explosion that doesn't irradiate the city, blow up the building, or even kill Bill from about twenty feet away, but we'll let that go. I just don't like the cliche of the hero that won't kill, but he'll totally let the bad guy get blowed up in their defective doomsday whatsis. That one seems almost unique to comics, whereas in movies, it would run: hero has villain at his mercy, refuses to lower himself by killing villain, villain takes opportunity to try to kill hero, villain is shot/stabbed/falls to death. For example, watch the last five minutes of about every movie Ashley Judd has ever been in. Heroes: just shoot the villain while he's down. I won't think any less of you, in fact, I'll be impressed you're doing the smart thing.
With Smasher dead more or less by his own hand, this is another one in the loss column for Giant-Man, and he shrinks back down and collapses. Later at the hospital, a doctor comes running to Spider-Woman and the Thing. After "exhaustive tests" on her blood, done off panel in no time at all, they believe there are antibodies that would cure Bill, if he received a massive transfusion. But, because the radiation is still affecting her slightly, Spider-Woman could lose her "Immunity Factor" for good; which would of course leave her vulnerable to the many poisons, toxins, gases, and radioactivity she was exposed to on a pretty regular basis. She only hesitates a moment before agreeing to do it, probably because the doctor and Ben were right there staring at her, possibly kicking the floor: "Come on! He's a total player!"
For some reason, L.A. General has Kirbytech medical equipment, and Spider-Woman's feet appear to be restrained, but not the rest of her, nor is Bill restrained, IV'ed, monitored, or even covered. Drawing needles and doctor stuff is hard and gross! Bill recovers, although his internal organs were damaged to the point he could no longer be Giant-Man. Yes, because your spleen has to be in tip-top condition to facilitate growing 15 feet tall.
Musing this over, the Thing wanders over to Spider-Woman, who's already climbing the walls and kicking herself: not so much for losing that power, but that in saving Bill she may have given up the cure for cancer, an insight that never occurred to her before. She glides away before the Thing can tell her he doesn't feel sorry for her, because "ya saved the life of a good man--and gave him a second chance! That oughta be a touchdown on anybody's scorecard!"
Spider-Woman would go on losing powers, like her venom blasts; until she ended up a supporting character in Chris Claremont's Wolverine, reduced to a mere private investigator, shipped over to Madjripoor, and her long hair hacked off. Giant-Man actually came back first, since I seem to recall he returned in West Coast Avengers Annual #3. And then he would go on to be killed in Civil War#4, still severely lacking in the victories. So, you can go ahead and forget all about this 'final fate of Giant-Man,' I guess. As Ben thought on the last page of MTIO#85, "Some guys just ain't cut out for this kinda work! Not everybody can be the idol of millions!" Too true, Ben, too true; although I suppose that's the millions in France these days... Read more!
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