"Change."

Selene is late: I have the Hellfire Club ordered, but I don't know if that's going to be here until March? Actually, my sense of immediate gratification has been taking a bunch of hits, with that, the Sentinel, and a project I'm working on that I probably won't be able to finish until February. Ah, we'll probably either be in lockdown again, or it'll be the middle of winter and the result is the same. It occurs to me that Shiklah, Selene, and Satana have probably all been referred to as "succubus" but aren't connected in any way.

For good measure, a Sugar song that came to mind doing this one. Man, I came to them late, but thought they should be way bigger.

And sadly, that was about as much as Mole Man was going to fit into the WWE Wreckin' Slam Mobile, nor were any girls going to fit in there with him and Ultron. Surprisingly, Mole Man does have some game: I think in current continuity, his illegitimate Deviant kid has overthrown him, like the Molier Man or something.

Wait, did they move the whole damn island? Well, it's Marvel, the islands do move around...

"Coalition."

I don't know that I've ever seen credits for this, but the Mole Man's voice for me is 100% from the classic Power Records. We blogged that issue years back, but now you can watch it on YouTube!

I think some people either missed him last time, or want an update, but there's some that want an updated Mole Man. I don't know if that's 100% necessary, but his legs do not have a ton of range. I have a few Legends Ultrons, but that's the Select version, from a toy show a bit back. I'm not sure there has really been any interaction between Krakoa and Moley's Monster Island, but they're relatively close geographically, right? I could definitely see mutant kids hitting the beaches there to throw ragers, getting chased off by Tricephalous or whatever.

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I have never seen anyone in one of those "Anti-Bat" shirts; running from a monster or otherwise.

I needed to research something, so had to dig this one out of the garage; and I noticed a big-ass hole in the wall out there! Like somebody shot a hole in it. Hopefully not taking any shots at this one: from 1990, Avengers West Coast #54, "The Troubled Earth" Story and art by John Byrne, inks by Paul Ryan.

This would be the second of three Acts of Vengeance tie-in issues for the book; as previously the U-Foes had attacked the team from out of nowhere; and now the Mole Man is tearing up Los Angeles. Or, his monster is, in this case Giganto! Best known from the cover of Fantastic Four #1, it may not have had a name before now. Also, it apparently weighs less than 85 tons, since Iron Man is able to pick it up!

While Wonder Man and the android Human Torch backtrack down Giganto's tunnel and encounter the Mole Man--who is confused as to why this Torch doesn't sound like the "witless stripling" he's used to--Hank Pym and the Wasp are bringing the catatonic Scarlet Witch home when their quinjet runs into another of Moley's monsters: Tricephalous! Kirby's version of Ghidorah, although Tricephalous was also from FF #1 in 1961, predating Ghidorah by three years. Anyway, the flying dragon destroys the quinjet, which inexplicably doesn't crash, saved by a mysterious magnetic field...Also inexplicably, Pym thinks said field is somehow related to Tricephalous; but I suppose he's concentrating, since he shrinks it "to the size of a sparrow!" Pretty cool, actually.

The Mole Man thinks he's getting revenge for the Avengers attacking his Monster Island; although a brief interlude with Magneto and the mysterious "lackey" make it apparent that he's been fooled. To convince him, Wonder Man lets Moley blast him a few times; although I doubt Simon was in any danger, it still convinces the Mole Man to withdraw. Still, after multiple attacks from different foes, the Avengers have started to realize something was up.

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Some time back, we checked out the hundredth issue of Alpha Flight, which I mainly remember for a random alien thug gnawing on She-Hulk. Still, that makes more sense than Moloids chewing on the Thing, on the cover of today's book! From 2012, Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #23, featuring "King of the Mole Men" Written by Brian Reed, pencils by Ray-Anthony Height, inks by Walden Wong; and "The Rise and Fall of the Super-Skrull" Written by Mark Sable, pencils by Tim Levins, inks by Jaime Mendoza.

In the lead story, the Mole Man's Moloids are swarming the Baxter Building, but not to attack: the Mole Man had gone missing, and he had left orders if something like that happened, Ben Grimm's your new king. The Moloids seem harmless enough, so Ben stays behind with his new servants while the rest of the Four head to Monster Island to try and figure out what happened. Despite the Moloids' sandwich-making skills, it doesn't take Ben long to realize it's a trick: they were a distraction, so the Mole Man could trap and destroy the rest of the team! He has them right where he wants them, until Ben shows up to turn it around.

The second story, "The Rise and Fall of the Super-Skrull" bites off way more than it can chew in nine pages; as we meet the Super-Skrull's family, see him foiled by a bit from a Star Trek episode, get trapped in Reed Richard's form by a Hyperwave Bomb Reed had just lying around, get thrown in Skrull jail, face Galactus, and get thrown back in Skrull jail! Also, the Silver Surfer cameos as a surprisingly willing-sounding herald, telling the Skrulls to suck it up and get eaten with some dignity. Well, I quite liked the first story, anyway.
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Got this issue (or another copy of it!) for 12 cents, and even on that sliding scale...it's still not very good. From 1991, Avengers Annual #20, "A Storm in Subterranea part 1: Of Moles and Mutates" Story by Roy and Dann Thomas, pencils by Kevin West, inks by Fred Fredericks.

This issue's lineup of Avengers seems odd to me, like it was the roster for about 20 minutes in the 90's: maybe it was longer, but I don't recollect seeing this particular grouping again! It's also surprisingly overpowered for an Avengers roster. Hercules had even been powered down at that point, but the Eternal Sersi more than makes up for that. There was also Quasar, in his masked costume: if you read his comic, that outfit was a retroactive addition to the timeline; but it was also pretty short-lived. There's the (white, emotionless) Vision; She-Hulk, probationary members Sandman and Rage; and Captain America and Black Widow. And the Widow has a white costume, for some reason. (Coloring failure? I thought her outfit at the time was more dark grey in the coloring of the era.)

This was the kickoff for Subterranean Wars, and tries to set up Brutus as the big-bad, since he has the usual underground rulers Tyrannus, Grotesk, and the Mole Man on the run. Instead, the effect is more like "Oooh, someone scared the Mole Man? Why, they must be hardcore!" Actually, as far as guys living underground, Moley seems pretty reasonable: after getting trounced repeatedly trying to take over the world, he's somewhat resigned to keeping his little Moloid subjects and assorted Kirby monsters safe. He's certainly more personable than Tyrannus or Grotesk. (That might even be Grotesk II, I think the original died hassling the original X-Men?)

While Cap and Widow tag out, ostensibly to get the Fantastic Four in on this thing (Spoiler: they don't!) the rest of the Avengers are somehow captured, where they would spend most of the rest of this crossover. Previously, we saw Namor was about to try and get them, but got sidetracked. Oof, we're actually over halfway through this thing: we took a peek at the Hulk's chapter years ago, without mentioning Subterranean Wars at all...time to update the tags!
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"The End" Week: Warlock and the Infinity Watch #42!

We saw Malibu Comics Rune giving the Silver Surfer the hassle some time ago, and in passing the alien vampire jacked the Infinity Gems from Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch. A scene sort of but not really reprised in their last issue, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #42, "Win, Lose, Draw!" Written by John Arcudi, pencils by Mike Gustovich, inks by Keith Williams.

Warlock's "landlord," the Mole Man, is moving his creatures to the caverns below Monster Island; since a tidal wave is coming from the Atlantis Rising crossover. That was one of several smaller Marvel crossovers of the day, and was about as popular as a rash. Luckily for him, Warlock says he has more important matters to attend to: his mysterious teammate, Maxam.

I think Maxam was seen here and there in the backgrounds in Infinity Crusade and "Blood and Thunder." Big guy, red and blue costume, inexplicable pink goggles? Ringing a bell? He had a grab bag of superpowers: increasing his mass for super-strength and invulnerability, resistance to telepathy. He now had the Time Gem that had formerly been carried by Gamora.

For her part, Gamora is being encouraged to get the gem back, by Thanos; who claims to have repented and wants to use the gem to correct his mistakes...a remark that is certainly open to interpretation. Gamora had also previously had a vision of Maxam killing Warlock, but no one was sure why he would do that, not even Maxam, until now: he remembers that he's from a future, where Warlock became the Magus, head of the Universal Church of Truth, a generally unpleasant galactic theocracy/cult. Maxam wants to kill Warlock, to preclude that possibility; but Warlock points out the Magus has been banished to the Soul World inside the Soul Gem. Not good enough for Maxam.

(My recollection was a little rusty on this point, since like Warlock, I thought he had prevented the Magus from forming the Church. Yes, but as Starlin revealed in Warlock #11, if Warlock/Magus didn't found the Church, some other asshole would've, and probably did. Like a bad penny or the "Days of Future Past" storyline, the Universal Church of Truth has turned up again and again...)

Although bedridden and possibly even comatose, Moondragon is still in telepathic contact with Warlock, and suggests leaving Maxam to the oncoming tidal wave. Unable to resolve the situation otherwise, Warlock reluctantly agrees that fate will have to decide the matter. Which it does, as all the Infinity Gems disappear! (As seen in Rune/Silver Surfer, although there we see Rune taking the Time Gem from Gamora, not Maxam...but we see the gem disappear from both here? Huh?) Without the Time Gem, Maxam is again immune to telepathy; and as he bellows, without the Soul Gem, Warlock doesn't have a prayer.

Still, Maxam is surprised that Warlock is a formidable, even fierce fighter; but Maxam far overpowers him. Warlock is on the ropes when the tidal wave hits, and Maxam recovers first. Finding Warlock's unconscious body, Maxam snaps his neck. I sometimes think you would be hard pressed to find a Warlock comic he doesn't die in...

Maxam obviously feels guilty over murdering his friend, but this was a kill-baby-Hitler thing for him. Afterwards, he disappears; possibly returning to his future...or maybe having corrected his timeline. Maybe not, since of course Warlock isn't dead: even without the gems, he and Moondragon had set up a "program" for Maxam. Which almost sorta-kinda explains Gamora's vision; she was seeing what Maxam saw, a dead Warlock.

Thanos decides to go looking for the gems, with Gamora reluctantly chaperoning him. I'm not sure they made any headway with that, but Warlock would follow the trail to the Ultraverse in Curse of Rune and Ultraverse Unlimited #1. I know I've read some of those, but couldn't tell you how it turned out off the top of my head...

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Wine cellars aren't safe from the Mole Man? What next, parking garages?

From Fantastic Four #128, "Death in a Dark and Lonely Place!" Written and edited by Roy Thomas, art by John Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott. Other things, besides wine cellars, that the Mole Man has complete access to from his underground kingdom:
1. Subway tokens
2. Pirated cable
3. My comics, since that's the only explanation I can think of for not being able to find that issue of Quasar I was looking for. You made a powerful enemy today, Moley...

This is the conclusion to the Thing's quest to get a cure for blindness from the Mole Man, with a little sidetrip into Moley's upcoming wedding to the above Kala. Kala double-crosses Moley and frees ex-ruler and current man-pretty slave Tyrannus, who promptly double-crosses Kala. All of which makes it extra-anti-climactic when Ben shakes down Moley for the blindness cure he totally doesn't have.

The Fantastic Four manage to escape without the Mole Man's usual parting shot at them, because he's down about being betrayed by his bride-to-be. Or losing his favorite man-slave. Whichever. Read more!