Janet knows what men really want: Avenging! Wait a sec...

Last month, or a little further down this page: Equinox, the Thermo-Dynamic Man, has just blown up Yellowjacket. In between issues, the cops, including Jean DeWolff, have shown up and put up barricades, but Equinox is still gloating. Injured and unable to shrink yet, Wasp hops the barricade and stings Equinox, but he shrugs it off.

Margay Sorenson, Equinox's mom, had been working on a device to neutralize his powers, and tries it; and since we're on the fourth page it fails. Spidey, Margay, and Wasp decide to head to the Baxter Building to use its lab. The FF isn't home, but Wasp's Avenger's ID gets them in while Margay runs through Equinox's origin. Meanwhile, Equinox is tearing into the cops.

My copy of this is a reprint, Marvel Tales #194, and it has the next two pages obviously out of order: Equinox blows a transformer and blacks out midtown Manhattan (I have no idea if that's how that should work, but play along) which resets the FF's computers, setting off the defensive systems. (Remember when comics could have a page out of order and it wasn't a big deal? Granted, this was a reprint title, but still.) Spidey and Margay get into a lab, but Wasp is locked out.

That empty screw hole? Reed Richards totally fired someone for that.

As defensive lasers start shooting at Jan, she notices she's reacting faster than the computers can shoot her, which even Jan knows shouldn't work. (That's not a slight on the Wasp, it's just rare for a comic character to admit something defies suspension of disbelief.) Then, at Wasp-size, she tears a grate off an air duct and flies down to reset the security system, wondering about her power surge. Meanwhile, Spidey and Margay have worked out a harness to stop Equinox's powers, except now they have to figure out how to get it on him.

Luckily for them, Equinox blows another hole through a wall, so they don't have to go looking for him. Spidey webs up his hands, but still can't go punch-for-punch with Equinox, and has to resort to smashing up Reed Richard's lab--and setting up the next issue, which I don't have, and I guessed wrong on the next villain, too...Hopefully, Reed sent the repair bill to the Avengers, along with a sternly worded memo about lab practices.

Equinox has Spidey "pinned...in an ice straight-jacket!" At the darkest moment, Yellowjacket returns, then Wasp. YJ tells the startled Jan to blast Equinox, and this time the sting throws him across a room. Hank cryptically wishes Jan a happy birthday, and then (relatively casually, it seems) slaps the harness on Equinox, stopping his changes and knocking him out. (Equinox didn't have a lot of other appearances, but may not have ever been cured. Oddly, Wikipedia has his i.d. as "Michael Steel," while he's Terry in this one.)

Yellowjacket explains that when the gas truck blew up, he shrank to insect size, and rode the shockwaves out. Blwah? I guess the next time you have a hornet's nest, don't dynamite it: you'll just scatter the bees, they'll be back. Hank also explains that for Jan's birthday...oh, hell, I'll let him explain part of it:


Hank secretly gave his wife a 'serum' to increase her powers. I hate to say it, but that's a Dr. Phil episode waiting to happen. And I'm not at all sure how the Wasp could "harness" the awesome power of shrinking (that sounds like she should be cleaning my countertops, somehow) and get more powerful stings, without using so much energy she'd get stuck at Wasp-size. Plus, if Jan's strong enough to tear off a grate, she's probably strong enough to punch a normal person's head off now, which maybe isn't an ability you want to surprise someone with.

Still: love these issues, and for me Hank and Jan still spring to mind as a couple. I just hope if I'm ever 'killed' in an explosion, I can pull such a great entrance out of my hat. All panels from Marvel Team-Up #60, "A Matter of Love...and Death!" Written by Chris Claremont, art by John Byrne, inks by Dave Hunt. Back when the world was new... Read more!

If this is how Hank survives the Initiative, well, that would be kinda cool.

Concussion? Fah! Who needs medical attention when you've got hot cocoa? Again, Marvel Team-Up #59, "Some Say Spidey Will Die By Fire. ..Some Say By Ice!" Written by Chris Claremont, pencilled by John Byrne, inked by Dave Hunt.

Since last time was spent more-or-less gushing about Yellowjacket, this time we'll hit the plot; which, as I prefer, hits the ground running. Within the first two pages, Spidey's swinging home and gets sucker-punched by a flame blast, then an Iceman-style icicle.

Just before Spider-Man starts his fall into the river, Janet Pym, the Wasp, is waiting for her husband, Hank "Yellowjacket" Pym, to drag himself out of his lab. Where he'd been for a week. I must say, if I was down in my basement or my work for a week and my wife didn't see me, let's just say she probably wouldn't be greeting me in her lingerie. Well, maybe.

Hank mentions that he's upgraded his powers, not a bad idea for a guy on a team with Thor, Iron Man, Hercules, etc. (How come Hank always doubted himself, yet Hawkeye was completely confident about his place in the Avengers?) Before things get too heated with him and Jan, though, he sees the flash in the distance that zapped Spidey, and flies over to fish him out of the river.


As Spidey recovers back at the Pyms' apartment, YJ (not much of a nickname there, so I don't think it's ever caught on) points out Iceman's currently in the Champions in L.A. and the Human Torch is out of town with the Fantastic Four, and if they didn't zap Spidey, who did? Spidey recalls a bad guy he may not have faced directly, but he had told the Torch and Iceman about, and they fought him: Equinox, the Thermo-dynamic Man. Even though the cover there looks like the Torch and Iceman spent most of the issue fighting each other; Equinox, who had both of their powers, gave them a hard time until they blew him up. Spidey figures he'll take care of it himself, when Equinox blows a hole through a wall, having followed YJ there.

At this point in Spider-Man's life, post-Gwen, he's more surprised if someone doesn't try to kill him.

Spidey gets thrown around a bit, and Wasp's stings prove useless against Equinox ("They're useless against just about everybody, buster.") Yellowjacket eventually zaps Equinox outside, and the fight relocates to the Queensborough bridge...I know nothing about NYC outside of what I've read in comics. Too many people there for me, and I don't think I'd be able to stand the traffic, crowds, subways. Unless I could fly, swing from building to building, or teleport, New York City would drive me up the wall. Besides, I'd spend all my time looking for Dr. Strange's house and get pissed if I couldn't find it.

Anyway...Wasp takes a hit that knocks her on her butt, but is more mad at Hank for amping up his powers but not hers. If Hank has any chores at the Pym household, it must be the weirdest 'honey-do' list ever:

Clean gutters
Talk ants out of kitchen
Invent better superpowers for wife

Hank tries to "But honey" his way out of that, but no time. Equinox nearly kills YJ with a car door (Yeah, why throw the whole car, when just the door seems pretty dangerous?) but Spidey webs it. Then, a woman with a science-fictiony looking rifle calls Equinox "Terry," and begs him to stop. In response, Equinox does throw the rest of the car at her, and Spidey saves her as well.

The cars explode, knocking out Jan. Hank is forced to go hand-to-hand with Equinox; while Spidey helps up Jan and questions the woman, Margay Sorenson, Equinox's mom. Before they can get back to help, Equinox forces Hank back against a fuel truck, and blows it up. Equinox walks out of the explosion, triumphant.

Wasp was shaken, but walks it off: She was an Avenger, and now, it's on.

The scene changes a little the next issue, but that'll keep, 'til next time.

Honestly, I'm not even positive I ever owned this issue as a kid. I may have read it in a store (for some reason, I'm thinking in a Ben Franklin store somewhere in northern Montana) but not bought it; or I may have read it until it dissolved into ink-and-paper particles still lodged in my internal organs. It was reprinted in Marvel Tales #193 and the conclusion the month after. I would recognize Yellowjacket the next Avengers appearance I saw him in, so I knew he must have survived, but it was a long, long time before I got to see how. Hopefully, I won't keep you waiting that long. Read more!

Here's a lucky find from a dollar bin; with the first full appearance of an old friend! An unfriendly old friend, but still. From 1974, Marvel Team-Up #23, "The Night of the Frozen Inferno" Written by Len Wein, pencils by Gil Kane, inks by Mike Esposito.

It always seems weird to me, Marvel Team-Up without Spidey; but he's only here for a minute, as he borrows a very action-figurey looking flyer, and zips up for Giant-Size Spider-Man #1. But, earlier that evening, Spidey had a run-in with a hidden weirdie trying to rob a jewelry store, and suggests to the Human Torch that maybe he could field that one. Enh, beats doing any sort of introspection, so Johnny's on-board. More astutely than usual, he notices a patch of ice by the store--but it was sixty degrees out! And somebody throws an "ice-bolt" at him--whatever that is. Looks like a two-by-four made outta ice, which conceivably could do some damage. Johnny only knows one guy that maybe could "throw snowballs in a steambath," and conveniently finds him five seconds later--literally, five seconds!--Iceman!

Johnny attacks Bobby, and recaps Spidey's story: he had tried to stop a shadowy burglar, but his webbing just slid off him, and Spidey skidded out on an ice patch himself. Bobby has no goddamn idea what he's talking about, and Johnny tries to arrest him...something I don't think we see him try to do often, even then. (It reminds me of a recent banger of a Ralph Wiggum line: "I'm gonna get Daddy's gun and under-arrest you!") He mostly just doesn't like Iceman. Bobby is just as willing to throw down; maybe especially after Johnny makes a crack about how many "eskimoes" would he need to help him. (The term is largely considered a slur now; although I'm positive anything Johnny knows about them is from Chilly Willy cartoons.) I feel like the guys were about on the same level, since I'm pretty sure they both had some training, yet paradoxically weren't very good hand-to-hand? It would rarely if ever be the first thing they'd try. So the slapping match is interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the (original) X-Men (minus Beast!) who bust up the fight, with Cyclops blasting them but Marvel Girl catching their fall.

While the X-Men confirm Iceman was with them the same time Spidey fought the burglar, Iceman still wants to find whoever's dragging his name through the mud, and tells his team he'll catch up to them later for the big secret mission Professor X needed him for. (Which was...nothing? Checking books on the rack that month, and I think X-Men was all reprints at the time!) Now teamed-up, Johnny and Bobby search...for about five more seconds, as the crook makes another run at that jewelry store! The mysterious figure has burned a hole through a wall this time, and appears to have ice and fire blasts. He makes a break with his stolen goods, but the boys blast him, damaging his metalic containment suit, and revealing...

Equinox, the Thermo-Dynamic Man! I gushed about him a gazillion years ago, since him fighting Yellowjacket is one of my earliest comic-book memories. Johnny and Bobby snipe at each other while fighting with Equinox, who both doesn't seem to want to fight them but also isn't hesitating in trying to kill them. But the fight doesn't go the distance, since the cops show up, possibly because the same jewelry store keeps getting robbed. Equinox tries to escape, while acting like Bobby and Johnny were both twelve-year-olds, which, well...They both hit him with a shot at the same time, which does something to Equinox's "internal reactions," and he blows up. Only the package he tried to steal remains--an atomic clock. A jeweled atomic clock. I...I don't think that does what anybody here thought it would do. Johnny notices, the crater leads to the sewer, which had enough current for someone to escape...

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First impressions are important, and that's why Hawkman sucks and Yellowjacket rules.

This is why I keep harshing on Hawkman's wings: as near as I can tell, this appearance in All-Star Comics #65 was my first exposure to Hawkman, and he spends most of the issue sans wings, which pretty much reduces him to an older guy in a luchadore mask. Although, he's more composed than I would've thought, losing the one thing that seems to define the character. I sorta expected Carter, Katar, whatever, to curl up in a ball and weep openly.

(Incidentally, thanks to this issue, when I think of Superman, I think of the gray-templed Earth-2 version first; and think of Power Girl and Star-Spangled Kid as the new guard.)

Very often, your first impression of a character is going to be how you remember them forever. For example, the first time I saw Hank Pym, Yellowjacket, he was blown up. No, not there, here: Marvel Team-Up #59, "Some Say Spidey Will Die By Fire. ..Some Say By Ice!" Written by Chris Claremont, pencilled by John Byrne, inked by Dave Hunt.

If I may sound like a total geek for just a moment: I would totally wear the Yellowjacket outfit. Especially since that's where the powers are--when exactly did Hank and Jan, the Wasp, 'internalize' their powers? Initially, they used gas to shrink and, um, stingers to sting people, I guess. For the Yellowjacket identity, Hank's put together a grab-bag of powers: control insects, shrinking and growing, flight, bio-electric disruptors. I suspect writers thought the initial gimmicks for the character weren't enough, and added more and more.

Then, since that didn't seem to be working, writers, probably Jim Shooter, started fiddling with the character of Hank Pym. The first appearences of Yellowjacket I read portrayed him as a hardcore science-hero, and an Avenger of renown; a guy who was more comfortable in the lab than with people, but also wasn't above fighting the good fight himself. Then the instability started and the next thing you know, Hank's hitting Jan, taking Paxil, and seems a lot more flawed and incompetant than his teammates, or his confederates Reed Richards and Tony Stark.

Hank's on the comeback trail now, or living on borrowed time. Could go either way.

Now, keep in mind that since this is one of the earliest superhero comics I remember reading, I didn't know about Doc Ock, the Green Goblin, or any of Yellowjacket's lameass rouges' gallery. So Equinox totally blew my mind. As the issue sets up, Equinox had previously fought Iceman and the Human Torch to a standstill, because he had both their powers, and a head shaped like Wolverine's mask! I remember making Equinox out of red and white Legos as a kid, and alternating the colors on the top and the bottom.

Equinox does have the unfortunate honor of being yet another comic character that's black, but you can't tell because of his powers or mutation or whatever. But, next time we'll look at the plot, the revenge of the Wasp, and a slightly creepy birthday present from Hank.

Hawkman picture from All-Star Comics #65, "The Master Plan of Vandal Savage" Dialog by Paul Levitz, plot and art by Wally Wood. Read more!

The Hodge and the Podge:

A small pile of recent stuff, most of which I haven't had a chance to so much as glance at.

First, Hasbro's second wave of the returned Marvel Legends new Captain America, or Bucky-Cap as I call him. I know I've read a fair amount of comics with him, but I feel vague on the details off the top of my head. With Steve Rogers supposedly dead (but actually launched through time or something...) Bucky Barnes took the mantle of Captain America, and did a pretty good job of it even though it was pretty obvious this wasn't supposed to be a permanent change. But the changeback seemed to come right when a lot of readers were really warming to Bucky...

As a figure, Bucky-Cap is pretty good, but the shoulders' forward articulation seemed just a hair short. Maybe? Maybe I just need to play with him some more and see if I warm to him a bit more. We'll see him again before long, so don't worry. I'm a little worried that the recent Steve Rogers figure seems even more huge now--I had my old ML1 Captain America with him, and he's way taller--and that the upcoming USAgent would have to be even bigger to look right, causing more scale creep. Ah, I don't think that'll bug me for too long.

Also recently, picked up some cheap DVD's, that I have yet to even attempt watching. DC's animated Wonder Woman and Batman: Under the Red Hood. The latter on Blu-Ray, only like the third one I've bought since winning a Blu-Ray player like a year and change ago. And a replacement copy of the Simpsons Movie, which my Youngest stole and is not giving back; and a twenty-five cent spare of Bruce Campbell's Man with the Screaming Brain. Yeah, I already have it, but it was a quarter, and I wasn't about to leave it...

Then, some trades, all under four bucks a piece: hardcovers of Incredible Hercules: Love and War and War Machine: Iron Heart; and paperbacks the Zombie: Simon Garth, Hellstorm: Son of Satan--Equinox, Excalibur Classic Cross-Time Caper volume 2 (that one I actually had the issues of). And I got Robert Kirkman's Destroyer a week or two back: it was OK. Good grief, I think I've forgotten a couple, and I know I passed on a Terror, Inc. one that I probably could pick up later.

Well, it's never a bad idea to stock up, I suppose. And I have a long weekend coming up, so maybe I'll get through some of them.
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If you only read one Count Abyss appreciation post today, read this one!

We first mentioned him almost eight years ago, as "he kind of looks like he should be giving He-Man or the Thundercats the hassle." And we still don't have his first appearance, but today we finally see the conclusion of the storyline of Count Abyss! From 1994, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #33, "Carnival of Souls" Written by John Arcudi, pencils by Pat Oliffe (I think it's supposed to be Olliffe!) and inks by Bob Almond.

The Count has clobbered the Infinity Watch, but only one of their Infinity Gems is important to him: Adam Warlock's Soul Gem. Abyss didn't have a soul himself, having sold it to the Zalkorr for infinite power in his dimension. Still, that state of soullessness had left him feeling a little empty inside, unable to feel as he used to; and the Soul Gem may fill that void. Abyss begins by "tasting" the souls that resided within the gem, in Soul World, and finds it "intoxicating."

Meanwhile, Warlock's ally Darklore's familiar, the pixie-like Meer'lyn; having survived seemingly being crushed by Abyss, returns to her master with a talisman that could stop Abyss. Adam retakes the gem, and sadly takes a gamble, giving Abyss a soul, that of Brother Kray-tor. You might not know his name, but he was a familiar face in Soul World; partially because he was largely face...With the soul comes conscience, which burns at Abyss's massive crimes. He runs to his patron Zalkorr for help, but Zalkorr doesn't recognize him with a soul! Adam punches it up with Abyss while Darklore uses the talisman to open a gateway to another reality where Abyss wouldn't have his omnipotence; and after Adam retakes Kray-tor's soul, Abyss is cast out. Darklore rejoices at success with "minimal sacrifice," but Adam knows how much this has hurt Kray-tor.

Moreover, while Darklore is able to use his magic to reverse many of Abyss's spells and free the locals; the potion that made Warlock and Lady Maya love each other is still in full force. Except while Maya will become queen, Darklore will become king! "A marriage of diplomatic convenience," he says; but it seems like another way for him to shaft Warlock. And in the basement of the palace, the Zalkorr remains, with his "skrimblatt" just out of his reach...

I may have harshed on his design at first, but Count Abyss's look really grew on me. And I would kill for an action figure of him with his bottle of wine. Ugh, I almost wish he had become one of Thanos's stupid Cull Obsidian or whatever, just for a figure! As is, he's one of those villains only I care about, like Equinox or Helleyes or Demogorge...
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If you ever have trouble with a positive self-image, consider this guy:

Since I bought well over a hundred comics at the last con alone, it's weird for me to remember when I was young and didn't get comics every single week. Moreover, even a big-name like Spider-Man I wasn't getting to read with any regularity, and was rarely exposed to a big-name villain! Electro was probably the biggest name Spider-Man villain I saw for years. My earliest Spidey comics had guys like Equinox, Fusion, Jigsaw, or this guy: from 1979, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #35, "Labyrinth!" Written by Tony Isabella, pencils by Lee Elias, inks by Mike Esposito.

This issue features the return of Mindworm, an obscure villain that had faced Spidey maybe once before, five years prior in Amazing #138. He was a mutant, with an unusually large head, and somewhat unfortunate mental powers: he had accidentally killed his mom by draining her mental energy, which caused his dad to kill himself. It's probably not even fair to call him a villain: he had been draining energy from people but not killing them, but maybe wasn't prepared for Peter Parker's drama. Spidey had given him a pretty good shot to the head, which interfered with his powers, so he wasn't getting the energy he needed and was wasting away, but eventually pulled himself out of it...but for what? He wasn't exactly blending into polite society, and seemingly having little else to do, sought revenge on ol' Web-head.

Spidey gets thrown into the proverbial labyrinth, along with Mindworm's pretty doctor, and some giant rats. The doctor realizes those were manifestations of Mindworm's childhood fears, after a rat attack. (It's super-weird that two of the few comics I read back then were issues of Spider-Man with a child getting bitten by a rat as a plot point!) Mindworm presents himself, as a very EC Comics-looking blob; which the doctor explains is his feeling of alienation from humanity. During the ensuing fight, Spidey brings up his parents, which dredges up that trauma, forcing him to deal with it. "Spidey" tells the doctor he's defeated his foe...but his mask is torn, revealing Mindworm beneath!

Luckily, it's all a dream...or is it? Peter isn't sure, so the next morning he swings over to the hospital to see, and finds a sedate Mindworm being treated by a nurse, the doctor from his dream. Telepathically, Mindworm explains how Spidey and the nurse helped him work through a lot of his problems there, and he had realized the old Spidey mantra, with great power, etc. A happy ending...that would be wiped out some years later, when he'd be a homeless mental patient killed off in Spectacular #22, in a stretch of comics I vaguely remember as being largely gloomy. I also seem to recall Mindworm showing up, more than once, in crowd scenes with guys like Kangaroo, like in Tangled Web #6--it was weird to see him there; like seeing a face from childhood again, and not being sure why. Read more!

He was based in Montana? I call shenanigans, nothing has ever happened there...

I don't even know if Hasbro is doing more Legendary Riders figures, but I had been hoping for western themed ones, with horses. There's probably a dozen reasons not to do the Ghost Night Phantom Rider, though. Ghost Rider #50, "Manitou's Anger...Tarantula's Sting!" Written by Michael Fleisher, art by Don Perlin.

Last month, the Ghost Rider was caught in a dam explosion, and the ensuing floodwaters would wipe out a Commanche burial ground and a small town. It doesn't wash away Johnny Blaze, as he's confronted by a medicine woman, who seems to dial from old to young as she sends him back to western times, where Johnny promptly catches two arrows from the local tribe. For the first of multiple times this issue, Johnny uses his surprisingly effective stuntman training, to dismount a Commanche and then try to escape on his horse, but gets trapped in a box canyon. He is saved by the sudden appearance, as if from nowhere, of the Night Rider--that's kind of his gimmick, sure, but what was he doing out there? We then get a recap and possibly modernization (slightly, if so) of Carter Slade's origin: shot by outlaws and left for dead, saved by a medicine man who had a vision of a shooting star, that he used to trick out Carter as a masked hero. While Johnny recuperates, Carter leans into his cover story, that there's no such thing as the Night Rider, it was your imagination.

Later, when Johnny is well enough to visit the local cafe, Carter starts to ask about his odd clothes--mislettered as old there! But they're interrupted by the Tarantula and his gang blowing up the bank! (An unplanned theme this week!) The Tarantula looks like another Marvel western character, the Black Rider, except with a spider on his hat and a cat-of-nine-tails whip. Oh, and a Mexican accent that strikes me as phony. Johnny uses that stuntman training to rescue a child from a burning building in ludicriously acrobatic fashion: maybe he trained with Cirque de whatever, too.

Together Night Rider and Ghost Rider stop Tarantula, which includes foiling his on-the-fly kidnapping attempt of an Indian girl--the medicine woman from before, when she was young. Johnny warns her and the Commanche medicine man, that in a hundred years or so, some jerks were going to blow up a dam; they remedy that by sending Johnny back just before the explosion, so the Ghost Rider can stop it and hellfire-blast the perps. This is probably a time paradox, but they had magic and the Great Spirit on their side, so it's probably not jacking up the timeline.

Not only has "Phantom Rider" gone through a few names--first to differentiate him from the more popular Ghost Rider, then after somebody realized 'Night Rider' could have a very negative association in some parts of the country. No, not the one from Mad Max, that was Australia, I swear...The Phantom Rider legacy was also badly bemirched by the later version, Carter's brother Lincoln, who sexually assaulted Mockingbird There's been another Phantom Rider since, but like Hank Pym slapping Janet, the stain has stuck. Oh, and while the later versions of the Rider were more closely associated with the Initiative team for Texas, the Rangers; the original was based out of Bison Bend, Montana! Both it and the dam in this book seem to have been drawn with absolutely no reference to anything actually in Montana, a state that's only in the Marvel Database as it refers to the lariat-wielding member of the Enforcers. (He worked his way up to being the Kingpin's right hand man? I again call shenanigans.) And now I just killed a bunch of time reading about Montana's Initiative team, Freedom Force? Neat they had a seemingly reformed Equinox, since I've been a fan forever, but that's a secondhand name... Read more!