Kulan Gath has been giving Conan the hassle for like 25 issues of Savage Avengers, yet an all-but-forgotten Avenger wrapped him up in like three! Of course we're starting with the second one, from 2000, Avengers #29, "The Death-Song of Kulan Gath Part 2: A Dream of Bitter Ash" Written by Kurt Busiek, pencils by George Pérez, inks by Al Vey and Dick Giordano. 

I'm not sure I've read this one before right now, and I'm not sure why not? I distinctly recall the "100 Page Monster" #27, in which (spoiler alert!) both Thor and Cap leave active membership. Previously, new member Silverclaw asked the team to go to Costa Verde, where they find her village transformed by Kulan Gath, and her mom, a seeming volcano goddess, under attack by Gath's men and hawk-riders. Iron Man, for one, is already creeped out and annoyed by the magic in play; but manages to capture a goon while Silverclaw's mom is abducted. The goon laughingly immolates himself rather than answer anything, though.

The Costa Verde army was trying to move in, but the Avengers knew from experience if they passed through Kulan Gath's field, they would be transformed into barbaric counterparts of themselves--they don't remember Uncanny X-Men #190-191, but you might. While She-Hulk and Warbird had been turned into amazon-types, Goliath had been transformed into a "bloodthirsty corsair" resembling Yellowjacket--that's a bit of foreshadowing! Scarlet Witch uses a bit of her "chaos magic" to adjust some of Iron Man's spare comm-chips, so they can communicate in Gath's field; then Wasp and Iron Man head out to stop the army.

Within the spell, Silverclaw can still recognize what was her village, even transformed; but curiously finds a gum wrapper, unchanged. A stoplight also remains, and a young woman follows the Avengers unseen, seemingly changing other items. In a D&D-like tavern, Warbird has a momentary fear of lapsing back into alcoholism, then takes Triathlon aside to advise him to maybe join in instead of just sniping. Silverclaw then has a bit of rage, remembering all the crap she took as a kid as "the daughter of the volcano goddess" when it was all true. That's interrupted by a barroom brawl, which is then interrupted by the bar patrons turning into demons, then snakes! Kulan Gath gives a bit of monologue there, making himself sound oh-so-put-upon, cheating death only to find the modern world so noisy and foul. If he could only die, he would go on to become something like a god, even if he had to sacrifice a god to do so...The Avengers are downed by gas, but a shadowy figure--not the mysterious woman--watches.

I think I'm still missing a couple of Busiek's Avengers, which just seems weird; but at least that means there's something fun out there waiting for me to read it.

Read more!

"Call."

A couple months back, I got some Collect-n-Connect Lobo pieces to @Lawfool85 on Twitter; and got a couple pieces I already had in exchange: the weapons for the Gladiator Hulk BaF, and a spare Sentry head. Which I wanted just because Kurt teleported the head off of one, then kept it for hacking purposes, as well as this nonsense from Twitter:

(Which, aside from being our usual brand of nonsense, is also a callback to Uncanny X-Men #149, one of the first Nightcrawler comics I remember reading!)

Then, at the Lilac City Comicon, I bought most of a Sentry for ten bucks. All I needed was a leg from eBay, and the Kree forces have almost doubled! I'm not sure he's the most in-demand Build-a-Figure, but why not?

Since we've got the Sentries out, we also have the leather jacket Captain Marvel figure, from what feels like the proverbial hundred years ago but was just early 2019, and weirdly, so was Everett Ross!

Read more!

Yeah, you're probably gonna have to be more specific there.

I know DC has tried a couple times to reboot or relaunch the Haunted Tank--Kurt Busiek gave it a go in the tail end of the Power Company, for one--but this cover made me imagine a tank not haunted by a Civil War general, but by the ghosts of those wrongfully killed by America. Be a bit crowded, then. From 1972, G.I. Combat #155, "The Long Journey" Written by Bob Kanigher, art by Sam Glanzman.

The interior story is nowhere near as dramatic as the cover; but seems instead to be the conclusion of a rare multi-issue story for the Haunted Tank: they had gone from being captured by the Nazis and exhibited in Berlin, to being hijacked by Polish fighters and were now in Russia! The tankers pick up a couple Russian guides (who won't make it nine pages in) but then get caught up in the Nazi siege of a Russian city. This doesn't go as hard into it as a Garth Ennis book, but it's made clear the Russians fought hard.

General Stuart warns Jeb, the tank would not make it back home in one piece: a somewhat ominous proclamation, that could've meant they would be fighting on the Russian front for the duration, which would've made more sense. Instead, after the tank helps out a bit, the Russians seem more than happy to help them on their way, dismantling the tank to sneak it home by wagon train. Wait, wait, wait: that looks like eleven wagons, but an earlier page mentioned the Russians were out of dogs and cats to eat and were down to rats: no way they would've had all those horses, even from "every village near!"

Also this issue: a reprint from 1958's Star-Spangled War Stories #67, "Ashcan Alley!" Written by Bob Haney, art by Joe Kubert. The Nazis throw everything but the kitchen sink at a frogman as he tries to free a sub from a mine. Read more!

Hmm, I was just going to mention having the Essential Godzilla collection, but after looking up that price I almost think I saw it somewhere recently and should run out and grab it! In the meantime, let's check out a single issue: from 1978, Godzilla #13, "The Mega-Monsters From Beyond! Part II: Triax" Written by Doug Moench, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Fred Kida.

In Japanese giant robot cartoons of the time, it was traditional as all get out for kids to pilot them; yet when that happens with Red Ronin and Rob Takiguchi in the Marvel universe, it feels like neglect somehow. Rob was too young to be a New Mutant or a Robin, though, maybe that's it. This month, as he and Ronin face a monster called Triax, Godzilla suddenly is teleported in, by aliens who want Big G to stop the giant monsters of their enemies, the Megans. Outside of Salt Lake City (which may or may not be drawn with any reference, I've never been there!) the Megans tag in two more monsters, Rhiahn and Krollar, with orders to destroy earth's champions and the city.

The alien Betans and Megans both wanted earth as a strategic point against the other, but have we seen the Megans before? Sort of? In green instead of red, and under the name "Meegan Alien," they would get an action figure in the 1997 Silver Surfer line! Somewhat inexplicably. Anyway, the Megans were going to use a booster, that would kill their monsters, but give them enough power to crush Zilla and Ronin; the Betans were going to be forced to expose their secret moon base to try and stop them.

Back on earth, Dum Dum Dugan takes charge of the defense forces, somewhat hindered since he doesn't want to open fire with Rob in harm's way. Jimmy Woo relays a message from Nick Fury, about the Betans' moon base, advising them to keep that secret; while Dum Dum wonders how he could be expected to keep (waves arms around) all this secret. The Betans launch a ship to stop the Megans, and damage it, but are themselves damaged and crash into their moon base, breaching the atmosphere dome. Before exploding, the Megans fire their booster ray, but it may not have been needed: under the advise of their telepathic master, Krollar uses his "anterior bio-blade" to decapitate Red Ronin. (Rob wasn't just Red Ronin's pilot, he considered the robot a friend, which explains the somewhat melodramatic "Noooooo!") It's down to Godzilla, against three juiced-up mega-monsters...to be continued!

More than a few plates spinning here, plotwise; hopefully Godzilla gets down to it next issue. If you can find the original, this also features the old Clark Bar Superhero Sweepstakes three-page ad, with Spidey, Cap, the Hulk, the Thing...and Red Sonja? Was she basically Marvel's biggest female lead at the time? Maybe. Conan also appears in the subscription ad; I do love when they--and Godzilla, among others--were de facto Marvel characters. Read more!

Out of office today, so here's Mobius, Loki, and Thena for no reason.

Mobius and Thena are both Target exclusives, but locally didn't arrive at the same time or at the same store: I picked Mobius up Sunday, Thena yesterday. I don't think I'm all in on the Eternals figures; I'm not even sure I'm all in for the movie. It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't seem to have the bold color of Kirby's comic; and I think Marvel went with a director who used a more naturalistic, outdoorsy palette? I feel like I'm going to get the Eternals with some comic presence, like Sersi and Ikaris; although I'd kind of prefer comics figures.

Anyway, out today, so have a good weekend! Read more!

These may or may not be legit tourist spots now, consult your local listings!

I am not organized enough this year for a full October of horror comics posts; but we'll have at least a couple, and I think we'll have an 80-pager later as well. But today we'll knock out a quick one: from 1977, Ghosts #52, opening with "Ghosts and the Supernatural" Art by John Calnan, writer unknown.

Get your Wikipedia out for this one, because at least part of "The Thunderhead Phantom" appears to be based on fact! As the remains of Percy Bysshe Shelley are cremated, his friend Edward Trelawney saves Shelley's heart from the fire. That night, Trelawney is seemingly visited by Shelley's ghost, to rehash their last argument: Trelawney considered himself a "soldier of fortune," while Shelley says that's nothing more than a hired killer, and asks him to "either give up wanton killing--or still my heart forever in those flames!" Yeesh, drama much? Trelawney feels that he had to earn a living, and sets sail for Greece; only for Shelley's ghost to seemingly catch his boat aflame during a lightning storm. Trelawney would be captured by the Turks, before he was able to fight them. (Art by E. R. Cruz, writer unknown.)

"Specter in the Shelter" is a pretty standard ghost-in-the-bomb-shelter, scares people to safety story. "The Secret of the Living Corpse" is darker, and perhaps also based on a "true" story: incarcerated at the Arizona state prison and repeatedly, brutally tortured, Edgar C. Fowler develops the ability to project his own spirit. Later, Jack London would write about Fowler, the novel the Star Rover. Still, Fowler seems disappointed to realize he couldn't just make his ghost appear, it only worked when his life was in danger. (Art by Alfredo Alcala.)

The only writing credit available this issue was for the text story, "The Phantom Who Feared Himself," written by Murray Boltinoff. Maybe he ghost-wrote the whole thing? (That should be get booed, as a bad joke, not for ghosts...) Read more!

"Cape."

I am still in the middle of some (wholly unnecessary) drama right now, but I'm just barely keeping ahead of Wednesdays by knocking out a strip on the fly Sunday or Monday night. The set use is a little limited as well, so we're back at what, a million strips ago, was Pool and Kurt's apartment, and now seems to be Kurt and Sat's. They also appear to be filling it up with crap; man, I know how that goes.

Is Doctor Strange currently dead?  Well, you don't get a title like Death of Doctor Strange when you're feeling fine, I'd guess. This kind of feels like Strange has never had a bigger reach than now, in a ton of MCU movies and Disney+'s What If...?, and those probably have not translated into comics sales in the least little bit. If Strange's death sticks for a bit...honestly, I kind of do expect Magik to get the job. I also had to reach out to Doctor of Strange PTOR, of Sanctum Sanctorum Comix, with a question about the 'cape,' the Cloak of Levitation: what does it feel like, what is it made out of? Wool? Cotton? Silk? Hemp? (That's how it flies!) I know I've seen it on display at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, but I didn't get to feel it, get the thread count or anything.

The Cloak today is from the What If...? Zombie Hunter Spider-Man; although I don't think Spidey wears it long in that episode, but giving it to someone else would've been a huge spoiler. I pre-ordered the whole wave so I could build the Watcher, but they did not come in all at once.

Read more!

Did I buy this one before? I'm worried about what that would say about me...

Okay, I guess I just mentioned it before. Whew! From 1973, Superman #261, "Slave of Star Sapphire!" Story by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson. 

Old Superman stories are probably not considered to have strong plots, but this one isn't just doing "let's you and him fight," it's going the long way around. The Star Sapphire--the stone itself, not the lady--is on loan to Metropolis, so of course Lois Lane is writing a story about it: Carol Ferris wasn't publicly known as Star Sapphire, so she was a bit of a mystery. The museum curator also has a replica of Star Sapphire's uniform, and suggests Lois wear it--purely for research purposes, of course. He even says Lois and Sapphire look alike: is this a subtle dig at DC, that the heroes' girlfriends are basically interchangeable? Nah, they aren't that self-aware or meta. 

Meanwhile, Clark Kent has to make an elaborate exit from a helicopter-shuttle (which had a very elaborate escape system for its passengers, that was probably immediately scrapped after Kent 'accidentally' sets it off) because a local mobster has a suicide-vest full of nitro...for reasons. I think his reasoning is, the cops and Superman can't do anything to him, or he'll explode and probably take out a city block or two. He's also holed up in the Green Lantern tavern, which actually appeared before, in Action #317! But, another passenger on the helicopter is watching this situation: Carol Ferris! Seeing the 'Green Lantern' seems to trigger something in her, which is probably exasperated when Superman blows up the bar--somewhat literally, with his super-breath. That doesn't hurt the mobster, and seems like a lot of property damage, but it lets Carol watch the scene with binoculars. Only, she sees it as Superman killing Green Lantern, which changes her persona to Star Sapphire's, seeking justice. She needed her sapphire first, though.

Back at the museum, the curator realizes he's accidentally given Lois the real Star Sapphire. Almost like you were distracted by something, huh? At GBS, Lois gives Clark a momentary hassle about his helicopter ejection and Superman showing up, but she had been burned so many times when she suspected Clark was Superman that she's given up on that one. When Lois won't tell what's in her bag after she drops it, Clark uses his x-ray vision, and sees the Star Sapphire outfit. Time for some fun! Or mean-spirited revenge, either or. Downstairs, Carol is storming the building, homing in on her gem.

Clark causes Lois's electronic desk to 'malfunction,' and 'finds' the Star Sapphire outfit. Why, Lois, you aren't really--Lois indignantly protests, while Clark gets to enjoy the shoe being on the other foot for once, until the Sapphire starts spinning in mid-air! It returns to Carol, who transforms into Star Sapphire before Clark gets a look at her. Then, she zaps Clark, launching him into the elevator shaft and nearly taking out a full car of passengers. Sapphire goes outside and starts wrecking things, to draw out Superman. 

Supes is pretty sure Green Lantern isn't dead, but also can't bring himself to punch Sapphire out, either. That gives her the chance to get the gem around Superman's neck--but still under her control! And it works pretty well, as she forbids Superman from removing the gem, or opening his mouth, and forces the cover scene, to kiss her boots! Still, using super-ventriloquism, Supes is able to call Lois, who still has the replica costume...

Sapphire orders Superman to destroy the Galaxy building and everyone in it, and he can't do a thing to stop himself--except, another Sapphire orders him not to! Lois orders Superman to fly up, knowing the real Sapphire would counter that and order him to fly down, causing the gem to fall off. Recovering the gem, Star Sapphire escapes, swearing vengeance...until the next day, when she sees a newspaper story with Green Lantern alive, and reverts back to Carol. Superman thanks Lois for saving him, but she asks him not to tell Clark, he already thinks she's Star Sapphire, and she'd never hear the end of it.

EDIT: It occurred to me later, I have no idea how well this fits in with Carol/Sapphire lore from Green Lantern, since this makes it seem like the gem had the power, true, but the Sapphire persona was inside Carol somewhere. I'm not positive that was always the case, though. Read more!

Odds of seeing some of these books later? Pretty good!

I wasn't organized enough to mention it earlier, but the Lilac City Comicon was back over the weekend. And we got 138 books or so! The show felt a little smaller than usual, and there were a few tables that looked like no-shows, but obviously that didn't stop me.

We also got this Nightcrawler print and yarn figure. The lady that made the figure sold me my Bamf a couple years back; if she keeps making Nightcrawler stuff she's probably guaranteed a sale every year! Read more!

Jimmy Olsen, boy middle-aged reporter.

I didn't intend for another post with Jimmy Olsen so soon, yet here we are. From 1996, Superman #110, "The Treasure Hunt Caper" Plot by Dan Jurgens, script by Jerry Ordway, pencils by Ron Frenz, inks by Joe Rubinstein.

Jimmy looks a little older than usual here today, but that may be because this was during his stint as a TV reporter for WGBS. He happens to spy Woozy Winks, and Plastic Man, in downtown Metropolis looking for Superman. In their private investigator office, they were approached by femme fatale Treasure Hunt, who puts them on the case of finding her brother Tiger, who took their company's prototype "sonic atomizer" to try it on Superman! She gives them a pile of cash and a "sonic atomizer nullifier" gizmo to give to Supes. An interesting story, remarkably like one Clark Kent is hearing across town, from Tiger Hunt! He claims his sister is the nutso one, and gives Kent another nullifier to pass along to Superman. Supes finds it curious, while Tiger's heartbeat didn't indicate he was lying, the nullifier is lined with lead; but before he can take it to Professor Hamilton to check out, he sees someone lighting a Batman-esque Superman signal in the night over the city! (The GCD notes Plas basically asks Treasure to sit on his face in the above scan; is he trying to get cancelled? It's not as blatant as the old Big Barda's dress bit, though...)

The signal is of course Plastic Man, on the verge of melting on a hot spotlight. But, the nullifiers begin to glow, then unfold, into...rather silly looking robots, with video screens of Treasure and Tiger not unlike the old, first-generation Spider-Slayer. In the ensuing scuffle, Treasure's robot vacuums in Superman's cape, then takes off. Tiger's bot is smashed, but through the projection he explains this was just his and his sister's hobby, competing for treasures, in this case, Superman's cape! Supes is pretty miffed, and muses it might "almost be worth the effort, to catch up with her robot..." 

At Treasure's estate, she's thrilled with her new prize, and had a trophy case all ready for it. She can't wait to rub her brother's face in it, but remembers she has to cut a check for Plas and Woozy. She could've given it to him right there: Superman must have caught up with the robot, and swapped in Plastic Man, who sneaks his way out of the case. I don't think either of the Hunts gets any punishment, but I'm not sure they ever appeared again, either.

The only subplot page this issue, ties into the next "Triangle" issue, Adventures of Superman #533; as we see Lois Lane ordering pizza with Lori Lemaris. She is right to be appalled there; I don't think I could've ordered a "Neptune's Platter" pizza even as a joke!

Read more!