Admittedly, it's not a name that rolls off the tongue.

When I found these in the dollar bin, I thought they were just another attempt to cash in on the sword-and-sorcery, barbarian comics of the seventies. Or a clever way to burn off some Conan the Barbarian fill-in issues, by changing some of the names, hair color, etc. Imagine my surprise at finding out this guy could've been Conan!

From 1973, Creatures on the Loose #23, "Where Broods the Demon!" Written by George Effinger, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Vince Colletta; Creatures on the Loose #24, "Red Swords, Black Wings!" Written by George Alec Effinger, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Vince Colletta; Creatures on the Loose #25, "The Wizard of Lemuria!" Written by George Effinger and Tony Isabella, pencils by Val Mayerik, inks by Vince Colletta; and from 1974, Creatures on the Loose #27, "In the Crypts of Yamath!" Written by Gardner Fox, pencils by Val Mayerick, inks by Vicente Alcazar.

Per the Wikipedia page for Conan comics, Roy Thomas mentions thinking Marvel wouldn't be able to get the rights for Conan, so he was trying to get Lin Carter's character Thongor instead. When they hit a delay with Carter's agent, Thomas went after Conan again, and this time got him. He mentions that he offered more than was approved for Conan, so then the book's first choice of artists, John Buscema, was priced out; and they had to go with a more budget choice: Barry Windsor-Smith! It becomes a "What If" scenario: if Thongor had been published first instead of Conan, would it have been drawn by Buscema? Would Thomas have still written it, and would it have taken off?

That's actually a bit more interesting to think about than these actual comics, really. And I've mentioned before, when looking at some Warlord issues he inked, that I usually didn't have a problem with Vince Colletta, but his issues seem less polished than #27 with Vicente Alcazar inks. (Or maybe Mayerick's art was coming together, but I think the former.) Thongor himself seems fairly Conan-like, although a bit more willing to associate with wizards; and his world had at least some airships that would be reminiscent of John Carter of Mars. His epithets aren't as well-formed as Conan's either; since he calls out to the nineteen gods, the "seven gods of Zangabal!" his sire "Thumitar," and "Gorm!" all in the space of a single issue!

I hadn't seen these comics before, but I had read the title before and after this! Some years back, we looked at Creatures on the Loose #21 with John Carter precursor Gullivar Jones. Thongor would continue until Creatures on the Loose #29, then the title would be taken over by Man-Wolf.
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80-Page Thursdays: the Superman Family #185!

As happens sometimes, we haven't had this tag out for a while; but maybe we've got a few lined up for later. From 1977, the Superman Family #185, featuring "The Fantastic Fists and Fury Feet of Jimmy Olsen!" Written by Tom DeFalco, art by Kurt Schaffenberger, "The Great Superman Locked-Room Puzzle!" Written by Martin Pasko, pencils by Kurt Schaffenberger, inks by Vince Colletta, "The Sinister Secret of the Street-Stalker!" Written by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Win Mortimer, inks by Vince Colletta, "The Stray Superdog! Written by Bob Toomey, pencils by Juan Ortiz, inks by Steve Mitchell, "Beginnings" Written by Paul Kupperberg, pencils by Ken Landgraf, inks by Romeo Tanghal, and "The Voodoo Machine!" Written by Jack C. Harris, pencils by José Delbo, inks by Vince Colletta. 

These 70's Jimmy Olsen story sometimes feel like they're trying to be more serious than his 60's stories; and this almost feels like an attempt at being topical. Late, but an attempt: when Jimmy tries to save a scientist from being mugged by masked thugs, he lets Jimmy use his invention: Computerized Atomic Powered Combat Clothing! With the powered boots and gloves, Jimmy is able to kung-fu the thugs away; but the scientist runs off, saying his invention would be safe enough with Jimmy. Jimmy takes the C.A.Po.C.C.'s to S.T.A.R. Labs to check them out, but the thugs attack there as well, and are driven off again. It is, of course, a scam: the scientist is in on it with the thugs, and the ploy was to wait until Jimmy got Superman to take him to the Fortress of Solitude to examine them. They would then learn the Fortress's secret location, and could then loot it. When that doesn't work, they try to remote-control Jimmy to fight Superman until they can escape, but come on.

In "The Great Superman Locked-Room Puzzle!" Clark and Lois are stuck in a ratty apartment, waiting for an interview with a rock star. Lois is getting impatient, but Clark can see the rocker is stuck in traffic, and surreptitiously crushes the doorknob to keep Lois from leaving. Which gives them time for cards and conversation: they had broken up recently, with Lois noting while they had worked together for years and were "seeing" each other for months, they didn't really know each other. The quotes around "seeing" are Lois's; which in another context could, ahem, signify something else; but in this case even when they were 'together' Clark probably always had to duck her to make time for Superman. Also, Clark can't shuffle cards and takes all day to make coffee: he's hardly a catch! But here we get into the same sort of territory as Commissioner Gordon: just how much do they actually know? The rocker shows up, saying there had been a fire, but Superman took care of it. Discussing it later, Clark says he's almost sorry Lois didn't believe he was Superman anymore, he would've enjoyed disproving her theories. Lois says he's not Superman, but if he was, he easily could've done all of that at super-speed while picking up cards or making coffee. He could even have faked a phone call with super-ventriloquism. Lois is dead-on with her assessment, only missing one thing: a momentary moisture on her cheek wasn't a leaky pipe, it was Supes kissing her cheek at super-speed! I'm...I'm not sure that's okay; but Superman reconsiders things with her, realizing Lois knows how he thinks, more than she thinks. I think.  

Next, Lois works the case of an old man vigilante roughing up muggers: in a bit of continuity, the cops are not thrilled with another vigilante in Metropolis, since Black Lightning had just debuted. Then a Krypto yarn, then Nightwing and Flamebird: that reads as an origin, as Kandorian citizens take up the mantles of those heroes since Superman and Jimmy Olsen weren't around. There's also continuity nods, as in the Jimmy Olsen story, to recent Justice League of America stories: Superman was a busy guy!

Lastly, "The Voodoo Machine!" pits Supergirl against criminals holding her foster dad hostage, threatening her foster mom, while her real parents have been forced back into the "Survival Zone." Which, is that related to the Phantom Zone? Separate? A rebranding for the Kryptonian non-criminals that tried to flee Krypton's destruction in it? That one appeared to be midway through maybe a three-parter, and wondered how many parents Supergirl would have left at the end of it. Read more!

No one really observes the Feast of Agravar, but still take the day off.

For Jack Kirby fans, inker Vince Colletta is infamous for cutting corners and eliminating details. He had done a few issues of Warlord that I thought turned out OK, but I'm not sure about this one: from 1980, Warlord #39, "The Feast of Agravar" Story and art by Mike Grell, inks by Vince Colletta.

With his companion Shakira, Travis Morgan is enjoying the hell out of his new, winged horse, Firewing. After a brief fight with some pterodactyls (sent by a mysterious, and unseen, master...) Firewing is injured: Shakira doesn't care for the way Travis treats the horse, but he argues it's just scratches. He leaves her to look after Firewing, while he explores another Atlantean ruin: as was often the case, some of the machinery was still working. Shakira rejoins Travis for a prolonged lecture about how the ancient Atlanteans had achieved science even greater than the surface world's, but had blown themselves up. This appeared to be an armory, with cool-looking laser rifles.

The ruin is well-furnished, and was maintained by a robot, who introduces himself as Boss, and offers refreshments. It says it doesn't get a lot of visitors, since the locals had a superstitious fear of the place. A completely justified fear, since Boss drugs Travis and Shakira, all the better to serve them up at the "feast of Agravar." While the robot doesn't believe he's sacrificing them to a god, the "periodic 'feasts'" kept the giant monster from tearing up his complex. Shakira changes into her cat form and takes off, with Boss giving chase; leaving Travis to fight the giant serpent Agravar. Making her way back to the laser rifle, Shakira makes short work of both Boss and Agravar. Still, coming outside, Travis is dismayed to see just his saddle: Shakira let Firewing go, and he could be seen racing with another flying horse.

We mentioned Colletta before, when we looked at Warlord #35, six years back! The art was tighter that issue, but I don't know if this issue is on Grell or Colletta. And hey, #35 also featured Travis getting a drugged drink!


Lastly, the back-up feature this issue was a Jim Starlin OMAC story we saw some time back: it may have been meant for Kamandi, but was burned off here.
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Technically, it was designed by A.I. and was radioactive; but it does look better than a Cybertruck.

From 1978, Shazam! #33, "The World's Mightiest Race" Written by E. Nelson Bridwell, pencils by Tenny Henson, inks by Vince Colletta with an assist by Kurt Schaffenberger. (That's somewhat unusual, Colletta's usual main selling point was that he was timely.)

This was pretty late in this series' run, and the book had been updated to more closely resemble the TV show; with Billy travelling the county with a newly mustached Uncle Dudley. He had more contact with the gods of his namesake for assists; but all this meant no Mary Marvel or Captain Marvel Jr. (Or so I thought, maybe it was just this issue: C.M. Jr. would be in the next issue; and the rest of the Marvel Family in the last.) This issue does feature a classic villain, that the TV show wouldn't have had the budget for, at all, ever: the robot Mister Atom! Mr. Mind had rebuilt him, and tasked him with challenging "the best car on earth" at the Indianapolis 500. The people had one hour to produce a racer, or Mister Atom would meltdown, irradiating the entire city.

Captain Marvel has an idea, and a reporter tips him to a garage where he can build a racer, with the help of some plucky kids. The wizard Shazam had tipped Billy, say his name while in the car, which the kids dub the Shazamobile--a great name, that Captain Marvel couldn't say! Now with the car powered by magic lightning, CM races Atom, who is dismayed when the Shazamobile pulls ahead, doing "300 miles a minute!" Which would be, what, 18 thousand miles an hour? That's 23 times the speed of sound, so wouldn't Indianapolis have been destroyed by sonic booms? Atom tries running him off the road, but the Shazamobile was as invulnerable as its driver, and knocks the Atomobile out.

Mister Atom then summons his body back by remote control, and gets punched off the face of the earth. (Atom could take that, but didn't seem able to fly fast enough to get back to earth!) Captain Marvel throws the radioactive remnants of the Shazamobile into the sun, while Uncle Dudley backtracks Atom's trail with a geiger counter to catch Mr. Mind. CM leaves the depowered Shazamobile with the kids. Read more!

Wow, automation does cost jobs.

One Replicus takes the job of two mobsters, in today's book: from 1974, Marvel Spectacular #12, reprinting Thor #141, "The Wrath of Replicus!" Written by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta.

This issue, mobster Slugger Sykes uses the robot Replicus of mad scientist Chuda (no title, only one name, like Cher) for a crime spree so bad it attracts the attention of Thor. Actually, Dr. Donald Blake had been treating the elderly flower merchant Granny Gardenia, who was Sykes' mother, in a plot that was pretty hackneyed well before this story. Thor has a pretty good slugfest going with Replicus, when Sykes realizes Chuda was actually an alien intent on using an army of Replicuses to take over, and Sykes blows them both up.

Not a great lead story, but the back-up this issue is "The Meaning of Ragnarok!" (Lee/Kirby/Colletta, from Thor #127.) It's only five pages of Ragnaroking goodness, but well worth the price of admission. Now, do I have the conclusion anywhere...yes, in the 2001 Thor #32 100-Page Monster!

Was this the first Ragnarok in Thor? As a back-up? Well, it wouldn't be the last time, anyway.

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How many early Thor issues were just Loki convincing some chump "Thor? Totally overrated! You can take him..."

Because this one, well...From 1975, Marvel Spectacular #13, reprinting (most of) 1967's Thor #142, "The Scourge of the Super-Skrull!" Written by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta. Better part of a page is cut from the reprint, presumably to clear space for ads.

This one does open with Thor having a bit of fun with a young motorcycle rider: I feel like Thor used to have a bit more fun, honestly. Although, he changes to Donald Blake after that, which doesn't seem convenient, he might have just left Blake to walk halfway across town...Meanwhile, Loki is on one of his periodic exiles, sent to his room by Odin. Oh, wait, not his room, "a lonely, endless space-time continuum!" He gets his own continuum, and he's still bitching? Loki reaches out with his mind to find someone to give Thor the hassle, but I don't think you see Loki do that bit much anymore. I guess maybe you don't have to when you can actually go places and whatnot, but it does seem handy. Anyway, he plants the idea in the Super-Skrull's head, that if he defeated Thor the Skrulls would sing his praises again, give him a parade, and so forth. Cue fight scene!

Super-Skrull makes a pretty good showing, before getting thumped. Thor also uses Mjolnir to "create an anti-force" to send him back to his ship. In his parting speech, he says "thy banishment eternal!" but that means about as much here as when Odin says that to Loki.

Also this issue: "Aftermath!" Another Tales of Asgard feature, from Lee/Kirby/Colletta. Oh, yeah, we saw the previous issue some years back! This is Volla the Prophetess dropping the tale of Ragnarok, the fall of Asgard, and the new age that follows. Loki pipes up that it's a load of hoopla; Odin tells him shut up, you're the one that causes it. Which feels like a weird place to end, but OK. Read more!

"Lemme check those dice, Mike." "Bite me, Jack."

An oddball of an issue: Warlord #35, "Gambit" Written and illustrated by Mike Grell, inks by Vince Colletta. (Colletta had a reputation for speed, or hackwork, depending on your perspective, but I know he did several issues of Warlord and don't recall seeing anything out of line, as it were.)

This issue, Travis Morgan prepares to leave Wizard World--prehistoric Skartaris--to return to the present day Skartaris, and Mariah and Machiste elect to stay in the past. (Aside: Machiste is king of Kiro, but as is typical for a comic-book king, never there, ever.) With the magic sword Hellfire, Travis is launched through space and time, arriving in what appears to be a suburban living room of the seventies.


Before he has time to be dismayed at being back in America, in that outfit, Travis is attacked by an armored woman. Named Agnes. Although initially amused, the fight quickly becomes earnest, until Agnes goes for a rifle in the game room. Two shadowy figures discuss the point, and Agnes is disqualified.


The scene shifts to a bar, where a bartender helpfully tells Travis where he is, Quakertown, PA; but also slips him a mickey, what you kids today would know as a "roofie." Travis is then slated for human sacrifice, with an electric carving knife, before regaining consciousness in what looks like a lucky saving throw. Travis is running all over the cloaked cultists, before one completes the sacrifice...by stabbing himself.

Now faced with a flaming demon, Travis is forced outside, and manages to beat it with a fire hydrant. Even Travis thinks he's been getting overly lucky, but the house is on fire, and he figures the time portal that brought him there is still inside, so it's back into the flames. There, he's attacked by a chainsaw-wielding Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. (Aside: I don't think I've ever read any Lewis Carroll, but frankly if you read enough comics you'll get the gist of it eventually.) Travis defeats them, but the fire has him trapped there...as Mike and Jack congratulate themselves on a game well played and a deadline made!

As they box up their game of "Devils and Demons," Travis appears in Skartaris proper, with his companion Shakira. He writes off the experience as weirdness brought on by the magic of the Hellfire Sword, which may be (and in fact is) more than meets the eye...

A fun bit of tomfoolery here. I may have to dig up an issue in a similiar vein, Forgotten Realms #24, which takes a little look behind the curtain as well. One character specifically points out what a pain in the ass it would be to plot out a comic by playing D&D, since the whole thing could be derailed by a few lucky throws. And that was in a comic based on D&D!


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We looked at the What If? version some time back, but I'm not sure I had seen the original before; or in this case the reprint: from 1974, Marvel Spectacular #7, reprinting 1967's Thor #136, "To Become an Immortal!" Written by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Vince Colletta.

Thor has finally gotten the okay from Big Daddy Odin, to marry his long-standing girlfriend Jane Foster; and takes her to scenic Asgard. Which is probably like going from Kansas to Oz, since the colors of the Rainbow Bridge alone seem like they're a bit much for her; but there's also a troll invasion going on as well. (When isn't there a troll invasion, am I right?) Odin seems pretty cool at first, bestowing upon Jane a new outfit and the power of flight; but when she doesn't seem to immediately take to it, Odin opts to throw her in the deep end and decrees she will have to face "the Unknown." Not a figurative unknown either, this was a mysterious thing that most of the locals seemed afraid of, yet Odin acts like Jane should take it. Instead, Jane again freaks out, and calls for Thor to save her.

Odin explains the Unknown doth feed on fear, which is why it never invaded Asgard...then why was it there, and why was the underling Odin sent to get it terrified as well? Nevertheless, Jane has failed, and is sent back to earth, for a regular ol' mortal life with consolation prize Dr. Kincaid. Odin knows, and suspects Thor knew as well, that Jane wasn't cut out for godhood; all of which seems super-patronizing, especially when you consider Jane's later years...Odin then sends Thor to face the Unknown, since the trolls just summoned it; Thor is more than a bit down, and hints maybe he'll get lucky and get killed or something. Before that can happen, another joins Thor in battle: Sif, in her first appearance in the book! Together they defeat the Unknown, but mainly Odin is aiming Thor at Sif to get his mind of Jane, and I think it works, by and large.

The original featured the back-up "There Shall Come a Miracle!" but this reprint gets, for some reason, "The Grim Specter of Mutiny!" Lee/Kirby/Colletta from Thor Journey Into Mystery #122. Sailing the Sea of Fear, and approaching the grim Pillars of Utgard, Loki leads a mutiny to turn back. Thor and the Warriors Three fight back, including killing some of the mutineers, although I know darn well Loki will get away without a scratch. It does feature some nice smack talk from Fandral, though.


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80-Page Thursdays: Batman Family #19!

For the next stretch, as long as I can find them, every Thursday we'll check out an 80-page comic! Not 64, not 100, 80-page giants only! Today, a doozy! From 1978, Batman Family #19! Featuring Huntress, Man-Bat, Batgirl, Robin, and duhr, Batman; in the lead with a twenty-page Denny O'Neil, Michael Golden, and (P.) Craig Russell story, "The Tomb of the White Bat!" Which we won't go into much, since although Batman gets trapped in and escapes from a clever homemade pit in the mountains, he also only triumphs because of the intervention of said white bat!

In the next story, Congresswoman Batgirl faces off against "The Sino-Supermen!" (Written by Bob Rozakis, art by Juan Ortiz and Vince Colletta.) Oddly enough, it ties into Firestorm continuity: the Chinese government, believing super-heroes like Superman or Firestorm to be creations of American scientists, work to create their own super-powered operatives. Batgirl points out to a federal agent that they both know damn well the U.S. didn't create Superman, but is told it's better to let the Chinese believe that, which seems somewhat dangerous. Batgirl busts up the spy ring, but gets a clue that her brother Tony may still be alive. (Where that fits in any sort of continuity, you'd have to tell me.)

Then, in "The Crime Rate is Earth-Shaking!" Robin faces a number of crimes and personal problems at Hudson University, none of which should be that big of a deal, since we see photographic proof Robin can punch a thug so hard his head explodes.


See? And there's also Man-Bat, and a Huntress story, which oddly appears to be the only one here to have been reprinted. ("Gotham Town is Burning Down!" Written by Paul Levitz, pencils by Joe Staton, inks by Bob Layton.)



All for a dollar, which according to this inflation calculator provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, had in 1978 the same buying power as $3.47 in 2011. If you find an 80-pager for that price today--ha!--buy it. That said, I know I didn't buy this issue in 1978--I'm pretty sure I paid fifty cents for it in the 90's, and I bought a couple other Batman Family issues around then as well...
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Check out the link, since you may recognize the cover to today's book, from a Marvel house ad. But how is the issue? From 1985, Red Sonja #11, "Buried Alive!" Script and plot by Louise Simonson, plot and pencils by Mary Wilshire, inks by Vince Colletta.

Sonja spends most of this issue buried in an avalanche, unfortunately: it's up to her young companion Kynon to get help, which does involve fighting off a harpy. Most of the rest of the issue is given over to the evil sorceress Vassilisa Iceheart, who actually thinks she has Sonja's heart: previously, her "cavalok" Yuri had supposedly killed her, but he had instead captured Kynon's mother Bran, and had her chained up in the forest and gave the sorceress a deer's heart instead. I feel like I've heard that somewhere before...The handsome Yuri also charms the serving wench Llrissa into bringing Bran food: Llrissa doesn't believe Bran's story, but does suspect Yuri isn't sincere in his desire for her, especially since he's keeping a pretty redhead in a metal bikini chained up in a cave. Llrissa tries to convince Vassilisa that Yuri had made advances on her; which Vassilisa just sees as Llrissa being uppity, and opts to have her thrown into the pit of lost souls. Panicking, Llrissa gets real snitchy, tattling of Yuri's redhead captive, whom Vassilisa assumes is Sonja. That doesn't save Llrissa from the pit, though.

Before being rescued, Sonja has a vision, of the goddess that gave her power after she had been assaulted, many years ago: she was special, so act like it. Or, the vision could be Sonja's dead sorcerer friend Achmal, trying to motivate her to survive. Not unlike Moon Knight and Khonshu, Sonja's relationship with her goddess has been open to interpretation. Sonja's quest would run two more issues, but she would appear in Marvel's assorted Conan titles for years to come: it's still super-weird to me that Dynamite has her now. Read more!

So, a few years back, we took a look at an issue of the New Universe title Justice, and I spent most of the post bitching about time zones. I also advised against buying those from the quarter bins, as "They'll just hurt you in the end." Yeah, you see where this is going, but I swear I've got a good reason! Or a reason. Maybe marginally good? From 1987, Justice #10, "Hour of Corruption" Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Keith Giffen, inks by Vince Colletta.

At this point, the book seemed to be building up for a final battle in the other-dimensional Winterland, like King's the Dark Tower by way of Kirby's New Gods. Am I overselling it? Definitely, the book would absolutely whiff any potential it had. The bad guys, including corporate evil Damon Conquest, were preparing for their massive assault on "the justice-warriors of Spring," who were disorganized and demoralized, possibly because of their name. Damon reports to a bigger bad here, his dad; and had abducted and corrupted the hero's love interest, FBI agent Rebecca Chambers. Damon also makes a phone call to one of his agents on earth, casually talking through his hand, his cold breath seeming to come out the other end...a much stronger visual than this book deserved! Back on earth, Tensen, a.k.a. Justice, was still murdering drug-dealers here and there, but was largely depressed; since Rebecca was believed dead and he was being blamed for it.

Damon transports Justice to the desert, to face Klane, Black Justice; who has a real Fist of the North Star vibe to him, as does their fight. (Fist wasn't released stateside yet, although it had been running in Japan since 1983. Could Giffen have seen it and be riffing on that...?) It's a trap, though, intended for Justice to strike him down in anger, a violation of his code. Beaten in the desert, Justice is unable to do anything when Rebecca appears, at first intending to kill him, but deciding he wasn't worth it. Harvesting dark power from Justice's corruption, Damon lists off his evil plans to his dad, as the invasion draws nearer...

Yes, yes, yes, that's all well and good; but I was actually looking for Giffen's issues of Justice, because of a joke in a better book! From 1990, Secret Origins #48, featuring "The Secret Origin of Ambush Bug: We Thought Him Up!" Plot and pencils by "Keith Van Giffen," script by "Robert Louis Loren Stevenson Fleming," inks by "Bob the Louvre Lewis." Cover by Kevin Maguire and Al Gordon! This is a banger of an issue from late in that series, featuring a bit we saw in Blue Devil Annual #1: here's a whole bunch of 'secret' origins, not a one of them even remotely close to right. "This calls for a Giffen 'big-eye' panel!" is still a fun bit of him poking fun at himself; but Giffen had done layouts for Wally Wood: if we consider Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work!! is the big-eye panel a variation on 'extreme closeup,' or its own thing?  

For good measure, this issue also includes Phil Foglio on Stanley & His Monster, a few years before that mini-series, an extended Captain America riff for the origin of Rex the Wonder Dog, and the largely-forgotten western heroes the Trigger Twins. I had to double-check, since I was thinking it would be just like me to say something like 'largely-forgotten' and then find out the Trigger Twins had a book for like 14 years and a massive following in Paraguay or something: I mean, Rex the Wonder Dog used to be huge. The Trigger Twins, not so much. They were in a bunch of All-Star Western, and the name's been repurposed since.

Anyway, all of this, and there's only one proper "big-eye panel" in Justice #10. Feel like there were more in the previous issue...or maybe the next one? Giffen only did three total here, but I still feel like there is a Fist of the North Star influence.

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Plan 4-20, huh? I'm sure this is a completely innocent reference.

Um, that's Silvermane, not your grandma there. This is from Daredevil #123, "Holocaust in the Halls of Hydra!" Written by Tony Isabella, art by Bob Brown, inks by Vince Colletta. From 1975, which of course makes this pre-Frank Miller glory days, and possibly even pre-4-20. Whatever that means...

Bonus: Foggy Nelson, held hostage by Hydra in their secret base under Shea Stadium, socks a guard, steals a rifle, and shoots out the chain restraining Daredevil and the Black Widow. Hell, yeah. Even though he's often the comedy relief for DD, Mr. Nelson has had stretches of actual competence, and at the end of this issue, Nick Fury repeats his offer of a spot on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Directorial Council. Foggy declines, since while he can step it up when needed, he also seems like a guy that knows his limitations, and where he's comfortable.

Anyway, in honor of this not-at-all special day, I heartily don't encourage you to do or not do anything that may or may not be legal or medicinal. Yeah, definitely medicinal. Maybe. Read more!