Arc of Triumph? Incredible Hulk 176-178

Karen: These three issues were somewhat scandalous back in the day, taking Warlock and putting him in the role of Jesus (with Hulk as an unwitting Judas!). They also had heavy Watergate allusions. When they came out it all pretty much went over my little noggin but reading it today it seems fairly harmless if a bit silly. Any thoughts on this three parter by Gerry Conway and Herb Trimpe?

Super Blog Team-Up - When Friends Like These ARE Your Enemies...

Doug: Welcome to the fourth Super Blog Team-Up! This is the third entry from your pals at the Bronze Age Babies, and we're excited to have been asked again for a contribution. The SBTU just keeps getting bigger and better, too -- be on the look-out below for links to new members of our comics coalition! Karen and I will be sending some mini-reviews your way today, all fully-integrated to today's SBTU theme of team-ups. But here at the BAB, we thought we'd turn things just a bit upside down, and feature team-ups of our favorite heroes... alongside some of their major villains! And not only will you get to check out some fun stories, but we'll also feature some wonderful Bronze Age art from the likes of Big John Buscema, Jim Aparo, and Jim Starlin (with a little Silver Age Jack Kirby for good measure)! So enough of this introductory stuff -- let's get down to business -- and do we have a whopper of a post for you today! Better take a deep breath...

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Fantastic Four #116 (November 1971)
"The Alien, The Ally, and... Armageddon!"
Archie Goodwin-John Buscema/Joe Sinnott

Karen: This was one of the first FF's I had, and it might have been my introduction to Dr. Doom, although that could have also occurred via Marvel's Greatest Comics. Whatever the case, it was this  issue that made the single greatest impression upon me concerning the nature of the good Doctor's personality. The FF have been battling an alien being known as the Overmind. In the previous issue, the Overmind, who is the sole survivor of his alien race, and imbued with all the power of his people, used his tremendous psychic powers to take possession of Reed's mind and turn him against the rest of the team. Without their leader, the remaining three members of the FF are left feeling hopeless -what should they do?

Karen: This issue picks up with Sue, Ben, and Johnny, still stunned, trying to figure out not only how to stop the Overmind from taking over the world, but how to save Reed as well. Oddly enough, Johnny emerges as the leader! Yeah, 43 years later and I'm still not buying that. He and Ben grab a doohickey from Reed's lab and use it to track Reed, telling Sue to stay behind and monitor them, and act as a reserve. Yes, that was still a woman's place back in 1971.  Ben and Johnny finally locate Reed and the Overmind in a wrecking yard. The alien giant has been hammering away at the FF's leader, assaulting him mentally and physically as he still resists his domination. Reed tries to mask thoughts of his family from the being but is ultimately unable to keep them hidden. Just at the breaking point his team-mates arrive and attack, but the Torch's flame and the Thing's pile-driving fists prove no match for the being.

Doug: By this time, if we look at real time, the FF had been doing their thing for 10 years. I thought that given Ben's military service as one of the hotshot test pilots, and having been such a close friend of Reed's for so many years, that Archie Goodwin really sold the other three short here. But then, it was all set-up, right? I haven't read the preceding issues (at least not in so long that I can remember them), but there was a real sense of defeat here. The Torch and the Thing were pretty ineffective. In that regard, Goodwin's crafted quite a bit of suspense. Too bad the cover gave it away...

 

Karen: Seeing Ben and Johnny hopelessly out-classed, Sue flies to the scene on a jet cycle, but her force fields prove useless. Ben and Johnny are defeated (in a stunning full-page takedown by Buscema and Sinnott) and then the Overmind controls Reed and sends him after Sue. She is only just able to fly off again and evade him. Sue desperately seeks help from the heroes she knows, including the Avengers,but no one is available. Meanwhile, in the streets of the city, the Overmind's power radiates, causing people to go mad and attack one another. Frightened and alone, Sue pauses on the edge of a river to gather her thoughts. Suddenly, her nanny, the sorceress Agatha Harkness, appears, and suggests she drop her prejudices and go to an unlikely source: Dr. Doom! Sue reluctantly heads to the Latverian Embassy, where she finds Dr. Doom has been monitoring the situation, and only regrets that it was not he who ended the FF. Sue then gives him a verbal slap in the face: "The Dr. Doom I remember might be ruthless and cold, but he had honor and nobility too. Instead, I encounter posturing and pettiness - or perhaps just a man a little afraid."  This gets under Doom's skin, who responds, "Many demons rule Victor Von Doom, but not those of pettiness or fear! Very well. I am with you!"

Doug: I thought it was an awesome tie-in when Jarvis told Sue about the absence of the Avengers, which was due to the Kree/Skrull War! And hey -- with folks like Agatha Harkness and the Watcher around, who'd ever need to come up with an original idea? But while Miss Harkness came across as a woman in charge, for me her witch-like qualities do not place her in the same category as a woman that I'd put Sue. And in this scene, Sue came off as a product of Stan Lee-weakness. I also wasn't buying that Doom would be at the Latverian embassy in Manhattan. Seriously -- how many embassies around the world are hang-outs for any world leader? But Sue's remarks to Doom that challenged him were wonderful -- desperate, but a sure sign of strength we'd just been led to believe that she did not possess.

Karen: After stopping at Reed's lab to pick up a gizmo, Sue and Doom return to the site of the battle to recover Ben and Johnny, who come to ready to rumble with Doom. They're not too happy about the situation but agree to work with him -for now. The Overmind and brainwashed Reed are wreaking havoc in the city, when this new Fantastic Four finds them. Doom directs the Torch and Thing to attack the Overmind and divert him, while Doom approaches directly, striding through flames in a rather dramatic entrance ("Turn your eyes from the Torch, Overmind -Doom approaches!"). He uses the device he took from the lab -a psionic refractor -to send the Overmind's mental bolts back at him Although Doom takes credit for the gizmo, it was something Reed had already begun work on. Perhaps they can share the patent? It works well enough, and for a while, they have the big alien on the ropes. But then the Overmind brings Reed into play, attacking Sue. Without her force field to shield him, Doom's psionic refractor is quickly destroyed, and his armor is badly damaged. The Torch and Thing are knocked out too. Doom fights on, but is soon dropped. Reed finally snaps out of it when he realizes he's close to killing Sue, but he passes out from exhaustion.

Doug: How much memorizing do you suppose Doom did while in Reed's laboratories? What did you think when Sue was so easily ordered around? I understand that she had little bargaining room, but there were parts of this plot I simply could not abide. While I know I have the hindsight of history on my side, in the scene where Reed was attacking Sue, I kept looking at it and adding in what would happen with Franklin several issues hence and thinking to myself that it was no wonder Sue left and went to hang out with Namor!

Karen: As you mentioned before, Sue at this point was still being written as a helpless, frightened  girl, rather than a strong, independent woman. It's a bit hard to swallow today. No one is left to oppose the Overmind -or so it would seem. As he exults in his victory, a ball of light crashes to Earth before him. A figure emerges -it is the Stranger! He explains that he is the last survivor of his world too, and the sum of its power -and his world was enemies with the Overminds'. He zaps the Overmind, shrinking him down to an infinitesimal size, where he can rule a dust mote! The Stranger departs unceremoniously, and the FF is left wondering what happened. Doom says a cosmic drama unfolded, and they played their parts. But when they meet again, it will be on his terms -and not as allies!

Doug: Deus. Ex. Machina. But I did like it. I was sort of like Ben and Johnny, "Wait, what just happened?!" said I to myself. The Stranger has been one of those characters so sparsely used that he's always mysterious, and always makes a big impact when he's on the scene. But that get-up...

Karen: I have to admit, the end was a bit of a letdown. What I really like about this story is that it always left me with the feeling that if just a few things had gone differently in his life, Victor Von Doom might have turned out to be one of the greatest heroes the world had ever known. But instead, his colossal ego led him down a much sadder path. Although a villain, there is much that is tragic about him.

Doug: Agreed. I'd have liked to see this story actually play out into a five or six issue yarn where we could get a look into Doom's heart. Is there any altruism in the man, or is he really so self-focused that he is incapable of doing right by others? Overall there was much to like about this issue, but I'm still stuck on some of the characterization deficiencies I noted for members of the first family.

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The Brave and the Bold #111 (February/March 1974)
"Death Has the Last Laugh"
Bob Haney-Jim Aparo

Doug: If you're new to our blog, these Brave and the Bold reviews usually fall under the heading of "That Zany Bob Haney". Today, I think you'll agree that we're tripping on Earth-H in this issue. We open at the home of the Norton family, where every person has been murdered. A Joker card marks the crime as that of the Batman's most dangerous foe. And suddenly Batman snaps; snaps as we've never seen him before. I thought this seemed a departure from the usual stone-cold demeanor we've grown accustomed to, but let's see this through. Commissioner Gordon urges Batman to calm down and to keep things from getting personal. There are clues to be analyzed, and some of those do not point to the Joker -- but maybe to a frame-up. Chief among the missing "signature clues" is the lack of a hideous grin on the visage of the deceased. Right from the get-go, Bob Haney gives us a Batman and Jim Gordon relationship not unlike Frank and Marie Barone... However, a short while later at the morgue, the dead family members suddenly do exhibit said grin! But for the first time, the good guys find that the bodies had been injected post mortem with a chemical that caused the facial muscles to constrict into the grin. But whoever did that had to still be in the facility! A short chase by the Batman netted him a big konk on his noggin, and a fleeing assailant. Now the Batman was really ticked, and he took it out on every street thug he could find, looking for any lead as to the Joker's whereabouts.

Doug: The next day Gordon received a call from crime boss Rizzo who offers Batman a tip, with a catch. Leave all the goons alone (because after all -- it's bad for business when a guy like Rizzo has a bunch of spooked thugs working for him!), and he can have the Joker. Soon Batman's at Gotham's waterfront, where sure enough he finds the Joker's hide-out. But a clue there makes him hustle to the Turkish Baths (man, in a town the size of Gotham, they have everything!) -- where a short time later he finds the Joker in the mists, with a gun drawn! As the Batman lunges forward to strike the clown's arm, the Joker's gun fires harmlessly. But his would-be target, Burt Slade (underworld hitman extraordinaire), pulls a piece of his own and wings the Batman.

Doug: Batman ended up in the hospital; Gordon gave him (and the orderlies) strict instructions to take it easy. Well, a short time later Batman is with the Gotham City Harbormaster, wanting to know the Joker's whereabouts on the night of the Norton murders. And wouldn't you know it -- the Clown Prince of Crime has an alibi! It seems that when the Nortons were murdered, the Joker was on a barge, disguised as a hired hand. So who, then killed the family? Gordon and Batman get together and decide that Slade must be their guy -- and that maybe the Joker is out to nail him for sullying the Joker name with the playing card, etc.

Doug: Batman needs to bring Slade to justice, but knows that if the Joker gets to him first, there'll be no chance. So the only choice (ah, that Zany Bob Haney) is to team up with his mortal enemy. Now you just don't send a call or a text the Joker's way... Nope. You contact that fiend through spray paint. That's right -- Batman hires the "Graffiti Gang" to literally paint the town red, and soon it pays off. The Joker uses a payphone to ring the Batman in Gordon's office. The Joker agrees to work with the Batman, with the insurance that there won't be any tricks or police. The Joker uses a botched attempt by Batman to corral Slade as a golden opportunity to mock his former adversary. But another tip gives the Batman a chance to redeem himself. I think we all know how this is going to end -- with one humongous double-cross. And it does. Batman is lured to a dry lock in the outskirts of Gotham. Slade's there all right -- and so is the Joker! Yep... the Joker really had killed the Nortons, but set this whole thing up in such a way as to frame Slade (secretly working with the Joker) and make the Batman helpless but for the Joker's aid. Even Rizzo's phone tip was part of the charade. And now here stood the Batman, with the lock set to open! Of course he uses his strength and acrobatics to free himself from the torrent. Slade's taken out with a swift kick, and the Joker is too -- but after getting behind the wheel of the Batmobile! Darn thing wouldn't start, though. Oh yeah -- that's because the Joker didn't know the ignition was triggered by keying in the word "Batman" using the push buttons on the radio!

Doug: If you're not familiar with Bob Haney's and Jim Aparo's run on Brave and the Bold, this is pretty typical of what we've looked at through the years. I personally don't always care for my heroes being played as dolts -- or a "Bat-Sap" if you will. But Haney's so good at crafting these weirdly enjoyable tales that I usually give him a pass. Jim Aparo's art is solid as always -- he probably draws these characters second only to Neal Adams in my book.

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Tales of Suspense #s 66-68 (June-August 1965)
"The Fantastic Origin of the Red Skull!"
"Lest Tyranny Triumph!"
"The Sentinel and the Spy!"
Stan Lee-Jack Kirby/Chic Stone/Frankie Ray

Doug: Although these stories were published a year before I was born, I think the decision to run the Tales of Suspense Cap feature as a sort of "Untold Tales" was brilliant. While Cap moped around in the Avengers and other stories here in his own mag, readers could get a peek into that WWII past that framed the man they were reading about in the present. Some of you may ask, "But Doug and Karen, this is a Silver Age yarn!" Why yes it is -- but young Doug came to this first in the pages of the very Bronze Bring On the Bad Guys trade paperback for Christmas in 1976. Thanks, Mom!

Doug: In the first part of this 3-issue tale, Captain America and Bucky have been captured by the Nazis. They've been separated, with Bucky in general detention. Cap, on the other hand, is in the hands of his greatest enemy -- the murderous Red Skull! With Cap bound, the Skull narrates his backstory. Periodically during the conversation Cap is able to attack his nemesis, but the Skull always regains the upper hand. Finally, near the end of the Nazi's monologue, the Skull finds that Cap can muster no further resistance -- he has succumbed to a drug given him by one of the Skull's Nazi doctors. In a scene we never thought we'd see, Cap returns the Skull's "Heil Hitler" salute. Our guy, is now a bad guy.

Karen: It's pretty jarring to see Cap saluting the Skull and saying, "May the power of the Reich last a thousand years!" But prior to his brainwashing, I enjoyed Cap verbally bashing the Skull every chance he got. When the Skull relates the miserable conditions of his childhood and how it drove him to a life of crime, a hard-boiled Cap just says, "Lots of people had tough lives! My early years were no bed of roses either! But I don't waste time telling sob stories!"

Doug: Cap's resistance to the Skull was very similar to a setting we'd see much later -- the "Under Siege" storyline in the Avengers, when Baron Zemo had Cap bound while those he loved were tortured.

Doug: In the second installment, Cap trains with a group of SS soldiers. He is of course far advanced in combat to anything they can do. Near the end of the drill the Red Skull enters the room and receives deference from our hero. The Skull hands Cap a pistol and asks him to shoot a portrait of America's "leading military official". Cap nails it. Elsewhere, Bucky is brought before a brick wall with several other prisoners. Facing a firing squad, Bucky remains defiant to the end. But the commanding officer had ordered his goons to fire blanks -- mind games! Bucky knows what to do, and attacks. So do his fellows, and before long the prisoners have the upper hand on their captors. Back to Cap's story, we look in on Adolf Hitler himself, undressing one of his adjutants. Suddenly from a secret bookcase emerges the Skull, and shortly behind him -- Captain America! Hitler must have thought back to the pop on the jaw he got from Cap in March 1941, because he's terrified. But the Skull shows that he has Cap firmly under his control, and Hitler calms down. Until he tried to return the favor to Cap's chin -- and gets his knuckles bruised on the star-spangled shield!

Karen: The confrontation with Hitler is so weirdly comedic. The Fuhrer crouches behind a chair, pleading with the Skull, asking how he could do this to his "lovink fuhrer?" On one hand, clearly Lee and Kirby want to belittle Hitler and show him as nothing but a craven, pathetic worm. On the other hand though, seeing this mass murderer being played as a clown is somewhat disconcerting. One thing I find odd about this story is that at no time do we see Cap struggling to break free of the Skull's control, but then, because these were very short stories, they probably didn't have time to develop that.

Doug: I think you hit on an important point when you remark about the depiction of Hitler here. There's a real Golden Age vibe to this, isn't there? Of course, that's the setting of the story, but Lee/Kirby play it as if it were written during those times when comics were also war propaganda.

Karen: I think you're right. Perhaps Lee/Kirby just slipped back into old habits?

Doug: Later, Bucky eavesdrops on a couple of paratroopers, and is able to capture one and take his uniform. The Nazis are going to drop Cap right into Allied HQ, where our guy will assassinate the Skull's target. Bucky ends up seated right across from Cap on the plane, but Cap doesn't recognize him. Bucky does all he can to disrupt the plan, but our second chapter ends with Cap leveling a pistol and the American commander. But when he hesitates, a Nazi accomplice puts his own hand over Cap's, and pulls the trigger! But fear not, effendi -- as we open the third issue we see that Cap has overcome the drugs that had placed him under the Skull's control and has raised the gun away from the American general. A scrum commences, but you know how it ends already -- with the good guys on the winning team. So does this work? I think in the original 10-page installments, yes -- very much so. This would have dragged out over three months, so there would have been some heightened suspense for the reader. But even when read as one super-sized story, it's still quite good. Jack Kirby always poured his energy into his drafting, and Stan's Nazi dialogue is a real hoot. For the young reader who would have plunked down a dime and two pennies at the drug store, this had to have been a blast!

Karen: Because of the abbreviated format, it's definitely a bit rushed, but taken as an action-adventure story, without a focus on character, then it's a fun little trip. I get a kick out of the way Kirby manipulates the Skull's face (a mask!) to show such a variety of expressions. It would have been interesting to see more interaction between Cap and the Skull post-brainwashing, to have them actually go out on a mission together. This might be the weakest of the team-ups here but just the chance to see Cap 'sieg heiling' is a gas.

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Warlock #10 (December 1975)
"How Strange My Destiny!"
Jim Starlin

Karen: I reviewed the conclusion to this tale almost two years ago, but Thanos is too good a villain not to bring back for this special hero/villain team-up post! 

Karen: The situation: Warlock is determined to destroy the Magus, a religious tyrant who it turns out is a possible future version of Warlock! He has teamed up with the mysterious Gamora (deadliest woman in the whole galaxy), to achieve his goal. But they've proved no match for the Magus, who plans to put Warlock on the path that will lead to his transformation into his future self. Therefore, Gamora's master, Thanos, shows up to get directly involved! He says he knows how to defeat Warlock's foe. And that's where issue #10 starts. Before the Magus can call a mysterious being named the In-Betweener, who will start Warlock's change, he orders 25,000 Black Knights, his holy warriors, to attack Warlock and his comrades. Thanos quickly takes charge of the situation, as Warlock has essentially curled up into a fetal position. He shakes Warlock out of his paralysis and gets the group fighting.Despite their raw power, the sheer number of knights drives them back. Thanos holds the line as Warlock blasts an escape route for them through the floor into the holy palace's sub-basement. All escape except for Thanos, who gets trapped up above.

Karen: Despite Gamora's pleas, Warlock insists they must move on. They reach caverns under the palace and find the Matriarch, former aid to the Magus, who has been left for dead here after betraying her former leader. Warlock speaks with her briefly and she dies, and it leaves him feeling confused. Frustrated, he cries out, why must life be so cruel? A voice responds, "Because that is the way of life." It is Thanos. He says that because Warlock has chosen the path of the living, he has to pay its price, which is pain.

Karen: Next up, Starlin provides the reader with a two-page interlude, an introduction to Thanos presented by the Kree Captain Marvel. Returning to our tale, Thanos teleports the group back to his space ark. Warlock may be confused, but he's smart enough to ask why Thanos is helping him. Complicated as always, Thanos explains that he has certain plans, and some of them involve Warlock's soul gem. He has also seen that the Magus may oppose him, and has taken measures to stop him. One of these was creating Gamora, who was temporally-hidden from the Magus initially, because she was actually pulled from the Magus' future! But the Magus' god-like awareness was able to overcome her camouflage. Now they must pursue a different plan -Warlock's suicide!

Karen: While this is going on, the Magus is informed that Thanos is now with Warlock. He realizes that as a worshipper of death, Thanos would naturally oppose him. He locates Thanos' ship, and is at first unconcerned -until he realizes the mad titan has a time machine (a 'time probe')!  After seeing this, he calls all his forces and they prepare to invade. Back on the space ark, Warlock concedes that Thanos is right -the only way to truly stop the Magus is to prevent him from ever coming to be -he must destroy his own soul!

 

Karen: This was cosmic comics as done by the master, Jim Starlin!Thanos and Warlock have been allies, enemies, and everything in between over the decades. But in this first encounter, Thanos decidedly holds the upper hand over a mentally and morally exhausted Adam Warlock.

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Doug: It would seem silly on our parts to send you packing without putting a bow on this SBTU package, ya think? In the comments section we'd of course like to hear your thoughts on the issues we've covered today, but also some suggestions of other hero/villain team-ups you've loved in the past. And generally speaking, do you think such storylines work, or are they merely novelties?

Karen: It seems like it breaks down to the hero either choosing to team up out of necessity, or the hero being duped in some sense. But the villain always seems firmly in the driver's seat -even in the FF one, Doom could have said no. So regardless of the situation, are the heroes always more reactive and the villains always more proactive? 

Doug: The Cap story seems to stand apart from the other three in that Cap was certainly an unwilling participant. In the FF and Batman stories, the heroes were desperate so yes -- the baddies definitely had all the cards. In the Warlock tale Thanos actually involved himself. You know, in all four stories it ends up that the villains are playing the heroes!

Karen: Well, I've heard it said that a really 'good' villain actually considers himself to be the hero of the story -that from his perspective, everything he does is right and correct. Certainly, Doom feels that way. The Skull likely does too, considering himself above mere morality. Thanos probably doesn't care about anything other than achieving his goals. And the Joker? Who can say?

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BAB Classic: Nothing Ends a Relationship Like Cancellation!

NOTE:  This post was originally published on 2 November 2009

Doug: Today we'd like to take a look at some of the titles and characters we enjoyed as kids, but for one reason or another (generally the lack of the almighty dollar flowing into Marvel's or DC's coffers) they didn't last more than 2-3 years. And even within that timeframe, bi-monthly publishing, the dreaded deadline doom, rotating artists, etc. often made following these lovable titles difficult. Yes, we're talking about short-lived series, and why we liked them!

Doug: Three titles that I was somewhat fond of but that ended before I was done with them were Super-Villain Team-Up (17 issues -- I only recall that there were 15; I've only recently discovered the last two books, and here's why: #15 was published in November '78, but #16 didn't see the stands until May of 1979 and #17 was well after that, in June, 1980), The Champions (again, 17 issues, but more if read in continuity when Avengers #163 and an Iron Man Annual, plus Peter Parker #16-17 are factored in -- see the Champions Classic tpb's for the full bibliography), and DC's The Secret Society of Super-Villains (15 issues, but again more, if some Super-Team Family, et al. quarterlies are included).

Doug: I enjoyed SVTU because of the dynamic of Doom and Namor. Namor was such a confusing character to me as a youngster. Coming to the Marvel Universe largely after Tales To Astonish and Namor's solo book had passed on, my exposure to the character was in the FF story running through FF #'s 147-149. I was just always a little confused about whether Namor was a hero or a bad boy. I liked the introduction of the Shroud in SVTU, and felt there were possibilities for further exploration of him. Right when the title began to wane (and apparently was deep-sixed) was when I thought it was reaching it's potential -- Namor was gone and Doom was "teaming-up" with Magneto, and then the Red Skull. It had become a true team-up book. And then it ended. The two additional stories later (#'s 16-17) teamed the Skull with the Hate Monger.

Karen: Like you, I really enjoyed SVTU and had no idea issues 16 and 17 existed! Once they got away from the Doom-Namor relationship, I wasn't quite as interested. But it was a great book when it started, and very typical of the almost 'experimental' types of product Marvel was willing to put out in the 70s. I liked Steve Englehart's work on the title, and also wish that the Shroud had gone on to better things. He was a lot of fun - an amalgamation of the Shadow, Batman, and who knows what else!

Doug: The Champions was offbeat, but a nice smorgasbord of Avengers, X-Men, and the Ghost Rider (way before he was so over-exposed! -- back then he was just creepy). The art, while handled by George Tuska, Don Heck, and later a young John Byrne was usually good enough (best under Byrne's run, although I did sometimes enjoy Tuska's distinctive style) and the stories were fresh due to the orientation to the West Coast as opposed to NYC. The villains were fun -- some a little campy. The opening arc, with the Greek gods was good, and the introduction of Rampage and Swarm plus the stories with the Crimson Dynamo, Titanium Man, and the Griffen were good. I enjoyed the issues with Black Goliath and the Stilt-Man and the last story with the Sentinels evoked excitement due to the strong classic X-Men tie-in. Overall, and I said this above, the title could have gone on longer with some deeper characterization exploration and perhaps a tweaking of the line-up here or there.

Karen: I was always a sucker for team books, and Champions was no exception. Although I didn't think there was any real chemistry here, I did enjoy the later issues with John Byrne's art, and I thought they had potential.

Doug: As a kid I always identified with kid heroes and as a fan of the original Teen Titans series (when it picked back up after having been on hiatus for a few years -- this would be around issues #'s 47-53) I was excited to see Kid Flash starring in The Secret Society of Super-Villains. Captain Comet, while largely unknown to me, seemed pretty cool, and the inclusion of the Flash's Rogues Gallery (and other baddies, like Star Sapphire) made for a fun book month-to-month. The art was always steady (again, by Rich Buckler at times) month to month, if I recall. It's, again, one of those books that just seemed to stop showing up on the newsstand. And at the time this then-12 year-old couldn't help but wonder "why?".

Karen: How about Warlock?? That was one of my favorites! I still pull out my ragged copy of Marvel Two in One Annual #2 every so often to read that fantastic coda to the whole Warlock/Thanos saga. Truth be told, I sort of wish they had left those two characters there. I never felt anything that came after really measured up to that story. I recently picked up the Marvel Masterworks edition that has Marvel Premiere 1 and 2, Warlock 1-8, and Incredible Hulk 176-178. There's a very nice intro by Roy Thomas where he basically says the plan was always to write the character as "Jesus as a superhero". I was lucky enough to exchange some email with Mr. Thomas and get some more info about how Warlock was 'born'. Thomas planned to have the character around for about three years, then he would die, but be reborn. To be honest, I still can't believe none of the higher ups at Marvel didn't balk at the series, particularly the Hulk issues where we see the Last Supper and crucifixion! I guess things were different back then!

Karen: If nothing else, Warlock is a character that seems to be constantly transforming into a different character (via his cocoon). I've also found it bizarre, the leap from that Christ-Warlock to anti-church Warlock. But then again, he was facing a version of himself (Magus) that was so corrupt and evil, Warlock would rather die than become that! After his experiences with the Church, Magus, and Thanos, is it any surprise he went from idealist to pessimist?

Karen: Roy Thomas admits he was heavily influenced by Jesus Christ Superstar, at least the soundtrack. If I remember correctly, the musical Godspell was also out around that time. In fact, the early 70s were the era of the Jesus Freaks, and 'born-again' entered the language.The Hulk stories are really a trip; Hulk becomes an unwitting Judas, and goes bananas during the Last Supper of Warlock and his disciples. This brings the Man-Beast's (aka Satan's) soldiers, and they capture Warlock. He is crucified, while shouting, "High Evolutionary! Why have you abandoned me?" ! Hulk takes off with Warlock's body, which is back in his cocoon. Of course, three days later, he bursts free and sets things to right. then he takes off for space....where Jim Starlin found him.

Doug: Were Pip and Gamora part of this tale? As a kid I always knew of Warlock, had some Avengers and the aforementioned Marvel Two-In-One Annual with him guest-starring, but don't know much about him even today outside of the excellent article you wrote for Back Issue #34...

Karen: Pip and Gamora came about when Starlin started his series. Honestly, the only pre-Starlin Warlock books I could recommend would be Marvel Premiere 1 and 2, which are fairly interesting, what with introducing Counter Earth, and having some nice Gil Kane art; also the Hulk issues are just fun for the sheer audacity of doing the whole Christ story in comics form. Warlock 1-8 are OK but not really that interesting. The first couple of issues have Gil Kane art and are at least nice to look at. But the religious connections are heavy-handed and, at least today, seem pretty ridiculous. But if you are looking for a comic that really feels like a 70s product, it's this book. The youth movement, anti-government sentiment, groovy styles - it's all here.

Doug: Did you ever read The Man Called Nova? I got in on the first issue, and if memory serves at one time had the complete 25-issue run. It started out very well, with solid art by the brothers Buscema, but really tailed away for me when the pencilling went over to Carmine Infantino. While his Silver Age DC stuff is amazing, by the mid- to late-70's his skills had really declined. I also enjoyed the conclusion of the Nova story that ran in the pages of the Fantastic Four -- especially the battle between the Sphinx and Galactus! Don't mess with the Big G, baby!

Karen: Of course I read Nova! I actually started with issue 2 - I had to convince my mom to take me to a "head shop" to get it! I would agree with your estimation - good at the beginning but it dramatically tapered off in quality. I've never been an Infantino fan so I felt his pencils hurt the book. But I enjoyed Marv Wolfman's attempt to sort of re-create the early days of Spider-Man (teenage hero with problems) in a new book, in a new decade.

Doug: So, lots of angst among we young comics buyers of yesteryear. How about you, Faithful One? What were the series that ended before you were done loving on them?

Giant-Size July: Marvel Two-In-One Annual 2

Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 (1977)
"Death Watch!"
Jim Starlin-Starlin/Josef Rubenstein

Doug:  It's sad to see this one go, folks!  After the introduction of Thanos way back in Iron Man #55 (February 1973), Jim Starlin would conclude what became one of the true epics in all of comic book history with the publication of Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2.  Four years, and no decompression in sight!  Let's not waste any time, but instead enjoy the master as he puts the final stamp on his magnum opus.

Doug:  Oddly enough, we begin with Peter Parker, the spectacular Spider-Man lost in a dream state.  I'll say right from the top, I felt this story was better suited to have appeared in Spidey's own Marvel Team-Up Annual (in case you're wondering, there was no 1977 Annual for that mag.  Hmmph).  I say that because I felt that Spider-Man was really the headliner in this story, as opposed to its proprietor, Benjamin Grimm.  But both heroes get a moment or two in the sun along the way, as do the Avengers and Starlin's cosmic cast.  So Parker is having visions of the space opera that took place in Avengers Annual #7.  We get a nice 2-page recap of that chapter's events, and then discover that it is Moondragon reaching out to Spider-Man in distress.  We then get some not-previously-seen material, of Thanos and his thralls (man, did Starlin overuse and abuse that word over these last two stories!) defeating and capturing the Avengers.  Even the heavyweights -- Thor, Iron Man, and Captain Mar-Vell -- fall.  The corpse of Adam Warlock was then brought before the power-crazed Titan, and Warlock's soul gem was removed from his cold forehead.  Thanos intended to use it as a love offering for his prospective mistress, Death.

Karen: I agree, Spidey does seem to be more the focus than Ben, but I think they were just trying to find a place to finish telling Warlock and Thanos' story, so it got plopped into MTIO. Of course if this were done today, it would be a 12-part series with tie-ins to every book in the line. In retrospect you'd think Moondragon would reach out to someone like Dr. Strange, wouldn't you? But it just wouldn't be the same story.

Doug:  Oh, yes -- "Atlantis Attacks" or some such summer "epic".  Ugh...  And as I've said, I'm no Dr. Strange expert, but I'm thinking with as powerful as he's sometimes portrayed, this whole thing could have been over sooner than later.

Doug:  Spidey wakes with his heart pounding, questioning everything that had just gone before.  Somehow he knows it was real, and knowing that with great power must also come great responsibility, sets out to find allies for what he knows could be a death-mission.  Somewhere in the fabric of space/time, Order and Chaos discuss how Thanos must be defeated.  They know that Spider-Man will be a champion, and that he will ally himself with the Thing -- and they hope that their union will turn the tide.  Sure enough, Spidey arrives at the Baxter Building and easily gets through the recently-updated security systems.  In one of those scenes that we've witnessed before, but is always priceless, Ben's curled up with a stogie and a scary book.  Spider-Man, of course sensing the moment in spite of the gravity of the situation, lightly taps Benji on top of his noggin, causing him to inhale his entire cigar and choke on it.  Great stuff!  After things settle down over a couple of cups of coffee, Spidey relates his dream to Ben.  Ben really doesn't question it, and instead offers an experimental space shuttle that Reed's been working on.  The two heroes blast off, not really knowing where they are going or what they are looking for.

Karen: That's a pretty good scene. Ben's reading Salem's Lot by Stephen King, which I can say is a pretty terrific book (and I don't even consider myself a King fan). But what's up with the little white cat padding around near his feet? That seemed odd. In any case, it was a good laugh. I will say that I didn't think Starlin quite had Ben's voice -he just sounded a little off, a little stiff maybe. But not enough to ruin it for me. 

Doug:  Even though Spidey had no coordinates for Thanos' ship, it really wasn't too hard to find -- the thing is huge!  Our guys find themselves caught in a tractor beam, and Ben warns the Webslinger that once docked, there's going to need to be some butt-kicking administered -- you know, Ben has experience with that sort of thing.  Indeed, clobberin' time does commence.  Two pages later, Thanos has seen enough and eliminates gravity in the chamber where the battle is taking place.  Totally thrown off his game, the Thing is put down with a blast, as is Spider-Man.  Back in space/time, Order and Chaos monitor the events -- although Spider-Man and the Thing are necessary for what will transpire, they are merely catalysts for bringing forth the true champion:  Adam Warlock.  Say what?

Karen: That was a nice touch, the old veteran of cosmic adventures calmly explaining what's going to go down next. Even after seeing that gigantic spaceship, Ben is not phased. Well  until he hears Thanos' voice, and realizes they're in the deep doo-doo. The interludes with Chaos and Order let us know that something of great magnitude is happening here. I thought it made sense that both Order and Chaos would represent life - life is full of chaos, after all, and chaos would require life and activity, so it would be an enemy of death and entropy. Comic book metaphysics...probably not worth thinking about too much really.

Doug:  We journey into the soul gem, Jim Starlin's version of Heaven or Paradise.  As we saw at the end of Avengers Annual #7, Adam Warlock now inhabits this space of peace alongside his friends Pip the Troll and Gamora, as well as even several former enemies.  It is a true respite from any and all suffering.  Adam says to his friends "I pray it can last."  Yeah...  Back on Thanos' mother ship, the Thing and Spidey awaken to find themselves at the feet of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, all contained in a stasis field.  Thanos is at a control room, but materializes in between our heroes at Ben's provocation.  But what he really wanted to do was gloat over his possession of Warlock's soul gem, and how he will use it to destroy our sun.  Ben gasps, wanting an explanation.  Starlin uses the next half-page to give the reader more backstory on Thanos' ill-fated love affair with Death.  As he concludes, Ben's had enough -- he delivers, with gusto, his "world-famous Knuckle Knock-Out formula!"

Karen: It's sort of easy to forget that Thanos, despite his menacing appearance and power, is really just a pathetic guy trying to impress the woman he loves. Of course, that woman is the personification of Death. But still...He's no Dr. Doom, trying to conquer and gain power for the sake of personal aggrandizement and to control others. He's no Magneto, with a cause he fervently believes in. He's not even a Galactus, who transcends good and evil. He's just a madman in love.

Doug:  I'll say this for Starlin and the other creators who touched on Thanos over the years of the Bronze Age -- they never did stray from the intent you state:  that he's a guy just trying to get the right bouquet for his lady-friend!

Doug:   For his trouble, Ben is laid out with a single blow.  He's really lucky Thanos didn't kill him, as he had Warlock.  Thanos challenges Spider-Man, who chooses the better part of valor and flees.  What did you think about this?  I thought it was a nice piece of Peter Parker writing -- Spidey gives off the lovable loser, but staunch hero vibe all at the same time.  He knew he couldn't do anything right there and then -- Peter's a scientist, and a chance to collect his wits and analyze the situation was what he needed.  So he fled.  Thanos, not liking it one bit, orders his menagerie of aliens after the Webhead.  Spidey has to engage a few of them, but is finally able to find a place to hide out for a few moments.  And then he takes matters into his own hands -- he launches himself right into a weak point on the contraption containing the Avengers -- and all hell (and the team) breaks loose!

Karen: My take on this, both when I first read it and now, 36 years later, is that Spidey freaked out and ran! He had a momentary panic attack when faced with a threat way beyond anything he'd ever had to deal with, and just flat out ran! The fact that he was thinking to himself about how could he get back to Earth really makes me believe that for a few moments at least, he was planning on splitting. But after he's had a chance to sort of mentally regroup, he realizes he has to go do something. Figuring that only Thor can stand up to Thanos he knows that freeing him is his best plan. And that's why he's a hero. Spidey doesn't give up, and even sacrifices his body to free the Avengers.

Doug:  I can see your point.  To be honest, I like your take -- it's very humanistic.  Even with Spider-powers, this is a scene pretty far removed from fighting the Vulture or the Molten Man!

Doug:  Jim Starlin and Joe Rubenstein then treat us to five pages of sheer mayhem, as Thanos' army descends on the chamber to try to clean up the mess.  The Avengers are fully-engaged, and we get several great shots of Thor and the Thing tag-teaming on the Titan himself.  I'll be really curious to see how this plays out in Avengers 2 with the Hulk standing in for the Thing -- now that is going to be some real fun, particularly with the ramped-up film version of ol' Jade Jaws!  And what of Spidey?  He's numb from the jolt he received when jumping onto the machine, and as he clears his head, he has an inkling that there's something he's about to do (what?) and it's going to be pivotal (better move, then!).  In space, Order taps into Warlock's mind, preparing him for what will come next.  Back on Thanos' ship, Spider-Man now knows that he must get to the soul gem.  His mind begins to go haywire -- no spider-sense, really no vision.  He busts through some of Thanos' goons, and then has to resort to flailing his arms about in an effort to dislodge the gem from its container.  He's successful, as the gem hits the floor and an explosion goes off -- releasing a golden, flaming hero calling himself "the Ultimate Avenger".  We know who he is -- and so does Thanos!!

Karen: I wish my comic wasn't so muddy looking. The full page shot with Ben trying to restrain Thanos while Thor is about to strike the mad Titan with Mjolnir is pretty cool. I think I would have preferred to see a less cluttered page but it's still a nice shot.  The three panel sequence that follows is even better. (This would make a really cool diorama (triorama?).

Doug:  While I did not purchase any of the Marvel Legends dioramas (everyone versus Galactus, the Hulk vs. the Thing, and the cover of Fantastic Four #1), I would agree that this image would be a worthy contender to have been immortalized in resin.  In regard to the muddy look, I have a ton of comics that had white back covers that are all dirtied up from the pre-bag era of my collecting.  But additionally, I also have many, many books from the Bronze Age that have that muddy look from the poor paper quality and printing processes.  It is frustrating.  While I don't always like the coloring on trade paperbacks, at least it's clear.

Doug:  The BIG FINISH is sort of funny; almost anticlimactic.  Adam Warlock ends Thanos' life as quickly as Thanos had ended Warlock's earlier.  With but one touch, Thanos is transformed into a statue of solid granite.  A monument to his wild obsession with conquest and destruction as a means to love Death.  The next page, the penultimate of the epic, needs to speak for itself, and appears below.

Karen: Adam returns as "the ultimate avenger". Well everyone's an Avenger nowadays...I kid, I kid. With the golden coloring and the flames, I thought immediately of an angel, and not the happy, harp-playing kind. I thought it was interesting that he tells Thanos he had to return while he remained a threat to "my universe!" I wonder what Starlin's intent was there? Of course Warlock had served as a Christ stand-in on Counter-Earth. Had his death and life in the soul gem allowed him to ascend to a higher level of consciousness? As an aside, I wonder if anyone has done a story that went back to Counter-Earth and showed people worshiping Warlock all these years after his death and resurrection? Or is that potato still too hot?

Karen: Captain Marvel's eulogy was well-said, and ironic, since he too would be dead in a short time -and killed by the same man! At least his life was somewhat happier than Warlock's.

Doug:  As we close this one out, I just want to again say "thanks" to Karen for getting these issues on the docket.  What a wild ride!  I'm really glad I read all of these, and as I said earlier now need to get into some of the Warlock stories.  Jim Starlin was quite a talented writer in these yarns.  Just a small quibble on the art in today's issue.  While I know that this issue was created concurrently with last week's fare, I would just note that I thought the overall art performance was better in Avengers Annual #7 than here.  Given that it's the same team, I just have to write that off to the burden of the deadlines.  But hey -- Jim Starlin and Joe Rubenstein operating at 85-90% efficiency beats a whole lot of other people, for sure!

Karen: I'm really glad you enjoyed them, Doug! I think they are a true Bronze Age epic. I do agree with you about the art in this issue -it does seem not quite as polished as the Avengers Annual. My guess is it got rushed. But as you say, it's still better than most! Now that I have seen the super clean scans from that trade paperback, I'm going right over to Amazon to buy it. It makes my comics look like they've been dragged through the mud!

Giant-Size July: Avengers Annual 7

Avengers Annual #7 (1977)
"The Final Threat"
Jim Starlin-Starlin/Josef Rubenstein

Doug:  You might have noticed that we originally had this scheduled for later in the month, and of course followed by the story's conclusion in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2.  After some discussion at one of our editorial meetings, we decided to move these up as a fitting conclusion to the month-long reviews of Thanos and all of his evil doings.  We hope you'll indulge another two weeks of cosmic mayhem, although we think those of you preferring your heroes more grounded will enjoy the inclusion of the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Thing in Jim Starlin's conclusionary tale.  Among Bronze Age aficionados, this two-parter is one of the highlights of the era.  Maybe it's not qualified to be alongside Amazing Spider-Man #'s 121-122, but it certainly has it boosters, and justifiably so.

Karen: It's rather bizarre that these two books ever saw print in the first place, as Starlin had essentially left Marvel at this point. Only through a serendipitous meeting with then Marvel editor Archie Goodwin did the assignment to work on this annual, and then the Marvel Two-In-One Annual, come to be. For anyone out there who might want to fill in some gaps prior to reading this issue, you can go back to my review of Warlock #11, done as part of the "Doug and Karen's favorite's" series (why aren't we doing more of those?).

Doug:  I don't know... there's not a good reason.  I'll see what I can do.  First one off the top of my head -- be on the look-out for a review of Avengers #56.  How's that?

Doug:   We open on a decimated world, where Adam Warlock has come to investigate what has gone before.  He expects nothing but death, but is surprised to find Gamora, once-faithful servant of Thanos, the mad Titan who had been a god when he commanded the power of the cosmic cube.  Gamora tells Adam of Thanos' plan for stellar genocide, and Warlock's blood begins to boil.  Saying she will accompany him, Adam Warlock quite emphatically pledges to find and destroy Thanos.  Cut to Earth, where Earth's Mightiest Heroes are in the Mansion kibitzing.  It's a pretty powerful assemblage, with the Big Three, the Beast, and the Vision and the Scarlet Witch.  Iron Man stands at a window brooding, and Wanda encourages the Vision to check on him.  Inquiring, the synthezoid approaches.  Iron Man tells him that he felt drawn to the Mansion this night, and that he could not shake a feeling of impending danger.  Suddenly, a window opens (!) and in steps Captain Marvel and Moondragon.  Moondragon, in her usual haughty way, tells that she and Mar-Vell felt drawn also to the Mansion, and that her sense is that only a gathering of eagles can stave off the coming catastrophe.  She starts, aware of the destruction of a star some distance away, laid waste by Thanos' starship.  Suddenly a stranger (to some) arrives to the Mansion -- Adam Warlock.  In a great nod to the Silver Age, the God of Thunder calls Warlock by the name "Him"; Warlock assures Thor that he's come as an ally.

Karen: Let's get this out of the way: I like this pairing of Starlin and Rubinstein perhaps the best of all the art teams we've seen -the Starlin -Janson team is pretty close. The art here in these opening pages is just majestic. It screams 'epic.' I also enjoyed the little head shots running down the side of the splash page -that was a fun touch. Warlock's assimilation of Gamora's soul as she lay dying was touching for those of us who had followed his series. She had been the dupe of Thanos, a deadly warrior but unaware of her master's larger schemes. Although there had never been a romantic relationship between her and Warlock, they had at least come to respect one another and perhaps something might have developed, given time, but given the overall tragic arc of  his life that never happened. Warlock's acceptance of his role as Thanos' mortal enemy is almost an acceptance of defeat, or at least of his fate. But after the events of issue #11, he knows his time is limited. Might as well do the best he can with it. I thought it was funny that Wanda suggested Vision should speak to the brooding Iron Man, since they're so similar; boy, the Downey portrayal in the films really is a far cry from the comics version! The gathering of the "eagles" as Moondragon calls them is exciting and I got a laugh out of how Warlock's sudden entrance startles the skeptical Beast.

Doug:  Warlock recaps much of the Thanos narrative (as we've been telling you, contained in the incredible tpb The Avengers vs. Thanos -- get it!), including the stories we reviewed in June.  Thanos was emotionally devastated when Death rejected him after his defeat at the hands of Captain Marvel (see Captain Marvel #33), and began a universal search for that which might please her.  He determined that he would possess the six soul gems -- united they would return him to the power levels he possessed when he had mastered the cosmic cube.  He obtained five of the gems -- through theft, combat, guile, and appropriation.  The sixth and final gem was that of Adam Warlock, and in a previous adventure Thanos had been able to siphon power from the gem.  He had then crafted a synthetic gem of epic proportions into which he channeled the energy of the six gems.  Warlock then explained that Thanos had determined what his love offering to Death would be.  Thanos would destroy every star in the sky.

Karen: I think I'm going to have to buy that book. Otherwise I'll keep mangling my comics. The recap is interesting to read, having just come off our reviews. Seeing Thanos' acquisition of the soul (not infinity, not yet) gems was intriguing. I like the fact that Warlock explains that he learned all of this from absorbing Gamora's soul, and hence, her memories. Thanos' obsession with the personification of death is nearly as sad as Drax's uncontrollable obsession with destroying Thanos. They can't help themselves (atlhough in Drax's case, he's been programmed to feel that way).

Doug:  A small craft lighted on Thanos command ship, Sanctuary II.  Emerging through an airlock came Pip the Troll, friend of Adam Warlock and acquaintance (reluctantly) of Thanos.  Thinking the vessel deserted, Pip spoke aloud.  Just as he was about to give his true feelings of the Titan, who should emerge from the shadows but Thanos himself? -- and in a less than playful mood.  Grabbing the troll, Thanos says they are no longer on friendly terms.  Back on Earth, Avengers Mansion gets a mayday call from StarCore.  Interstellar sensors have picked up an invasion force even larger than that of the Skrull armada of a few years prior.  The Avengers don't balk -- they know it's up to them.  Jim Starlin gives us a great look inside the heads of those who have been fighting this protracted war with Thanos -- Moondragon, Iron Man, Captain Marvel.  We also sense the thoughts of our other heroes -- Thor, the Vision, Cap, the Beast, and the Scarlet Witch.  Each ponders their mission, Thanos, and Adam Warlock and his role in this whole affair.  It's a very well done two pages.  And as long as we're tossing kudos, I have to say that this is some of Starlin's best art in this entire saga.  It's really just about perfect -- camera angles, depth of the characters, facial expressions, backgrounds, the whole enchilada.  I couldn't state how much of an influence Joe Rubenstein has on the doings, but the synergy between penciler and inker is par excellence.

Karen: This time it's me having to apologize for not reading ahead -- but hey, I think we can both praise the art on this book, it's that good! 

Doug:  You are certainly forgiven!  And yes, we could probably go on and on about the art.  I had a devil of  a time choosing images for our art samples.  I easily could have scanned the entire story!  However, readers beware -- I do make a comment in next week's post comparing the art in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 to today's showing.  We'll see what you think then.

Karen:  I thought that Pip's encounter with Thanos was terribly menacing - as a reader, you feel for the poor troll. I also enjoyed the sequences inside each hero's head -and the unique framing Starlin did around the panels of both Moondragon and Iron Man. He has a good take on all of their voices. Everyone sounds different, and if you just heard the words without the pictures, you'd have a good chance to figure out who was speaking based n the speech patterns.

Doug:  As the team rockets along, Cap moves to the front, ordering everyone on alert -- the fleet should be almost in view.  And what a view, as thousands of space vehicles suddenly appear, with Thanos' starship in the middle.  Cap immediately tells Thor and Iron Man to get after an interference mission so the rest of the team can reach the command vessel.  And run interference do they ever!  The God of Thunder is relentless in his attack, destroying ship after ship.  Iron Man moves just a bit slower, but no less impressively.  Even when Thor takes a counter-attack, he channels the energy back out as lightning; the scene is incredible!  The Avengers' craft is able to land on top of Thanos' ship, but finds no place to actually dock.  No trouble, as Cap asks Mar-Vell if he can breach the hull.  He does so with a photon blast, and the Avengers stream onto the mother ship.  It's a battle royale over the next four pages as the team is contested by all sorts of inter-galactic goonies.

Karen: That's one heck of a fleet. It seems impossibly large, and the captions tell us that the Avengers recognize that their chances of returning from this mission alive are pretty much zero. But being heroes, they strive on. They may still be able to take down Thanos' ship itself. I love seeing Cap taking command and giving orders -it just feels right. The panels with Thor doing his godly thing are awesome -pure power. Iron Man is no slouch either. I really love seeing this space action from our Avenging crew! The rest of our gang, dropping in on Thanos' main ship, really show why they are such an elite team. It's also fun seeing the many bizarre aliens that Starlin throws against them. I got a chuckle out of the scene where the gigantic alien with the see-thru  dome head yells at the Beast in English and he says, stunned, "Lord, this one can talk!"

Doug:  Starlin used a great roster for this story.  Hey, if you're going to go up against a foe with the power of a god, then you'd better have all of the heavy hitters on deck!

Doug:  The team accomplishes the mission of getting Moondragon to the ship's controls so that she can recalibrate everything and turn Thanos' weapons against the attacking star cruisers.  Mar-Vell wipes out a bunch of baddies, and then heads for a suspicious door where he thinks the end game might commence.  As he approaches, though, he knows that Thanos has played them for fools once again; this has been too easy.  Blowing through the door, Mar-Vell finds Adam Warlock on his knees in front of Pip the Troll.  In a scene very reminiscent of Taylor's reuniting with Landon, Warlock has discovered that Pip has been mind-wiped -- he is effectively a vegetable.  Warlock takes Pip's soul into his own soul gem, and then tells Mar-Vell that he knows where Thanos is hiding.  The two champions exit near the speed of thought, and head for the far side of the sun.  There, they find Thanos' real command ship, and see that it readies for the destruction of Sol, and its solar system.


Karen: I hadn't thought of that comparison to Planet of the Apes, but it works. You can truly feel Warlock's pain here, and more than that, the sense that he feels some responsibility for what has happened. Thanos' leaving Pip alive yet brain dead is far worse than killing him.Here again though, as Warlock remarks, we see Thanos planting seeds of his own destruction, for by absorbing Pip's soul, Warlock also learns of the location of the real command ship.

Doug:  Mar-Vell rockets himself into the blast cannon, dislodging the huge gem.  Thanos really pays him no heed, merely shrugging it off with a bit of surprise.  He'd expected Warlock, not Mar-Vell.  Careful what you wish for.  As Thanos turns he is struck by Warlock.  It's a short fight, as Thanos kills Adam Warlock with one punch and one energy blast.  Dead.  Thanos almost shows a sign of respect for Warlock as he muses to himself.  But then the Avengers enter, and it's Thor who takes the lead.  But the Odinson doesn't get the match he'd craved earlier, as Iron Man destroys the giant soul gem.  Thanos almost cries over it like a baby, and then blinks out.  In another room, Mar-Vell regains consciousness to see one Adam Warlock stand over another.  He who stands speaks with a voice that transcends time; he who lays speaks of human foibles -- time, love, pain.  The fallen remarks to the strong that he knows that his soul will now be taken; the Magus will never again appear.  The Avengers enter and ask what has transpired; Captain Marvel is speechless.

Karen: Readers of Warlock knew that the scene you've described was coming, someday, although I suppose we'd hoped it was a long way off, perhaps even something that might never come to be, since the title had been cancelled. But here it was. Warlock's death was not a heroic one but rather one of futility, like much of his life. That scene, and especially its dialog, have stuck with me ever since I first read it. "My life has been a failure. I welcome its end." That's heady stuff for a comic from that era. Captain Marvel's reaction was handled well. As an aside, it was very cool to see Starlin's two cosmic crusaders together for the only time.

Doug:  The last two pages are really done well.  We get the contemporary juxtaposed with the spiritual retirement of Adam Warlock.  The Avengers plot their next move, and Iron Man asks what they should do with Warlock's body.  Mar-Vell tells them nothing -- there is nothing to do, as Adam Warlock is now at peace.  And we see Warlock arise, to be greeted by Gamora and Pip.  Pip explains that they are in a place where there is no pain, where all are well.  They have come home, to the soul gem (Heaven?) and now reside with all of their fallen comrades, in the peace of a state of love.  But somewhere out in the tangible universe, Thanos lurks...