Call Her Crystal! Part 2

As we saw last time, in her debut Crystal of the Inhumans was clad in a plain white dress and her hair was similarly unadorned. 'Course when you look like Crystal you don't need much embellishment, but let's see how Kirby 'n' Sinnott, and Frank Giacoia, proceeded to gild the lily. 

Fantastic Four #61
A year and change after Crystal's debut in FF #45, she finally has a costume, just like the other Inhumans! It's not quite clear why a group of people living in Attilan need costumes but whatever. (Much later on it was explained that their attire was ceremonial or royal regalia or something.) Anyway, Crystal's wearing a canary-colored yellow outfit with black decorations. 

Fantastic Four #61 (April 1967) Crystal's New Look

And that's not all! The fabled Crystal headband makes its first appearance. The headband has one big circle in the back. Not only that, but she's also wearing snoods--kind of like hair nets I guess--on her hair. 

More from Fantastic Four #61 (April 1967) 

Fantastic Four #62

Here her headband looks like a plastic contraption holding her hair back from her face, as opposed to something that conforms to her hair (as appeared to be the case in #61). Also, for some reason in this one panel Kirby forgets about her curved fringe and has her hair pulled straight back from her forehead.

Fantastic Four #62 (May 1967) See how her hair is uncharacteristically swept back? Yes, it's the details like this that make or break a comic book reading experience😋

Another look at the headband and the snoods.

Fantastic Four #62 (May 1967) 

Fantastic Four #63 

She retains her Kirby-Sinnott straight-across horizontal eyebrows.  

Fantastic Four #63 (June 1967) 

In a couple of panels Kirby forgets her fringe and draws her with a Sue-like hairline. 

Fantastic Four #63 (June 1967) Crystal and Blastaar

Fantastic Four #64

Fantastic Four #64 (July 1967) Crystal, Johnny and Lockjaw

Fantastic Four #65

Here's Crystal in civilian clothes--a pale green, striped top and white slacks--and sans the headband and snoods. She seems to be trying to acclimate to her beloved Johnny's world.

Fantastic Four #65 (August 1967)
It's the Silver Age, so Marvel women went shopping. smh

Fantastic Four #66

But never fear, Crystal's back in her Inhumans regalia here, complete with headband and snoods. 

Fantastic Four #66 (September 1967)

Fantastic Four #67

Now we're mixing things up: Crystal is wearing civilian clothes as she did in #65, but here she retains her headband and snoods (although on #67's cover she's shown in her yellow Inhumans costume).  

Fantastic Four #67 (October 1967)
Notice how Stan takes great pains to establish that since Crystal has been living at the Baxter Building since #62, Johnny doesn't live there. Mustn't let the innocent readers think they've been shacking up!

Fantastic Four Annual #5

Crystal's back in her Inhumans costume. This story's inked by Frank Giacoia. 

Fantastic Four Annual #5 (November 1967) 

However on the cover Kirby forgets to draw her headband but remembers her snoods.  

Fantastic Four Annual #5 (November 1967)
Is that a cover or what?

Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967)

There are also Inhumans pin-ups in the Annual, including one of Crystal.  Again, it's inked by Giacoia so it's not the slick Sinnotty-Crystal many were used to back then. 

Fantastic Four Annual #5 (1967)

After this Annual, Crystal stashes her Inhumans costume in the closet and shows up in civilian clothes for about a year, as we'll see next time in this incisive, hard-hitting exposé of Crystal's couture. And when will that next time be? Wish I could tell you. In the meantime, everyone, stay healthy and safe!

Next: Civilian Crystal 

Call Her Crystal! Part 1

I've always loved Crystal and her bright orange hair that had that cool I-think-it's-a-black-headband/decoration. But did you know that her trademark headband wasn't part of her original look? You didn't? Well then,True Believers, time to take a closer look at    Crystal in the Silver Age!

Unless noted otherwise, all art is by Jack Kirby (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks). 

Fantastic Four #45 - Crystal's debut  
Initially Crystal sported a mane of long, tangerine-colored, unfettered locks. No headband!

(1965) Fantastic Four #45

(1965) Fantastic Four #45 

You can also see her eyes are somewhat exaggerated, with a definite upwards tilt and extra eyelashes. Her eyes are  shaped like fish, complete with little fins and a tail. Also, her brows veer upwards in dramatic Namor-like fashion.

(1965) Fantastic Four #45

Along with her sister Medusa, Crystal was one of the few Marvel characters back then who had really long hair. Okay, besides Thor. 

(1965) Fantastic Four #45

Fantastic Four #46
She retains the fish-shaped, ovally eyes and ascending brows on the cover...

As above: Crystal close-up from cover of Fantastic Four #46 (1966)

...and also within the story. Her antenna-like eyelashes are again emphasized.

Crystal, Lockjaw, and the Inhumans on the run in Fantastic Four #46 (1966)

Fantastic Four #47
Here Crystal's eyes are now closer in appearance to Sue's or other Kirby women--that is, her eyes are not so dramatically tilted and they're sans the extra eyelashes.  Her brows are now more horizontal.

(1966) Fantastic Four #47

Fantastic Four #48, #50, #52
Crystal shows up in a few panels in each of these issues. 

(L.) Fantastic Four #48, (C.) Fantastic Four #50, (R.) Fantastic Four #52 

Fantastic Four  #54
On the cover she almost looks like a slightly longer haired Alicia (from FF #41, Kirby inked by Vince Colletta).

L. - Crystal by Kirby-Sinnott Fantastic Four #54 (1966)
R. - Alicia by Kirby-Colletta Fantastic Four #41 (1965) 

In #54's story, Crystal's bangs are now sideswept.

(1966) Fantastic Four #54

It's the same sort of Kirby Krest found on Sue, Alicia, Jane Foster, Betty Ross, Marvel Girl/Jean Grey, and other women by Kirby in the SIlver Age. And yes, occasionally on Thor too (don't worry, we'll take a closer look at the Kirby Krest later on 😁).

Fantastic Four #56
As is obvious in all of these appearances, Crystal didn't have a colorful costume like the rest of the Inhumans royal family. Instead she wore a plain white dress. But surprise! In #56 she appears in a panel or two wearing a fuchsia-colored dress. Guess that's the day the white dress was at the Attilan dry cleaners. (Karnak's costume's coloring is off-model in that issue too.)

(1966) Fantastic Four #56 

Fantastic Four #57, #59, #60
She's back in that white dress. Coiffure-wise, her Kirby Krest seems to be a fixture. 

(1966) Fantastic Four #57

The Inhumans break free! 

(1967) Fantastic Four #59

(1967) Fantastic Four #60

NEXT:  The Headband Cometh! 
or   Crystal: I Am Curious Yellow

Medusa: Off Duty!

Here's the mighty Medusa as she first appeared, waaaay back in Fantastic Four #38. Even though she's hiding out from humanity and living in a cave in the middle of nowhere, she still makes sure her cute little outfit and gloves are color coordinated. It's attention to those sorts of details that make or break a look; Tim Gunn would approve.

Fantastic Four #36

Boutique chic.

Fantastic Four #38

                                         
Gorgon, Karnak, and Medusa--in "human" garb.

Amazing Adventures #7

Medusa in another bright yellow mini-skirted ensemble, enjoying a night on the town with Reed.

Fantastic Four #142

Alas, as we all know Sue eventually returned to Reed, so Medusa's stint as Reed's arm candy was short-lived. Ever the loyal friend to both Reed and Sue, Medusa decided to play down her own charms and she adopted a decidedly less glamorous presentation. Dressed up or down, we still love you, 'Dusa!

And for even more pulchritudinous panels of the marvelous Medusa and her various cohorts--Frightful Four, Inhumans, Fantastic Four--be sure to check out my new Panelocity site!

Medusa ponders her post-Reed options in Fantastic Four #158

Sue or Medusa? The Battle Continues!

The public has spoken! It's Medusa by a landslide. Are you paying attention, Marvel?! Send Sue off to Atlantis so Reed can ensconce himself in Medusa's matchless "invincible scarlet tresses."

Fantastic Four #42 (1965) Sue vs. Medusa!

Let's face it, Reed and Medusa have always naturally gravitated to one another. Look at this classic cover in all its versions. Everyone else is charging straight ahead, but notice how Medusa and Reed "lean" into one another. Body language doesn't lie.

Fantastic Four #82 and descendants

Reed and Medusa's chemistry is so blindingly obvious that everyone--Ben, Johnny, Crystal, random citizens of Attilan--can't help but notice it. Well, everyone except for Black Bolt, who as usual is oblivious to what's going on right under his nose. And for even more Medusa, Inhuman and FF goodness, check out my Panelocity site!

Fantastic Four #83

Sue or Medusa? What a difference a decade makes!

Recently,  commenter Anonymous opined that Reed should have hooked up with Medusa
back when Sue left him, and I agree!  Regrettably, that never came to pass--that would have been one hell of a storyline--but as a consolation, here's a rollickin' Rich Buckler panel from Fantastic Four #157 with Medusa doing her best Sue imitation. 

I'd say the marvelous Madame M. looks pretty good alongside Mr. Fantastic, don't you think? ;)

Fantastic Four #45 - Jack Kirby                                        Fantastic Four #157 - Rich Buckler

Family Matters: The Fantastic Four's Triumphs and Tribulations, part 6

Part 6 – Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Fantastic Four # 149

August 1974

“To Love, Honor, and Destroy!”

Gerry Conway, Rich Buckler, and Joe Sinnott

Doug: What a great splash page! As we go through these issues, I find Rich Buckler to be either home run or so-so. I really think this splash, with its triangular orientation of figures, the dynamic poses, and the intensity of Namor’s posture to be fine rendering. Sue looks good, the lackey looks menacing, and you just can’t beat a good ol’ battle cry: Imperius Rex!

Doug: Hmmm… about Page 2. Reed’s in character – tense, willing to fight (although as my colleagues have argued in prior postings, is it “too little, too late”?), Ben’s for the most part in character… but something about Johnny’s take throughout this has bothered me. I have wondered where the “blood is thicker than water” instinct is. To me, Johnny should have remained loyal to Sue. I understand why Ben has stuck with Reed, and Medusa is caught in the middle but with her loyalty being toward service to the team. Johnny just seems a little dense in regard to the magnitude of the decision Reed made about Franklin.

Karen: Well, Johnny’s always been a bit dense, hasn’t he? What really creeped me out was his thought in the previous issue, about a sister being “almost as close as a wife”. Uck.

Doug: Medusa using a little of that “woman’s intuition”? What did you think about her line that Namor has never been vicious? Hel-lo!! Ever read any Golden Age books, Sweetie?

Karen: The whole thing with Medusa is odd, until the reveal at the end. This picks up on the Medusa-Torch story from a few issues back, where they were going to the Hidden Land, because Blackbolt had called for her - hmm, they never did get to Attilan. Geez, Conway really did drop a lot of plot threads!

Sharon: Let me get this straight—back in FF#145, Reed tells Medusa he received a message for her from Black Bolt about a “Project Revival.” In light of the reveal in #149, it seems like the mention in #145 was supposed to be a signal to her that this plan is being set in motion. So why does she act like she’s all of a sudden figuring things out in #149?

Sharon: And if “Project Revival” was a really plan to get Sue and Namor back together, why did Reed tell her Black Bolt wanted her back in Attilan, and why did she go through the trouble of dragging Johnny along with her? And then after the mayhem that ensued (in #145 and #146), their trip to Attilan was then dropped—so poor Johnny didn’t get to see his beloved Crystal before her wedding after all. It appears Stan was not the only one with the faulty memory back then, eh, Roy Thomas (editor) and Gerry Conway (writer)?

Doug: As the battle begins, I’m thinking of that mid-80’s series Damage Control. When these super-powered types get after it, there is a lot of destruction that takes place! And how about the taxpayer bill, for the police, etc.?

Karen: Apparently folks like Blackbolt and Namor don’t concern themselves over such things – I mean, why have Sue and Reed sit down and talk when you can destroy half the city instead?

Doug: “Sue’s force field – It appeared so suddenly, there was no time to swerve away!” Umm… appeared?

Karen: Reed must have had his special invisibility detecting glasses on….

Doug: I thought Ben’s trip down memory lane was well-crafted and a very nice addition to the story. Sometimes I don’t care for flashbacks – seems they just take up space. But this fits perfectly, and Buckler’s art reflects an early Silver Age feel during these panels.

Sharon: Buckler does a nice job here recreating the Kirby scenes from FF #4—an instance in which swiping is appropriate and is, in fact, expected.

Doug: There are some really outstanding splashes and two-page splashes in this little arc.

Doug: As for the battle, I became aware that most of the fighting was mano a mano – not a lot of property destruction. It began to seem like something was amiss. Although no one on the FF’s side ever spoke of Namor pulling his punches, I just had to wonder what was really going on.

Doug: The conversation between Ben and Sue was great – in my opinion, this type of writing is lacking in many of today’s comics. These panels conveyed a history between these two characters, a depth of emotion that seemed real. Today’s comics often just run from battle to battle with a cheesecake shot in between with no real concern for character development.

Karen: I’d agree that I’d like more interaction between characters in today’s team books, but honestly, Sue’s reaction to Ben’s comments just seemed a little too convenient. She’s felt that Reed is distant and neglectful, but because he’s willing to fight over her, suddenly she’s back in love with him? Then again, people are unpredictable emotionally. So I’ll let it pass.

Doug: The big reveal at the end was a nice surprise, although I did feel that Medusa’s role in it remained unclear and somewhat clumsily handled. It was good to see Triton, and the proximity of this story to the coming wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver seemed to dovetail nicely.

Karen: Yes, the whole Project Revival idea here (with the Inhumans and Namor teaming up to get Reed and Sue back together) seems about half-baked. Namor in particular seems out of character. It feels like Conway didn’t have a good idea of how to achieve the couple’s reconciliation, so he just threw in a big fight and poof! They love each other again.

Doug: Overall, this last arc was a fun, sentimental read. Looking at it in a short timeframe, I’m still uncertain as to why Conway chose to insert the Frightful Four fight in between the stories in #147 and #149 – perhaps that was the only vehicle he could think of to get Thundra into #149? And she proved indispensable to the events concluding this issue, as Conway chose Ben to be the one to reason with Sue – someone had to occupy Namor so that Ben could steal away.

Doug: As to an impression of this entire series, it has really been a nice trip through Marvel history, and is a summation of why Marvel has for years been (in my opinion) so far ahead of DC. Marvel took the time to craft an inter-related universe with “real” characters – people with feelings, emotions of pride and resentment, and life events that occur in the everyday world.

Karen: It seems to me that the Reed – Sue breakup started out pretty well, but sort of fell apart here at the end. The early issues (even before the ones we reviewed) gave good reasons why the split occurred –particularly after Reed zapped Franklin. But these later issues never truly felt solid; they seemed to be poorly developed. While attempting this type of subject matter was laudable, the execution of the story was lacking.

Karen: And speaking of Franklin – where the heck was he all this time? Sitting inside Namor’s ‘Tomazooma’ fortress? I’m surprised Sue would let him out of her sight!

Sharon: Maybe she made him invisible, to keep him out of harm’s way? ;)

Fantastic Four #147: Family Matters: The Fantastic Four's Triumphs and Tribulations, part 4

Part 4:1 – Do You Know Where Your Woman Is Tonight?

Fantastic Four # 147

June 1974

“The Sub-Mariner Strikes!”

Gerry Conway, Rich Buckler, and Joe Sinnott

Doug: As a bridge between the gut-wrenching story we’ve just taken a look at (albeit a long look – but it was fun!) and the story we’re next interested in (FF #’s 147-149), here’s a very brief look at events involving Reed/Sue/Franklin over the intervening two story arcs.

Doug: The issues from 142-146 are not without their significance in their own right – we see the introduction of Darkoth the Death-Demon on #142, the beginning of Rich Buckler’s tenure as penciller on the title (and his quick transition to a “Kirbyish” style), a great Doctor Doom entrance (copied (?) in The Empire Strikes Back) that leads into a mediocre two-parter in #’s 143-144, and Ross Andru as guest-penciller in #’s 145-146.

Sharon: Regarding the Dr. Doom entrance, it was copied all right—but not exactly in the way you think. This is a clear swipe of a Jack Kirby panel from Fantastic Four #87.  I’ll get to Rich Buckler’s—ahem—“homage” to Kirby later on in this entry, but as for The Empire Strikes Back—as many are aware, there have been theories and arguments raging for decades about whether Kirby’s work influenced George Lucas and his Star Wars films. But that is a topic for another day…

Doug: Issue #142 gives us a recap of the events at the end of the previous story, mostly as related by Ben. Johnny has interaction with an old classmate of Reed’s, who happens to coach football at Metro U. Sue drives Franklin back to the farm where she’d sought refuge some issues before (only to have been kidnapped by Agatha Harkness). Other than that, most of the issue is a battle royale between Ben and Darkoth, and further revelations on Alicia Masters’ attempt to have her eyesight restored. One might also question if Medusa wasn’t in romantic pursuit of Reed in this issue as well. Another thing: I found it odd that Reed’s classmate, Coach Thorne, when laying eyes up Doom, acted as if he’d never seen the good Doctor. Must never watch the news or pick up a paper…

Doug: Issue #143 really doesn’t address the Sue/Franklin subplot, other than to show a 3-panel shot of Sue lamenting that she can trust no one after what Reed did – NO ONE! By the way, Giacoia’s inks over Buckler in this book leave a lot to be desired as compared to Sinnott’s!!

Karen: I’ll second that – Giacoia’s inks look rough and unfinished compared to Sinnott’s.

Sharon: Agreed, Buckler’s work looks terrible here. His pencils usually need a lot of help in the inking stage, and while I think Giacoia’s is a very good inker, Giacoia’s linework is too delicate for Buckler. Buckler usually needs a “slick” inker like Sinnott—or even a Dan Adkins (in Giant-Size Avengers #1), both of whom really add a polish to his pencils.

Doug: And that’s about it… Issues 144-146 were basically throwaways if you ask me. For Conway having been on the top of his game in the story we reviewed over the past two weeks, and returning to the summit with our next arc, he sure took some creative “time off” over these five months.

Karen: That’s putting it kindly, Doug. These issues were mediocre. Even the Dr. Doom story was boring.

Doug: Personally, I’m really excited to discuss this particular issue – the arc, too, but more for this story. When I was a youngster we moved away from my hometown due to a change in jobs. I was fortunate that I was able to find some new friends who shared my budding interest in comics. I really hit it off with one friend in particular, and he had this issue. FF #147 had to be perhaps only the fourth or fifth issue of the magazine I’d ever read. So, with a limited background I was just wide-eyed at the emotion of this tale – even as a not-quite-8-year old, I knew that this was big stuff. The fight early on between Ben, Johnny, and Namor was captivating. We had a lot of Megos back then, and we would act out various scenarios we’d seen. I had a Tarzan, and the “newer” Megos had colored briefs under the costumes. A stripped-down Tarzan was our Sub-Mariner!

Doug: But back to the story… As an adult, I can only imagine how painful it must be to be served a divorce summons, as Reed received from Sue. Conway was treading on very mature themes as we head into this story.

Karen: Yes, as we discussed before, I believe these stories from the 70’s were the precursor to our modern day ultra-realism. While on one hand I can appreciate such things, I’m sort of sorry to see mainstream comics turn so unrelentingly negative now. Although perhaps with the change in administrations and the overall resurgence of hope (even in these grim times) we might see comics become more optimistic as well.

Doug: Although the battle scene between Ben and Johnny and Namor was well choreographed, I do find it a little strange that Namor was just lying in wait beneath the waters of that lake. I suppose the flight path to Sue’s friends’ place was pretty well known and even standard, but it was a bit of a stretch on Conway’s part. Too, the asbestos net? Where exactly had Namor hidden that? Seems his outfit lacks a utility belt!

Karen: The details of the story do not bear close inspection!

Doug: A comment on Rich Buckler’s art in this issue – in his first story, #142, either he took pains to emulate John Buscema or Joe Sinnott provided that as a service. In the succeeding few issues, Buckler took on more of the “Kirbyish” appearance; but by the time we roll into this arc I would say he’s walking more on his own two feet. While the Kirby look is still present, there really are some fine looking panels in this story and I think that’s a tribute to Buckler’s growing confidence in himself.

Karen: I always liked Rich Buckler’s work. He was part of a group of very talented young artists and writers- perhaps the second wave of Marvel? – who made their mark in the 70s. I think because he worked on both FF and Thor, the Kirby clone label was applied to him. I mean, anyone being inked by Joe Sinnott is going to look somewhat like Kirby! Look at his other work, such as Deathlok in Astonishing Tales. The guy was a great storyteller and could flat-out draw!

Sharon: Okay. Buckler. So I’m reading FF #147 for the first time, courtesy of Fantastic Four Essentials Volume #7, and I noticed something strange—the panel of Subby carrying Sue in his arms looked awfully familiar. (The FF Essentials #7 does not include page numbers, but for the record the panel I’m referring to appears on page 10, panel 4 of the FF #147 reprint.) I had a strong feeling of déjà vu, I knew I’d seen that panel before—I could vividly picture it in context in another story---and off I raced to FF Annual #1…and sure enough, there it was, in all its Kirbyesque glory, on page 36, panel 1 of the Annual! Buckler had essentially copied the Sue and Namor figures!

Sharon: And for those who'd like to see even more Buckler/Kirby Fantastic Four panels like these, feel free to check out my Panelocity blog! Now, back to the discussion. A tribute to Kirby? Perhaps. As I read some of the other Buckler-illustrated stories in FF Essentials #7, I noticed a slew of other such “tributes”, only more creatively done. For example, in #149, take the panel on page 2, panel 4, in which Johnny grabs Medusa by the hand. That’s taken from FF #79, only in the original it’s Johnny grabbing Crystal’s hand.

Sharon: FF #151: the male figure in the first panel on page 8 is based on the Galactus figure on page 2 in FF #49.

Sharon: FF #152: the first panel on page 10 is based on a panel of Crystal being carried off in FF #84.

Sharon: FF #153: the two middle panels on page 6 are based on two panels in FF #19. Also, in #153, on page 7, the middle panel is based on a panel in FF Annual #5. The figure of Medusa in the last panel on page #13 is based on Medusa in a panel from #47. Again, for those who want to see even more Buckler adaptations of Kirby, feel free to visit the Panelocity site--these Kirby tributes/homages/swipes are often very ingenious! 

http://panelocityhomageswipes.blogspot.com/

Sharon: There's also the aforementioned Dr. Doom swipe (in FF #142) from FF #87.These are just a few of the images I saw right off the bat.  Now of course I knew of Buckler’s reputation as a swipe artist but I’d assumed it just meant he was adept at mimicking styles on demand; certainly, he’s proven he can draw in the style of giants like John Buscema, Neal Adams and Kirby; and from what I’ve read, he was encouraged (by Marvel management) to do so. But I was amazed at the sheer number of very obvious, outright copies of Kirby’s panels.

Sharon: Since I did not read these Buckler issues back when they were first released, and because the Essentials do not contain the letter pages, I have to ask: back when these FF issues hit the stands, did readers comment on his tendency to use images/layouts from Kirby’s FF? Was there any sort of public acknowledgement by Marvel management of the legitimacy of this “method?” 

Doug: WOW!! Sharon, you have some memory! I really had no idea that the swipes were that extensive. You have inspired some research on my part!

Karen: OK...that's just ridiculous.

Doug: Once Ben and Johnny got to the Linders’ home, I felt like there was more to the story than we were being told – Conway’s tangled web, I’m sure. If you think back to Sue’s comment related above, from #143, Namor has been perhaps the only other person besides Reed whom she has had the trust of. It just seemed odd to me that he would have shown up out of the blue – and speaking of blue, why the devil would Sue have been in costume??

Karen: And speaking of costumes, why is that despite the fact Namor has had his blue suit for 30 + years, I still think of it as his “new” suit?! I guess it must have to do with first impressions and all that.

Sharon: This Namor costume was not one of John Romita’s finer creations. For one thing, what was the deal with those Black Bolt-like arm “membrane wings”?

Doug: That’s funny to me, Sharon – I have always much preferred Namor’s blue suit to the green trunks. I always found it odd that a king would walk about nearly naked. I think Romita’s design is very regal. I’ll give you the questionable functionality of the wings – but hey, can we really believe that he can fly on those little ankle wings?



Doug: Reed’s preparation was fun – vintage stuff. The big map, the radiation tracker, the oxy-pills, Johnny’s heat frame… Did anyone else think Namor’s fortress looked like Tomazooma (see FF #80)?

Karen: Much as I like Buckler, that thing was just goofy. It looked more like a giant robot than a fortress! Tomazooma is not far off.

Doug: Well, didn’t Sue drop a bombshell in the last panel? Wow. “You see, Reed – it’s something I’ve always suspected – and now know to be true: I love the Sub-Mariner, and I’m going to stay with him… forever!” I thought Namor’s charges against Reed were very callous, but they jarred Reed. One had to wonder if Sue really did hate Reed for what he’d done to Franklin and if Namor wasn’t the strong sanctuary she had sought. To follow-up on the recollections from my childhood, I have to tell you that I didn’t see issues 148-149 for decades. I personally had a smattering of issues through the #150’s and the first “new” issue I recall buying myself was #160. So by then I knew how this had all turned out. But what a cliffhanger!

Karen: Sue really doesn’t come off too well in these issues. Despite her frustration over not being treated as an equal, she comes across (to me) as a very dependent woman. She leaves Reed, and then turns around and runs off to her fantasy man, Namor. It seems like she was still looking for someone to take care of her and call the shots.

Sharon: As I mentioned when we discussed FF #141-142, during this time Sue comes across as whiny. And hello- - WHY would she put physical distance between herself and probably the only person in the world who could cure Franklin?