Fantastic Four 322 - Inferno

A battle breaks out between two fundamental forces.

Fantastic Four #322

Story: Steve Englehart
Pencils: Keith Pollard
Finishes: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Workman
Colors: George Roussos
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Chief: Tom DeFalco

Graviton is flying the chunk of Earth that had been his base back towards the planet as he reflects on how he survived an encounter with the West Coast Avengers. In New York the remaining three members of the Fantastic Four - the Thing (Ben Grimm), the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) and Ms Marvel (Sharon Ventura) - tackle mailboxes, bins and bikes that have all come to life. A rogue Watcher observes from high up in the Empire State Building as Graviton arrives in the city, encounters the demons and reflects on how his power could prevent the merger of two separate dimensions. But before he can decide to do it or not Ben and Sharon attack with Johnny soon joining. Graviton quickly overcomes them and is crushing them with his power when the Torch tries again and challenges the fundamental force of gravity with the equally fundamental force of fire using temperature changes to keep Graviton off balance until Ben knocks him out. The observing Watcher notes how Ben did what he thought was right but stopped Graviton from dealing with the wider threat. Meanwhile Johnny finds it a little harder to turn off his flame.

This issue is an interesting staging post. As has been discussed in some of the other reviews and elsewhere on the web it was around this time that Steve Englehart had big disputes with his editors that resulted in him leaving West Coast Avengers, Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer one by one, and also trying to transfer key plots and ideas from one title to another. Here this only manifests with the use of Graviton, a hitherto Avengers foe who was seemingly being built up to be one of the main recurring enemies for the West Coast team, with the bigger transfer coming in the next issue. What's a more notable sign of editorial disputes at this stage is that the Fantastic Four have been numerically inaccurate for several issues now since the departure of Crystal in the annual and no fourth member has yet come forward.

Also notable is the way that Inferno is only used as a small backdrop at this stage with a few demons and animated objects running around and Graviton's consideration of trying to stop the dimensions merging is more theoretical than a driving plot point. Instead this is a character and action issue as the Three try to take down Graviton upon seeing him and considering their current situation. There's a scene where Sharon and Ben reflect on how her appearance is changing from leathery skin to a rockier form much as Ben's did in the past. Although this follows the pattern with the Thing it must also have been a relief for the artists to make Sharon a little easier to draw - especially as Ben's current "pineapple" look must have been a nightmare and probably wasn't designed or agreed with long-term use in mind. Ben tells Sharon that there may be a way for her to change back as there was once for him but a mental block was in the way. However although it's not explicitly said it seems Sharon has come to terms with her current form making Ben's comments feel crass.

This was Joe Sinnott's final issue of the series. His first was as early as #5 and he'd been the series's regular inker for most of the period since #44 bar the John Byrne years (when Byrne did his own inking). He would switch to Thor for a few years before retiring (although he continued to do the Spider-Man newspaper strip until it ended in 2019) so it's a pity that he left on such a flat issue that doesn't feature the traditional line-up when there was editorial pressure to go back to it. This is unfortunately just an example of how crossovers often mandate an excessive number of issues with some such as these forgettable.

Fantastic Four Annual 21 - The Evolutionary War

Multiple higher powers demand that Crystal returns to her husband.

As noted on Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 that annual and this one have the lead and back-up features in opposite orders. So I'm publishing these post simultaneously to keep the sequences as clear as possible.

Fantastic Four Annual #21

1st story: Crystal Blue Persuasion
Story: Steve Englehart
Breakdowns: Kieron Dwyer
Finishes: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Lopez
Colors: Wright
Editor: Macchio
Chief: DeFalco

This annual comes from one of the more unusual periods of Fantastic Four history. Steve Englehart had shaken up the team by retiring Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Woman off to spend more time raising their son and in their placed added Crystal and the second Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura). Ms. Marvel had then been transformed into a female version of the Thing whilst the Thing (Ben Grimm) himself had been subject to an even further mutation into an almost pineapple form. And there were multiple tensions surrounding the Four. Not long before Englehart's run began the Human Torch (Johnny Storm) had married Alicia Masters, once Ben Grimm's long-term girlfriend. Now Johnny was on a team with his first true girlfriend Crystal, estranged from her husband Quicksilver (Pietro... his surname seems to wander between Maximoff, Magnus and Frank reflecting the numerous revelations and retcons about his parentage over the years) after an affair. It was quite a different set-up from before.

Whether it was more popular is disputed. The opening scene sees the Four's robotic receptionist Roberta hand the Thing fan mail and declare "I can't get over how popular the team has become since you revamped it!", a claim that is similarly reflected on Englehart's website. But others have pointed to the figures in the annual Statement of Ownership showing the title's sales were flatlining or even declining. And when at the start of 1988 Marvel introduced a two-tier pricing on their regular titles by raising the cover price on the nine top sellers, Fantastic Four was noticeably absent from the list. It wouldn't be the first or last time that the sales figures surrounding a controversial period are in dispute but it's unusual to find one side's claims so blatantly placed in the title itself.

(It will come as little surprise that the nine titles that had the price raised all have annuals in The Evolutionary War - the three Spider-Man titles, the three mutant books, Silver Surfer, Punisher and Avengers. Fantastic Four and West Coast Avengers - the third title written by Englehart at this time - were the only other two regular superhero series so blessed.)

And that's part of wider disputes that are partially well known because Englehart has put his side of the story out there including on his own website, though his editors' position is not so well known. Editor Ralph Macchio is interviewed by Tom DeFalco in the latter's Comics Creators on Fantastic Four (London; Titan Books, 2005) and is specifically asked about Englehart's eventual departure but just alludes to creative differences without being specific - "We had a part of the ways, creatively. I remember there was a storyline he embarked on and I knew right away that we were beginning to see the characters differently. There were stories that he wanted to do that just didn't work for me. I liked a lot of his run, but I didn't like the way he wanted to go so I made a change." (p.166) Englehart is not interviewed in the book but the-then regular artist (although not drawing the annual) Keith Pollard is. He doesn't comment on Englehart's departure directly but notes that he was told sales were up and fine but later heard a rumour third hand that he had been fired and discovered that Macchio wanted to bring back the traditional line up "in a bid to increase sales". (p.71)

It would appear that ultimately the problem was that Englehart had signed up for a run when Don Daley was Editor and Jim Shooter Editor-in-Chief but almost immediately they were replaced by Macchio and DeFalco respectively and once everyone was fully settled in disputes emerged over which way the series should go. It is not unusual for new management to not agree with or stick to what their predecessors had agreed and this has led to many a dispute. This is not the last time we'll be encountering Englehart's writing in a rather extended departure from Marvel and we'll see a number of effects of this departure as we go.

Here the main effect is the enforced writing out of Crystal from the team as her family, the Royal Family of the Inhumans, turn up and simply demand she return to her husband and family on the Moon. It is a very blunt assertion of authority perhaps reflecting the behind the scenes struggle and the result is a battle between the Four and the Royal Family. Meanwhile the High Evolutionary arrives on the Moon seeking to steal the mutagenic Terrigen Mist to advance his schemes. This leads to a brief encounter with Uatu the Watcher in which the whole event so far is recapped (hence why the disconnect between the order of the lead and back-up strips stands out) though a few errors appear in recapping the events of New Mutants Annual #4 and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22. The battle between the Evolutionary's forces and the Inhumans is fierce with Quicksilver taking a leadership role and turning the tide, earning redemption amongst his in-laws. In the aftermath Black Bolt tries a new tactic with Crystal and actually talks her into staying. The rest of the Four depart for home.

This annual is firmly wedged between issues of the regular series and so references to a quest into the Negative Zone to find a race of aliens called the Beyonders can be a little confusing to the visiting reader, as is an appearance by a second Watcher who seems about to reveal where the Evolutionary and his forces have teleported away to until Uatu suddenly intervenes to stop him. But in general this story manages to work well as a big development for the team and stand alone sufficiently well. However as the first chapter of The Evolutionary War in which the High Evolutionary has taken an active role in the field it's a surprisingly low key encounter with the battle serving more to drive the character developments for Quicksilver than to seriously advance the lead villain's plans.


2nd story: Crystal
Story: Edward L. Norton
Breakdowns: Jackson Guice
Finishes: Jose Marzan
Letters: Ken Lopez
Colors: Gregory Wright
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Chief: Tom DeFalco

"Edward L. Norton" has a history of being used as a pseudonym in various Marvel issues. Here it hints at the dispute over the series. This is a very odd little story where the dialogue and pictures rarely seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet, suggesting a significant rewrite. It would appear that this story was meant to establish Crystal agreeing to go with the Fantastic Four to see out their quest with the Beyonders but was instead rewritten so that she stays permanently on the Moon with Quicksilver and the Inhumans. In story Crystal is even told that she is expected to look as though she likes living with her husband to set a public example. It's hard to not think of real life Royals also forced into such public displays of affection despite private strife even though this annual came out a few years before some of the most famous revelations.

Quicksilver had been on an odd character journey through the 1980s in large part because Englehart didn't agree with him being a hero and not always accepting other writers' attempts to row the character back. So at times he was written as mad and other times this was explained as the influence of the insane Inhuman Maximus the Mad only for later Englehart stories to revert the character to villainy. Here he's shown regaining his speed powers which had been temporarily constrained by a mental block but he's also shown acting suspiciously when at the end of the story he leaks details of the Fantastic Four's quest to none other than Doctor Doom. The dialogue has him stating that he wants revenge on Kristoff, the other Doom who is currently ruling Latveria, and that an empowered Doom is best placed to defeat him but this reads so oddly that it is almost certainly a rewrite of the script working against the dialogue.

As a result we're left with a short story that's trying to settle Crystal back into married life but it just doesn't hold together well because of all the conflicting forces pulling on it.


3rd story: The High Evolutionary: Silver and Crimson
Story: Mark Gruenwald
Pencils: Ron Lim
Inks: Tony DeZuniga
Letters: Ken Lopez & Joe Albelo
Colors: Gregory Wright
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

This is more of a straightforward single incident chapter as Herbert Edgar Wyndham finally encounters the Werewolf that killed Merriam Drew and creates his armour in order to protect himself in future encounters then captures it when it later invades the citadel. However it seems to have driven away the Moloids for good. The biggest developments come in side moments as we learn that Jonathan Drew has departed in grief, even though he has left his daughter behind in suspended animation, and that the uranium mine has generated enough wealth to buy the most advanced technology and expertise available.

It's a good attempt to explain just how a man from the 1930s could have come up with all the long-term technology the High Evolutionary has been shown to have over the years but it does ring a little hollow to suggest the solution was merely wealth. However the alternative would have required adding either another mysterious benefactor or some alien influence which doesn't quite fit with the character's outlook. Otherwise this chapter is straightforward and the only real problem is the out of sequence printing.

Other material includes a pin-up gallery by Keith Pollard and Joe Sinnott of the Fantastic Four and other key characters including the Invisible Woman (who expresses her surprise at some recent letters to the comic) and Crystal who declares "I'll never leave again!" with an editor's note explaining "this feature was compiled before the astounding events of this issue". It's another sign of the conflict over the direction of this series. Sadly this conflict means the annual as a whole is a rather disappointing package even though the lead story works well on its own.

Thor 414 - Acts of Vengeance Aftermath

In a break from recent issues this one contains a full-length story which follows up on Loki's henchman from last issue.

Thor #414

Words & Plot: Tom DeFalco
Pictures & Plot: Ron Frenz
Finished Art: Joe Sinnott
Inks: Mike De Carlo
Lettering: Michael Heisler
Colouring: George Roussos
Editing: Ralph Macchio

It's unclear whether the henchman's identity was ever meant to be a secret - last issue he was not named and shown wearing a giant suit and visor sunglasses but (although the orange skin and brown beard rather limited the disguise). But here the cover announces him as Ulik from the outset and inside he sheds his Earth clothes and announces his name fairly quickly as though there was never any doubt. Yet another mystery man is introduced in this issue, a mysterious new crime lord with some strange tastes in architecture. Coming so soon after both Loki in "Acts of Vengeance" and a possible Ulik mystery it suggests overkill of the concept.

The issue sees Thor's human alter ego, Eric Masterson, continue to struggle with the competing demands of everyday life and being the alternate form of an Asgardian god. Not only are hero duties interfering with work commitments but also his ex-wife is seeking to retake custody of their son, and it's looking to shape up to be a nasty fight that Thor won't be able to do anything about. Hercules is also suffering from a strange outbreak of fear that weakens his effectiveness in battle, especially when Ulik uses a magical talisman to increase his size and strength.

Oddly the hero of the day turns out to be police Lieutenant Marcus Stone, on the verge of resigning from the force at his wife's insistence. With Thor and Hercules trapped under a pile of cars (and Thor reverted to Eric out of reach of the hammer), it's Stone who intercepts Ulik on a rooftop and shoots at him until Ulik falls and knocks himself out. Stone (one of a number of characters who suffers brief race changes at the hands of George Roussos) would go on to command the special unit Code: Blue and it's an early sign of how under DeFalco and Frenz the title might maintain a retro Silver Age look and feel, but it would also veer heavily into the mortal world, showing the potential of humans in the face of great odds. Unfortunately here it comes across poorly that despite the presence of both Thor and Hercules it takes one mortal man's courage to succeed; this sort of moment would have been better left to an untransformed Eric.

Overall this issue does the job of finishing off the loose end from the last issue, with Ulik acknowledging he was brought to help in the "Acts of Vengeance". The artwork is as ever solid and brilliantly retro, whilst the continuing plots of the problems in Eric's life work well. However the story goes a bit too far in breaking down the existing heroes in order to elevate the ordinary humans and there are better ways to approach this.

Thor #414 has been reprinted in:

• Thor: In Mortal Flesh (2017 Epic Collection)

Thor 413 - Acts of Vengeance

This issue may not carry an "Acts of Vengeance" banner, yet it includes one the key moments for the entire arc. It's a surprising omission, especially given the issue is written by the-then editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco.

Thor #413

Words & Plot: Tom DeFalco (all)
Pictures & Plot: Ron Frenz (lead)
Finished Art: Joe Sinnott (lead)
Pencils: Ron Lim (back-up)
Inks: Mike De Carlo (back-up)
Lettering: Michael Heisler (all)
Colouring: Nel Yomtov (all)
Editing: Ralph Macchio (all)

Once again, the issue follows the two-story format, with the back-up feature concluding Beta Ray Bill's encounter with space pirates as he seeks to free the slaves whose mind power is tapped to fuel the ship. It's a good combination of action and willpower.

The lead story sees Thor trying to get the bottom of his recent problems to discover why he has been suffering spells of weakness and just who is behind the attacks on the super heroes. Meanwhile his alter ego of Eric Masterson is trying to get control of his own life as he faces a battle with his ex-wife for custody of their son. And Hercules is experiencing moments of sudden fear. Then a magazine cover inspires Eric to seek help from Doctor Strange to try to sort out Thor's problems and this leads to the "Inner Questing" ritual as Thor and Strange venture into the thunder god's subconscious to discover the answers. Elsewhere the mysterious strange monitors Thor's actions and sends his henchman to deal with Thor, Hercules and Strange. However Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is protected by magic and so the henchman withdraws, followed by Hercules.

Inside Thor's subconscious he encounters a foe wearing his old armour, leading to a classic "my enemy - myself" fight that Strange and Eric can only watch. Finally Thor subdues his foe and removes the masked helmet to reveal the cause of his weakness. It's Loki. Elsewhere the stranger confirms this, revealing his true form for the first time in the crossover.

To put it mildly, this is not a particularly dramatic revelation. (It was also given away in What The--?! #6 but this is the first confirmation it's the same in the regular reality.) The mysterious stranger has various magical abilities and has been shown monitoring things from a throne room with monitor screens in flames. He has an especial hatred for the Avengers, identifying in particular the Wasp and Hank Pym. And the most blatant giveaway is the central alliance of super-villains. Consisting of the traditional strategic archenemies of the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man & Daredevil and the Human Torch, it's an alliance that could have been put together at any time since the mid-1960s. The absence of Thor's archenemy, who also caused the Avengers to be formed in the first place, was highly telling and there was no attempt to give Loki any alibi elsewhere. (Other candidates, such as Baron Mordo and Immortus, have been shown during the crossover.) The only unclear point is just how Thor determines that Loki is behind the "Acts of Vengeance" as well as the loss of strength, since he doesn't see the scenes the readers do.

This is a surprisingly key moment in the crossover, yet it went out of its way to hide it from contemporary readers, perhaps so another moment that we'll come to could serve as the official discovery. This is a pity as Thor is the title with the strongest retro Silver Age feel to it, especially thanks to Frenz's Kirby homage artwork, and "Acts of Vengeance" has a strong Silver Age throwback to it. This really deserved to be put on a stronger pedestal.

Thor #413 has been reprinted in:

• Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (2011) - lead only
• Thor: In Mortal Flesh (2017 Epic Collection)

Thor 412 - Acts of Vengeance

Big crossovers are often used to launch new titles, characters and teams and this is a trend that goes right back to the 1980s. DC had most prominently used Crisis on Infinite Earths to relaunch huge chunks of its universe and subsequently used Legends to unleash the new Justice League and Wonder Woman. Marvel were a little slower at this and also didn't make their first springboard the core of the crossover but rather one of the more peripheral chapters. For it is here in this issue (following their arrival at the end of the last one) that the New Warriors made their debut, some seven months before their own series launched.

Thor #412

Words & Plot: Tom DeFalco (all)
Pictures & Plot: Ron Frenz (lead)
Finished Art: Joe Sinnott (lead)
Pencils: Ron Lim (back-up)
Inks: Mike De Carlo (back-up)
Lettering: Michael Heisler (all)
Lettering: Jack Morelli (lead)
Colouring: Nel Yomtov (all)
Editing: Ralph Macchio (all)

Most of the New Warriors are familiar characters - Namorita, cousin of Namor, Firestar, former co-star of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Speedball, a recently launched hero, Marvel Boy, a former sidekick to the Thing in his solo days, and Kid Nova, star of the 1970s solo series. They are led by a newly created character Night Thrasher, who in a sign of Marvel's determination to have some "heroes for the 90s" fights on a skateboard, is terminally serious and willing to try lethal measures even if his teammates won't. It's always good to see imagination and development at Marvel and the New Warriors did go on to have their own title which lasted quite well for a 1990s series, then a good many revivals. But the idea that they could in any way be a problem for the Juggernaut is very hard to swallow. It seems absurd that Night Thrasher has been able to convince all the sceptics to even try this, rather than seeking help from more experienced hands, and even though they admit their best hope is to cause enough irritation to buy Thor time to recover, it's still patently absurd to see Night Thrasher skating all over Juggernaut without being splattered to one side. Some of the team do have sufficient super strength to throw railway vans at him which is just about plausible, but overall this is a rather unfortunate choice of fight to launch a new team from and it just doesn't convince. It's also not too clear just why it takes so long for Thor to open a dimensional portal. Thor is continuing to suffer from mysterious seizures which makes it understandable he would need some help in a fight such as this, but for such a major confrontation it would have been much better to keep him completely solo - indeed last issue he actually went out of his way to make sure Hercules didn't come along.

Otherwise this issue sees continued problem for Thor's alter ego, Eric Masterson, as his ex-wife arrives to claim custody of their son, whilst the back-up story, written by DeFalco and drawn by Ron Lim, continues a tale of Beta Ray Bill. But overall this is a very disappointing issue that undermines what should have been a highly memorable confrontation and it would be best redeemed with a rematch in which Thor is at full power and solo.

Thor #412 has been reprinted in:

• New Warriors: Beginnings (1992) - lead only
• New Warriors Classic volume 1 (2009) - lead only
• Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (2011) - lead only
• Thor: In Mortal Flesh (2017 Epic Collection)

Thor 411 - Acts of Vengeance

This series continues to follow the two-strip format with the back-up now the first chapter of a saga featuring Beta-Ray Bill, the alien Thor. The lead story features Thor battling the Juggernaut.

Thor #411

Words & Plot: Tom DeFalco (all)
Pictures & Plot: Ron Frenz (lead)
Finished Art: Joe Sinnott (lead)
Pencils: Ron Lim (back-up)
Inks: Mike De Carlo (back-up)
Lettering: Michael Heisler (all)
Colouring: Nel Yomtov (all)
Editing: Ralph Macchio (all)

A lot of the line-ups across this event so far have been ones that probably weren't too demanded. In some cases the villains are a surprisingly obvious fit that it's curious they haven't been pitched against the hero before. In other cases the match-up is quite bizarre, either because of the mismatch of power levels or due to their normally inhabiting very different worlds. But one match-up above all others just feels so naturally right that it's good to see it happen - Thor versus the Juggernaut. The strongest (traditional) hero against an unstoppable force.

Again we see the mysterious stranger directly setting up the encounter, once again raising the question as to why he needed to assemble an alliance of foes when here he simply uses his power to transport the Juggernaut out of jail and onto the streets of New York. Thor's mortal alter-ego Eric Masterson learns of the rampage from television and heads out to confront him, even though his thoughts acknowledge that "groups like X-Factor usually handle mutant menaces like him" (the Juggernaut not being a mutant was presumably not well known and the X-Men were believed dead at this time). It's a cliché of comics that a villain's rampage is broadcast through the media and invariably the intended hero always shows up, even when the villain is from another series. Here it has the right effect even though it's clearly not being directed by the mysterious stranger who cannot locate Thor when he's transformed into Eric. But the battle also attracts the attention of others through the internet, a sign of the coming times, though they deserve more attention next issue.

The conflict is pretty tough, with Juggernaut proving able to resist even Mjolnir and then grabs the hammer on the return trip to attack Thor. It's a fight with consequences and Thor has to devote his efforts to ensuring a thrown car hits the one spot where it won't hurt anyone or that a coach full of passengers is landed safely. Meanwhile Juggernaut just keeps on coming, taking the battle into a railway yard where the goods vans prove useful weapons. Thor is weaker than usual due to some mysterious seizures and so it's credible that he hasn't resolved the conflict when help shows up.

Of all the new combinations of heroes and villains so far this is easily the best to be put together. Thor's strange seizures help to prolong the fight and make the eventual help credible but otherwise this is a strong first chapter.

Thor #411 has been reprinted in:

• New Warriors: Beginnings (1992) - lead only
• New Warriors Classic volume 1 (2009) - lead only
• Acts of Vengeance Omnibus (2011) - lead only
• Thor: In Mortal Flesh (2017 Epic Collection)

Thor 410 - Acts of Vengeance

Although it doesn't have a banner proclaiming the crossover, Thor #410 effectively starts it.

Thor #410

Words & Plot: Tom DeFalco (all)
Pictures & Plot: Ron Frenz (lead)
Finished Art: Joe Sinnott (lead)
Illustrated: Herb Trimpe (back-up)
Lettering: Michael Heisler (lead)
Lettering: Richard Starkings (back-up)
Colouring: Tom Vincent and George Roussos (lead)
Colouring: Nel Yomtov (back-up)
Editing: Ralph Macchio (all)

Coming almost midway through the run by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, this issue mainly focuses on the conclusion of a story in which Doctor Doom steals Thor's hammer to use in his latest scheme again the other Doctor Doom, also known as Kristoff. A back-up story tells a tale of Volstagg of the Warriors Three.

The back-up is one of many "Tales of Asgard" that expand the mythology of the series. It's a straightforward comedic piece, as Volstagg focused tales tend to be. The lead story includes a team-up with Hercules and She-Hulk but the latter doesn't really contribute much beyond a few comedic moments and being an extra in a fight. Otherwise this is a relatively tame tale of Hercules and Eric Masterson (a mortal man Thor has been merged with) battling with Doctor Doom's Defence Droids whilst Doom uses a device to freeze time in Latveria and invade the castle, only to find his alternate self is prepared.

As the most prominent villain in the Marvel it's inevitable that Doctor Doom will be seen a lot in the coming crossover, so this issue is handy as a quick introduction to his status quo in the period - during a period when he was assumed to have been destroyed, a record of his personality and some memories was implanted into his young ward & designated heir Kristoff who came to believe he was the real Doctor Doom. Kristoff has held power in Latveria and regards the returned real Doctor Doom to be an impostor. As a result the latter has been operating in exile, trying to regain his kingdom through a variety of schemes. Given Doom's arrogance it's unsurprising that he blames the failure of this one on Thor even though the Thunder God's involvement was inevitable once the hammer was stolen. So it's understandable when at the end a mysterious stranger appears and proposes "an Act of Vengeance!" that Doom is interested.

However Doom is not normally a Thor villain. It's a strange route to bring him into the plot and an early sign of just how poorly disguised the stranger's identity is. Otherwise this issue is a relatively straightforward tale in the Silver Age homage style that DeFalco and Frenz had refined on the series. For much of its run Thor has had a feeling of the old fashioned about it, but for a series starring a character from mythology that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Thor #410 has been reprinted in:

• The Warriors Three Unleashed (2011 Premiere Edition Classic hardcover) - back-up only
• Thor: In Mortal Flesh (2017 Epic Collection)

Essential Thor volume 1

The same day that Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, another hero made his debut in the pages of Journey into Mystery (yet another of Marvel's anthology series). Issue #83 introduced the Mighty Thor, as the Norse god of thunder was brought to life. Well in a way...

Essential Thor volume 1 reprints the Thor strips from Journey into Mystery #83-112, including the "Tales of Asgard" back-ups from issue #97 onwards. Also included is Thor's entry from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition, though in the first edition (at least) the pages are out of order. There are also a couple of pin-ups.

The first issue is plotted by Stan Lee, scripted by Larry Lieber and drawn by Jack Kirby. Lee plots up to issue #96 and then takes over the full scripting on both the lead and back-ups, with issues before then scripted by first Lieber and then Robert Bernstein (under the semi-pseudonym "R. Berns"). Kirby draws all of the "Tales of Asgard" back-ups and most of the leads, with a handful done by variously Joe Sinnott, Don Heck and Al Hartley. The first three stories carry no credit on them, but later on the order of plot-script-art is used and the contents pages are structured accordingly. The order of credit for Thor has become a contentious issue, particularly when the movie of a few years ago carried a "based on" credit that was ordered Lee-Lieber-Kirby, but it seems likely that had there been a credit back in issue #83 it would have been ordered as such. Personally I feel the original order should be used as it's the only way to avoid awkward disputes to which there is no clear answer, but that isn't much help in this particular case.

The very first story in Journey into Mystery #83 is rather atypical of what was to come. Dr Don Blake is on holiday in Norway when he stumbles across first an alien invasion and then a cane that when struck gives him the body and power of Thor. The foes in this story would be forgotten were it not the very first story and there's none of the traditional material associated with the character from his nurse Jane Foster to Asgard and the various other Norse gods who dwell there. As is later made more explicit, this is far from the first time Thor or a Thor has walked the Earth so it's an origin story for Blake but not Thor, whoever that may be.

Who is Thor? It may seem an obvious question at first but it's more complicated than it seems. Is he, as shown in his first story, Dr Donald Blake who has acquired the power of Thor? Or is he, as his relationship with Odin and the rest of Asgard in later issues implies, the true Norse Thunder God? And if he's the latter then just who is Donald Blake? If the two are separate beings fused together then why do they never speak or act as such? We're doubtless seeing the effect of the character not being fully thought through at the start and this would later lead to problems before an attempt to tidy it up (and then much later came one of the most ludicrously unnecessary retcons of all). Asgard first appears in the third story as Loki escapes an age-old imprisonment and seeks revenge on Thor. But the Thor he finds only recognises his foe from legends rather than having the memories. Despite this Loki and the other Asgardians assume that the real Thor is in action. Starting with issue #86 there are multiple times when Thor appeals to Odin for extra help, and then in issue #90 Odin orders Thor against revealing his identity and the latter accepts it without protesting that he isn't actually the original thunder god. In issue #89 Blake, temporarily without his cane, thinks "...even though I haven't the body of Thor, I still have his brain -- his thought processes!" as though he's still thinking of his two identities as more than just different bodies and powers. But increasingly this Thor is treated by all, including himself, as the actual god - in issue #92 he even thinks of Odin as "my father". This leaves open the questions of just who is Donald Blake and exactly what happened when Blake found the hammer Mjolnir, but otherwise the series gets on with things.

Donald Blake's life away from superheroing isn't especially explored. We see him as a reasonable successful medical practitioner who also dabbles in various experiments from time to time, making for a somewhat generic alter ego that isn't too far removed from contemporaries such as Hank Pym. The only supporting cast member at the mortal end of things is his nurse, Jane Foster. Each is attracted to the other but Blake is unable to declare his feelings. It may seem clichéd now, but Jane Foster is (by my reckoning) actually the first working woman girlfriend of the Marvel Silver Age, arriving before the likes of Betty Brant, Pepper Potts and Karen Page. Each works for a living in a white-collar environment, but in a subordinate role, and each is attracted to a man around the office. In three cases the man is their boss but there's no mention of malpractice, being an era when comics didn't descend into such complicated matters. Jane is no wallflower and at times stands up to both the various villains and to Donald Blake when she feels he's been cowardly. She's also drawn to Thor a little, but wisely there isn't a full-blown triangle involving the hero and his own secret identity - that approach had been done to death with Superman. Instead the main impediment to Jane and Donald finding happiness comes from a different source, edicts from Asgard.

Fairly early on we start to see more and more of the other Norse gods and Asgard, providing a steady source of foes but also of continued conflict. By far the key figures is Odin, the ruler of Asgard and Thor's father, and this volume contains a lot of tension as the two repeatedly clash over Thor's desire for Jane and wish to marry her and Odin's refusal to allow his son to marry a mortal. Unfortunately the reasons behind such a key conflict are never properly explored as we never get a very strong exploration of just why Odin feels it is such a bad move. Odin's orders to Thor are often come with the assumption, sometimes explicitly stated, that Odin is right by virtue of his positions both as ruler of Asgard and as Thor's father. Probably more by accident than design the series had stumbled across what would become one of the major social conflicts of the later 1960s as a whole generation rejected the notion of elders and officials having inherent wisdom and that one should do (or not do) something merely because such a person said so. Thor may have long hair but he's not the most natural teenage rebel. It also doesn't help that Odin seems rather quick to form judgements, and whilst he may be able to look down on Earth and see what's happening, he hasn't got sound with the picture and so doesn't always realise why Thor or Jane are acting as they do.

Odin isn't the only other Asgardian introduced here. Between Thor's various visits to Asgard and the back up feature "Tales of Asgard" we meet a variety of others. As well as the various villains we also meet Heimdall, the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge that leads to Asgard, and Balder the Brave. The goddess Sif appears, but at this stage only in "Tales of Asgard" and there's no sign of her role as a potential rival for Thor's affection for Jane Foster.

We get a mixture of the famous and forgotten foes, with several of a type familiar to the early Marvel Silver Age. Thor's very first adventure sees him fight off the Stone Men from Saturn - an alien race trying to conquer the planet. Then in his second story he fights the Executioner, who is no relation to his later Asgardian foe of that name, but the corrupt bearded leader of a Communist revolution in a Latin American country. Now I wonder who he was a parody of? And Communism isn't just seen in fictional countries, with one early tale revolving around the Soviets kidnapping key scientists and another showing "Red" China trying to invade India only to be turned back by Thor and subsequently creating the Radioactive Man to fight him. Back home there are more generic criminals such as Thug Thatcher, or Sandu the fortune-teller who steals from his audience until Loki powers him up. Then there's Professor Zaxton, a corrupt scientist who invents a duplication ray with the added power of giving the duplicates opposite personalities under his mental control. Or there's Merlin, who is revealed to be a mutant (he first appeared the same month as the X-Men launched) who used his powers to fake magic and who has been in suspended animation for a millennium. (I have a feeling he's been since retconned as not the actual Merlin.) Or there's the Lava Man, supreme warrior of his more often seen race, and Skagg the Storm Giant. At the, erm, fantastic end are the Carbon Copy Men, a race of aliens with the ability to disguise themselves. No, nothing like the Skrulls from the Fantastic Four. When captured they are forced to use their shape-changing power to permanently turn them into a form where they forget who they are. Again nothing like the fate of the Skrulls.

More familiar foes include Loki, Thor's half-brother and master of mischief, who first appears in the third adventure and appears regularly thereafter, either attacking Thor directly or empowering agents. In total Loki appears as a villain in thirteen of the thirty lead stories here, as well as appearing in some of the Tales of Asgard back-ups as well. Other big name foes introduced include Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, the Radioactive Man (who originates from "Red" China), the Cobra, Mr. Hyde, the Enchantress, the Executioner, Hela the goddess of death, Surtur the Fire Demon and the Grey Gargoyle. (I'm surprised that his name is spelt that way rather than "Gray" - were both spellings common in the US in the mid 1960s or was the British spelling used to emphasise his foreignness?)

And the very last issue in the volume touches on one of Thor's other great rivalries. He comes across children arguing over who is tougher - himself or the Hulk - and relates a story of an encounter between the two that ended inconclusively. This may have been intended to set up a forthcoming rematch, but it feels odd to be getting a story told in flashback that takes place between panels of an early issue of Avengers, rather than introducing an original situation and building on it. It's also uncertain just which of the two actually is the strongest, in spite of Thor successfully appealing to Odin for all Mjolnir's magic to be suspended for a few minutes to allow a fight based on pure strength.

Indeed Thor's powers and strength levels are often altered in these tales thanks to either appeals to Odin or punishments being arbitrarily imposed (Odin also seems reluctant to just actually tell his son that a particular punishment has been given). It can make for a slightly uneven approach that undermines the tension when Thor is up against an especially powerful foe. However there's less of this as time progresses and Thor increasingly has to resort to brain rather than just brawn. The ultimate comes in his fight against the Grey Gargoyle when his Thor body is turned to stone for twenty-four hours and he has to defeat his foe as Donald Blake.

The early stories are relatively straightforward, perhaps due to the writing being split between plotting, drawing and scripting. There's also rather a heavy emphasis on anti-Communism, with some quite overt propaganda, especially on the point that democracy and communism are incompatible. However once Lee takes over the full scripting from issue #97 onwards we start to get more intricate tales with action flowing from issue to issue, multi-part tales and a sense of direction even if the actual direction isn't too clear beyond the rather repetitive conflict between Thor and Odin about Jane Foster without a great deal of advancement. Otherwise we have a succession of battles that keep to the spirit of Thor as a noble being who fights for the common good. These aren't the most dynamic of Thor stories but they do well to lay out the basic tapestry of the series, with "Tales of Asgard" providing an epic feel (though I'm not sure how true to recorded myths the series actually is). But with Thor the best is yet to come.

The material appears to have been sourced from a mixture of clear remastered black and white pictures and direct reproductions of the printed colour comics. However the latter is of a noticeably higher quality to all previous such scans in earlier Essentials (this volume first appeared in early 2001 and was the first to sport the second cover format), especially in the speech balloons and captions. It seems that developments in scanning technology and digital clean up were used to get a much better page than previous reproductions without master materials. Indeed it almost opens up the question of whether all the pages should have been scanned from colour copies, as sometimes the grey can enhance the effect. However in other places it can make the resulting image too dark and some of the colour doesn't scan so well, producing a dotted smeary grey effect.