Jack Kirby's Secret City Saga, 1993

 

Though the subject of this post technically falls under the PPC's non-Marvel nods tag, it's hard to miss the telltale Marvel hallmarks on this comic book cover from industry newcomer Topps Comics:

Topps, a company founded in 1938, went on to become immensely profitable as a producer of sports-themed trading cards (primarily MLB) as well as other card collectibles (e.g., Star Wars, celebrities, films, etc.), in addition to chewing gum (Topps created the Bazooka comic-strip-in-the-package bubble gum introduced in 1947), candy, confectionery items, and, beginning in 1993, the Topps comic book division. It was here where the retired Jack Kirby licensed several designs and concepts he'd kept in his files which Topps came to collectively refer to as the "Kirbyverse," a series of eight titles published in April of 1993 which would culminate in Kirby's "Secret City Saga"--NightGlider being one of them.

As we can see, a sales pitch that would be right at home on a Marvel cover is in full swing for this issue, even featuring the familiar pet names of its creative team of Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Don Heck. Also now at Topps is former Marvel editor Jim Salicrup, who joined their comics division after departing Marvel in 1992 to become its Editor-In-Chief. Thomas, who had left Marvel in 1980, returned to the company in 1986 but was no longer exclusive, spreading his talent with work for DC and indie publishers (which included several titles for Topps Comics), while Gerry Conway's first and only work for the company would be the NightGlider title.

As for the character, we meet the young woman named (do I have to say it?) Glida as she awakens underneath the city of Chicago, 15,000 years from when she was placed into her slumber (which would have been approximately 13,000 BC).

Symbolic Splash Pages: The Early Years, Part Two

 

A few stragglers to the PPC's previous segment on symbolic splash pages of Marvel's early years now come to light, again focusing on those "double/triple feature" books published from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s but this time taking a look at the work of artists Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Don Heck, Chic Stone, and Joe Sinnott, in pages from Journey Into Mystery, Tales To Astonish, and those issues of Strange Tales before Nick Fury and Doctor Strange elbowed out the book's previous headliner, the Human Torch.

Such splash pages in the Mighty Thor series, which picked up where Journey Into Mystery left off, were practically nonexistent, with Kirby veering away from symbolic association and instead using the title page to lead directly into the main story--which makes these pages something of a rarity where the God of Thunder is concerned. One thing that wasn't rare in either title, however, was the presence of Loki, Thor's evil half-brother, who shared Page One with the Thunder God so often that it's no wonder he practically received billing of his own.

The Cover That Failed!

 

Following a launch in early 1972 that saw its first four issues apparently competing with Marvel's Greatest Comics as a reprint title for older Fantastic Four tales, Marvel Triple Action then shifted its focus to offering reprints of The Avengers--its covers for the most part mimicking MGC in retaining the original cover art of a story, interspersed with new covers drawn by contemporary artists of the '70s. Arguably, there may have been no Avengers cover more in need of a makeover* than that of the December 1966 issue, rendered by artist Don Heck and pictured here with Rich Buckler's interpretation of its events nine years later.

*Though I'd put the cover to issue #38 in the running.

As we can see, there are two schools of thought as to where the Avengers' fight with the Living Laser comes to a head. On the right, we see a deadly struggle taking place on a bridge in New York City--while on the left, our heroes are on the defensive with the Laser in the Central American country of Costa Verde (a locale which may sound familiar to you from another '70s story). Both covers retain the captions featured on the original--the title referring to Goliath sabotaging the Laser's powerful laser cannon, while Goliath's big change has him regaining his size-changing powers after becoming trapped at ten feet not long after rejoining the team.

While both covers have their peculiarities, it's the original which seems most in need of improvement. Even those behind the scenes in production seemed to recognize that, with what appears to be a last-minute substitution of the Captain America figure with one drawn by Jack Kirby, taken from an issue of Tales Of Suspense published in the same month:

As for the other figures, little thought has been given to what everyone is supposed to be doing (with the exception of the Laser's aggression). Even the Kirby figure's positioning is poorly chosen, having been dislodged (presumably by the Laser) from the cliff, with the Laser either opening fire on Cap's shield or Cap blocking the blast, both superfluous at this point. In the Laser's case, he's already sent Cap plummeting--why continue to fire at his target, much less at the wrong angle? And why should Cap worry about blocking a blast that would miss him?

And speaking of angles, who or what is Hawkeye aiming at? This marksman isn't going to hit the Laser at the angle he's positioned--maybe goons unseen off to the left? That leaves Goliath, who makes a great target for the Laser with his back turned to him; but at the moment, we can't be sure whether he's trying to save Cap, or if he's the one who threw Cap off the ledge in the first place.

On the MTA cover, Buckler's depiction is actually representative of the events taking place in the prior issue's story. But while the activities of the Laser and the Avengers are in the vicinity of the bridge, our motorists are only in the line of fire insofar as an attack by the Laser from miles away, and Buckler taking just a tad of artistic license with presenting a battle scene (and a bridge disaster) that never occurred.

Obviously Buckler is making better use of Cap's shield--but since we've already spent a good deal of time piling on and detracting from the merits of each of these covers, this may not be the time to mention the fact that Cap really has no shield to use at this point, given that his one-of-a-kind, indestructible shield was earlier destroyed by the Laser. (Buck up, Cap! Is that why you're jumping off a cliff?)

"The Monstrous Master Plan of the Mandarin!"

 

OR: "It's Every Avenger For Himself!"

It was probably about five years past its original publication date of September, 1967* that I purchased a copy of the first Avengers Annual--a bargain at 10¢ from a used book store and, surprisingly, no missing pages, though its cover was tattered having apparently been passed around a bit. In those days, I was still collecting comics solely for the reading experience rather than with any intent to preserve them, so I considered the store owner's pile of late '60s comics (yes, a literal pile where old comics were tossed) quite a find in my area. That copy has since been bagged and boarded, even in its near-dilapidated state--a reminder of more innocent times, with no thought given to seeking out a more presentable copy to shelve by its side.

*The Annual's story takes place at the time of issues 43-44 of the regular series.

Of course, that eye-catching cover by regular Avengers artist John Buscema--along with the cover of the book's second annual in '68--unfortunately carried the distinction of being an example of textbook bait-and-switch, with Buscema's cover art being used to sell the annual while artwork by former book artist Don Heck awaited the reader within. Yet considering that the annual took four years from the series' launch to appear on the stands, and given that it clocks in at a whopping forty-nine pages (not including a few pages of bonus material), its story by Heck and writer Roy Thomas, featuring a fiendish plot by the Mandarin that included a host of past Avengers villains, was likely well received (though your mileage may vary if you opened the issue at home and were looking forward to Buscema handling the story).

(Yikes! No wonder the Avengers are in danger--their foes have become giants! Not to worry, however--this first page of the issue proudly took its place among other symbolic splash pages the Avengers were featured in.)

It's indeed the return of the Mandarin that happens to involve Iron Man in this story, as he responds to the prison breakout of Arthur Parks, the Living Laser (who faced the Avengers in his debut toward the end of 1966). And when Iron Man discovers that Parks might be working with his old enemy, he has sufficient cause to alert the team that he took a leave of absence from over two years prior.

Meanwhile, we're given a peek at the cause of Parks' mysterious disappearance, which proves that the Mandarin is indeed still alive--and whatever he's planning now, it will involve several other super-powered hirelings, as well as a device which will bring him closer than ever to world conquest.

(No, I don't know why Parks, teleported in his prison uniform, arrives at the Mandarin's lair in costume--and an upgrade from his old outfit, at that. My short answer is that the Mandarin may have been averse to having anyone else around him wearing a cape, and arranged to have his teleportation device outfit Parks in transit.  Somehow.)

As for the Avengers, they're also contacted by Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D., who requests their assistance with worldwide attacks that are out of SHIELD's jurisdiction as an American agency. (The "International Law Enforcement" part of his organization's acronym apparently having slipped his mind.)

The Mandarin doesn't look too worried, does he? He seems to be embracing the time-tested phrase "divide and conquer"--and before long, the Avengers will find themselves included in that adage.

Exit: The Masters Of Evil! Exit: The Avengers!

 

If you were an Avengers reader in April of 1965, you might not have thought that anything was amiss with the team, judging by the optimism and normalcy exuded in their fifteenth issue. The Wasp had recovered following a near-fatal injury; Thor, during the time when the team was rotating its Avengers chairmanship on a monthly basis, was wrapping up an Avengers meeting that from all appearances had proceeded routinely and smoothly with nothing pressing; and afterward, everyone went back to resuming their normal lives, their only reason for getting together in those days being those times when they had such business to conduct or cause to assemble.

(Well, Jan, that coat would be coming off once you two were seated at your restaurant--but who am I to spoil your mood?)

Yet we wouldn't know until the cryptic final panel of this issue that what we were seeing were the last hours of the (remaining) original Avengers on active duty, the preparations for their exit already in the works by the time the issue went to press--with their "high note" being a final all-out battle with the Masters of Evil, the group of super-villains gathered by a wartime enemy of Captain America's, Baron Zemo. From the beginning, Zemo's super-powered associates knew that they were only a means to an end for their leader, who craved revenge against Cap--the same motivation which preoccupied Zemo's son, the erstwhile Phoenix, who would form his own band of Masters against the Avengers. But in what would be the final appearance as well for the group that had added the Executioner and the Enchantress to its ranks, the original Zemo would at last meet his fate at the hands of his mortal enemy--in the shadow of a banner which appeared to be watered down slightly* to perhaps appease the Comics Code Authority.

This Way Toward... Doom!

 

Perhaps eyeing the success of the DC horror/fantasy anthology titles House Of Secrets and House Of Mystery, Marvel launched two similarly themed books in late 1969: Tower Of Shadows and, one month later, Chamber Of Darkness. Like their DC counterparts which were published on a bimonthly basis (off and on), both Tower and Chamber hit the stands every other month--but it seems the similarity ends there in terms of sales, as Marvel's offerings sold poorly and were discontinued after ten and eight issues, respectively. Tower, premiering first, seemed somewhat better received by readers, judging by letters page response, though the ratio of raves to more critical assessments appeared to be about 30/70. There was also the question of sustainability, as both series began pulling in reprinted material from their earlier anthology titles from the '50s-'60s (Strange Tales and Tales Of Suspense) with their sixth issue.

Suffice to say that DC's House titles were in no danger of readers jumping ship for Marvel's offerings--though it wasn't for lack of trying on Marvel's part, at least initially, as some of the company's most notable talent were tapped to contribute stories. Roy Thomas, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Jim Steranko, et al. (including John Romita Sr., who mostly did cover work) were seemingly able to accommodate seven-page assignments (or less) within a two-month window (though I believe Steranko withdrew after only one story, reportedly due to a disagreement with Lee)--with some artists even pulling double duty and contributing scripts as well as art, in addition to inkers providing readers with examples of their own pencils.

After their all-too-brief runs, each title shifted to formats made up of almost entirely reprinted material, in addition to adopting new mastheads. Tower became Creatures On The Loose, which mixed its reprints with sword and sorcery tales as well as a regular feature on Man-Wolf, while Chamber morphed to Monsters On The Prowl--each book having a run of 30 to 37 bimonthly issues (the creatures pulling ahead of the monsters--make of that what you will). But since there's a little more ground to cover with both Tower and Chamber, and having already examined Jack Kirby's stories in the latter, let's turn to a few samples from some of the other names we've mentioned who made their mark in the macabre during the brief time when these two titles were being published.

"...And Fear Shall Follow!"

 

I would have to credit artist Berni Wrightson for selling me on Marvel's 1969 horror-fantasy anthology title, Chamber Of Darkness, which ran bimonthly with (mostly) new material from the likes of Wrightson, Tom Palmer, John and Sal Buscema, Barry Smith, Don Heck, and even Jack Kirby, whose departure from the company was imminent by the time his Chamber stories were published. I didn't happen upon the series until its penultimate issue in 1970 featuring Wrightson's cover, at which point I took advantage of older issues still being available (if slightly buried) in store "spinner" racks to work my way backward.

A full look at the Chamber series will be forthcoming in the PPC (and high time, too)--but for now, the mention serves to bring to light the rare instances where Kirby was given scripting assignments for Marvel stories. Having already covered his 1970 work on Amazing Adventures where he wrote and pencilled tales featuring the uncanny Inhumans, we turn back the clock a bit to as early as 1966 where Kirby fills in for the vacationing Stan Lee (who still manages a credit on the story as Editor), and see how Kirby's writing would suit the hard-nosed Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Though with Dr. Strange monopolizing that issue's cover, we'd have to turn to the previous issue's cover to get an idea of the circumstances which Fury faces, an image which isn't far off the mark.

Symbolic Splash Pages: The Early Years

As an encore to our series on symbolic splash pages, the PPC wraps up this nostalgic look at the opening pages to a number of classic issues from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s by rounding up some of the earliest stories of Iron Man, Captain America, Dr. Strange, and the Hulk, at the time when they were building their reading audiences within the pages of Tales Of Suspense, Strange Tales, and Tales To Astonish--appearances which only numbered around twelve pages per issue, but served as stepping stones to hopefully something more. All of these characters went on to star in their own solo series--the Hulk having already been given his shot in 1962 only to disappear after just six issues, while Captain America was attempting to segue into the budding world of Marvel super-heroes after having helmed a successful series of his own during the 1940s.

Here you'll find on display the talents of Steve Ditko, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby, along with early appearances of the Black Widow, the Melter, the Red Skull...

...and, in November of 1964, Captain America, a hero Jack Kirby unleashes accordingly.

Prey Of The Vulture!

When a hero is on the injured list, we as comics readers often find ourselves counting the days until their recovery, at times feeling as debilitated as the fictional character who leaps into the fray regardless of the fact that the odds are now heavily in their foe's favor. Depending on the circumstances, I imagine it would be something of a challenge for the book's writer to hold our attention in the book until the lead character was back in action in top form, physically or mentally. At times it was no fun reading Iron Man in his Tales Of Suspense days, I can tell you--in addition to his armor running low on power more often than not, Tony Stark's heart condition was a constant presence, even when buffered by a suit of armor designed to protect it. Even so... if handled in small doses, the heroism of the character of Iron Man would still have made for good reading while falling in line with Marvel's main theme of "heroes with problems"; but as it was, Stark's condition all but cried out for 'round the clock hospital care, not taking on the Mandarin et al.

To a lesser degree, writer Stan Lee would indulge in similar treatment of Spider-Man (as if the poor guy's personal problems weren't enough). But while there are several examples to choose from, two which come to mind actually feature the same foe--the Vulture, one of Spidey's deadliest nemeses and someone who isn't likely to show you an ounce of mercy just because you're injured or otherwise feeling under the weather. That would hold true for both men suiting up as the Vulture during 1967-68: Blackie Drago, who managed to lay his hands on the Vulture's suit and equipment and went on to defeat Spider-Man while the web-spinner was afflicted with the flu--and Adrian Toomes, the original, who dealt with Drago and then gleefully turned his attention to Spider-Man, at the scene but hampered with an injured shoulder (from web-swinging in the pouring rain--serves you right, you dope!).

And yet, what you're about to see is a battle issue that doesn't disappoint, a story that stands out in both story and art and definitely goes down as a classic. But in fighting 'til he (literally) drops, will Spider-Man see another defeat at the wings of the Vulture?

The Mental Might of... Magneto??

There was a time when Magneto, the Master of Magnetism, was content to seek out and conscript other mutants into doing his bidding and following his lead while he engaged in this scheme or that, all in the cause of bringing "homo superior" into ascendancy and ruling the world. But while his goal remained the same, his methods began to change once he became less focused on maintaining his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and began thinking along the lines of using technology to create mutants, either from existing humanoid forms or, depending on the machinery he employed, from scratch. His rationale for doing so, as was typical of his madness in those days, was less dependent on reflective thought and more on crazed action: "Home sapiens shape their world--homo superior must needs shape themselves!"

Magneto's tilt in this direction appeared to take place following his near-escape from death after battling the X-Men and the Avengers and emerging in the Savage Land, where, as "the Creator," he began mutating the savages he found there. Later, in the aftermath of his failed plan, discovered in the wreckage by the Sub-Mariner, he detoured to pursue a power play designed to use the forces of Atlantis against humanity; but after that, too, failed and he escaped capture, he got back on track when he attempted to use Black Bolt of the Inhumans to steal a government compound that would allow him to complete a device (the "Universe Machine") which would augment the process of mutant creation. The rest of the Inhuman royal family joined with Black Bolt to foil that scheme--but in his attempt to escape, Magneto detonated the government cylinder, which resulted in severe injuries that took him months to recover from.

We've seen this plan taken to the extreme when Magneto discovered presumably alien technology that led to his creation of Alpha, a godlike mutant that almost allowed him to seize power at the general assembly of the United Nations; but just over a year earlier, he had again sought atomic secrets from government scientists as part of an insane plan which would release a torrent of radiation on the entire country, killing most of the population but leaving roughly 8% alive as mutants who would fall under his command. It all takes place in a two-part Avengers story from 1973--but this time, will the Avengers and the X-Men stop him, or join him?

The Avengers! Kang! Spider-Man! Wowee!

While there was no shortage of guest stars in Fantastic Four and, to an extent, X-Men in their early years, guest appearances in The Avengers were few and far between--that is, unless you're counting characters such as the Sub-Mariner, the Black Widow, or their former member, the Hulk, all of whom were question marks in terms of their standing as heroes or villains. Other characters, such as the Black Knight and Hercules, along with the Widow and Namor, eventually became part of the team, an option that neither of the other teams could indulge in. Yet one prominent character made the rounds in all of them--the amazing Spider-Man, whose popularity of course only increased for the duration of the Silver Age and well into the Bronze, and probably gave more of a boost to those he appeared with than vice versa.

It's a fair assumption that the original Avengers, despite their star power, were struggling to gain a foothold with comics readers and could use the web-slinger's assistance. With only five issues to go until these particular Avengers would exit to make way for a new infusion of characters for the book, a guest appearance by Spider-Man couldn't have been more well-timed--particularly since Iron Man, though pictured on the issue's cover, is M.I.A.

Jeez, Rick, what an eager beaver! Take off, man--the Teen Brigade meeting is over in Queens!

Later Avengers stories would have the team considering Spider-Man for membership; but in this case, the only person considering a team-up with Spider-Man is Kang the Conqueror, who's still fuming from his first defeat at the hands of the Avengers and now turns his attention to a surrogate for engaging them again. To that end, he settles on the most suitable subject to model a robot likeness after, a costumed adventurer he's apparently been intrigued by for some time.

Kang's reasoning for choosing Spider-Man doesn't quite add up, since his plan depends on the Avengers trusting the wall-crawler; but that doesn't seem likely if, as Kang admits, no one, including the Avengers, really knows anything about him. It's a detail that apparently doesn't concern Kang, however, since he forges ahead with creating the robot that will be a precise duplicate of Spider-Man--and soon enough, Spider-Robot is born! (Not his actual name, since even Kang couldn't be that ridiculous.)

And with the flick of a switch, the robot is hurled into the past, where a fateful meeting in comics history will soon take place!

(And if you're feeling a little gypped that this isn't the real Spider-Man, hold that thought!)

Avengers vs. Avengers!

It's Avengers Day in October of 1967, as the city of New York honors the super-team for its victory over the Mandarin (which readers also had cause to celebrate, since the battle took place in the brand new Avengers Annual, published in the same year). Writer Roy Thomas and artist Don Heck were riding high, having raised the Avengers' profile substantially in the past as well as turning in stellar work on the team's very first king-sized special. But the Avengers won't be allowed to rest on their laurels--because even on this day of honor, danger waits in the wings. While the ceremony was to include Thor and Iron Man in the festivities, the two were forced to depart (due to the late arrival of Captain America) in order to tend to other matters. But, unknown to anyone present, there is one among the crowd who also waits impatiently for Cap--a deadly foe who failed to end the life of the star-spangled Avenger once before, but who returns even more formidable, thanks to Iron Man and Thor being in attendance just long enough for their powers and abilities to be imprinted on the one who waits to strike.

But before that moment comes, the Avengers have time to bestow a singular honor on an ally--the second immortal ever to accept Avengers membership, just in time to join ranks against an enemy who has now become virtually invincible.

Yes, the Super-Adaptoid once more moves against Captain America, who survived the construct's first assault but faces more deadly odds with the strength and powers of Thor, Hercules, and Iron Man now pitted against him, as well as those of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Yet today, Cap will meet this threat with his own assembly of Avengers.

Yikes!  It's Avengers vs. ... Avengers!?

Mysteriously Yours... The Melter!

It's no surprise that a villain who calls himself the Melter would mainly spend his time going up against Iron Man--which, unless he was being groomed to be a villain on the scale of the Mandarin, could only take him so far as a viable character. There were only so many times when Iron Man could believably exclaim, "It's the mysterious Melter! The one foe I'm helpless against!" before that sort of thing grew tiresome; after all, Tony Stark is a brilliant engineer who you'd think would eventually upgrade his armor to be able to ward off the Melter's powerful melting beam, rather than be "helpless" every time the Melter showed up at Stark's factory. There was also the fact that, initially, the Melter's source of power, his chest beam, was also his main weakness, a bullseye which an engineer of Stark's caliber (or anyone with 20/20 vision) would be able to pick up on--one repulsor blast to that chest hardware and the Melter's threat is over.

What the Melter (a/k/a Bruno Horgan) did have going for him was his ruthlessness, which played out well on the comic book page and made it apparent that he had no problem with causing serious injury or even death to achieve his goals. In the beginning, his main goal was ruining Tony Stark, his business competitor who was siphoning away lucrative army contracts from Horgan's factory because of Stark's assessment that Horgan was using substandard materials. In designing his melting apparatus, Horgan, like many villains of the time, developed delusions of grandeur that his new abilities... er, ability could not only help him strike back at his enemies but make him all-powerful. It's a preposterous notion, of course, since Horgan has no defense against, say, a sniper, or explosives, or gas fumes, or any number of methods the authorities could use to bring him down. (Though more on that in a minute.)

One feather in the Melter's cap (or whatever that is on his head) is that he was a charter member of the Masters of Evil, along with the Black Knight, the Radioactive Man, and their leader, Baron Zemo, who upgraded the Melter's beam so that it wouldn't be limited to melting just iron (another factor that would no doubt have impacted on Horgan's ambitious plans for himself). Aside from his activities in Tales Of Suspense in battling Iron Man, his status in the Masters served to give him continued exposure in The Avengers, as well, not only in Zemo's group but also in other Masters lineups. Even so, the Melter would probably be appalled to discover that, in the long run, he would never amount to the kind of threat that he'd hoped to become. For what it's worth, he had a decent run, no argument there; but three costume changes and still no reputation to show for it made it apparent that this villain had perhaps run his course.

All of that said, it's interesting to note that the Melter's history encompasses over twenty years of Marvel stories. His final fate was a virtual slap in the face that befell a number of Marvel characters who were deemed to be, as Trek lore would put it, "dunsels"--but you can of course judge that for yourself.

The Melter's first appearance in full costume--November, 1963

My Father--My Enemy!

Following the Avengers' battle with and subsequent capture of the Zodiac crime cartel--thanks in part to one of their members, Libra, switching sides and saving them from perishing in their prison in space--the team is faced with a mystery, when Libra makes a shocking declaration that makes jaws drop from heroes and villains alike--to say nothing of the enigmatic Mantis, who unexpectedly finds herself to be the topic of Libra's claim.

Mantis, who accompanied the Swordsman when he returned to the Avengers and petitioned to rejoin them, has been with the group long enough to gain their trust and their confidence--yet at this point we still know so very little about her, other than the circumstances of how she and the Swordsman met. Now we discover she's supposedly linked to a wanted criminal, one who purports to be someone she doesn't even remember; nevertheless, it's the latter aspect that leaves the door open for an explanation from Libra, despite Mantis's vehement objections that clearly indicate she feels Libra should not be given the benefit of the doubt.

With all deference to writer Steve Englehart, I've never been able to make head or tails out of the order of emphasis that Mantis uses in that first panel. Obviously it makes perfect sense to Mr. Englehart--but I might have switched the emphasis to instead read like the following:

Though if someone can explain Englehart's choice, please do. (Either way, given the mood she's in, none of us are likely going to bring it to the attention of Mantis.)

This issue finally puts us on the path to learning more about this woman who has made such an impact on the Avengers in so short a time, and who played no small part in rehabilitating the Swordsman, now having made amends with those he'd once betrayed and having become a proud member of their ranks. But as we begin to put the pieces of this puzzle in place, there's this incredibly misleading cover that we'll have to make sense of, as well:

And along the way, maybe we'll finally settle another mystery about this woman: Just what are those two slender strands extending out from her head? Are they really antennae, à la her namesake? Or just carefully arranged hair follicles styled with a lot of product?

Simon Says: Dance!

It wasn't often that we saw the Scarlet Witch let her hair down; perhaps the earliest indication that she knew how to go out and have a good time was when she went mod and stepped out for a little fun on her own. And though writers such as John Byrne and, of all people, Roger Stern decided to turn the clock back on her a little and put the stiffness back in her demeanor, Wanda began to lighten up considerably when Steve Englehart and other writers took their turns with her. For instance, Englehart and artist Don Heck gave us her first dance moves:

Technically, this really doesn't count as Wanda strutting her stuff, since she's being mentally controlled by Magneto--so it becomes a bit creepy that, in hindsight, we know she's really strutting her stuff at the command of her old man. Yecch.

But in the late '90s Avengers run, Wanda flourished under writer Kurt Busiek, who gave her a generous amount of attention and introduced the formative years of her young adulthood to create almost a new character in front of our eyes--a character who, thanks to artist George Perez, felt it was time to look the part.

Busiek at the time was exploring the relationship between Wanda and her ex-husband, the Vision, which up until now writers were tip-toeing around as much as the couple seem to be doing in this awkward conversation--though in terms of the word "awkward," having your ex pop up next to you as a hologram almost takes the word to a new level.

Awkwardness aside, with new duds and a virtually new character came a brand new set of dance moves--this time, of her own volition.  (With a little push from Simon Williams.)

Of course, Wanda still is in the habit of dating... ah, unusual men. For instance, in this case, she owes her lack of inhibition to a man she raised from the dead, someone she's grown much closer to. And how many ex-corpses can you point to who not only become your boyfriend but encourage you to be part of a floor show?

Later, new artist Alan Davis seemed to be dead set against having the Scarlet Witch showing so much leg and, egad!, a navel--so he compromised and returned her old look while keeping the neck band, earrings, chain belt, and bracelets.

Or, to put it in dance lingo:  Two steps forward, one step back for Wanda.

Before The N'Garai There Were... The Triad!

Recently, we saw the menace of the deadly N'Garai--other-dimensional beings who once ruled the Earth in sadism and cruelty--return to threaten humanity once more, only to be thwarted by a certain amazing wall-crawler and his sword-wielding, Hyrkanian ally. The intention of their High Priest, Kulan Gath, was to open a Sa'arpool, the mystic gateway connecting their dimension to ours--the second of three such pools on Earth, and consequently destroyed in the attempt. With a race such as the N'Garai, you hold out hope that a Sa'arpool is the only means by which they can gain access to our world--but such proved not to be the case in their first incursion in late 1975, when one of their agents, Kierrok^*, emerged from an ancient cairn a few miles from the X-Men's Westchester estate and launched a vicious attack against the team.

*Shades of "The Paradise Syndrome"!

When Charles Xavier attempted a mindprobe of Kierrok, he discovered some of the horror that the N'Garai represent.

Writer Chris Claremont, the creator of the N'Garai, went on to use these demons in not only Uncanny X-Men but also in Doctor Strange, with the race also making appearances in several other titles. Yet just over a year before their debut in the X-Men book, Claremont appeared to be giving the concept of the N'Garai a trial run in the pages of Giant-Size Dracula, though not by name. Instead, the elder gods were known as the Triad, with the oldest of them named Y'Garon. In that story, Y'Garon, like Gath, used a blood sacrifice to activate a Sa'arpool so that his "brothers"--trapped in another dimension by a holocaust that occurred eons ago--could return, and the Triad could once again become rulers of Earth. The similarities between the 1975 X-Men and 1974 GSD stories are obvious--while the similarity between the names "N'Garai" and "Y'Garon" is a bit beyond coincidental.

In the GSD story, it's of course Dracula who first faces the N'Garai the Triad--though for the most part, he deals with Y'Garon, a formidable opponent who begins his villainy by committing murders in the British town of Rutherton, murders that all leave the same telltale sign: all the bodies have been drained of blood. At first, Inspector Chelm of Scotland Yard suspects that Dracula, presumed dead, has returned; yet he feels compelled to bring in his assistant, psychometrist Kate Fraser, in order to dig more deeply into the circumstances of the case. It seems his instincts are correct, since it becomes apparent that none of the victims have risen again as vampires--and thus, someone other than a vampire is responsible.

Kate's only clue to the murderer is a strange object recovered from Annie Malcolm, the last young woman found dead--something that, when touched, gives Kate a vision of another attack from the distant past which involved Y'Garon. But it is an attack that will come to have ramifications for Dracula, as well.

And speaking of Dracula, he also becomes involved in the pursuit of the killer, though in his case it's to preserve his anonymity.

Meanwhile, Kate's investigation of Annie's death leads her to D'Aire Manor (what is it with Mr. Claremont and his fixation on apostrophes, anyway?), where she discovers not only a key to the object that Annie was carrying, but that Lord D'Aire seems adamant about keeping certain information from coming to light.

The paths of Dracula and Kate eventually cross, though in Dracula's case it's due to his need for blood and Kate being in close proximity. Fortunately for Kate, what saves her life is her uncanny resemblance to Dracula's former wife, Maria, whose life was taken by an enemy Turk named Turac--and then, fate intervenes, when the pair come across a dying man who warns Kate of danger from Y'Garon.

That evening, Kate has another psychometric vision of the warlord from the past who came into conflict with Y'Garon, as well as the young woman who is sacrificed in order to help attain the Triad's freedom--more similarities to Dracula's clash with Turac. Following the trance, Kate is visited and possessed by Y'Garon, who mesmerizes her into attempting to kill Dracula--but the attempt fails when Kate resists her instructions at the last moment, and she and Dracula begin to meet opposition headed by Lord D'Aire who wishes to reclaim Kate for Y'Garon.

Eventually, D'Aire gets the upper hand and captures Kate after arranging for her car to crash. But Y'Garon himself takes a hand in her recapture when Dracula confronts and deals with D'Aire--and when Y'Garon takes Dracula by surprise, his prowess proves to be too much for the vampire.

Upon awakening, Dracula heads directly to D'Aire Manor, where he makes sure that D'Aire pays the final price for defying him. But then, Y'Garon again surprises Dracula and manages to secure him well enough so that the ritual involving Kate can proceed undisturbed--and it's at that point that Dracula learns the full extent of Y'Garon's plans and how they involve both Kate and the Triad.

At the danger to Kate--to Maria, in Dracula's eyes--the vampire goes berserk and breaks free of his bindings (and apparently no longer affected by Y'Garon's incense). This time, Dracula's rage turns the tide, and it's Y'Garon (Turac, to Dracula) who falls. After that, it's curtains for "the brothers" (i.e., the Triad), when they become trapped in D'Aire Manor as the Sa'arpool explodes.

It's interesting to note that, for the purposes of this story, Claremont has limited the Triad to this one appearance. If there were a definite link between the Triad and the N'Garai, it would have been established in subsequent tales where the N'Garai began their rise as a threat; instead, only the concepts of the Sa'arpool and the "elder gods" have been brought forward, with a new threat in the form of the N'Garai incorporating them into their own profile. Of course, it was never established that the Triad were the sum total of the elder gods, so perhaps there are a lot of these elder beings banging on our dimensional doors, waiting to return; maybe they're part and parcel of the Dark Gods that Psyklop served.

The crisis over, Dracula's rage abates and he regains his faculties. But to keep his return a continued secret, he arranges for Kate to forget not only his own involvement in this affair but also Y'Garon's, instead planting in her mind the false memory that D'Aire was the insane culprit responsible for the murders. As for the N'Garai, it's clear that they ignored the fate of the Triad and resumed their attempts to cross over. As to their chances of success, perhaps it's not a question of if they'll succeed but when. After all, time is on their side.

NEXT:

"This Ancient Evil!"

Giant-Size Dracula #2 Script: Chris Claremont Pencils: Don Heck Inks: Frank McLaughlin Letterer: John Costanza