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Post by Reptisaurus! on Feb 3, 2016 16:45:32 GMT -5
Re: Avengers #1. The absurdity of the Hulk passing himself off as a robot circus clown for a week (that's how long the ringmaster says "Mechano" has been packin' 'em in, which makes NO sense in the context of the rest of the story) pretty much spoils this story for me. An incredible distortion of a character's personality for the sake of a sight gag. Cei-U! That, and Loki turning radioactive! The "radioactive Loki" thing always bothered me too. Not so much that he could turn radioactive (because after robot-circus-Hulk-clown, why not?) but that somehow Ant Man anticipated that he could and would, and had a lead tank standing by ready to trap him. I think he had a TANK ready to capture Loki, that happened to be lead lined? Yeah, still not great.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 3, 2016 17:16:53 GMT -5
The "radioactive Loki" thing always bothered me too. Not so much that he could turn radioactive (because after robot-circus-Hulk-clown, why not?) but that somehow Ant Man anticipated that he could and would, and had a lead tank standing by ready to trap him. I think he had a TANK ready to capture Loki, that happened to be lead lined? Yeah, still not great. Between all the lead and all the asbestos that was just laying around back then I'm shocked anyone in the MU survived.
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Post by DE Sinclair on Feb 4, 2016 12:24:26 GMT -5
I think he had a TANK ready to capture Loki, that happened to be lead lined? Yeah, still not great. Between all the lead and all the asbestos that was just laying around back then I'm shocked anyone in the MU survived. Johnny Storm should have been dead of mesothelioma decades ago with all the asbestos people used on him.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,051
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Post by Confessor on Feb 5, 2016 2:16:52 GMT -5
Between all the lead and all the asbestos that was just laying around back then I'm shocked anyone in the MU survived. Johnny Storm should have been dead of mesothelioma decades ago with all the asbestos people used on him. I recall a bonus feature in some Silver Age book or other (probably Strange Tales) showing Johnny Storm's bedroom and almost everything in it was made of asbestos! Asbestos carpet, asbestos curtains, asbestos bed...the guy even had asbestos sheets and pillow. He should be absolutely riddled with cancer!
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Post by Nowhere Man on Feb 6, 2016 0:59:02 GMT -5
Perhaps in the Marvel Universe asbestos isn't poisonous? Maybe the Celestials made sure to fix that when they were experimenting on humans a million years ago?
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 6, 2016 1:13:52 GMT -5
Folks in the Marvel universe are certainly impervious to lead and asbestos. And radiation won't kill them either, it just gives them super powers or changes their body structure.
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 6, 2016 8:40:03 GMT -5
Perhaps in the Marvel Universe asbestos isn't poisonous? Maybe the Celestials made sure to fix that when they were experimenting on humans a million years ago? Possible. The Celestials did implant a genetic capacity for benevolent mutation in "our" DNA that would be activated when mankind achieved a predicted level of technological achievement, which is why the FF, Hulk and Spidey survived their radiation exposures. Maybe immunity to asbestosis is a happy side effect? Cei-U! I summon the prehistoric panacea!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 6, 2016 19:44:37 GMT -5
Perhaps in the Marvel Universe asbestos isn't poisonous? Maybe the Celestials made sure to fix that when they were experimenting on humans a million years ago? Possible. The Celestials did implant a genetic capacity for benevolent mutation in "our" DNA that would be activated when mankind achieved a predicted level of technological achievement, which is why the FF, Hulk and Spidey survived their radiation exposures. Maybe immunity to asbestosis is a happy side effect? Cei-U! I summon the prehistoric panacea! The Celestials also tampered with the human psyche to be able to shrug off the mental stress of weekly alien invasions and giant rampaging monsters. Especially the denizens of Manhattan
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Post by Nowhere Man on Feb 8, 2016 11:32:50 GMT -5
Fantastic Four #18 Story Title: “A Skrull Walks Among Us!” Cover Date: September, 1963 CreditsScript: Stan Lee Pencils: Jack Kirby Inks: Dick Ayers Colors: Stan Goldberg Letters: Artie Simek Cover Art: Jack Kirby (pencils); Paul Reinman (inks) Synopsis: Our story opens with the Fantastic Four watching an evening news report which briefly recaps their recent victory over Doctor Doom (recent as in last issue). Reed and Sue take the I.C.B.M. for a two-day trip to Hawaii, while Ben and Johnny decide to take their sweethearts out on dates in Fantasticar’s. Our scene shifts to the far away Andromeda galaxy and the home world of the mighty Skrull empire. We learn that the Skrull Emperor has been fuming over his agent’s defeat at the hands of the FF during their first encounter. Now obsessed with destroying the FF once and for all, the Emperor dedicated vast resources to a project that lead to the creation of an elite warrior known as the Super-Skrull. We learn that the Super-Skrull possesses all of the FF’s powers but to an even greater degree. After a demonstration of his powers for the Emperor, he’s sent to Earth to finish off the FF. The FF learn of the Super-Skrull’s arrival while trying to escape pesky fans at a department store and rush off to the scene. The Human Torch arrives first, but is quickly beaten. Mr. Fantastic arrives and fairs no better. Finally, the Thing arrives and is dispatched rather quickly himself when the Super-Skrull transforms into a battering ram and knock’s him all the way to the Empire State building. Realizing that they’re not a match for the Super-Skrull, Reed calls for a tactical retreat to the Baxter Building. Reed deduces that the Super-Skrull can’t be as powerful as he seems and discovers that his powers are being amplified by a beam originating from the Skrull throne-world. He then creates a small electronic device capable of jamming the amplification beam if attached to him. Reed decides that the Invisible Girl is the one for the job and convinces the Super-Skrull to meet them for a final confrontation on Lonely Crater Isle. The FF and the Super-Skrull faceoff and the Super-Skrull manages to easily subdue Reed, Ben and Johnny by blasting them with a hypnosis beam which he projects from his eyes. This was all a distraction, of course, and while distracted by the other, Sue jumps on the Super-Skrull’s back and attaches the jamming device. Severely weakened, the Super-Skrull chases Sue, but falls into a crater. Too weak to save himself, the Torch fuses the sand around the crater and seals him in, seemingly ending the menace of the Super-Skrull. Character Appearances: The Fantastic Four [the Invisible Girl [Sue Storm]; Mr. Fantastic [Reed Richards]; the Thing [Ben Grimm]; the Human Torch [Johnny Storm]]; the Super-Skrull (introduction); Dr. Doom (cameo); the Skull Emperor (introduction); Skrulls Comments: The scene where the Super-Skrull showcases his powers for the Emperor struck me as interesting mainly because of one key scene. At one point the Super-Skrull display’s his superhuman strength by lifting a reactor core that’s stated to weigh 100 tons, while the Skrull advisor comments that “as far as they know” the Thing can only lift 5 tons. Could this have been the inspiration for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe? Remember the old “Class 100” strength levels and other power quantifications? I suspect that Stan and Jack may have given in to fan demand and gave them some hardcore stats in this one. I’m still not sure what the Super-Skrull’s “anti-matter fireball” was really supposed to be, but it sounded cool. You’d think he would have remembered to use it since it easily took out a mountain peak during his little demonstration. Darn. Character Development: The Thing is visibly angry when the news broadcast interrupts time allotted to showing pics of him in action for a dog food commercial. Ben complains “What’ll I tell my public?” as he jumps up and down, nearly destroying the living room in the process. He also has some funny scenes in the department store where women are chasing him; at one point they take his shirts and pants! He escapes some “dizzy females” by pounding on an escalator and sliding down it as a makeshift slide. This issues seemed to be the coming out party for the “classic” Thing we all know and love. This is the first time that we see the Thing enjoying the adulation of the public, who certainly seem to love him. He’s comedic, tragic and yet still a badass when the chips are down. What’s not to love? Personal Rating: 7. An overall enjoyable issue. Stan and Jack are clearly making efforts to expand the characterizations of the team a bit while not sacrificing any of the action. The series still has its rough spots (mainly pacing issues here and there) and hasn’t reached its true heights of greatness yet, but we’re slowly getting there… Historical Rating: 8. The Super-Skrull is a major addition to the FF mythos. Bringing back the Skrulls and making something interesting out of them was a masterstroke by Lee and Kirby. The Marvel Universe is truly taking shape at this point.
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Post by Nowhere Man on Feb 8, 2016 21:00:12 GMT -5
Fun fact of the Day. While reading and researching FF #18, I learned that Steve Ditko was the one who came up with the idea for corner box art. Stan gave him all the credit on that one!
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 9, 2016 8:56:01 GMT -5
Two quick corrections:
1. George Roussos, not Paul Reinman, inked the cover of FF #18. 2. When the Thing is headbutted across town by the Super Skrull, it's the Chrysler Building, not the Empire State, that he lands on.
This may well be my favorite issue from the Kirby/Ayers period (the first Annual excepted). I first read it in Marvel Collectors Item Classics just a week before the surprisingly faithful Hanna-Barbara adaptation hit the airwaves. It was also one of the first early FF issues I bought once I started hitting comics conventions.
Cei-U! I summon the personal classic!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 9, 2016 10:58:08 GMT -5
Super-Skrull: Is this the first time 1960s Marvel used the 'super' prefix? Getting a little nervy there, aren't you Stan?
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Post by Nowhere Man on Feb 9, 2016 11:46:11 GMT -5
Two quick corrections: 1. George Roussos, not Paul Reinman, inked the cover of FF #18. 2. When the Thing is headbutted across town by the Super Skrull, it's the Chrysler Building, not the Empire State, that he lands on. This may well be my favorite issue from the Kirby/Ayers period (the first Annual excepted). I first read it in Marvel Collectors Item Classics just a week before the surprisingly faithful Hanna-Barbara adaptation hit the airwaves. It was also one of the first early FF issues I bought once I started hitting comics conventions. Cei-U! I summon the personal classic! 1. I went with Reinman because of this Editor's note on GCD: "Cover inks credit from Nick Caputo via the GCD Error List (1 November 2006); the original indexer credited George Roussos." I assumed that GCD was stating that George Roussos was originally given the credit but that credit was incorrect. I of course have no idea and will be more than willing to take your word for it given your scholarly reputation. 2. Doh. Correct. I just Googled both and while there is a resemblance, they are clearly not the same building. That's the kind of mistake you make when you grow up on the Gulf Coast and have never visited the Big Apple. In my defense, you only see the very top and I haven't been up that high very often so...
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Post by Nowhere Man on Feb 9, 2016 12:02:12 GMT -5
Super-Skrull: Is this the first time 1960s Marvel used the 'super' prefix? Getting a little nervy there, aren't you Stan? It's still bizarre to me that Marvel and DC both have a trademark on "Superhero" or "Super-Hero." They basically cooperated so as not to completely kill off that revenue stream. Almost makes you misty. Of course being able to prevent any upstarts from using it was an added bonus. The historic aspect was something that I was wondering as well. I'd have to look back at the issues I've reviewed so far, but for the longest time Marvel made sure not to use the term. They'd often use "super-characters" instead. Stan was obviously getting into his punk phase as a writer/editor. "Yeah, I did it DC. Piss off!"
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Post by Cei-U! on Feb 9, 2016 13:28:07 GMT -5
1. I went with Reinman because of this Editor's note on GCD: "Cover inks credit from Nick Caputo via the GCD Error List (1 November 2006); the original indexer credited George Roussos." I assumed that GCD was stating that George Roussos was originally given the credit but that credit was incorrect. I of course have no idea and will be more than willing to take your word for it given your scholarly reputation. I think the original indexer was right. The inking looks much more like Roussos than Reinman, especially on the Thing. Plus Roussos is only three issues away from taking over as FF inker. Still I could be wrong. Cei-U! I summon the hedged bet!
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