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Post by brutalis on Feb 28, 2017 17:24:52 GMT -5
Good ol' Powerman and Swordsman were a splendid pairing. How did they ever manage to work together let alone tolerate one another? Easiest way to beat both is through their own inflated ego's and watch them fall apart trying to outdo the other. Always had a soft spot for the Swordsman and his swordsmanship try to outwit Cap and Hawkeye and the Avengers made for some fine stories. Was nice to see Swordsy's use of his forgotten Avengers membership in Avengers 100 and later with becoming the dashing rogue Avenger if only to fail and die ignominiously in the end from his own desire to prove himself.
Also liked the later Powerman and Luke Cage Tussles and how after that Powerman was never quite able to be anything more than a loser along the lines of Paste Pot Pete. Thought he and Pete should have become a team to bolster each other's shortcomings and achieve their moment in the spotlight. Once Powerman became Atlas and worked on his redemption it shows that no villain is ever truly lame if written well.
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Post by The Captain on Mar 13, 2017 18:13:56 GMT -5
Tales of Suspense #89 "Back from the Dead!" Writer: Stan Lee Art: Gil Kane Cover Date: May 1967 SynopsisHorrified, Captain America stands staring at his greatest foe, the Red Skull, who was responsible both for Cap's call to Sea Gull Island as well as the subsequent attack by Power Man and the Swordsman. Monologuing, the Red Skull explains how he managed to escape death after his previous battle with Cap (in ToS #81), being provided power by the Cosmic Cube, even though he'd lost hold of it, to survive without oxygen under water as well as to have the strength to make it back to the surface even under the weight of his golden armor. He goes on to detail his master plan, which involves encapsulating entire cities in plastic bubbles such as the one Captain America is currently trapped within, holding them captive until they agree to his terms. The Red Skull then sends Cap away in the bubble, letting him land on the floor below before popping it and releasing Cap. As he does, the Red Skull also releases an armored robot to fight Cap. Cap and the robot battle back and forth, with the robot running through its arsenal of weapons while Cap manages to survive, refusing to yield. Frustrated with the unending fight, the Red Skull says he will deliver the greatest shock of all, opening a panel in the wall and bringing Cap face to face with his long-believed dead partner and friend Bucky Barnes, now older and larger than Cap remembered; Bucky explains he has also grown smarter, realizing that Cap was always jealous of him, which was why Cap wanted all of the glory for himself. The former allies fight, with Bucky telling Cap that the Red Skull taught him the truth about Cap. Searching for an explanation, Cap suggests Bucky was brainwashed, which further enrages his former partner, drawing more punches from Bucky. Sensing something was not right, Cap eggs Bucky on, encouraging him to throw another punch, with the boy does. Catching Bucky's arm in mid-thrust, Cap regains control of the fight, then finishes Bucky off with a leaping punch that reveals his opponent to be nothing more than another of the Red Skull's robots. Although the Red Skull is disappointed by this turn of events, he has yet another trick to play, and as he pulls a lever on his control panel, the walls of the room below start to close in on Cap, threatening to crush the life from him... Continuity Issues: Not a mistake necessarily, but what happened to Power Man and the Swordsman? At the end of last issue, they were laying unconscious on the floor after their fight with Cap, but they are nowhere to be seen here, even though it appears that Cap listens to the Red Skull's monologue and fights both the robot and "Bucky" in the same space where he battled the two villains previously. My ThoughtsWell, that didn't last long. While it was obvious the Red Skull would return eventually (no body means no death, especially in comics, right?), the turnaround time on his comeback was pretty rapid and points to a big flaw in the series, in that Cap really doesn't have any enemies of his own at this point other than Red Skull and Batroc. AIM (including the Adaptoid) belongs more to S.H.I.E.L.D., and guys like Power Man and the Swordsman came from the Avengers book, so without creating new enemies like The Tumbler and The Planner (who were, if we're honest, pretty lame) every issue, Stan needed to return to the classics repeatedly, so the Red Skull comes back just eight issues after disappearing into the ocean. That said, this is a pretty good issue. The Red Skull has his big villain comeback moment and gets to use some dirty tricks, including a killer robot and some psychological warfare with the Bucky robot, and Cap displays his "never say die" attitude in the face of adversity. While it still is to be revealed exactly how the Red Skull is going to encase entire cities in his plastic bubbles (and frankly, it's going to be Silly Silver Age Science that I'll just have to put up with), he's back with a grand scheme to rule the world, which gives Cap something better to fight against than a thinking robot (Adaptoid) or some guy with a plan to get Cap's shield for components that it no longer has (the Planner). Gil Kane does the art in this issue, as with last issue, and although it's not Kirby, it's still good. I'm not a fan of how he draws Cap's jaw, which is far more angular than Kirby's version (which is pretty squared to begin with); it doesn't look natural, and there are a couple of panels during the fight with Bucky where it's off-putting. As well, the fight scenes are not as fluid as they are under Kirby's pencils, but they aren't bad by any stretch. I liked that this issue, like the one before, ended on a cliffhanger. When you're only getting 10 pages per issue, it's hard to tell a big story without going into multiple issues, and while there could be what appears to be a definitive end (as there was with the first Adaptoid issue) before going into the next issue, I think it's a better play to leave the reader with the knowledge that the story will continue and that it will start in dramatic fashion. One thing that struck me as odd (outside of the note above in the Continuity Issues section) is that the killer robot that the Red Skull unleashes on Cap first just walks away from their fight. There is no mention that the Red Skull has called it off so he can continue with his plan to reveal "Bucky", so it is funny that the robot casually strolls off in the middle of the battle, not to be seen or heard from again in this issue. My Grade: B Solid action and the return of Cap's greatest foe from "the dead" with a master plan for world domination make this an above-average issue, and the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to read what happens next immediately.
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Post by tarkintino on Mar 15, 2017 16:50:50 GMT -5
terror / Tales of Suspense #89Well, that didn't last long. While it was obvious the Red Skull would return eventually (no body means no death, especially in comics, right?), the turnaround time on his comeback was pretty rapid and points to a big flaw in the series, in that Cap really doesn't have any enemies of his own at this point other than Red Skull and Batroc. AIM (including the Adaptoid) belongs more to S.H.I.E.L.D., and guys like Power Man and the Swordsman came from the Avengers book, so without creating new enemies like The Tumbler and The Planner (who were, if we're honest, pretty lame) every issue, Stan needed to return to the classics repeatedly, so the Red Skull comes back just eight issues after disappearing into the ocean. Don't forget Baron Zemo--dead at this point in the continuity, but still... In any case, Lee, Kirby, et al, must have seen the direction their Silver Age Cap was taking (superheroics mixed with Cold War terror / espionage), because so many Avengers & S.H.I.E.L.D. enemies naturally became longtime Cap enemies. A.I.M., Hydra (with or without Baron Strucker) and other groups or characters just fit the kind of man Cap was in the 1960s. He was a better adversary to those villains than the heroes they were originally designed to trouble. Ahh, Bucky. The grand irony of what will be constant Bucky appearances/references is that Stan Lee claimed he killed Bucky off because he never liked teenage sidekicks. He did not end his bout of sidekick hating, and in fact the mass interest in Bucky as a tragic figure forced Lee's hand (probably with much pushing by Kirby) to the point where: - Rick Jones spent close to 5 years trying to be Bucky 2
- We had this issue's robot
- Dr. Faustus used a Bucky impersonator (Ferret, I believe?) as part of his attempt to psychologically break down Cap (CA #107)
- Dr. Doom & Modok were behind a Bucky android (CA #131-132)
- The 50's Bucky (and Cap) returned (CAATF #153-156)
...and that's not even covering actual flashbacks of the real Bucky in various comics ( Fantastic Four Annual, Sgt.Fury, Avengers, The Invaders, Marvel Premiere/Liberty Legion, What If, etc.) So, instead of getting rid of comic book history's 2nd most famous comic book sidekick (arguably) after Robin (the Dick Grayson identity), Bucky was a constant, often important, dramatic plot point for Cap's development & stories nearly 20 years after his Avengers #4 revival. Lee could not have been more incorrect about this teen sidekick--fans loved him and the stories using either real or impostor versions. As much as I think Kane is one of the all-time top comic artists, he was not a good Cap artist here--or even after his altered art graced a few CA covers in the mid 1970s. Too lean for a character with Cap's assumed build. [/quote] |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
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Post by shaxper on Mar 16, 2017 9:09:16 GMT -5
The grand irony of what will be constant Bucky appearances/references is that Stan Lee claimed he killed Bucky off because he never liked teenage sidekicks. He did not end his bout of sidekick hating, and in fact the mass interest in Bucky as a tragic figure forced Lee's hand (probably with much pushing by Kirby) to the point where: - Rick Jones spent close to 5 years trying to be Bucky 2
- We had this issue's robot
- Dr. Faustus used a Bucky impersonator (Ferret, I believe?) as part of his attempt to psychologically break down Cap (CA #107)
- Dr. Doom & Modok were behind a Bucky android (CA #131-132)
- The 50's Bucky (and Cap) returned (CAATF #153-156)
...and that's not even covering actual flashbacks of the real Bucky in various comics ( Fantastic Four Annual, Sgt.Fury, Avengers, The Invaders, Marvel Premiere/Liberty Legion, What If, etc.) So, instead of getting rid of comic book history's 2nd most famous comic book sidekick (arguably) after Robin (the Dick Grayson identity), Bucky was a constant, often important, dramatic plot point for Cap's development & stories nearly 20 years after his Avengers #4 revival. Lee could not have been more incorrect about this teen sidekick--fans loved him and the stories using either real or impostor versions. How ironic that fans complain about characters not staying dead in comics today, and yet the problem was quite the reverse in 1967. |
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Post by tarkintino on Mar 17, 2017 18:41:17 GMT -5
The grand irony of what will be constant Bucky appearances/references is that Stan Lee claimed he killed Bucky off because he never liked teenage sidekicks. He did not end his bout of sidekick hating, and in fact the mass interest in Bucky as a tragic figure forced Lee's hand (probably with much pushing by Kirby) to the point where: - Rick Jones spent close to 5 years trying to be Bucky 2
- We had this issue's robot
- Dr. Faustus used a Bucky impersonator (Ferret, I believe?) as part of his attempt to psychologically break down Cap (CA #107)
- Dr. Doom & Modok were behind a Bucky android (CA #131-132)
- The 50's Bucky (and Cap) returned (CAATF #153-156)
...and that's not even covering actual flashbacks of the real Bucky in various comics ( Fantastic Four Annual, Sgt.Fury, Avengers, The Invaders, Marvel Premiere/Liberty Legion, What If, etc.) So, instead of getting rid of comic book history's 2nd most famous comic book sidekick (arguably) after Robin (the Dick Grayson identity), Bucky was a constant, often important, dramatic plot point for Cap's development & stories nearly 20 years after his Avengers #4 revival. Lee could not have been more incorrect about this teen sidekick--fans loved him and the stories using either real or impostor versions. How ironic that fans complain about characters not staying dead in comics today, and yet the problem was quite the reverse in 1967. That's so true--back in the 60s/70s, it was Buckypalooza for almost every year of the Silver and Bronze Age, but we only really hear complaints about dead characters returning in modern times. Perhaps the lack of complaining had something to do with the quality of story--that his return (and clones) actually served a dramatic purpose? |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Mar 17, 2017 21:33:55 GMT -5
Yeah, but false hope/cover drama things like robots and imposters are FAR better than what happens now, if you ask me.
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Post by The Captain on Mar 18, 2017 8:08:02 GMT -5
tarkintino and wildfire2099I think you've both hit on a critical piece in regard to Bucky's appearances in the Silver Age. His "returns" were being used to further the story, not be the story himself. Whenever Bucky appeared, the readers could get excited that maybe, just maybe, this time it was for real that Bucky was back, and when it was revealed that it was actually the Red Skull or Doctor Faustus using a Bucky robot or impersonator to strike at Steve psychologically, it made the villain seem just that much more evil for using the image of Cap's dead partner. While I'm not naive enough to believe that having Bucky show up consistently in the books wasn't done to drive sales, it just didn't seem as crass as when it happens today. Bucky didn't actually appear on the cover of ToS for any current continuity stories (although he did when Stan and Jack were telling WWII flashbacks in #'s 64, 65, and 68-70); he first appeared in continuity in the background on the cover of Captain America #107 as a phantom haunting Steve. The first "physical" cover appearance of Bucky was on #110, when it was actually Rick Jones, and then again on the cover of #113. As well, it wasn't hyped as "Bucky's back", so it seemed more organic and just part of the story being told. Moving into the 90's and 00's, the returns of "dead" characters became nothing more than corporate-driven exercises in nostalgic necromancy. They realized that their core audience was the same group that were reading in the Silver and Bronze Ages, so by bringing back the characters these people grew up with was a way to maybe hook them back into a book they'd previously dropped, while hopefully generating some publicity to garner a few new readers. Ironically, it took Ed Brubaker's fantastic story that brought back Bucky to break this pattern. Marvel didn't tease it, they didn't hype it that Bucky was back, but rather let him do a slow burn reveal of who the Winter Soldier was. It all made sense in a comic book way (as much as a cryogenically-frozen assassin, revived only for special missions for the Russians, could), and didn't seem like just another cash grab.
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Post by The Captain on Mar 21, 2017 18:15:25 GMT -5
Tales of Suspense #90 "...And Men Shall Call Him Traitor!" Writer: Stan Lee Art: Gil Kane (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks) Cover Date: June 1967 SynopsisPressing hard against the closing walls, Cap desperately looks for a way out of the trap. The Red Skull gloats about his impending victory over Cap, which will lead to his plan to destroy the world's cities (revealed back in ToS #89) succeeding. Setting a grid of laser beams above Cap, the Red Skull leaves his position, not wanting to take in the bloodshed. Sensing his opportunity, Cap hurls his shield at the abandoned control panel, smashing it and stopping both the walls and lasers with one move. He grabs a wire dangling from the control panel and climbs to safety before taking off after his enemy. Seeing the Red Skull's craft flying away, Cap ties the cable to his shield and launches it skyward, catching a piece of the ship with it, allowing him to hitch a ride. From inside, the Red Skull sees Cap trailing behind, scarcely believing Cap is still alive. Changing course, the Red Skull pilots the aircraft toward the water, then pulls up quickly, snapping Cap into the ocean and dragging him along beneath the surface. Cap somehow manages to pull himself up along the cable until he is clear of the water, then makes his way onto the aircraft by breaking a window on the opposite side of the ship, hoping the Red Skull did not hear that over the roar of the engines. Believing Cap had surely drowned, the Red Skull pilots the craft to New York City and begins the process of encasing the city in a plastic bubble. Focused intently on his task he does not hear Cap approaching; when confronted, however, the Red Skull pulls a switch on the control panel, releasing a trap door and dropping Cap to the level below. Once there, Cap is attacked by an insectoid robot with steel tentacles, and he is grabbed and tossed into a wall by the mechanical beast. Cap manages to disable the robot and leaps back through the still-open trap door, surprising the Red Skull yet again. They engage in hand-to-hand combat, and after the Red Skull misses with a karate chop, Cap punches him squarely; shocked at having been struck, the Red Skull pulls a lever to release the city from its lofty perch, dooming all trapped within to certain death. In order to stop that, Cap offers the Red Skull anything he wants in exchange for sparing the city, to which the Red Skull replies that he wants Cap's service for 24 hours. To seal the deal, Cap is forced to appear on TV at the Red Skull's side, where he is announced as the villain's new partner, sending the world into a fit of panic, as the people don't believe that the Red Skull, with Cap at his side, could ever be defeated. Continuity Errors: None identified My ThoughtsThis issue was a big letdown after last month's installment, primarily because it relies on a major case of the stupids on the part of the Red Skull in order to occur. Starting with his leaving Cap, armed with his shield, alone while the control panel for his traps was within throwing distance, the Nazi mastermind does one dumb thing after another. He fails to make certain that he knocked Cap loose from the back of his plane after dragging Cap through the water (instead remarking there is no way Cap could hold his breath that long), and he then leaves the trap-door open after Cap falls through it, which enables our hero to jump back up and surprise him again. This is certainly not the Red Skull's finest hour. Beyond that, there's the matter of the plastic bubble encasing New York City. This is such a ludicrous idea that even Stan can't explain it, so he includes a side note that reads "After lengthy consultation and soul-searching, the editorial and advisory board of mighty Marvel have unanimously agreed NOT to give a detailed explanation of how the Red Skull's deadly plastic bubble operates--just in case this top-secret revelation should fall into enemy hands." That's it, just a hand-waving of something so ridiculous that anyone with four brain cells to rub together would question, as Silly Silver Age Science is taken to the Nth degree. As for the art, even though it's Gil Kane drawing Cap, which didn't work so well last issue, it's a lot more palatable due to the presence of Joe Sinnott on inks. Cap's face doesn't look quite so angular, and his arms and shoulders seem more muscular, particularly in the panels where he is being dragged behind the Red Skull's plane. My Grade: C- This satisfactorily furthered the Red Skull storyline toward its payoff, but the consistent stupidity displayed by the villain combined with a weapon that not even Stan the Man could describe how it works drag this issue down.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2017 18:22:49 GMT -5
Tales of Suspense #90"...And Men Shall Call Him Traitor!" Writer: Stan Lee Art: Gil Kane (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks) Cover Date: June 1967 SynopsisPressing hard against the closing walls, Cap desperately looks for a way out of the trap. The Red Skull gloats about his impending victory over Cap, which will lead to his plan to destroy the world's cities (revealed back in ToS #89) succeeding. Setting a grid of laser beams above Cap, the Red Skull leaves his position, not wanting to take in the bloodshed. Sensing his opportunity, Cap hurls his shield at the abandoned control panel, smashing it and stopping both the walls and lasers with one move. He grabs a wire dangling from the control panel and climbs to safety before taking off after his enemy. Seeing the Red Skull's craft flying away, Cap ties the cable to his shield and launches it skyward, catching a piece of the ship with it, allowing him to hitch a ride. From inside, the Red Skull sees Cap trailing behind, scarcely believing Cap is still alive. Changing course, the Red Skull pilots the aircraft toward the water, then pulls up quickly, snapping Cap into the ocean and dragging him along beneath the surface. Cap somehow manages to pull himself up along the cable until he is clear of the water, then makes his way onto the aircraft by breaking a window on the opposite side of the ship, hoping the Red Skull did not hear that over the roar of the engines. Believing Cap had surely drowned, the Red Skull pilots the craft to New York City and begins the process of encasing the city in a plastic bubble. Focused intently on his task he does not hear Cap approaching; when confronted, however, the Red Skull pulls a switch on the control panel, releasing a trap door and dropping Cap to the level below. Once there, Cap is attacked by an insectoid robot with steel tentacles, and he is grabbed and tossed into a wall by the mechanical beast. Cap manages to disable the robot and leaps back through the still-open trap door, surprising the Red Skull yet again. They engage in hand-to-hand combat, and after the Red Skull misses with a karate chop, Cap punches him squarely; shocked at having been struck, the Red Skull pulls a lever to release the city from its lofty perch, dooming all trapped within to certain death. In order to stop that, Cap offers the Red Skull anything he wants in exchange for sparing the city, to which the Red Skull replies that he wants Cap's service for 24 hours. To seal the deal, Cap is forced to appear on TV at the Red Skull's side, where he is announced as the villain's new partner, sending the world into a fit of panic, as the people don't believe that the Red Skull, with Cap at his side, could ever be defeated. Continuity Errors: None identified My ThoughtsThis issue was a big letdown after last month's installment, primarily because it relies on a major case of the stupids on the part of the Red Skull in order to occur. Starting with his leaving Cap, armed with his shield, alone while the control panel for his traps was within throwing distance, the Nazi mastermind does one dumb thing after another. He fails to make certain that he knocked Cap loose from the back of his plane after dragging Cap through the water (instead remarking there is no way Cap could hold his breath that long), and he then leaves the trap-door open after Cap falls through it, which enables our hero to jump back up and surprise him again. This is certainly not the Red Skull's finest hour. Beyond that, there's the matter of the plastic bubble encasing New York City. This is such a ludicrous idea that even Stan can't explain it, so he includes a side note that reads "After lengthy consultation and soul-searching, the editorial and advisory board of mighty Marvel have unanimously agreed NOT to give a detailed explanation of how the Red Skull's deadly plastic bubble operates--just in case this top-secret revelation should fall into enemy hands." That's it, just a hand-waving of something so ridiculous that anyone with four brain cells to rub together would question, as Silly Silver Age Science is taken to the Nth degree. As for the art, even though it's Gil Kane drawing Cap, which didn't work so well last issue, it's a lot more palatable due to the presence of Joe Sinnott on inks. Cap's face doesn't look quite so angular, and his arms and shoulders seem more muscular, particularly in the panels where he is being dragged behind the Red Skull's plane. My Grade: C- This satisfactorily furthered the Red Skull storyline toward its payoff, but the consistent stupidity displayed by the villain combined with a weapon that not even Stan the Man could describe how it works drag this issue down. Regarding the weapon and I was reading your last paragraph and that's was the most frustrating thing that I ever read from Stan Lee that he couldn't adequately describe the weapon and combining that with the Red Skull and all that ... this issue was very disappointing to me and I just felt that it was a downer for me to read until the end of this issue. You gave it a C- ... I would give a one grade down to D- for sure. I even asked my friends about it and they could help me either ... that's how I felt about it. Nice job of writing this up BTW. |
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Post by tarkintino on Apr 7, 2017 17:02:33 GMT -5
tarkintino and wildfire2099 I think you've both hit on a critical piece in regard to Bucky's appearances in the Silver Age. His "returns" were being used to further the story, not be the story himself. Whenever Bucky appeared, the readers could get excited that maybe, just maybe, this time it was for real that Bucky was back, and when it was revealed that it was actually the Red Skull or Doctor Faustus using a Bucky robot or impersonator to strike at Steve psychologically, it made the villain seem just that much more evil for using the image of Cap's dead partner. While I'm not naive enough to believe that having Bucky show up consistently in the books wasn't done to drive sales, it just didn't seem as crass as when it happens today. Bucky didn't actually appear on the cover of ToS for any current continuity stories (although he did when Stan and Jack were telling WWII flashbacks in #'s 64, 65, and 68-70); he first appeared in continuity in the background on the cover of Captain America #107 as a phantom haunting Steve. The first "physical" cover appearance of Bucky was on #110, when it was actually Rick Jones, and then again on the cover of #113. As well, it wasn't hyped as "Bucky's back", so it seemed more organic and just part of the story being told. Moving into the 90's and 00's, the returns of "dead" characters became nothing more than corporate-driven exercises in nostalgic necromancy. They realized that their core audience was the same group that were reading in the Silver and Bronze Ages, so by bringing back the characters these people grew up with was a way to maybe hook them back into a book they'd previously dropped, while hopefully generating some publicity to garner a few new readers. Ironically, it took Ed Brubaker's fantastic story that brought back Bucky to break this pattern. Marvel didn't tease it, they didn't hype it that Bucky was back, but rather let him do a slow burn reveal of who the Winter Soldier was. It all made sense in a comic book way (as much as a cryogenically-frozen assassin, revived only for special missions for the Russians, could), and didn't seem like just another cash grab. Good points. I appreciated Bucky gaining such a prominent place in the Marvel age of Silver/Bronze comics. For a then-dead character, he did more to elevate the status of teenage superheroes as an important part of key comic stories (at least at Marvel) despite not being a headliner with his own title, or being active in then-present day groups. |
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Post by Cei-U! on Apr 8, 2017 11:42:59 GMT -5
I hate kid sidekicks and would've preferred that Bucky stay dead and buried forever, along with Robin, Toro, Aqualad, etc., etc.
Cei-U!
I summon the genre's stupidest trope!
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Post by tarkintino on Apr 9, 2017 6:37:41 GMT -5
To paraphrase at least one title in a certain character's history, "Bucky Lives!!"
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Post by The Captain on Apr 9, 2017 8:42:26 GMT -5
Glad to see the conversations are continuing here even though there hasn't been a fresh review in a couple of weeks! Just to make people aware, I should be starting to devote a little more time to this thread in the next few weeks. I took a break from the Tales of Supsense issues to jump ahead and reread the Steve Englehart issues at the request of our very own Crimebuster, as he and I will be discussing that run in an upcoming CCF podcast. Thanks for reading and participating, and you will be seeing new reviews posted on a more-regular basis going forward. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2017 10:36:40 GMT -5
I'm totally opposite of Cei-U ... the purpose of kid sidekicks to attracts the younger readers and gives them something to cheer about - I've just can't imagine not having a Robin without Batman. If that the case in my own judgment there's no Dynamic Duo existed. You can call me a Comic Book Traditionalist and right now - I'm inclining to say this the Golden Age of Comics was the start of the kid sidekicks and without them their will be no Batman, Captain America, and others that fit the bill and ... drum roll ... the birth of the Teen Titans came into play. Long Live the Sidekicks!
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Post by The Captain on Apr 13, 2017 16:27:29 GMT -5
Tales of Suspense #91 "The Last Defeat!" Writer: Stan Lee Art: Gil Kane (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks) Cover Date: July 1967 SynopsisHaving sworn himself to assist the Red Skull in exchange for sparing New York City, Captain America is forced to reveal the location of the XPT-1, the world's newest atomic submarine that boasts the greatest missile capacity on earth. Just as his 24 hours of servitude is about to expire, he provides his most-hated enemy with the longitude and latitude of the craft, which is located in the north Atlantic. The Red Skull orders Cap to sit in a nearby chair, which is a lie detector that confirms that the information Cap has given him is true; pressing a button, the Red Skull straps Cap into the chair, then sends him hurtling backwards through the plane. The chair comes to a halt under a giant ray gun, which Cap identifies as a heat ray; he maneuvers himself sideways to avoid the beam, which he angles off his shield so that it cuts his restraints and allows him to escape. Crashing through a window, Cap dives into the water below to warn the crew of the XPT-1. As he does, the Red Skull uses his subliminal sonar waves to place the crew under his hypnotic command, ordering them to bring the craft to the surface. They obey, which gives Cap the chance to enter the vessel to talk to them, but he is quickly attacked by the hypnotized crew members, so he is forced to fight them off and retreat deep into the sub to regroup. Above them, the Red Skull commands the crew to abandon the sub, which allows Cap to disguise himself as a member of the crew and slip off without being noticed. The Red Skull takes control of the XPT-1 and gloats in his victory, trying to determine which city he will level in order to bring the world to its knees. He suddenly hears Cap telling him that the craft is set to self-destruct in 60 seconds, as it was only an experimental craft and as its mission was over, it was to be destroyed. The Red Skull races to the timing device but is seemingly caught in the blast that destroys the sub, as Cap watches on from a video monitor nearby, believing his foe to be gone once and for all. Continuity Issues: None identified My ThoughtsThis was a barely-passable final chapter to a fairly uninspired Red Skull story. Cap shows he is a man of honor by giving up the location of the XPT-1 because of the oath he took in ToS #90, and the Red Skull shows he is just as bloodthirsty as ever, casually musing about which city he will destroy in his quest for world domination. Other than that, it's Cap fighting nondescript submarine crew members for almost four pages and another "death" for the Red Skull, who will probably be back someday in the distant future. There were some pretty big plot holes in this one. The Red Skull says that Cap knows the exact latitude and longitude of the XPT-1 because of a briefing he got while with the Avengers, but Cap hasn't been around the Avengers for a few days, so how does he know things haven't changed. As well, Cap says the sub is around 50 degrees longitude and 45 degrees latitude, so converting that to distance in miles (standard, not nautical), he's given the Red Skull an area of approximately 4700 square miles to search for an underwater craft, but somehow, the Red Skull flies right over the XPT-1 with little effort to continue his scheme. As well, there is no explanation being given for how the Red Skull is able to hypnotically command an entire vessel full of crewmen by sending sonar waves at it. Seeing as the entire purpose of sonar is to have the waves bounce off an object to reveal location, not place people in a trance, this is just another instance of Stan using sciencey terms that in no way work the way he purports them to. Lastly, it's stated that the XPT-1 is an ATOMIC SUBMARINE. In the 1960's, that's probably going to be a pretty pricey piece of equipment, but here, the US government decides that they're going to just casually destroy it at the end of its mission because it's "experimental". Well, that's a gigantic waste of taxpayer dollars to begin with, but going a step further, by blowing it up underwater in the north Atlantic, all of that radioactive material powering the ATOMIC SUBMARINE is just going to be released into the water, causing untold environmental damage. My Grade: C- The best thing I can say about this story is that it's finally over. Over the course of three issues, we got one good fight between Cap, Power Man, and Swordsman, a Bucky return tease that turned out to be nothing, and a bunch of bad science from plastic bubbles that can engulf entire cities, hypnotic sonar waves, and multi-million dollar atomic submarines being turned to scrap just because.
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