All summer long, I've been hearing all about 1968, and that it's the 40th anniversary of this, celebrate 40 years of that, blah blah blah.
OK, I was too young to remember anything from 1968, but as long as we're in the spirit of celebration, we might as well make it a theme week around here, and celebrate what was happening in the Marvel Universe 40 years ago (sorry, DC...if you would put put some complete series DVDs you could play, too). So, courtesy of my nearly complete set of GIT DVD-Roms, it's Marvel 1968 week here at Slay Monstrobot, as we check out the July 1968 titles from the House of Ideas.
Let's start with, randomly, Avengers #54:
Oooh, a fight!! The Avengers roster in that period consisted of exactly 4 members: Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, and Black Panther. Yup, just 4...and not a particularly powerful 4, either. And no, there wasn't a second team...no Mighty, no New, just The Avengers. Let's set the scene:
And our creators:
One other thing to note from the splash:
Really? Black Knight took Marveldom "by storm?" Must have been simpler times. Anyway, aside from installing new alarms and security, what's going on with our Avengers?
Nice soliloquizing there, Jarvis. "Faceless masses who have grown to manhood in such tenements?" You're trying to hard, Roy...you got the job, already. And why is our faithful butler skulking around?
Uhhh...Roy and John...you've already told us with both the cover AND the title on the splash page that our villains are the "new" Masters of Evil. So it's really not such a big reveal here. Really, was everything in a Roy Thomas mag always so breathless? And then there's the mastermind behind the MoE:
Time out. I know that some of you are asking, I thought the Black Knight was a good guy. Sure enough. But before Dane Whitman took up the mantle, his uncle, Nathan Garrett, rode the skies as the evil villain Black Knight, and fought Iron Man and the Avengers as a member of the original Masters of Evil. When his uncle died, Dane inherited the key to his uncle's post office box, and found the Crimson Cowl's invitation for Garrett to join the new MoE. So Dane decided to accept, infiltrate them, and warn the Avengers. And how, exactly, did Dane pass the Crimson Cowl's in-depth security check:
Yup, in 1968 a smart mouth carried you much farther than you would have thought possible.
So it turns out that Jarvis needs some money (reason undisclosed in this issue) and sell the Cowl all the blueprints for the Avengers' new security systems. What, Jarvis betray the Avengers?!?! That would never happen today!!
The MoE attack Avengers mansion, turn their security systems against them, and whup 'em. But first a fashion note: is this the worst costume for Janet Van Dyne EVER??
Poorly dressed and a terrible fighter. How does Klaw take her out?
Yup, he slams a door. Sheesh. Wasp may have come a long way, but back in 1968 she was still Queen Wuss.
You know how folks complain about the way Vixen in the JLA is colored? That would never happen in Marvel 1968:
Yes, that's T'Challa on the left, from the brief period where he didn't wear a full face mask. Exact same shade as Hawkeye's shoulder.
And now, the big reveal of the Crimson Cowl's true identity:
Tu-wubba who?
Just so I won't leave you hanging, next issue it turns out that Jarvis wasn't really the Cowl...he was hypnotized by Ultron in his first appearance. Jarvis needed an operation for his mother, and he only sold the information to the MoE because he was certain that the Avengers could beat them( bad call, Jarvis). But he escapes, hooks up with the Black Knight and frees the Avengers. Because he risked his life to help them, they declare that "squares accounts," (huh?!?) and all is better!! Yay!!
In the letters page (remember those) we have a familiar pair debating Shakespearean dialect:
Finally, another ad proving how deprived I was as a child:
ELSEWHERE IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE:
The second issue after Doc had taken over Strange Tales. According to the Bullpen Bulletins: "For years, you've demanded it! And now it's here--the return of the reprehensible Nightmare, in the mystically magnificent tale we couldn't resist calling--"To Dream...Perchance to Die!!"
Man, that's a great title.
Tomorrow: The Fantastic Four!!
OK, I was too young to remember anything from 1968, but as long as we're in the spirit of celebration, we might as well make it a theme week around here, and celebrate what was happening in the Marvel Universe 40 years ago (sorry, DC...if you would put put some complete series DVDs you could play, too). So, courtesy of my nearly complete set of GIT DVD-Roms, it's Marvel 1968 week here at Slay Monstrobot, as we check out the July 1968 titles from the House of Ideas.
Let's start with, randomly, Avengers #54:
Oooh, a fight!! The Avengers roster in that period consisted of exactly 4 members: Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, and Black Panther. Yup, just 4...and not a particularly powerful 4, either. And no, there wasn't a second team...no Mighty, no New, just The Avengers. Let's set the scene:
And our creators:
One other thing to note from the splash:
Really? Black Knight took Marveldom "by storm?" Must have been simpler times. Anyway, aside from installing new alarms and security, what's going on with our Avengers?
Nice soliloquizing there, Jarvis. "Faceless masses who have grown to manhood in such tenements?" You're trying to hard, Roy...you got the job, already. And why is our faithful butler skulking around?
Uhhh...Roy and John...you've already told us with both the cover AND the title on the splash page that our villains are the "new" Masters of Evil. So it's really not such a big reveal here. Really, was everything in a Roy Thomas mag always so breathless? And then there's the mastermind behind the MoE:
Time out. I know that some of you are asking, I thought the Black Knight was a good guy. Sure enough. But before Dane Whitman took up the mantle, his uncle, Nathan Garrett, rode the skies as the evil villain Black Knight, and fought Iron Man and the Avengers as a member of the original Masters of Evil. When his uncle died, Dane inherited the key to his uncle's post office box, and found the Crimson Cowl's invitation for Garrett to join the new MoE. So Dane decided to accept, infiltrate them, and warn the Avengers. And how, exactly, did Dane pass the Crimson Cowl's in-depth security check:
Yup, in 1968 a smart mouth carried you much farther than you would have thought possible.So it turns out that Jarvis needs some money (reason undisclosed in this issue) and sell the Cowl all the blueprints for the Avengers' new security systems. What, Jarvis betray the Avengers?!?! That would never happen today!!
The MoE attack Avengers mansion, turn their security systems against them, and whup 'em. But first a fashion note: is this the worst costume for Janet Van Dyne EVER??
Poorly dressed and a terrible fighter. How does Klaw take her out?
Yup, he slams a door. Sheesh. Wasp may have come a long way, but back in 1968 she was still Queen Wuss.You know how folks complain about the way Vixen in the JLA is colored? That would never happen in Marvel 1968:
Yes, that's T'Challa on the left, from the brief period where he didn't wear a full face mask. Exact same shade as Hawkeye's shoulder.And now, the big reveal of the Crimson Cowl's true identity:
Tu-wubba who?Just so I won't leave you hanging, next issue it turns out that Jarvis wasn't really the Cowl...he was hypnotized by Ultron in his first appearance. Jarvis needed an operation for his mother, and he only sold the information to the MoE because he was certain that the Avengers could beat them( bad call, Jarvis). But he escapes, hooks up with the Black Knight and frees the Avengers. Because he risked his life to help them, they declare that "squares accounts," (huh?!?) and all is better!! Yay!!
In the letters page (remember those) we have a familiar pair debating Shakespearean dialect:
Finally, another ad proving how deprived I was as a child:
ELSEWHERE IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE:The second issue after Doc had taken over Strange Tales. According to the Bullpen Bulletins: "For years, you've demanded it! And now it's here--the return of the reprehensible Nightmare, in the mystically magnificent tale we couldn't resist calling--"To Dream...Perchance to Die!!"
Man, that's a great title.
Tomorrow: The Fantastic Four!!
6 comments:
Aye, there's the rub.
Great retro-series, Snell! I look forward to reading more.
'68 is the year that my little brother and I first got WAY into comics. I was an Avengers addict, while my brother was a FF fanatic. This stuff brings back great memories.
Thanks
Actually, I quite like Wasp's costume in those pics. In fact, she's almost back in current day fashion. Though I don't think a mini-skirt is a good choice for a flyer. ;-)
And wait! Jarvis entered the building, saw the MoE and then met the Crimson Cowl - who was Jarvis in disguise?!? Wha...? How?
Man, I love Buscema's art though.
Anonymous--I can just imagine some of the wonderful arguments you and your brother had--"Avengers are better!" "No, FF could kick their butts!"
Nimbus--sorry about the Jarvis confusion, I was skimming a bit for brevity's sake. In the conclusion, we saw that the Crimson Cowl who had met Jarvis and the MoE was really a robot (whom later readers would recognize as Ultron, but as that was his first appearance, he was just another robot to readers then). Then Cowl revealed his "real" self to be Jarvis. Obviously, we readers were meant to infer that Jarvis was the Cowl all along, and was merely using the robot double as a ruse so the MoE wouldn't know who he was...which, as it turned out, was the opposite of the thruth. Oh, you tricky tricky Roy Thomas...
As to Wasp's outfit--I'm no fashionista, but man, I just think it's hideous, especially with the gloves...but maybe that's just me.
"Tom Swift"? He had a space ship or an amazing machine, or something...Dean Swift, perhaps. Still, if his first name was "Thomas" I'm going to look pretty silly.
I love your comment about the over-selling of Black Knight. Wasn't he in fact an old Atlas retread Stan and Co. were trying to fob onto the Marvel Universe?
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