We're out of new comics to review!!I've rattled on about how the X-Men were demoted to a bimonthly reprint book back in the early 1970's. But, unless I'm going to do Millie The Model or Our Love Story, I've already covered every new comic Marvel put out in 1971!! (Not that I didn't want to cover a Stan Lee/Gene Colan romance story, but I don't have the issue!).
We'll talk more about that after the jump. First, a couple of brief points about the stories covered in this issue of X-Men.
First up, a reprint of X-Men #17 (1966), the conclusion of the first Sentinel saga:
"Jay Gavin" is a pen name for Werner Roth...And I've said it before, and I'll say it again--those costumes are the worst thing Jack Kirby EVER designed!
And now, a question about Professor X:
I know it was a fairly dire emergency, but really--controlling their minds? Couldn't you have just beamed a "help me" into their minds, instead of "forcing them to obey"? Doesn't that seem more like something a villain would do??It seems to me an awful lot like the Jedi--using the Force to "influence" the "weak-minded" sounds an awful lot like a Dark Side power to me, as it's just another phrase for "taking away someone's free will and making them a puppet." But you never see a Sith using it, only Jedi. I guess, like Charles Xavier, they think it's OK to do bad stuff if you're good guys...
And, of course, the issue end with Bolivar Trask, creator of the Sentinels, undergoing the least convincing transformation from racist to good guy since Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino:
This was a double-size issue, so we leap to the next story, from X-Men #19 (1966):
This is the story that introduced Calvin Rankin, the Mimic, who could gain the superpowers of anyone, as long as he stayed close to them.So, he accidentally stumble across some X-People in their civilian identities, and since he gains their powers, figures out who they are. He decides to go and gain all their powers...
He kidnaps Jean, and reveal his secret origin, which is essentially that of Barry Allen...
Man, getting super-powers was easy back in those days.Anyway, his scientist dad was trying to develop a machine to make the powers Cal absorbed permanent, but an angry mob, and explosion, and a cave-in killed him--and buried the machine!
So that's why he needs the X-Men's powers--so he can dig dad's device from the debris! But, Professor X briar patches him into using the device...why?
Ha ha...it's good for Professor X to use his powers like Zatanna in Identity Crisis!! Yay!!ELSEWHERE IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE:
As discussed above, Marvel didn't actually have that many new titles being published in 1971. They only had 12 all new non-super-hero title for the entire month!! (OK, I'm counting Sgt. Fury...sue me!)
What was up? Well, Marvel had only recently gotten out from under the thumb on the terrible distribution deal with a distributor owned by DC, which limited the number of comics they could publish each month (reports have had it between 8 and 12). So why no "Marvel Explosion"?
This is all speculation on my part, but I suspect they just didn't have the manpower yet. Literally every comic in April 1971 was written by Stan, Roy or Gerry; Jack had just left, and they didn't have that many artists, either...certainly none who could come close to matching his output.
Within a few years a new wave of talent would be put to good use--Englehart, Wolfman, Wein, Gerber, Friedrich, for example--but until then, Marvel just didn't seem to have the bodies to produce more new books
But, I'm guessing that didn't want to cede the rack space (and sales dollars) to DC...so why not do reprints?
What other reason, for example, could there have been to have three--3!!--separate Western monthly Western reprint titles being published?
Not to mention innumerable monster/horror reprint books, that rotated on a bi-monthly basis?
Not to mention several super-hero reprint titles??
Not that I have anything against reprint titles. To fans back in those days, they were probably the only way to get access to many of these stories, barring lucky finds at garage sales or flea markets.Not to mention, many of the younger fans probably didn't even realize these were reprints--just more Spider-Man and Thor stories!! One of the earliest comics I owned was a coverless copy of Marvel Triple Action, reprinting the classic Avengers #16...but it was years until I realized it was "just" a reprint!!
And in those pre-internet, pre-Showcase and Essentials era, these reprint titles were the best--if not the only--way to learn about Marvel history and back story, and in convenient 15 or 25 cent doses! And, of course, reprint or not, they helped build the Marvel brand name in kids' minds.
Nowadays, of course, reprints are in trades or expensive Omnibi or Masterworks or Absolutes, which is nicer for reading and collecting, perhaps, but obviously much harder for young readers to afford (various "read the first issue for a dollar" reprints and Walking Dead Weekly are obvious exceptions). Part of me wonders if, for the sake of attracting new young readers, Marvel or DC shouldn't try and experiment with a floppy reprint series or two, just to see what happens...
Re: "...using the Force to "influence" the "weak-minded" sounds an awful lot like a Dark Side power..."
ReplyDeleteA lot of people have this misconception that "The Force" is a oogie-boogie superpower that can allow you to do anything via direct mind-control a la hypnosis and/or telepathy...but really it's nothing more than good old-fashioned influence of willpower and steely resolve to "influence" the "weak-minded", and which anybody, anywhere can use to their own effect.
It isn't something that you use with a "look into my eyes, you are under my command" shtick, but is used with the simple presence of authority that says to someone else "Hey, this guy seems to know what he's talking about...maybe these aren't the droids we're looking for, and maybe we don't need to see his papers. I won't get into shit if I listen to him, I trust him...move along."
In fact, the more blatant and openly that you use it, the less chance there is of it actually succeeding (I'm looking at you, Return-Of-The-Jedi-"You-will-bring-Capt.-Solo-and-the-Wookie-to-me" Luke), because it relies upon those things that are left *un*said, as opposed to what's spelled out loud-and-clear...as the old saying goes, you can tell when someone's lying by how much detail they give you.
Even Vader's use of the Force during his conference session with Admiral Motti uses this avenue, as his mere presence and attitude and authority causes the seasoned war leader to lose his nerve and to get his very words caught in his throat *mid-sentence. Basically, Vader is saying, with one look, "I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you...Admiral." with all of the not-so-veiled threats of violence that go along with that.
It isn't a "superpower" that some "species" are "immune to", as some have said of the Hutts and the Toydarians, etc. just that in those cases, Jabba and Watto, as well as others, were too street-wise and savvy to fall prey for such common types of trickery.