Marvel Comics Presents #26 (August 1989) (Hulk's story)

Since Thanksgiving was this week, I haven't really had an opportunity to write a comic review. Luckily, I was able to scrape together this little review of a short story. It's not one for the holidays, but I work with what I got. Before we begin, I have to talk a little bit about the crossover storyline Atlantis Attacks.

Atlantis Attacks was a crossover storyline that unfolded over various Marvel titles' Annuals in 1989. This was a format started last year with the Evolutionary War crossover. However, unlike the previous crossover, Atlantis Attacks was a more serialized crossover. You want to read what happens next? You have to get all the Annuals to read the whole thing. Well, in 1989, anyway. It was a format that Marvel would use over the next few years, but the format would undergo modification. Later, storylines would involve smaller numbers of Annuals. For example, The Punisher Annual #4 (1991) was part of a crossover called "The Von Strucker Gambit" that also involved Captain America and Daredevil's Annuals from that year. 

Atlantis Attacks was a crossover that focused on the return of the evil Elder God known as Set after the events of Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982). The title itself is a bit misleading, but that's a tale for another time. At this point, the Hulk (who was back to his original gray appearance) was working in Las Vegas as a legbreaker named Joe Fixit. As a result, he was not really involved in the crossover. This short tale here was his entire involvement in it. This is Marvel Comics Presents #26!

"Splashdown"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Jeff Purves
Inker: Mike DeCarlo
Colorist: Tom Fine
Letterer: Agustin Mas
Editor: Unknown
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with a scared sailor. And he has reasons to be frightened.

Page 61, Panel 1

Yup, Joe Fixit is here, and as his job at the time, he's here to collect on some debts that the sailor incurred in Sin City. Good news, the man has some of the money. Bad news, he only has some of the money.

The sailor offers Joe's boss a stake in his theme park's profits, but the big angry gray guy isn't biting that bait. Captain Morgan shows Joe around the park. The two head to a show starring an orca named Shandu (likely a parody of Shamu). Shandu seemingly performs as normal but then decides to do a bit of improvising.

Page 64, Panel 6

Oooh, that's going to hurt.

Joe refuses to step in to stop it, until Shandu leaps at some kids. Joe then decides to step in. After all, even that big gray legbreaker has standards. The sailor begs Joe to get rid of the whale...and offers money. He just spoke the legbreaker's language. Joe goes to send the whale back to the sea, when he spots a strange submarine. The occupants are Atlantean, and they're testing out a device to make sea animals go berserk. So far, it seems to be working. Joe slams the whale into the sub, wrecking it and making it sink. The Atlanteans flee, the story ending with a very confused Joe Fixit wondering what that was all about. 

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2021 trade paperback Atlantis Attacks: The Original Epic.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate!

I hope that you had a wonderful day today. This day is about giving thanks and showing appreciation for 

National Cake Day

Fibonacci Day

Today is Fibonacci Day!

This day celebrates the Italian mathematician Leonardo Bonacci, aka Fibonacci. He was the man who popularized the Hindu-Arabic numerical system, the numeric system that is commonly in use throughout much of the world today. He also is arguably most known for the Fibonacci sequence. 

What is the Fibonacci sequence, you may be asking? Well, said sequence 

Supergirl #2 (December 1982)

Back in August 2017, I took a look at Supergirl #1 (November 1982), Kara Zor-El's last series before her death in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. I found it to be a rather okay issue. Not great, but it was not terrible, either. I think it did do a good job everything a first issue should do, set up the status quo, introduce some supporting cast and start some storylines, etc. A first issue's problems can be because a new creative team hasn't really been able to settle in yet. As such, I thought I'd take a look at the next issue. See if things settled in a bit. This is Supergirl #2!

The cover is a Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano piece. I do like it, it's more dynamic than the first issue's cover, showing Supergirl and Psi facing off in the skies over the Windy City. The cover promises a Crisis in Chicago. Oh, I think they'll be experiencing a real crisis soon... 😈The comic also promises a backup tale starring Lois Lane as she encounters Humphrey Bogart-I man, the Bogie-Man. He's different from the Boogieman. You see, instead of the Boogeyman scaring kids, the Bogie-Man starts quoting Humphrey Bogart films. I enjoyed when he quoted African Queen myself. 

"Crisis over Chicago"
Writer: Paul Kupperberg
Penciler: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Bob Oksner
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story begins with the reluctant villainess known as Psi attacking Chicago. Her mysterious mentor, Mr. Pendergast, encourages her to keep taking it to the Girl of Steel. Considering she seems to be tossing around Chicago's newest guardian like a ragdoll, I don't think she needs that much encouragement. Psi is also an empath, and it allows her to feel the pain that Supergirl is going through right now. Pendergast mocks this, saying her empathy is a weakness. Supergirl and Chicago must be destroyed, or else the "Decay" will continue to spread. Note that I capitalized the word "decay". 

Supergirl notices the pandemonium that the battle has been kicking up.

Page 3, Panel 2

The sight of the carnage re-energizes the Maid of Might and she renews her struggles against the mental power of Psi and Pendergast. The latter taunts her, saying the typical supervillain spiel about how she cannot match him in power. But Supergirl's like, "Watch me", and breaks out of Psi's mental hold. She confronts Psi about the carnage she's causing. Psi admits she knows she's hurting people, but Pendergast uses her to blast Supergirl. Through Psi, Pendergast rants about humanity's moral rot, its "decay". Supergirl isn't in the mood for it, and blasts at Psi with her heat vision...only for it to do no good. 

Through Psi, Pendergast rants about how "Decay" has to be destroyed, and a new race of "mutants" that will cleanse the world will rise in the aftermath of the destruction of Chicago. Again, Supergirl is not interested in hearing this stuff, and decides that Psi needs a few Mighty Punches. Psi screams, and she seemingly vanishes.

However, Kara is bushed after all of this. She just wants to head back to her apartment and enjoy a nice long nap.

She doesn't have her furniture yet, but it still will be nice to be home. She notices her door is ajar, but it's thankfully nothing nefarious. Turns out that while she was brawling with Psi, her furniture had arrived. It gave her neighbor Joan Raymond an idea.

She recruited her roommate Cheryl DeLarye, Cheryl's boyfriend Daryll Simmons, and Johnny Ostrander to help her move Kara's stuff in so her new apartment will be ready for her. Well, that's nice. 

Page 9, Panel 1

Kara is grateful for this, as she was not looking forward to getting her stuff in alone. After all, it's more fun using super strength to fight supervillains than move furniture. Joan assures Kara that the gang got it handled, so she can just relax. It's here we learn a bit about Ms. DeLarye. She's 33 years old, and like Kara and Joan, a student at Lake Shore University. I think it's really neat that we see this in a comic book. When I was in college, I saw people of a variety of ages studying there. 

Kara is grateful for the help. Since her apartment is now fully furnished, including her bed, it means she can now catch up on some much-desired sleep. After all, a sleep-deprived cranky Kryptonian is not the best thing to be around. 

In another apartment building, Pendergast is berating Psi over her failure to destroy Supergirl. He thinks she has shown herself to be too "weak" to fight the "Decay". Thing is, Psi still thinks Pendergast is right about the "Decay" needing to be stopped. But she also thinks Supergirl is right about there being a better way to stop it than death and destruction. This enrages Pendergast, and he continues to berate the superhuman. He then pulls out a gun, clearly intending to give the young lady some hot lead. Psi blasts him with psychokinetic force, and it...somehow causes Pendergast to transform into some sort of monster, screaming "DECAY LIVES". 

I admit, I am somewhat confused about the relationship between Pendergast and Decay. Did Psi turn him into the monster? Was the monster always part of Pendergast? Pendergast's dialogue seemed to imply that the monster was inside of him all along. Maybe that could have been why he was so aggressive? I don't know, a little clarification would have been nice. 

My favorite part of the issue was the scene where the gang help Kara move furniture into her new apartment. It was nice seeing their interplay. 

Funny enough, Psi would go on to appear in the 2015 Supergirl live-action series. Well, there were two Psis. One was this version, who was a regular person who just "snapped" one day and started robbing banks, and the other appeared in the Adventures of Supergirl tie-in comic, this second version being a Kryptonian psychic mental health worker. Not bad for an obscure villainess. 

If you want to read this yourself, I recommend you track down the 2016 trade paperback Daring New Adventures of Supergirl Vol. 1. 

World Television Day

Mickey Mouse Day

 Today is Mickey Mouse Day!

This day is considered the birthday of the iconic Disney character, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks's second creation (the first being Oswald the Lucky Rabbit). Why? Because on this day in 1928, Mickey made his debut in the iconic cartoon "Steamboat Willie"...well, it is considered the debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. They actually debuted in a test screening of the short "Plane Crazy". However, "Steamboat Willie" was the first short to be distributed, as Disney wanted to produce a cartoon with fully synchronized sound. "Willie" was one of the first cartoons with such a feature. Not a big deal now, but in 1928, it was mindblowing.

Indeed. "Steamboat Willie" was a massive hit. From there, Mickey would become one of the most iconic characters in all of American fiction, appearing in all kinds of media from cartoons, comics, video games, and books. Also, I want to give a shout out to Minnie, as "Steamboat Willie" was her debut as well. In 2024, the cartoon entered the public domain, so you can see it pretty much everywhere nowadays.

Generations of kids have grown up with Mickey. I was one of them. So, happy birthday Mickey! Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!

All-Star Superman #11 (July 2008)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Man of Steel in what looks like his final adventures! Last time, Superman wrote his last will and testament, while performing some grand epic deeds. He helped some sick kids, laid the groundwork for the future, all that good stuff. Even though he's on his way to meet the Grim Reaper, he still has some unfinished business to attend to. You'll see what I mean, when we look at All-Star Superman #11!

The cover is a Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant piece. It's pretty unique, depicting Clark Kent sitting at his computer, the screen showing the headline "Superman Dead". It's a cover that would stand out from the more dynamic action covers you expect from superhero comics. 

"Red Sun Day"
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciler: Frank Quitely
Inker: Jamie Grant
Colorist: Jamie Grant
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Editors: Bob Schreck, Brandon Montclare
Editor-in-Chief: Dan DiDio

The story begins with Lex Luthor getting put in the electric chair. He's finally going to pay the ultimate penalty for all the evil deeds had committed over the years. He scoffs that Superman isn't here to see this, which again, shows his seeing everything through the filter of his ego. If the positions were reversed, Luthor would have moved heaven and Earth to watch it. He taunts a guard at the switch, asking how he feels about killing the man who could have cured cancer? The guard doesn't care. He flips the switch.

But it turns out Luthor had a trick up his sleeve. 

Page 250, Panels 4-5

"...why does everything smell like copper?"

Yeah, remember Luthor having that book on how to mix cocktails in the last issue? Well, it turns out that he wanted more than to just enjoy a drink. He had created a serum that gives him superpowers for 24 hours. For the next whole day's worth of time, he's essentially as powerful as Superman.

Over at the Fortress of Solitude, Superman is making some final preparations. He's closing up the Fortress and giving instructions to his robots. He looks back on his various mementos of his career, like an example of Zibarro's poetry, Lois's Superwoman suit, and various other knick-knacks. Like all of us, Superman loves his knick-knacks. I bet he has the coolest Transformers collection. But that's not important right now. Superman's cells are decaying faster, and he still has things to do. But he'll get them done. There's always a way. 

Luthor returns to his lair, where Nasthalthia is waiting for him. A bit of a funny moment occurs when she asks when she can have powers, and Luthor tells her that she can when he's able to trust her with the car. Lex is a bit high on his powers, building a robot at super-speed. He lets Nasty have his devices, as he won't need them. She announces she has been planning her wedding. It'll be a simple affair, her and her undead groom on an asteroid hurtling towards earth, ritual suicide, and bringing out mass species extinction. You know, the classic wedding stuff. The two come up to the streets, the city being bathed in red sunlight. Remember, Superman loses his powers under red sunlight. This is thanks to Solaris.

Speaking of the Man of Tomorrow, he's got himself on a new suit to take on Solaris. He and his Superman Robots, except for one, who will guard the Fortress. Superman's new suit is meant to protect him from the red solar rays. He and the Robots engage the Tyrant Sun. Superman tells the robots to save themselves, as their memory banks will get wiped. This is presumably thanks to all the radiation and electromagnetic energies floating around. One robot, 7, refuses. 7 reveals that Solaris hacked its neural net (Remember, Solaris is also a machine. It's essentially a big mean angry computer) and from there, it was able to give Luthor the formula to give himself powers. 

Superman also gets some extra help.

Page 263, Panel 1

"Where's my money, Solaris?!" 

The baby Sun-Eater that he released comes by to help. It tries to consume Solaris. Thing is, it's not a fully-grown Sun-Eater, and Solaris is far too powerful for it, so the Sun-Eater gets blown up. 

Superman in enraged, and starts beating on the Tyrant Sun. Back on Earth, a commotion erupts in Metropolis. Jimmy and Lois end up meeting the cause of it: Nasthalthia Luthor.

Page 265, Panel 5

"Anybody know where the McDonalds is?" 

And yes, she has a tank.

Luckily, Lois and Jimmy are saved by Superman knocking Solaris into Earth. Superman yells for everyone to take cover. He points out that in the 24th century, Solaris will have been rehabilitated and works with humanity, presumably another reference to DC One Million. And that rehab is beginning now. Solaris begs for mercy, and Superman tells him this.

"You'll live."

Superman than hits Solaris with a Mighty Punch, and there's an explosion.

When the smoke clears, Solaris is knocked loopy...and there's an empty solar suit. Superman has seemingly been vaporized. Nasthalthia declares this the first day of a new world, a world without Superman. Yeah, babe, the world did have to go without Superman before he came to Earth. And if the Bizarros are any indication, they'll do alright without him. 

But it turns out Clark isn't really dead, but he got knocked loopy too, as he stumbles into the Daily Planet offices and then collapses at his desk. The other members of the staff try to revive him, but them they get a surprise guest: A superpowered Lex Luthor. 

I enjoyed this comic. We're well on our way to the full climax here. Superman is on his last legs, Luthor is at his most powerful, and Nasthalthia is funny. I mean, I found it amusing when she talked about the "World Without Superman". After all, it's not like we can assume that he's the only superhero running around. Superman has mentioned Batman a couple of times, including in this very issue. We've also seen Bizarro versions of Green Lantern, Flash, and Wonder Woman, so we can assume they're also running around. I'm just saying, Nasty. If they find out about all of this, and you're potentially involved in Superman's presumed death...they'll come down on you and Lex like the angriest ton of bricks ever.  

We get a bit of everything in this issue. A bit of action, a bit of character stuff, a bit of tragedy. 

As for Frank Quitely's art, I've said everything I've had to say about it before, so I will not repeat it here.

Veterans' Day

Today is Veterans' Day.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has ever served or is serving now. You are appreciated and loved. Thank you very much.

The Inhumans Special #1 (April 1990)

The Marvel Universe contains many wonders, and among them are the Inhumans. The Inhumans really have been forgotten in recent years (Heck, when they adapted Kamala Khan to the MCU, they erased her connections to them), so I thought I'd give them a bit of spotlight here. I personally think the Inhumans have a ton of potential, especially their Royal Family. I mean, think about it. Things like Game of Thrones have shown that people enjoy tales of royal intrigue. The Inhumans can be that, just with superpowers. 

I wanted to look at a lesser-known Inhumans story, so I thought I'd look at one that answered a question regarding the Marvel comic universe's history. You see, in Fantastic Four #45 (December 1965), we are first introduced to the Inhuman Royal Family as a group. But that still left one question: How did the Inhuman Royal Family end up in hiding in New York City? Well, in the dawn of the 90s, we finally got the answer. This is The Inhumans Special #1!

The cover is a Richard Howell piece. It's pretty good. It shows the Inhuman Royal Family sadly leaving Attilan, while a triumphant Maximus cackles madly in the background. It does feel like a Silver Age cover, which makes sense as the Inhumans were a part of the Marvel Universe's Silver Age.

"Remembrances of Revolutions Past"
Writer: Lou Mougin
Penciler: Richard Howell
Inker: Vince Colletta
Colorist: Richard Howell
Letterer: Diana Albers
Editor: Mark Gruenwald
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins, naturally, where many stories with the Inhuman Royal Family begin: in their home city of Attilan. There, Black Bolt enters a room that only he has access to. What is in the room that only Black Bolt can see?

"Zzzz...Made it, Ma! Top of the World...zzzz..."

The sleeping form of his mad brother Maximus. It's then that we start a flashback.

Many years back, around the dawn of the Age of Marvels, the mad Maximus used his mental powers to stir up an insurrection of Alpha Primitives, the slave race of the Inhumans. Three of these Alpha Primitives make their way to the Terrigen Chamber, the sacred place where Inhumans undergo Terrigenesis, the source of their amazing powers. This trio enter the chamber and expose themselves to the Terrigen Mist. Thing is, they use a much higher dose of the Mist than what is usually used in Terrigenesis. And as such, they undergo an incredible transformation.

"...we miss having hands."

Say hello to Trikon. Meanwhile, Black Bolt had been visiting the imprisoned Maximus, who rants and raves that the Inhuman monarch was the one who killed their parents, not Maximus. The big powerhouse hears of the rebellion and moves to quell it. During his short reign as king so far, Black Bolt has worked to improve things for the Alphas, instituting reforms to help protect them and improve working conditions. That's right, Black Bolt is a king for the working Inhuman. 

Medusa moves to protect her little sister Crystal. Maximus taunts her that there is no safe place to hide, as the Alphas will move for the palace. Medusa just mutters that she has half a mind to throw him at them. Would have saved the Inhumans a lot of trouble if she did.

Gorgon and Karnak take on the Alphas, while Trikon rescues Maximus. Medusa goes to engage Trikon in a flying sled-like device. The machine's blasters only make the Trikon laugh, and they blast the redheaded royal out of the sky. Black Bolt and Lockjaw move to engage the Trikon themselves. Lockjaw helps create a portal to the Negative Zone, and with a slight whisper, Black Bolt knocks Trikon into the portal. So, what of Medusa? Well, she's...alright.

"...did I leave the stove on?!"

Alright, but amnesiac, presumably due to the injures and trauma. The rest of the Royal Family find Maximus sitting on the throne, wearing Black Bolt's crown. Thing is, Maximus is insane, not stupid. He knows that the rest of his family will want him back in prison, so he has some insurance.

"Hey, son! He found out about the bootlegging!"

Yup, Maxie's got Gorgon's parents hostage, and he has no qualms ordering their deaths. The hot-headed Gorgon is forced to put the man down. Maximus leads the Royals to where he's keeping his hostages.

"I'm going to make them sing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'!"

He's taken the best and brightest minds of Attilan and gathered them here. Among them is Gorgon's mother. Supposedly, we don't actually see her. An enraged Gorgon attacks two of Maximus's loyalists, and in response, they kill two of the hostages. Based on Gorgon's reaction, we can assume his mom was one of them. Again, we don't see it, but we can assume. Maximus demands that Black Bolt hand him the crown...even though he was shown wearing the blasted thing earlier.

Black Bolt struggles with the decision. It's no secret that under Maximus, Attilan will become a fascist state. Maxie does have a tremendous ego and genuinely does not care about anyone else. The Royals can fight back, but it could cause more bloodshed. It might end with everyone dead. Black Bolt ultimately decides the potential deaths are not worth it...and abdicates the throne. The people are angered with him about this, and I would not be surprised if Maximus is subtly using his mental powers to stoke these fires. It's something he would do. Lockjaw gets them out of there.

Maximus orders the head conspirators in his rebellion killed, as they're no longer useful to him. Unsurprisingly, he never cared about the Alpha Primitives' desire for freedom, they were just a means to an end for him. The other Royals find Medusa's crashed sky-sled, but no corpse. There's hope Medusa's alive.

The Royals spend months looking for the missing Medusa. During that time, their appearances and powers get people frightened and angry. Gorgon rescues Crystal from a group of angry villagers that look like the came right out of a Hammer horror movie. They wanted to burn her like she was a witch or something. He then heads off, saying he'll be back in two weeks. Where is he going? Well, he's not going to grab a pizza. Although I would not blame him for wanting one. Mmm, pizza...

Gorgon has actually returned to the Great Refuge of Attilan. He ambushes a couple of guards, demanding they take him to Maximus. And of course they do, as they really don't want to get kicked by Gorgon's hooves anymore. Hooves hurt.

Maximus decides to hear Gorgon out. The powerhouse offers a deal: he allows the other Royals to come home, and they won't revolt against him. After all, Crystal needs a home and friends her own age, something she can't have in the human world. Not to mention Medusa is presumably still alive. Again, Maximus is crazy, not stupid. He accepts the deal but makes two conditions: the other Royals find and bring back Medusa. Her being alive and well will help him look good in the eyes of the people. He also will release his hostages, but Gorgon's parents will still remain under house arrest. It'll help keep the hotheaded Gorgon in check. Gorgon agrees but wants to see his parents. 

Maximus agrees to this. He asks another Inhuman called Seeker to take him to where they're being held. As a result, we get a nice reunion.

"Oh, son! He wouldn't stop singing Smiths songs! It was horrible!"

Huh, so his mother wasn't one of the hostages that was shot earlier after all. That's good. However, Milena (Gorgon's mom) has some sad news. There was an attempted insurrection against Maximus with Gorgon's dad being one of the ringleaders. It failed, and he was killed...by the Seeker.

An infuriated Gorgon isn't able to do anything about it, as Seeker blasts him with a stun ray. He wakes up outside of Attilan. The Inhuman heads out on his mission, knowing he's being used. But that doesn't matter. He'll get his revenge on Maximus. So, where is Medusa? Well, she's found herself in the wild streets...of Paris. 

Medusa is fleeing from an angry crowd, some seeing her as a monster, others wanting attention. The redheaded royal manages to make her way into a building, where she finds some company.

Paul's attempt at hairdressing went horribly, horribly wrong.

Meet Paul Dumas, thief extraordinaire. Unlike the rest of the crowd, he sees something special in Medusa and offers her some refuge. He finds a bit of commonality with her, as she does not remember her past, and he has no use for his. Over the next few weeks, Medusa and Dumas become the scourge of Paris, her prehensile hair and beautiful looks allowing her to enter places and make off with the jewels. 

In their apartment, Dumas notes that Medusa is unhappy. It's because she is still unaware of her own past, and their adventures together have given her no hints or clues. As such, she wants out.

Paul then calls the police on her. After all, the man is not only a thief, he is living proof of the phrase "no honor among thieves". While fleeing from the cops, she runs into Gorgon. The two briefly scuffle (Gorgon not wanting to harm her), but she wins and keeps on running. She eventually finds a place to hide out in an island in the Mediterranean. She would eventually be found by Bentley Wittman, aka the Wizard. This leads to her being part of his villainous team known as the Frightful Four, as shown in the events of Fantastic Four #36, #38, and #41-43. Thanks to these activities, Gorgon finds her...but so has the Seeker. This leads to the events of Fantastic Four #44-48. 

After the events of #48, Gorgon is after Maximus's blood. However, Maximus was prepared for this. He secretly put a device in the headband the hooved powerhouse wears to hit him with a nasty electric shock.

Thank goodness for Black Bolt! He removes the headband. But Maximus has another trick: He's able to control the mind of Black Bolt.

"And now, Black Bolt...DO THE FUNKY CHICKEN!"

Through a bit of cleverness, Gorgon convinces Seeker to kill him himself. Seeker agrees, and blasts at the powerhouse. However, the hooved hero is able to make the blast hit the tuning fork on Black Bolt's head. This causes feedback that knocks Maximus silly. 

Seeker uses his gun to create a massive, weighted object to pin Gorgon down...except for his legs, which he uses to create a shockwave that gets Seeker crushed. Literally. Gorgon's okay, though. The object protected him from the worst of it. Gorgon also got something else: Satisfaction. He avenged his father, his mother is okay, and Maximus is now presumably a harmless gibbering moron. There's still work to do, rebuilding Attilan and working on a way to free the city from the barrier Maximus covered it in, but for right now, things are okay.

The story ends with a return to the present time, lamenting Maximus's fate. The story ends with Medusa asking Blackagar to walk her home.

I did enjoy this comic. I do have a couple minor issues, mainly the portrayal of Crystal. You see, when I read Fantastic Four #65 (her first appearance), I always got the impression that she was around Johnny Storm's age, around the late teens at youngest. But here, she's portrayed and drawn almost like she's a child. I get that she's the youngest of the Royal Family, but I never got the impression she was a little kid in the old stories. Trikon is a one-note villain, created just to give the Royals something to fight. I would have liked to see...them? return. Maybe to give more depth and cause further problems for the Royals in the future.

Howell's art to me has a bit of a storybook quality. It's what I imagine a fairy tale looking like. It really feels unique to what superhero comic art was like, especially in the early 90s.  

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback The Inhumans: By Right of Birth. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

National Sandwich Day

Today is National Sandwich Day!

The concept of mixing bread with other foods is a very old one, found in many cultures. However, the sandwich as we know it was believed to be created by John Montagu, aka...the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The legend goes that while he would play cards for long periods of time at gambling houses, he would order his valet to give him some roast beef between two pieces of toasted bread. This allowed him to enjoy some food while still playing cards, and the bread would help keep his hands clean from the beef's grease. 

Sandwiches would become a popular food in London in the 19th century. The rising working class needed a food that was quick to make, inexpensive and compact. The sandwich was perfect for that role. It became a universally appealing food item a time went on, with various countries having certain sandwiches that are considered their own. For example, in England, the country of my birth, a popular sandwich there is a bacon butty. Mmm...bacon butty...

So, go enjo yourself a delicious sandwich today! Thanks for reading this blog entry! 

The Mighty Thor #446 (April 1992)

The Marvel Universe does have its fair share of crazy stuff. Advanced alien life forms, monsters that go bump in the night, human beings born with powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men. However, that does not mean that people in the Marvel Universe do not have to live with the issues that plague people here, including war. 

The Earth of the Marvel Universe, much like our own, was no stranger to war. But unlike our world, Earth has been dragged into intergalactic wars, most notably the Kree-Skrull War. In 1992, the Marvel Universe Earth had gotten caught up in another interstellar war: one between the Kree and the bird-like aliens known as the Shi'ar. This would become known as Operation: Galactic Storm. I've talked about Operation: Galactic Storm in the past, most notably in my reviews of Quasar #32 (March 1992), Captain America #400 (May 1992), and Captain America #398 (March 1992). I freakin' love this crossover. I think it's one of the more underrated events that Marvel has put out in its long history. So for this week, I thought I'd take a look at another comic from this crossover, one that focuses on a certain Thunder God. 

Well, sort of. You see, at this time, Eric Masterson was using the hammer of Thor. That was because of the events of Thor #408 (October 1989). As a mortal architect posing as the God of Thunder, interstellar cosmic adventure was still a bit new to him. But despite that, Earth still needed him to keep the events of Operation: Galactic Storm from causing problems for Earth? So, was he a help? Let's find out in The Mighty Thor #446!

The cover is a Ron Frenz and Al Milgrom piece. I think it's pretty good. We have the group of Kree heroes known as the Starforce facing off against the Shi'ar's superdefenders known as the Imperial Guard. And the Avengers are right in the middle, just swept up into the whole thing. I like this cover because it's really encapsulates Operation: Galactic Storm in cover form: the Kree and Shi'ar are duking it out, and the Avengers are caught in the middle of it.

"Operation Galactic Storm, Part 14: Now Strikes the Starforce!"
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Pat Olliffe

Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Gina Going
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins on the Shi'ar throneworld known as Chandilar. A group of Avengers [Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff), Wonder Man, Living Lightning, and Monica Rambeau (going by Captain Marvel at the time)] are being escorted to meet Lilandra, the head of the Shi'ar Empire. Among the Avengers there are Eric Masterson, who currently has been wielding the hammer of Thor. 

This team-up is going to be friggin' awkward...

We get a little bit of character stuff here, Imperial Guard member Hussar grumbling about her teammate Hardball, Thor and Smasher being snippy with each other, and a conversation between her fellow Guardswoman Astra and the Avenger Starfox.

No, not that Starfox, the Eternal. If you ever saw the film Eternals, he made a cameo in that movie, portrayed by Harry Styles. The group meet up with Lilandra.

Monica asks Lilandra to find a peaceful resolution to the war between the Shi'ar and the Kree. The Shi'ar have been using stargates positioned near Earth's sun to transport men, equipment, and supplies. Problem is, those stargates have been causing Sol (Earth's sun) to flare up, which can endanger Earth. Lilandra's retainer, Araki, scoffs at this. As far as he's concerned, Earth is nothing more than a backwater world. Basically, he sees Earthlings as space rednecks. Nobody's going to care if they get wiped out. Heck, as far as he's concerned, the universe's collective IQ would only improve if Earthlings were gone. And I admit, in some ways, I can see why he thinks that. 

Smasher points out that Thor had brawled with Gladiator earlier, in Thor #445. Eric notes that Gladiator attacked the Avengers without provocation. Starfox and Living Lightning try to hold Eric back from introducing the alien superhero's head to his hammer. Lilandra's basically tired of this, saying "GET OUT!"

She would end up regretting asking the Avengers to leave, as it's then that the Kree Starforce shows up.

"We're here to kill Lilandra and chew bubblegum. And we have no bubblegum."

If you wanted the film Captain Marvel, you may be familiar with the Starforce. That version is a bit different from the comics. From left to right, you got Korath the Pursuer, Supremor (basically a robot that is guided by the Supreme Intelligence, Ronan the Accuser, Ultimus (a Kree Eternal. Yes, the Kree have Eternals in the comics), and the cyborg Shatterax.

They're here to kill Lilandra in retaliation for her sister Deathbird taking out the leaders of the Kree in Avengers #346. Meanwhile, the Avengers are being led to their room, where Monica blasts Eric for only using his muscles and mouth instead of his head. She points out that for a being as powerful as he is, it can get someone killed. She is not wrong.

Elsewhere, Lilandra is thinking about the war. Araki tells her the Shi'ar need her strength, courage, and conviction to win the war. But she is tired. The Nega-Bomb they sent will likely kill billions of Kree. It would end the war, but the victory will be pyrrhic at best, considering how many Shi'ar have died already. She considers recalling the bomb and suing for peace. Araki's reaction is...interesting.

"I cannot wait to show her this sweet dagger I got!" 

However, Lilandra is unknowingly saved by the Imperial Guardsman known as Earthquake. He's got watch duties over her tonight. Elsewhere, the Avengers pick up the sounds of a fight.

You can guess who is brawling.

"I'll make you pay for tripping me!"

Yup, it's a donnybrook between the Shi'ar Imperial Guard and the Kree Starforce. Mr. Regal, I think you know the perfect way they can settle this.

Starfox will check on Lilandra. After all, he always preferred being in the company of a beautiful woman over being in a fight. But before we see the fight, we look in on Wonder Man and the Vision, who have ended up inside a Nega-Bomb, a powerful Shi'ar weapon meant to be detonated in the heart of the Kree Empire. The Nega-Bomb is basically a big fat space nuke. The Vision notices that a new force has taken control of the bomb.

"🎵Doo do doo, movin' the bomb, doo do doo...🎵"

Skrulls?! It actually does make a bizarre bit of sense. As anyone who knows about the Kree-Skrull War will tell you, the Kree and the Skrulls do not like each other. The two races had been fighting for a very long time in-universe, so I can imagine the Skrulls will be all too happy to outright help the Shi'ar blow the Kree into space atoms.

Back to the Shi'ar throneworld! The Avengers jump into the brawl between the Kree Starforce and the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Lilandra watches the brawl, and Starfox notices that Araki is sneaking off. The Starforce member known as Ultimus tries to kill Empress Lilandra. Starfox tries to stop him using his mental powers, but it has no effect, as Ultimus is an Eternal himself.

Scarlet Witch and Astra take down Korath, while Living Lightning teams up with Hussar to take down Supremor. Hardball and Captain Marvel defeat Shatterax, and finally, Ronan the Accuser himself is defeated by a team-up of, well...Eric Masterson and Smasher of all people. 

"What does shabby mean?"

I get the feeling Smasher would have gotten along better with Thor Odinson. As for Ultimus himself? Well, he's able to beat Starfox (after all, unlike Eros, Ultimus is more of a warrior), but he gets taken down by Lilandra herself.

"They forgot I keep a BFG in my cape."

Yeah, Lilandra may be regarded as one of the nicer Shi'ar monarchs (at least from the persepective of Earth's superheroes), but that does not make her soft. In a bit of a mix of heartwarming and awesomeness, she tells Starfox that his courage in facing Ultimus makes her feel ashamed...but is also inspiring. She agrees to recall the Nega-Bomb and sue for peace. However, there's one problem: The Nega-Bomb is already nearly at the stargate to enter Kree space. And when it does, well...Kablooie goes the Kree.

I enjoyed this comic. We get some action, a light bit of humor, and some political intrigue. I liked the little interactions between the Avengers and the Imperial Guard. For one, I think it helps show that the Guard, who really tend to not get a lot of spotlight on their own, aren't just generic aliens created strictly for the purpose of giving the X-Men or whoever someone to fight. They actually are characters in their own right. And that's really cool. I would have loved to have written an Imperial Guard miniseries set right after the events of Galactic Storm, seeing how they think about the Shi'ar conquest of the Kree.

The only real complaint I have is the art. Now, Pat Olliffe is not a bad artist. I'm more familiar with his work on Untold Tales of Spider-Man, and I like his art on that book. I'm thinking that maybe it was because he was more polished as an artist by Untold Tales (which started in 1995). Olliffe's art here feels rougher. However, it's not terrible. I have seen far worse.

If you want to read this for yourself, I suggest tracking down the 2006 trade paperback Avengers: Galactic Storm Vol. 2. It's also been collected in the 2017 (reprinted in 2022) trade paperback Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 22: Operation Galactic Storm. Either way, this crossover is really underrated and deserves a lot more love. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Day of the Dead

 Today is a Day of the Dead.

No, it is not a George Romero horror movie. Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a Mexican multi-day holiday that is traditionally celebrated in the first two days of November. 

It's a day for families to gather together to remember loved ones that have passed away. These celebrations can take a festive tone. Families on this day will build alters called ofrendas. These ofrendas will often be decorated with the honored dead's favorite foods and drinks. Family members will also visit the graves of lost loved ones and leave said foods as gifts for them. The deceased are also honored with calaveras and marigold flowers. These have become a symbol for the holiday, much like holly for Christmas, or turkeys for Thanksgiving. It's kind of appropriate that this comes right after Halloween, when the veil between the living at the dead is at its weakest. 

Day of the Dead celebrations can be festive, and it's heavily observed in Mexico. Places with lots of Mexican populations also can observe it, like the United States. The origins of the holiday are rather uncertain. Some scholars link it to rituals from indigenous populations, but others say that the day can be traced back to the early 20th century rebranding of a Spanish tradition developed under the presidency of Lazaro Cardenas to help give Mexico to help promote Mexican nationalism. Either way, Dia de los Muertos has become one of the most famous aspects of Mexican culture.

I hope you learned something neat about this holiday from here. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!