Marvel: The Lost Generation #3 (December 2000)

It's that time again! It's time to take a look at the adventures of the Lost Generation of Marvel Super-Heroes!

Last time, we saw tragedy on two fronts: the First Line suffering their first fatality in battle, just as America will end up losing its Camelot thanks to an assassin's bullet. And for one member, he truly could not go home again. On the other hand, we got a good laugh by seeing the start of a new partnership. As we go further back in the First Line's history, we ask ourselves this, what other threats did the Line face? Well, did you know that the Line once battled a villain from the 1950s? You'll see what I mean when they face a certain wannabe Fu Manchu in Marvel: The Lost Generation #3! 

The cover is a John Byrne and Al Milgrom piece. It's...alright. It depicts the Yankee Clipper and another character facing off against the armored forces of the Golden Claw in front of a cityscape, the man himself looming over them while holding what looks like an action figure of Namor the Sub-Mariner in his hand. Yeah, the Claw is very protective of his action figure collection, and he will never let anyone else get their grubby little paws on them.

"Mad to Live"
Writers: Roger Stern, John Byrne
Penciler: John Byrne
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins at the Rocky Mountains-based hideaway of the First Line, where they're engaging in some relaxation. Well, relaxation for them, anyway. It's spring 1961, and the Yankee Clipper is showing how strong he is by doing some one-armed pushups with Liberty Girl and Nightingale standing on his back.

The exercise isn't just for showing off, though. It's also a way of examining Patrick Carney's physical limits, even with his strength-enhancing power belt. After all, you never know when the group will face the Red Front again. Kid Justice, aka Timothy Carney (Patrick's younger brother and the future Mr. Justice) comes in with a newspaper. It's got an announcement. 

"Oh my God, a new petition to free that mad horse!"

Not really. President John F. Kennedy has announced that he intends to have a man not only go to the Moon by the end of the 1960s, but also safely return to Earth. Of course, that does end up happening both in real life and in this miniseries, as shown in issue #6. Liberty Girl, Timothy, and Nightingale are feeling optimistic about it. However, Patrick is thinking about one thing: it's all coming to pass, just as "she" said it would. He remembers that Cassandra Locke told him about the Apollo 11 mission, which is now nearly a decade away. Liberty Girl remarks that Black Fox would have loved to see this, as he's a big space buff. Patrick decides to go talk to his brother privately. 

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a hip new hero has made the scene, a cool new heroic cat for the 1960s!

"You guys are the kings of Squaresville, man!"

Meet the Hipster, the swingin' new super-sensation of the Sixties! This man is Fred MacRae, his original identity before he became Captain Hip. A man is about to put a few bullets in him before he is rescued by Pixie. She uses her "pixie dust" to petrify the men that the Hipster is fighting. One manages to escape, needing to warn the "master". 

Pixie wants to be the Hipster's partner in crimefighting. The Robin to his Batman, that kind of thing. Thing is, the Hipster is a solo act at this time. Pixie pouts and flies off, saying she'll find a partner that'll show him up. And who actually bathes. 

Ah, don't feel too bad for Freddie. As past issues have shown, he won't be a solo act forever. As for the one man who got away? Well, he managed to make it to his master...

"You haff interrupted my bratwurst eating marathon!"

Yes, the menace named Plan Chu, but most men know as the Golden Claw (or the Yellow Claw as he was originally known). The Claw's associate finds the man's story a fairy tale, but Chu tells the associate (a former Nazi named Von Voltzmann) that the henchman only spoke the truth to him. After all, the henchman would not dare lie to the Golden Claw. Not to mention, it's the Marvel Universe. A superpowered beatnik would not be that strange. 

The Nazi remarks that they are in vexing times. The rise of the First Line is causing a new wave of superheroism to emerge. Von Voltzmann finds it as annoying as the era of the Invaders and the Liberty Legion during the war. The Golden Claw is not worried about that. After all, he has a little something they can use against the Line.

Page 10, Panel 1

Yup, Namor the Sub-Mariner himself. He was found by one of the Claw's operatives, amnesiac and wandering around. Which makes sense. This story is set in 1961. In 1958, Namor had an encounter with a mutant telepath named Paul Destine that left him amnesiac, as shown in the events of Sub-Mariner #1 (May 1968). 

Voltzmann sees an opportunity to get some lethal payback against the former Invader, but the Claw refuses to let him kill the human/Atlantean hybrid. Why? Well, Namor is a powerhouse. He nearly destryoed New York City before he became an Invader. A being that powerful is useful. Namor wakes up and breaks his bonds, demanding to know who did that to him. The Claw pretends to be a benevolent man named Tzing Jao, who wins Namor's loyalty. Namor seems to remember a faraway place...and that's when the scene shifts to Atlantis, where Namora reports to the then-monarch of the underwater city: Prince Byrrah.

"At least now Namor won't bother my plans for conquest...."

Byrrah thinks that with Namor gone, Atlantis needs all the defenses it can get. As part of that desire, he had a warlord named Krang pursue one avenue: meeting a geneticist named Vyrra to create a warrior to protect Atlantis. Yyrra has done that successfully, but he's going to need time for said warrior to grow to proper maturity. And he has given her a name: Mako. Yup, that's the same Mako that appeared all the way back in issue #12! 

Back to San Francisco! We're not there to get Rice-A-Roni, even though it is the San Francisco treat. We're there to check in on the Hipster. He's been hearing about some electronics thefts and is looking into it. He follows a car that has some of the thieves in it.

Unseen by the Hipster, the Black Fox is also around. He views the beatnik-themed hero as a loose cannon and decides to call in the Line for some backup.

Elsewhere in the city, Cassandra Locke materializes in a warehouse...in the same warehouse Plan Chu is using as a lair.

The man gives Namor a suit of armor that matches the armor of a group of men who swore fealty to the Fu Manchu pastiche. Outside, the First Line have gathered to kick the Golden Claw's head in. And they proceed to fight the armored minions of Chu, alongside the Hipster.

Nightingale senses Namor in one of the suits, the one holding back. She tries to heal him, but he pushes her away. She was able to clear up his mind enough that he realizes the Golden Claw was using him. Cassandra watches the fight.

Elsewhere, von Voltzmann and Chu have a nasty surprise for the Line.

"This machine will make the First Line into popcorn!"

The two are confronted by a furious Namor, who demands the Golden Claw tell him who he is. The Claw tells him not to come any closer or else he'll set off this bomb. The Black Fox is like "NOPE" and dropkicks him in the chest. The Claw reveals another nasty surprise: the bomb had a dead man's switch. And since Fox knocked his hand off it, the bomb is going to blow.

Cassandra tries to initiate a time-jump as the building goes kablooie.

Now, if you have read issue #12, you know this is not the end for our heroes. Nope, they still got about 20-25 years before they get taken out. It's here that the Yankee Clipper's little power belt is revealed to have unlocked a new trick.

"So that is what the green button does."

Looks like the Yankee Clipper got enough experience points in that battle to level up and unlock a new skill!

Sorry. I love RPGs. The Black Fox also survives, because, well...he's a Batman pastiche, and that comes with Batman-level plot armor. He claims that he's alive thanks to Lady Luck...

No, not that Lady Luck! She's not even a Marvel character! She's DC! Anyway, Fox managed to use a grapple line to get out of there. And even better? He got von Voltzmann. So, yup. At least they captured the Nazi war criminal. Nightingale senses that there's no one else in the building. Liberty Girl asks Hipster if he'd like to join the First Line. They have a great dental plan, after all. The future Captain Hip is impressed with the Line, but he finds being in a team too "square" for him. And with that, he's gone.

Black Fox also notes that he thought he saw the Sub-Mariner when he attacked the Claw. Yankee Clipper asks if he's sure, as the man's been missing for years. The story ends with him realizing the exploding base was one that Cassandra warned him about in the past. And now, she's on her way there to meet him...and her destiny...

This was a fun issue. It felt like a Silver Age adventure to a degree. I do wish that we got some idea of what the Golden Claw was doing in that issue, and why he wanted Namor under his power. Considering the fact that the Golden Claw had been having men steal electronics, I wonder if he had been building some kind of machine. It can't be that bomb we saw later in the issue, as it seemed like a contingency in case of superheroes, not the main part of a plan. 

I did also enjoy seeing the pre-Captain Hip Fred McRae. I can imagine that as the 60s went on, he transitioned his gimmick from beatnik to hippie to seemingly go with the times, and the hippies by then were more fashionable and fitting to his anti-establishment mentality. I do wish we got to see that transition. I also got a nice chuckle out of Black Fox surprising Kid Justice. I can see that being a bit of a running gag of the First Line's existence. 

John Byrne's art is enjoyable, but it is clear that his style here is a bit "rougher" than in the past. I have pointed this out before, but I think it's likely a mixture of age and possibly style refinement.

If you want to read this for yourself, you'll likely have to find it in the back issue bins. It was never collected in a trade. It was included in a 2018 Omnibus: The Marvel Universe by John Byrne Vol. 2. However, if Omnibuses are too big and expensive for you, well, you'll just have to find it elsewhere. I got the series on eBay. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! If you like what I write and want to give this blog some additional support, please make a donation to my Ko-fi! See you next time!