Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #1 (May 1984)

"This is going to be the biggest battle of all time. And I'm going to use this to keep a diary. I'll record whatever happens, so that the greatest war ever fought isn't...a Secret War."
- Spider-Man, Spider-Man: The Animated Series

In 1984, Marvel Comics's then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, had a bit of a conundrum on his hands. You see, the toy company Kenner had some success with a toyline they had based on DC's superheroes. Mattel wanted in on that superhero toy action, in case the cape-and-cowl type became the next big fad. As such, they came to Marvel.

Thing was, they wanted a hook. They wanted something to build the toyline around. DC had the long-running Superfriends series that was still going in various incarnations. Shooter had been aware of fan demand, especially among younger fans, for a big story featuring Marvel's heroes and villains all together. He proposed that to Mattel, and was given the okay.

The story was originally intended to be called Cosmic Champions. So, how did Secret Wars get its name? Focus groups. Yeah. No joke. Mattel found that kids liked the words "secret" and "wars". Shooter himself ended up writing the story as he felt he was the only one who could do the job. According to Shooter himself, Marvel's writers were rather...possessive of characters they were writing, which could lead to troubles over guest appearances an crossovers. As Editor-in-Chief, he could do whatever he wanted. He did work with the other editors and writers, to maintain continuity. Man, I wish current Marvel was like this with continuity. As such, Secret Wars does have some continuity stuff to consider. More on that later.

Secret Wars would leave behind quite a legacy in its wake. It was regarded as one of the first "event comics", including tie-in issues...of sorts. You see, in the ending of certain issues of some of Marvel's ongoing books at the time, an unusual construct appeared in Central Park. The device would then lure various heroes into it. The next issue of those books, they would return, having undergone change, and you'd have to read the mini-series to find out how they changed.

So, which books did the heroes get summoned in? Well, Spider-Man got summoned in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #89, Captain America and the Avengers in Captain America #292 and Avengers #242, the Fantastic Four were taken in Thing #10 (Yes, Ben Grimm had his own solo series at the time), the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #180, Iron Man in Iron Man #181, and the Incredible Hulk in Incredible Hulk #294. All these comics are cover-dated April 1984, by the way.

It led to major changes for many characters, some of which still had effects on the Marvel Universe to this day. It would get a sequel in 1985: Secret Wars II. It tied into almost every book Marvel was publishing at the time. Writer Steve Englehart and artist Keith Pollard would produce a second sequel: Secret Wars III, in the pages of Fantastic Four #318-#319 (September-October 1988). In 2015, Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic would write a nine-issue spiritual successor called simply Secret Wars.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at the first issue of Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars!

The cover is really awesome! Yeah, it's just a bunch of heroes all charging towards an unknown threat, but it's become iconic. It gives the idea that there's this great threat, so great that it requires all these heroes to join together to stop it. It's a cover that promises excitement.

"The War Begins"
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciler: Mike Zeck
Inker: John Beatty
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins out in an unknown region of space. Near an uninhabited galaxy, a strange construct appears.

Man, every sports team on the planet would kill to have a stadium like that. But this construct is hardly empty. It does have occupants. But who are these occupants?

Some of the Marvel Universe's mightiest heroes! Spider-Man (Peter Benjamin Parker), three of the Fantastic Four [Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch (Johnny Storm), The Thing (Benjamin Grimm)], the Incredible Hulk (Bruce Banner), the Avengers [Captain America (Steve Rogers), Iron Man (James Rhodes), Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Thor (Thor Odinson), the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne), Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau)], and the X-Men [Cyclops, Professor X, Storm, Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett), Rogue, Colossus, Nightcrawler, and Lockheed the Dragon]. Surprisingly, the X-Men's old nemesis Magneto is with them as well.

Yeah, as I said, there is some continuity stuff to consider. Sue Richards isn't here because of her pregnancy with her and Reed's daughter Valeria at the time. James Rhodes was using the Iron Man suit at the time because Tony Stark had been dealing with his alcohol troubles since Iron Man #169 (April 1983). Most of the Avengers are unaware of this change as they didn't know Tony and Iron Man were the same guy. In Avengers #168 (February 1978), Stark had left active duty as an Avenger.

Professor X is shown in a wheelchair...despite regaining his ability to walk in Uncanny X-Men #167 (March 1963). Next issue explains that. Cyclops had left the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men #176 (December 1983) after marrying Madelyne Pryor in the previous issue. You may know of her from my X-Factor #1 (February 1986) review. And finally, starting in Incredible Hulk #272 (June 1982), the Hulk had Bruce Banner's mind. It's a lot, I know. And I LOVE IT.

The heroes are confused, but they decide to take a roll call just to get an idea of who they are. This scene is kind of funny to me as you'd think all these heroes would know each other at this point, considering the many team-ups they had, especially Spider-Man. They spot another such construct nearby, but this one contains villains.

Much like the Marvel Universe's greatest heroes got gathered together, so did its vilest villains! Ultron. the Enchantress, Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius), Doctor Doom, the Molecule Man, the Lizard, the Absorbing Man, the Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Thunderball, Piledriver, and Bulldozer), Kang the Conqueror...and Galactus. Galactus just ignores everybody. Doom theorizes that they're being gathered to fight a war. Well, the storyline is called "Secret Wars", after all.

Much like for the heroes, there are some continuity notes for the villains, too. Ultron's clearly been rebuilt, as he was destroyed fighting the Thing, Machine Man, and Jocasta in Marvel Two-In-One #93 (November 1982). Curt Conners had last been seen in Amazing Spider-Man #243 (August 1983), cured of his transformations into the Lizard. And as for Doctor Doom...that's a bit more complicated. Like, X-Men complicated so bear with me here. At the time, Doom was believed to have been dead thanks to the events of Fantastic Four #260 (November 1983). In Fantastic Four #288 (March 1986), which was a tie-in to Secret Wars II (I warned you), Doom used an alien mind trick to occupy another man's body. Then, the Beyonder (I'm going ahead a bit here) restored Doom to normal and sent him back in time to participate in this story with no memory of the future. Yeah. It's complicated.

The heroes then notice that Magneto is with them...and they are none too happy about it. Captain Marvel calls him a "murderer" in reference of the events of Uncanny X-Men #150 (October 1981), in which  Magneto explains that he is hardly a villain, as everything he has done was in defense of his fellow mutants. He has no idea how he ended up in the construct, nor why he was among the "good guys". Professor Xavier senses something is about to happen, and the occupants of the constructs witness not a wall of white, but a wall of black consuming a galaxy. They then witness a new planet being formed from pieces of various worlds.

While this awe-inspiring event is going down, Absorbing Man and Doctor Octopus are more interested in picking a fight with each other. Ultron, the homicidal robot, finally realizes that he's among humans. And since he likes killing humans, he attacks his fellow villains. Doom realizes that Ultron is a big threat, as he as an indestructible adamantium body and a powerful fusion reactor inside of him. Luckily, one of the villains there can help with that: Owen Reece, the Molecule Man.

You see, Reese has the power to manipulate molecules, which is not far away from full-on reality warping. He could literally turn Ultron into water if he wanted to. However, he refuses. See, since the events of Avengers #216 (February 1982), the Molecule Man has been going to therapy to work out his mental issues. As such, he wants to be a normal man, live a normal life. You know, get a house, work a regular job, that kind of thing. He doesn't want to hurt anyone...even if that "anyone" was a homicidal robot who would try to kill him.

Doom convinces him to just simply use his power to toss him onto Galactus's leg. He does so, and the World-Eater notices the mad mechanoid. Using his own power, he brings up Ultron (who is trying to blast him), and absorbs his energy. The cybernetic murderer's lifeless body falls to the ground.

A big rift opens in the starless void, and a voice announces he is from "beyond". He wants the heroes and villains to fight each other. And to the victors? He will grant their fondest desire. Nothing is beyond his power.

Galactus demands that the "Beyonder" take away his endless hunger for planetary life-energy. He flies off towards the rift, Dr. Doom in pursuit. No doubt the Latverian tyrant wants to study the Beyonder's power...and to figure out how to obtain it for himself. The Beyonder puts up a barrier, and it knocks Doom back.

Galactus seemingly powers through, but even the Eater of Worlds is no match for the Beyonder.

The two constructs land on the artificial planet. The heroes disembark from theirs and Captain America naturally takes charge, ordering the heroes to keep their eyes peeled for any of the gathered villains. They don't see any, but Wasp points out Magneto is right here. She brings up the events of Uncanny X-Men #150 again, but Magneto counters that the sub fired on him first, and as far as he was concerned, it was an act of war.

Professor Xavier tries to calm everyone down, as the heroes may need Magneto's power to aid them against the villains. Cyclops agrees, pointing out the X-Men are not exactly fans of Magneto themselves. However, Hawkeye gets into Scott Summers's face, thinking that the X-Men are siding with Magneto because, in his own words, "You mutants stick together, huh?" Uh, Clint? Where have you been? Scott and Xavier are being practical right now.

The Human Torch decides to take on the Master of Magnetism. You know, using a pyrokinetic against Magneto is actually a clever idea. Heat can weaken magnets. Magneto responds by conjuring a metal rock from the ground and giving some of the heroes a faceful of it. Cyclops tries to stop the fight, but the non-mutant heroes are not in the mood to hear it. Magneto has no desire to see mutant blood spilled on his behalf, so he pulls a "screw you guys, I'm going home", and flies away with help from the artificial world's magnetic field.

With him gone, the heroes need to pick a leader. Reed Richards is suggested, but he thinks he's not up to it, as his thoughts are on Sue and her pregnancy with Valeria right now. He suggests the Hulk, but he's not interested. Ol' Jade Jaws suggests Cap do it, as he likes giving orders. Wasp agrees. She may be the leader of the Avengers right now, but they need a leader that has no doubts about it. Okay. Professor Xavier agrees, as he can sense that Cap has the courage they need. Amusingly, Wolverine grumbles that he won't follow Cap, as he "can't do anything". This is hilarious, because it would be eventually retconned that he and Cap met and fought together during World War II. Thor also vouches for Cap to lead.

Meanwhile, Doom had woken up.

Man, I bet Galactus really regrets eating that tequila planet right now. Doom finds a strange complex, where he thinks the other villains have ended up. True to Doom's deduction, the other villains are there, and they're checking out some of the tech and weapons inside. They have discussed things, and have decided that Doom should lead them. After all, with him in charge, there's no way they cannot get the prize. Doom is shocked by this. They have the potential power of gods at their hands, and Doom believes many of these villains want petty things like riches. The other villains don't take very kindly to that, and challenge Doom, but he blasts them.

He flies off in an aircraft, planning to converse with his most hated enemy: Reed Richards. Kang spots this, and blasts him out of the sky with an alien cannon. The heroes discover the explosion and go check it out.

They find Doom, possibly injured, but alive. Cap offers his hand to the mad Latverian, but Doctor Doom angrily refuses and blasts them. However, the heroes also have another problem.

The story ends with the villains charging towards the heroes. Kang is packing some futuristic heat, and the Wrecking Crew found themselves a mech. I'm guessing they were meant to be accessories for the toyline.

This was pretty enjoyable. It does a good job setting up the basic situation, including some other agendas. Magneto being brought among the heroes is an interesting twist, as he certainly does see himself as one, despite his actions more often than not being seen as villainous to people. Same with Galactus. It's easy to see him as a villain because...he eats planets. Planets that can have life on them. It gives a hint as to the "Beyonder"'s true reason for this whole thing.

I kind of found the way the other heroes interacting with the X-Men a bit...off-putting. I get what Shooter was going for. He was clearly going for the whole 'X-Men are outcasts, they're feared and hated', but it's hard to pull off in a gathering of heroes like this, in my opinion. Especially if they had met each other in the past. I liked the cliffhanger at the end. Very exciting.

Mike Zeck's art is rather interesting. His faces are very expressive, especially in close-up. Although I did notice something. Now I think this might be something from the reprinting process (Most of my scans come from the 2005 Secret Wars trade), but a lot of the details in the art seem to be lost. I have no idea.

All in all, I like this issue. Thanks for reading this, and if you want to give this blog a little more support, please share it around and drop a little tip in my Digital Tip Jar! Next time, in honor of the Punisher returning to Netflix for his show's second season, we'll take a look at when he first stepped in the Circle of Blood...

John Wick 3 Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2014, a Chad Stahelski-directed neo-noir film called John Wick arrived in theaters. It told the tale of...John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves. A former hitman for the Russian mob codenamed "Baba Yaga", he had recently lost his wife to a terminal illness, but got a puppy to help him cope. Things seemed well...until the moronic son of a Russian mob boss beats him up and kills his puppy. You can guess what happens next.

The film would receive great critical praise, with much of it going to Keanu Reeves' performance as the title character. It also was a big box office smash. In February 2017, the sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 was released. Like the first film, it was given much critical praise, and made a ton of money at the box office. So, yup...a third film is on the way. Let's take a look at the teaser trailer for the new chapter in the John Wick trilogy: John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum!

What did John Wick do?! They killed his dog! What'd they think he'd do?!

This is how John Wick exercises. Running with his pit bull in the neon glow of a rainy city. We call it the "80s-Cybernoir Workout". Really effective at burning calories...despite the pneumonia risk.

Is that...is that Anjelica Huston?!

Geez, John! Get a cab! I know you want to get to the new gun shop before it opens and all, but seriously! Get a cab!

Heh. John Wick vs. The World. I would not bet on the world winning this one.

GUN TO THE FACE. That would hurt.

I love the usage of that music to contrast the blinding violence.

Hey, Mark Dacascos! I loved him on Iron Chef! 

John killed a man with a book. Seriously, why is he not in a Mortal Kombat game? Can we get Netherrealm Studios on this?

Wick on a horse. That has to be a nod to True Lies! I love that movie.

John Wick of Arabia!

Halle Berry is right. Conversations with John tend to end in massacres.

Well, this sounds like a fun bit of action right here. I have seen a bit of the first one on TV, and I enjoyed it. Really got to see the whole first movie and the second one sometime. This film sounds like a ton of fun, and I hope it does well.

600th Post!

Hello to all my readers out there! It's a very special occasion here on this blog, as this...is my 600th post!

Yup. Nearly five years and 600 posts on this blog. I'm just as surprised about it as you all are. I never imagined I would still be writing on this thing after this length of time. But I am very glad I have. I have had so much fun writing about things I like on my blog, and I hope everyone who has read the blog has enjoyed my goofy scribblings.

I haven't done a lot on this blog...well, as much as I wanted to do, anyway. But I have managed to accomplish quite a bit. I spent two years looking over two of my favorite maxi-series: Squadron Supreme in 2017 and Crisis on Infinite Earths in 2018. This year, I am going to look at another maxi-series. Which one? Well, that's a Secret...and it's coming this week.

What do I want to do in the future? Well, I want to write more movie reviews. I have a big ol' collection of DVDs, and would give me more content for this little ol' blog. I kept meaning to do that, but I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator, and I get distracted easily.

I still have been writing my weekly comic reviews. I really enjoy doing them. I remember when I started writing my first comic review: New Warriors #1 (April 2014), nearly five years ago. It took me forever to write it, and it was a nightmare to scan panels for it. I am amazed by how much I've grown since then.

So, what am I up to on this blog? Well, as I said, I am working on looking at another big maxi-series this year. I am really looking forward to showing it to you. I am continuing my Text Play of Pokémon Mega Adventure. Once I am done with that game, I plan to look at Pokémon Zeta next, another fangame I enjoy. I do intend to keep the comic reviews coming, and maybe I'll finally get up off my butt and write a few more of my thoughts on movies I get off my butt and watch.

This year, I also joined Digital Tip Jar, so please drop in a tip, if you'd like.

I do want to say simply this: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you to everyone who has ever given my blog love and read what I wrote. I hope you continue to enjoy my wacky scribblings on this blog in the future.

Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2017, Marvel Studios released its 16th film: Spider-Man: Homecoming. It focused on the young Peter Parker as he dealt with the menace of the Vulture. I gave my thoughts on the movie here. Well, considering the critical and box-office success of the movie, it was a no-brainer that a sequel would be in the works. Well, here's the trailer for said upcoming sequel, the MCU's 23rd film: Spider-Man: Far From Home!

It's nice to see Spidey hailed as a hero. Eat it, Jameson! EAT IT JAMESON.

Aunt May discovering Peter was Spidey was so hilarious in Homecoming, so it's nice to see her supporting her nephew. I imagine that must've been quite the conversation.

Hey, wait? Is that F.E.A.S.T.? That would make sense. Aunt May worked there for a while in the comics. Does that mean Mister Negative could exist in the MCU, too? After all, in the comics, he did use F.E.A.S.T. as a front for his own criminal activities?

Peter's all like, "You better not be flirting with my Aunt, Happy."

Love that the Ramones are being used.

Peter's going to Europe! Hey, maybe he'll meet with the S.H.E. That'd be neat.

BFP on the suitcase. Aww, nod to Uncle Ben. I know some didn't like that his death was shown or mentioned in Homecoming, but I look at it like this. We've seen it before in many other adaptations. It's practically common knowledge by this point. It wasn't needed.

Welcome to Venice, Spidey!

Aww, Peter and MJ.

Yeah, I'm no expert at darts, but I know you're not supposed to throw them at other people's necks.

I get that you're a spy, Nick. But if you know Peter is Spidey, then you should know that Ned knew that as well. Nick does look tired. Like he's really had enough of this mess.

FLYING SPIDEY! Well, gliding Spidey, but great to see the web-wings in action.

Nod to Sandman there.

And the fire monster is likely a nod to the Molten Man.

And there's a nod to Hydro-Man.

I have to admit, I like Spidey's red-and-black suit there. The all-black suit also pays nice homage to Spider-Man Noir.

Oh. My. God. Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio suit. IT LOOKS SO GOOD.

THE FISHBOWL! HE HAS THE FISHBOWL ON HIS HEAD! YES!

The epic orchestra remix of the 60s Spider-Man theme is wonderful.

I'm guessing the blonde is Gwen Stacy. Protect Ya Neck, Gwen.

I am so happy for the detail of Flash being a big ol' fanboy over Spidey. Just like in the comics.

I have heard this film was set after the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, and it's led some to complain that it's spoiled that movie. Well, here's the thing. Infinity War and Endgame...are based on the original 1991 Infinity Gauntlet comic storyline. I reviewed the first issue of it here. In both comic and movie, Thanos did wipe out half the universe, including lots of heroes. And at the end of the comic version of the story, they were restored to life. So, based on that, it's not so unreasonable to assume that in Endgame, the heroes Thanos dusted would be restored to life. So yeah, not as big a deal as you'd think.

Basically, I am excited for this movie. As a big Spider-Man fan, I loved Homecoming, and I am so excited for Far From Home! I love the idea of Peter Parker having to stop a villain in an unfamiliar place, and Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio looks INCREDIBLE. I cannot wait for this movie!

Thanks for reading! And if you really like what I writer and want to give some extra support, feel free to please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar!

Movie Review: Aquaman (2018)

In 2017, the King of the Seven Seas, Aquaman, made his big debut in the film Justice League. I gave my thoughts on it back in November 2017...and there was a lot more I wanted to say, but I couldn't out of a desire to keep my review as spoiler-free as I could. I thought it was an alright film. Could've been better.

But one of my favorite parts of the movie was Jason Momoa was Aquaman. He was the 'fun guy', and I enjoyed him in the movie. Well, his solo film has arrived, helmed by one James Wan...although I think they should have done this before Justice League. But I'd better stay on topic. Did I enjoy Aquaman's solo debut, or did I think that it should be buried in Davy Jones's locker? Let's find out!

Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as the titular character, reprising the role from Justice League. Basically, there's trouble brewin' in Atlantis. His half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) is in the mood to kick the surface world's butt, and only Arthur Curry can stop him, by retrieving a sword from the stone, I mean, a trident from the ocean. And he's going to need the help of Mera (Amber Heard, also returning from her cameo in Justice League) to find it.

I loved that this film did subvert certain tropes that we often do see in adventure movies like this. I also thought it was great seeing Amber Heard's Mera actually doing things and being awesome. I admit, I was a bit annoyed with her cameo in Justice League, as I kind of felt it was just there just to basically, for a lack of any better term I can think of, provide some cleavage. But here, Mera is important. And that is awesome.

I also liked the visuals of the movie. They were incredible. Seriously, they are spectacular. Kudos to the effects people working on this movie. They were a joy to see. There was one effect that made me tear up. The final battle was incredible, one of the coolest final battles I had ever seen. It helped that it was underwater, which is something we don't see very often...at least, in my experience as a film watcher.

The film has a strong theme of family and love throughout. In a way, love helped save the world. No spoilers. I thought the performances in the movie were really well-done. I enjoyed seeing Willem Dafoe as Vulko, and it was a surprise seeing Dolph Lundgren in a superhero movie. There was a real tone of them trying to move away from the forced darkness of Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman. Zack Snyder was one of the executive producers of this film, but I like to think James Wan and the cast locked him up in a footlocker during the duration of the film's production.

I have heard this film get criticism for it's length. I do agree, I think it felt a bit long, but at the same time, it wasn't bothering me. I did feel the romance between her and Arthur did develop a bit quickly, but it wasn't a big deal for me.

All in all, I really liked Aquaman. It was fun, intense, and very heartwarming in places. Give it a watch. I think the DCEU is finally on track.

Avengers #270 (August 1986)

When it comes to the Avengers, fighting big threats is just part of the job. After all, they are supposed to be the elite heroes of the Marvel Universe, the A-team, the best of the best. Whether the big threats are, the Avengers deal with them.

But...what if the Avengers' biggest threat hits them literally in their own home? Well, that's what happened to them in the mid-1980s. At this time, Roger Stern was penning the book. He had them face a variety of villains over his then-four years chronicling Earth's Mightiest, like Dr. Doom, Morgan Le Fey, and even an army of Hulks. At that point, he wanted to see the Avengers face a threat right on their own turf, a challenge worthy of them. But how was he going to pull this off?

Simple. Revive the Masters of Evil. At this point in Marvel's history, there had already been three incarnations of the villainous group. The first incarnation organized in Avengers #6 (July 1964). The second came about in Avengers #54 (July 1968), and the third was organized by Egghead in Avengers #222 (August 1982). The rosters changed, but they all brought headaches to the Avengers.

It's kind of understandable why the concept stuck around in various forms. What better challenge for a team of superheroes than a team of supervillains? And Stern was a fan of the idea himself for that exact reason. Thing is, he felt those previous versions failed to live up to the name. After all, they were the Masters of Evil. They should have been to villains what the Avengers were to heroes, the big guns. The villainous supergroup that every superhero prayed they would never cross paths with.

A group like this would need a strong leader. After all, it can be assumed that a group of supervillains would not all get along with each other. Enter Baron Helmut Zemo, 13th Baron Zemo. His father, Heinrich Zemo, founded the first Masters of Evil. Last appearing in Captain America #301 (January 1985), he was believed to have been killed in that issue. However, he was not the type to die easily.

Helmut despised Captain America, blaming him for his father's death and the ruin of his family. He wanted the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan to feel the pain he felt...but how was he to do that? Zemo decided on an 'eye-for-an-eye' approach. If Cap ruined his family, he'd do the same to his. However, Cap's biological family was long gone. But since he was freed from the ice, Cap managed to build a new family of sorts: his fellow Avengers. And with that, Helmut began work on a plan to not only recreate the Masters of Evil, but take the group to a new level. Stronger, better, and meaner than ever. They were going to live up to the name "Masters of Evil". And they were going to do it in a place where the Avengers would never expect...their own literal backyard. The Avengers would be...under siege.

Under Siege would be regarded as one of the Avengers' most popular stories, and it would even inspire Kurt Busiek to reunite some of the villains in the story for the Thunderbolts. Pretty cool, huh? Under Siege to me is a pretty underrated story (I think Stern's Avengers work in general is underrated), so I thought I'd give it a bit of a shout-out here.

And with all of that out of the way, let's take a look at the story that signaled the beginning of the siege of the Avengers: Avengers #270!

The cover is pretty nice. You got Namor front and center with protesters behind him. That's good, it's accurate to the story. We also get some of the classic floating heads of the other Avengers at the time. Monica Rambeau seems to be the only one concerned about Namor. Also, there's a little box promising a battle between Wasp and Moonstone. Good luck, Karla. You're going to need it.

"Wild in the Streets!"
Writer: Roger Stern
Penciler: John Buscema (Breakdowns), Tom Palmer (Finished Art)
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with protests at Avengers Mansion.

Evidently, they somehow managed to mistake the Avengers Mansion for the Xavier Institute. I kid, the protests are over Namor. You see, the Sub-Mariner had recently joined the Avengers, and it has led to some controversy thanks to his rather...mercurial moods towards humanity. One minute, he'll defend them and the next, he'll wage war on them. Man needs lithium.

People have their reasons for support and disgust with Namor being officially part of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. One member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars is supporting Namor because of his aiding the Allies as part of the Invaders during WWII. A younger man screams that Namor has declared war on the human race in the past. So yeah, Jason Aaron's take on Namor is not completely without precedent.

Some say Namor should have been arrested because of his past attacks on humans. However, he was given blanket amnesty. You see, in a then-recent Sub-Mariner mini-series, he was given this as a part of a move for Atlantis to get admitted to the United Nations. A group of men watch the news reports on this.

They note that public opinion seems very divided on the Sub-Mariner. One of the men, a Mr. Farrington, sees it as an opportunity to finally bring down the King of Atlantis. One of the men points out that they'll have quite a battle on their hands if Namor has the Avengers backing him up. Despite this, they agree to move on the opportunity.

Edwin Jarvis, the Avengers' ever-faithful butler, also watches this on TV. The reporter points out that the Avengers have made no official statement on Namor's membership status. However, there's a reason for it. You see, in Avengers #267 (May 1986), half the team vanished thanks to Kang the Conqueror. And as for the other half? They left to find their teammates. Happily, the Avengers are returned home thanks to Immortus. Monica Rambeau, who was Captain Marvel at the time, wants to discuss something with the Dane Whitman Black Knight.

In the last issue, Kang blasted her with a device that generated Darkforce energy. It ended up stopping her cold, and it wasn't the first time something like that happened to her. In Avengers #264 (February 1986), the Knight helped the Wasp get a better handle on her powers, so Monica figures he could do the same for her. Whitman agrees to run some tests. Jarvis points out the protests, and Hercules expresses outrage at it, despite the fact that he and Namor don't get along very well. Cap reminds him that they have the right to protest, and their not agreeing with the protestors doesn't change that.

Namor just watches silently, pondering his situation. The interviewers then focus on one particular protestor, a weeping widow.

 

She claims that her husband was a longshoreman, who was killed when Namor destroyed the wharf he worked on. However, a helicopter spots the widow. FBI Agent Derek Freeman, who was an ally of the Avengers at the time, sees the woman and recognizes her as Karla Sofen, aka the manipulative Moonstone. Her words seem to have an effect, as the anti-Namor crowd is driven to a frenzy. That's when Monica Rambeau makes her appearance...as only she can.

Her arrival does help defuse things a bit. The disguised Moonstone decides that now is a good time to make a tactical retreat. She is TOTALLY not scared of the Avengers, nope. Monica and Captain America are able to help calm down the crowd, and the Wasp alerts them that Moonstone is in town. She blasts a fire hydrant, and the explosion panics the crowd. Monica is able to generate some heat to melt the hydrant and close it down. Moonstone realizes she's going to need a bigger distraction to keep the Avengers away. And she finds in the FBI's helicopter.

KA-ZAP! She zaps the helicopter's tail rotor, causing it to head towards the ground. The landing will not be pretty. Namor flies out of the Mansion. He may have been told to stay out of sight, but he's not going to stand by while people die. He grabs the helicopter's damaged tail rotor, but is having trouble getting the leverage he needs to lift the vehicle out of the sky. Captain Marvel flies out to help, but she and Namor get caught in the helicopter's explosion. Moonstone hopes it killed them. Not likely, Karly. Namor is very durable, and Monica can turn into energy. The Wasp spots her, but Karla uses her intangibility to flee by going through the sidewalk to the sewers. The founding Avenger pursues her.

Karla is able to ambush the Winsome Wasp with a light flash. Their battle makes the street rumble and quake. A truck nearly crushes a man, but Hercules is able to save him. The Black Knight encounters Moonstone, who blasts at him in a panic. His sword, the Ebony Blade, absorbs the attack. Dane Whitman finds this odd, as the sword normally deflects energy attacks. Karla taunts him, saying she'll get him like she got the Wasp. An enraged Black Knight hurls the energy blast back at Moonstone, knocking her for a loop. But the Wasp flies up, reassuring him she's alright. Yeah, Dane had a bit of a crush on Janet at the time.

When Moonstone tried to zap Janet, she blew a gas main. However, Jan shrunk down to insect-size and rode out the shockwave, making the explosion hurt Moonstone more than her. With the streets calmed down, the Avengers are about to head to the park to see what they can do for Namor and Captain Marvel, but they're alright, and managed to get the helicopter's passengers out.

Some believe it was a stunt to make Namor look good, much to Derek Freeman's shock. But people will believe what they want to believe, even if it's utterly stupid. I've heard some pretty stupid conspiracy theories myself, so yeah. Wasp and Hercules are able to capture Moonstone and expose her little lie. She's put in a special harness that dampens her powers, and some cops take her away. Namor is then approached by a process server. Turns out the Sub-Mariner is getting sued. Oh God, Namor in court. Hopefully, he won't end up throwing a table at the judge.

Back with Moonstone! The two cops are having a little fun at her expense. After all, she's supposed to be this highly educated person (Which is true, as she is an expert in psychiatry and psychology), but yet she took on the Avengers by herself. The two cops take off their helmets, revealing themselves to be the Absorbing Man and Titania, two supervillains who had battled Avengers members in the past, namely Thor and She-Hulk respectively. They have a proposition for our Miss Karla Sofen...

Back at Avengers Mansion, their lawyer is looking over the summons. Well, a group of insurance investors (the men in the office we saw earlier), have sued Namor because in one of his rampages, he destroyed two billion dollars of property that was covered by them. Yup. That's a lot of damages. But wait, you may ask? Wasn't Namor given amnesty? Well, yes. He was excused from criminal charges, but he still can be sued in civil court. I have no idea if that's true. Anyway, the lawyer is confident they can win he case, but considering that this will be a major court battle and there will be a lot of publicity involved, he recommends a settlement. But Namor, being a fighter, wants to go to court.

Later that night, below the Mansion, Namor is visited by someone he is a not a particular fan of: his cousin Byrrah.

He and Namor may be family, but they don't like each other very much. Anyway, despite this, Byrrah has a message for the King of Atlantis: Attuma has got the throne of Atlantis, and has Namor's fiancée Marrina captive. It's clearly a trap, but Namor is determined to face Attuma, and get back his throne and girl. Black Knight suggests that he get the Avengers to help out as, you know, Attuma is no lightweight. He's a big-time villain.

Namor refuses, seeing this as a personal issue. The trap is meant for him and him alone. Hercules understands, as he sees it as a matter of honor. The God of Strength wishes him well as Namor heads out. This will be further elaborated on in Alpha Flight #36 (July 1986). The story ends with the Black Knight hoping this doesn't blow up in their faces. Wasp is not gonna be happy...

This comic was perfectly fine. I have no real complaints about it. Namor's entry into the Avengers is understandably controversial, as well, the man does tend to be mercurial when it comes to being a defender or menace to humanity. Keep in mind, back in 1940, Namor wanted to sink Manhattan underneath a tidal wave, which resulted in a battle with the original Human Torch. And that's just one thing he did. So yeah, one can understand why some would take umbrage to him being an Avenger. We also see one of the seeds of Zemo's big plan to bring down the Avengers. I'll talk more about it in the future.

I also have to give a shoutout to John Buscema and Tom Palmer for the art. Their work to me makes a nice blend between realism and the fantastic. It makes the classic superhero costumes look plausible. It's amazing, I love it so much.

Under Siege is one of the great Avengers stories. If you want to read it yourself, I have the 1998 trade Marvel's Finest: Under Siege. But it can be found in the 2016 Epic Collection Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 17: Under Siege. The Epic Collection is easier to obtain. Thanks for reading, and if you want to give this blog a little extra support, feel free to drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar!

Next time, it has begun. Marvel's greatest heroes and villains meet a being who can make their fondest desires a reality...

Double Cross Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in April 2018, I gave my thoughts on the announcement trailer for a then-upcoming game for the Nintendo Switch called Double Cross. It was a platformer game focusing on Zahra Sinclair, Agent of RIFT. RIFT was an organization dedicated to maintaining peace across the Multiverse. Well, the game is out, and there's a launch trailer for it! Let's take a look!

I can imagine Michael Moorcock would have words about this whole Multiverse thing...

I wonder how interdimensional travel can be a regular. Maybe some dimensions have resources others don't, stuff like that.

The idea of interdimensional crime has got me thinking of a Mafia all staffed with alternate version of one person, and that is hilarious.

Regulators of Interdimenional Frontiers and Technology. Nice.

Man, a comic about RIFT would be really cool.

I have to say, I love the main character's name. Zahra Sinclair. I bet she's English.

So, Suspect X is Carmen Sandiego? I'm kidding...but I bet it's Carmen Sandiego. Why not? She's stolen landmarks, she's traveled time before, I would not be surprised if she goes multiversal next.

Speaking of Carmen Sandiego, the game looks a mix of Metroid and her series, gameplay-wise. You have to jump around, fight baddies, and collect clues.

I'm guessing Zahra is the only RIFT agent we'll see that has done some actual field work.

Well of course it won't be easy. SHE HAS TO FIGHT A BIG FIRE-BREATHING DINOSAUR MAN WITH NO BACKUP.

Sheesh, I heard gambling can be addictive, but that guy makes it downright lethal!

Well, I guess I get why this game is called Double Cross. I wonder how Zahra will keep herself from going insane and paranoid with this.

I have to admit, this game has got my interest. The whole clue-collecting mechanic gave me a feeling of nostalgia for playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and combining it with Metroid-esque platforming is a pretty clever idea. I don't think it was ever done before, and if it was, I'm not sure where. It feels unique, and it looks like a ton of fun!

Thanks for reading, and if you want to give my blog a little extra support, please feel free to put a tip in my Digital Tip Jar!