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“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 156

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Fantastic Four 156
“Middle Game!”
Published December 1974
Writers: Len Wein and Roy Thomas
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Janice Cohen
Editors: Wein and Thomas
Cover: Bucker and Sinnott

Synopsis

To rescue his beloved Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer hypnotizes the Fantastic Four and delivers them to Dr. Doom, who further humiliates him. The FF, who submitted to the Surfer’s hypnotism to infiltrate Doom’s castle, break free of their confinement and defeat an army of Doom’s androids while Doom plans his next move.


What’s going on here?

This is the second of three comics in this arc (hence the story’s title) and a big improvement over the first one. It’s not great: there’s still a lot of purple prose, Doom’s ranting begins to get repetitive, and the FF-are-trapped-in-individual-cages plot device has become a cliché at this point. But the story is suspenseful — we really don’t know what Doom’s intentions are — and the action sequences are a lot of fun. Hopefully the conclusion of the story maintains the momentum of this one.

The credits for this issue are a bit odd, with Len Wein and Roy Thomas both credited as both writers and editors, but a note in the letters page explains that Wein intended to write the entire arc but stepped down to replace Thomas as editor. Thomas, slated to become the new regular writer, picked up the story halfway through. The Bullpen Bulletins further explains that Thomas is now “editor emeritus” (a lofty title for someone who just turned 34) while Wein is now running the show. This begins a chaotic period where Marvel went through five editor-in-chiefs in four years: Wein (1974-75), Marv Wolfman (1975-76), Gerry Conway (1976), Archie Goodwin (1976-78)and finally Jim Shooter, who took over in 1978 and restored some stability to the company.

What I liked

There’s some big, bold art from Rich Buckler, who seems to have gotten his mojo back, at least for this comic. This is a classic Doom splash page:


And I liked this action sequence:


Hidden in all of Doom’s scenery chewing, there was also this intriguing nugget of backstory, hinting at some unknown motivation for his hatred of Reed. I don’t know what he’s referring to, and I hope it’s revealed in the next issue:


What I didn’t like

As mentioned above, confining the FF in cages designed to counter their powers has probably been employed in half a dozen issues by now. At least in this one Ben and Johnny note how easy it was to escape.


Anything else?

This ad was cool. I wonder if I can still get these cars?


Overall

A marked improvement from last issue

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 155

22 Sunday Dec 2024

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Fantastic Four 155
“Battle Royal!”
Published November 1974
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buckler and Sinnott

Synopsis

The Silver Surfer attacks the Fantastic Four in Central Park, but rather than kill them, he explains in a lengthy flashback how he discovered his beloved Shalla Bal was the captive of Dr. Doom. To save her, Doom demanded that he destroy the Fantastic Four.


What’s going on here?

This is Len Wein’s first full issue was writer of the Fantastic Four and I wish I could say it was a promising debut. It’s not. The entire issue hangs on a tired comic-book cliché — one hero must battle another because of reasons — which in this case makes even less sense than normal. The Silver Surfer, with all his cosmic power and wisdom, is really so smitten by Shalla Bal than he sees no other way to save her but killing his friends? That at no point does he think it might make more sense to enlist the aid of the Fantastic Four and the world’s smartest man, Reed Richards? I’m fairly sure that’s what will happen in the next issue, but it doesn’t make this comic any less tedious. It doesn’t help that much of it is narrated by the Surfer, who, as scripted by Wein, speaks in ornate, purple prose. “So, to the crest of this planet’s highest peak I did fly.” Seriously, why does he talk like that?


What I liked

The opening sequence, where the FF is mugged in Central Park, has a fun, gritty-New York-in-the-70s cinematic quality to it. The muggers look like extras in “Warriors.”


And while we know what’s coming, it’s satisfying to see them get their comeuppance when they attack the Thing:


I liked the Doom reveal at the end, although it was pretty obvious the Surfer was in Latveria:

And this was fun: The Surfer hit Ben so hard he knocked off his shoes

What I didn’t like

For the umpteenth issue in the row, the Invisible Girl plays no meaningful role. In fact, she’s not even mentioned or seen in the comic.

As mentioned above, much of the issue is consumed with the Surfer lengthy and convoluted explanation of why he’s attacking the FF. After he unknowingly arrives in Latveria, he then stumbles across the FF battling robots. They are later revealed to be robots themselves, and the whole sequence ultimately has no bearing on the story at all, but simply serves as padding and a way to squeeze in another action sequence.



Anything else?

There’s a letter to the editor from future comics writer Peter B. Gillis. Also, Jane Starr wants a no-prize for naming her hamster Victor Von Doom.


I kind of want this Holiday Grab-Bag:


Overall

A boring slog

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 154

15 Sunday Dec 2024

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Fantastic Four 154
“The Man in the Mystery Mask!”
Published October 1974
Writers: Len Wein and Stan Lee
Pencils: Bob Brown and Dick Ayers
Inks: Frank Giacoia, Michael Esposito and Paul Reinman
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Giacoia

Synopsis

White returning from their battle with Mahkizmo, Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch and the Thing are attacked by a mysterious villain, leading to a lengthy flashback from an incident when the Thing and Torch were lured by the same villain into a trap, only for it to be revealed to be Mr Fantastic trying to teach them a lesson. After battling the villain in the present, he is revealed to be Nick Fury testing SHIELD’s new weaponry on the Fantastic Four.


What’s going on here

This is an odd, interesting issue. Most of the comic is a reprint of 1964’s Strange Tales 127, from a run of stories that were nominally Human Torch solo adventures but in this case also included Ben and Reed. It’s a hugely silly story by Stan Lee and very much a Silver Age framing, where a hero tricks a colleague or friend to teach them a lesson (this plot was a staple of a great many Superman and Lois Lane comics from the era). The new framing device is almost as ridiculous, with the reveal that Nick Fury attacked the team over Manhattan to test some new gadgets.

An editor’s note helpfully, and abashedly, explains that regular penciler Rick Buckler couldn’t make his deadline, so new writer Len Wein and penciler Bob Brown stepped into to save the day with the framing sequence. I would love to know whose idea it was to use Strange Tales 127 as the filler issue; I wonder if Stan suggested it.


As I’ve explained, I chose not to include the Torch stories in Strange Tales as part of this blog, mostly because doing so would slow down my advance through the main book (and with 700+ issues to blog, this is a project that is already ambitious enough). But reading this story for the first time makes me wonder if I’ve made a mistake; there’s a goofy charm to these early stories that I miss.

This is Len Wein’s first issue as the FF’s writer. The note suggests this is a regular gig but he only lasts a few issues before returning a few years later. Notably, this issue is colored by Glynis Wein, whom I believe at the time was married to Len, making this the first FF issue with a married couple in the credits.

Gil Kane again did the cover, with inks by Frank Giacoia. One of his better FF covers, I think. The cockeyed angle of the city background adds to the action.

What I liked

Dick Ayers pencils are rough but his layouts have flair, and Paul Reinman’s heavy inks add drama. This is a great panel:


I liked this sequence too:


It’s worth remembering how early in the FF’s history this takes place, coming out around the same month as FF 33. Hence Ben’s appearance wasn’t locked down across Marvel:


Stan’s script is also light and fun, and Ben’s quips are quick and clever. There’s also a nicely poignant sequence where Ben and Johnny thinks they’re about to die:


In an effort to celebrate Jack Kirby and restore him to his place as major contributor to Marvel’s success, there’s been an unfortunate backlash against Stan Lee, to the point where he’s been denigrated as a mere figurehead and flim-flam man who coasted on Jack’s labors. Issues like this, where Jack has no involvement, reveal how talented Stan was at scripting these characters. The first 102 issues of the Fantastic Four were a true partnership between two creative powerhouses. We don’t need to tear down Stan to build up Jack.


What I didn’t like

It should be churlish to point out the goofiness of the two plots in this comic, given one is a Silver Age relic and the other is reclamation job. I will instead note that once again Sue is not in this comic, and she and Medusa are only fleetingly mentioned. There is also this puzzling sequence, and I am legitimately confused by what Ben refers to as “half’a the blamed Thing”:


Anything else?

There is an interesting letter in this issue, calling out a response to another letter in FF 150, where the Dull Competition was mocked for comics that lacked drama and instead told stories about “a reporter, say, whose biggest problem is that some schnook down the hall keeps playing practical jokes on him” — a clear reference to Superman. The irony is that Strange Tales 127 is basically a story about an elaborate practical joke.

In the response in 154, presumably written by Roy Thomas, blame is laid at the feet of Steve Gerber, who would later go on to great heights at Marvel before becoming one of its biggest critics. The two letters are below and are an interesting glimpse behind the scenes at some inter- and intra comic drama:


Also, there are some cool ads in this issue (I’m pretty sure I had that Evel Knievel toy motorcycle as a kid):


Overall

A curious artifact

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Giant-Size Fantastic Four 3

08 Sunday Dec 2024

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Giant-Size Fantastic Four 3
“Where Lurks Death … Ride the Four Horseman!”
Published August 1974
Plot: Gerry Conway
Script: Marv Wolfman
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Colors: Stan Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Bucker and Sinnott

Editor’s note: As mentioned in my last few posts, I recently discovered four issues of Giant-Size Fantastic Four published in 1974 contained new material, and were not just reprints of back issues as I believed. I am belatedly going back and blogging about them, with this issue, which takes place between FF 150 and 151, being the last that is out of order. We’ll resume with Fantastic Four 154 with my next post.

Synopsis

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, seemingly characters from the Book of Revelations but in actuality aliens, each appear on Earth. The Fantastic Four together defeat Pestilence, then split up to beat War and Famine, before coming together again to conquer Death, all accomplished by triggering a curse-like “protection device” that sends them back to their home world.


What’s going on here?

This is a big, ambitious comic that feels like a classic annual story, and takes 30 pages to tell across four “chapters.” Unfortunately, it’s not that good, with an incoherent plot that tries hard to be profound but ultimately just fizzles out. Structurally it’s similar to the last Giant-Size FF, with the team facing some larger, metaphysical foe and splitting up before reuniting to triumph in the end. But while last issue’s time-travel to colonial New York and gangland Chicago had a goofy charm, there’s nothing much fun about war and famine, and the story can’t bridge the gap between the metaphorical challenges represented by the Four Horsemen and the comic-book realities of needing bad guys to punch.

The script is by Marv Wolfman, who at this point had been in comics for about six years at Marvel and DC, but primarily writing horror comics. This is his first work on the Fantastic Four and he would come back in a few years to have a longish run from FF 194 to 215 before returning to DC and taking on the New Teen Titans.

Giant-Size Fantastic Four also reprints FF 21, an important early story with distinctive inks by George Roussos. Read all about it here.


What I liked


I really did want to like this comic, because I loved the swinging-for-the-fences ambition of it. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a great concept (thanks, John of Patmos, the exiled ancient Christian who wrote Revelations) and in a comic book world populated with characters like Thor and Hercules, as well as Death and Eternity, they are obvious subjects for comic writers to take on. It’s a great idea for a big, annual-type story. But as discussed, Conway and Wolfman bit off more than they could chew here.

Rich Buckler rises to the occasion here, at least initially, with some of his best FF work, including the great splash page above, and a staggering, double-page splash that follows (pictured above). Unfortunately, his work falters was the book goes on.

I liked this sequence of Ben, in classic never-say-die mode:


There were some nice character interaction, including this one which offers some insight into Reed and Ben’s relationship (the sequence also at least acknowledges Sue’s existence, although she never appears or is referenced again):


Lastly, this was a fun way to end the comic:


What I didn’t like

Rather than simply let the Four Horsemen exist as mystical entities, Conway and Wolfman construct a very complicated backstory for them, which needlessly tangles up the plot. And despite their bluster about rending galaxies, they were very easy for the FF to defeat, leading to a highly anticlimactic ending.


The attempts to use the Horsemen to make some bigger points consistently fell flat and are, once again, a reminder that social commentary in a super hero comics is very rarely successful. For example, here is the introduction to a chapter set in Cambodia, site of a destructive civil are in 1974.


Reed’s subsequent attempts to force a Cambodian boy to eat are almost painful to read (the boy was under famine’s main control):


Johnny and Medusa’s encounters with War are similarly hard to read:


And the FF’s battle with their evil doppelgängers, conjured up by Death, feels pointless and like padding. The concept was done much more successfully in FF 75.



Overall

An unfortunate mis-fire

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Giant-Size Fantastic Four No. 2

01 Sunday Dec 2024

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Giant-Size Fantastic Four 2
“Cataclysm!”
Published May 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: John Buscema
Inks: Chic Stone
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Stan Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott

Editor’s Note: As discussed in my my last post, I belatedly discovered the four issues of Giant-Size Fantastic Four published in 1974 contained new stories worth blogging about here, so I am catching up over the next few posts. This issue takes place between the events of FF 149 and 150.


Synopsis

After completing a test flight in space for NASA, the Fantastic Four crash land in Florida and find the world is now inhabited by primitive ape-men. The Watcher appears and violates his oath (of course he does by) telling them someone invaded the Baxter Building and used Dr. Doom’s time machine to go back in history to disrupt events, changing the course of history (presumably, the FF were not affected because they were off-planet).

The Watcher sends Reed and Johnny back to the Revolutionary War, where they rescue George Washington from the British, and Ben and Medusa to Prohibition Era Chicago, where they stop gangsters from (somehow) preventing the Great Depression. Then, all four find themselves outside time, where they learn an immortal creature named Tempus engineered the events, using their mailman Willie Lumpkin as his agent, to bring about the end of time and cure his boredom. The FF defeat him and return to a restored Earth.

What’s going on here

There’s a lot to like in this comic. It has the fun, zany quality of old Lee / Kirby time-travel stories, and the chapters in revolutionary American and 1920s Chicago are well done. The story loses steam when the FF encounter Tempus, but it’s still an enjoyable read. More so than the last Giant-Size issue, this one captures the feel of an annual — a fun, meaty story outside the flow of the main comic.

Notably, the story also features the return of John Buscema, here inked by Chic Stone, and he does his normal excellent job. The cover is by Gil Kane, with Joe Sinnott’s inks.

What I liked

The sequence of Reed and Johnny rescuing George Washington was a lot of fun, and I particularly liked them sneaking around “a small town in upstate New York in the fall of 1777.”

The encounter with Washington is also satisfying.


Ben and Medusa’s trip to the 20s isn’t quite as interesting, maybe because the FF have been to the 1920s-themes Skrull planet, but it is an opportunity for Medusa to do, you know , something.

For some reason Ben was returned to human form in the 20s, and his reversion back is as tragic as always.


What I didn’t like

The sequence at the end felt forced, and as a villain, Tempus is not terribly impressive. He does show up a few times after this, most prominently in Avengers Forever, but he’s pretty forgettable and doesn’t pose that big a challenge to the FF, who basically beat him by knocking him over.


Also, the revamped timeline doesn’t make a lot of sense. It’s hard to see how the British winning the Revolutionary War and the Great depression being averted leads to sub-human creatures living in Florida. But hey, what do I know?


Also, not one mention of, much less an appearence by, Sue or Franklin.

Overall

A fun romp

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Giant-Size Super-Stars Featuring the Fantastic Four No. 1

28 Thursday Nov 2024

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“The Mind of the Monster!”
Published Feb. 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: Petra Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buckler and Sinnott

Editor’s Note: OK, this requires a little explanation. When I set out to blog every issue of the Fantastic Four, the idea was to limit it to the regular book and annuals just to make the project manageable. Thus, no Strange Tales issues with the Human Torch and I don’t plan to blog about Marvel Two-in-One featuring the Thing (I figure I will decide what to do with the FF-starring mini-series when I get to them). Because of this, I didn’t give much thought to the issues of Giant-Size Fantastic Four, in part because I believed them to be reprints, along the lines of recent annuals (notably, there were no annuals with new material printed between 1968 and 1976). Belatedly, it came to my attention that the five issues of Giant-Size published in 1974 included new Fantastic Four material, with the stories serving as sort of a cross between an annual and a second FF series (the issues also include reprints, making them “Giant Size”). The stories take place in FF continuity, but are unconnected to the main book. Since they seem to fall under the “regular book and annual” rule I made for myself, I’m going to blog about them here. Unfortunately, I discovered this a bit late, so the first few of these are going to be out of order. This issue, for example, falls between FF 146 and 147, when Reed and Sue are still separated.

Adding to the confusion, this first issue was called Giant-Size Super-Stars (which is one hyphen too many) because it was originally intended to be an anthology book. But it was later decided each of the comics would get their one Giant-Size editions (ie. Giant-Size Spider-Man), and this run was renamed to Giant-Size fantastic Four but it kept the numbering.

Synopsis

Finding himself in New York City, Bruce Banner seeks the help of Mr. Fantastic to prevent his transformations into the Hulk. Reed is absent, but with the Thing’s help, Banner uses the equipment in the Baxter Building to build a device to cure both he and Ben of their monstrous forms. Instead, the device switches their brains, and the now-enraged Hulk ends up in the Thing’s body and vice-versa. The two battle throughout the city, joined by Thundra, and are only stopped when Reed tranquilizes the Hulk’s body, returning him to Bruce Banner’s form


What’s going on here

This is a truly nutty issue, but very fun in an unhinged way. Almost nothing in it makes sense — from Banner’s crazy idea of using the radiation in his and Bens’ bodies to cancel each other out, to their minds being switched to Thundra’s random appearance to Reed’s deduction of what happened. But the story moves along briskly, the scenario is novel enough to be interesting and the fight between the Hulk and Thing never gets boring (as it did in FF 112) in part because of the swapped identities.

Hulk / Thing fights are a staple of Marvel comics and of the half dozen or so I can recall, this is one of the more enjoyable ones.

What I liked

There are some fun touches throughout the issue, including this exchange between Ben and Banner about Reed’s coffee maker (although I found it odd that Ben can get him coffee but not a shirt):


Buckler does a great job depicting the Hulk, including one of the best transformation sequences I’ve seen:


I also liked this exchange between Reed and Medusa (who, again, is otherwise basically sidelined in this issue):


What I didn’t like

I was willing to accept a lot of this issue’s goofiness, but the idea that Reed could plunge a needle into the Hulk — whose skin repels machine gun fire — was a bridge too far.


There’s also a lot of self-referential editor’s notes in this issue, like this mention of “Marvel Time Paradox No. 74.” They’re unnecessary and distracting.

This sequence also includes one of my pet peeves: the hopelessly confused treatment of New York City real estate. Are we really supposed to believe the FF are in a rent-controlled building?

Overall

This issue was a hoot!

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 153

24 Sunday Nov 2024

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Fantastic Four 153
“Worlds in Collision!
Published Sept. 1974
Writer: Tony Isabella
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Joe Rosen
Colors: Petra Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia


Synopsis

Mr. Fantastic, the Human Torch and the Thing manage to escape their confinement on Machus, the male-dominated world of Mahkizmo, only to be to sent to an arena, where they battle monsters alongside Thundra. Medusa arrives with Femizons from Thundra’s world, and the Thing and Thundra deal Mahkizmo a blow that detonates his nuclear power, and (somehow) merges Machus and the Femizon world, while returning the FF and Thundra to Earth.


What’s going on here?

There’s a lot to deal with here, but probably the most important development of FF 153 is that it was written by Tony Isabella, not Gerry Conway. The previous issue was Conway’s last on the FF, after a respectable 21 issue run (from 133 to 152) as either writer or scripter. His departure isn’t noted or addressed in the comic, and since it comes midway through a complicated arc, I suspect he didn’t leave on good terms. Conway was writing an insane seven or eight comics a month at this point, and maybe he just had enough. Isabella only lasts for one comic before Len Wein takes over for a handful of issues.

Isabella was a relatively new Marvel writer at this point — and he was enough of a fan that he had a letter to the editor printed in the FF only a year or two earlier — and unfortunately the handoff from Conway was not a smooth one. This issue is full of plot holes, clichés, and uses some awkward deus ex machina devices to reconcile a complicated story in a few pages. It’s unfortunate because, despite the clumsy Battle-of-the-Sexes framing, the multiverse concept Conway (and I’m guessing Roy Thomas) introduced here is a an intriguing one, and deserves more than the rushed treatment it gets here.

Also, it’s worth noting the cover is by Gil Kane, with inks by Frank Giacoia. Not their best work.


What I liked

There’s not much in this comic to get excited about. Bucker’s art, usually sturdy, felt rushed, but I did like this Kirby Krackle filled sequence.


What I didn’t like

It’s a long list. Probably the most egregious flaw in the comic is Isabella’s attempt to solve how the brutes of Machus and the Femizons will coexist. Basically, they’ll resolve their conflict by making out. While Conway and Isabella thankfully don’t dwell too much on this male/female parallel-worlds construct, it’s as painful and silly as the World of the 1950s / 60s storyline from about a dozen issues earlier. I can understand the impulse for why these writers want to tackle meatier subjects, but please guys, don’t tackle social commentary unless you have the space and ability to do it properly.


Equally maladroit was the explanation of why Thundra was returned to the FF’s dimension. Apparently “natural forces” wanted her there.


Also disappointing was the resolution of Medusa’s story arc and her mysterious disappearance. She traveled to Thundra’s world to recruit the Femizons, which would have been a cool way to defeat Mahkizmo, expect they last all of two panels.


There’s a lot of other goofy details, including various power- and will-sapping rays and cages, none of which are really necessary to the story and don’t make a ton of sense. There’s also the return of the FF-Must-Fight-For-Survival-In-The-Arena plot device, something we’ve seen at least twice so far in the Fantastic Four and will again many more times.

And, needless to say, Sue is nowhere to be seen in this issue, even after the heroes return to Earth.

Anything else?

This response in the letters page, probably by Thomas, was interesting and addresses the implications of Sue returning to Reed after their separation. It’s too bad they didn’t print the letter from Denys Howard, which sounds more thoughtful than most of the what got printed. A quick Google search reveals Howard went on to be active in the fanzine world in the late 70s.



Overall

Blech

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 152

10 Sunday Nov 2024

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Fantastic Four 152
“A World of Madness Made!”
Published Aug. 1974
Writer: Genny Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Jim Mooney
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: Jan Brunner
Cover: Buckler and John Romita

Synopsis

Thundra confronts Mahkizmo, who had just defeated most of the Fantastic Four, and as they battle they are transported to Machus, his male-dominated world (yes, I know – aren’t they all?). Mr. Fantastic modifies Dr. Doom’s time machine so the FF can pursue them, but when they arrive in the future dimension, they are again defeated and enslaved by Mahkizmo. Medusa escapes, but instead of freeing the rest of the FF, she uses the time machine to travel elsewhere.


What’s going on here

This issue continues the arc that began in FF 151. By now Mahkizmo and his bombastic rhetoric is starting to get tedious, and the story feels padded out with fight scenes that are pretty repetitive. I still like the multiversal plot, but the execution is not idea. The twist with Medusa is promising — we’ll see if Conway can stick the landing next issue.

The big development is the change of inker. Jim Mooney fills in for Joe Sinnott (John Romita Sr. chipped in to ink the cover) and the difference is pretty noticeable, with a rougher, thicker line. By this point, Mooney had been around forever, with his first credit in 1940 (!), and he worked pretty regularly until 1991. A true comics lifer.

Here are some representative examples of Mooney’s inks:


He’s not Sinnott (who is?) but the change is interesting.

What I liked

There were some fun moments in this comic, such as this exchange between Reed and Ben. I also liked Reed’s screen, which seems to use the Time magazine logo.


I also liked this line from the Torch. Very Walter White.


What I didn’t like

Sue is technically back, but in such a limited role that she might as well not be here. Of course, once she returns to the team she is immediately shunted to the side. Also, the way she’s carrying that machinery makes me wonder if it wasn’t initially drawn to be Franklin, then redrawn later.


Yes, I have complained Medusa doesn’t have enough of a role. And she’s a lot more present here. But this sequence doesn’t make sense. Mahkizmo, who bounces back from Ben’s blows, is knocked out by a wine bottle?


Anything else?

This feels an April Fool’s joke. Did Marvel really produce a comic called HITLER? (If it exists, I can’t find a record of it).


Overall

Pretty typical

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 151

02 Saturday Nov 2024

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Fantastic Four 151
“Thundra and Lighting!”
Published July 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rick Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: Artie Simek
Colors: Petra Scotese
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Buckler

Synopsis

The Thing and Human Torch’s clothes shopping is interrupted when an interdimensional warrior, Mahkizmo, invades the Baxter Building, demanding the whereabouts of Thundra. As he battles the FF (minus the Invisible Girl), Thundra explains to Medusa that Mahkizmo comes from a male-dominated planet parallel to her’s.


What’s going on here

Frequent readers of this blog know I regard this era of the Fantastic Four as a fairly uninspired one. While there are a few high points, mostly it’s a pretty dreary stretch between the end of Lee / Kirby and the beginning of the Byrne run. If anything , the period is notable for its silly plots and goofy villains, and while we’ve yet to get to the goofiest (Gaard, anyone?) I was bracing myself for this issue and the absurdly named Mahkizmo. Surely if any character embodied the lazy crutch of seizing on the news of the day and making it a comic story, it would be Mahkizmo, who—in his inevitable clash with the Femizon, Thundra—would caricature the mid 1970s, anti-ERA strain of American politics.

And yet, the issue wasn’t all that bad. There’s some fun characterizations, the plot is more nuanced than I expected and, despite the awful name and weird character design, Mahkizmo is a servicable villain. So much for judging a comic book by its cover.

What I liked

What redeems Mahkizmo is his absolutely savagery. As written by Gerry Conway, he just pummels the male members of the FF. There’s been other brutal characters, of course, but it’s hard to recall one that so completely overwhelms the FF.

His costume is a bit odd, and with all its straps, seems to foreshadow the 1990s look. Also, he appears to have taken off his shoes and is fighting in his socks in the double-page spread above.


Mahkizmo is really good at insults that reflect his contempt for his sissy-like enemies. My favorite is “male-ling.”


I liked the multi-verse explanation of Thundra and Mahkizmo’s origins, with their parallel universes being drawn together, which seem obviously inspired by the Fourth World stories Kirby was cranking out at DC. Some Kirby-esque character designs, too (no surprise there).


This is as cogent and concise and explanation for the multi-verse concept as I have seen (and this imagery will become familiar in about a decade):


And lastly, I liked the small bits of character development, from Ben and Johnny bonding over clothes shopping to Reed’s happiness at being reunited with his son and daughter.


What I didn’t like

Speaking of Sue and Franklin, where are they? You might think the issue after Sue is reunited with her husband and Franklin is returned to health might merit an appearance, but you clearly don’t think like Conway. Despite all th events of last issue, they are, shockingly, absent.

And despite my prediction that Medusa would at last be shuffled out of the team, she’s back, although she again serves no real purpose but to be a confidante to Thundra.

Anything else?

If you think the phrase “the Nuclear Man” is familar, you’re not wrong. Conway repurposed it for Firestorm, a hero he invented for DC a year years later.


Richard Pini, who later became half of the team of creators behind the legendary indie comic ElfQuest, has a letter to the editor (he’s not too happy with the book’s current direction):


And lastly, I really hate when I buy a back issue only to find this inside (stupid coupons):



Overall

Much better than I had any right to expect

“The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” Fantastic Four No. 150

27 Sunday Oct 2024

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Fantastic Four 150
“Ultron 7: He’ll Rule the World!” and “The Wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver!”
Published June 1974
Writer: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Rich Buckler
Inks: Joe Sinnott
Letters: John Costanza
Colors: Linda Lessman
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover: Gil Kane and Frank Giacoia

Editors note: Apologies for skipping a week. This post was delayed, ironically, because I spent a few days at New York Comic Con. We should be back on track going forward.

Synopsis

Ultron 7, whose head is attached to the gigantic form of Omega, unleashes a mental blast that stirs the powers in comatose Franklin, and the resulting feedback shuts down Ultron while awakening Franklin, to the delight of his parents. In an epilogue / second story, Crystal weds Quicksilver while the gathered heroes consider their own love lives.


What’s going on here

After the jumble of Avengers 127, things finally cohere in FF 150 into an intelligible plot. The confrontation with Ultron is thankfully brief; mostly the robot rants and raves, explains how Maximus launched it upon the Inhumans, and then is disrupted by Franklin’s psychic energy. Ending the threat of Ultron while wakening Franklin was a neat plot twist I didn’t see coming, and combined with Sue’s rapprochement with Reed last issue, serves to end a two-year period of disharmony between Reed and Sue. My guess is that this will also end Medusa’s tenure as a member of the FF, but we will see.

The wedding of Crystal and Quicksilver still doesn’t make a ton of sense, but they stuck it out for almost two decades in real time and had a daughter, Luna, before Pietro went nuts and the marriage fell apart. While it lasted, it was a fun inter-Marvel relationship, connecting the Inhumans, the FF, the Avengers and the X-Men.

Gil Kane again did the cover. Not his strongest work, but Johnny looks cool.


What I liked

I’m a sucker for quiet moments comics—where heroes aren’t in the middle of epic battles and can reflect on their lives—and this issue’s second story provided a lot of that. There was a nice moment between Reed and Sue, and an odd sequence where Thor and Iron man discuss their romantic troubles. (Not sure what “Scenario” means here but whatever).


We finally get some angst from Jonny about his ex getting married:


And there are some big, Kirby-esque splash pages from Rich Buckler:


What I didn’t like

For a robot, Ultron talks sooo much. Here is but a sample of its blather:


Anything else?

There is a curious panel that identifies the Golden-Age hero the Whizzer as the father of Pietro and Wanda. This was an idea introduced briefly in Giant-Sized Avengers 1, but was eventually swept aside when it was revealed their father was actually Magneto (and eventually this too would be retconned away).


This ad seems to have a bit of everything: Kung Fu and SportsAction!



Overall

A surprisingly successful issue.