Marvel Comics of the 1980s

1988 - Marvel pinups by Mike Zeck and Joe Sinnott

2013-06-19T07:45:00.000-04:00

Identify this panel ... take 24

2013-06-19T04:00:00.000-04:00

1983 - Price Guide Ad with cool special offer

2013-06-18T15:50:00.000-04:00

From Amazing Heroes #24:

Not a bad incentive!

An autographed copy of X-Men and Teen Titans autographed by

Claremont, Simonson and Austin!

Teen Titans/New Mutants mash-up

2013-06-18T08:27:00.002-04:00

http://covermashups.tumblr.com/post/4370530029/kitty-pryde-is-a-jerk-mashed-covers-new

Happy Birthday Mark Gruenwald

2013-06-18T08:23:00.001-04:00

Mark Gruenwald (June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996)

1983 - Splash page for Uncanny X-Men #174

2013-06-18T08:23:00.000-04:00

http://romitaman.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=15615&ArtistId=1460

Identify this panel... Take 23

2013-06-18T01:03:00.001-04:00

1980: Marvel's Two Writing One part IV: Heavy Is The Snake Head That Wears The Crown

2013-06-17T11:55:00.002-04:00

By Jef Willemsen (clarmindcontrol.blogspot.com)

One of Marvel's biggest 80s events has to be 1989's company wide crossover Atlantis Attacks, in which the elder god Set tried to take over the Earth. As we'll discover in today's entry, a big part of the foundation for that massive storyline was laid by Ralph Macchio and Mark Gruenwald in the pages of Marvel Two In One.

"Thus begins The Serpent Crown Affair"

And it sure proved an affair worth to remember... Mostly because Gruenwald and Macchio stuffed the three part Serpent Crown Affair with about as many references to old comics this side of Sligguth and Damballah. Which, to be fair, was Business as usual to them, really.

The saga started with a distraught Ben Grimm in the opening pages of # 64. He just couldn't understand why longtime girlfriend Alicia Masters had angrily slammed the door in his face when he lovingly told her it might be better if they split up, cos life without him would be a lot safer for her.

Ben wandered back to the Baxter building, eager to analyse his latest romantic misadventure with Mr. Fantastic. But before the two old friends could sit down to discuss womenfolk, they were interrupted by the arrival of doctor Walter Newell, oceanographer and parttime superhero.

And he brought company...

"He appears to be amphibian! But how?"

A fair question, but one that warrants a long backstory: doctor Croft was one of the folks unlucky enough to fall prey to the schemes of mad scientist Lemuel Dorcas. He had mutated Croft and several others into his 'Hydro-Men', an amphibian army designed to do his bidding. Namor and Stingray put a stop to this particular scheme, but Dorcas died before he was able to reveal the way to turn the Hydro-Men back to normal.

That's why Croft partnered with Walter 'Stingray' Newell, in hopes of finding a way of counteracting the effects of Dorcas' genetic handiwork. During their research, they made a startling discovery...

Yeahhh... guess Croft and the other Hydro-Men actually do look a lot like the aquatic Inhuman Triton. But just how is this possible? Triton's mutation is caused by the Inhuman's closely guarded Terrigen crystals, something Dorcas couldn't have had access to.

Figuring out the best way to resolve this mystery was to actually call the Inhumans, Mr. Fantastic arranged for a meeting between Triton, Stingray and Croft somewhere off the coast of California. Ben was sent along to pilot the FF's plane.

But once they reached the coast, Stingray spotted an offshore Roxxon oil rig on a location known to be without any exploitable fossil fuel deposits. Curious and early for the meeting with Triton, the heroes decide to check the rig out, just as it got rocked by an explosion.

While Ben boarded the rig and was assaulted by some very unfriendly Roxxon Oil employees, Stingray checked out the damage and ran headlong into the folks responsible for the attack.

"Well, I'm in no mood to try undersea sign language... So I'll give them a message they're sure to understand... courtesy of my electro-blasts!"

You gotta love that classic Silver Age exposition... Having Stingray talk to himself, explaining what everyone can obviously figure out just by looking at Perez's pictures. They sure don't write em like this anymore.

But while Stingray was able to deal with the scuba diving henchmen, he proved no match for the real villains of the piece... Who knocked him out of the water, and straight back on to the rig before revealing themselves:

"Surrender... or face the full, unfettered fury of the deadly new Serpent Squad!"

Ahh, the Serpent Squad! Here's where Mark Gruenwald's affection for Sidewinder and his rabble of reptile based villains really started. They'd later feature heavily in his Captain America run, eventually even evolving into the Serpent Society, Marvel's first supervillain union of sorts.

But, as the story in Marvel Two In One # 65 pointed out, they were here to retrieve something. And they were more than willing to tear through Ben and Stingray to get it.

"Either I do what you say... or else".

Sidewinder was already the shrewd business type. He simply forced Ben to surrender, tied him to the rapidly sinking oil rig and left him there to drown along with the still unconscious Stingray. Luckily, they had help.

"As a scientist, I should be able to master these controls and send forth the proper distress signal".

Three cheers for doctor Henry Croft, the (Hydro)-man who had to remind himself that he's a scientist before using the radio to signal for help. Help indeed was on the way, but since the Thing'ss still the star of the book, he was able to free himself and Stingray just in the nick of time. Resurfacing near Croft and the Pogo plane, they were met by the (Inhu)man they came out to see.

"Serpent crown! My old friend the Sub-Mariner once spoke of it!
According to Namor, it's one of the most powerful objects on Earth.

Thanks to Triton's timely and not at all unnatural sounding comments, everyone was now aware of what the Serpent Squad was after. Speaking of which... the villains were already hard at work at the bottom of the sea, digging up the artifact.

"I've found it!"

Gee, that didn't take long at all. In today's decompressed style comics, looking for the crown alone would have taken at least an issue. Not to mention the fight between the serpents and the sea faring heroes. In the end, Sidewinder teleported his squad and the crown to safety and dropped a depth charge to cover their escape.

Fortunately, it takes more than a little 'splosion to kill off the Thing and company.

"We blew it big this time, guys. And if that doodad he's carryin' has half the power Triton says... then I got a hunch the world's gonna pay fer this little disaster.

How's that for a dramatic cliffhanger?

Ben's ominous words led to issue # 66 and the resolution of the three part Serpent Crown Affair. After the Serpent Squad bolted, they had no idea how to track them or the crown. That's why Ben radioed the Baxter building, hoping Reed had any bright ideas. However, the help answered.

"The witch would be of much greater help to you than your comrades. I shall contact her for you."

Well, Agatha 'Bea Arthur' Harkness sure doesn't waste time, does she? But her idea was indeed a clever one. Y'see, the Scarlet Witch was actually in part responsible for how the Serpent Crown ended up on the ocean floor in the first place.

The crown isn't of this Earth. It's native to the Squadron Supreme's home dimension, where it corrupted the US president and the Squadron alike. After the Avengers travelled to their world to sort that mess out, Wanda brought the crown back with her.

But after the Living Laser got a hold of it, wounded her and nearly beat the team, the Vision decided in Avengers # 154, it would be for the best if just took the darn thing and tossed it into the Pacific. That way, no one could their hands on it ever again.

... That is, if you ignore the fact the bottom of the ocean is home to at least half a dozen war hungry waterbreathers... Like Attuma. Let alone the existence of submarines, like the one rapidly approaching Vision's position. Guess his android brain must have been on the fritz that day.

Long story short... Agatha contacted Wanda, who used her mystical connection to the Serpent Crown to learn its current location: Washington DC. Ben and the others agreed to meet her there, right in time for the final showdown.

But just who ordered the Serpent Squad to attack the Roxxon oil rig and find the Serpent Crown?

"I am Hugh Jones, high apostle of the serpent lord Set... and chosen crown-bearer"

And also Hugh Jones, president of the Roxxon oil company. So for those of you keeping score: he paid mercenaries to blow up one of his multimillion dollar rigs that wasn't drilling for oil but actually looking for the crown too? Yeah... that makes a lotta sense.

At least his actual scheme was well thought out.

"I have permitted you to come this far so that I could make you my personal thralls."

And so he did. While Thing and Stingray were busy fighting the ghosts of crown bearers past, Wanda tried a clever ruse... By pretending to freely offer herself to Set and Jones, she hoped to wrest the crown from his head. But 'father Set' had already touched her mind and was privy to her plan. Jones forcibly tried to bend the Witch to his will, which led to a truly gorgeous two page spread by Jerry Bingham and Gene Day.

Despite her valiant effort, the Scarlet Witch was no match for the age old might of not one, but two Serpent Crowns. She was about to succumb, when Thing intervened and attacked Jones. Even being reverted to his human form didn't stop Ben from trying to yank off the crown... And effort is ultimately rewarded...

"Oh, for cryin' out loud! It's still alive! Attachin' itself ta my noggin'!"

A potentially disastrous scenario was about to unfold: how does one stop a Serpent Crown host who for all intents and purposes is pretty much invulnerable? Thank heavens Set had nothing on aunt Petunia's favorite nephew...

"The politicians are startin' ta wake up... and I don't even want 'em lookin' side-ways at the crown... 'specially during an election year.'

Smart thinking, Ben... We wouldn't want Ronald Reagan, winner of the 1980 presidential election, to fall under any... serpentine influences, now would we?

Mark Gruenwald has 'the Captain' fight 'Snake Reagan' in 1988's Captain America # 344

All kidding aside...After overcoming the Serpent Crown's influence, Thing handed the malignant artifact over to Project Pegasus. Where it would cause trouble again, as seen two years down the road in the Gruenwald penned Marvel Team Up Annual # 5. But that's a story for another day.

As is the question whatever happened to Henry 'Hydro-Man' Kroft. Triton made sure the good doctor did indeed reach the Inhumans, but we won't learn his final fate until # 71. Instead, part V of Marvel's Two Writing One will focus on several done-in-one issues, featuring such fan favorites as the Toad, Thundra and Angel...

1983 - Anatomy of a cover - Star Wars #71

2013-06-17T00:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.coollinesartwork.com/featured.asp?Piece=295213&Details=1&From=Room

1989 - Splash page from Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #9

2013-06-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

by Dave Ross

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=906932&GSub=97660

Jim Lee's Cloak and Dagger

2013-06-15T09:12:00.000-04:00

And here's a lovely photoshop job by Mikie that restores Dagger's long hair!

Some fun with Photoshop..Much better Dagger :)

- Mikie

Identify this panel... Take 22

2013-06-14T05:00:00.000-04:00

1986 - Anatomy of a cover - Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man #113

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http://comics.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7063&lotNo=92004

The Wolverine (2013) - Launch Trailer

2013-06-13T15:54:00.001-04:00

In theatres on July 25th

Marvel Comics' Solicitations - September 2013 1980s Goodness

2013-06-13T15:51:00.000-04:00

FANTASTIC FOUR BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by JOHN BYRNE, MARK GRUENWALD & ROGER STERN
Penciled by JOHN BYRNE, MARK BRIGHT, JERRY ORDWAY & RON WILSON
Covers by JOHN BYRNE

Superstar John Byrne’s legendary run concludes with one of the most innovative periods in Fantastic Four history! The sensational She-Hulk replaces the Thing, Sue Richards becomes the Invisible Woman, and Mr. Fantastic is tried for crimes against the universe! Also featuring the return of Dr. Doom, the fate of Reed and Sue’s unborn child, the resurrection of Jean Grey, and more — as the FF confront deadly foes including the Mole Man, Dr. Octopus, Terminus, the Beyonder, Mephisto, Psycho-Man and Annihilus!
Plus: the unfinished “Last Galactus Story,” reprinted for the first time!

Collecting FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #261-295 and ANNUAL #18-19, ALPHA FLIGHT (1983) #4, THING (1983) #10 and #19, and AVENGERS ANNUAL #14; and material from SECRET WARS II #2, EPIC ILLUSTRATED #26-34, WHAT IF? (1977) #36, WHAT THE-?! #2 and #10, THING (1983) #7, FANTASTIC FOUR ROAST, and FANTASTIC FOUR SPECIAL EDITION #1.
1224 PGS./Rated T …$125

S.H.I.E.L.D.: NICK FURY VS. S.H.I.E.L.D. TPB (NEW PRINTING)
Written by BOB HARRAS
Penciled by PAUL NEARY

SHIELD faces its greatest threat — from within! All that stands in the way of its enigmatic inner agenda is Nick Fury himself…but Fury falls from grace when SHIELD’s ruling council, commanded by the mysterious Deltite, frames him for treason and sends him running for his life. The network Fury built turns against him, and even he can’t fight an army alone. Going underground, Fury gathers allies — but the Deltite’s cult have targeted Fury’s few remaining loyalists, replacing them with Life Model Decoy androids. Which agents are true to Fury? Which ones aren’t even real? And which, if any, will survive? Must Fury destroy the organization to which he’s devoted his life? In a world of lies that he constructed, who can a master spy trust?

Collecting NICK FURY VS. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1-6.
304 PGS./Rated T …$29.99

THOR EPIC COLLECTION: WAR OF THE PANTHEONS TPB
Written by TOM DEFALCO, STAN LEE, JIM SHOOTER, ROGER STERN & RON FRENZ
Penciled by RON FRENZ, ERIK LARSEN, BOB HALL, CHARLES VESS & MORE

It’s the beginning of a new era for the mighty Thor — but it just might be the end of the Norse gods! With Asgard adrift in space, Thor must sacrifice all when he finds himself in a losing battle to protect the planet Pangoria against the unimaginably powerful Celestials! But when Seth the Serpent God unleashes an all-out assault on Asgard, can the Norse gods defeat his ruthless army without their greatest warrior? Plus: Thor takes on the Hulk, clashes with the Celtic Lord of Lightning, battles Quicksand and tackles the maddening Mongoose alongside Spider-Man! Earth Force targets Hogun for death! A watershed moment for Captain America! Surtur makes his demonic return! And introducing Eric Masterson and the Thor of the 24th century!

Collecting THOR (1966) #383-400.
472 PGS./Rated T …$34.99

THOR BY WALTER SIMONSON VOL. 2 TPB
Written by WALTER SIMONSON
Penciled by WALTER SIMONSON & SAL BUSCEMA

Few people have ever left their mark on one character quite the way Walter Simonson has. His work on the Mighty Thor swept the Norse God of Thunder to heights never before seen and rarely achieved in his wake. Spanning epic tales of heroism and treachery, love and war, Simonson’s work is often considered the definitive Thor. From the majesty and mystery of fabled Asgard to the gritty streets of New York City, Thor was never the same. That is the mark of a true visionary. This second volume continues the collection of Simonson’s epic run — completely remastered from the original artwork and newly colored by Steve Oliffe. Collecting THOR (1966) #346-355.
240 PGS./Rated T …$24.99

Identify this panel... Take 21

2013-06-13T03:30:00.000-04:00

1984 - Anatomy of a cover - Rom #57

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1985 - Anatomy of a cover - Marvel Age #30

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http://www.icollectcomicart.com/appraise/SoldImages/110338645156.jpg

LEGO Variant Covers For Marvel In September

2013-06-13T00:17:00.000-04:00

The Last Galactus Story sketch by John Byrne

2013-06-12T16:36:00.000-04:00

http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/details.php?image_id=31263

Identify This Panel ... Take 20

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1983 - Anatomy of a cover - Uncanny X-Men #169

2013-06-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

Here's the original cover:

And here's the unpublished version, which I like a lot more... interesting choice to go with the one with the big rat rather than the cover that has the X-Men on it!

1979 - Anatomy of a cover - Fantastic Four Fireside Book

2013-06-11T16:26:00.000-04:00

Identify This Panel ... Take 19

2013-06-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

1980 - The Mighty Thor by Walt Simonson

2013-06-10T23:59:00.002-04:00