Celebrating Artist Sal Buscema

Celebrating artist Sal Buscema on his birthday (January 26, 1936) with a couple of his Sub-Mariner covers (#34 and #35, February and March, 1971), wherein Sub-Mariner joins forces with the Hulk and Silver Surfer (setting the stage for the Defenders, though Doctor Strange would replace Silver Surfer for a time).

Celebrating Artist Bob Layton

Celebrating the birthday of writer/artist Bob Layton (September 25, 1953), with a couple of his earliest Iron Man covers (Iron Man #120 and #121, from March and April, 1979), which also feature the Sub-Mariner!

The Fantastic Four

A little difficult to sum up the Fantastic Four in any one volume, so, here, a reprint from Simon and Schuster from 1979, with a cover by Bob Larkin, and some extra interior words by Stan Lee, featuring stories from Fantastic Four #4 (cover by Jack Kirby and Sol Brodsky) with Sub-Mariner, #48-50 (covers by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott) with Silver Surfer and Galactus, and #86 (cover only) and #87 (covers by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott) featuring Doctor Doom.

Fantastic Four #4 and #48 (May, 1962 and March, 1966)

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Fantastic Four #49 and #50 (April and May, 1966)

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Fantastic Four #86 and #87 (May and June, 1969)

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Remembering Artist Dave Hoover

Remembering artist Dave Hoover on his birthday (May 14, 1955 - September 4, 2011) with his covers to the Invaders mini-series, where Captain America, the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, Whizzer and Miss America fought the Battle-Axis (Dr. Death, the Human Meteor, the Spider-Queen, Strongman and Volton), with the help of some other World War II heroes, like the Vision, the Thin Man, the Blazing Skull and more!

Invaders #1 and #2 (May and June, 1993)

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Invaders #3 and #4 (July and August, 1993)

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Why Marvel Needs the Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four...

...the super-strong monster Thing (Benjamin J. Grimm), leader and elastic in mind and body Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), the fiery Human Torch (Johnny Storm) and the hard to see Invisible Girl (Sue Storm, later Sue Richards).  Four friends who premiered in Fantastic Four #1 (November, 1961 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby).

At one point, this was considered to be the start of the Marvel Universe...

....the original X-Men were created "in the sensational Fantastic Four style" and the Avengers formed when Rick Jones' call for help with the Hulk to the FF was redirected to Iron Man, Ant-Man, Wasp and Thor!

The Fantastic Four had met the Hulk and Ant-Man before the Avengers even formed, and when Spider-Man was looking for money, he went to try to join the Fantastic Four!

Friends of the Fantastic Four

The Inhumans slowly worked their way into the life of the Fantastic Four...starting with Medusa (as a member of the Frightful Four, along with the Wizard, Paste-Pot Pete and the Sandman, in Fantastic Four #36 in March, 1965 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby), then followed by Gorgon in Fantastic Four #44 (November, 1965, also by Stan and Jack), and the whole royal family of Inhumans (including leader Black Bolt, Karnak, Triton and Crystal) in Fantastic Four #45 (December, 1965 also by Lee and Kirby).

The Inhumans were a race of humans modified by exposure to the Terrigen Mists to have powers and abilities far beyond those of normal humans, and they lived apart from humanity in their city of Attilan.  The Inhumans saga slowly evolved over issues of the Fantastic Four, with the lovely Crystal being the object of affection of the Human Torch...(and Crystal becoming a member of the Fantastic Four for a time, when Sue had to take maternity leave after the birth of her and Reed's son, Franklin...starting in Fantastic Four #81 of December, 1968).

But, the Inhumans couldn't be contained to one book...having their history explored in Thor and elsewhere, and graduating to a few series of their own, like a 10 issue run in Amazing Adventures #1 to #10 from August, 1970 to January, 1972, to their first self-titled series with the Inhumans #1 to #12 from October, 1975, to August, 1977 and oh so many more!

The Inhumans worked with Black Panther as well, another friend of the FF, who premiered in Fantastic Four #52 (July, 1966 by Lee and Kirby again).  T'Challa was a prince of the African nation of Wakanda, the home of the unique metal of vibranium...and he wished to prove his meddle against the Fantastic Four, and did!  Black Panther became a quick ally of the team when Klaw killed T'Challa's father, T'Chaka (Fantastic Four #53, August, 1966).

Black Panther worked with the FF against a few foes quickly, ending with Psycho Man in Fantastic Four Annual #5 (November, 1967)...before moving on, meeting Captain America and soon joining the Avengers!

Black Panther worked with the Avengers for a time, but graduated to his own series as well, first in Jungle Action from issues #5 to #24 (July, 1973 to November, 1976), and then in the first of his own series, Black Panther, starting with issue #1 in January, 1977, lasting until issue #15, in May, 1979...

...oddly, with both those series ending elsewhere...and the Black Panther getting more series as well...

Foes of the Fantastic Four

An early foe of the Fantastic Four was the Sub-Mariner...and Namor was a foe of the whole human race!  Starting with Fantastic Four #4 (May, 1962), when Johnny Storm found a derelict in a homeless shelter...and cleaned him up to realize he was Namor, the Sub-Mariner!  Namor thought he lost his city of Atlantis, and vowed to take revenge on the human race (though being a threat to the family of the Fantastic Four as well, as he had intentions toward the Invisible Girl as well...much to the annoyance of her beau, Mr. Fantastic!).  Namor used his aquatic powers in a few early battles with the FF, culminating in Fantastic Four Annual #1 (September, 1963), when Namor found out that his people were still alive! 

But, that wasn't the end of Namor's tale...or the trouble he would cause the Fantastic Four, in more ways than one.  While battling the FF (and soon after, the Avengers, with the Hulk, no less), the Sub-Mariner also freed Captain America from his prison in ice (allowing Cap to join the Avengers!).

With Cap and Namor now active, it was realized that the Fantastic Four weren't the start of the Marvel Universe (and there was a whole history of Marvel characters from before, with Timely Comics, where Sub-Mariner and Captain America had comics, along with a different android Human Torch!).

All this didn't stop Namor from going on, taking the shared spot with the Hulk away from Giant-Man in Tales to Astonish (from issues #70, August, 1965 to #101, March, 1968, though Namor's last cover was Tales To Astonish #100 of February, 1968) and getting the first of his post meeting with the Fantastic Four starting with Sub-Mariner #1 in May, 1968, lasting until Sub-Mariner #72 September, 1974...

...with Namor's creator, Bill Everett coming back to do work on more than a few issues of Tales to Astonish (#85-91, #94-96) and Sub-Mariner (#50-55, and parts of #58-60), ending his association with Sub-Mariner #61 (May, 1973), which he died before completing more than 3 pages (with the rest of issue being finished by writer Steve Gerber, artist Win Mortiner and inker Jim Mooney).

But, Namor wasn't without a title for long, ending up in one with fellow Fantastic Four foe, Dr. Doom (that of Super-Villain Team-Up).

But, Dr. Doom existed before that series started...facing off against the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #5 (July, 1962, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby), and had been a thorn in the lives of the Fantastic Four even before they went on their voyage to space and received their powers.

Victor von Doom was a college classmate of Reed Richards and Ben Grimm, who was annoyed by Reed's being a better scientist than Doom.  After an accident in the lab where he was working (which Reed tried to warn him about), Doom left the university, to head to Tibet, making his armor and then going to home to Latveria to take that country over (all from Fantastic Four Annual #2, September, 1964).

Dr. Doom also made the rounds, working with other villains like the Sub-Mariner (in Fantastic Four #6 in September, 1962), and even facing other members of the Marvel Universe, like Spider-Man (in Amazing Spider-Man #5 in October, 1963) and the Avengers (starting with Avengers #24-25, January-February, 1966 or earlier, as later reports came in)!

Dr. Doom's first solo tale came with Marvel Super-Heroes #20 (May, 1969), with Doom having to take on fellow Fantastic Four foe, El Diablo, who had tried to influence Doom by taking Valeria (the love of Doom's life)...

...but you can read more on this here, with the title becoming mostly reprints after his appearance, Dr. Doom DID defeat the Marvel super-heroes!

Still, Dr. Doom continued on, getting his own series (with Ka-Zar), which lasted for 8 issues in Astonishing Tales (#1 to #8, August, 1970 to October, 1971), where Doom faced Prince Rudolfo, the Doomsman,  the Faceless One (Astonishing Tales #1 to #3), Red Skull (Astonishing Tales #4 and #5), Black Panther (Astonishing Tales #6 and #7, trying to get at Wakanda's vibranium), and even "Satan" in Astonishing Tales #8 (where Doom tries to save the soul of his mother, Cynthia)!  

Doom tried another series as well, with Namor, the Sub-Mariner, starting with 2 issues of Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up (in  March and  June, 1975), and then continuing for 14 new issues with Super-Villain Team-Up starting in August, 1975 (though Namor took off with Super-Villain Team-Up #13, and X-Men foe Magneto and odd super-group the Champions were the guest of Super-Villain Team-Up #14 in October, 1977, and a reprint of the two Astonishing Tales battles with the Red Skull filled Super-Villain Team-Up #15 in November, 1978).

All this villainy, where can heroes turn?

Family

Everyone is a part of the Fantastic Four family, from Inhumans like Crystal and Medusa, to Heroes for Hire like Luke Cage, She-Hulk and Ant-Man...that was the charm of the Fantastic Four....it was a party, and everyone was invited!  

The family was the core of what made the Fantastic Four such an important part of the readers lives...and, by extension, made the whole of the Marvel Universe part of our family as well.

Comic Book Sharks

With all the excitement around Shark Week, and the movie franchise, Sharknado, you’d think sharks were just discovered!

Even back in 1975, when Bruce popped up in Jaws, sharks were around….and even before that! Both DC and Marvel Comics (as well as other comic companies) used the shark imagery to menace their heroes...

The earliest villain who was a shark…was the Shark!

The Shark

Introduced in Green Lantern #24 (October, 1963) by John Broome and Gil Kane, the Shark was a shark, mutated by radiation into a more human form, and he caused problems for Green Lantern Hal Jordan of space sector 2814! He returned in Green Lantern #28 (his first cover appearance), and then on and off over the years in Adventure Comics (facing Aquaman and Wonder Woman, separately in #443 to #448 and #459), Superman (in Action Comics #456) the Justice League of America (#40 and #162), returned to fight Green Lantern a few times (#126, #174-#176 and #196 to #199), took part in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and even menaced Black Condor!


Now, mutating a man into a shark….well, that was the basis of the Tiger Shark, a foe of the Sub-Mariner’s!

Tiger Shark

Starting with Sub-Mariner #5 (September, 1968, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema), Todd Arliss was an Olympic swimmer who had lost his ability to swim after being injured saving a drowning man…and was transformed in an experiment by scientist (and foe of Namor’s) Doctor Dorcas, into Tiger Shark! Tiger Shark came back to continually stalk his prey of Namor, in the Sub-Mariner title (#6, #7, #9, #16, #24, #43 to #46), the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #160, and even in Marvel Team-Up (#14) and Super-Villain Team-Up (#1 thru #3), and menaced Namor’s relatives like Namorita (in the pages of Ms. Marvel #15 and #16), as well as later joining up with the Masters of Evil (with Avengers #222, not battling the Sub-Mariner). More recently, he battled Wolverine during the Acts of Vengeance, and joined with Terrax, Baron Mordo and Red Hulk in an alliance against the early Defenders (Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange and the Hulk…their respective foes!).

A few other sharks worth a brief mention….

King Shark first appeared in Superboy #0 (October, 1994) by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett, (and first cover in Superboy #9). Nanaue later helped Aquaman during the Aquaman, Sword of Atlantis run, and joined the Secret Six...

...and is now a part of the Suicide Squad along with Deadshot and Harley Quinn in the new 52.

And he’s always hungry!

Killer Shark burst to the surface first in Blackhawk #50 (March, 1952 by Reed Crandall), but was mostly an aerial ace fighting Blackhawk (at least in the Quality Comics days), until Blackhawk switched to DC Comics with Blackhawk #108 (January, 1957), he continued to fight Blackhawk and his squadron (in Blackhawk #123, #128, #130, #139, #155, #170, #183, #200, #204, #216, #225, #228, #249, #250, #269 and #270), and even Lady Blackhawk (continuing his fight with her in Birds of Prey #114 thru #116 and Batman Confidential #36 thru #38).

But, with all this shark talk, you think you’d need Bat-shark repellent!

Oddly enough, Batman faced both the Tiger Shark (in Detective Comics #147 May 1949, art by Dick Sprang….Dr. Gaige…this villain decided to take over on the sea, resulting in Batman and Robin fighting him with the Bat-Submarine! Odd how this cover reflects how Batman encountered a shark in the 1960s Batman movie with Adam West) and the Shark (of the Terrible Trio, along with the Fox and the Vulture, in Detective Comics #253 in March, 1958 by Dave Wood and Sheldon Moldoff).

These were just ordinary criminals, using the shark name to inspire fear (and they returned later, in Detective Comics #321, and much later to face Dr. Mid-Nite)…

...but if you want to feel safe to go back into the water, call Batman!

Is The Hulk An Avenger?

The Hulk might be a major part of the Avengers' movies, but he wasn't really a member of the Avengers for very long.

Sure, he was there for the first issue in September, 1963 (by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby) and helped to found the team....

Short lived membership

Hulk hung out with the team in the in Avengers #1 1/2 (a loving tribute to the past that came out in December, 1999, by Roger Stern and Bruce Timm)...

...but the Hulk left the team after a misunderstanding in Avengers #2 (November, 1963 by Lee/Kirby) with the Space Phantom....

Hulk the menace

Hulk ended up teaming up with Namor the Sub-Mariner (who had issues with the human race at the time) in Avengers #3 (January, 1964, by Lee/Kirby)...

...and that led to the Avengers finding Hulk's replacement (Captain America) and even a battle with the rest of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four (in Lee/Kirby's Fantastic Four #25-26 of 1964).

Hulk the guest

Hulk was only a guest star in Avengers #17 (June, 1965 by Stan Lee and Don Heck) as Captain America looked to boost up the strength of his team, which included Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch....

...as well as in Avengers #88 (May, 1971, by Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema), wherein the not-so-jolly green giant meets fellow guest (and future Avenger) Falcon, then faces off against the menace of Psyklop (and the Avengers and others plot to rid the Earth of the Hulk, which goes into the Incredible Hulk #140 in June, 1971, wherein the shrunken Hulk first meets his lady love of Jarella...).

Hulk the returning member

Hulk did return as an Avenger, with Avengers #5 (May 1964, by Lee/Kirby) where he helped fight the Lava Men....

...and in Avengers #100 (June, 1972, by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith),  wherein the entire team faces off against Ares and the Enchantress!  (Avengers #1, #2, #5 and #100 are the only complete gathering of Avengers, as other members would usually be absent during other mega-gatherings).

Hulk returns a Defender

Hulk returned to the Avengers...but as a member of the Defenders (along with heroes who had been considered villains like Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer, Hawkeye and Valkyrie, all led by Dr. Strange), during the Avengers-Defenders War of Avengers #115-#118 and Defenders #8-#11 of 1973...

...and Hulk battled Thor (as he often did) but Hulk fought Thor as a member of the Defenders (with Thor as an Avenger), at least until the two teams gathered together to fight Loki and Dormammu at the end in this epic written by Steve Englehart with art by Sal Buscema on the Defenders parts and Bob Brown on the Avengers parts.

Hulk does come back to the Avengers

It is worth a mention that the Hulk did fight with the Avengers again, most notably during the Heroes Return with Avengers #1 of February, 1998 (by Kurt Busiek and George Perez)...

...but he doesn't stay for long, not like he did with the Defenders!

The Battle Settled

More often than not, when Hulk returns with a group...


...it is with his fellow Defenders...


...and why wouldn't he?

Even Marvel knows the Hulk doesn't quit fit with the Avengers, as evidenced by the 2012 mini-series, Hulk Smash Avengers, wherein the big green guy was followed over his career...smashing Avengers!

Issue #1 by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz, issue #2 by Joe Casey and Max Fiumara, issue #3 by Roger Stern and Karl Moline, issue #4 by Jim McCann and Agustin Padilla and issue #5 by Fred Van Lente and Michael Avon Oeming all prove that the Hulk and the Avengers just don't get along!