A Sense of Doubt blog post #2035 - Peerless Heroes and Exploited Artists - Comic Book Sunday for 2009.13
Here we are for another COMIC BOOK SUNDAY, though I am not sure how many comic books I will be able to read today and how much selfcare I will get as I have a presentation to prep for tomorrow and lots of grades to make and discussion posts to write. Pretty much a work day, though I hope to quit before 5 p.m. I quit yesterday at about 4:30.
It's time for a big post of SHARING.
I am still in "vacation" mode, though you may not think so by looking at this post. I assembled to post from the PEERLESS POWER OF COMICS, some videos, and Twitter while watching TV with the wife and the dogs.
Twitter helped me to re-learn that Dwayne McDuffie had died back in 2011. That's sad.
I give all props for the first three parts, the content on the Eternals, Thor, and Iron Man to a creator whose name I do not know but who runs the AWESOME PEERLESS POWER OF COMICS.
Everything here is SHARED, after this content here and the next sentence, all I did was assemble.
ENJOY COMIC BOOK SUNDAY.
https://peerlesspower.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-world-for-taking.html
Thursday, August 27, 2020
As if we humans don't have enough to worry about from preying on each other, whether in brutal war or heinous criminal acts, humans in the fictional world of comic books were subject to attack and slaughter by primeval forces that regarded primitive man as no more than indigenous beasts to be subjugated and abused or killed without regard. It seems ancient Earth was very popular with malevolent beings that paid little to no heed to their treatment of humans and whose rule of the Earth would last for ages, eons, millennia, or whatever lengthy term suited the story's writer. Given such a vast time span, you would think the ruling periods of one or two of these despotic entities would have overlapped, resulting in a turf war that would have laid waste to the world and its unfortunate inhabitants--nor do we ever seem to learn of such horrific times from historical tomes, but rather from the vile creatures themselves who somehow manage to return with the intention of picking up where they left off.
Following you'll find a brief PPC overview on the subject, in no particular chronology or preference. You'll note certain omissions that didn't strictly conform to the topic (with one exception)--e.g., evolutionary tinkerers such as the Celestials, the Kree, Mr. Sinister, Apocalypse, et al., as well as latter-day threats along the lines of Belasco, Kulan Gath, the Serpent Men, and others acting on behalf of their masters. Nevertheless, do chime in if you feel there is a party that should be represented here--I'm definitely not up on all of the ancient horrors that tried to stake their claim on our world back in the day... er, eon. ;)
Though speaking of the Celestials, we can start with one of their discarded failures, the Deviants, who went on to conquer the entire world and enslave mankind for the duration.
Again, word of the ark has been passed down--but nothing about a race of misshapen monsters that kept humans as slaves and ruled in tyranny for centuries? How does something like that slip through the cracks?
Then we have Chthon, one of the Earth spirits who wasn't content to "step down" from an active role as did his sister, Gaea, but instead scripted one of the most evil grimoires in existence, the Darkhold, to pave the way for his return. Chthon, unlike the others we'll see listed here, didn't so much as gain a foothold on our world but, like Dormammu, didn't want for lack of trying.
We have Chthon to thank for vampires, werewolves and the like--as well as for the N'Garai, our next entry:
As we can see, creatures such as the N'Garai had many thralls such as Kierrok to act in their interests. And while the individual known as Psyklop acted to appease the so-called "Dark Gods," it turns out that Psyklop's race also had advanced to the point of ruling the Earth in ancient times.
And let's not forget about the Undying Ones, who ruled the Earth for "unnumbered ages" under the control of their master, the Nameless One:
Earth also fell to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the vanguard of a race which ruled the Earth for an indeterminate length of time until they were vanquished in a 100-year war by another race that presumably took their place as the planet's rulers.
(That's a lot of mushroom clouds going off on ancient Earth. You would think one of them would be noted in a scroll or two somewhere.)
Which brings us to the last of our tyrannical abominations, this one eventually slithering its way into New York City:
Before ripping into present-day Times Square, however, Shuma-Gorath was lording it over prehistoric man, before the time traveler known as Sise-Neg dealt it a setback.
It's a wonder that you and I are even here to talk about all of this, given the number of times the human race has been decimated by those creatures who held our species collectively under their thumb (or what passed for a thumb) over the ages. It's also a testament to the resiliency of the Earth itself, having weathered cataclysm after cataclysm and no doubt giving Gaea cause to yearn for a long vacation. Somehow the Inhumans, who were present during prehistoric times, managed to isolate themselves from these conflicts, when you'd think their advanced race would have been a prime target for the Deviants and most of the others listed here (we could say the same for the Eternals); surely their historical records would have complete accounts of global conflicts which occurred on the scale of what we've only seen here in glimpses. Then again, perhaps we humans are better off not fully knowing the grim travails suffered by our unfortunate ancestors.
https://peerlesspower.blogspot.com/2020/08/worlds-will-fall-to-world-beyond.html
Monday, August 31, 2020
Worlds Will Fall To... The World Beyond!
Having spent nine years (!) writing the continuous adventures of Thor in Journey Into Mystery, Mighty Thor, fifteen issues of The Avengers, and numerous guest appearances, Stan Lee would relinquish the reins on Thor's solo series by recycling a previous plot of Loki getting his hands on the Odin-ring (you'd think Odin would learn to avoid leaving his you-can-rule-Asgard-with-this-ring jewelry just lying around) into a new story that would be wrapped up by Gerry Conway. Yet just before reaching that point, at the beginning of 1971, Lee and artist John Buscema would turn in some noteworthy work on a five-part epic that featured a well-conceived plot that appeared to have everything a Thor reader could ask: a looming and ominous threat to the entire universe... a seemingly hopeless cause... the Goddess of Death... a mysterious new character... the approaching doom of Ragnarok... a siege on Asgard from Loki... a surprising twist on the story's main villain... and the end of life on planet Earth--all for the bargain price of 15¢ a copy, which worked out to 75¢ for the entire story. Think of what you're paying today for a single issue, and the budding Bronze Age of comics publishing looked pretty good, eh?
As for the nature of this threat--Thor, summoned back to Asgard, receives the grim news from Odin himself of the danger which the realm now suddenly faces. Harbingers of doom which appear to emanate from an indistinct... region? place? planet? ... known as the World Beyond.
(You may have noticed that Thor doesn't look so "unarmed" here. What's Mr. Caption up to?)
And there's more news that further muddies the waters: Thor's comrades Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg, dispatched to probe the World Beyond, have failed to return--while Odin has ruled out Galactus, Mangog, and even Loki as possible culprits of the disturbance that spreads across the stars. (It's not often that you hear the words "Loki" and "innocent" spoken by anyone in Asgard.)
Yet there is one other enigma to be scrutinized as one which might hold the key to this entire mystery--a figure which Thor isn't willing to let stand idly by when answers are needed.
And so where does this leave the Asgardians? A threat to the realm--to the universe--which demands a response, but a threat which even a warrior race has come to dread as if Ragnarok can't be far behind. Where do you go from here? If you're the God of Thunder, who craves action and who seems the best choice to be tapped to confront the danger of the World Beyond, you can't help but be shocked by the decision your liege comes to without any apparent deliberation, or explanation--particularly after meeting an intruder known only as the Silent One.
Keeping in mind that this is a five-part story (though at this point the reader turning the pages in 1971 has no way of knowing that), Lee likely wishes to explore the mystery of the World Beyond in stages; and if Thor is left to guard the realm, that implies that Thor, the title character of this book, will be occupied doing just that. Which brings us to none other than Loki, who has noted Odin's departure and who now seizes the opportunity to return from exile and gather sufficient forces to storm the gates of Asgard.
The upside is that Buscema, as you might imagine, does a little storming of his own with his first all-out Asgardian battle scenes.
How curious that, with the exception of Sif, no other Asgardians have joined Thor in battle here, an omission which stands out like a sore thumb. Would Sif and Balder (along with Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg, if they were present) be the only Asgardians drawing their swords in this battle? Are all the rest cowering in darkened corners at the thought of the World Beyond, even with hordes of known enemies at Asgard's very door? Nor does it occur to either Lee or Buscema to have Thor rally them to his side. Though if Thor's prowess here is any indication, all of the other warriors who opted out of defending their realm might as well consider themselves "dunsels."
The crisis passed (this crisis, at least), those warriors who are present are witness to a chilling omen of things to come.
It would be several years, of course, before the word "Infinity" would achieve wider recognition in comics fiction. For now, though, it remains another piece of the puzzle of the World Beyond, and, more directly, whatever force(s) that Odin is facing. This time, Thor is adamant about his course of action, and he immediately sets off to join his father's side.
But Thor's search for Odin is not without impediment, as the Thunder God learns when he is approached and attacked on sight by a sentry which allows no one to pass unbidden--a foe that will not go down to defeat as easily as an army of battle-hardened trolls or storm giants. But even this "Guardian" must fear the master he serves--a being whose resounding name reveals him to be the enemy whose dark hand reaches out to engulf the universe.
With that, Infinity withdraws, leaving Thor understandably slack-jawed. Yet he is soon approached by the Silent One--and silent he still remains, despite Thor's attempts to again force him to reveal his secrets, the most important of all to Thor at the moment being the whereabouts of his father. But the Silent One does reveal crucial information regarding Infinity--a portent of what may eventually befall Odin should Thor not reach him in time.
For what it's worth, it's something of a relief to discover that Infinity isn't destroying the worlds it "crushes" so much as the will of their collective inhabitants--cold comfort to them, of course, and obviously just as distressing to Thor, but it does provide the Thunder God with a measure of time in which to act without the prospect of imminent death befalling the people of other worlds still in Infinity's path.
And speaking of enslaved wills, Thor at last learns, to his dismay, the fate of his three comrades who also came to this place to learn more of its threat.
And what of Odin? It appears he's gone head to head with Infinity, and still fights on--with the Silent One, once more at his side, eerily maintaining his presence within sight of the lord of Asgard.
Yet though this conflict is yet far from man or god, the effects of Infinity's literal grab for power are being felt by both Earth and Asgard, which reel from the approaching cataclysm in their own way. For Earth, the planet's weather is causing severe flooding--while on Asgard, the Odin-sword slowly but ever so steadily pulls itself from its scabbard, a sure indication of the approaching end of the world.
It would seem that the power of Thor is needed more than ever--but with his hammer crossing the void in order to deliver its godly trio to Asgard, the elapsed time before it can return to its master's hand has become too great to prevent a transformation which will leave the Thunder God helpless in a hostile environment, and in sight of an enemy that rises once again to destroy him.
So that's where Mr. Caption was going. Well played, sir. Well played.
https://peerlesspower.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-trials-and-tribulations-of-iron-man.html
Thursday, September 10, 2020
The Trials and Tribulations of Iron Man, 1963-1977
When it comes to design and engineering, few would argue that Tony Stark has made his mark in the field and then some, with the Iron Man armor being perhaps his crowning achievement in terms of making a noteworthy contribution to the world. Yet looking back at what such an impressive suit of armor has allowed its wearer to accomplish and achieve, Stark himself has all too often found himself to be vulnerable to its flaws and, for a considerable time, a prisoner of its principal reason to exist: to keep his injured heart from failing. Those concerns arguably stem from a central and ever-present problem with the armor that Stark has never been able to do more than address as the need arose. Put simply: How to keep his armor's power levels from being depleted to the point where his heart is put at risk?
From day one, that has been the suit's handicap, and, by extension, Stark's--a man who, for a considerable period in his life (and in his comic's life), dealt with a heart condition which required the wearing of a metal chest plate at all times in order to keep it beating.* The flip side of that situation, of course, is that this handicap provides this character's tie-in with Marvel's "heroes with problems" theme--continuing to act as Iron Man, even though a moment may come at any time when the suit's power is compromised to such a degree that Stark suffers heart failure.** Even so, constantly seeing Iron Man fretting about his dwindling power supply during a battle, or scenes of him trying to drag himself to a wall electrical socket to ward off myocardial infarction, tends to wear on a reader.
*While continuing to date beautiful women who apparently had no problem with one of the most eligible bachelors in the country oddly rebuffing attempts to place a soft head or hand against his chest, much less initiating more forward attempts at intimacy. That adds up to a lot of women comparing notes on you around town, Mr. Stark.
**As a number of you might correctly point out, there's really no drama here in that respect. Tony Stark is the book's title character, so we know he'll survive no matter how many times he collapses in agony--good fortune he shares with Aunt May, closely linked to her book's title character who, in his case, keeps his identity secret to avoid triggering a fatal heart attack in his aunt due to the shock of learning of his existence as Spider-Man.
So the question remains: Why is it that Tony Stark, design engineer extraordinaire--knowing the problem, and realizing that it's the one crack in his armor (figuratively speaking) that might one day prove to be fatal--can't plant himself in front of a drafting table and think of a way to have his cake and eat it too? I.e., use the power of Iron Man, yet isolate his heart with a dedicated and shielded power supply that won't be linked to any systems failures he might encounter in battle?
It just so happens that he was able to do exactly that--or, rather, his alternate dimension counterpart did, in a mid-1977 What If story where the original Avengers had disbanded with the Hulk's departure and Iron Man was forced to battle both the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner alone when the two joined forces. Necessity, it appears, really is the mother of invention:
But though battling valiantly, the odds against Iron Man were too great, and he was seriously injured at the scene. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing his new "armored Avengers" (Henry Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Rick Jones, who had originally turned down his call for aid) would suit up and follow Iron Man to the battle site--and with Iron Man too weak to help with acclimating to the new armor, Giant-Man fell to the Hulk and lay in danger of dying. That is, until the golden Avenger makes the decision to drain his last reserves of power to save him.
But as for our Iron Man, I thought it might prove interesting to take the first 100 issues of the character's first series (including his Tales Of Suspense stories) and track the number of instances when Stark was forced or otherwise felt the need to redesign his armored suit in order to resolve certain problems or adapt to a particular set of circumstances. Several of those situations, it goes without saying, were based on his heart condition, which cleared a significant hurdle in 1973 when Stark found his heart had adapted to the synthetic tissue used to repair the organ during his operation in late 1969. Yet that wouldn't be the end of his problems in that regard, as we'll see.
One change Stark made soon after his return to the States following the creation of the Iron Man armor was the result of an offhand comment by Marion, a lady friend who had the opportunity of seeing in action what was apparently a new hero on the scene--Iron Man, still in his gray armor and causing quite a stir among the crowds. But Marion sees a reaction among women and children that came as a surprise to the one who saved lives that day.
Yet it was the battle with the villain known as Mister Doll that made Stark realize that his suit of armor was becoming a liability he couldn't afford to ignore.
Followed by an alteration limited to his face plate, again with the idea of lightness in mind:
(Just make sure your face plate alterations end there, mister.)
From there, credit where credit is due--Stark's new Iron Man armor goes the distance and withstands a number of high-profile challenges to both the suit and to Stark, including but not limited to several attacks by both the Mandarin and the Titanium Man... the original Black Knight, who fights his final battle with his foe in the skies above the Potomac river before plunging to his death... the Mandarin's monstrous creation, Ultimo... and a slug-fest with the Sub-Mariner, all while coping with the armor's dependency on recharging and Stark's heart condition.
But when Stark--while facing the stress of a Senate hearing concerning the disclosure of the identity of Iron Man as well as the armor's specs--succumbs to a massive heart attack, another shock awaits him while in recovery, as his friend and confidante, Happy Hogan, is teleported to China by the Mandarin while wearing the Iron Man armor (to throw suspicion off of Stark) as a move of revenge against his foe. In response, Stark leaves the hospital and races to his plant to engage in a long-overdue upgrade.
Once the character moves to his own solo series, however (a year and a half later, our time), it isn't long before Stark realizes that his current method of storing power is still insufficient and has become outmoded--a realization one no doubt faces up to when one reaches the point of not being able to stay alive without having a massive power cable attached to one's chest.
As we can see, Stark is in the habit of issuing "famous last words" conclusions--stating with certainty that the modifications he's implemented deal with most of his power problems of the past, while in the same breath indicating this will only be the case when he's in a position of being subjected to intense heat or cold, conditions that may or may never occur (and only under certain circumstances). At any rate, this is is the point where Stark has pivoted from constantly praising the merits of his armor's transistors to replacing them with integrated circuitry, a milestone for Iron Man to be sure.
Also, naturally, he's upgraded the armor's strength and durability:
Shortly after his 50th issue, Iron Man, having been somewhat negligent in the maintenance of his armor, decides to remedy the situation while taking the opportunity to shift the suit entirely to solar-based charging. Admittedly the decision is a little short-sighted, given that not all of his battles are fought outdoors in broad daylight--but otherwise, we wouldn't be witness to another instance where he's absolutely, positively certain that his power failures, as well as any risk to his heart, are things of the past.
Later, when Iron Man faces a setback after attempting to pursue the Mandarin, he decides to make further modifications to his face plate--as well as COMPLETELY IGNORE OUR WARNING ABOVE and make a cosmetic alteration using dubious reasoning.
Putting aside for the moment that a nose addition is unlikely to instill fear in one's opponent and certainly does little to nothing to indicate more expression on the wearer's part (well, I'll have to admit that fish looked frightened), Stark had already covered this base way back in the day:
At any rate, in the midst of a later battle with the Freak, Stark has occasion once more to create a new suit of armor***, this time focusing his efforts on... well, on how fast he can suit up. Though to Stark's credit, one feature previously added was junked.
***Ostensibly because the previous armor was deemed "ruined" by being hurled off a building and impacting on the street--though how that can be more damaging to the Iron Man armor than being battered by a state-of-the-art "rocket ram" is questionable.
Four issues later, however, it's clear that Stark still hasn't licked his power problem, though he's finally willing to face up to the fact that that this lightweight armor isn't as powerful as his former suit--something he knew at its inception but went ahead with anyway.
Six issues later, it's back to the drawing board, with another suit--and yes, another rocket ram atomic piledriver test.
Unfortunately, almost immediately, Ultimo does a number on this suit--and once Stark finishes muttering "lawsuit... piledriver manufacturer... fraud..." in his sleep, he faces the grim task of re-casting his armor with modifications that take him nearly back to square one.
With the book's 100th issue just around the corner at this point, the outlook appears grim for both Tony Stark and Iron Man--with Stark's activities as Iron Man hamstrung by his heart condition as well as chasing his tail on one upgrade after another, even as the Iron Man armor remains prone to power failures and breaches of its reputed durability.
Yet later, during his successful run on the book, writer David Michelinie, who would provide readers with the kind of Iron Man that fulfilled the character's potential, preferred to view this journey through a much different lens.
Stark himself, however, might have a different take on the so-called "good old days."
BONUS!
What's that? Oh, you want to see some more training sessions, do you?
Oh, give it time, I.M. ;)
VIDEOS ABOUT COMIC BOOKS
TWITTER
My tribute to legend DIANA RIGG who has left us this week. What an amazing career and unforgettable roles - thank you so much for all the movie and tv magic moments, Diana ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/zGkiVMNdNd— Francesco Francavilla (@f_francavilla) September 13, 2020
It’s just struck me that the closest Marvel and DC may have to a superhero based on the Count of Monte Cristo is…Luke Cage.— Kurt Busiek Resists (@KurtBusiek) September 13, 2020
And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Archie Goodwin was conscious of it. https://t.co/oadAozQmK4
Grant Morrison asking the most important question regarding Crisis on Infinite Earths: 'was anyone really confused about the multiverse? I understood it at age 12 and loved it. It seems like such a grown-up thing to think it would be confusing.' Music to my ears. 🙃 #DCFandome— Helena Wayne Huntress (@HelenaWayneBlog) September 12, 2020
Yes! There are over 300 free comics to read on #DCFanDome including a new, special Milestone Zero issue which I contributed art to. 14 and a half hours til #DCFanDomeExploreTheMultiverse comes to a conclusion! https://t.co/HqRFb3CmEt— Jim Lee (@JimLee) September 13, 2020
For the next 24 hours or so, this documentary about my late friend Dwayne McDuffie is free to watch, courtesy of DC Fandome. Yeah, I know it's the other guys, but you should still watch it. https://t.co/vFaShbX2ef— Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) September 13, 2020
https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2020/06/15/calling-all-dc-fans-join-us-in-the-dc-fandome
We are thrilled to invite you to the DC FanDome, a free, global, 24-hour virtual event on August 22, 2020. DC FanDome is your no-badge-no-travel-needed ultimate DC fan experience. We’re bringing everything together: games, television, film, and of course the comics at the heart of it all.
Jim Lee, Publisher & Chief Creative Officer for DC, invites fans around the globe to come to the DC FanDome:
Welcome -- to the DC Fandome.
It’s true!
DC is bringing the whole world together—under one huge virtual dome—for 24 hours to celebrate you, the fan! Whether you like to read the comics, watch the movies, play the games or binge the TV series, the DC Fandome will have something just for you. And I don’t mean things you have seen before. We’re working across all of DC and WB to create experiences and adventures within a first of its kind, online immersive world that will not only make headlines around the world but bring joy and hopefully leave a lasting impact on those of you who join us.
I’ve worked in comics for over three decades, and have attended hundreds (ok maybe thousands!) of events from Brazil to China to Australia to Italy and of course San Diego and everywhere in between. The energy and excitement that comes from meeting with fans, sharing news with you first, taking your questions and talking with you about the stories that have changed the genre and changed your lives are some of my greatest joys.
In more than 30 years of traveling the globe, never did I imagine that I would attend one event where everyone on the entire planet had the opportunity to be there at the same time. No passport, no lanyard, no hotel room required. But that’s exactly what is going to happen in August!
The amazing teams at DC and WB came together this past spring to think about ways we could show up for you and celebrate the characters we all love. The truth is—we miss you! And we want to capture that energy of a big event and create an epic, can’t-miss moment for our fans around the globe. All online. This isn’t one big Zoom call…we’re building an expansive, immersive universe where you can explore, create, learn and hear from the biggest DC stars and creators. This is the DC Multiverse like you have never seen it before.
We want to entertain our fans, because you have always been at the center of our universe. This is a chance to give back and bring everyone together to celebrate what makes DC great: the super fans, comic book writers and artists, gamers, incredible casts, showrunners, talent and artists of every stripe—prop masters and stunt performers, composers and animators, compositors and designers.
That’s why we’re doing this.
In the coming weeks we’ll share a lot more about what the DC FanDome will look like, and all the ways you can be a part of it whether you are a cosplayer, an artist or comics fan! Make sure to keep an eye right here, on the new Daily Star blog, for regular updates.
Can’t wait to see you there!
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2009.13 - 10:10
- Days ago = 1899 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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