Asgard vs. Olympus

 

cover art by Jack Kirby

Thor is, after all, immortal. He was around for thousands of years before taking up the Donald Blake identity and became a member of the Avengers. So it only makes sense that writers would occasionally take advantage of that by telling tales from Thor's past. We saw that when we took a look at Thor Annual #8 a year or so ago. 

A few years before that issue was published., Thor Annual #5 (September 1976) also did a flashback story. In fact, writer Steve Englehart and artist John Buscema flashed back to the beginning of time.

We start with an overview of Norse mythology, covering the creation of the universe and Asgard through the creation of the human race and the gods of Asgard being worshiped by the Vikings. It's a great beginning, with the epic story told very concisely but still brought to life by Buscema's magnificent art.

So when Thor sees some Vikings fighting an unknown enemy army, he jumps in to help his worshippers. The enemy, though, turn out to be Greeks, who have their own gods to call on. They summon Hercules.

The two gods slug it out for several pages in typically wonderful Buscema fashion. When Thor realizes he's facing another god, this comes as a surprise for the Thunder God. He didn't know any gods other than the Asgardians existed. He calls a one-week truce, challenging Olympus to an all-out war at the end of that week.

Thor is acting purely out of his pride. He wants a war to prove that the Asgardians are superior to any other group of gods--there is literally no other reason to fight. It's a reminder that this is Thor as a young man--the man who would have to learn humility by being turned into a crippled human before he was really worthy of being a hero.

Anyway, neither Odin nor Zeus will agree to go to war. Thor marches off in a snit, but it turns out he'll get his war anyways. Loki, in his usual trouble-making mode, sneaks into Mt. Olympus, impersonates Thor and ticks off the Greek pantheon enough to start the war.

A huge battle ensues. Once again, Buscema's art brings it to life, especially a spectacular splash page.

It's also a lot of fun to see the various Marvel versions of the two pantheons battling each other. In the end, the Asgardians appear to win, though there are a lot of casualties. The Valkeries are busy taking the dead to Valhalla.

Neither Odin nor Zeus took place in the battle and we soon find out why. Odin refuses to declare a celebration after the victory. So Thor, once again in a snit, gathers up some of his comrades and they march to Athens, intending to take over. But the Athenians barely even acknowledge them and Thor discovers he has no powers.

He finds out several things:

1. Zeus and Odin has mutually agreed to allow the battle to happen to teach their followers (at least the ones that lived) a lesson.

2. Both sides were led to believe they had won.

3. Both sides learn that they literally cannot conquer the others' earthly followers. The small-g gods are all powered by their worshippers and no god has power over a people group that worships someone else. 

Thor storms off in yet another snit. He might very well be setting the single-issue snit record here. He is given a vision of the future in which he fights along with the Avengers. But that will happen only after he learns some humility.

The story really does have the feel of a story from ancient myth. Both the beginning--recounting creation according to Norse mythology--and the rhythm of the rest of the story gives it this mythic vibe. And, of course, John Buscema's art makes it all look fantastic. The ethics of Zeus and Odin agreeing to teach a lesson in humilty that leads to many violent deaths can be debated, but overall the story is great.

Next week, we'll jump over to the DC Universe and visit with the Spectre.

Road Trip with Hercules

cover by Jack Kirby

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I guess those days are over---the days when anthology books that was used to try out new characters were a thing. Anthology books like this were--I imagine--impulse buys and comics are simply too expensive to quality now. If you are going to buy a comic, it's going to be one that regularly features a character you enjoy.

Marvel Premiere had started with two issues featuring Adam Warlock, then had actually settled down for a 12-issue run with Dr. Strange, then another 11 with Iron Fist. But when Iron Fist teamed up with Luke Cage to form Heroes for Hire, the book began to feature different characters or groups for one or two issue runs. This began in issue #26 (November 1975), which featured Hercules and sported a wonderful Jack Kirby cover. The writer is Bill Mantlo and the interior art is by George Tuska.

Herc shows up in his own story for two reasons. First, it was the 10th anniversary of his Marvel Universe premiere in Thor Annual #1. Second, he was currently a member of the Champions, so this story was an opportunity to plug that book.

Hercules had met the other Champions on a college campus where he was appearing as a lecturer. I love that, by the way. It makes so much sense in a universe where the Greek myths are a part of real history to ask an immoral demi-god to give talks on the subject.

So he and his agent, Richard Fenster, are driving to a lecture gig. Hercules stops to help put out a forest fire. 

What caused the fire? The usual sort of thing: Typhon, one of the Greek Titans, and the witch Cylla had just busted out of Hades--a side effect of which was to set the forest ablaze. Another side effect was Typhon's battle axe getting painfully wielded to his hand, so he can't let it go.

In a comic book universe, that really is the usual sort of thing.

Typhon had appeared in Avengers #49 & 50 a few years earlier and had been condemned to Hades after the Avengers (which included Hercules at the time) defeated him. Now he's out for revenge. Cylla also wants to do away with Herc, because he had once declined to her amorous advances.

Typhon attacks and trashes poor Fenster's car. The Titan and the god begin to pound away at each other. Cylla slants the battle towards Typhon by magically trapping Hercules' legs in quicksand. But no good agent lets his most lucrative client get killed--Fenster whacks Cylla from behind, allowing Herc to free himself.

The fight continues apace. I've always enjoyed Tuska's art without ever being a really huge fan of it, but he does a particularly fine job here in giving the fight a sense of real power. 

Hercules comes out on top, of course. There's a wonderful bit in which Fenster then wonders if they can get Typhon to join them on the lecture circuit, but Zeus ruins this idea by zapping the Titan and the witch both back to Hades. 

It's all great fun--a one-and-done single issue story that does its job in giving us our money's worth in entertainment. As mentioned above, one of the reasons for featuring Hercules in a solo story was purely commercial--a ploy to boost sales of The Champions by showcasing one of their members. But that's okay. The story was good and you weren't required to buy The Champions if you didn't want to do so. If you saw Hercules on the cover and had an extra quarter in your pocket, then you had all you needed.

The days of impulse buys for comics are largely over. And that's too bad. The world need every opportunity it can get to watch Hercules fight Typhon.

Next week, two of the finest Silver/Bronze Age artists team up and take us to the Old West.

History of the Marvel Universe: 1965 Annuals

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3

Like most guys, when I’m forced to attend a wedding, I always end up wishing that I could sneak a book in with me to have something interesting to do while that whole wedding thing is going on. I appreciate a guy and a girl falling in love and committing themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. But, let’s face it. You’re all boring.

But, by golly, Reed and Sue’s wedding is actually interesting! Why? Because Doctor Doom uses an Emotion Charger ray to get pretty much all the villains in the Marvel Universe riled up to attack the Baxter Building just before the ceremony. And I don’t mean just the Fantastic Four’s usual enemies. I mean EVERYBODY. Even the Black Knight and the Human Top show up to cause trouble.

Fortunately, the wedding guests include the X-Men, Doctor Strange, the Avengers and Daredevil. And there are SHIELD agents running security.

A massive free-for-all ensues. There’s really not a lot of plot here—it’s all an excuse for Jack Kirby to show everybody fighting, well, everybody else. And it all looks more fun than a barrel of space monkeys.

Why can’t more wedding be like this? I wouldn’t mind going to one if we get to see Angel in a dogfight with the Black Knight or Ben Grimm stuffing an armful of Moloids back down their hole.

Oh, well. Reed spoils everything when the Watcher gives him a time distortion device that pretty much re-sets everything and makes Dr. Doom forget about his Emotion Charger. The wedding then proceeds normally. It was fun while it lasted, though.

SPIDER MAN ANNUAL #2

An evil magician named Xandu hypnotizes a couple of thugs, turning them into super-strong automaton. He then uses them in a surprise attack against Doctor Strange, stealing a mystic artifact that will make him all powerful.

Spider Man sees the thugs exiting Strange’s home and gets involved. This leads to him getting zapped into another dimension (a situation he accepts with remarkable aplomb—he doesn’t pause in his wisecracking for even a moment). Anyway, Spidey and Doctor Strange end up double-teaming Xandu and getting the artifact back.

Steve Ditko had proven to be the perfect artist for both Spider Man and Dr. Strange, despite the books being very different in their respective ambiances. So seeing him go to town in a story that tosses the two heroes together is quite a treat.

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY ANNUAL #1

The FF annual was an excuse for a massive fight scene. The Thor annual is an excuse for a one-on-one fight scene, but it’s just as cool.

Thor is on patrol outside Asgard and gets into a tussle with a couple of storm giants. He gets knocked into a hidden tunnel that leads to Mount Olympus. He soon meets Hercules, who is crossing a narrow bridge in one direction while Thor is crossing the other way.

So who moves aside for whom? You can see where this is leading—the two gods spend eight or nine pages slugging it out before Zeus shows up and declares it a tie. It no longer matters, by the way, who crosses the bridge first, because the bridge got trashed in the fight.

One of Jack Kirby’s strength as an artist was giving a sense of real power whenever someone threw a punch. When Thor or Herc lets go with a haymaker, Kirby makes it look as if the blow really could tear the top off a mountain. So it’s not surprising that his Thor/Hercules fight is fun to watch. It’s just too bad there wasn’t a wedding going on in Olympus. It would have given all the poor guys attending something interesting to look at.

Anyway, this means we have now covered four full years of Marvel superhero action. At this moment, all the books are at least good and several of them (FF, Thor, Spider Man) are downright brilliant. Weak entries such as Giant Man have been replaced by stronger and more visual striking series such as the Sub-Mariner. Daredevil is probably the weakest book from 1965, but even he has his moments (such as the Daredevil/Namor fight in DD #7).

The Marvel Universe is getting quite large and complex. And it will be expanding even more soon. The FF is about to meet the Inhumans and Spider Man is on the verge of adding several very important supporting characters to his cast. The Galactus storyline in FF will be starting soon, while the God of Thunder is about to be dropped into some of his most cosmically cool adventures ever.

Next week, we’ll start looking at November 1965. The FF begin yet another superb multi-part adventure; Spider Man tracks down a cat burgler; Nick Fury gets captured; Dr. Strange finally meets Eternity; Thor continues to battle Absorbing Man, while Iron Man continues to battle Titanium Man; the Atlantians revolt against Krang; Hulk gets some good news and some bad news; the Avengers try to prove they're not a menace; and the X-Men have their first tussle against a certain type of giant robot.

By the way, starting with December 1965, both the X-Men and Daredevil become monthly books. That means I’ll probably be reorganizing the order in which I look at the books over the course of a month’s issues.