Marvel goes through a tumultuous period as they prepare for the 1980s.
Posted:
Oct 14, 2023 3:05 pm
After the mid-1970s saw the revival of the X-Men and the introduction of key characters like the Punisher, Wolverine, and Iron Fist, most of the elements that general audiences would recognize in Marvel Comics were set in place. There would of course be more new franchises and heroes in the coming decades, but the major touchstones (particularly before the rise of the MCU, which would change exactly what those touchstones were, like the newfound popularity of the Guardians of the Galaxy) were pretty much all accounted for. In the last few years of the 1970s, Marvel went through a period of refinement, as well as getting into some hot water with regards to their finances that a certain movie from a galaxy far, far away helped them navigate (more on that in a bit).
There aren’t as many seismic shifts in this era compared to some of the previous ones we’ve covered, but there are still plenty of influential and noteworthy comics to sort through. So join us for Part 6 of our look at the essential issues of Marvel!
Carol Danvers Becomes a Superhero (Ms. Marvel #1)
Carol Danvers, the half-human, half-Kree hero who nowadays is known as one of Marvel’s most powerful characters, started off as a non-powered member of the original Captain Marvel’s supporting cast in 1968. As an officer in the Air Force, she had numerous run-ins with Mar-Vell, including one that left her body altered by energy from a device known as the Psyche-Magnitron. This story turn wouldn’t pay off until Carol received her own series in 1977, where she made her debut as the superhero Ms. Marvel. Although the first two issues were scripted by Gerry Conway, from issue #3 onwards it was written by Chris Claremont. Carol’s original series mirrored the hero’s growing pains in adjusting to her life as a superhero, altering how her powers worked and what her whole deal even was more than once before the run was over. Still, this series established Carol as a fixture of the Marvel Universe, and she would have long-standing associations with the Avengers and X-Men. Carol would change her superhero name a few times, going from Ms. Marvel to Binary to Warbird and back to Ms. Marvel before finally settling on Captain Marvel in 2012. Carol has appeared in numerous cartoons and video games, and is of course played by Brie Larson in the MCU, jumping straight to the Captain Marvel identity.
The Bride of Ultron (Avengers #161-162)
Last time we discussed how one of the mid-1970s stories gave crucial definition to Avengers archenemy Kang the Conqueror, and the late ’70s did the same for the team’s other major nemesis: the devious synthetic Ultron. Ultron had of course been a part of the Avengers’ lives for many years, but this two-issue arc from Jim Shooter and George Pérez upgraded him to the upper pantheon of Marvel villains. In this story, Ultron brainwashes his creator, Hank Pym, into thinking that the last several years of his life never happened so he’ll help Ultron “temporarily” transfer the Wasp’s life force into a robotic shell named Jocasta, with Pym not realizing Ultron intends to kill him once the procedure is completed. This story brought the Oedipal subtext that had always been part of Ultron’s makeup to the forefront, with him wanting to literally kill his “father” and marry his “mother” by giving Jocasta life with Janet’s mind. This aspect of Ultron’s characterization would inform later stories, particularly Ultron Unlimited, and would also be partially adapted in both the animated Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and the MCU film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Even if it wasn’t already a great yarn, these issues would still be worth reading just for Pérez’s stellar pencils and Jocasta’s first appearance.
Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy (Star Wars #1)
While obviously not a part of the Marvel Universe proper, the 1977 licensed Star Wars adaptation is actually one of the most important comics Marvel ever published. At a time when sales were lagging and many of Marvel’s books were suffering severe scheduling and production issues, writer-editor Roy Thomas proposed taking a chance on licensing an upcoming science-fiction film called Star Wars. Despite pushback from much of the Marvel bullpen, including Stan Lee, Thomas persisted and helped close the deal with George Lucas. By the time the movie was released, Marvel had already published two issues of a six-part adaptation, and it immediately became a best-selling title. Jim Shooter, who served as Marvel’s editor-in-chief from 1978 to 1987, stated in a blog post that the comic “sold and sold and sold. In the most conservative terms, it is inarguable that the success of the Star Wars comics was a significant factor in Marvel’s survival through a couple of very difficult years, 1977 and 1978.” Beyond giving Marvel the breathing room it needed to get things back on track, the comic would continue the story after the film for a total of 107 issues, helping to popularize the concept of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
Doctor Doom Is Deposed as Ruler of Latveria (Fantastic Four #200)
After the end of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s run on Fantastic Four with issue #102, the Fantastic Four wouldn’t reach the same heights again until John Byrne’s run in the 1980s. However, the best issue in the intervening years was #200 from Marv Wolfman and Keith Pollard, which was the finale of an arc involving Doctor Doom attempting to place a clone of himself on the throne of Latveria as a puppet ruler. The battle between Reed Richards and Doom in this issue is one of their best, the epic clash conveying just how much these two hate each other, and it also features a knockout ending with Doom being driven insane by seeing thousands of reflections of his mangled face. With Doom imprisoned, Prince Zorba of the Latverian royal family is placed on the throne, and Doom would be off the board for a couple of years. The subsequent subplot about him regaining his faculties and starting a guerrilla war to regain control of his country would not be resolved until well into Byrne’s run years later. When reading the entirety of this era of Fantastic Four, the use of Doctor Doom is a great example of how well comics can weave in long-running storylines for maximum impact.
Thanos Steals the Power of the Soul Gems (Avengers Annual #7/Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2)
Thanos may have lost his war against the Avengers when using the Cosmic Cube, but he wouldn’t be counted out for long. After being revived during Jim Starlin’s run on Warlock, Thanos began a new scheme to gather the power of the six Soul Gems (later renamed the Infinity Gems, and then the Infinity Stones in the MCU). The Mad Titan channels the power of all six gems into a single synthetic gem that powers a weapon capable of destroying all the stars in the universe in an attempt to win back the love of Mistress Death, who abandoned him after his previous defeat. When he comes for Earth’s sun, Thanos faces the combined might of the Avengers, Adam Warlock, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and the Thing in one of the most epic battles of the decade that takes place over two annual-sized issues. This is one of the best Thanos stories ever, and is a precursor to Starlin’s opus, The Infinity Gauntlet, which would be published nearly 15 years later. The final two pages in particular, detailing the fates of Warlock and Thanos, are some of the greatest in Starlin’s oeuvre. Another interesting detail is that this is the first example of a Marvel crossover story told entirely in annuals, a trend that would pick up steam years later with events like The Evolutionary War, Atlantis Attacks, and Citizen Kang.
The Korvac Saga (Avengers #167-168, #170-177)
The Avengers may be all the rage now because of the MCU, but one of their longest storylines is something most of the general audience would never even have heard of. That would be the Korvac Saga, a nearly year-long epic by Jim Shooter which involves the Avengers trying to ascertain the exact nature of “The Enemy,” a cosmic being who they believe is a threat to the universe but is seemingly impossible to detect. This being turns out to be Michael Korvac, a 31st century technician who traveled to the past and was accidentally imbued with the Power Cosmic after breaking into Galactus’ Worldship. When the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy finally find him and go to confront him (by taking public transit, in one of comics’ all-time funniest moments), they attack only to realize that Korvac was apparently not malevolent; he was actually trying to quietly make alterations to the fabric of reality to free humanity from “the whims of Eternity,” here referring to the all-powerful cosmic entity. This story acts as a deconstruction of the idea of the Avengers as benevolent interventionists, calling into question their assumption that they know what is right in any given situation, and to automatically think the worst of any powerful being they can’t immediately understand. Korvac has made appearances in cartoons, but this story hasn’t ever been properly adapted, likely due to its thorny moral and philosophical implications. Still, it’s a fascinating artifact nevertheless.
Mystique Makes Her Move (Ms. Marvel #16-18)
Few would argue that Magneto isn’t the top X-Men villain, but if there’s a runner-up, Mystique would assuredly be on the shortlist. Despite her prevalence in the world of the X-Men, the shapeshifting mutant actually got her start in the pages of Ms. Marvel, where she was a recurring nemesis for Carol Danvers by manipulating events behind the scenes. Although she appeared in disguise in issue #16, she didn’t appear in her traditional blue-skinned form until #18. Carol sadly didn’t have many great villains in her first run, but Mystique finally provided her with a worthy adversary. Mystique would later play an important role in Carol’s separation from the Avengers when her adopted daughter Rogue (who would go on to join the X-Men) permanently stole Carol’s superpowers. Mystique’s seamless crossover from Ms. Marvel to Uncanny X-Men, where she led a new incarnation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, was indicative of Chris Claremont’s affection for crossing character continuity across all the books he was writing. Mystique would eventually become a pop-culture icon, appearing in numerous films, cartoons and video games. Despite this, she has almost never crossed paths with her original nemesis in adaptations, so hopefully someday the MCU will rectify this oversight.
Demon in a Bottle (Iron Man #120-128)
Being a fan of Iron Man in the ’70s must have been rough, because few Marvel characters had as poor of a showing that decade as Tony Stark. There were a few notable moments, especially Madame Masque becoming Tony’s main love interest for a while, but Iron Man’s book was one of the weakest coming out of the Bullpen for years. This all changed when David Michelinie and Bob Layton took over the title in 1978, starting a legendary run that completely revitalized the character and saved the book from cancellation. Only a few issues in, the pair started what is still commonly considered one of Stark’s best stories: Demon in a Bottle, which finally made Stark’s alcoholism textual, beginning as a recurring subplot before becoming a full-on crisis in the final issue. Besides making Stark feel like a three-dimensional person for the first time in ages, this story also provided important development for new supporting characters James Rhodes and Bethany Cabe, both of whom would be regular fixtures of Iron Man’s book for years to come. Although Stark gets sober by the end of the story, the subplot would return years later during Dennis O’Neil’s run on Iron Man, when new villain Obadiah Stane conspires to destroy Tony by driving him back to drinking.
Scott Lang Becomes the Second Ant-Man (Marvel Premiere #47-48)
Any Marvel comic fan worth their salt (or reader of this series) would know that Hank Pym was the original Ant-Man, but he actually didn’t hold on to that title for as long as you’d think. Pym changed his superhero identity several times, and by 1979 had long since settled on Yellowjacket. This gave ex-con Scott Lang, who made his first appearance as a Stark International employee in Avengers #181, the opportunity to steal the Ant-Man suit and return to crime. However, he wasn’t doing it for personal gain; his daughter Cassie had a rare heart condition, and he was trying to find a way to raise funds for her treatment. This leads him into conflict with Darren Cross, a mutated villain with a similar condition who has taken to kidnapping people and stealing their hearts. Lang defeats Cross and receives help for Cassie from Dr. Erica Sondheim, another captive of Cross. When confronted by Pym over the theft of the suit, Lang says he’s willing to turn himself in, but Pym tells him to keep it and to continue being Ant-Man. Lang would keep the mantle for a long time, later joining the Avengers. The basic outline for this story was adapted for the first Ant-Man film in 2015, starring Paul Rudd as Lang, who of course would prove to be the primary Ant-Man in the MCU.
The Black Cat Crosses Spider-Man’s Path (Amazing Spider-Man #194)
Everyone knows Peter Parker and Mary Jane eventually got married, but did you know she rejected his first proposal? Yup, it happened in Amazing Spider-Man #183, which led to the dissolution of their relationship. But the Web-Slinger soon had a new woman in his life with issue #194, when he had his first encounter with Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. the Black Cat, a master thief and Olympic-level acrobat created by Marv Wolfman and Keith Pollard. Although the two started off as enemies, the romantic tension between her and Spidey was too much to deny, so Felicia changed her stripes and swore off a life of crime. After receiving a pardon, she became Spider-Man’s lover and crime-fighting partner, a status quo that would stick for years, with their adventures largely chronicled in the Spectacular Spider-Man comic. Although she wouldn’t last as Spidey’s primary love interest forever, Black Cat has stuck around as one of his most prominent supporting cast members. Yet despite being a frequent staple of Spider-Man cartoons and video games, she’s yet to make a proper jump to live action. Felicity Jones played a character named Felicia in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but it was a tiny role and she never suited up. Perhaps the next MCU Spider-Man film could finally feature the Black Cat’s long overdue live-action debut.
Scarlet Witch Is Possessed by Chthon (Avengers #185-187)
Few characters have been subject to as many backstory retcons as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, to the point that this story from 1979 was already the second time their parentage was altered! While trying to learn more about their origins in the nation of Transia, the twins are beset by the machinations of Chthon, an evil Elder God and the creator of the Darkhold, a powerful book of dark magic. Chthon possesses Wanda atop Mount Wundagore, hoping to use her body’s growing magical abilities to bring about the end of humanity, and it takes the combined efforts of the Avengers and Wanda’s foster father Django Maximoff to restore Wanda’s soul. This story doesn’t say his name outloud, but it sets up the retcon that Magneto was the father of the Maximoff twins, which would finally be confirmed in 1983. It was also the first time after breaking away from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants that Wanda temporarily turned to the dark side (albeit via demonic possession), which would become a recurring plot point in the following decades, occurring again in West Coast Avengers and most famously in Avengers Disassembled and House of M. Several elements of this story, such as Mount Wundagore, Wanda being influenced by the Darkhold, and her connection to Chthon, would inspire the plot of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter.
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