I sold most of my late 1960s and nearly all of my 1970s Marvel comics over a period of 2 years ending in 2007 on ebay. I wrote a detailed ebay item description for each comic book I sold to keep as a historical record. The article below isn’t a complete review of Marvel’s late Silver Age or Bronze Age books. The article is only a listing of some of the more extensive or interesting descriptions for some of the comics. I have grouped the descriptions into categories which are noted in blue titles. If you want to sell some of these books on ebay feel free to use the description but I would appreciate giving me a credit byline like “Courtesy of Lewis Forro” or something similar. I have hundreds more comic book descriptions for Marvel 1968 – 1977. If you need a few let me send me your email address and I will send a pdf file attachment.
Marvel Late Silver & Early Bronze Age
Marvel's Last #1 Before 1968 Explosion
The Ghost Rider #1
Feb 1967
Writer: Gary Friedrich / Roy Thomas. Artist: Dick Ayers. Inker: Vince Colletta. Cover: Dick Ayers.
Now here’s an obscure Marvel comic that doesn’t show up in nice shape to often. Origin and 1st appearance of Carter Slade aka the Ghost Rider. Carter receives some mystic stardust from an Indian medicine man named Flaming Star which enables Carter to glow in the dark. Carter lives in the town of Bison Bend with a young sidekick named Jamie Jacobs. Jamie later became the Phantom Rider. The other supporting characters are a pretty blonde Natalie Brooks that Carter hankers for but she’s engaged to another guy. Natalie’s brother Benjamin Brooks is the town’s sheriff who thinks Ghost Rider is an outlaw since he wears a mask.
The comic book company Magazine Enterprises had a Ghost Rider comic in 1950 with a different character but with the same white costume. Strangely, the art was also by Dick Ayers. This 1967 Marvel version of Ghost Rider only lasted 7 issues. He next appeared in the first 7 issues of Western Gunfighters starting in 1970. Carter Slade died in #7. In 1972 Marvel introduced a supernatural motorcycle riding Ghost Rider named Johnny Blaze set in modern times. In 1974 this 1967 The Ghost Rider series were reprinted in 6 issues of a comic book named Night Rider with the character retroactively named Night Rider to avoid confusion with the 1972 Ghost Rider.
Marvel's 1968 Explosion
Iron Man And Sub-Mariner #1
Apr 1968
Cover art: Gene Colan / Bill Everett. Colan had been drawing Iron Man in Tales of Suspense. Everett created the Sub-Mariner and drew his adventures in the 1940s Timely comics and a few issues of The Sub-Mariner in the late 1970s.
Iron Man story: Writer: Archie Goodwin. Artist: Gene Colan. Inker: Johnny Craig.
Sub-Mariner story: Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Gene Colan. Inker: Frank Giacoia.
This book is exactly what the cover blurb says, a “Special Once-In-A-Lifetime Issue.” How did it happen? Iron Man had been appearing as the lead feature in Tales of Suspense since #39 in 1963. Captain America was the backup feature starting with #59. Meanwhile, the Sub-Mariner had been appearing in Tales To Astonish since #70 (having replaced Giant-Man) in 1965 with the Hulk as the backup feature starting with #60. All this time, unknown to nearly all of Marvel’s fans, its arch rival DC comics had been distributing Marvel’s comics under a contract which limited Marvel to about 8 books per month. This restrictive contract expired in 1968 and Marvel immediately set about expanding its line. Captain America got his own book starting with #100 which continued the old Tales of Suspense numbering. The Hulk got his own book starting with #102 which continued the old Tales To Astonish numbering. Iron Man and Sub-Mariner each got their own book starting with #1 but before that this special issue came out as a “bridge” which continued their stories from Tales of Suspense #99 and Tales To Astonish #101 respectively. So this book predates by one month both Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1. Pretty cool, huh? This issue’s inker, Johnny Craig, was a top artist at EC comics in the 1950s. He penciled Iron Man #2 – #4 and inked several issues after that.
Iron Man #1
May 1968
Writer: Archie Goodwin. Artist: Gene Colan. Inker: Johnny Craig . Cover: Gene Colan.
1st Silver Age issue of Iron Man in his own book.
Iron Man first appeared in Tales Of Suspense #39 in 1963. He stayed as the lead feature in that book through issue #99 in 1968. He next appeared in the one-shot issue Iron Man And Sub-Mariner #1 in April 1968 and then got his own book, Iron Man which ran until #316 in 1995. I don’t follow comics after 1977 ordinarily but I’m sure Iron Man is still around in a Marvel comic somewhere. Of course Marvel will eventually make one of its big budget movies about him so it doesn’t hurt to have a #1 tucked away. This issue’s inker, Johnny Craig, was a top artist at EC comics in the 1950s. He penciled Iron Man #2 – #4 and inked several issues after that.
Sub-Mariner #1
May 1968
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: John Buscema. Inker: Frank Giacoia. Cover: John Buscema.
First appearance of Prince Namor the Sub- Mariner in his own comic book in Marvel’s Silver Age. The story is continued from Iron Man And Sub Mariner #1 from the previous month. Retells Subby’s origin.
The Sub-Mariner is Marvel’s oldest superhero. His origin and first appearance was in the black & white Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 in 1939 which predates Timely/ Marvel’s first regular color comic book Marvel Comics #1 in 1939. Subby’s story in Marvel Comics #1 is reprinted from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly. After appearing in several early issues of Marvel Mystery Comics (Marvel Comics renamed) Subby got his own Timely comic book with Sub-Mariner Comics #1 in 1941. Subby and the rest of the Timely superhero books ceased publication soon after World War II ended in 1945. Subby, Captain America and the Human Torch were briefly revived for a few months in the mid 1950s Atlas/Marvel comic books. Subby first appeared in Marvel’s Silver Age in The Fantastic Four #4 in 1962. He guest starred in numerous FF and other early Marvel books until finally getting his own series as the lead feature in Tales To Astonish #70 in 1965, replacing Giant-Man in that book. This series lasted through Tales To Astonish #101. The Incredible Hulk took over the entire book after that with #102. Subby and Iron Man stories then appeared in a special one-shot issue Iron Man And Sub-Mariner #1 in 1968 and then Subby got his own book the next month with Sub-Mariner #1. This Silver Age title lasted 72 issues. Subby has had other series off and on since then and will eventually get his big budget Marvel movie treatment.
The Incredible Hulk #102
Apr 1968
Writer: Gary Friedrich. Artist: Marie Severin. Cover: Marie Severin.
The Hulk was one of Marvel’s earliest characters, who first appeared in his own book The Incredible Hulk #1 in 1962. This title folded after only 6 issues and the Hulk was left to guest star in other Marvel titles until he got a new series. This was the back- up feature in Tales To Astonish starting with #60 from 1964. He kept that spot until 1968 when Marvel underwent a major expansion by taking all their characters who were sharing a book and giving them their own book. Thus, Tales To Astonish became The Incredible Hulk with #102.
Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1
Jun 1968
Writer: Jim Steranko. Artist: Jim Steranko. Inker: Joe Sinnott. Cover: Jim Steranko.
The guy in the blue jump suit is Nicholas Fury, former U.S. Army sergeant and C.I.A agent and current director of the spy agency called Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law Enforcement Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) The guy in red holding the fiery Scorpio Key is Jacob Fury aka Scorpio and Nick Fury’s younger brother. The guy in the red hat is Dum Dum Dugan, Nick’s Army buddy from World War II. The babe is the Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. She was one of Nick’s agents and a part time girlfriend. Also Val was briefly a rival of another S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Sharon Carter Agent 13, for the affections of Captain America. Don’t know who the guy in green is.
Nicholas Fury first appeared in the Marvel Universe in Sgt. Fury And His Howling Commandos #1 in 1963. Marvel publisher Martin Goodman, a devoted trend follower, needed a comic book to cash in on the 1960s James Bond spy movie crazy. So, C.I.A. agent Nick Fury became the director of an even more super-duper spy agency, S.H.I.E.L.D., in Strange Tales #135, 1965. In 1968 Fury got his own book (this one) which folded in 1971 after 18 issues. He didn’t get another long running book until 1989, but Nick stayed on the 1970s Marvel scene by frequent guest appearances in Captain America, Iron Man and other Marvel books.
Artist Jim Steranko first art for Marvel was an inking job for Jack Kirby’s pencils on the Nick Fury story in Strange Tales #167 in 1967. Steranko quickly inherited the Fury strip and became one of the few artists not to suffer by comparison to Kirby. He was influenced by Kirby and other famous comic artists, but he had his own style that made him a comic book fan cult figure. He left regular comic book work in 1969 to run his Supergraphics Company and publish a pop culture newspaper Mediascene which later became the magazine Prevue.
Personal Note: Most comic strips and comic books were never closely tied to the timeline taking place in the real world, and their like characters like Popeye, Superman Charlie Brown, never seemed to age. Marvel was justly famous for changing this convention by having its characters set in real cities and in roughly real time, and for having their characters age to a degree. It always bothered me that Nick Fury disrupted Marvel’s orderly space-time continuum. Look at Nick in his Sgt. Fury comics that were set in the mid 1940s. He looks to be about 35 years old, maybe 30 if you shave off his face stubble. Even in the unlikely event he was as young as 30 when WW II ended in 1945, that would make him 50 years old when he got the S.H.I.E.L.D. job in 1965. True, Kirby drew him about that old but even a teenage comic book reader could figure out a 50 year old guy couldn’t do the physical feats Kirby drew Nick doing. Steranko aggravated the aging and physical prowess problems by drawing Nick a little younger looking, giving him a rubber jump suit, fixing him up with a sexy Italian countess and making him even more athletic and acrobatic than Kirby ever did. All of that seemed more unrealistic than a radioactive Spider-Man and mutant X-Men.
Silver Surfer #1
Aug 1968
Writer: Stan Lee. Artist: John Buscema. Inker: Joe Sinnott. Cover: John Buscema.
Origin and 1st appearance of the Silver Surfer in his own book. Norrin Radd was an astronomer on the planet Zenn-La, home of a race of advanced aliens. He had a nice looking girlfriend named Shalla Bal. One day the god-like planet eating Galactus came by to have Zenn-La for lunch. To save Shalla Bal and the rest of his homeworld, Norrin Radd made a deal with Galactus. If the planet eater would spare Zenn-La, Norrin agreed to serve Galactus as his herald and search out other planets for Galactus to eat. Galactus agreed and gave Norrin cosmic powers, a surfboard and a shiny coat of silver cosmic paint all of which transformed him into the Silver Surfer. Later this search-and-eat partnership ended when Galactus tried to eat Earth. The Surfer, having acquired a sense of right and wrong from his contact with Earth people, rebelled against his master. Galactus spared the Earth but exiled the Surfer on Earth for punishment and placed a cosmic barrier around Earth to keep the Surfer trapped there forever.
The Silver Surfer and Galactus first appeared in The Fantastic Four #48, #49, #50 in 1966. This first Silver Surfer comic series only lasted 18 issues, but he and Galactus frequently made guest appearances in many other Marvel books. The Surfer got a second series in 1987 that lasted 147 issues. He has had several short-run series, graphic novels and continuing guest appearances in other books all of which has made him into one of Marvel’s favorite, heavyweight characters. Of course it’s only a matter of time until he gets the big budget movie treatment so all of his early books like this have no where to go in price except up.
This issue has also features the first entry in a series of backup stories, Tales Of The Watcher. This new series retold the stories that had been part of the first Tales Of The Watcher series that had been a backup feature in the comic book Tales Of Suspense in the early 1960s. The Watcher first appeared in The Fantastic Four #13 in 1963 and was on hand in #48 to help the FF against Galactus and the Surfer.
Captain Marvel #1
May 1968
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Gene Colan. Inker: Vince Colletta. Cover: Gene Colan.
Captain Marvel #1 is continued from Marvel Super-Heroes #13.
Captain Marvel first appeared in the Marvel Universe in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 and #13 in 1968. He was Captain Mar-Vell, an officer in the space fleet of the Kree Empire. He had been sent to Earth to spy since the upstart Earthlings were causing trouble for the Empire: The Fantastic Four had defeated both a forgotten Kree robot sentry on Earth and a Kree officer, Ronan the Accuser, who had bent sent to investigate the Sentry incident. These two issues introduced the supporting cast: the Kree female medic Una who loved Mar-Vell, another Kree officer Colonel Yon-Rogg who hated Marv-Vell since he was a rival for Una’s affections. Also featured was Earth female Carol Danvers. Carol was a security officer at Cape Canaveral where Mar-Vell worked under his assumed identity of Walter Lawson, an Earth space scientist. She much later gained super powers and became a member of the Avengers and the X-Men under the names of Ms. Marvel, Warbird and Binary.
Most of Mar-Vell’s adventures were initially battles against alien and Earth villains and plots by his superior officer, Yon-Rogg. Later he got more involved in political intrigue with the Kree rulers Ronan, Zarek and the Supreme Intelligence. He also had a long symbiotic relationship with the Earthman Rick Jones. One of the highlights of his career was his involvement with the war against Thanos, the evil ruler of the moon Titan.
Captain Marvel was one of the few important Marvel characters who stayed dead when he died. He died of cancer in the 1982 graphic novel by Jim Starlin, The Death Of Captain Marvel and Marvel Comics never figured out a way to bring him back to life. Historical note: The original Captain Marvel of the 1940s created by C.C. Beck was sued out of existence by D.C. comics in 1953 in a lawsuit alleging the Big Red Cheese infringed Superman’s copyrights. Somehow, Martin Goodman, publisher of Marvel Comics, got the copyright to the name Captain Marvel and used it for this 1968 series. Therefore, when D.C. brought back the real Captain Marvel with art by Beck in the early 1970s, they were were forced to call the book Shazam. Weird, huh?
The Strange Case Of Doctor Strange #169 & Strange Tales #169
Doctor Strange #169
Jun 1968
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Dan Adkins. Inker: Dan Adkins. Cover: Dan Adkins.
First issue of Doctor Strange in his own book. The story retells his origin in more detail than the 8 page story that first told his origin in Strange Tales#115.
Stephen Strange M.D., aka Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts first appeared in Strange Tales #110 in 1963. He had a series in that title until 1968 when he was awarded the entire book, renamed Doctor Strange starting with #169. That book expired with #183 in 1972. Doc was to popular to remain extinct so he was given another book which started with #1 in 1974. Doc was usually blessed with Marvel’s best artists. Steve Ditko drew all his early Strange Tales stories, Gene Colan handled most of his first book and Frank Brunner drew the first few issues of his second book, followed by Gene Colan and Jim Starlin.
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Dan Adkins. Inker: Dan Adkins. Cover: Dan Adkins.
First issue of Doctor Strange in his own book. The story retells his origin in more detail than the 8 page story that first told his origin in Strange Tales #115.
Stephen Strange M.D., aka Doctor Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts first appeared in Strange Tales #110 in 1963. He had a series in that title until 1968 when he was awarded the entire book, renamed Doctor Strangestarting with #169. That book expired with #183 in 1972. Doc was to popular to remain extinct so he was given another book which started with #1 in 1974. Doc was usually blessed with Marvel’s best artists. Steve Ditko drew all his early Strange Tales stories, Gene Colan handled most of his first book and Frank Brunner drew the first few issues of his second book, followed by Gene Colan and Jim Starlin.
Strange Tales #169
Sep 1973
Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Gene Colan. Inker: Dan Adkins. Cover: John Romita.
1st appearance in the Marvel Universe of Brother Voodoo. According to the Grand Comic Book Database Brother Voodoo “…is the union of Daniel Drumm’s spirit in twin brother Jericho Drumm’s body.” He was one of many supernatural characters Marvel was using in the early 1970s along with Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Ghost Rider, Werewolf by Night and so on. Brother Voodoo specialized in fighting zombies and other types of dead peoople. Brother Voodoo didn’t last long at Marvel. His series in Strange Tales lasted 5 issues. He made a few guest appearances in other Marvel books after that including Marvel Team-Up #24. In a few issues of Tomb Of Dracula he helped one of the Dracula hunters fight some zombies.
This 1973 series of Strange Tales lasted from #169 – #188. After Brother Voodoo another supernatural monster, the Golem, had a few issues but then reprints of Atlas monster stories and reprints of Doctor Strange from the old Strange Tales series took over.
Marvel had a much longer and more important Strange Tales comic book before this 1973 version. The original Strange Tales series started in 1951. Like many other Atlas comics, it was an anthology of horror stories. It was one of the few books that survived the Atlas Implosion of 1957 when the Atlas/Marvel comic book line nearly went out of business. The Human Torch from the Fantastic Four took over as the lead feature in #101 in 1962. Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D replaced the Torch in #135. Doctor Strange was a backup feature starting with #110. The last Strange Tales issue was #168 in 1968. Next month the book was renamed Doctor Strange but the numbering was continued with #169 being the first all Doctor Strange issue. When the second Strange Tales series started in 1973 starring Brother Voodoo, Marvel began the numbering with #169.
Marvel Early Bronze Age Keys
Amazing Adventures #1
Aug 1970
Inhumans story: Writer: Jack Kirby. Artist: Jack Kirby. Inker: Chic Stone.
The Inhumans were a race of superhumans who had been created in prehistoric times by space explorers from the Kree Empire. The Kree visited Earth and tinkered with the genetics of some prehistoric Earthmen to create the Inhumans. The red haired female on the cover is Medusa, a member of the Inhumans’ royal family. She first appeared in Fantastic Four #36. The other 3 on the cover are also members of the royal family: Black Bolt, Gorgon, Triton. They first appeared in Fantastic Four #44.
Black Widow story: Writer: Gary Friedrich. Artist: John Buscema. Inker: John Verpoorten.
The Widow’s chauffeur Ivan Petrovich is introduced in this story.
Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow first appeared in Tales Of Suspense #52 as a Soviet spy who battled Iron Man. She later switched sides and worked for Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and other American good guys. When she was still a bad girl she had a brief romantic fling with another Iron Man villain, Hawkeye, who had started out bad and later joined the good guys as a member of the Avengers. The Widow teamed teamed up with Daredevil starting with #81 of that title. She appeared in most of the Daredevil issues after that and soon became his new girlfriend. The book’s name was changed to Daredevil And The Black Widow with issue #92.
Marvel Feature #1
Dec 1971
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Ross Andru. Inker: Bill Everett. Cover: Neal Adams.
Extra thick .25 cover price issue. 1st appearance and origin of another Marvel superhero team, The Defenders. All 3 members, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, Doctor Strange each already had their own book at Marvel. Guest stars the Silver Surfer who later joined the team. The Defenders lasted 3 issues in Marvel Feature then got their own title which lasted 152 issues. Includes an original 10 page Doctor Strange story and a Sub-Mariner reprint story Sub-Mariner Comics #40 from 1955. Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer and Hulk had teamed-up once before in The Sub-Mariner #34 and #35.
Marvel Spotlight #1
Nov 1971
Writer: Gardner Fox. Artist: Syd Shores. Inker: Wally Wood. Cover: Neal Adams.
Red Wolf was a Cheyenne Indian who was adopted by White parents and took the name Johnny Wakely. I don’t remember all the details since I haven’t touched this book in over 35 years, except to mail it into CGC. The 1970s weren’t the golden age of Marvel Westerns so he didn’t get much of a foothold in the Marvel Universe. After this issue he only had his own 9 issue series and a few guest star appearances. Red Wolf’s great-great grandson, Thomas Thunderhead, appeared in The Avengers #80.
Red Wolf’s debut wasn’t handled by amateurs. Gardner Fox was a science fiction pulp author and DC comics writer for 40 years or so. Syd Shores had been drawing comics since the 1940s. Wally Wood was a legendary artist for EC comics in the 1950s. Neal Adams was the most popular comic artist in the 1970s. It does seem a bit strange to have all this talent used on what turned out to be an obscure, ephemeral character like Red Wolf.
Special Marvel Edition #15
Dec 1973
Writer: Steve Engelhart. Artist: Jim Starlin. Inker: Al Milgrom. Cover: Jim Starlin.
1st appearance of Shang-Chi, Fu Manchu, Dr. Dennis-Nayland Smith, Dr. Petrie in the Marvel Universe. Fu Manchu and the 2 Doctors were characters in the fictional universe created by the British author Sax Rohmer for his Fu Manchu pulp stories and novels in the 1920s. Fu Manchu became the most famous example in books and movies of the “Yellow Peril” type of villain. He was so well known Boris Karloff even played him in a movie in the 1930s. In the Marvel Universe, Shang-Chi was the son of Fu Manchu. He started out working for his dad in their homeland of China but turned him against when he learned Fu Manchu was an evil master criminal.
Martial arts movies and TV shows were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. A TV show, Kung-Fu with David Carradine was especially noteworthy. Marvel, always following the trends in popular entertainment wanted to cash in with their own karate/kung-fu heroes. So, we have Shang-Chi and later another guy who didn’t last near as long: Iron Fist who first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15 in 1974. Shang-Chi appears in Special Marvel Edition #15 and #16. The title changes to Master Of Kung Fu with #17 and lasts until #124 in 1983. Shang-Chi had a few short lived titles in later years and interacted with other characters in the Marvel Universe. There was also a 1970s Marvel magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
Creatures On The Loose #30
Jul 1974
Writer: Doug Moench. Artist: George Tuska. Inker: Vince Colletta. Cover: Gil Kane / John Romita.
1st appearance in his own series of John Jameson aka the Man-Wolf. He was the son of J. Jonah Jameson who was the publisher of the newspaper the Daily Bugle and a perpetual nemesis of Spider-Man. John Jameson was an Air Force officer and astronaut for NASA. His missions in outer space frequently resulted in trouble for Spider-Man. John Jameson first appeared in the Marvel Universe in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 1963 in which Spidey rescued him from an Earth orbital mission gone awry but got no thanks from John’s dad J.J. Jameson. In The Amazing Spider-Man #42 John contracted some spores on a mission to Jupiter which gave him super-strength. His dad talked him into using his strength into trying to capture Spider-Man. Spidey cured John of his spore influence, again with no thanks from JJJ. Several years later. in The Amazing Spider-Man #124 in 1973 John was on a mission to the Moon. He found a red gemstone which he liked and wore around his neck as a pendant. Back on Earth, when moonlight from a full Moon hit the pendant it was fused into his neck and John was transformed into the Man-Wolf. He then attacked who else, Spider-Man. Spidey cured John of his unfortunate social condition of lycanthropy by ripping the pendant out of his neck, again with no thanks from JJJ. In Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1, the vampire Morbius (another enemy of Spider-Man) found the pendant and grafted it back into John’s neck which set the stage for his own comic book series starting in this issue of Creatures On The Loose #30. John kept his lycanthropic condition for the remainder of this title which ended with #37.
John Jameson appeared in the second big budget Spider-Man movie in 2004 and will be in the third Spidey movie in 2007 so I guess comic books with John Jameson may have some extra investment potential. Marvel already had another werewolf character, Jack Russell starring in Werewolf By Night, who had been introduced in 1972 and also had his own book. Marvel was on a serious horror/monster comic book trend in the early 1970s however and figured the House Of Ideas was big enough for 2 werewolves.
Ka-Zar #1
Jan 1974
Writer: Mike Friedrich. Artist: Paul Reinman. Inker: Mike Esposito. Cover: John Buscema.
Ka-Zar returns home to the Savage Land from New York where his feature in Astonishing Tales had been set. He battles an evil wizard named Malgato the Red Wizard and an old enemy of his, Maa-Gor the Man-Ape. Maa-Gor first appeared in Daredevil #12. Last panel has Shanna the She-Devil.
British lord Kevin Plunder aka Ka-Zar was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Ka-Zar made his first appearance in the Marvel Silver Age in The X-Men #10 from 1964 where we learned he was the ruler of the Savage Land, an underground jungle domain populated with dinosaurs. Like all other jungle lord characters, his creation was inspired by the first and best known of all jungle rulers, Tarzan of the Apes. Ka-Zar’s origin is a thinly veiled copy of Tarzan’s own origin.
Ka-Zar made guest appearances in many Marvel titles including Daredevil #12 and #13. He was the lead feature in the dual title book Astonishing Tales #1 – #20 starting in 1970 before he was finally awarded his own book with this Ka-Zar #1.
Also, there was a late 1930s version of Ka-Zar featured in his own pulp magazine and later the comic book Marvel Mystery Comics in the early 1940s. Both the pulp and the comic book were by Marvel owner Martin Goodman, who published the 1940s Timely, the 1950s Atlas and the 1960s Marvel Comics. This Ka-Zar had a different name and nationality than the Silver Age Marvel comic version.
The Champions #1
Oct 1975
Cover: Gil Kane. Writer: Tony Isabella. Artist: Don Heck. Inker: Mike Esposito. During the 1960s Marvel’s only superhero groups were the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the X-Men. In the inflationary 1970s Marvel added the Defenders, the Champions and Lord only knows who else. The Champions was a short lived title, lasting only 17 issues. Seen on this issue’s cover reading from left to right are:
Johnny Blaze a.k.a the Ghost Rider. Formerly circus motorcycle stuntman. Marvel comic debut was Marvel Spotlight #5 in 1972. Marvel movie debut will be The Ghost Rider on February 16, 2007.
Warren Worthington III a.k.a. the Angel. Formerly student at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and member of the X-Men. Marvel comic book debut was The X-Men #1 in 1963. Will probably appear in a future Marvel X-Men movie.
Hercules. No alias used. Formerly mythological Greek god and sometime member of the human superhero group the Avengers. After thousands of years in folkore, myth and 1960s Italian movies, his Marvel comic book debut was Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 in 1964. Marvel movie career is uncertain.
Natalia Romanova a.k.a Natasha Romanoff and a.k.a. the Black Widow. Formerly Russian spy, enemy of Iron Man, member of the Avengers, girlfriend of Hawkeye and later Daredevil. Marvel comic book debut was Tales Of Suspense #52 in 1964. Will probably appear in a future Marvel Daredevil movie.
Bobby Drake a.k.a. Iceman. Formerly student at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and member of the X-Men. Marvel comic book debut was The X-Men #1 in 1963. Marvel movie debut was in X-Men 2 in 2003.
The Skrull - Kree War
The Avengers #89
Jun 1971
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Sal Buscema. Inker: Sam Grainger.
This is the first issue of the Kree-Skrull War epic. It ran from #89 through #97. It easily ranks with the Galactus Triology and the Master Planner Trilogy in The Amazing Spider-Man #31-33 as the most spectacular and famous multipart story in all of Marvel’s history. It’s certainly the most complex and imaginative. It tells the story about a war between the ancient alien races of the Kree and the Skrulls, with the Avengers and other Marvel heroes caught in the middle. It is the showpiece of writer Roy Thomas’s long run on The Avengers and highlights his talent for convoluted but engrossing plots. Many of the issues contain artwork by the legendary Neal Adams which adds considerable luster to the entire saga. The Kree-Skrull War is such a famous part of Marvel history that it was reprinted in 2 special edition comics in 1983 and again as a deluxe trade paperback in 2000 and Lord only knows how many other times.
The Avengers #97
Mar 1972
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: John Buscema. Inker: Tom Palmer. Cover: Gil Kane.
This is the ninth issue and finale of the Kree- Skrull War epic. It ran from #89 through #97.
The Kree Supreme Intelligence had been imprisoned by the usurper Ronan the Accuser, which allowed Ronan to wage war against the Kree’s old enemies, the Skrulls. However el Supremo still manages to stimulate the Avengers mascot, Rick Jones’ mental power * to defeat Ronan and the attacking Skrulls and bring an end to the war.
* The Supreme Intelligence explains to Rick Jones that all human beings have dormant mental abilities that surpass that of the Kree and the Skrulls. Though older and more advanced than Earth people, both the Kree and the Skrulls are at an evolutionary dead end and they both envy humanity that can still evolve mentally and will one day overtake them. The famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke wrote a novel in the 1950s about an advanced alien race, the Overlords, who came to Earth to cultivate the dormant mental power of humans. They wanted to create a more advanced race of humans which their leader, the Overmind, needed for his grand cosmic schemes. The Overlords themselves, though ancient and far advanced, were at an evolutionary dead end. Clarke’s novel was named Childhood’s End. Roy Thomas’s title for this issue #97 is Godhood’s End . Either Thomas read Clarke’s novel or we have one heck of a coincidence. Does anybody out there know if Roy Thomas ever mentioned deriving his Kree-Skrull War epic partly from Clarke? Please let me know.
Marvel Literary Adaptations
Conan The Barbarian #1
Oct 1970
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Barry Smith. Inker: Dan Adkins. Cover: Barry Smith.
Conan of Cimmeria is by far the best known literary creation of famous 1930s pulp magazine writer Robert E. Howard. The first Conan story was “The Phoenix on the Sword” and was published in the December 1932 issue of the pulp magazine Weird Tales.The story was a rewrite of a rejected story about Kull, an earlier barbarian character created by Howard. Most of the subsequent Conan stories published in Howard’s lifetime also appeared in Weird Tales over the next few years. Howard committed suicide in 1936. In the long years afterwards Conan was known only to a few people who read fantasy type fiction. A few books with minuscule print runs from speciality publishers collected some Conan stories, but it wasn’t until the late 1960s that Conan became more widely popular. This was due to Lancer Books putting out collections of the 1930s Conan stories in paperback editions with spectacular Frank Frazetta painted covers that got people to buy the books, even though they may never have heard of Conan or Robert E. Howard. Marvel’s comic book versions of Conan was a big hit which led Marvel to adapt other Howard characters into their own Marvel books. Finally, the nicely made 1982 Conan The Barbarian movie and its sequel both starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, brought Conan into the mainstream of popular culture.
Young British wannabe comic book artist Barry Smith started his career at Marvel with The X-Men #53 in February 1969. Like many aspiring wannabes, he started out slavishly copying Jack Kirby’s style and all of his Marvel stories before Conan have a heavy Kirbyesque look. With Conan however he quickly began to develop a more individual style that made him popular with comic books fans. He stayed on the title for about 2 years which was sufficient to give him a certain cult status. He later attempted to augment this status by giving himself a more high falutin’ name, Barry Windsor-Smith. His 2 year run on Conan The Barbarian remains his best remembered work and overshadows everything else he has ever drawn.
Conan The Barbarian #1 was one of the first “speculator” books. I remember reading an article in the Buyers Guide For Comics Fandom in 1970 about greedy dealers at comic book conventions trying to get the outrageous of price of $3.00 for a copy only a few months after the book was released.
Kull The Conqueror #1
Jun 1971 
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Ross Andru. Inker: Wally Wood. Cover: Marie Severin. Second appearance in the Marvel Universe of King Kull. His first appearance was 3 months earlier as the lead story in Creatures On The Loose #10 with art by Berni Wrightson. The success of Marvel’s comic book Conan The Barbarianbased on the 1930s pulp magazine character by Robert E. Howard led Marvel writer and Howard fan Roy Thomas to try his hand at adapting more Howard characters into the Marvel Universe. After the initial tryout story in the comic noted above, Kull got his own book Kull The Conqueror in June 1971 which lasted 29 issues. There were 2 brief Kull Marvel comic book series in the 1980s, 2 graphic novels and a low budget movie Kull The Conqueror in 1997.
King Kull first appeared in the Howard story “The Shadow Kingdom” in the August 1929 issue of the classic pulp Weird Tales. Kull lived about 20,000 B.C. in Atlantis before it was destroyed in a natural disaster. This was a few thousand years before the Hyborian Age where Howard’s best known character, Conan, lived. Conan is a direct literary descendant of Kull; the first Conan pulp story was a rewritten Kull story.
Wally Wood was a famous EC comics artist in the 1950s. He did a few early Daredevil issues for Marvel and a few other stories in the 1960s and 1970s, but not to many. One of his colleagues at EC, Graham Ingels, inspired much of the style of 1970s DC artist Berni Wrightson. Wrightson drew the first Marvel King Kull story for Creatures On The Loose #10. This issue’s cover artist, Marie Severin, had a more talented brother, John Severin, who was also an EC artist and who drew or inked many of the stories in Kull The Conqueror.
Creatures On The Loose #10
Mar 1971
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Berni Wrightson. Inker: Berni Wrightson. Cover: Herb Trimpe.
The success of Marvel’s comic book Conan The Barbarian based on the 1930s pulp magazine character by Robert E. Howard led Marvel writer and Howard fan Roy Thomas to try his hand at adapting more Howard characters into the Marvel Universe. After this initial tryout story, Kull got his own book Kull The Conquerorin June 1971 which lasted 29 issues. There were 2 brief Kull Marvel comic book series in the 1980s, 2 graphic novels and a low budget movie Kull The Conqueror in 1997.
King Kull first appeared in the Howard story “The Shadow Kingdom” in the August 1929 issue of the classic pulp Weird Tales. Kull lived about 20,000 B.C. in Atlantis before it was destroyed in a natural disaster. This was a few thousand years before the Hyborian Age where Howard’s best known character, Conan, lived. Conan is a direct literary descendant of Kull; the first Conan pulp story was a rewritten Kull story.
Artist Berni Wrightson was a popular artist on DC horror and mystery stories in the 1970s in titles like House Of Mystery and House Of Secrets. He owed much of his creepy looking style to the famous 1950s EC artist Graham Ingels. Wrightson is best remembered at DC for this art on the first 10 issues of Swamp Thing. He didn’t do much work for Marvel.
Prior to Creatures On The Loose #10, this comic’s title had been Tower Of Shadows.
Creatures On The Loose #16
Mar 1972
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Gil Kane. Inker: Sam Grainger.
1st appearance of Gullivar Jones in the Marvel Universe.
Adapted from the novel Lieutenant Gulliver Jones: His Vacation. This novel was published in 1905. It was written by a now obscure, mostly forgotten British author, Edwin L. Arnold. It was about a U.S. Navy officer who traveled to Mars and had the usual swashbuckling adventures there. In 1912 the novel Under The Moons Of Mars was serialized in a pulp magazine. It was written by a now famous, widely remembered American author, Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was about a Confederate cavalry captain, John Carter of Virginia, who traveled to Mars and had the usual swashbuckling adventures there. Many Burroughs fans accept Arnold’s Gulliver Jones as an inspiration for Burrough’s more famous creation, John Carter the Warlord Of Mars. Includes a 1 page essay by Roy Thomas, “Gullivar Jones: The First Man On Mars?” that notes the Arnold / Burroughs connection.
Marvel’s Gullivar Jones Warrior Of Mars lasted in Creatures On The Loose from issues #16 – #21. About 5 years later, Marvel gave John Carter his turn at bat. He had his own comic book John Carter Warlord Of Mars that lasted 28 issues.
Doc Savage #1
Oct 1972
Writer: Roy Thomas / Steve Engelhart. Artist: Ross Andru. Inker: Jim Mooney. Cover: John Buscema.
1st appearance of Clark Savage Jr. aka Doc Savage in the Marvel Universe, adapted from the first Doc Savage pulp magazine story “The Man Of Bronze” in 1933.
Doc Savage had a long, influential career in popular culture long before he came to work at Marvel Comics in 1972. He was invented by Henry W. Ralston, an executive at the pulp magazine publishing firm of Street & Smith, and writer Lester Dent (pseudonym Kenneth Robeson) in 1933. Dent’s Doc may have been influenced by a 1920 novel, Flying Legion by George Allen England. The idea of Doc’s Fortress Of Solitude seems to have been lifted from the 1930 novel Gladiator by Philip Wylie. Doc’s physical appearance and other attributes appear to have been influenced by another Wylie novel, The Savage Gentleman from 1932. In turn, Doc Savage was an inspiration for Superman. Superman’s Fortress of Solitude was taken directly from Doc Savage pulp stories and both Doc and Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent had the first name Clark. Also, Doc was “The Man Of Bronze” and Supes was “The Man Of Steel” and so on. Wylie’s novel Gladiator also was certainly a direct source for Superman, as creator Jerry Siegel reviewed Wylie’s novel in his 1930s science fiction fanzine.
Doc’s pulp magazine ran at Street & Smith from 1933 until 1949. Street & Smith also had a Doc comic book for 20 issues in 1940 -1943. There was a 1930s radio show but no movie serials. Bantam Books kept Doc alive from 1964 – 1990 with their famous paperback reprints of all 181 of Doc’s pulp stories. I never read any of them, but like everybody else, I always liked looking at the great cover art on these paperbacks by artist James Bama. Gold Key comics did a one-shot Doc Savage comic book in 1966. Doc’s successful career in pulps and paperbacks couldn’t be duplicated in comic books however. His Marvel comic book series in 1972 only lasted 8 issues. Marvel also did an 8 issue The Man Of Bronze Doc Savage magazine series to capitalize on the 1975 movie from famous science fiction producer George Pal, with former TV Tarzan actor Ron Ely playing Doc. The movie bombed at the box office and was laughed out of town by the critics which ended Doc’s movie and potential TV career so far. He did have other brief incarnations throughout the 1980s and 1990s with other comic book publishers DC, Dark Horse, Millennium, Innovation. Doc won’t stay in limbo forever. He is to important a popular culture icon not to eventually attract the attention of some big movie or TV producers again someday.
Supernatural Thrillers #1
Dec 1972
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Marie Severin. Inker: Frank Giacoia. Cover: Jim Steranko.
“It” was a short novel that first appeared in the August 1940 issue of the pulp magazine Unknown. The author, Theodore Sturgeon, became one of the most famous fantasy and science fiction writers in later years. In this story Sturgeon created the motif of the swamp monster. All the swamp monsters in popular culture are descended from this 1940 story. Some examples are the Hillman comic book character the Heap from the 1940s and Marvel’s Man-Thing and the Glob and DC’s Swamp Thing all from the 1970s.
The Monster Of Frankenstein #1
Jan 1973
Writer: Gary Friedrich. Artist: Mike Ploog. Inker: Mike Ploog. Cover: Mike Ploog.
1st appearance of Victor Frankenstein and his Monster in the Marvel Universe in their own book. They first appeared as a flashback sequence in Silver Surfer #7 in 1969. An earlier Frankenstein Monster was in The X-Men #40 in 1968 but that version was an alien robot, not the real thing. This story in The Monster Of Frankenstein #1 begins a 4 issue adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. The entire series lasted 18 issues.
Mike Ploog was one of Marvel’s top artists in the 1970s. He is best remembered for this title and The Ghost Rider.
Mary Shelley was the teenage wife of English Romantic poet Percy Shelley. She is best remembered for her novel Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus published in 1818. This precedes by quite a few years the creation of the Marvel Universe in 1939, so she never worked at Marvel.
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin got her idea for the Frankenstein story in 1816 while with her fiance Percy Bysshe Shelley when they were visiting Lord Bryon at Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Both Percy Shelley and Lord Byron were famous English poets. Mary was a 19 year old girl who had never published anything. During the same visit Lord Bryon’s doctor John Polidori got the idea for the first vampire novel which he published in 1819 as The Vampyre. Mary’s novel, Frankenstein, Or The Modern Prometheus was published without her name on it in 1818. So, Amateur Night at Lake Geneva proved to be quite fruitful. A revised and more widely distributed version of the novel under the name Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was published in 1831. The Frankenstein Monster character became one of the most recognized icons in literature with the book never out of print and in popular culture with a never ending stream of movies and comic books. I remember reading about this famous night at Lake Geneva in an introduction written by Isaac Asimov to a science fiction novel. Asimov said he liked being a world famous science fiction writer and didn’t mind his wife puttering around with having a few of her own stories published. But, he said he hoped he never had to endure the torture Percy Shelley had to go through: a professional famous poet having to spend the rest of his life in the shadow of his amateur novelist young wife.
Amazing Adventures #18
May 1973
Creators: Roy Thomas / Neal Adams with some ideas from H.G. Wells. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artist: Neal Adams / Howard Chaykin. Inker: Frank Chiaramonte. Cover: John Romita.
1st Jonathan Raven aka Killraven Warrior Of The Worlds, his mother Maureen Raven (dies in this issue) his brother Deathraven, his mentor Keeper Whitman. This series does not take place in the regular Marvel Universe. It is set in an alternate universe circa A.D. 2018 where Earth has been conquered by the Martians. These are the same Martians who had invaded Earth in the A.D. 1895 novel by H.G. Wells but failed due to their lack of resistance to Earth germs. The Martians improved their biological defenses and tried again, this last time successfully. Jonathan Raven was a human who fought as a gladiator under the name Killraven to amuse his Martian masters. He was given to another Martian slave, a human scientist named Keeper Whitman, for punishment. Whitman however was secretly working against the Martians and gave Jonathan increased physical and psychic powers to help him carry on the underground resistance by some Earthmen against the Martian overlords.
The Martian tripod war machines shown on the cover do appear in a few pages in a flashback sequence that shows the Martian invasion of 1895. Includes an essay by Marvel writer Roy Thomas on how he and Neal Adams decided to create a comic book series derived from the H.G. Wells novel.
The original novel The War Of The Worlds by British writer H.G. Wells has been spreading ripples through popular culture ever since it was published in 1895. It was the first novel about an alien invasion which inspired hundreds more science fiction pulp stories and novels. Orson Welles scared the pants off his listeners in 1938 with his Halloween broadcast radio version that most everybody listening thought was a real invasion. George Pal put out a hit movie version in 1953. There was a Classic Illustrated comic book version of the novel in 1955. A 1980s TV series used the gimmick of the Martians trying again after their initial failure. Another movie version came along in 2005.
Marvel Feature #1
Nov 1975 
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Dick Giordano. Inker: Dick Giordano. Cover: Gil Kane.
Red Sonya was a female version of Conan the Barbarian, both of whom were created in the 1930s by pulp writer Robert E. Howard. She first appeared in a 1934 pulp magazine story by Howard called “The Shadow Of The Vulture.” In that story Red was a 17th Century European fictional character named Red Sonja. Marvel writer Roy Thomas changed her name to Red Sonya and put her in Howard’s fictional Hyborian Age where Conan lived. Red Sonya first appeared in the Marvel Universe in Conan The Barbarian #23 and #24. Prior to getting her own book with this issue of Marvel Feature #1, she had also appeared in the Marvel magazines Savage Sword Of Conan #1 and Kull And The Barbarians #2 and #3.
Tarzan Lord Of The Jungle #1
Jun 1977
Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: John Buscema. Inker: John Buscema. Cover: John Buscema.
1st appearance in the Marvel Universe of John Clayton aka Lord Greystoke aka Tarzan of the Apes. Tarzan’s 29 issue Marvel comic book series is only a tiny, brief proverbial flash in the pan compared to his total impact on popular culture. The cover blurb “The World’s Greatest Adventure Hero” is essentially correct and has been since Tarzan’s creation in A.D. 1912. The same blurb will probably still be correct in A.D. 2112.
Edgar Rice Burroughs’s first Tarzan story Tarzan Of The Apes appeared in the October 1912 issue of the pulp The All Story Magazine. The entire story ran in that issue instead of being serialized over several months which was the usual practice. The story became the first Tarzan hardcover novel Tarzan Of The Apes in 1914. An unending stream of books, movies, comic strips, comic books, toys, TV shows and so on has made Tarzan the most widely known fictional character in history. Tarzan along with only a few others like Mickey Mouse, Superman and Batman, is one of the very few fictional characters recognized by nearly everybody on the planet Earth. Even Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Spider-Man, Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster can’t quite complete in that league.
This #1 issue starts the serialization of the Burroughs novel Tarzan And The Jewels Of Opar. Includes 1 page essay “Tarzan’s Jungle Drums” by Roy Thomas which notes this issue’s cover is modeled after the illustration on the October 1912 All Story pulp.
John Carter Warlord Of Mars #1
Jun 1977
Writer: Marv Wolfman. Artist: Gil Kane. Inker: Dave Cockrum. Cover: Gil Kane / Dave Cockrum.
1st appearance and origin in the Marvel Universe of John Carter aka the Warlord of Mars and his Martian Princess of Helium girlfriend, Dejah Thoris. Dejah was frequently described by her original creator Edgar Rice Burroughs as “the incomparable Dejah Thoris.” Although he looms large in science fiction and fantasy literature, John Carter’s comic book career has been very spotty. He had a brief newspaper comic strip in the 1940s and appeared in a few Dell and Gold Key comics in the 1950s and 1960s. He lasted a bit longer at DC comics in the mid 1970s as a backup feature in Tarzan and as the lead feature in Weird Worlds. When DC’s contract with the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate expired, Marvel got permission from the estate to do its versions of Tarzan and John Carter. Marvel’s John Carter Warlord Of Mars lasted 28 issues. As explained in a 2 page essay “Welcome Back Carter” by Marv Wolfman in this first Marvel issue, Marvel wasn’t going to adapt Burroughs’s Martian novels. Instead Wolfman was going to explore a “…nine year gap…” that takes place “…between paragraphs three and four in Chapter 27 of A Princess Of Mars.
Burroughs’s canon of Barsoomian (Mars) novels has inspired numerous writers like Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp, Robert A. Heinlein and a host of lesser talents like Otis Adelbert Kline and Ralph Milne Farley. Hollywood has flirted with the romance of Barsoom as well with animators Bob Clampett, Ray Harryhausen and Walt Disney all being involved in aborted projects. Currently (2006), Paramount Pictures is working on a live action movie John Carter Of Mars.
John Carter was a Virginian and former Captain in the Confederate cavalry. After the Civil War Carter and a friend James Powell went prospecting for gold in Arizona. Powell was killed by Apaches who then chased Carter to a mysterious cave that the Apaches were afraid to enter. Carter died in the cave but a reborn physical version of himself was teleported to Mars. Under Mars’s weaker gravity, Carter had increased strength and could leap around which came in handy for fighting green Thark Martians who were much taller than Earthmen. Carter made out with Dejah Thoris, fought lots of exotic Martian wild life and served for 9 years in the armies of various Martian kings. He eventually returned to Earth, retired to New York on the Hudson river, wrote his memoirs and died (temporarily?) in 1886. Burroughs explains in his introduction to A Princess Of Mars that Carter had been a friend of the Burroughs family before the Civil War and that Carter entrusted his memoirs to Burroughs on his death. All of Carter’s adventures on Mars were written up by Burroughs and published in 11 novels after Carter’s death. Burroughs was also commissioned by Carter to handle Carter’s burial arrangements. Carter’s body was not embalmed, his casket was not sealed and was placed in a crypt built by Carter. Burroughs notes that the crypt had a lock which could only be opened from the inside.
Edgar Rice Burroughs created John Carter just a few months before his most famous creation, Tarzan of the Apes in 1912. Carter was introduced in the story “Under The Moons Of Mars” which ran as a serial in the pulp All Story Magazine in 1912. This was published as a novel, A Princess Of Mars in 1917. Burroughs eventually wrote 11 Martian novels with all of them being serialized first in the pulps All Story Magazine, Blue Book Magazine, Argosy. Some fans think Burroughs modeled his John Carter character on another soldier who traveled to Mars as described in the 1905 book Lieutenant Gulliver Jones: His Vacation by Edwin Arnold. Other fans note that the famous astronomer Percival Lowell’s speculations about an ancient dying Mars were well publicized in Burroughs’s time and were a more likely source of inspiration. Marvel never did a comic on Percival Lowell, but they did give Lt. Gulliver a shot. He had his own series with his named changed to Gullivar Jones Warrior Of Mars in Creatures On The Loose #16 – #21 in 1972.