Welcome to Make Ours Marvel, the weekly show where Michael Kaiser and Jon M. Wilson read chronologically through Marvel Comics’ spandex adventures and discuss their thoughts with little to no authority.
In this episode…
- The Avengers #36
- Thor #137
- Sgt. Fury #39
- Tales of Suspense #87
Images from Discussion:
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You are discussing the creepiness of Thor getting with Sif, who at one point was a child when Thor was adult. To add to this creepiness; last episode, Sif was introduced as the little sister of Baldur. Around 2010ish, it was revealed that Baldur is Thor’s older brother.
In this episode and the last, y’all discuss characters that seem to be around just to be kidnapped/captured. As a part of my job, I used to interact with a guy that acted odd. He was paranoid about a lot of little things that didn’t seem to be important. He was always armed and sometimes had a bodyguard, which was concerning because he often was under the influence. It turned out, he had actually been kidnapped before and it profoundly affected him. Not sure if later comics address the actual effects of being kidnapped, but I doubt it. Especially on the non super powered characters. I think it could be one of those things that go on the rhe Marvel universe that we never see: support groups for victims of super-crime. Anyway, just something to think about as you go through these old stories and see how often people are abducted.
Avengers #36: Scarlet Witch returns? No, it’s actually an alien disguised as Wanda. And I was overthinking everything. So Wanda’s new headpiece is debuted on the imposter “Nonda”? (my name for her) Or did Nonda actually make a mistake on the headpiece and that should have been a clue to the Avengers? How did Wanda and Pietro actually get captured, since it can’t be the story Nonda told?
I was waiting for Black Widow to appear with her B earrings and W broach. Yay! It’s cheesy as anything, so of course I love it!
And what about Widow knowing that Cap is Steve Rogers. In Suspense, his identity is definitely not common knowledge, but Natasha knew it when she rescued him from the Sons of the Serpent. Kind of interesting. But now I’m thinking she’s saying it like a single name. “Hello, Steverogers. Maybe I can help you Steverogers with spy skills Steverogers.”
Thor #137: Sif and Thor showing their skillz! I love their dialog together. Sif is flirty and sassy, like she likes Thor, but still gonna make him work for it. Oh my Odin! She’s Asgardian Mary Jane!
Ulik. I never noticed it before, but then again, I haven’t read many stories with him. He’s Orange Hulk with brass knuckles. That’s it. Even look at their names. Hulik.
Tales of Suspense #87: Oh boy. The Mole Man. Again.
I did like the people protesting Stark’s experiments, possibly endangering the surroundings. That’s something a mad scientist or super-villain would do. Is it a commentary on science without ethics? That even someone who fights evil (or is that “fights for the status quo”?) can be lured by the pursuit of knowledge without considering the effects on civilization?
Cap vs the Planner. I had no idea Cap fought Doctor Octopus this early if ever. Yet another surprise in these early issues… oh, not the “Master Planner”. Just the “Planner”. Never mind.
How many times is this having a fake Cap? Sons of the Serpent and Adaptoid are the previous two, and the Acrobat fighting the Human Torch, there’s probably others but I’m losing count. Not as many as Spider-Man has had, I think.
Great stuff, guys. Until next time, or until Wanda returns home again, and gets possessed by a book*, make mine Make Ours Marvel.
* – Avengers #185-187, Wanda reads the Darkhold and possessed by elder god Chthon. Maybe she and Pietro should take their vacations somewhere else.