Comic Books 101

by Chris Ryall

  Roy Thomas took over as writer after Stan left the book and began bringing in new members almost immediately. The most significant of Thomas's additions was the Vision. Though the red-skinned synthezoid (Thomas's term for a synthetic human) was inspired by a Golden Age Timely character in name, the Vision adds a Mr. Spock-like dose of pathos to the team as the cold, emotionless android who secretly yearns for humanity. The Vision's powers are innovative, as well. He can control his body's density, allowing him to float in the air like a wraith and pass through solid objects, or reach maximum density and become as hard as a diamond. Thomas also introduced the Vision's creator, the murderous robot Ultron, who has been in turn created by founding Avenger Hank “Ant-Man” Pym.

  A variety of writers helmed The Avengers throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, David Michelinie, Bill Mantlo and Marvel's then-editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Working with the last four, if sporadically, was artist George Pérez. His Avengers work helped him make a name for himself with his insane attention to detail and ability to deftly handle the rendering of a large cast.

  In the late 1980s, writer Roger Stern put out some of the best Avengers stories seen in years. Following up the lengthy storyline in which founder Hank Pym is framed and leaves the team, Stern shifted focus to the Wasp, giving her the chairmanship of the team for a lengthy tenure. This move, along with the strong female emphasis from members like the new Captain Marvel, She-Hulk and the Scarlet Witch, took the team in some excellent new directions.

  One of the high points of Stern's run was the “Avengers Under Siege” storyline in The Avengers # 270–277 (August 1986—March 1987). The son of the original Baron Zemo puts together a massive team of supervillains sixteen or so strong (including such powerhouses as the Wrecking Crew, Mr. Hyde, Goliath and the Absorbing Man), creating the most powerful and dangerous version of the Masters of Evil ever assembled. In a well-planned and coordinated attack, Zemo's new Masters seize Avengers Mansion, beat an inebriated Hercules so badly as to put the immortal demigod into a coma and torture the Avengers' majordomo, Edwin Jarvis, before the eyes of a helpless and enraged Captain America. Only through a daring rescue attempt by the Wasp, the second Ant-Man, Thor and the mentalist Doctor Druid is the Mansion regained and the Masters of Evil captured.

  THE HOME FRONT

  A word about Jarvis: part of the reason the notion of a rotating lineup of Avengers works so well is the presence of certain constants in the Avengers' life, whoever they may be, namely, Avengers Mansion and its master, Edwin Jarvis. Rather than using a nameless stereotype as a butler, Avengers writers through the years (particularly Roger Stern and Kurt Busiek) invested Jarvis with a genuine sense of loyalty and duty to the team. Jarvis's presence provides a very human element. Not only is his unflagging loyalty a credit to the Avengers, but his willingness to chastise and encourage them provides a much-needed human element in a roomful of androids, legends, gods and monarchs.

  As for the Mansion, it serves a similar purpose. There's a reason the Avengers live in the Mansion and not a shiny chrome HQ — the homey atmosphere grounds the team, allowing the reader to identify with them more easily. Over the years, various writers have tried setting up the Avengers in different compounds, headquarters, embassies and hydrobases, but they inevitably wind up home at the Mansion.

  Avengers Mansion: one of the more comfortable super-headquarters.

  THE AVENGERS VOL. 2 #1: © 1997 MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT, INC. USED WITH PERMISSION. ART BY GEORGE PÉREZ AND AL VEY. COLOR BY TOM SMITH.

  THE LINEUP

  The core Avengers lineup is so perfect an archetype for the superhero team that parts of it have been lifted over the years and applied to DC's Justice League formula. DC revised Green Arrow as a loudmouth reactionary (mirroring Marvel's hotheaded Hawkeye), added an emotionless android like Marvel's Vision in the Red Tornado, and incorporated the armored scientist Steel in the Iron Man role.

  At the center of the core team is Captain America, the human, all-too-mortal touchstone for the team, and the group's natural leader, even when he's not officially serving as chairman (a rotating position that's decided by election).

  In the “heavy hitter” roles are Thor and Iron Man, who both add significant muscle to the team. While Thor's status as an Asgardian god lends the team a cachet of mythology and godhood, Iron Man provides the team's solid technological base.

  Hank Pym, whether he's Ant-Man, Giant Man or Yellowjacket, provides the team's hard science and analysis. On the other hand, his fragile mental state, troubled past and diminutive stature give the Avengers a touch of all-too-human vulnerability.

  The Wasp adds a lighthearted femininity to the team, and has grown over the years into one of the most capable and dependable members.

  The Vision's struggles toward humanity act as a reminder of just what the Avengers are fighting for, and his courtship and eventual marriage to the Scarlet Witch (who balances out the team's scientific emphasis with her sorcerous nature) gives the series some much-needed romance and a sense of family.

  Hawkeye's inclusion reinforces the fact that the Avengers aren't just a collection of gods and near-gods, but that a mere mortal with unerring skill and undeniable willpower can contribute to and even lead the team.

  Finally, the addition of the wisecracking Beast provides a steady dose of humor to a book that is sometimes too serious for its own good.

  9 The X-Men

  Protecting a world that hates and fears themA runaway hit in comics shops in the 1980s and '90s and movie theaters in 2000, 2003 and 2006, the X-Men have been heavy hitters in Marvel's lineup for decades. However, it's easy to forget that for much of the series' existence, the X-Men were distant third-stringers in the Marvel Universe, with their comic book often relegated to reprints and even a lengthy stretch in cancellation. Much like one of its members, the X-Men would eventually rise from the ashes to become one of the company's most popular and profitable books, leading Marvel's expansion into toys, animation and the silver screen.

  The X-Men first appeared in The X-Men #1 (September 1963), yet another creation of Marvel's Silver Age team supreme, writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/storyteller Jack Kirby. The X-Men starts off with a deceptively simple premise, and one that still holds much significance to this day. Professor Charles Xavier, the most powerful mutant telepath on the planet, founds Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, a haven for children born just a little different — as mutants.

  Later defined as Homo superior, mutants are those born with extra powers or abilities that normal humans lack. At Xavier's School, these children can learn to use their powers safely, without fear of persecution from a world that is growing more and more fearful of mutants. After sufficiently mastering their powers, Professor Xavier's students often continue to serve their mentor as members of the X-Men, protecting the world against the machinations of other mutants who do not share Xavier's enlightened philosophy. Rather than co-existing peacefully with normal humans, these “evil” mutants seek conquest.

  Lee's premise is ingenious on a number of levels. The central theme of the series, young people ostracized for being different, is a perfect metaphor for the isolation and sense of removal most teens feel going through adolescence. Further, the series' continuing message of tolerance translates to readers of all races, faiths and orientations.

  In his book Son of Origins of Marvel Comics, Stan relates how, when he was dreaming up this new team book, he was having trouble coming up with fresh and exciting ways for his heroes to gain their superpowers. Utilizing the idea of mutation seemed a great, easy way to get a series going without devoting a lot of time to an origin. As Lee put it, “Whatever power we conceived of could be justified on the basis of its being a mutated trait.” In fact, Stan wanted to title his new book The Mutants, but Marvel's then-publisher, Martin Goodman, ixnayed the idea, feeling that little kids wouldn't understand the title. Sent back to the drawing board, Lee reasoned that since mutants are people with some
thing “extra,” these “extra-people” could be dubbed the X-Men.

  The original team is close to what moviegoers have seen: Professor Xavier, of course, Scott Summers as Cyclops, and Jean Grey, then referred to as Marvel Girl. Other members include Bobby Drake, whose ability to generate and control snow and ice earns him the nickname Iceman; Henry McCoy, referred to as the Beast for his apelike build and oversized hands and feet; and trust-fund rich boy Warren Worthington III, better known as the Angel because of his enormous feathered wings. Joining the team later are Cyclops's brother Alex, who generates concussive bolts of energy as Havok, and his girlfriend Lorna Dane (also known as Polaris), who is able to control the forces of magnetism.

  The series wasn't a big hit like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four. The book suffered through some lackluster art by Werner Roth after Kirby left the book, and although writer Roy Thomas and artist Neal Adams did some outstanding work starting in 1969, it wasn't enough to save the series. The X-Men was canceled after issue #66 in 1970, with reprints published for another twenty-five issues.

  ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT

  In 1974, a suggestion was made by then-Marvel President Al Landau to introduce an international team of superheroes that could then be sold in various countries. Marvel's editor-in-chie fat the time, Roy Thomas, felt this request could serve as an excellent means of reviving the X-Men, and assigned writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum to create the “all-new, all-different” international X-Men. Of course, by the time the book was published, the “international publishing” directive had been abandoned, and many of the characters came from countries that would never have been a viable publishing market for Marvel. But who cared? The X-Men were back and creatively stronger than ever. In Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975), Len Wein and Dave Cockrum introduced comics fans to seven new X-Men. Aside from the returning Professor Xavier and Cyclops, there were the Russian Colossus, the Canadian Wolverine, the German Nightcrawler, the Japanese Sunfire, the Irish Banshee, the African Storm and the Native-American Thunderbird.

  The series resumed publication where it left off, with issue #94 (August 1975). After just two issues, Wein was promoted to editor-in-chief. He left the series and turned over the scripting to newcomer Chris Claremont, who went on to write the series for sixteen years. It was in Claremont's hands that the series really coalesced into what most people think of when you say “X-Men.” Claremont developed sub-plotting that carried storylines through years of advancement, and created an ever-shifting and evolving cast of characters. He also had a willingness to tell big stories and break many of the conventions of Marvel's comics up to that point (such as killing off main characters or portraying heroes that weren't always entirely heroic). Most important, though, he placed an emphasis on character. Sure, what the X-Men did made them interesting to read about, but it was who they were that kept readers coming back.

  CLAREMONT AND BYRNE

  If Chris Claremont gave the X-Men heart, then without a doubt it was the team of Claremont and artist John Byrne that gave the series what it had lacked: star quality. By 1979, The Uncanny X-Men was really starting to pick up steam as one of Marvel's most popular series. The Uncanny X-Men combined tense, action-packed drama with Claremont's keen characterization, illustrated with heart and flair by Byrne, who was providing some of the best art of his career. The Claremont-Byrne team hit its zenith with issues #129–138 (1980), known nowadays as “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” There's a lot going on in these issues. New characters are introduced, particularly Kitty Pryde, the new “kid sister” for the team. Wolverine is brought even more to the forefront as the X-Men's lethal loose cannon. And most significantly, the team is changed forever as Jean Grey finds herself unable to control her ever-growing power as the Phoenix, and elects to commit suicide before the horrified eyes of her lover, Scott Summers.

  This was heavy stuff, and a breakthrough story in a lot of ways for Marvel. Aside from its mature handling of such issues as Scott and Jean's romance and Wolverine's lethal tendencies, there hadn't been a series that killed off one of its main characters permanently (at least it was expected to be permanent, and was treated as such for a decade or so), and this monumental, now-classic turn of events almost didn't happen. As the story goes, the creators' original intention was not to kill Jean off, but instead to psychically neuter her, rendering her completely powerless. However, when penciller Byrne drew the sequence of Phoenix consuming a sun in a far-off galaxy, he included scenes of the planet of the “asparagus people,” as he later called them, being destroyed in the process. When then-editor-in-chief Jim Shooter saw this, he insisted that the Phoenix be killed off as a consequence of her actions, refusing to publish a series featuring a genocidal mass-murderer as a hero. Under heavy editorial pressure from above, Claremont and Byrne reluctantly altered the finale of their story: in the new ending, a remorseful Jean commits suicide to save the planet from herself.

  The Scott Summers-Jean Grey romance hit a climax here that is never quite reached again, even after Jean is resurrected and the characters marry in the mid-1990s. Claremont does a remarkable job at bringing Scott's emotions to the forefront (primarily through his concern for Jean's welfare), and the few moments of peace and happiness Scott and Jean manage to claim for themselves are all the sweeter because of Scott's near-constant worry over Jean's rapidly developing powers. It's a tough thing to sell a romance as believable in the comic-book pages, but between Claremont's words and Byrne's renderings, they manage to pull it off, making Scott's grief all the more palpable.

  AGE OF MUTANTS

  There's a lot here to admire besides the Jean Grey storyline. The introduction of Kitty Pryde helps to fill the void created by the loss of Jean, reconnecting the book with its original school-based concept by injecting a much-needed dose of youth and vitality into a school that by now is populated almost entirely by adults. Thanks to Claremont's charming characterization and Byrne's appealing design, Miss Pryde becomes one of the series' most popular characters and remains a mainstay of the book for the next fifteen years or so.

  While not yet remotely the breakout star of the book he would eventually become, Wolverine comes into the forefront for the first time during the “Dark Phoenix Saga,” exhibiting more and more of the lethal ferocity that would eventually make the character famous. The introduction of the Hellfire Club also adds a steady stream of new stories and adversaries, while the suggestive S&M-influenced attire of Emma Frost and the Black Queen adds a hint of sexiness to the series without crossing the line for an all-ages book.

  A prominent scene from the landmark Claremont/Byrne “Dark Phoenix Saga.” Jean Grey makes the ultimate sacrifice to save her lover, her friends and the whole planet.

  THE UNCANNY X-MEN #137: © 1980 MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT, INC. USED WITH PERMISSION. ART BY JOHN BYRNE AND TERRY AUSTIN. COLOR BY GLYNIS WEIN.

  Wolverine's transition into more of a starring role in The Uncanny X-Men begins in “The Dark Phoenix Saga” as well, but no one could have predicted just how much the homicidal little Canuck would really catch on with fans. In the years that followed, Wolverine's mysterious backstory was ever-so-slowly fleshed out, revealing both a noble side, as recounted in his adventures in Japan in the pages of Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's extremely popular Wolverine miniseries, and a tortured origin, as revealed in Barry Windsor-Smith's “Weapon X,” which explains the excruciating process behind the implantation of Wolverine's adamantine skeleton. While his popularity remains strong, at times eclipsing Spider-Man as the company's most popular character, the continual morass of revised origins, false memories and newly revealed secrets have taken away much of Wolverine's cool “man-of-mystery” sheen.

  CHRIS SAYS

  Chris Claremont's tenure on the book was marked by collaborations with remarkable artists, many of whom had their first Marvel work published within the pages of X-Men. In his time, Chris produced his very best work with rising star John Byrne, who catapulted to superstardom on the book even as Claremont did. T
here was also Dave Cockrum, who launched the new version of the X-Men before Byrne and got even more attention for his return to the title after Byrne left; and newcomer Paul Smith, who followed Cockrum and became an immediate smash. Other fledgling talents such as John Romita Jr., Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee also went on to become superstars following their work on the title. This good fortune followed Claremont to other X-titles, too, where he worked with future fan-favorites Bill Sienkiewicz, Michael Golden, Butch Guice, Kyle Baker and Art Adams.

  Though Byrne left only a few months after the end of the Phoenix story, Claremont would stay on the series for another decade and contribute many excellent stories and characters to the ever-growing X-Universe. Still, the “Dark Phoenix Saga” remains the crown jewel in the X-Men library.

  PART V

  AROUND THE FOUR-COLOR WORLD

  Wherein the publishers of the past and the present come together; history is made, books are recommended, awards are detailed, and publishing titans of yesteryear and present day get their due.

  1 Disney Comics

  The mouse's houseBack in the 1930s, Walt Disney was quick to move his characters into the then wildly popular medium of newspaper strips, with Mickey Mouse receiving his own strip in 1930 and Donald Duck following suit in 1938. As comic books began gaining popularity in the late 1930s, Disney, never one to miss out on a promotional opportunity, licensed the comic-book rights to his characters to Western Publishing, who first reprinted the newspaper material in Dell Comics's Four Color in 1940. When the Disney features in Four Color met with overwhelmingly positive response, Western debuted in October of that same year Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, soon followed by solo magazines Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.