posted
I felt the need to just relax for a bit, so I wound up reading several comics in a row, instead of just one at a time as I've been doing lately.
The comics in question were DAREDEVIL #37-38 & FANTASTIC FOUR #73, which was pretty much a 3-part story, although it followed on without a break from the preceding 2-parter, making it, sort of, a 5-parter. (Got that? Good.)
First The Trapster needs to rebuild his self-confidence, so before he tackles the F.F., he decides to murder Daredevil. I don't recall their ever crossing paths before, so his reasoning escapes me, other than he figures to pick on the hero with the lowest power-level. Real brave.
He does this using just about the dumbest-looking design EVER for a hover-craft (yes-- worse than The Green Goblin's), which is powered by The Wizard's anti-gravity discs. (What is this "Wingless Wizard" crap anyway? With every further appearance, I'm more convinced THAT guy belongs in a mental institution for the rest of his life.)
Now-- try and follow this. DR. DOOM-- who escaped seeming DEATH in his last appearnace (the 4-parter in which he temporarily stole the Silver Sufferer's powers-- see the 2nd FF feature film-- or, DON'T, for God's sake), he wants revenge on the F.F. And hearing on the news that Daredevil was fighting The Trapster-- and seeing as Daredevil HELPED the F.F. fight Doom back in FF #39-40-- he's decided, like Trapster, to come after Daredevil FIRST, and "use" him as part of his scheme.
Way back in some early F.F. comic (don't make me look it up), Doom switched bodies with Reed. Well, this time, he does it with Daredevil, figuring it'll allow him to get close enough to kill off his enemies. But Daredevil WARNS the F.F., then, by nearly causing an international incident and possibly triggering a large-scale war, he forces Doom to trade bodies back again, so Doom can straighten out the situation. But then Doom contacts the F.F., and convinces them Doom is STILL in Daredevil's body...
All this leads to one of the most collosal, but STUPID, battle royals in the history of late-60's Marvel. Between Gene Colan, Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott, you've got absolutely magnificent visuals... but very little real "story". And, a set of "heroes" (the F.F.) who are made to look just plain STUPID.
D.D. manages to get help from Spider-Man, who then recruits an under-powered THOR (seems this entire incident takes place between 2 PANELS of THOR #150, right in the middle of Thor's battle with The Wrecker-- remember when guest-appearances took place BETWEEN STORIES, or ISSUES, not PANELS?).
It takes a pregnant Sue and her invisible force-field to put a stop to it, since she was watching the news, and saw Doom had returned to Latveria to straighten things out with the international situation. You know, as an aside, I think somebody must be mis-interpreting this "diplomatic immunity" stuff. I don't think it works when the "diplomat" as such VIOLATES SOVEREIGN LAWS, including ATTEMPTED MURDER. At the least, he should be deported and not allowed back into the country.
So what's the moral here (if there is one)? Watch TV to stay informed? Stop reading late-60's Marvel comics? Try not to think too much about your choice of "entertainment"? You make the call.
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Great memories! You've gotten me to really want to check out those DD issues.
Reed & Doom switched bodies, I believe, in #8 (complete with Stan & Jack on the cover for the first time).
The FF cover with Reed, Johnny and Ben battling DD, Spidey and Thor has been repeated, oh, about 10,000 times ever since. I used to love it as a kid--even though I realized it wasn't exactly the greatest story ever. Like most kids, I simply loved the idea that Spidey, DD and Thor were all in the FF, who already had a large # of heroes.
The resolution was a typical 'sensible wife Sue figures things out' approach of the times.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
After I wrote that, I realized that both Doom & Sue had found out things watching the TV news. This suggested Stan did a lot of it, while he was "writing" (and I use that word loosely-- heehee).
Thor, who wanted no part of the fight (his appearance took place between panels of an issue where he was already having a knock-down-drag-out with The Wrecker), disappeared before the story ended. Apparently, as soon as he knew he wasn't needed (if he ever was), he cut out. I don't see why D.D. didn't just PHONE Reed up, or, if he had to see them in person, just LET himself be captured. But that would have made for a lot less property damage.
Daredevil's & Doom's personalities are SO DIFFERENT, really, how long would it have taken them to figure out, NO WAY this nut could be Doom? Dom would NEVER lower himself to acting the way this guy does.
Sometimes I ask myself, would this have happened in the DC Universe?
Most of the stories in ESSENTIAL D.D. 2-3 I've never read. The exceptions are the Beetle 2-parter, "The Living Prison" and "The Flmaes Of Battle" (which I read about 20 years apart, the FF section first), The Jester multi-parter and "Brother Take My Hand". The rest are all new to me, and I'm trying to go thru them ONE per day, so each one sticks out in my mind.
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
so I was really bummed to see that this Daredevil 'End of Days' 6( or 8) parter with Bendis and Bill Sienkiewicz .... as advertised ... is ...
a) the final days of Daredevil ... I don't need to see no heros die.
b) Sienkeiewicz .... DOES .... FINISHES ......
THAT IS SOME BULLSHIT RIGHT THERE ....
c'mon ... we want some old school Sienkeiwicz drama (NEW MUTANTS ART!)... not him "finishing" other guys stuff just so Marvel can say that B.S worked on it for marketing purposes.
From: Ninja Land | Registered: Nov 2004
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