1986 - Incredible Hulk

Hulk #315-327
January 1985 - December 1986
Writers: John Byrne/Al Milgrom
Artists: John Byrne/Keith Williams/Al Milgrom/Steve Geiger

John Byrne took over the reins of the Incredible Hulk in late 1984 in the first ever creative team cross-over in comic book history. In Hulk #313 and Alpha Flight #28, Byrne passed Alpha Flight on to current Hulk writer Bill Mantlo and a young Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame.

In an interview by Jim Salicrup, when asked what he was planning to do with the Hulk, Byrne replied:

“Well, I want to get back to the basics. I want to get back to the two elements of the Hulk that are the most primal Hulk, to me. One is the creature of the night – as he was in those early issues of the Incredible Hulk.

(…)

“…by about my eighth issue, we will be back in a situation where he will be the creature of the night and he will be locking himself in the little room under the lake and pounding on the wall. And the biggest dramatic change that I’m making in the whole context of the thing is that since Rick Jones has more-or-less been taken care of, we’re bringing in a new Rick Jones position, which will be filled by Betty Ross.”
- Comics Interview #25, 1985

In issue #315, Dr. Samson succeeds in splitting off the mind and body of Bruce Banner from the Hulk. S.H.I.E.L.D. steps in and decides to take over the project, but Samson objects and frees the Hulk. Unfortunately without Banner’s influence, the Hulk is just an angry, rampaging monster. The Avengers fail to take down the Hulk and Samson calls them off vowing to bring down the Hulk himself.

I liked the way the supporting cast, Doc Samson and the Hulk Busters, shared the spotlight. It wasn't all about the Hulk, but about those whose lives the Hulk affected. This arc revealed a lot more of Samson's character. Byrne took the title in a new direction shifting from the idea of the internal Banner-Hulk conflict to a more physical one. It would have been interesting to see what the genius of Bruce Banner would have devised to take on the Hulk.




Issue #316 features one of my favorite Hulk battles. Namor, Hercules, Iron Man, and Wonder Man each take turns trying to take down the Hulk. Meanwhile, Banner who has recovered from the traumatic separation leads a group of highly skilled individuals dubbing them the Hulkbusters. They’re first real training mission is interrupted by Dr. Samson and their ensuing battle ends up costing the lives of one of the Hulkbusters.

Rick Jones returns to the book in issue #319 and would permanently be part of the supporting cast until the end of this series. Byrne gets a little experimental in this issue and splits each page in half and tells two story lines at once. I found it distracting and ended up reading one story end-to-end and then reading the other. This issue also really brings Betty to the forefront. Byrne has been slowly introducing her into the story line and she finally shines this issue, portraying the strong, willful character that Peter David will make use of.

However, the fun stops there. Issue #320 features a change in the creative team. When asked by Michael David Thomas why his run was cut short on the Incredible Hulk, Byrne answered:

“’Betrayal’ would be an excessively strong word for what happened. I took on the Hulk after a discussion with Shooter, in which I mentioned some of the things I would like to do with that character, given the chance. He told me to do whatever was necessary to get on the book, he liked my ideas so much. I did, and once installed he immediately changed his mind – ‘You can't do this!’. Six issues was as much as I could take.”
- Comic Book Resources, August 22/2000

For more on what Byrne thought, check out his FAQ on his website.

What might have been?

"Banner will be tossing all sorts of new weapons against the Hulk because it will now be
Banner's job to try and destroy the Hulk. (…) "The first old villain that I plan to bring back is the Metal Master. The last dangling plot thread of Bill Mantlo's that I want to follow up on is that adamantium statue of the Hulk sitting in a warehouse somewwere in New York. I'm going to have the Metal Master activate it. So the Hulk will have to fight an adamantium version of himself.”
- Marvel Age #31

Interestingly, there's no mention of issue #320 in the letters pages; issue #323 prints letters from #319 and #324 prints letters from #321.

And now, batting cleanup …

Al Milgrom, stepped up to write and pencil the Incredible Hulk after Byrne’s “departure”. His art didn’t have Byrne’s energy or intensity. You can clearly tell that Milgrom was told to get the Hulk and Banner back together. The rampaging Hulk is finally taken down by the Avengers (East and West Coast) in issue #322. And, unfortunately, Banner and the Hulk are reunited in issue #323.

Issue #324 caught my attention once again as the plot twisted with the return of the Grey Hulk. Steve Geiger delivered some great artwork in issues #325 and #326, which saw Rick Jones turn into a version of the Green Hulk and face off in a slugfest against the Grey Hulk.

For a year that started out rather promising, it unraveled rather quickly. I would have loved to have seen where Byrne would have taken the Banner versus Hulk conflict. However, more creative changes were on their way which would see Al Milgrom replaced by Peter David who would make his name in comicdom writing this title.

1985 – Squadron Supreme

The Greatest Super-Hero Team of Any World!
Squadron Supreme (September 1985 - August 1986)
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciller(s): Bob Hall/Paul Ryan/John Buscema
Inker(s): John Beatty/Sam DeLaRosa/Joe Rubinstein/Jackson Guice/Keith Williams

This miniseries is writer/editor Mark Gruenwald's Magnum Opus. He challenged many super hero conventions by taking a team of archetypal super heroes living in a world outside the Marvel Universe and allowing them to make global wide-spread changes to society and political.

The Squadron Supreme is the premier super-hero team of a parallel Earth in the Marvel Universe. Interestingly, this super-hero team is a character-for-character match of DC's Justice League of America:

Hyperion = Superman
Nighthawk = Batman
Dr. Spectrum = Green Lantern
Whizzer = Flash
Power Princess = Wonder Woman
Skrullian Skymaster = Martian Manhunter
Amphibian = Aquaman
Nuke = Firestorm
Hawk = Hawkman
Arcanna = Zatanna
Lady Lark = Black Canary
Golden Archer = Green Arrow.

The Squadron Supreme made their first appearance in The Avengers #85. A simple misunderstanding led to an all-out battle. However, once everything was sorted out, these heroes do what comes natural to heroes: they save their worlds.

After a few more appearances in the pages of The Avengers and The Defenders, there was enough fan interest for a 12-issue limited series. The series began in the aftermath of the Squadron Supreme's lowest point in their history. An alien entity known as the Overmind had mentally controlled the Squadron Supreme and used them to subject the planet to his rule. They rebelled against the Overmind and defeated him, but their world was in ruins and its population despised them.

This series is truly Mark Gruenwald's defining work. He delivers a morally complex tale of heroes who decide to take an active role in reshaping society as they see fit. The world is in utter chaos and the Squadron Supreme wants to restore order, especially since they're to blame. The Squadron Supreme's leader, Hyperion, convinces his team that, despite the public's mistrust and hatred, they must "actively pursue solutions to all the world's problems ... abolish war and crime, eliminate poverty and hunger, establish equality among all people, clean up the environment and cure disease."

In short, they set themselves up as nothing less than moral dictators. However, Nighthawk, one of the team's founders, disagrees with Hyperion and believes that humanity must achieve and earn their own utopia and not have one forced upon them. The majority of the Squadron supports Hyperion's Project Utopia. Nighthawk resigns from the team and even considers assassinating Hyperion.

To eliminate crime, the Squadron Supreme sanctions the use of a mind-subversion machine on criminals to change their ways, which also extends to the Squadron's super-villains who are then invited to join the team. This topic sparks a series of debates on the extent of this machine's use and the determination of what behavior should be corrected.

Highlights of this series's subplots include an attempt by the Squadron Supreme's scientific genius Tom Thumb to cure cancer; the manslaughter of a hero who became emotionally unbalanced when he learned that exposure to his powers are what had killed his parents; the disarmament of the United States; and the use of the mind-subversion machine on a fellow teammate by a scorned lover.

The series builds to its climax as Nighthawk, who has joined forces with the Squadron Supreme's mortal enemy, Master Menace, assembles a new team to free the world from this super-hero tyranny. The climax is a dramatic and deadly battle that forever changes the Squadron Supreme.

My biggest complaint is the constant shifting of the art teams. Bob Hall and John Beatty's art in the first couple of issues is well done, if you look past Beatty's heavy inks. There's a switch in inkers and then finally a new art team settled in with issue #9. Issue #7 features a great pencil fill-in by John Buscema and inks by Jackson Guice. I found that, by the end of the series, the Ryan/DeLaRosa art just wasn't at the same level that was set in the early issue. This weaker art detracted from the climatic build up to the last issue. Ryan's pencils aren't as dramatic and his panels aren't focused enough.

The writing is top notch and Gruenwald handles a large roster of characters very well. The series is an enjoyable, thought-provoking read.

1986 - Punisher: Circle of Blood

Punisher: Circle of Blood (5 issue miniseries)
January 1986 - May 1986
Writer(s): Steve Grant, Jo Duffy (script issue 5)
Penciler(s): Mike Zeck (1-4), Mike Vosburg (5)
Inker: John Beatty.

Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru, the Punisher made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 and generated enough fan interest for several other appearances. However, it wasn't until 1986 that the Punisher would help set the comic book world on a course that would spawn several Punisher titles and increase the popularity of vigilantes.

Writer Steve Grant and art team of Mike Zeck and John Beatty were given the go-ahead for a miniseries starring the Punisher.

The first issue stands out for two reasons. One, that Grant tries his best at damage control and tries to bring some consistency to the Punisher's character, as he had been used by several writer for their own purposes. And two, that Grant created some depth in Punisher's one-dimensional characterization and his personality actually evolved through the series.

Zeck's horizontal panel style is very effective in enhancing the story by giving it a strong flow. The only complaint about the first issue was the colour mixup (blues came out as greens).

Issue #2 starts a solid gang war premise that shapes the rest of the series. A vigilante organization uses the Punisher to provoke a gang war that sets the New York underworld at each other's throats. Unfortunately, the execution of the story falls apart in issue #4 as the art seems rushed and choppy.

I was curious about the sudden change in scripter and penciler for issue #5 and emailed Steven Grant and asked him what had happened. This is what he had to say:

"Before we started the series, Mike [Zeck] and I made a pact that if one of us got dumped from the series the other would walk, because Marvel was doing things like that these days. When we began the series, we were assured we would have plenty of time to work on it and get most of it done before Marvel put it on the schedule, in order for us to do it the way we wanted.

"Of course, we had barely turned in the first issue when Marvel's marketing dept. decided they were short product for the summer and went through the list, found The Punisher, and put it on schedule. They worked their schedule backwards from the target release date, meaning before we even started the second issue we went from no deadline to six weeks late on it. We spent the next several months trying to play catch up while the book slipped further and further behind the schedule.

"One day Mike got a phone call that they were taking him off the book. I called and protested, but was told the decision was made and could not be unmade. So I left as well. Probably wasn't the best career move I ever made but I ended up with a new best friend..."

The success of this miniseries would prompt a regular ongoing series by Mike Baron and Klaus Jansen.
And as to the mix-up in terms of the covers denoting a 4 issue miniseries on the cover of issues #1,3, and 4 and a 5-issue miniseries on the cover of issues #2 and 5, check out: Comic Book Legends Revealed #196.

This miniseries has recently been reprinted in Marvel's Premiere format.

1983 - The Falcon

Flying solo!
Falcon (4 issue miniseries)
November 1983 – February 1984
Writer: Jim Owsley
Artists: Paul Smith/Vince Colletta, Mark Bright/Mike Gustovich

I was first attracted to this miniseries because of the wonderful Paul Smith cover. And then when I saw that he was doing the interior art as well, I was sold. Unfortunately, Smith’s art was heavily inked by Vince Colletta which smothered Smith’s great pencils.

This miniseries was written by Jim Owsley, the man who would go on to be known as (Christopher) Priest. In 1983, he was also the first published African American comic book writer.

The first issue focused on the Falcon’s alter ego, Sam Wilson, and his role as a social worker in the ghetto dealing with low-income housing and gang violence. Owsley does a solid job with the script and pulls off a relevant story that as applicable today as it was in 1983.

This story was written years before the other three issues and circulated around the Marvel Comics offices for quite some time. The first issue was then originally slated for Marvel Fanfare, but Jim Shooter wanted to push new idea of limited series, and decided that a Falcon limited series would be a perfect fit.

Since Paul Smith was already committed to the Uncanny X-Men, the other three issues’s pencils were handled by Mark Bright, Owsley’s partner-in-crime for many other future work, like Quantum and Woody and Power Man & Iron Fist.

The Falcon miniseries introduced Police Sergeant Turk who would become a popular secondary character in the Marvel Universe.


Issue #2 revealed that the Falcon is a mutant as he spends the issue fending off a Sentinel. He’s able to destroy the Sentinel, but he’s unable to stop a gang war and loses the trust of a gang leader. Both the story and art work surprisingly well in this issue. There several great action sequences juxtaposed with the gang war bubbling over. Good pacing establishes the story’s tension and really makes you feel how the Falcon is pulled in both directions.

In issue #3, the Falcon dealt with last issue’s fallout and was reminded of his days as “Snap” Wilson when he sold drugs, ran numbers, and operated ‘protection’ operations. And for the record, Snap Wilson did go on trial and was released into Captain America’s custody.

Issue #4 had the Falcon trying to rescue the President of the United States of America who’s being held hostage by a street gang and runs into Electro. The Falcon, a former Captain America sidekick, has matured as a hero able to stand on his own and he's comfortable with putting some distance between himself and Captain America. Captain America co-stars in this issue, but doesn’t take the spotlight from the Falcon. The Falcon actually comes to Captain America’s rescue and even convinces the gang leaders to release the President and start up a dialog about improving their ghetto’s conditions.

Issues #3 and #4 are bit weaker than the initial two issues. The idea that some street gang could kidnap the President of the United States didn’t sit right with me. Neither did the marshmellowy ending where Reagan sits down with the gang leaders for a chat.

The Falcon is next seen in a backup feature running through Captain America that details his run for a Congress seat.

1984 - Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
12 issue miniseries
May 1984 - April 1985
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciller: Mike Zeck/Bob Layton
Inker: John Beatty

Jim Shooter, Editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, was prompted by fan mail to create a story similar to Marvel's first limited series, The Contest of Champions. Originally called Cosmic Champions, Shooter saw this series as the fulfillment of the Marvel Universe's destiny (Comics Interview, August 1984). The series was renamed the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars and was tied in to a Mattel line of action figures and toys.

This series was a financial success and would spawn a sequel, Secret Wars II. It would also later inspire more limited series involving most of the Marvel Universe's heroes, such as The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, and The Infinity Crusade.

The Secret Wars featured a mysterious, omnipotent being, calling itself the Beyonder, who was intrigued by humanity and the concept of good and evil. The Beyonder whisked away the more prominent heroes and their villainous counterparts to a world that would be their battle arena.


The heroes kidnapped by the Beyonder were: Wasp, She-Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Professor X, Nightcrawler, Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Cyclops, Colossus, Lockheed the dragon, Hulk, Spider-Man, Mr. Fantastic, Thing, and the Human Torch. The villains were Galactus, Dr. Doom, Kang, Enchantress, the Wrecking Crew (Piledriver, Wrecker, Thunderball, and Bulldozer), Lizard, Dr. Octopus, Absorbing Man, Ultron and the Molecule Man.

The Beyonder plainly set the ground rules for this competition: "Slay your enemies and all you desire is yours". Galactus, who was not amused at being kidnapped, confronted the Beyonder. Galactus had been, until that point, the most powerful cosmic being in the Marvel Universe and was batted aside effortlessly by the Beyonder. The heroes and villains, intimidated by Galactus' defeat, began to play the Beyonder's little game.

In early 1984, the characters of the Marvel Universe were undergoing a lot of changes: Jim Rhodes had replaced Tony Stark as Iron Man; Bruce Banner's intellect controlled the Hulk; Professor X could walk and joined his X-Men in battle; and Susan Richards was expecting her second child.

These changes were good subplots that added a bit of depth to a rather shallow story line. Rhodes had the Iron Man image to uphold and he became conformable with his new role. Professor X came into conflict with Storm, who refused to be overruled as leader by her teacher who lacked battle experience. Reed Richards worried about Sue and their unborn child.

Unlike The Contest of Champions, The Secret Wars had an impact on the core Marvel titles: the Thing's departure from the Fantastic Four and subsequent replacement by the She-Hulk; Spider-Man's new costume, that would turn out to be a living creature and become a deadly enemy called Venom; Colossus' romance that forever changed his relationship with Kitty Pryde. The Secret Wars as a whole prompted a closer relationship between the characters in the Marvel Universe.

This series established Captain America's leadership in the Marvel Universe and the respect the other heroes had for him. Dr. Doom showed Molecule Man the full extent of his power which established him as a major power in the Marvel Universe. This series also introduced several new characters, such as Titania and Volcana, who where created by Dr. Doom, and a new Spider-Woman who joins the heroes.

The Beyonder's battle world setting removed heroes from their usual locales and allowed them to engage in an all-out battle with little collateral damage or concern about civilians getting hurt.

I didn't really like John Beatty's inks. They seem a little heavy and choppy. However, I liked Mike Zeck's penciled art so much I eagerly hunted down his run on Captain America. Jim Shooter's script is unspectacular, but he tries his best to build a story around a weak, action-driven plot.


One of the most spectacular (and one of the more unbelievable) events occurred in issue #4, when the Molecule Man dropped an entire mountain range on the escaping heroes. The Hulk managed to hold up part of the mountain while Reed tinkered with Iron Man's repulsor rays to tunnel them a way out.

The Secret Wars #8 was the best read simply for its fan appeal. The heroes finally took the offensive and attacked the villains: Captain America took down the Enchantress, just after she subdued the Hulk; Spidey dished out a humiliating defeat to Titania; and the Human Torch defeated Ultron with his nova flame.

How the villains were chosen wasn't explained, leaving the impression that Shooter had added the most physical villains (such as the Wrecking Crew), but even then, that's a questionable theory, with so many of the Hulk's foes not included such as the Leader, Abomination, and Rhino. Galactus' presence was strange especially when Byrne had strongly emphasized in Fantastic Four #261 that Galactus was a neutral cosmic entity!

Interestingly, Dr. Strange, Power Man, Iron Fist, the entire roster of Alpha Flight, Daredevil, Namor, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Moon Knight were some of the more prominent heroes left out. Kitty Pryde was originally included in the promo material, but later removed as one of the series' plot points involved Colossus falling in love with someone else.

Another great Shooter catalyst was putting Magneto among the heroes. Magneto was slowly making the transition from a megalomaniac to simply a maniac. A few years later, Magneto would actually become the headmaster at Xavier's Institute. This plot point was a great source of conflict with the X-Men who had to reluctantly defend Magneto from the scrutiny of the other heroes. Also, another interesting twist was the Magneto and Wasp romance.

The manner in which the series was released was a bit awkward. The heroes were taken in one issue of their respective issues, and returned the following issue, while the series itself ran a full year. When the heroes returned to their regular issues, all the changes that would happen at the end of The Secret Wars were revealed, but had yet to happen in the actual limited series.

Here's a look at some of the Secret Wars toys. I guess Baron Zemo was a last minute drop from the villains' roster.

1984 - Strikeforce Morituri

We Who Are About To Die ...

Strikeforce Morituri #1-5
Writer: Peter B. Gillis
Artist: Brent Anderson

Set in the future (circa 2070s), the Earth finds itself terrorized by an alien race of plunderers called the Horde. The Horde, while more technologically advance than humans, are content to run raids throughout the world taking what they need while humans are helpless to stop them. That is until Dr. Tuolema develops a super-power granting process, dubbed the "Morituri Process". Unfortunately, the process has one draw back in that it kills the subject within a year.


The first issue provides a wonderful introduction to the Earth of Strikeforce Morituri from Harold Everson's point of view as he volunteers to be among the first generation of the "Morituri Process". It also challenges Harold's convictions as he learns that the propaganda about the Morituri process was misleading. The second issue kicks it up a notch as the first generation of heroes are sent into the "Garden" a Danger Room-like environment meant to help stimulate their emerging powers. Our band of heroes are pushed to their limits and perhaps a bit too far testing the convictions of those running the Morituri program.

The next couple of issues didn't hold my attention as much as the first two, but they did succeed in bringing the issue of their imminent deaths to the forefront, culminating in the death of one of them. I felt that this theme resonates beyond the sci-fi aspect to our daily lives reminding us how precious life is and while our life spans are quite a bit longer than those subjected to the Morituri Process, it's just as terminal. Issue #5 deals with the fallout of the death of one of their own and they have to deal with a new alien threat.

Initially, I steered clear of this series as I hadn't enjoyed anything else that Peter B. Gillis had written (Defenders, Eternals miniseries, and Dr. Strange). Having recently picked up these issues in a bargain bin, I was pleasantly surprised with them. I found the overall concept rather intriguing in that Marvel would green light a series in which its characters would only last half a dozen issues or so.

For those of you that enjoy Astro City, you'll get a kick out of seeing some early art by Brent Anderson. Unfortunately, the paper quality does rob some of the art's luster.

Peter B. Gillis and Brent Anderson stayed on the title until issue #21 when James D. Hudnall takes over as writer along with a variety of artists, including Mark Bagley. Strikeforce Morituri would run until July 1989 and end with issue #31. In less than a year, it would be followed up by a five-issue miniseries called Strikeforce Morituri: Electric Undertow.

1984 - Jack of Hearts

Jack Of Hearts miniseries - #1-4 Writer: Bill Mantlo Artist: George Freeman First appearing in Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #22 and then sporatically through the Marvel Universe, this second string character was given a four issue miniseries. In this miniseries, he learns that his new powers are growing uncontrollable and slowly killing him. S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters for Investigation and Law Enforcement Division) places Jack under house arrest in an attempt to study him and prevent his death which may result in a cataclysmic explosion. Marcy Kane, a former lover, is called into to study him since she’s an expert in biophysics. Mantlo uses good methods to avoid the expository clump of Jack’s origin, by exploring it through Marcy’s perspective as she reads through her notes. Jack learns from Marcy Kane that his mother was actually an alien from the same race as the alien attackers. His mother was an advance scout looking for a world that her people could flee to from their dying sun. Marcy also reveals that she herself is a Contraxian. After another destructive battle, Jack decides to accompany Marcy to her homeworld. A power struggle erupts on their homeworld of Contraxia where a survivalist faction plans to use Jack of Hearts as a mean of reigniting their dying sun, and not to mention securing a new position of power. Jack is framed and condemned by the Contraxia people who are all manipulated by this survivalist faction. Jack is put aboard a space ship that is targeted at the sun. There’s a change of conscience in the ranks of the villains which gives Jack an opportunity to escape, but he chooses instead to fulfill the mission and succeeds in bringing the star back to life. His powers, however, have been dramatically increased in scale and leaves Marcy and Contraxia behind to explore his destiny elsewhere in space. George Freeman’s art style works well depicting Jack of Hearts’ powers and the alien world of Contraxia. Mantlo provides strong characterization through change. A lot of nice plot twists and turns that really help pace the story and bring it to life.