Hey Mike: Madelyne Pryor, Mastermind, and Mystique

Mike: Maddie Pryor was a child that showed up in Avengers Annual #10. She was in one panel. The location was the hospital where Jessica Drew had taken Carol Danvers after Rogue wiped her memory and powers. I've always wondered what that was about.

Jay: From my article on Avengers Annual #10 (marvel1980s.blogspot.com/2010/08/1981-avengers-annual-10.html):

“Interestingly, there’s a little girl in the hospital who’s called “Maddy Pryor” and of course any X-Fan worth their salt will recognize that name… turns out those Claremont was a fan of the folk band, Steeleye Span, and of their popular lead singer, Maddy Prior.”

Obviously Claremont liked the name enough that it stuck with him. Also note that this Maddy Pryor had brown hair and was obviously the wrong age (which could be explained by the fact that Madelyne was a clone of Jean Grey created by Mr. Sinister.

Mike: I've also wondered why Mastermind was messing with Mystique in the X-Men: From The Ashes storyline. Throughout that story, he was getting revenge on the X-Men by manipulating them and their colleagues until eventually making them think that Madelyne Pryor was Phoenix reincarnated, but what part did Mystique play in all this? It was Uncanny X-Men #170. She was dreaming she was chased down and hunted like a wolf by Jason Wyngarde and Lady Jean Grey. She wakes to find that Rogue had left her for Prof X. Did Mastermind manipulate Rogue to the good? And to what end?

Jay: Great questions. And I’ve got some answers from the infamous X-Men Danglers FAQ (http://www.oocities.org/area51/rampart/8644/zclaremontdang.html). Apparently, that scene was meant to as a “foreshadowing for a plot planned for Ms. Marvel, which Claremont also wrote at the time.  When Ms. Marvel was canceled, the plot was dropped.  Mastermind wanted revenge on Mystique because her arms shipping business was siphoning profits from the Hellfire Club.”

Hope that helps!

Hey Starfoxxx: What ever happened to Ken Steacy?

Ken Steacy is a Canadian comic book artist whose painted, slick art style was featured in several issues of Marvel Fanfare through the 1980s. Unfortunately, other than those issues of Marvel Fanfare, he didn't do anything else for Marvel Comics.

Highlights of his post-Marvel career included:

- The Sacred & the Profane (co-authored by Dean Motter)

- Night and the Enemy (stories by Harlan Ellison)

- Tempus Fugitive

His post-comic book endeavors have had him working in various multimedia educational entertainment as well as working for LucasFilm and other commercial art projects.

For his latest work, check out www.kenspublishing.com and more on his winning the Canadian Joe Shuster Award here: joeshusterawards.com/hof/ken-steacy-1955.

Hope that helps!

Jason

I want you! (And your questions)

I'd like to try and make my blog a bit more interactive. Do you have any questions about anything during the Marvel Comics of the 1980s? Whatever happened to that artist? Or that limited series? Or why did that creative team leave a particular book? This is your chance. Please ask away. I'd love to hear from you and love to dig around and find some answers for you!

1981 - Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (revisited)

Wizard Magazine #234 featured some interviews with the cast and creative teams and wanted to share some highlights.

- The show was originally called “The Spider-Friends”, but of course that was a little too close to The Super-Friends. As mentioned in my previous article, the show was originally going to feature the Human Torch. Although, no reasons were given for why the change to Firestar.

- Artist Rich Hoberg shared my rather low opinion of Ms. Lion: “Having Ms. Lion on the show killed me. I hated her, but I know some people like her. She was extraneous comic relief, when comic relief should be built into the characters.

- Rich Hoberg based his Firestorm/Angelica Jones on John Romita’s Mary Jane Watson. And that caused me to do a bit more digging and turned up this wonderful pre-production art. Apparently, there were many names floating around for Firestar, like Heatwave, Starblaze, and Firefly.

 Also found these great looking scans of preliminary cells.

And last, but not least, discovered that there were a few newspaper insert comics featuring Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends.

1985 - February and March calendars from Marvel Age

Sorry, completely missed posting the February calendar. I'll post the March one now as well...

1981 - Daredevil #172 and Frank Miller's original penciled art

Over at the Collectors Society Original Art forum, Nelson Animated Ink shared some amazing photocopies of Frank Miller's original pencils on Daredevil #172 before Klaus Jansen applied his inks.

Tip of the hat to Ferran Delgado and his blog for pointing me in this direction.

Enjoy!

1983 - Sienkiewicz portfolio from Marvel Fanfare #8

Some people love his art, some wish he had stuck with his Neal Adams form, some wish he had never come into comics! I'm someone one who has gained an appreciation for his art over the last 20 years or so. Love the Dr. Strange drawing, it has a subtle and malevolent feel to it.

1989 - Teenage Negro Ninja Thrashers!

RIP Dwayne McDuffie.




In case you don't know anything about McDuffie, go here: http://tinyurl.com/494t4g2










 

Take a look at this wonderful proposal for the "Teenage Negro Ninja Thrashers". Fear the skateboard and forever remember McDuffie.

1987 - Comet Man

Comet Man made his debut in his own limited series in 1987, created by writers Bill Mumy and Miguel Ferrer, drawn by Kelley Jones and Gerry Talaoc. And, yes, it was that Bill Mumy, the child actor who played Will Robinson in Lost in Space, and it turns out he’s a huge comic book fan.

Jim Shooter green lighted Bill Mumy’s pitch on Comet Man. It piggy-backed on all the hype surrounding the return of Hailey’s Comet. The basic idea is that Dr. Stephen Beckley meets up with a powerful alien named Max who destroys him and his ship. However, this Max re-creates Beckley and decides to give him some super-powers. Guess he felt bad about the killing bit. Beckley returns home and finds himself the target of a secret government organization who actually want to bring in Max. Max on his side wants to destroy humankind to prevent its violent nature from spreading. Fortunately, Beckly convinces Max not to do that. The secret government organization is run by Beckly’s brother who’s done everything he can to make Beckly’s life miserable, including nuking Max’s ship at the end of issue #6. Interestingly, the limited series ended with that cliff hanger and it isn’t resolved or explained until three years later.

According to a radio interview with Bill Mumy, the series actually sold half a million copies.

I have to admit that the purchase of Comet Man #1 was one of pure impulse based on Sienkiewicz’s breathtaking cover. You can get the occasional glimpse of Kelley Jones’ art underneath Gerry Talaoc’s heavy inks. Overall, I had a terribly difficult time getting into the series, now and as I recall back in 1987.

Comet Man subsequently appeared in Fantastic Four #315-317 (June-August 1988), Marvel Comics Presents #50-53 (May-July 1990), and Captain Marvel vol. 5 #7 (July 2000). As well, he was a minor character in the recent Civil War event.

1984 - McLeod's New Mutants

Here are a few pages from Marvel Fanfare #27 showcasing Bob McLeod's take on the New Mutants.

 

Marvel Comics May 2011 Solicitations - 1980s goodness

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY DAVID MICHELINIE & TODD MCFARLANE OMNIBUS HC
Written by DAVID MICHELINIE
Penciled by TODD MCFARLANE, ALEX SAVIUK, ERIK LARSEN & COLLEEN DORAN
Whether clad in blue and red or black, or possessing spider-powers or cosmic ones, Spider-Man stands ready to face any threat! And the threats have never been greater! From his own foes — Venom, Mysterio, the Scorpion and more — to newcomers to his friendly neighborhood like Sabretooth, the Taskmaster, Magneto and the Sentinels, Spidey sure has his hands full! Good thing he’s got Mary Jane, Captain America, the Black Cat and the Hulk around to lend a hand! Featuring the pulse-pounding prose of longtime IRON MAN scribe David Michelinie and the groundbreaking artistry of the legendary Todd McFarlane! Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #296-329 and material from SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #10.
848 PGS. $99.99

 
X-MEN: X-TINCTION AGENDA HC
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT & LOUISE SIMONSON
Penciled by JIM LEE, ROB LIEFELD, JON BOGDANOVE & GUANG YAP
The war in Genosha has boiled over, and the X-Men, X-Factor and the New Mutants will never be the same! With the never-deadlier Cameron Hodge pulling the strings, the heroes are kidnapped, killed, stripped of their powers and forced into combat! And when the dust settles, the teams change lineups, sending the X-Men into a new era! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN #235-238 and #270-272, NEW MUTANTS (1983) #95-97, and X-FACTOR (1986) #60-62.
328 PGS. $49.99

 
CAPTAIN BRITAIN VOL. 1: BIRTH OF A LEGEND HC
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT, GARY GRIEDRICH, LARRY LIEBER, BOB BUDIANSKY, LEN WEIN & JIM LAWRENCE
Penciled by HERB TRIMPE, JOHN BUSCEMA, RON WILSON & BOB BUDIANSKYMarvel U.K.’s first original super hero made his explosive debut in 1976. Now, on his 35th anniversary, Captain Britain’s earliest adventures are collected in the United States for the first time! Witness the legend’s beginning as British student Brian Braddock makes a fateful choice between might and right, and becomes Merlin’s champion! Experience Captain Britain’s first battles as he faces fearsome foes like the Reaver, Hurricane, Dr. Synne, the Mastermind computer, Lord Hawk, Nykonn and the Manipulator. And thrill to his dynamic team-up with U.S. counterpart Captain America as they join forces to battle the Red Skull! Plus: the debut of Brian’s sister, Betsy Braddock — better known today as the X-Men’s Psylocke! Never before seen on our shores, these early tales of Marvel U.K.’s original hero are classic British action, presented in the Mighty Marvel Manner! Collecting CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1976) #1-39 and SUPER SPIDER-MAN AND CAPTAIN BRITAIN #231-232.
376 PGS./Rated A ...$39.99

 
X-MEN: FALLEN ANGELS PREMIERE HC
Written by JO DUFFY
Penciled by KERRY GAMMILL, MARIE SEVERIN & JOE STATONFrom the pages of X-FACTOR: Madrox and Siryn! From the pages of NEW MUTANTS: Sunspot and Warlock! From the pages of X-FORCE: the Vanisher and Boom-Boom! Mix these six unlikely allies with Devil Dinosaur, super-strong lobsters and some teenage runaways, and you’ve got the Fallen Angels! What wonders await these strange heroes of Beat Street in the paradise of Coconut Grove? Witness one of the strangest X-Men adventures of all time! Collecting FALLEN ANGELS #1-8.
200 PGS. $29.99

 
ROCKET RACCOON: GUARDIAN OF THE KEYSTONE QUADRANT PREMIERE HC
Written by BILL MANTLO
Penciled by KEITH GIFFEN, MIKE MIGNOLA & SAL BUSCEMAIt’s Rocket Raccoon, the deadliest weapons expert in the galaxy! Before he lent his expertise to the war effort during Annihilation, before he saved the universe as one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon was the Guardian of the Keystone Quadrant! Experience his original adventures with the Incredible Hulk, and his anthropomorphic allies and enemies on his home planet of Halfworld! Collecting INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #271, ROCKET RACCOON #1-4 and material from MARVEL PREVIEW #7.
144 PGS. $24.99

Happy Valentine's Day

In case you forgot it was Valentine's day...

1980 - Whatever happened to the X-Men and Legion of Superheroes crossover?

In 1980, as reported by Comics Feature #4, there was a X-Men and Legion of Superheroes one-shot in plan by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum.

However, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter was not pleased that DC wanted the fourth company crossover to include the New Teen Titans, DC's best-selling title at the time, as he wanted the crossover to be the X-Men and the Legion of Super-Heroes. This friction led to Shooter's decision to stall and cancel the JLA/Avengers project.

With the Teen Titans being a huge hit, it was decided to turn it into a Titans/X-Men crossover instead. Dave Cockrum decided to drop out of the project.

From Dave Cockrum's interview in The Legion Companion book:

"But there also originally was going to be a Legion/X-Men crossover, and I was to draw it.  Then they decided ‘No, we'll make it a Teen Titans/X-Men crossover,’ and that's the one that Walt Simonson drew.  They figured that the Teen Titans were more commercial." 

A bit more Brent Anderson love...

Still gushing over Brent Anderson's work and came across this sketch (http://kraalo.blogspot.com/) I had to share... Wow! Just wow! I'm hoping Anderson makes his way to the SDCC again this year.

Brent Anderson appreciation post

Loving Brent Anderson's art in Uncanny X-Men Annual #5 and a quick search netted me a few of these wonderful sketches...