MRL - Golden Age Interlude

[sonotadream]

Since we’ll be getting into the Silver Age proper, with the original Fantastic Four run coming up next, I thought it would be fun to check some Golden Age comics - and see what Marvels #1 was all about. I'm using the list from My Marvelous Year as a guide.

Some of these comics were fun to read, but they have a tendency to become meandering when they get long, with new plot points introduced a bit at random. The art is fine for the most part, with the colours getting really interesting sometimes - although that could be modern touches. Unfortunately, it also gets quite racist sometimes, especially as WWII approaches and the bad guys become foreign agents.

Marvel Comics #1 was published by Timely Comics in 1939. The first story introduces the original Human Torch, and this time he get his story from his perspective. After his escapes his cement coffin, the Torch gets involved with a racketeer - they’re a type of recurring villain in this era. The guy’s scheme is a bit dumb - using the threat of burning down people's warehouses only works once, when he has no way to trap the Torch a second time.

In the course of the adventure, the Torch comes in contact with liquid nitrogen and learns to control his flame. Since he's no longer a public menace, the Torch is released into Horton's custody, who’s quick to declare how much money he can make of his invention. Displeased with his creator's mercenary leanings, the Torch decides to leave him and goes off on his own.

The second story introduces The Angel, who was very popular at the time, but didn’t get a revival in later eras. Which is a pity, because he’s my favourite. He’s a costumed vigilante, but doesn’t wear a mask. He sometimes projects his shadow and uses his cape to give the appearance of wings, which sends the criminals running in fear, crying out “The Angel.” He deals with different types of perils, from regular gangsters and racketeers, to mad scientists and ghouls from the centre of the Earth. He’s fun 🎉❤️

The third story introduces Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The first part is a nice bit of horror storytelling, where a creature from the deep ocean kills the crew of a salvage ship, and then destroys the ship itself.

In the second chapter, he get Namor’s backstory. His people live in the ocean near Antarctica. One day, a scientific expedition arrives and starts bombing the ocean floor - which is weird, but also in keeping with that era of scientific exploration. Namor's mother was sent to the surface as a spy in a honeypot mission, since she could pass for a white woman (the Atlanteans - although I don’t think they’re called that in the stories I read - are very much fish like in appearance, some more than others) and ends up marrying Namor's father. Unfortunately, the bombs destroy the underwater city, and the war is over before it starts.

The Emperor sends Namor on a mission of revenge on the surface world, particularly America.

The third chapter covers the first attack by Namor on the surface. Accompanied by his cousin, they attack a lighthouse, showcasing Namor's strength and his ability to fly, thanks to his winged feet.

The last story is the introduction of Ka-Zar, an adaptation of a pulp story written by Martin Goodman, now the editor of the magazine. Ka-Zar is an obvious Tarzan Knock off. He grows up in the jungle after a plane crash, learns to talk to the animals, and is adopted by the lion Zar as his brother.

After the first issue, the magazine changed its name to Marvel Mystery Comics. Issue #3 introduces policewoman Betty Dean, who’s tasked with arresting Namor, after the rest of the police force failed.

To be fair, he had previously saved another young woman from drowning. Namor is mercurial and can cause lots of destruction - as seen later - but he’s always willing to save random, innocent civilians, even if he’s the one who endangered them in the first place.

Betty is not very happy about the assignment, but she’s nevertheless successful in baiting Namor by pretending to drown. She pulls a gun on him, but he’s quick and drags her far into the ocean, where they run into a naval battle.

Namor joins the battle in the side of the British ship and sinks a German submarine. Despite his mission to destroy America, Namor always sides with them and other Allies against the Germans. He then turns around and accuses Betty of being from a bloodthirsty race, while she defends her fellow Americans by saying they're actually a peace-loving people, who only fight for truth and justice - this speech didn't age very well…

A panel later, she reveals she's part English and asks Namor to break the naval blockade. He calls out her hypocrisy, but, since he likes her, he complies and destroys a few German ships with their own mines.

The story ends on a cliffhanger, as Betty asks Namor if he'll use his powers to aid the Allies…

Marvel Mystery Comics #8 and #9 are the big Human Torch/Sub-Mariner crossover! (as seen in Marvels#1!)

Namor is once again at war with the humans and goes around New York (he considers the Statue of Liberty his castle, btw), causing mayhem and destruction: freeing the zoo animals, flooding the Hudson tunnel and collapsing part of the Washington bridge.

The Torch is now working with the police and is sent in pursue of the Sub-Mariner. He goes around the city, using his steel-melting powers to put things back together - like pillars and zoo cages. He confronts Namor at the Washington bridge, but he escapes - until the next issue!

Their fight continues! Namor gets the upper hand first, knocking out the Torch and dragging him to his Aerial-submarine. The Torch gets away due to a freak accident with a hose that traps him in an air bubble that Namor is incapable of destroying.

Later, is the Torch's turn to defeat Namor. He traps him inside a reservoir by covering the surface with flames and calls for two planes to bomb the reservoir. This happens to be helpful, though, as Namor was being poisoned by the chlorine in the water. His ankle wings get singed by fire and he jumps into a plane to get away. He's nice enough to release the pilot's parachute as he's throwing him out of the plane.

The final confrontation happens at a chemical plant. The Torch came looking for sulphuric acid, which should strong enough to hurt Namor. He traps the Torch in a translite cylinder - being trapped in a transparent cylinder without oxygen seems to be the Torch's main weakness - and they arrive at a stalemate: as soon as Namor steps away, the Torch can escape the cylinder and flame on.

The exciting conclusion happens in the first two pages of Marvel Mystery Comics #10, with Officer Betty breaking the stalemate, who simply promises Namor is free to leave and the Torch won't pursue him. They don’t actually shake hands, though.

The Torch goes back to his day job as a police officer and Namor returns home in disgrace.

Human Torch Comics #3 features another crossover with Namor. The Human Torch now has a sidekick, young Toro, an otherwise regular human boy with fire powers (apparently, due to radiation exposure). He's also an orphan from the circus, iykyk

They get involved in a convoluted espionage plot when a couple of foreign agents pretend to be Toro's parents in order to use him in sabotage missions - saboteurs and fifth columnists become more of a theme as WWII goes on in the real world.

At some point, the Torch is throwing some gold bars into the ocean when he thinks he should ask Namor for help. He carves a message in one of the bars and, by mere coincidence, Namor finds it. Learning that America is under attack, Namor asks his leader for help - seems like he’s back in favour - and leads his people to war to defend the country he was swearing to destroy a few stories ago. He's proclaimed a hero by the American president, with a parade and everything, lol.

Captain America #1 tells original origin story of Captain America and Bucky!

It’s the same origin story we already know, although there’s less focus on Steves backstory.

He meets Bucky and recruits him as sidekick, after Bucky walks him on Steve changing into the Captain America uniform, in the space of four panels, so that's fun! Their adventures mostly revolve around foreign agents trying to assassinate important army people.